Transcript Highlights:

• <00:18:21.120> of tariff that's put on because a lot of tariff that's put on because a lot
• I agree with you, the wages have gone up, but prices have gone up a lot higher, a lot quicker, a lot
• A lot of them are religious, and a lot of them are doing extremely good work with a lot of American citizens
• A lot of them are religious, and a lot of them are doing extremely good work with a lot of American citizens
• A lot of them are religious, and a lot of them are doing extremely good work with a lot of American citizens

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met in a work session on revenue estimates and reviewed updated spreadsheet pages for several tax categories, using prior agreements and new testimony to refine FY 2025-2027 estimates. Early discussion covered insurance tax estimates, where members reviewed a letter from the insurance commissioner saying he was comfortable with the numbers provided; the committee accepted those estimates without opposition. Members also discussed utility property tax, with testimony about recent infrastructure buildout, tariffs, depreciation, and the difficulty of forecasting future growth. After debate over whether to use the average of high and low estimates or lean lower, the committee unanimously adopted the utility property tax numbers. The committee then turned to real estate transfer tax and communications tax. For real estate transfer tax, members cited county input, housing market conditions, interest rates, lumber costs, and uncertainty about future policy; they agreed to use the averages and adopted those estimates unanimously. For communications tax, members noted the decline in landline-based revenue and the shift to data services. After discussion of whether to use the low estimate or the average, the committee settled on the average with a small rounding-down adjustment when the figure ended in .5, and adopted the numbers unanimously. The chair also clarified that these estimates remain subject to change until the final resolution is adopted. The committee next accepted interest and dividends estimates as presented, with members noting the decline in that revenue source and the lack of additional information beyond the department’s analysis. Finally, the committee began discussing tobacco tax revenue, with members noting long-term declines in smoking, offsetting effects from out-of-state sales, and a suggestion to take a slightly conservative approach by reducing the average by 0.5. The transcript cuts off during that discussion, so no final vote on tobacco is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do a lot of great stuff, but if we're really honest, we do a lot of stuff above basics, and then we
• And a lot of times—not a lot, there have been times—when that information has been very slow to be released
• I inherited a lot of tough accounts. Thank y’all for... ...and inherited a lot of tough accounts.
• I have a whole lot to say about that.
• I have a whole lot to say about that.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rest assured we talked about this a lot. rest assured we talked about this a lot.
• Um uh so a lot of these endeavor.
• Uh, so they're paying a lot of car.
• and a lot of research on this.
• yeah, there's just a lot to think about. yeah, there's just a lot to think about.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:30:06.480> of we haven't really seen a whole lot of we haven't really seen a whole lot
• So, there's a lot of other for you.
• <00:56:51.359> of a lot of the uh understanding a lot of a lot of the uh understanding a lot
• So, there's a lot of choice out there. So, there's a lot of choice out there.
• So a lot of but I still commend you. me. So a lot of but I still commend you.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee opened its first meeting of the session with member introductions and a statement from the chair that veterans issues would remain distinct and receive separate attention. The first item was an update on the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley from Executive Director Randall Dietrich. He said the museum has operated for nearly 50 years, has outgrown its current space, and is building a new 40,000-square-foot facility with $32 million in state support plus several million more in private funding. He described construction progress, planned exhibits including restored military artifacts and the USS Ward gun, and said the museum is scheduled to open on September 12. In response to Senator Kunish, Dietrich said the museum is actively incorporating stories and flags representing women, tribal nations, and other underrepresented groups, including 11 tribal flags at the entrance, and is working to integrate those stories throughout the galleries rather than isolating them. The committee then received an update from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs on the veterans suicide prevention plan from Rachel Johnson, Veterans Committee Health Director, with John Kelly later answering questions on department impacts. Johnson said the plan is a coordinated statewide framework built with legislative support, expanding regional coordinators, veteran health navigators, data analytics, and community partnerships, including a suicide mortality review pilot in Hennepin County. She said Minnesota loses about 100 veterans a year to suicide, that firearms remain the primary mechanism, and that prevention must address community connection, economic stability, and access to care, not just clinical treatment. She also said the plan aligns with state and federal strategies and is intended as a living roadmap. In response to questions, Johnson said the department is exploring data-sharing policy issues, has not seen a direct financial impact from federal VA staffing changes, and is tracking federal proposals affecting VA advisory groups. She also said 988 data is available in general but more Minnesota-specific data on the veteran option is still being gathered. Members asked follow-up questions about trends in veteran suicide, the role of families in identifying warning signs, and the Hennepin County mortality review pilot. Johnson said the annual number has remained around 100 for about 15 years, with a dip in 2024 and a return to that level in 2025, and that the Hennepin County pilot was chosen because it offers a manageable geography and existing coalition work, with an initial review expected by May or June. The final item began a presentation from the Minnesota Association of County Veteran Service Officers. Legislative chair Larry Fonder said the group’s priorities are protecting veterans from fraud and modernizing the property tax benefit for disabled veterans, but the presentation would focus on educating the committee about the role, training, certification, and accountability of county veteran service officers. President Tom Anderson, the Winona County VSO and a Navy veteran, began describing his background and office staffing when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• lot of you haven’t been listening, I think a reason a lot of you aren’t listening, and it did get a
• of questions and it's a lot.
• We've got lots of challenges, lots of ours.
• A lot of change came here.
• I’ve given this job a lot, but I’ve also learned a lot.

Bills: LR509, LR510, LR511

Keywords: congratulations, Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame, Deloris Marshall Adamson, recognition, achievement, service, retirement, Nebraska Legislature, public service, legislature, Nebraska, 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't hear. that talked about a lot.
• more for a lot easier.
• Lots of cause for concern. These, there's three.
• How can we get those payments moved a lot quicker?
• lot of staff members, they were having a lot of cases that they were having to deal with, 40 and 50 cases

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll just say a lot.
• We'll just say a lot. The nobody cares. We'll just say a lot.
• a lot of our statutes are really old. a lot of our statutes are really old.
• rule sets are a lot longer than others. rule sets are a lot longer than others.
• have to post a lot of this information. have to post a lot of this information.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now we've poured in a lot of resources.
• He called a lot of public attention to the issue of hunger.
• They spent a lot more money on food than they had before.
• And it resulted in a lot of changes in the food stamps program.
• And there was a lot of focus recently on access to water.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on food systems and food security, with no public testimony. The first panel focused on household food security and data. Marie Spiker of the University of Washington explained what food insecurity means, its health impacts, and the importance of reliable measurement, warning that the federal Census food security data is being terminated and that there is no true replacement. She described Washington’s WaFOOD surveys as a useful complement, not a substitute, and noted that they show food insecurity affects households at a range of income levels. Katie Raines of WSDA described the state’s food systems work, the need for shared data and dashboards, and the role of agriculture in both food production and the hunger safety net. Committee members asked about the $2.2 million state food assistance allocation, the scale of the SNAP gap, and how household size, housing costs, and other factors intersect with food insecurity. The committee then heard from Tracy Roof of the University of Richmond on the history of SNAP and its relationship to agriculture. She traced the program from Depression-era commodity distribution through the modern farm bill, emphasizing that food assistance has long functioned both as anti-hunger policy and as an agricultural and economic stabilizer. She highlighted how SNAP expands during recessions, supports retailers and farmers, and has become more important since the Great Recession because participation stayed high even as the economy recovered. Roof also noted that Washington has relatively high SNAP participation and low payment error rates, but that recent federal changes could reduce eligibility and shift more costs to states. Members asked how Washington compares to other states and why the program is structured as it is. A later panel featured the Washington State Food Policy Forum and a joint systems presentation from the Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Retail Association, and Washington Food Industry Association. The Food Policy Forum described its consensus-based recommendations on food insecurity, climate and water, regional food infrastructure, farmland protection, and farm viability, including more support for producer purchasing, water planning, and farmland conservation. The industry groups presented a systems map showing how agriculture, processing, retail, and transportation are interconnected, and argued that rising costs, regulations, labor and fuel expenses, retail theft, and thin margins make it harder to keep farms and stores viable. They said food security depends on store viability and local agricultural profitability, and promised to provide a more detailed list of policy recommendations. The final panel included state agency staff from DSHS, DOH, and WSDA. Bryce Montgomery said the Basic Food program serves about 920,000 Washingtonians monthly and warned that H.R. 1 could require Washington to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits, broaden work requirements, and restrict immigrant eligibility. Karen Mullen described DOH nutrition programs, including WIC, farmers market nutrition benefits, fruit and vegetable incentives, and a fruit-and-vegetable prescription program, while noting funding instability and the end of SNAP-Ed. WSDA’s Katie Raines began describing ongoing food assistance and farmer support challenges, including farmer mental health and the need to address food insecurity across both producers and consumers.

Transcript Highlights:

• I will not repeat a lot of the same points that were just made.
• We've got another bill with a lot of...
• I have a lot of them.
• We've been doing a lot of work with stakeholders on this.
• We've been doing a lot of work with stakeholders on this.

Summary: The committee took up several claims bills and tax-related measures. It reported favorably SB 20, providing $400,000 in relief to J.N., a minor injured on a Hillsborough County sidewalk, and SB 14, providing $1.7 million to the estate of Pineal Januier after a drowning at a Miami Beach youth center pool. It also approved SB 674, which would let property appraisers, like tax collectors, budget for hiring and retention bonuses with Department of Revenue approval. In each claims bill, the sponsor described the underlying incident, the settlement amount, and the remaining payment sought under sovereign immunity limits; there was no opposition on the claims bills. The bonus bill drew support from property appraisers who said it would help them compete for specialized staff without requiring new appropriations. The committee then considered SJR 1510 and its implementing bill, which would create a new homestead-like property tax benefit for owners who lease a non-homestead property for more than six months as residential rental housing. Supporters said it was intended to encourage more affordable rental housing by extending a $50,000 exemption and Save Our Homes-style assessment cap to qualifying properties. County and city representatives, the Florida League of Cities, and the Florida Association of Counties opposed the proposal, warning of major revenue losses, reduced public safety funding, and tax shifts to other property owners and businesses. Several senators also raised concerns about density, parking, and whether landlords would actually pass savings on to renters. Despite the opposition, both the constitutional amendment and the implementing bill were reported favorably. The committee also approved CS for CS SB 268, as amended to include congressional members, creating a public-records exemption related to certain residential information for elected officials. The First Amendment Foundation opposed it, arguing the bill lacked a sufficient public purpose and could hinder transparency, while senators supporting it cited real threats and harassment against themselves and their families. SB 100, which bans government display of flags representing political viewpoints and allows active or retired military members to use reasonable force to stop desecration of the U.S. flag, also passed after extensive debate. Opponents argued it was vague, unconstitutional, and aimed at pride and other identity-related flags; supporters said government buildings should not display political messages and that the bill protects neutrality. Finally, the committee approved CS/SB 1664, which would require voter reapproval every eight years for local discretionary taxes such as tourist development taxes and local option taxes, with exceptions for pledged bond revenues. Cities, counties, tourism groups, and the restaurant/lodging industry opposed it, saying it would create uncertainty, threaten tourism and infrastructure funding, and complicate long-term planning; Senator Sharief and others said the measure would disrupt existing surtax-backed projects and revenue streams.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we hear reports a lot about state workers, that we have a lot of vacancies and a lot of turnover
• It's going to be a lot of pieces to put together and pick up.
• Man, I got faith in God, but I ain't got a whole lot of faith in a lot of people. in a lot of people.
• I know there used to be a lot more mills.
• of money on wood. lot of money on wood.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a lot to be done.
• As you know, you have a lot of experience in the work you've done.
• There are a lot of ways to go about it.
• Manufacturing lots and lots of products, including glass, detergent, pharmaceuticals, whether it's oil
• That's left great uncertainty and jeopardized lots and lots of money in U.S. investment. First, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• We did a lot of reflection.
• We did a lot of reflection.
• We did a lot of reflection.
• We did a lot of reflection.
• From an organizational standpoint, a lot of effort, a lot of attention to detail, a lot of focus has

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance received an informational briefing from the Department of Law Enforcement on its priorities following the January 1 transfer of law enforcement assets into the department, including the sheriff’s division, narcotics enforcement, criminal investigations, homeland security, and the inspector general’s office. DLE said its goals are to improve public safety, accountability, communications, training, and standards. The department outlined planned initiatives such as stronger federal partnerships, narcotics and gun-violence enforcement, an agricultural crime unit, traffic and commercial vehicle enforcement, an explosive/fireworks enforcement section, gun buybacks, new police facilities in the airport area, Aahu, and the leeward side, a state training center, upgraded law-enforcement IT, and efforts to narrow salary gaps with county departments to improve recruitment. A major portion of the discussion focused on illegal fireworks enforcement after the recent explosion tragedy. DLE said its current task force is small and relies on ad hoc support from HPD, the Attorney General’s office, criminal investigations, and sheriffs, which is not sustainable. The department requested eight FTEs for the effort—one administrator, two clerical staff, and six investigators—plus funding for a laboratory, equipment, storage, disposal, vehicles, safety gear, and a criminalist. DLE said the explosive enforcement section would use an existing facility and that the initial lab startup cost is about $2 million. Members asked for follow-up materials, and DLE said it would send the explosive enforcement forms and additional details to the Finance and Judiciary chairs. Members also questioned staffing vacancies, interagency coordination, and whether new specialized units could be filled. DLE said it has about 119 vacancies and that recruitment is hindered by a roughly $28,000 starting pay gap with county police departments; academy classes are down to about 12 to 14 recruits. The department said it is streamlining hiring, using QR-code recruitment, and hopes specialized units will attract applicants. On coordination, DLE said it works closely with HPD and other agencies on operations such as fireworks enforcement and public events, and that DOCARE remains a case-by-case partner but is not currently moving into DLE. The committee also received updates on the Silver Alert program, which is nearing rollout with county MOUs and a coordinator expected later in the month, the special duty officer program, which is being moved to a web-based vendor-managed system at no cost to the department, and the SaferWatch school safety system, which is being deployed statewide with annual software costs of $3,500 per school in the first year and $2,500 thereafter. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:15.520> of<00:10:15.600> friends have a lot of friends have a lot of friends
• So, lots of work happening there.
• So, lots of work happening there.
• <02:31:19.680> of good to have lots of you know, lots of good to have lots of you know, lots
• a lot. a lot.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:12:48.480> where<00:12:48.720> this lot of different situations where this lot of
• We're not seeing any questions at this time, but a lot of information, a lot of great information.
• <00:18:08.400> of time, but a lot of information, a lot of time, but a lot of information,
• of lot of this and I I appreciate a lot of lot of this and I I appreciate you<01:41:23.760> taking
• um it helps a lot with with planning. um it helps a lot with with planning.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met with a quorum, approved the August meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Dr. Jerry Brosky of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center. He described the Mesonet’s statewide weather network, now with 84 stations in 78 counties, real-time data used by the National Weather Service, mobile apps, and more than a billion observations. He said recent legislative funding has allowed upgrades such as soil temperature and moisture sensors, cameras at every site, and improved communications and power systems, and has enabled expansion into new counties. He also highlighted products used for flooding, drought, and heat safety, including a wet bulb globe temperature tool being developed with the Department of Public Health. In response to questions, he said counties interested in a station should contact his center, that a station typically costs about $50,000, and that the program is already considering a second Pike County site. The committee then heard from Ryan Drain of Blue Skies and Chris McGee of the American Red Cross on long-term disaster recovery and a software platform called Darcy, short for Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative. McGee explained the Red Cross’s long-term recovery work, including support for recovery groups, direct financial assistance, grantmaking, and coordination with local and federal partners. He emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently and with repeated impacts, and shared examples from Kentucky and other states showing the need for organized recovery and storm shelter support. Drain said Darcy was developed after the 2021 Mayfield-Graves tornado recovery to replace fragmented spreadsheets and PDFs with a centralized, survivor-led system for preparedness, response, and recovery, designed to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and shorten recovery time. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• lot of workload without changing a lot lot of workload without changing a lot of<00:09:04.560>
• A lot of legwork from my office, a lot of work from them, but it can be done.
• Thank you, and I don't anticipate a lot of discussion after that.
• Thank you, and I don't anticipate a lot of discussion after that.
• Thank you, and I don't anticipate a lot of discussion after that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So through the presentation, you talked a lot about what appears to be a lot of projects for water treatment
• We do spend a lot of time out in the region.
• Because I have to explain this a lot. I'm telling you, we have a lot more money in our fund.
• And a lot of that is because of the state.
• It's a lot of difference.

Summary: The task force met to focus on funding systems and incentive structures for a proposed regional waste infrastructure effort, including how a future WIPA framework might support solid waste planning in the Willamette Valley. Staff and members heard presentations from DEQ on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, from Business Oregon on the Special Public Works Fund, and from Oregon State Treasury on state bonding capacity and the bond issuance process. Presenters explained how their programs are structured, how projects are scored or approved, what kinds of public entities and projects are eligible, and how interagency coordination and co-funding can work. DEQ emphasized that its revolving loan fund is driven by water-quality benefits and public-health criteria, while Business Oregon described a broader infrastructure loan program for public entities with no scoring system, and Treasury outlined the state’s debt-capacity process and the differences between general obligation and lottery bonds. Members used the presentations to discuss whether similar funding tools could support solid waste infrastructure, especially for transfer stations, regional hubs, and related facilities that may need to be built before Coffin Butte reaches the end of its lifespan. Several questions centered on whether public-private partnerships could qualify, whether equipment inside facilities could be financed, how repayment would work, and whether planning costs could be covered. DEQ and Business Oregon both said they could potentially collaborate on scoring or co-funding, but noted eligibility limits and the need for public ownership in many cases. Treasury said bond capacity is limited and competitive, especially for lottery bonds, and that project authorization generally runs on a two-year cycle, though unused authority can sometimes be reauthorized. In task force discussion, members debated whether the group should pursue a dedicated funding lane for the seven-county region rather than having local governments compete with other statewide needs. Some members stressed the importance of criteria to avoid stranded assets and to ensure funding is available when projects are ready, while others raised concerns about how cities and counties would generate revenue to repay debt during construction and early operations. The group also discussed flow control, system fees, and the need for regional collaboration among counties, cities, and haulers to create enough waste volume to support new infrastructure. Staff noted that pre-session filing materials for the legislature are due September 11, and the chair said the August meeting will focus on organizational structure and identifying partners. During public comment, Representative Kevin Mannix submitted written testimony supporting the WIPA concept and urging the task force to endorse it. Commissioner Bubba King of Yamhill County urged the task force to compare alternatives objectively and warned against adding bureaucracy before evaluating existing infrastructure and costs. Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Roger Nyquist of Marion and Linn counties described regional hub-and-spoke concepts, transfer stations, and intermodal options, emphasizing the need for planning, strategic siting, and collaboration with haulers and local governments.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know a lot of folks are still here to continue House Bill 99.
• And a lot of these battery on police officers.
• I have a lot of faith in juries.
• There's a lot of overlap.
• Because again, I just think we're creating a lot of litigation that will lead to A lot of uncertainty

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate a lot of the things in this bill.
• The Senate had a lot of much better provisions in it.
• So I know a lot of other members here are in this similar boat.
• So a lot of people look at a tax bill as a goodie train for their faves.
• It doesn't do a lot of property tax shifts.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a lot of very, very incredibly rich information.
• Then up in the Kansas City area, they had a torrential rain — I mean, just lots and lots of rain.
• I'm where a lot of those pre-2014 cases are resolved.
• A lot of these funds are heavily dependent on federal funding.
• But I noticed today we didn't have to touch a lot on workers and a lot of that.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's why a lot of those permissible uses...
• And you're seeing a lot of that.
• I could run the county a lot of it.
• I could run the county a lot of it.
• And we are finding a lot of it.

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax relief, which would reduce assessment growth on non-homestead property, expand homestead exemptions, create a new exemption for new homesteaders, and direct counties, cities, and school districts to use property tax revenues for specified core services. Senator Avila presented the measure as the governor’s plan to provide historic relief and argued that local governments should tighten budgets and prioritize core functions. Senators raised concerns about the lack of fiscal scoring, the breadth and ambiguity of the permitted uses, the effect on special districts and local services, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. The committee adopted several amendments, including Avila’s amendment clarifying that ad valorem revenues could be used for county and municipal operations and administration and other expenditures not prohibited by law, and Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal. Other amendments failed, including proposals to allow user fees and non-ad valorem assessments, add a sunset, redirect tourism development taxes, narrow the small-business provision, and change the ballot title to reference local service reductions. Grall’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund requirement was adopted, while the committee also rejected Berman’s title-change amendment and Smith’s sunset and tourism-tax amendments. The committee then returned to the bill as amended for questions, including extended debate over whether the proposal would affect noncitizen residents, the impact on local government finances, and whether local governments would respond with higher fees or special assessments. The meeting ended with the bill still under discussion after the final round of questions, with Avila saying he would continue working with the governor’s office on the language before the next vote.