Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Jacob Sanders, and I'm the Community Development Director for the city of Becker.
• , reducing the competitiveness of Minnesota in this sector.
• While Minnesota offers many development.
• , sighting these developments, sighting these developments, reducing<00:10:21.160> the<00:
• 10:21.240> competitiveness<00:10:21.920> of reducing the competitiveness of reducing the

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:33:45.919> critical learning and developing critical learning and developing critical
• skill development, which she described as important elements for post-pandemic child development.
• development? development? Senator<01:20:57.040> House.<01:20:57.840> Yes.
• <01:33:12.080> Uh<01:33:12.800> but competitive in competitive grant.
• Uh but competitive in competitive grant.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• agreements in order to stay competitive agreements in order to stay competitive with<00:09:06.040
• governments for economic development governments for economic development opportunities<00:09:11.160
• You potential development for my region.
• ensure that community development ensure that community development actually<00:12:56.360> involves
• <00:54:41.600> these other advocates to develop these other advocates to develop these recommended

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• FHSAA stays true to education-based athletics, where the classroom and the field become one, to develop
• And more external funding leads to deeper coaching staffs and better athlete development.
• External funding leads to deeper coaching staffs and better athlete development.
• want some at the end of the competitive season.
• It goes outside of competition.

Summary: The Education Pre-K through 12 Committee heard a presentation from Florida High School Athletic Association Executive Director Craig Damon, joined by student athletes Sydney Daniel and Taylor White. The students spoke about the value of education-based athletics, leadership, and the need for safe, equitable opportunities. Damon then discussed FHSAA issues including rising sportsmanship problems, ejections, violent incidents, recruiting allegations, transfers, mental health pressures on student athletes, and the need for qualified coaches. He said the association tries to be proactive, work with schools on discipline, and emphasize that school changes should be for academic reasons rather than athletics. Senators asked about mental health, transfer rules, and a recent Jacksonville incident; Damon explained the current transfer exceptions and said the association lacked authority over the Jacksonville football game because the schools were not in FHSAA football. The committee then heard a panel on high school coaches’ compensation led by Florida Coaches Coalition Executive Director Dr. Andrew Ramgett, with Coach Mike Hickman, Coach Charlie Ward, and superintendents from Okaloosa and Walton counties. Ramgett argued that coaching supplements are outdated, have not kept pace with the expanding year-round demands of coaching, and amount to very low hourly pay in many sports. He also said Florida’s restrictions on booster club funding and minimal certification requirements contribute to turnover and difficulty retaining qualified coaches. Hickman and Ward described coaching as a demanding, year-round profession that affects students beyond athletics, including academics and mental health. The superintendents said they value coaches but must balance compensation against limited district funds and other staffing needs; one noted Walton County uses a dedicated administrative lane for football coaching and athletic administration. Senators discussed whether booster club funding should be allowed, whether compensation should be tied to performance, and whether any increase in base student allocation would actually reach coaches. Public commenters, including Florida Athletic Coaches Association Executive Director Shelton Cruz and former coach Tyrone McGriff, urged support for coaches and emphasized their broader impact on students’ lives and school safety. At the end of the meeting, the committee took up confirmation hearings for appointments on tabs 3 through 6 and, with no appearance forms filed, voted unanimously to recommend confirmation. Senator Burgess then moved to adjourn, and the committee concluded the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Occasionally, we will issue bonds competitively where the underwriter doesn’t really show up until the
• We’ll talk about our latest effort to do a competitive sale in the face of Liberation Day. Yay!
• There are two ways to issue publicly marketed debt: there's a competitive sale and a negotiated sale.
• The competitive sale is we submit the official statement to the market, and we say, you know, And in
• And I think I'll talk a little bit more about this later, but we had to shift from a competitive sale

Transcript Highlights:

• um uh Advocate it says the FDA develops um uh Advocate it says the FDA develops medication<00:23
• laws. competition are competition are unlawful<02:07:33.280> in<02:07:33.480> Arizona<
• anti-competitive practices, uh, in a broad fashion, right?
• , and H.R. 14 addresses those anti-competitive practices in a broad fashion, right?
• and hr14 addresses those competition and hr14 addresses those anti-competitive<02:25:45.760> practices

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We look forward to working with you and your committee in developing this year's budget.
• is dedicated to health and human services, followed by education, then transportation, economic development
• This includes $8 million for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation to search for solutions to
• This includes $8 million for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation to search for solutions to
• Currently, the division is unable to offer merit increases or fill vacant positions at competitive rates

Summary: The committee convened with a quorum, welcomed new member Senator Ralph Massullo, and first took up confirmation of five appointees to water management district and basin board positions. Senator McLean moved favorable confirmation of Ted Everett, Jerome Pate, Michael Romano, Paul Bissfam, John Hall, and Virginia Johns, and the motion passed by roll call. The main agenda item was the Governor’s Florida First budget presentation for the environmental agencies. Kim Kramer and DEP Secretary Alexis Lambert outlined proposed environmental funding of about $5.8 billion, including more than $1.4 billion for water resources, $810 million for Everglades restoration, $408 million for water quality, $202 million for Resilient Florida, $75 million for beach renourishment, $150 million for Florida Forever, $70 million for state park infrastructure, and $221 million for hazardous waste cleanup. They also highlighted proposed funding for FWC operations, manatee care, python removal, oyster reef restoration, forestry and wildfire equipment, and citrus research and disease response. Members asked about Florida Forever funding, state park wastewater and septic needs, a cut to the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, and how beach renourishment is handled after storms. The committee then heard the general government budget presentation. Agencies highlighted included DBPR, Gaming Control, the Lottery, DMS, PERC, DFS, OIR, and Revenue. DBPR discussed funding for license processing, an animal abuse hotline, vehicle replacement, and IT recruitment; Gaming Control requested new law enforcement squads and a licensing/enforcement IT system; the Lottery emphasized marketing, retail engagement, IT, and retention funding; DMS proposed building, fleet, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and local government grant investments; PERC described workload growth after SB 256 and requested staffing, operations, and pay increases; OIR sought more staff for consumer protection and market oversight plus building renovations; DFS highlighted My Safe Florida Home funding, fire marshal and first responder support, financial investigations, and gold and silver legal tender implementation; and Revenue requested operational, IT, and fiscally constrained county funding. Members questioned DBPR about unfunded HOA fraud and condo transparency items, DMS about cybersecurity grants, and DFS about My Safe Florida Home funding levels, abandoned grants, and reduced program uptake. No further action was taken, and the committee adjourned without additional votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We got to see slower developments.
• Competition is good. Competition is good for our economy, and it's good for rent prices.
• Competition is good. Competition is good for our economy, and it's good for rent prices.
• <01:00:06.559> Competition<01:00:07.599> uh<01:00:07.760> is Competition is
• Competition uh is Competition is good.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If I'm a developer, it'll be done before I'm starting to drive piles.
• The competition in this process happens at the pilot stage.
• Why eliminating competitive bidding? Of course. And I do understand that sentiment.
• This bill is still very competitive.
• robust competitive process for actually trying to solve the problem rather than just the current competitive

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on May 18, 2026, with a quorum present and the chair noting it was the committee’s last meeting of the session. The committee first considered Senate Bill 254, which would prohibit certain excess debit card surcharges and authorize enforcement by the Attorney General. After adopting technical amendments and a committee amendment requiring written notice before a private right of action, the bill was reported favorably as amended. The committee then took up Senate Bill 80 on broadband administration fees and GUMBO program closeout. Members questioned the proposed increase in administrative and contractor fees, the timing of project completion, and how withheld reimbursements would work for utility damage. After adopting several amendments, including cleanup language and a provision to restore the reimbursement process, the bill was reported favorably as amended, though the Louisiana Telecommunications Association voiced concerns about the withholding language and lack of a clearer fault-determination process. The committee next considered Senate Bill 469, updating the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. Technical amendments were adopted, along with amendments clarifying that the bill’s 30-day notice to utility owner-operators is separate from existing GUMBO notice requirements and creating a rapid dispute-resolution process involving the Office of Broadband, the utility operator, and the local governing authority. Testimony from broadband and municipal stakeholders emphasized the need for quicker responses to excavation damage and better enforcement, while some witnesses raised concerns about the late amendment and the need for clearer recourse and standards. The bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 468, dealing with fuel rewards programs and fuel discount limits, was also amended to allow such discounts while capping them at $1 below the advertised price; it was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 131, concerning attorney’s fees and costs in professional licensing disciplinary proceedings, drew testimony from a cosmetology board representative and the Pelican Institute. Supporters argued the bill would curb incentives for boards to generate revenue through enforcement and give licensees a fairer opportunity to resolve cases; board testimony noted that some boards already have fee caps and that enforcement actions are relatively limited. After adopting an amendment clarifying when a licensee is the prevailing party, the bill was reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 251 on critical infrastructure protection also received technical amendments and several substantive changes, including adding ports and airports to the definition of critical infrastructure, clarifying “significant access,” adding a knowledge requirement, and adjusting exemptions and enforcement timing; it was reported favorably as amended after testimony from State Armor representatives about foreign adversary threats. Finally, House Resolution 253 was introduced to create a task force to study how post-2005 building code additions and inspection requirements affect residential construction costs, with the sponsor explaining the goal was to gather industry input and return recommendations next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it seems like every state finds this niche, they push it, they develop it.
• So I want you to kind of develop that.
• Moving on to contract counting, are you getting competitive bids across those where they are?
• It's a competitive bid system.
• Facilities loved it because it was competitions amongst each other.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about ensuring fair competition and making sure taxpayer dollars support lawful work.
• And ultimately, these increased costs and risk will be reflected in higher bids, reduced competition,
• We do have some history with that, for example, in the unfair competition law, and we think that that
• And the technology is developing rapidly, but it's not perfect.
• Mark Watson, representing Wareham Development Company.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard several bills focused on worker protections, enforcement, and technology in the workplace. SB 909 would strengthen enforcement of public works prevailing wage laws by raising contractor registration fees and penalties and directing part of penalty revenue back to enforcement; labor groups supported it as a way to deter wage theft, while contractor groups opposed the fee and penalty increases as burdensome and potentially costly for public projects. The committee members generally expressed support for stronger enforcement but also concern about the state’s backlog and capacity to enforce the law. SB 909 passed on a due pass vote and was re-referred to Appropriations. The committee also considered multiple bills addressing AI and workplace rights. SB 951 would require 60-day notice when technology displaces 25 or more workers and would require reporting on AI-related job impacts; labor and education groups supported it, while business, public sector, and industry groups argued it was premature and overbroad. SB 947 would require human review of automated discipline, termination, or deactivation decisions and prohibit predictive behavior analysis; supporters said it would prevent algorithmic abuse, while opponents raised concerns about independent contractors, private rights of action, and forum shopping. Both bills advanced on party-line style votes to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also approved SB 1149, which would expand bereavement leave to cover a “designated person” equivalent to family, with emotional testimony from a witness describing the loss of a long-term partner. Supporters said the bill reflects modern family structures, especially for LGBTQ and older Californians; there was no opposition. SB 1185, applying skilled-and-trained workforce standards to pharmaceutical facility construction, also passed despite opposition from contractors and business groups who said there was no demonstrated safety problem and warned of higher costs and fewer bidders. In addition, the committee approved consent-calendar bills SB 1316, SB 1046, and SB 1059, and left rolls open for absent members before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's always possible concerns could develop in the future.
• I'm the Admin Deputy Director for the Employment Development Department.
• Employment Development Department.
• Joelle Ball, I'm the chief deputy for the California Workforce Development Board.
• The salary differentials are... ...more competitive in that area.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee held a May Revision budget hearing on state administration and related issues, hearing presentations from multiple departments and agencies. Early items included the Public Employment Relations Board on funding for implementation of AB 1 and a reduced request tied to AB 288, the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement on a technical College Corps adjustment, and the Secretary of State on building security upgrades, election security grant matching funds, and payroll system readiness costs. The Department of Consumer Affairs presented a Board of Pharmacy modernization request and a General Fund backfill for the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education; the LAO raised no concerns on the pharmacy item but recommended rejecting the private postsecondary backfill and questioned interest-free loan language. The Employment Development Department outlined several large workload and benefit adjustments, including EDD Next document management funding, UI loan interest, DI/PFL benefit increases, WIOA adjustments, school employee benefits, an EMT training reappropriation, and a technical reversion correction; the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL increase and the expansion of the document management scope, while members asked about program impacts and timelines. The California Workforce Development Board presented an April adjustment to reimbursement authority for an interagency agreement with Caltrans, which the LAO said raised no concerns. Public comment on that item and others included support for workforce and apprenticeship initiatives, including the Jails to Jobs proposal and renewal of the Apprenticeship Innovation Fund, though those were not part of the May Revision package. The Department of Industrial Relations then presented several proposals: reclassifying legal positions, continuing modernization of the workers’ compensation EAMS system, Cal/OSHA data modernization, creating a Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, reappropriating funds for the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship program, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the statutory treatment of the workers’ compensation administrative director’s salary. The LAO generally found the IT and salary proposals reasonable but urged close monitoring of the new emerging technologies unit. Committee members, especially Assemblymember Ortega, pressed DIR on long vacancy rates, wage theft claim delays, low collection rates for Cal/OSHA fines, and whether new resources would improve outcomes; DIR said it was pursuing recruitment, classification reviews, and process modernization, while the LAO noted that staffing alone may not explain the delays. The Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board also sought to make permanent a 2024 change to the 60-day reconsideration clock, saying it had reduced backlog and interim orders; the LAO had no concerns. Finally, the Department of Human Resources presented a statewide Employee Assistance Program contract consolidation that would lower costs compared with renewing separate contracts and requested one program manager position to oversee the contract and first responder services; the hearing continued with Finance’s response after the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<00:08:51.560> monitoring, must guide the development, monitoring, must guide the development
• <00:19:14.560> unfair that make competition unfair that make competition unfair for<00:19:
• Sure, they play a part in competition.
• advantages make fair competition advantages make fair competition impossible. impossible. impossible
• . competition. competition.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:20.959> Machining fixtures and developing Machining fixtures and developing Machining
• category of research and development category of research and development even<00:11:51.920>
• market research and development market research and development Investments<00:12:25.440> are
• <00:17:07.039> and credit offsets the cost to develop and credit offsets the cost to develop
• <01:47:36.800> a develop a develop a problem<01:47:38.880> and<01:47:39.880> we<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• an SMR... ...nuclear development.
• There's a number of these microreactor developers.
• with developing, these solar and wind developers, they build the project and then they transfer them
• All of the development that's underway.
• to get less expensive land to develop new projects.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we're going to help to fund the development of the software, Minnesota companies who utilize the system
• 00:03:29.519> state House File 2103 is a prudent and one-time appropriation to Emergy for development
• Senator Anderson's bill, House File 2301, appropriating funds that we will use to hire software developers
• <00:09:35.160> edge and farmers will have a competitive edge and farmers will have a competitive
• if not more so than be very competitive if not more so than commercially<00:19:39.360> produced.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And at this research and development.
• <00:04:55.520> Without legally and competitively here.
• Without legally and competitively here.
• I appreciate your time and commitment to Kentucky's long-term economic competitiveness.
• I appreciate your time and commitment to Kentucky's long-term economic competitiveness.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:08 Infrastructure Grant Program 00:00:45 SB 76 Discussion 00:25:50 SB 76 Vote 00:31:55, 958, all

Summary: The committee met without a quorum at first, so it began with an informational presentation from Dr. Kristen Goodell, executive director of LifeKY, about innovation infrastructure and a proposed grant program to support life sciences and other startup facilities. She argued that Kentucky’s research investments only translate into jobs and companies if startups have access to physical lab and equipment space, and said shared facilities can serve many companies over time. Goodell described LifeKY’s Northern Kentucky facility as a proof of concept, noting it has attracted companies from other states and Japan, secured a Thermo Fisher Scientific partnership, and could be replicated elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Members asked about university pipelines, local talent development, sustainability, and how the grant program would measure return on investment; Goodell emphasized public-private partnerships, earned revenue, philanthropy, internships, and STEM programming as part of the model. The committee then took up Senate Bill 76, sponsored by Senator Bledsoe, which would limit school board occupational license tax increases by raising the population threshold for such increases from 300,000 to 500,000. Bledsoe said the bill was intended to respond to Fayette County’s recent tax controversy, restore public trust, and provide stability for employees, employers, and the school system. He argued that occupational taxes affect many commuters who work in Fayette County but live elsewhere, and said the measure would give time for community buy-in before any future increase. Supportive comments came from Senator Nunn and others, while Senator Boswell asked about the tax rate and cautioned against local tax increases offsetting state income tax reductions. After discussion, the committee called the roll on SB 76. The bill advanced on a roll-call vote, with Senator Armstrong explaining a no vote because he did not want to take tools away from local government and preferred local control. The transcript indicates the measure moved forward from committee after the vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• interested potentially in developing interested potentially in developing this<00:05:27.800>
• to the utilities, and then the utilities would select the most competitive bid out of that competitive
• needs for revenues and it's competitive needs for revenues and it's competitive against<00:09:56.880
• /c><00:12:06.160> competitive of the that competitive of the that competitive process<00:12:08.920
• know there's there's some developers know there's there's some developers might<00:15:17.880>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was director of construction management, I worked regularly with the development office.
• We're looking to ensure competitive, modern, convenient, and safe learning spaces.
• <01:09:57.239> peer process for review is a competitive peer process for review is a competitive
• That develops that whole child.
• activities and assistance in developing activities and assistance in developing those<01:20:22.639

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've sort of broken them up here into three main categories: competitive grants, pass-through grants,
• Competitive grants are grants administered by the Office of Higher Education, so people apply to the
• I've sort of broken them up here into three main categories: competitive grants, pass-through grants,
• Competitive grants are grants administered by the Office of Higher Education, so people apply to the
• <01:26:50.639> um with regard to Workforce Development um with regard to Workforce Development

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Higher Ed Finance and Policy Committee met to begin a budget overview for higher education. The chair noted quorum, committee member introductions, and that Democratic members were absent. The chair also said the Office of Higher Education would not be appearing for the planned budget deep dive, so nonpartisan fiscal staff would present instead. Ken Savory, the committee’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst, introduced a presentation on the higher education finance structure and timeline. Savory explained the state budget cycle, the difference between direct appropriations, statutory appropriations, open appropriations, base funding, tails, and one-time appropriations, and how those concepts apply to higher education. He described the committee’s usual budget areas: the Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State, the University of Minnesota, and the Mayo Foundation. He also reviewed historical spending charts showing higher education’s share of the general fund over time, the 2/3-1/3 funding policy in statute, and how tuition and general fund support have shifted. He noted that the FY 26-27 base for the Office of Higher Education area is about $725 million, including roughly $450 million for the State Grant program and about $99 million for North Star Promise. Members asked about comparing the current budget to earlier biennia, and staff responded that they would need to calculate the percentage difference. The chair then summarized prior budget growth, saying the previous budget was about $650 million over base and the current budget/tail was about $450 million over base. Staff also reviewed the 2024 omnibus higher education bill, including a roughly $5 million reduction to North Star Promise that was redirected to the Fostering Independence Grant program and a $500,000 appropriation for Minnesota State’s Kids on Campus program. The committee did not take any formal votes or actions during this portion of the meeting.