Transcript Highlights:

• Well, just to stop construction if it's they just want to construction if it's they just want to construction
• Fort Novacell has seen significant construction projects in the significant construction projects in
• the significant construction projects in the past year, including the grand opening past year, including
• Our major barracks project a Novasel. Our major barracks project a Novasel.
• We've got a couple big projects we're working on for the big projects we're working on for the big projects

Bills: HB 10, HB 12, HB 147, HB 1522, HB 422, HB 675, HB 204, HB 748, HB 912

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• Our housing and homelessness... construction ecosystem. construction ecosystem.
• <03:55:02.319> which three generations in construction which three generations in construction
• 14.160> and<04:05:14.399> fewer construction, higher costs, and fewer construction, higher
• construction, and urbanfriendly designs. construction, and urbanfriendly designs.
• part of project 2025. part of project 2025.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, February 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Munoz: projects.
• With over 6,000 projects managed by 18 people, that's almost 600 projects per person.
• Senator Munoz: It's been a 20-year project.
• We will fulfill those projects if you let us do it.
• We're going to complete water projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is that suicide prevention and outreach for construction workers.
• bianium to capture the projected bianium to capture the projected increase<00:10:24.000> in
• Um this construction code fund.
• corresponds to an estimated construction corresponds to an estimated construction code<00:15:43.680
• :16:00.079> and proposed construction codes and proposed construction codes and licensing<00:16

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This completely stagnated muralists from being able to proceed with the types of project that we're all
• The project involved months of community engagement, design, and coordination with multiple agencies.
• It's all construction work, and it needs to be overseen.
• Mike West, on behalf of the State Building and Construction Trades, and also asked to speak on behalf
• So I think there's a difference between painting actual construction and actually doing art.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism heard SB 456 by Senator Ashby, the Community Beautification Act, which would create an exemption allowing muralists to do commissioned mural work without obtaining a contractor’s license. The author and supporters said the bill would clarify existing law, preserve public art and placemaking projects, and still leave in place applicable safety, permitting, and contract requirements. Support testimony came from the City of Sacramento’s arts manager and muralist Jaya King, who described mural projects as fine art and community engagement rather than construction, and from numerous local governments and arts organizations, including the League of California Cities, Los Angeles County, Sacramento, Stockton, Glendale, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Riverside, Escondido, and the California Travel Association. Opposition centered on concerns that the exemption could weaken consumer protections in contractor licensing law. One member of the public argued that mural projects can involve construction-related work such as surface preparation and installation, and that licensing requirements, down payments, insurance, and background checks protect consumers and should not be bypassed. A representative of the State Building and Construction Trades also expressed concerns but said the author’s office had been engaged and a follow-up meeting was scheduled. Several committee members spoke in favor, saying murals are clearly public art and an important part of neighborhood identity and local culture. The chair and other members described the bill as a common-sense clarification that would reduce barriers for artists and cities seeking to permit mural projects. The committee then voted 9-0 to pass SB 456 and re-refer it to the Business and Professions Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• A study of misclassification in Kentucky's construction industry alone found $11 million a year lost
• I came from construction. Um bricklayer. I came from construction.
• 12.800> is construction, the misclassification is construction, the misclassification is widespread
• , And often in cases such as construction, And often in cases such as construction, um<00:10:18.200
• For example, if you are the project.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:36 HB 732 Discussion: 02:00 HB 732 Vote: 20:55 SB 343 Discussion: 23:39 SB 343 Vote: 28:54 SB 129 Discussion: 30:30 SB 129 Vote: 32:27, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The right side slide illustrates the state's emergent construct during the state declared emergencies
• That means managing our formations well taken care of our people, milk on military construction.
• This slide provides a brief look at, but several new construction projects currently at Camp Blanding
• Last year we began a 3 year 480 million dollar construction project to support a level 2 Garrison training
• However, this project with the support of this committee and the governor, it's 100% state funded.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then once construction starts, they draw funds over the period of construction on that project in
• lot of what we fund is the construction lot of what we fund is the construction or<00:15:03.079>
• the ground and then once construction the ground and then once construction starts<00:15:26.720>
• in of construction on that project in of construction on that project in different<00:15:30.279><
• <01:10:05.760> if 2023 has been matched to a project if 2023 has been matched to a project

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met for an agency overview from Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho. After member and staff introductions, Ho described Minnesota Housing’s mission, structure, and role as a mission-driven financial institution that issues bonds, uses earnings to support operations, and works across the housing continuum from homelessness prevention to homeownership and preservation. She emphasized that the agency is not a builder or regulator, but funds and partners with developers, local governments, nonprofits, and lenders. She also noted the agency’s four divisions, including a new local government housing programs division created after the 2023 legislative session expanded the agency’s responsibilities. Ho reviewed funding and program activity, saying Minnesota Housing spent $1.96 billion in fiscal year 2024 and helped more than 73,000 households. She highlighted that the agency’s work is heavily competitive and often oversubscribed, with many projects selected through RFPs and grants but more applications than available resources. She discussed 2023 and 2024 investments, including homeownership, rental, and manufactured housing projects, and said roughly half of competitive dollars have gone to Greater Minnesota over the last several years. She also explained the difference between funds committed and funds actually disbursed, noting that construction and rehabilitation projects can take many months to close and draw down funds. The commissioner also updated members on new programs created in 2023 and 2024, including first-generation down payment assistance, the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Development Program, public housing rehabilitation, state housing tax credits, and other local and regional initiatives. She said some programs are already closed out, while others remain in early implementation or are still accepting applications. Ho mentioned a forthcoming technical amendment to adjust a high-rise sprinkler program after eligibility issues limited participation. She closed with examples of projects preserved or funded, including a St. Louis Park preservation deal, public housing preservation in Greater Minnesota, a St. Cloud challenge project, and the first-generation down payment assistance program, which distributed $50 million to about 1,450 first-time buyers, most of whom were Black, Indigenous, or people of color. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• To better understand the range of requests, MMB staff visited some project sites and projects that had
• To better understand the range of requests, MMB staff visited some project sites and projects that
• > incarcerated This project will give incarcerated This project will give incarcerated persons<00
• Together, this means that over projects.
• Uh complete the original project scope.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:40.079> It construction and increases costs. It construction and increases costs.
• Or construction materials.
• making it more difficult to construct making it more difficult to construct and<00:42:26.960>
• It was projected that at least 25,000 fewer homes would be constructed over the next 10 years.
• , the cost of new construction, the cost of new construction, renovations,<01:13:38.560> and

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, January 9, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So you don't believe your projections aren't aligned with the projections from the Legislative Analyst's
• Another capital outlay project in this May Revision is the UCLA Powell Library project, which requests
• Of that, $2.6 million was issued for the UC Davis project, more specifically, the Sewindow project.
• In terms of the Prop. 2 capital outlay projects, there was a switch in the projects, as we saw in the
• This project would restore use of the facility, and it's a critical infrastructure project, so that's

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's only certain jobs, like construction. What are we doing with the construction?
• You look at construction job counts, and we got the jobs numbers today from the BLS, and construction
• You look at construction, right?
• is still at record high construction is still at record high numbers.<00:50:56.079> Construction<
• >> Yeah. if a car on the construction >> Yeah. if a car on the construction that's<00

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They cost jobs, raise construction costs, and cause some retailers to abandon projects entirely.
• for the percentage of costs that they contribute to the project.
• to have insurance to cover at least 30% of the value of the entire project.
• reduce construction timelines for housing projects.
• reduce construction timelines for housing projects.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and roadway projects.
• completed, 25 are under construction, and 62 are planned.
• Um, we have a new light rail, uh, expansion project called Project Connect, uh, that is going to help
• Oh, specific projects, um, I don't, I don't think we didn't really highlight specific projects.
• Uh, has big projects, DFW.

Transcript Highlights:

• There were three projects recommended and three projects approved.
• Project 3.0, I believe 3.0 is the last phase of the IPIP project.
• This is the project that uses... This is the project that you supported last year.
• We awarded $42 million to five projects. Look at the costs of these projects.
• So here are the projects.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee received a compliance and status update on Industrial Commission programs and the Bank of North Dakota. Staff reviewed appropriations and spending for several Industrial Commission funds and grant programs, including lignite research, oil and gas research, clean sustainable energy, grid resiliency, salt cavern analysis, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members discussed the timing of reimbursements, uncommitted balances, and the structure of the pipeline capacity and enhanced oil recovery funding. The Industrial Commission also reported on its administrative budget, grant management system project, and recent leadership transitions across several agencies. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described active grant rounds and the status of major projects. She said the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority approved three projects in its sixth round, with remaining uncommitted cash and loan capacity still available, though no new funding was appropriated this session. She also said the Oil and Gas Research Council approved six enhanced oil recovery projects and expects additional funding after a federal Department of Energy award replaces one project’s state funding. For grid resiliency grants, she said some projects have been funded, some commitments were returned or reallocated, and some DOE funds remain pending. She also updated the committee on the salt cavern business case study, which replaced an earlier larger development proposal, and on the NDSU research park grant, where the nonmatching portion was paid and the matching portion has moved slowly because the match must be in cash. Ron Ness then gave an extended presentation on enhanced oil recovery and North Dakota oil and gas trends. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, especially gas takeaway and projects like the Bakken East pipeline. He argued that enhanced oil recovery using CO2, natural gas, surfactants, and other methods could extend Bakken production for decades, but that the state needs more CO2 supply, better storage, and updated tax and regulatory incentives. Members asked about lateral lengths, CO2 availability, pipeline impacts, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Ness emphasized that the projects are intended to share technical learning across operators and attract follow-on investment. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and strategic update. President Don Morgan said the bank’s mission remains to support North Dakota agriculture, commerce, and industry while cooperating with the state’s financial sector. He reviewed the bank’s main business lines: participation lending with community institutions, student loans, disaster lending, mission-based programs, and a new fintech-focused effort. Morgan said deposits are flattening, so the bank is managing balance sheet growth carefully, while still reporting improved net income and strong efficiency. He also introduced Rough Rider Coin as a bank-to-bank payment rail, not a public cryptocurrency, intended to speed and modernize payments within North Dakota’s banking and credit union system. Committee members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster program use, and how credit lines and liquidity would be affected if deposits shrink.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we are doing is saying that for two years upon new construction for basically, apartment complex
• We needed it to be long enough for construction and sometimes these Projects can take 16, 17, 19, 23
• They actually have to prove the expenditures of the project.
• The developers don't just arbitrarily say how much a project costs.
• We're trying to offer some stability because these projects may not be built.

Bills: SB1327, SB1372, SB1403, SB1937, SB277, SB2131, SB1749, SB1348, SB1469, SB2018, SB1931, SB1530, SB2155

Keywords: tourism, recreation, economic development, Oklahoma Commission, executive director, probation, credits, educational advancement, Oklahoma Statutes, criminal justice reform, job incentives, tax rebates, Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program, employment growth, wage requirements, labor organization, incentives, employer practices, union neutrality, worker rights

Transcript Highlights:

• the FED one more minute on projections the FED one more minute on projections and<01:00:19.760><
• long uh particularly in the construction long uh particularly in the construction industry<01:45
• <02:58:43.200> more interest rates makes construction more interest rates makes construction
• low-income housing tax credit project low-income housing tax credit project<02:59:29.920> you
• <04:18:12.479> and Waste Services construction and Waste Services construction and wholesale

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:27:42.720> for<00:27:43.039> the oversees the project for the oversees the project
• of the of the project. of the of the project.
• You haven't even spun up construction. You haven't even spun up construction<00:48:40.800> yet.
• Uh so you know if construction yet.
• , been through a large software project, been through a large software project, it<01:24:21.360><

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:27 Legislative Research Commission 00:01:15 KentuckyWired Operations Company 00:17:30 Wireless Internet Service Providers Association 00:40:15 Administrative Office of the Courts 01:08:55 Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts 01:33:00, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the July 9 minutes without objection and heard from Jay Hartz and Jonathan Harris of the Legislative Research Commission. Members asked about Capitol and legislator security in light of recent targeted shootings in other states. Hartz said LRC had removed members’ home addresses from its website, was reviewing other state-government records for similar information, and was working with the Speaker, Senate President, Kentucky State Police, and outside security experts on broader safety measures. He also said LRC is exploring commercial products to help block personal contact information from public view, but declined to name vendors publicly. Harris added that driver’s license scans at the Capitol are handled by Kentucky State Police, while LRC has a process for flagging high-volume or concerning contacts for police review. The LRC also reported that redistricting work has already begun, with census coordination underway, evaluation of redistricting software including Mapitude and open-source tools, and plans to make the same tools available to the public in the LRC library. The committee then heard from Kentucky Wired Operations Company CEO Robert Morphonius, COO Tom Snyder, and counsel Patrick Hughes about the Kentucky Wired network. They explained the corporate structure: Kentucky Wired Operations Company is a private for-profit special purpose entity that designs, builds, operates, and maintains the network; Kentucky Wired Infrastructure Company is a nonprofit instrumentality used for financing; and Open Fiber Kentucky handles commercialization of excess capacity under a wholesale agreement. They said Kentucky Wired Operations is in the operations and maintenance phase, with those obligations continuing until 2045, and that technical changes to the network generally require KCNA approval through formal change-order processes. They also said the company conducted a market test in June 2023 under Schedule 19 of its contract, considered proposals including Open Fiber and the incumbent service provider, and retained the existing provider. Members asked about KCNA’s role, procurement, network customers, and revenue. The witnesses said Quac operates outside normal state procurement because its process is governed by contract, while KCNA acts as the Commonwealth’s oversight authority and filter for changes. They identified current network users as including AOC, KCTCS, postsecondary education, and other Commonwealth agencies, with all requests routed through KCNA; they also said a separate change process for Exceliccom is in litigation. On funding, they said the operation is paid through monthly appropriations, with roughly a million dollars a month for the service provider and a couple hundred thousand for Quac’s oversight, not including debt service, which is bundled into the availability payment. The discussion ended as members began asking about responsibility for damage-related costs such as squirrel-related outages.

Transcript Highlights:

• A project called the American Edge Project that's dug into this a lot.
• So this chart, it just shows you data projections centers, data center projections by state, total share
• One is construction work in process.
• I believe we do allow construction work in progress. Mr.
• during construction, AFUDC?

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The National Employment Law Project examined the latest government data from OSHA and the five largest
• The example is, which is very unfortunate, is, of course, say in the construction industry, there's a
• Sometimes they do it for entertainment or projection. Number two, they're personally destructive.
• In 2014, a little history: we did construction reform.
• We revamped all the construction, and we changed the independent contractor statute.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a lengthy hearing on June 18 focused on workers’ compensation, independent contractor and classification issues, workplace safety, warehouse worker protections, extreme temperature protections, retaliation against injured workers, and workplace bullying. Committee chairs outlined procedures for the hybrid hearing and noted that members would be leaving intermittently for floor votes. Testimony also touched on a bill to expand workers’ compensation disfigurement benefits by removing the current $15,000 cap and extending coverage beyond scars on the hands, neck, and face. A major theme was workplace safety in warehouses and in extreme heat or cold. Teamsters, warehouse workers, and labor advocates described high injury rates, strict quotas, lack of water, inadequate ventilation, frozen or missing safety equipment, and pressure to work through heat waves and snowstorms. Supporters urged favorable reports on bills protecting warehouse workers and requiring employers to adopt heat- and cold-safety plans, while the NFIB opposed the temperature bill as overly prescriptive and burdensome for small businesses. Sen. Edwards, Sen. Roche, Rep. O’Day, and others argued that the measures are needed to prevent heat illness, provide shade, water, rest breaks, training, and emergency plans, and to cover all workers regardless of immigration status. Another major subject was the “Act to Protect Injured Workers,” backed by labor groups, immigrant worker centers, legal services organizations, and individual workers. Witnesses said employers often retaliate after injuries by threatening deportation, lying about how injuries occurred, delaying care, or firing workers, and they supported stronger anti-retaliation enforcement, multilingual notices, and a rebuttable presumption of retaliation within 90 days of protected activity. The Mass AFL-CIO and immigrant advocacy groups supported the bill and opposed measures they said would weaken employee classification standards. Testimony also supported a funeral-benefits bill to raise workers’ compensation death-benefit reimbursement for burial and funeral costs, based on a family’s experience after a workplace fatality. The committee heard additional testimony on workplace bullying bills, with some witnesses urging a new legal duty for employers to prevent and respond to bullying, while others described the harms of toxic workplaces and the lack of effective remedies.