Transcript Highlights:

• side look at what those uses and side by side look at what those uses and and<00:15:45.040><c> regulations
• are on on the two of and regulations are on on the two of them<00:15:47.920><c> and</c><00:15:48.320
• The tribal wildlife game and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members to
• The tribal wildlife and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members need to
• The tribal wildlife and fish, our game and fish, the state vets office, and the tribal members need to

Summary: The committee met briefly to hear and sort through interim topic proposals, with members noting they needed to finish quickly before floor work. The first topic, from Representative Banks and Representative Ottman, would allow non-veterinarians to perform pre-check pregnancy testing on cattle to help address veterinary shortages, while still requiring a certified veterinarian for cattle sold as bred. No public testimony was offered, and the committee agreed to move through the full list and rank topics later rather than taking an immediate vote. A second topic, brought by the County Commissioners Association through Jeremiah Ryman and Joy Hill, concerned subdivision fencing laws. Hill said recent statutory changes moved fencing requirements into the subdivision statutes, creating cost and planning problems for developers and county officials. She said the preferred option would be repeal; if not, counties should have flexibility to exempt some subdivisions, and at minimum the law should be clarified because key terms and requirements are unclear. The committee asked a few questions and then moved on. Representative Davis and Holly Kennedy of the Wyoming Association of Conservation Districts discussed updating conservation district statutes. Kennedy said districts are currently barred from borrowing money for major purchases and that election rules can force board members to vacate seats if they move within the district but outside their original locality. The association supported revisiting those provisions. The committee also heard a topic on comparing recreation rules on state lands and federal lands, with the sponsor saying the goal was to identify disparities and possible improvements. Later topics included preventing orphaned water rights, with Keith Kennedy of the Wyoming Association of Irrigation Districts asking for statutory clarification so water rights are properly transferred during divisions and not forfeited, especially in small subdivisions and family exemptions. Another proposal from Representative Ottman addressed a tribal buffalo issue involving whether animals crossing between reservation land and fee land are treated as wildlife or domestic animals; members emphasized the topic was for information and discussion rather than legislation. Senator Pearson also proposed revisiting fence-out laws for livestock to give landowners more protection when repeatedly dealing with wandering animals, while others cautioned that any changes would need to be handled carefully because of differing livestock rules and the state’s fence-in/fence-out framework. Finally, Senator Hicks raised livestock identification concerns, arguing producers should retain flexibility under prior law to identify animals as they choose and that veterinarians should not be forced into new federal tagging requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• to me in the past, but I firmly believe that when your torch is snuffed, you should be out of the game
• torch is snuffed, you should be out of torch is snuffed, you should be out of the<00:27:59.680><c> game
• </c> the game. the game.
• House Bill 615, to the Judiciary; House Bill 624, to Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations
• regulations House Bill 616, 616, 616, the<00:57:11.840><c> local</c><00:57:12.160><c> government</c>

Transcript Highlights:

• And these kind of games are not just made up by law professors, right?
• It's harder to administer because of all the games, and the evasion is not trivial.
• Also note that the regulations California used then— Also note that the regulations California used then
• Those regulations, as we’ve heard, are still in place.
• beginning of their educational journey, and they're working every single day to find their voices, regulate

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll also maybe chase people with higher fees back to illegal gaming, and not to mention as well...
• maybe during March, when spring baseball's here, don't go to Vegas; they stay here because they can game
• Jack, can you tell us what our projection is in terms of gaming revenue from the general fund?
• There is permanently increased regulation in accessing these benefit programs, and to say that we're
• going to hire up to account for all that additional regulation, but then it's all going to go away in

Bills: HB2053 , HB2116 , HB2148

Committees: House Appropriations , House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Keywords: stormwater, recharge mapping, water resources, groundwater, appropriation, Arizona, HB2116, Colorado River, litigation fund, water rights, Arizona water law, general fund appropriation, state budget, interstate water compact, Colorado River Compact, water litigation, A.R.S. 45-119, natural resources, water policy, river management

Transcript Highlights:

• Across the country, USIC has collaborated with state lawmakers, regulators, utility partners. excavators
• It will take the cooperation of all stakeholders, utility partners, excavators. contractors, regulators
• I'm running a fan on a battery, and my kids are complaining that they can't play their video games.
• The other thing that I think is really important to point out is Oil and gas is federally regulated.
• It's the only federally regulated underground infrastructure we have.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are several methods that we do use to address waste in schools within the USDA regulations.
• USDA regulations. The first one is called offer versus serve.
• Game and Fish provided education on local habitat challenges and promoted— so is that...
• Right on the bottom of the top paragraph it talks about Game and Fish and Pheasants Forever.
• Right on the bottom of the top paragraph it talks about Game and Fish and Pheasants Forever.

Committee: Joint Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is not a haphazard industry; it's a highly regulated industry, and I often say you could have
• With no employees, and you're going to be as regulated as the oil and gas industry.
• It is a highly regulated industry, considering the fact that many of the organizations are small as well
• We do games with the police. We play soccer with them.
• Our detectives believe that’ll be a game changer in certain investigations and solving cold cases.

Committee: House A&B Finance Subcommittee

Summary: The committee heard an interim study on expanding or simplifying sales tax exemptions for Oklahoma nonprofits. Representatives Stark and Schreiber said the issue has been filed repeatedly over several sessions and framed it as a bipartisan effort to keep more charitable dollars in service of communities rather than paying sales tax. Schreiber also suggested broader tax reform or an omnibus approach rather than continuing to add individual exemptions. Marnie Taylor of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits gave an overview of the sector, describing nonprofits as a major part of the state economy and safety net, and argued that many organizations are highly regulated, under-resourced, and facing declining donations and funding. She said the current patchwork of exemptions is uneven and that a blanket or broader exemption would help organizations serving public needs. Committee members asked for sources behind some of the poverty, education, and health rankings cited in her presentation. Several nonprofit leaders testified about how sales tax affects their operations. RG Foods described the cost of opening neighborhood grocery markets in food deserts and said sales tax on a Tulsa project would divert about $85,000 from programming. Jubilee Partners, Skyline Urban Outreach, the Pencil Box, the Tulsa Police Foundation, Blue Rose Ranch, and Legacy Parenting Center each explained how exemption status or the lack of it affects food assistance, school supplies, public safety equipment, animal rescue, and diapers and family support. Members asked follow-up questions about food desert definitions, budgets, and how much sales tax savings would change operations. No vote was taken in the excerpt, but the study concluded with closing remarks emphasizing that the exemption would keep more money in direct services and support the nonprofit sector statewide.

Transcript Highlights:

• Central Farm Service has skin in the game as well.
• Central Farm Service has skin in the<00:11:47.400><c> game</c><00:11:47.600><c> as</c><00:11:47.760><
• We are committing our the game as well.
• </c> uh outside of all the other regulation uh outside of all the other regulation and<00:32:40.720><
• If you level the playing field in terms of taxes and regulations, you can get this type of production

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• on regulations and restrictions on accessing<02:28:59.439><c> those</c><02:29:00.080><c> waterways</
• and restrictions on federal regulations and restrictions on federal waterways<02:29:16.960><c> can</
• </c><03:09:40.960><c> on</c> Development and prohibited any gaming on Development and prohibited any
• Ohia play an important role in regulating water flow, in addition to preventing soil erosion.
• Hawaii ohia play an important role in Hawaii ohia play an important role in regulating<03:19:07.600><

Transcript Highlights:

• regulation the Biden regulation uh<04:24:14.479><c> this</c><04:24:15.040><c> uh</c><04:24:15.279><c
• </c><04:31:35.120><c> to</c> public commenters urged regulators to public commenters urged regulators
• </c> They wrote, and I quote, "Regulators They wrote, and I quote, "Regulators have<05:08:26.480><c>
• We are scrutinizing today the Biden OCC's regulation. What did that regulation do, Mr. Speaker?
• </c><05:14:14.480><c> It</c> regulation do, Mr. Speaker? It regulation do, Mr. Speaker?

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, the 49ers are not in that game, but we will still go forward.
• maybe being another one, and other regulations.
• And environmental regulations may be another one, and other regulations.
• Consistent regulation promotes utility accountability to adhere to the same rules.
• Consistent regulation promotes utility accountability to adhere to the same rules.

Summary: The joint informational hearing of the Assembly Committees on Utilities and Energy and Privacy and Consumer Protection focused on the energy impacts of AI and the rapid growth of data centers in California. Chairs and members emphasized that the state wants to support innovation and data center development, but only under terms that protect ratepayers, preserve reliability, and avoid stranded grid costs. Testimony from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the California Energy Commission, the CPUC, CAISO, PG&E, Silicon Valley Power, and the Data Center Coalition described the scale of projected load growth, the uncertainty in forecasting, and the need for coordinated planning across agencies. Dr. Nate Gleason of Lawrence Livermore said data centers are a major and fast-growing share of electricity demand, with planning challenges driven by short construction timelines for data centers versus long lead times for transmission and generation. He urged stochastic planning, co-optimization of generation, storage, and transmission, and greater use of flexible load and demand response. CEC Director Alicia Gutierrez described the CEC’s bottom-up forecasting approach, based on utility energization requests and load profiles, and said California has over 23,000 megawatts of data center capacity requests in the CAISO footprint. CPUC Deputy Executive Director Luan Tesfai outlined recent actions on energization timelines, flexible service connections, PG&E’s Rule 30 tariff, and the commission’s resource planning and transmission permitting work. CAISO’s Neil Miller stressed that large loads affect transmission planning, interconnection, and reliability standards, and said the agency is preparing additional stakeholder work on technical issues. Utility and industry witnesses said California is already seeing substantial data center interest and is building out infrastructure accordingly. PG&E’s Mike Medeiros said the utility has more than 10 gigawatts of data center interest in its territory, has shifted to cluster studies, and is using flexible interconnection tools such as FlexConnect to speed service while protecting reliability. Silicon Valley Power’s Nico Prokos said data centers account for about 55% of its power use and that the city is investing heavily in transmission and local system upgrades to support projected load growth. He also warned that AI loads may be more variable than traditional cloud loads and that backup generation and air quality constraints complicate curtailment strategies. The Data Center Coalition’s Karabonder argued that data centers are also driving efficiency gains and support critical digital services, while urging better forecasting methods, more transparency, and regular backcasting. Members asked about statutory authority, data availability, flexible load, and whether current forecasts are sufficient for long-lead infrastructure planning. Witnesses said California already has authority to pursue flexible service and rate design, and that the CEC and CPUC have access to utility data, though out-year demand remains highly uncertain. CPUC representatives noted an advanced rate design rulemaking and said the commission is opening additional work on ratepayer impacts. No votes were taken during the informational hearing, and the discussion ended with continued questions about how California should structure planning, pricing, and reliability rules as AI-related load grows.

Transcript Highlights:

• should pay for the regulation of their industry.
• Speaker, is the industry does not choose the regulations; the legislature does.
• tape after red tape and regulation after regulation and have a bloated bureaucracy to pay for it, or
• If we want to see the best outcomes, we have to see skin in the game from everybody.
• Now, this might be addressed in regulation. The second question, Mr.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2681 , SB5467 , SB5820 , SB5863 , SB5892 , SCR8406 , HB2487 , HB2711 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB6278

Summary: The House convened, established a quorum, approved the prior day’s minutes, and then moved through caucuses and a series of transportation, elections, energy, historical records, cannabis, abortion-access, and fiscal bills. Members repeatedly emphasized that several measures were supplemental or technical updates to existing law, while others involved larger policy disputes over taxes, fees, clean energy, election security, and reproductive health. The chamber also received Senate messages on other bills and briefly recessed for caucus during the day. The most prominent action was final passage of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6005, the supplemental transportation budget, after adopting a technical amendment and a larger striker amendment. Supporters highlighted preservation and maintenance funding, rail investments, ferry maintenance, road safety, and continued work on major projects statewide; opponents largely reserved comments or noted concerns about future needs. The House passed the bill 93-0 with five excused. The House also passed Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2711 on transportation resources, after adopting a technical amendment that removed the aircraft tax and delayed an RV-related tax change; supporters said it protected businesses and jobs, while opponents objected to trade-in treatment and other tax changes. That bill passed 83-10. On elections, the House considered Senate Bill 5892 to protect the voter registration database. An amendment to reduce penalties from a felony to a civil infraction and remove the emergency clause failed, while the committee amendment passed 50-34. Supporters said the bill was needed to safeguard sensitive voter data and clarify access; opponents argued it created conflicts with federal law and imposed excessive penalties on local election officials. The bill then passed 57-36. On energy, Substitute Senate Bill 5982 updating consumer-owned utility provisions drew debate over carbon capture, resource adequacy, data centers, and clean energy policy. Amendments on carbon capture and blackout-triggered termination failed, while an amendment preserving cogeneration exceptions passed; the bill then passed 57-37. The House also passed Senate Bill 5863 on preservation and inspection of state historical records, after rejecting an amendment to require longer retention but adopting the committee amendment; supporters stressed preserving the history of residential habilitation centers and the value to families seeking records. Substitute Senate Bill 5874, allowing the Employment Security Department to waive penalties for minor employer reporting errors, passed unanimously. Engrossed House Bill 2681, raising cannabis license fees while removing an escalator, passed 52-42. Finally, Substitute Senate Bill 5917 on access to abortion medications saw several failed amendments from opponents seeking to narrow, reframe, or add fiscal limits to the bill; supporters said it preserved flexibility to ensure access and avoid waste, and the bill passed 57-36.

Transcript Highlights:

• show $50,000 to $100,000 per single family unit in higher costs just in the last 15 years of added regulation
• that This body has delegated to unelected state bureaucrats who impose sweeping and very costly regulations
• As a teenager, she created online modifications for her favorite video games and guided tabletop game

Transcript Highlights:

• If you guys want to start objecting to all extensions, we can start playing that game.
• A formal vote to take this down and my Democrat peers are in our back chastising and playing silly games
• SB 1008 by Middleton relating to the state and local authority of the regulated food industry for the
• SB 1259 by Nichols relating to the regulation of land. Surveyors by the Texas.
• Submitting to the regulation of composting in certain counties authorizing civil penalty referred to

Bills: HB630 , HB420 , HB767 , HB1708 , HB2842 , HB1404 , HB2457 , HB140 , HB333 , HB227 , HB913 , HB201 , HB2198 , HB 109 , HB2763 , HB519 , HB 1261 , HB 1135 , HB1318 , HB2358 , HB2415 , HB2765 , HB2735 , HB3307 , HB1373 , HB694 , HB 1242 , HB272 , HB1437 , HB1888 , HCR78 , HCR12 , HCR128 , HR7 , HR11 , HR37 , HR69 , HR83 , HR89 , HR100 , HR123 , HR129 , HR137 , HR254 , HR258 , HR289 , HR293 , HR318 , HR324 , HR350 , HR368 , HR370 , HR372 , HR379 , HR406 , HR407 , HR432 , HR445 , HR471 , HR504 , HR506 , HR507 , HR528 , HR567 , HR572 , HR591 , HR592 , HR593 , HR603 , HR614 , HR621 , HR673 , HR684 , HR685 , HR687 , HR700 , HR701 , HR711 , HR712 , HR754 , HR757 , HR758 , HR760 , HR764 , HR765 , HR766 , HR767 , HR768 , HR769 , HR770 , HR771 , HR772 , HR774 , HR776 , HR777 , HR778 , HR779 , HR780 , HR783 , HR784 , HR784 , HR6 , HR6 , HR17 , HR17 , HR18 , HR18 , HR49 , HR49 , HR170 , HR170 , HR236 , HR236 , HR247 , HR275 , HR355 , HR356 , HR364 , HR672 , HR690 , HR690 , HR755 , HR755 , HR756 , HR756 , HR759 , HR759 , HR762 , HR762 , HR763 , HR763 , HR781 , HR781 , HR785 , HR785 , SB2 , SB260 , SB569 , HB2 , HB2000 , HB213 , HB222 , HB645 , HB1458 , HB 1022 , HB141 , HB643 , HB3093 , HB1700 , HB 117

Transcript Highlights:

• in multi-state lottery games.
• system vendor fees, and multi-state lottery association game group dues.
• These games have minimum jackpots ranging from $22,000 to $50 million.
• Scientific Games LLC provides our central gaming system.
• , the lottery completed the request for proposal process and signed a new contract with Scientific Games

Summary: The committee opened with a moment of silence for a deceased member, then approved the April minutes and heard a presentation from HHS on the Diversion Task Force and related youth services grants. Chelsea Florey described the $750,000 one-time appropriation from HB 1012, the five awarded grants, and how programs in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Minot are using the funds for youth diversion, including school-based groups, physical activity, and services for problematic sexual behavior. Members raised concerns about staffing shortages, family engagement, service silos, and whether diversion eligibility rules are too rigid; Florey said the task force is focused on better coordination, broader education about available services, and possible changes to diversion criteria, with the Children’s Cabinet likely to drive broader recommendations. The committee then received a North Dakota Lottery biennium report from Director Thomas Lawler, who reviewed the lottery’s history, games, retailer commissions, player programs, and revenue distribution. He reported about $67 million in ticket sales for the 2023-2025 biennium, about $16.2 million transferred overall, including roughly $13.6 million to the general fund, plus transfers to drug task force and compulsive gambling funds. Members asked about the compulsive gambling allocation and whether it is set by statute. Next, the Department of Corrections presented on criminal justice data sharing and reentry. Adam Anderson explained that jails, courts, DOCR, HHS, and other entities use separate systems with limited interoperability, making real-time communication largely manual. He outlined possible hub or point-to-point IT solutions, but noted cost, vendor, identifier, and data-definition challenges. Robin Schmolenberger followed with an update on a Medicaid data exchange project between DOCR and HHS to suspend and reactivate inmate Medicaid coverage automatically and improve care coordination, with full bi-directional exchange expected in fall 2026. The committee also heard from county representatives on 24-7 sobriety program fees and an AG opinion allowing local sheriffs to use cheaper testing options when courts waive fees. Finally, the North Dakota Racing Commission reviewed a troubling audit. Bruce Johnson acknowledged serious findings involving overspending from the promotion fund, missing grant documentation, a reversed decision on breeders fund eligibility, and repeated procurement violations. He said the commission has begun corrective actions, including monthly tracking of the promotion fund cap, stricter grant documentation, written procurement procedures, and clearer eligibility rules in condition books. Members pressed him on how the overspending occurred, whether the commission board would impose consequences, and whether statutory clarification is needed on the promotion fund limit and related spending rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:29:06.920><c> that</c><00:29:07.080><c> this</c> probably the the regulation that this probably
• the the regulation that this government<00:29:08.160><c> continues</c><00:29:08.680><c> to</c><00:29
• Um, what, uh, why would a local unit kind of game the system, if you will, to hide excess?
• c> And then you mentioned the five- and six-year rule was another way, even if it was also, quote, gamed
• But, keep in mind that the, when you when you talk about gaming the when you when you talk about gaming

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, the way that this becomes a starting point is, you know, it's a chess game, and if you go even one
• and if you go even one move ahead game and if you go even one move ahead to<00:43:07.760><c> next</c
• Whatever the state can do in terms of, you know, regulations, permitting, we hear ethanol plants, for
• </c><00:52:52.280><c> permitting</c><00:52:52.880><c> we</c> of you know regulations permitting we of
• you know regulations permitting we hear<00:52:54.200><c> ethanol</c><00:52:54.640><c> plants</c><00:

Bills: HF1704 , HF2052

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• alcohol laws are rooted in a prohibition-era framework layered with fixes over time, while cannabis regulation
• so we can have more people to attend and participate in all of the different industries that are regulated
• Too often, regulated businesses experience requirements. ...being inconsistently interpreted by individual
• Executive boards and commissions like the LCB, Fish and Game, and Parks are designed to be insulated
• We don't need a bigger and more costly agency to enforce cannabis regulation.

Summary: The Labor and Commerce Committee began by suspending the five-day notice rule for Senate Bill 629, then held testimony on the bill, which would restructure the Liquor and Cannabis Board. Proponents, including the Washington Hospitality Association, the Washington Cannabis Business Association, and the Cannabis Alliance, argued the current board structure is overburdened by alcohol and cannabis responsibilities, slows decision-making, and should be expanded or reorganized to improve accountability and focus. Opponents, including the Washington Association for Substance Misuse and Violence Prevention and a cannabis business owner, warned the bill would create unnecessary administrative costs, weaken executive accountability, and should not advance without more study. The committee did not take final action on SB 629 during the hearing portion, but later moved several bills out of committee. In executive session, the committee adopted proposed substitutes and advanced SB 6282 on behavioral health training for construction apprentices, SB 5379 on interest arbitration for Parks and Recreation Commission employees, SB 6197 on plumber license discipline, SB 6158 on factory-built housing and utility structures, SB 6302 on limits for independent contractors on public works finishing work, SB 5882 on PTSD workers’ compensation coverage for local correctional facility workers, SB 6180 on firefighter and law enforcement heart-related occupational disease presumptions, SB 6195 on cannabis producer oversupply, SB 6196 on kratom taxation, SB 6204 on home cannabis cultivation, and SB 6287 on kratom product restrictions. Several bills were sent to Ways and Means because of fiscal impacts, while SB 6204 was sent to Rules after adoption of an amendment allowing local governments to restrict home cultivation in residential areas. The committee also noted that SB 6303 on cannabis packaging and vapor devices would not move that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This came to the State Board of Education because of the zero-based regulation review process, Executive
• We're going to load out at 9 for an 11 o'clock game," and then somebody calls you and says, "In the meantime
• , the game starts at 10," and you've got to get a hold of your team, unless the school board issues a
• I apologize for getting ahead of the game here.

Committee: House Education

Transcript Highlights:

• I guess I would just say until maybe you've been in the place of someone being regulated.
• People are afraid to speak up to the regulator because that...
• Some are the regulations that are stated in ordinance.
• . are the regulations that are stated in ordinance.
• They're not told and regulated how they ought to look. Housing is.

Committee: House House Commerce Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 1566, which would prohibit municipalities and counties from maliciously delaying licensing, permits, or approvals, with expedited court review and AG enforcement. The sponsor and supporters framed it as an affordability and property-rights measure aimed at stopping intentional government delay, while local government representatives and some members raised concerns about the bill’s scope, enforcement, and whether ordinary administrative delays or incomplete applications could be swept in. The sponsor said the county language would be fixed to match the city language in a floor amendment. The bill was moved and passed out of committee on a 7-3 vote, with one present and one absent. The committee then heard Senate Bill 1787, which would require written notice and individualized determinations for municipal or county exactions, allow appeals, and provide judicial review. The sponsor and supporters argued it would curb excessive or unrelated conditions imposed on development and align Arizona law with constitutional takings principles. Opponents from cities and counties said existing law already requires nexus and proportionality, and warned the bill would create a duplicative process, confusion, and a more punitive, winner-take-all system. After testimony from property owners and advocacy groups on both sides, the bill passed on a 7-2 vote, with one present and one absent. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1478, a largely technical liquor-regulation cleanup bill that clarifies interim permits, updates terminology, and makes other conforming changes. Stakeholders described it as a consensus measure developed by industry participants and the Department of Revenue, and the bill received broad support. It passed unanimously, 10-0, with one absent. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 1431, which would bar municipalities from dictating certain home design features and from requiring some shared amenities that lead to HOAs. Supporters said it would reduce housing costs and preserve homeowner choice, while opponents argued it would weaken local control, reduce design quality, and limit crime-prevention and neighborhood-character standards. Testimony focused heavily on aesthetics, HOAs, and affordability, but no final vote on SB 1431 was included in the transcript excerpt.