Transcript Highlights:

• State action is needed more than ever, given the deterioration of the EPA under the current administration
• State action is needed more than ever, given the deterioration of the EPA under the current administration
• So as far as groundwater and different things like that, has there been an EPA establishment for safe
• And as even one small bite can exceed safety thresholds determined by the EPA and can lead to serious
• , limits the pesticides allowed on school and childcare grounds to those deemed minimum risk by the EPA

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I did pull up the citation, the EPA regulations, and if you look at paragraph 4, because I think
• do it, the EPA will, and they'll<01:10:08.400> be<01:10:08.480> harder<01:10:08.719>
• regulations, and if you look at the EPA regulations, and if you look at paragraph<01:10:22.239> 4
• work this out and I I don't see the EPA work this out and I I don't see the EPA coming<01:18:09.199
• to take over or administer the the EPA to take over or administer the water<01:20:56.640> testing

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This was then further emphasized by the EPA and CISA when they were The importance of that was then further
• emphasized by the EPA and CISA when they released a joint advisory the following week, highlighting
• The importance of that was then further emphasized by the EPA and SISA when they released a joint advisory

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee held a public hearing on the State Auditor’s Office cybersecurity performance audits for fiscal year 2025, covering both state agencies and local governments. SAO staff explained that the audits are conducted independently under Initiative 900 and are kept confidential at the entity level, with detailed findings shared directly with the audited organizations. They reported that state agency audits found nearly one-third of assessed safeguards fully implemented on all systems and 227 vulnerabilities across seven agencies, including three critical and 21 high-severity issues. For seven local government cybersecurity audits, nearly a quarter of safeguards were fully implemented on all systems, and auditors identified nearly 300 vulnerabilities, including nine critical and 47 high-severity issues. SAO also summarized its ransomware resiliency audits and critical infrastructure audits for local governments. In six ransomware audits, a little over 35% of assessed safeguards were not in place, while about 60% were at least partially in place. In 39 critical infrastructure audits, focused largely on water and sewer providers, auditors found over 260 vulnerabilities and said more than 10% were critical or high. Staff highlighted that these audits have led to improvements, including one vendor making security changes after SAO testing that were later echoed in a federal advisory. They also described related services such as cybersecurity checkups, policy guidance, and other cyber-related work by the office. Washington Technology Solutions’ state chief information security officer, Ralph Johnson, praised the audits and said they help protect essential public services. He cited a sharp national rise in ransomware incidents against governments and said Washington has used more than $11 million in federal and state cybersecurity grant funds for over 200 projects. In response to questions from Representative Scott, SAO and WOTEC discussed options for addressing urgent vulnerabilities, including compensating controls, grant funding, and low-cost mitigation steps. The committee also discussed how Washington’s program compares nationally, with Johnson saying Initiative 900 is unusually comprehensive and that local governments often seek audits voluntarily. No votes were taken, and the hearing adjourned after public testimony was offered but none was given.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Allison Roos with EPA Region 8. >> Hello, welcome.
• <02:33:59.880> enforceable And EPA does not have enforceable And EPA does not have enforceable
• Furthermore, EPA is Indian country.
• c> tribes<02:34:18.440> with Whereas EPA may provide tribes with Whereas EPA may provide tribes
• myself and and Rob uh who's also an EPA myself and and Rob uh who's also an EPA employee,<02:44:

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Independent of the EPA speeding up industry growth, the industry is cautiously optimistic that that primacy
• what those regulations look like until the public hearing, and that's not allowable... ...until the EPA
• There are 56 well permits in Texas alone currently under review at the EPA.
• The EPA acknowledged that further legal and technical review were warranted.

Bills: HB1647, HB2612, HB3125, HB3158, HB3240, HB3506, HB3516, HB3707

Keywords: carbon sequestration, environmental policy, Texas, energy, climate change, regulatory council, geothermal energy, workforce development, education and training, energy industry, apprenticeship, energy production, energy policy, renewable energy, state council, administrative law, public information, transparency, government accountability, judicial process

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of these products are registered before we had an EPA.
• use off-label falls typically under FDA, whereas EPA is more strict in what can and can't be used.
• With our federal partners, including EPA, on a Novo fly.
• They are fast-tracking that work with EPA. They're doing all the science.
• With EPA, they're doing all the science.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But EPA was poised to come out with new regulations for this industry last month that got punted back
• EPA picked the weakest of three options that they were considering for eight of the nine pollutants and
• was poised to come far behind but EPA was poised to come out<00:44:18.160> with<00:44:18.640>
• c><00:44:29.400> what<00:44:29.599> happened<00:44:29.880> is<00:44:30.079> EPA
• does with that but what happened is EPA does with that but what happened is EPA picked<00:44:31.359

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees first heard Senate Bill 151 relating to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and geothermal development on Hawaiian homelands. DHHL and Ulupono Initiative testified in strong support, saying the measure would help advance clean energy goals, create economic opportunities, and support DHHL’s mission. Fine Electric also supported the bill. Several members of the public testified in opposition, raising concerns about consultation with beneficiaries, water impacts, land issues, and the scale of the proposed spending. In response to questions, DHHL staff explained slimhole drilling, the permitting distinctions between water exploration and geothermal exploration, and said prior studies and geophysical testing had been done. The chair then recommended passage with amendments, including SMA technical amendments, a directive to establish a permitted interaction group to study geothermal options, removal of the appropriation language, and a new effective date. The committees adopted the recommendation and passed SB 151 with amendments, with one senator voting no and several excused. The joint committees then took up Senate Bill 371 on property damage to critical infrastructure facilities. The Department of the Attorney General supported the bill with amendments, recommending broader critical infrastructure language to cover systems such as transportation, gas, power, water, and oil, and suggesting additional changes to improve prosecution. Utility and other supporters also testified in favor. The chairs proposed adopting the AG’s amendments except one, and further expanding the bill to make manslaughter explicit when a death results from disruption of critical infrastructure, and to add water as a covered infrastructure category. The committees adopted the amended recommendation and passed SB 371 with amendments. Finally, the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs committee heard Senate Bill 585 on special purpose revenue bonds for Bana Pacific. The Attorney General noted a possible issue with the company’s entity status and the bill title, but Bana Pacific stated it was in the process of converting from an LLC to a corporation and was satisfied with the title. The State Energy Office supported the concept, and Bana Pacific described the project as an integrated biogas and green hydrogen facility that would support energy security, create jobs, and reduce emissions. The committee then moved on to Senate Bill 964 on waste-to-energy, where the State Energy Office offered supportive comments but many testifiers opposed the measure, arguing incineration is costly, polluting, and inferior to recycling. Written testimony showed more opposition than support, and public testimony focused on environmental and cost concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• The EPA sewage sludge draft risk assessment released in January of this year established that a single
• Unfortunately, with our current administration and EPA leadership, the public health emergency caused
• The EPA has declared that no level of PFAS and PFOA is safe.
• The EPA and the Massachusetts Medical Society both agree there is no safe level of PFAS.
• And as you've heard, according to the EPA, no amount of PFAS exposure is safe.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held a public hearing on 19 legislative proposals, with testimony limited to three minutes per speaker and seven minutes per panel. The hearing opened with testimony on bills promoting urban agriculture and vacant-lot conversion, including H.121/S.61, which Green Roots staff and community members supported as a way to turn vacant lots in environmental justice communities into urban farms and gardens that improve food access, health, community cohesion, and climate resilience. Rep. James Arena-DeRosa also spoke in support of H.109/S.56, the PFAS bill, describing it as a measure to protect soil and farms from contamination and to create relief for affected farmers. A major portion of the hearing focused on H.109/S.56, which would ban land application of sewage sludge/biosolids, provide liability protection and relief funds for farmers, and address PFAS contamination in soil, water, crops, and animals. Testimony came from environmental groups, farm organizations, and individual farmers, including the Mass Food System Collaborative, Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, CEMAP, NOFA, Sierra Club, and several farmers who described contamination in Maine and Massachusetts and urged the committee to act. Witnesses emphasized that PFAS poses serious health risks, that farmers should not bear responsibility for legacy contamination, and that the bill should be paired with funding for testing, remediation, and assistance. Committee members asked questions about farm liability, the scope of the bill, contamination in different ownership situations, and the costs and timelines of remediation, with Senator Comerford and others clarifying that the bill is intended to protect farms and farmers rather than non-agricultural landholders. The committee also heard strong support for H.416, a farm-to-institution pilot program, from Rep. Lee Davis, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and Berkshire Bounty. They said the pilot would connect Massachusetts farms to schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other institutions, creating new markets, strengthening local supply chains, and supporting food-is-medicine efforts. Members discussed whether the model could be statewide and referenced existing programs such as Island Grown Initiative and local hospital and insurance partnerships. Another agricultural bill, H.1058, was supported by Rep. Mark Sylvia and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association as a way to allow unused cranberry water rights to be transferred within the same watershed for municipal mitigation while helping growers retire or consolidate bogs. The hearing also included testimony on the broader farm omnibus bill H.112/S.55 and related measures, with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau and others praising the committee’s work on agricultural resilience, food security, agritourism, workforce development, and farmland access, while suggesting additional transportation-related fixes for farmers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I am regulated by the EPA. And I can tell you there...
• However, I am regulated by the EPA, and I can tell you there is a lot of regulatory reduction that needs
• I joke with my staff, when I send a permit mod out to the EPA or the Idaho Department of Environmental
• There was a lot of duplication between the EPA and us. We're by law required to follow the EPA.

Summary: The meeting was an extended briefing from Idaho National Laboratory officials on the lab’s mission, its role in nuclear energy research, and the federal push to accelerate advanced reactor deployment. Speakers described INL’s size and capabilities, including test reactors, fuel and materials facilities, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure work, and partnerships with DOE, the NRC, the Department of Defense, and private companies. They emphasized that the lab is supporting both commercial nuclear development and national security work, while also training a large intern workforce. A major theme was the current federal effort to streamline nuclear regulation and speed up licensing and demonstration. The speakers said recent executive orders and DOE/NRC coordination are reducing redundant requirements, shortening environmental review timelines, and aiming for three new nuclear systems to reach criticality by July 4, 2026. They argued that regulatory uncertainty has been a major driver of nuclear cost and that the administration’s actions, along with DOE’s pilot and demonstration programs, are intended to rebuild the domestic supply chain and industrial base. The discussion also focused on advanced reactor types, including small modular reactors, microreactors, molten salt concepts, and liquid-metal designs. Officials said these technologies are being developed for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, hydrogen production, and other nontraditional uses. They highlighted several projects and companies, including Oklo, Aalo, Radiant, X-energy, TerraPower, Kairos, and DOE’s MARVEL and Project Pele efforts, and said some reactors are expected to reach criticality or operation in the next few years. Questions from attendees covered safety, public health impacts, materials and heat management, waste or used fuel handling, costs, and whether nuclear could remain competitive against other energy sources; the speakers responded that advanced reactors are designed with passive safety features, that used fuel should be viewed as a resource, and that cost remains highly design- and supply-chain-dependent.

Transcript Highlights:

• These sites vary from EPA Superfund sites.
• These sites vary from EPA Superfund sites, where the hazardous waste site cleanup fund is used to pay
• the 10% match required by EPA for the federal government to conduct a cleanup.
• We're approaching an EPA cleanup on one.

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on May 13, 2026, and reported several bills favorable. HB 27 was approved after testimony that it would delete a constitutional sentence requiring debt payments to be applied to the oldest outstanding amortization, giving retirement boards more flexibility to pay off the most advantageous debt. HB 143 was supported by the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association and local law enforcement representatives to raise the statutory per diem for housing state inmates in local facilities from $26.39 to match the current $29.39 rate already being paid in practice. HB 205 drew extensive testimony from clerks of court and election officials who said election commissioners have not had a pay increase in 19 years and are struggling to staff precincts, especially under the new closed party primary system; the bill would let local governing bodies enhance commissioner pay as a stopgap, and it was reported favorable despite concerns that it does not fully solve the staffing problem. The committee also approved HB 308, which would require state stadium and arena facilities to accept cash for smaller transactions or provide a kiosk to convert cash to a prepaid card without extra fee. HB 417 was reported favorable to increase the cap on the hazardous waste site cleanup fund from $6 million to $8 million and tie it to inflation; DEQ staff explained the fund helps pay for Superfund matches and cleanup of abandoned or bankrupt hazardous waste sites, and the increase would not affect the state general fund. HB 12, supported by the Louisiana Assessor Association, would provide 5% annual salary equalization increases for assessors through 2029, with local opt-in and no state general fund impact; members discussed the recurring pay parity issue with clerks of court and the possibility of a study resolution to address future adjustments more systematically, and the bill was reported favorable. Representative Kerner announced HB 311 would be deferred after concerns it could amount to a tax increase. HB 1129, supported by the Louisiana Auctioneers Association, was amended to clarify that the state’s movable-property auctions include internet auctions and to give Louisiana auctioneers preference to bid on those contracts; it was then reported favorable. HB 562, which would update transcript fees for the 19th Judicial District Court, prompted concerns about higher costs for litigants and due process implications, and the committee agreed to defer it to the next meeting for further discussion. The meeting ended with adjournment after brief recognition of visiting cattle industry representatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• for Class 6 primacy to enable the state agency to permit CCS injection projects independent of the EPA
• what those regulations look like until the public hearing of that, and that's not allowable until the EPA
• There are 56 well permits in Texas alone currently under review at the EPA.
• commission shifts, documentation of the problems in Texas linked to the Class 2 injection wells, the EPA

Transcript Highlights:

• I was meeting with the National Energy Dominance Council, with the EPA and with the DOE, to help move
• The rules of the EPA define the emissions control limits that you would have to hit in order to be able
• The rules of the EPA define the emissions control limits that you would have to hit in order to be able
• I've got my hopes. >> The rules of the EPA define the emissions control limits that you would have to
• I've got my hopes. mentioned is I think the EPA is aware of mentioned is I think the EPA is aware of

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:10 Approval of Minutes 00:01:19 Helping Power Kentucky's Growth (LG&E/KU) 00:01:39 Update from Kentucky's Electric Cooperatives 00:47:35, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the previous meeting, and then heard a presentation from LG&E and KU representatives Caroline Clark and John Bevington on economic development, energy demand, and the utility’s role in supporting Kentucky’s growth. Bevington described the company’s service territory, generation fleet, and recent economic development activity, including 76 projects supported in 2024, more than $2.8 billion in private investment, and over 3,000 new jobs. He emphasized that data centers are now the dominant driver in the pipeline, with 22 data center projects representing about 8.7 of the 9.7 gigawatts of potential demand, alongside other manufacturing and commercial projects. A major focus was how data centers choose sites and how utilities respond. Bevington explained that hyperscale data centers typically approach utilities first because they need transmission-level access, and that utilities then conduct internal analyses, estimate infrastructure needs, and require financial security before proceeding. He said the company is working through formal transmission studies and long-lead infrastructure planning, and noted that Kentucky’s sales tax exemption for data centers helped attract interest. He also outlined the economic benefits of data centers, citing an announced Louisville project of 525 megawatts and about $11 billion in investment, with an estimated $500 million in new tax revenue over 10 years, plus broader job and GDP impacts. Members asked about whether data centers could generate their own power, the reliability of the pipeline numbers given confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, and cybersecurity concerns. Bevington said the company does not assume all pipeline projects will materialize in Kentucky and instead assigns probabilities to avoid overbuilding. He also said he was not the right person to address cybersecurity in detail but offered to return to a committee focused on IT or security. In response to questions about future supply, he said LG&E and KU are adding generation through a 120-megawatt solar facility in Mercer County, a 120-megawatt solar purchase in Marion County, and a 645-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle plant in Louisville, with PSC approval recently granted for additional generation and related system upgrades.

Transcript Highlights:

• EPA and from Congress, as well as funds from the Environmental Fund. That's the next slide.
• EPA that we have to carry out, and that our customers, who are the citizens of Minnesota, expect from
• :40:35.440> US us that we have been um told by the US us that we have been um told by the US EPA
• 40:36.760> carry<00:40:37.040> out<00:40:37.280> and<00:40:37.440> that EPA
• There's a reimbursement portal that we have to seek reimbursement through the EPA, and it just appeared

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <04:28:02.159> was<04:28:02.399> established Conservation Act or EPA was established
• <04:28:53.520> has resources. 50 years later, EPA has resources. 50 years later, EPA has remained
• Department of Energy used EPA Department of Energy used EPA authorities<04:29:21.600> to<
• authorities and to lower costs for EPA authorities and to lower costs for American<04:31:09.840>
• ,<04:45:16.400> the Uh, under the EPA, the Department of Energy sets efficiency standards

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that sometimes I'll call them out EPA in particular, and sometimes even our friends to the east
• And by the way, just so everybody knows, EPA has no information.
• EPA [is] struggling with the same issue.
• I could expect possible... ...struggling with the same issue, EPA struggling with the same issue.
• Outside of the control of the EPA as the big iron hammer.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal EPA regulates it on a federal level.
• <00:29:45.520> the<00:29:45.760> federal<00:29:46.000> EPA of water regulates
• it. the federal EPA of water regulates it. the federal EPA regulates<00:29:46.880> it<00:29:47.039
• Finally, I'd like to note that the federal EPA has recently announced the next step in what it calls
• EPA.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:10 Roll Call 00:00:24 HB 108 Discussion 00:03:45 HB 108 Vote 00:05:15 HB 194 Discussion 00:07:13 HB 194 Vote 00:09:45 HB 276 Discussion 00:11:53 HB 276 Vote 00:13:35 HB 290 Discussion 00:15:32 HB 290 Vote 00:18:29 HB 103 Discussion 00:20:31 HB 103 Vote 00:46:59 Adjournment 00:50:36, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its first meeting of the session and took up several local government bills, beginning with House Bill 108 on residual waste landfills. The bill would keep current rules in place when a landfill and the related company are in the same county, but would make projects subject to local determination when the landfill and industry are in different counties. The sponsor said it only affects residual waste landfills, not solid waste landfills. There was no opposition, and the bill passed with favorable expression by a 13-aye, 2-pass vote. The committee then approved House Bill 194, as amended by a committee substitute that changed a sales threshold from 15% to 25%. The bill creates a narrow exemption allowing cigar smoking inside tightly defined cigar bars, while not changing smoke-free laws for other public places. One member explained a no vote as a local control concern, but the bill passed with favorable expression. House Bill 276, which would authorize backyard chickens and prevent local governments from banning fewer than six chickens while still allowing setback rules, also passed with favorable expression. Supporters said it would not affect homeowners associations or commercial use, while one member opposed it as a local control issue. House Bill 290, dealing with county law libraries, passed unanimously with favorable expression. The sponsor said the bill would let local bar associations use their own funds for online legal research and computers instead of only books, noting that many law libraries are underused because legal research is now mostly online and that the libraries remain open to the public. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 103 on fluoride in public water systems after adopting a committee substitute that clarified an immunity clause for water districts. Sponsors said the bill would make fluoridation a local decision rather than a state mandate and argued that newer research raises health concerns, while opponents from the dental community and Kentucky Voices for Health testified that community water fluoridation is safe, cost-effective, and important for preventing cavities, especially for low-income and Medicaid populations. The transcript cuts off during the opposition testimony, before any final committee vote on HB 103.

Transcript Highlights:

• sure that we are continuing to talk mostly with USDA, but we also have cooperative agreements with EPA
• sure that we are continuing to talk mostly with USDA, but we also have cooperative agreements with EPA
• EPA has what they call their 303(d) lists, which are impaired or polluted streams, and Oklahoma has 700
• And if that water quality shows improvement, then EPA, because of our quality assurance, our professional
• Improvement, then EPA, because of our quality assurance, our professional staff, and the testing that

Summary: The meeting began with a budget presentation from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Secretary Blaine Arthur and Deputy Commissioner Jan Lee described the agency’s divisions and recent efforts to improve efficiency, including expanded online licensing, electronic veterinary inspection certificates, and a new laboratory information system. They highlighted youth and workforce programs, local food initiatives for schools, market development efforts, and ongoing animal health concerns such as avian influenza, equine herpesvirus, and the threat of New World screwworm. They also discussed staffing, turnover, and uncertainty around federal cooperative agreement funding, while noting they were not requesting new or additional appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year. Members asked about meat inspection staffing, the use of one-time forestry firefighting funds, biosecurity and national security coordination, and agency staffing levels. The department said meat inspection was currently in good shape but dependent on federal funding stability, and explained that prior firefighting dollars had been used for equipment purchases. They also said they work with state and federal partners, including DHS and FBI, on threat preparedness and have reduced turnover by adjusting salaries and maintaining staffing at or below prior levels. The Oklahoma Conservation Commission then presented its budget and program overview. Staff described the agency’s long history and current work in water quality, flood control, soil health, unpaved roads, wetlands, and woody species control, especially eastern red cedar removal. They emphasized data-driven, voluntary conservation practices, citing stream cleanups, flood-control dam benefits, pond cleanouts during drought, and the Cherry-Peach watershed project as examples of programs that improve water resources and reduce wildfire risk. The agency said its workload has grown significantly and requested funding for critical dam repairs, local conservation district staffing, continued unpaved roads work, and expansion of woody species control statewide. Members asked about county matching for road and dam projects, who to contact about flooding roads, sediment removal from pond cleanouts, and the effectiveness of county training programs. Commission staff explained that county in-kind work can count as match, local conservation districts are the first point of contact, and the road training has produced measurable savings and better maintenance practices. They also clarified that “high hazard” dams are those where failure could threaten people or infrastructure downstream, not necessarily dams that are structurally failing.

Transcript Highlights:

• feds are disinvesting in state programs, we're keeping a careful Eye on how the feds are going to – EPA
• I will say, as someone who worked for EPA and loved that organization, I don't trust that the federal
• Has the EPA set drinking water standards for this?
• So that means even low levels of exposure over a long period of time accumulate in the The EPA recognized
• In fact, EPA has been Dating back to the Biden administration, EPA has been fast-tracking a lot of these

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:44.880> by<00:15:45.079> the<00:15:45.199> federal<00:15:45.519> EPA
• <00:15:46.000> in approved as a fuel by the federal EPA in approved as a fuel by the federal
• EPA in 2011<00:15:47.560> there's<00:15:47.720> a<00:15:47.880> chart<00:15:48.120
• However, the federal EPA recently announced its plans to move forward with the implementation of year-round
• However, the federal EPA recently announced its plans to move forward with the implementation of year-round

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• EPA won't allow. Yeah, no, no, you're right. EPA won't allow.
• EPA won't allow. Yeah, no, no, you're right. EPA won't allow.
• Because if EPA... you're having to...
• EPA won't allow. Yeah, no, no, you're right. EPA won't allow.
• Because if EPA... you're having to...

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Ways and Means and Hawaiian Affairs committee heard a budget presentation from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands on its biennium requests for critical projects, repairs and maintenance, and operations. DHHL described its role in administering the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust, noted the large beneficiary wait list, and said prior funding, including Act 279, has helped the department accelerate land development and reduce vacancies. Officials said they have about 47,219 applications involving 29,548 Native Hawaiians, roughly 28 projects underway, and that about $471 million of a $600 million appropriation has been encumbered, with the remaining lapse-fix funds expected to be resolved before the June 30, 2026 deadline. DHHL emphasized that its current request would support additional lot development and could help produce roughly 6,000 units from the existing project pipeline, with another phase of requests potentially adding about 2,000 more units. The department said it is prioritizing shovel-ready projects, accelerating lease awards and orientations, and using a mix of approaches including paper leases, rental-with-option-to-purchase, owner-builder, and loan programs. Officials also discussed a shift toward denser urban development, citing projects in West Oahu and Honolulu, and said the department is working to reduce its vacancy rate and move beneficiaries onto the land more quickly. Members questioned why Oahu, despite having the largest wait list, was receiving comparatively lower amounts, and DHHL responded that land availability and cost drive those decisions, with Oahu having limited developable land and very high acquisition costs. The department pointed to land acquisition on Kauai and other islands, and to urban high-rise projects that can yield far more units on small parcels. Members also raised long-term maintenance and wildfire risk, asking whether current acquisition and development choices account for future infrastructure costs; DHHL said maintenance is a growing concern, especially on large unused or isolated lands, and that it is pursuing Firewise planning, federal funds, and partnerships to reduce risk. The discussion also touched on mixed-use and community-led development, with DHHL explaining that it leases land to nonprofit homestead associations under general leases with milestones, business-plan requirements, and land-use restrictions to support local services and community goals.