Transcript Highlights:

• And to the point of needing to fill these centers with workers, I know HPA just said it.
• <00:13:05.120> I workers, I know HPA just said it. I workers, I know HPA just said it.
• But I do need to point out that we use workers.
• Um and so that's the and workers.
• So currently what we do is our most remote area, as I'm sure you know, is Hana.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1525, which would appropriate funds to counties to open more voter service centers for in-person voting, provide money to the Office of Elections to print and mail the voter information guide to all registered voters, and support a public outreach campaign to increase voter participation. The Office of Elections supported the bill and estimated costs of a little over $2 million to print and mail the guide and about $178,000 for outreach, noting it spent about $441,000 on election advertising in 2024. Testimony from advocacy groups including Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Common Cause Hawaii, and Indivisible Hawaii strongly supported the measure, emphasizing access for neighbor island voters, people with disabilities, new voters, and voters who need ballot assistance. County election officials from Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai provided comments or testimony that were more cautious. They said additional funding would be welcome, but staffing and logistics remain major constraints, especially for election-day service centers. Honolulu’s city clerk said funding alone would not necessarily solve long lines, while Maui’s county clerk explained that voter service centers require trained seasonal employees, extensive training, and the ability to handle many ballot styles. Maui also described its current pop-up sites, including Hana, as expensive but necessary for remote communities, and said the county is already running at bare minimum staffing. Members asked questions about who decides how many service centers are opened, how staffing is handled, and whether there is a middle-ground model between the old precinct polling places and the current voter service center system. Honolulu explained that county clerks make those decisions under current law and that the county has tried pop-up sites in addition to its main centers. The discussion also noted that in 2024 most voters used vote by mail, while a smaller number used early in-person voting or final-day service centers. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] The Chief Clerk, who will call the names of the members voting remotely

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• small businesses and healthcare systems, across the board and across our state, especially in rural, remote

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Testimony will be both taken in person and for the remote participants in the order that they have signed
• Also, just wanted to briefly recognize that Senator O'Connor of the committee has joined us remotely
• I'd also just briefly like to recognize Senator Brownsberger is joining remotely as a member of the committee

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a hybrid hearing on the governor’s Ride Safe Act, S. 3077, and related micromobility bills. Chairs and administration officials described the bill as a statewide, speed-based framework for e-bikes, scooters, mopeds, and similar devices, intended to replace outdated device categories with clearer rules for age limits, helmets, equipment, operating locations, registration, insurance for higher-speed devices, and restrictions on tampering. They also emphasized improved crash-data collection, a working group for future updates, and battery safety standards such as UL certification to reduce fire risk. Committee members asked about enforcement, shared-use paths, commuter rail accommodations, battery storage, and how the bill would apply to other vehicles like quads; the administration said some issues would need further study or follow-up. Testimony from advocates, municipal officials, and commission members was mixed but generally supportive of clearer statewide rules. Transportation and safety advocates backed the speed-based tier system but urged additional measures, including a default speed limit on shared-use paths, automated enforcement, and more funding for Complete Streets and Shared Streets programs. Bike shop and police representatives said current laws are confusing for riders and law enforcement and that better definitions and data reporting are needed. Several speakers stressed that enforcement and education will be critical, and that local patchwork rules are difficult to apply consistently. Medical testimony strongly supported tighter protections for young riders. Pediatric emergency and trauma doctors described a sharp rise in serious injuries and deaths involving e-bikes and scooters, including severe pediatric cases, and urged amendments adding a minimum age for faster devices and a universal helmet requirement. They argued that the force and weight of these devices make crashes more dangerous than conventional bicycles and pointed to past Massachusetts safety laws as evidence that age and equipment restrictions can reduce injuries. Some public testimony opposed the bill as written, especially from moped commuters who argued that gas-powered mopeds are being treated differently from comparable electric devices and should be included in the framework. They called for clearer rules on bike-lane access, insurance, parking, and statewide standards for mopeds as vulnerable road users. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and questions only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our next speaker, I believe, is remote. Our next speaker, I believe, is remote: Jean Kempthorne.
• , for this opportunity to address the subcommittee and for the courtesy of allowing me to appear remotely

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The subcommittee hearing focused on whether the Office of the State Auditor may constitutionally audit the Massachusetts Legislature under Chapter 250 of the Acts of 2024 and what such an audit could include under generally accepted government auditing standards. Chair Cindy Friedman opened by explaining the background: voters approved Ballot Question 1 in November 2024, the law took effect in January 2025, and the Auditor then initiated audits of both chambers. The chair said the subcommittee was seeking expert testimony because the proposed audit scope, constitutionality, and possible bias concerns remained unresolved. Public testimony was invited, but no members of the public pre-registered; written testimony remained open for a short period after the hearing. The hearing then proceeded with invited experts on constitutional law/state government and auditing-related issues. Professor Lawrence Friedman testified that the ballot initiative’s approval by the Attorney General and by voters did not resolve constitutional questions, and he argued Chapter 250 violates the Massachusetts Constitution. He said the Legislature has constitutional authority to set its own rules and manage its proceedings, and that an executive-branch audit would intrude on legislative deliberation, speech and debate protections, and separation of powers. He also warned that even audits of supposedly administrative matters could become a vehicle for repeated document demands and litigation that would indirectly burden legislative functioning. In questioning, senators pressed him on the line between administrative and deliberative functions, the role of the Attorney General versus the courts, the possibility of retroactive audit scope, and whether prior legislative consent to audits mattered; he said prior consent would not bind future legislatures and that constitutionality is ultimately for the courts. Professor Ray La Raja also opposed the audit, framing it as a threat to institutional independence and representative democracy. He argued that allowing an executive-branch official to audit the Legislature without consent would upset separation of powers, chill internal debate, and create a precedent for broader executive intrusion. He said voters often support “transparency” reforms without fully appreciating institutional consequences, and that legislatures should defend their autonomy, especially amid what he described as broader executive overreach nationally. Senators asked about chilling effects, the practical distinction between administrative and core legislative functions, and whether the courts or the Legislature should resolve the issue; he said the courts would ultimately adjudicate disputes, but the Legislature should not waive its constitutional authority lightly. Jean Kempthorne took the opposite view, arguing the audit is permissible and should proceed. She said the state auditor is a constitutional officer accountable directly to the people, that the audit power can be expanded by statute, and that separation of powers does not require watertight compartments. She contended the audit would not displace core legislative powers because the auditor can only evaluate operations, report findings, and make recommendations. She also argued the Legislature itself already conducts audits of other branches, so it is inconsistent to claim an audit of the Legislature is unconstitutional. In response to senators’ questions, she said there are guardrails against truly intrusive requests, but that the administrative-versus-legislative distinction is not a workable bright line; she suggested disputes should be handled case by case, with objections, negotiation, or litigation if specific requests go too far. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Offhand, do you know if there is an option to dial in, like remotely or something like that?
• Offhand, do you know if there is an option to dial in, like, remotely or something like that?
• No, I was just going to say I will bring that question about remote in to our next meeting next week,

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:

• A question on the remote. A question on the remote? Yes, Mr. Chairman.
• if, you know, the judge wanted somebody who lives out of state to attend in person, as opposed to remotely

Summary: The Child Custody Review Task Force met to approve prior minutes and then worked through draft legislation related to a possible family court study committee. The group discussed the proposed 15-member committee’s makeup in detail, including whether to add parent representation, judges, family law section members, child support, clerks of court, domestic violence advocates, and other stakeholders. The task force ultimately agreed to keep the committee at 15 members, reduce the legislative membership from eight to six, add two judges from different districts, add two family law section members with rural and urban representation, include one parent subject to a custody order, and replace the mental health professional with a clerk of court representative appointed through the trial court administrator’s office. The draft was also revised to keep domestic violence advocacy representation and to clarify that the study could consider juvenile court issues as part of the family court umbrella. The committee voted to approve the revised draft and recommend it to Legislative Management, with one recorded “no” vote from Judge Hovey after the meeting resumed. The task force then turned to a second draft dealing with requiring participation in a family transition program, which was renamed in discussion to a parenting education course. Members debated whether the bill should simply refer to an existing program like Parents Forever or instead specify broader education about the court process, parental rights, co-parenting, and related issues. Some members supported the requirement as a way to reduce conflict and improve understanding of the system, while others raised concerns about vague language, cost to parents, lack of exemptions, and whether the bill was too open-ended or potentially duplicative of other legislation. The discussion became lengthy and unresolved, with the drafter noting that more specific direction would be needed to revise the bill. The transcript cuts off before a final vote or action on this second draft is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mark Shonbomm remotely. Welcome, sir, to the State and Local Government Committee.
• In 2024, only two employees were employed in the service worker classification, with the most recent
• hire occurring in 2011, and two employees were in the supported employment worker classification.
• employed in the service worker employed in the service worker classification<01:23:03.280> with
• in the supported employment worker in the supported employment worker classification.<01:23:11.120

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was another thing that stood out to me in my search for a surgeon: there were none even remotely
• ><05:36:24.480> were<05:36:24.680> none<05:36:25.080> even<05:36:25.320> remotely
• surgeon there were none even remotely surgeon there were none even remotely close<05:36:26.040><
• Association, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, the National Association of Social Workers
• Association, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, the National Association of Social Workers

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for allowing us to testify remotely. Is this in regards to SB 104? Yes, SB 104.
• And then it says if there's no mental health worker on duty, don't worry about it, just check on them
• There shouldn't not be a mental health worker on duty. That makes no sense.
• <00:35:32.920> reports when the next healthcare worker reports when the next healthcare worker
• Kamakana Kimala, Government Affairs Manager for United Public Workers.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard SB 104, which would restrict the use of restrictive housing or solitary confinement in state-operated and state-contracted correctional facilities, with specified exceptions. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation strongly opposed the bill, saying its existing policy already meets or exceeds ACA and National Institute of Corrections standards, and objecting to language they said would give the oversight commission operational decision-making authority. The Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission supported the bill, but also said it was not intended to run operations and described concerns about restrictive housing practices, including CoreCivic’s SHIP program at Saguaro. Supporters included the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Office of the Public Defender, the Disability Rights Center, ACLU Hawaii, Easter Seals Hawaii, and individual testifiers. They argued that Native Hawaiians are disproportionately impacted by incarceration, that solitary confinement is harmful and linked to depression, anxiety, suicidality, and poor reentry outcomes, and that confinement beyond 15 days is widely condemned under international standards. Several testifiers cited suicides and deaths in custody as reasons to codify limits in statute rather than rely on policy alone. The department responded that it already has 24/7 medical care, though not 24/7 mental health coverage at one facility, and explained that it uses four custody categories: disciplinary segregation, administrative segregation, protective custody, and placements for inmates seeking separation for safety reasons. Members questioned the department and commission about the SHIP program, whether the bill was based on other states’ laws, and how current policies compare with national standards. The director said the bill was too ambiguous in places and that the department was willing to work with the commission on policy changes, but still opposed the measure as written. The committee took testimony and questions; no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• understand what is happening here, not only for the members but for those who are watching in person and remotely

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up several local and committee matters on third reading and passed them to be engrossed, including House 3916 authorizing Westfield to set an age limit for original appointment as a police officer, House 4233 amending the Malden charter, and House 4401 concerning special revolving funds in Athol. The Malden and Athol bills were amended on the floor before passage, with substitute text inserted from Senate documents. The chamber also suspended rules and Joint Rule 12 as needed to handle committee reports and referred a House petition on condominium owners’ rights to the Judiciary Committee. A substantial portion of the session focused on extension orders for committee reporting deadlines. The Senate adopted extension orders for the committees on election laws, cannabis, and revenue, after brief procedural discussion about suspending the rules to consider them forthwith. The Revenue Committee order was amended to remove two bills, leaving four bills in the extension order and setting the new deadline at March 6; the other extension orders set deadlines of January 30 for election laws and January 27 for cannabis. Senators discussed the importance of moving these matters forward efficiently, particularly those involving tax relief and cannabis policy. The Senate also adopted an order for adjournment, setting the next meeting for Thursday at 11 a.m., and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will call the names of the members participating remotely. Baker. Baker votes I.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I love when we get a remotion. Thank you. That's all I can say.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will call the name of the members voting remotely. Hussein. Okay, Samaki, go ahead.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The clerk will call the names of the members participating remotely. Hussein. McDonald. Go.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Rhodes, if we could, who is remote. So, Mr.
• could,<00:10:03.280> who<00:10:03.440> is<00:10:04.040> uh<00:10:04.120> remote
• if we could, who is uh remote. So, Mr. if we could, who is uh remote. So, Mr.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a fully remote workforce. Our teachers and staff are scattered throughout the state.
• the court, you know, talk about treatment courts, collaborative divorce, unbundled legal services, remote
• And in 2020, we became the first state to hold Supreme Court oral arguments through remote electronic
• We continued to expand the use of remote electronic appearances.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Often times our federal partners are stretched thin and in remote parts of Wyoming.
• stretched<00:19:42.160> thin<00:19:42.720> and<00:19:42.960> in<00:19:43.200> remote
• <00:19:43.520> parts<00:19:43.840> of stretched thin and in remote parts of stretched
• thin and in remote parts of Wyoming<00:19:44.480> if<00:19:44.640> we<00:19:44.799>

Bills: HB0130, HB0095, HB0096, HB0097, SF0101, SF0106, SF0067, SF0123

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearms, state rights, federal regulation, law enforcement, civil penalties, government liability, concealed carry, public colleges, university facilities, weapons legislation, self-defense, campus safety, weapons, age requirement, permits, HB0097, Wyoming firearms privacy, merchant category code, MCC

Transcript Highlights:

• lack thereof, and hospitals or doctors in metropolitan areas like Jackson treating patients from remote
• :33.280> treating<00:58:33.680> patients<00:58:34.079> from<00:58:34.400> remote
• Jackson treating patients from remote Jackson treating patients from remote and<00:58:34.960>

Keywords: MS House Floor - 21 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a quorum call, and several guest introductions, including a pastor, a doctor of the day, medical students and physicians for MSMA White Coat Day, and visitors in the galleries. The chamber then moved to the calendar and took up House Bill 314, the Ibogaine Treatment Drug Development Grant Program Act. The sponsor described ibogaine as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, depression, and related conditions, emphasizing that the bill would not legalize the drug but would authorize the State Department of Health to fund a consortium for FDA-regulated clinical trials with private matching funds, a university and hospital partner, and a requirement that at least 20% of commercialization revenue go to the state. Members asked about VA involvement, whether the trials would serve veterans or civilians, how the drug would be administered and monitored, why a statute was needed, and the source of the proposed state funding. The bill passed by a vote of 110 yeas and 1 nay. The House then considered House Bill 534, as a committee substitute, creating the Mississippi Health Exchange, a statewide health information exchange for real-time sharing of admission, discharge, transfer, and related patient information among hospitals, clinics, payers, and public health officials. The sponsor said the system would improve continuity of care, help with bed availability and mental health placements, and support public health analysis while protecting privacy through HIPAA compliance, an opt-out process, and limits on access to identified data. The bill would require hospitals, community mental health centers, and state hospitals to participate as a condition of licensure, designate a single nonprofit operator selected by the Department of Health, and create a fund for implementation and cybersecurity costs. Members questioned the bill about privacy protections, the opt-out process, whether data could be sold or shared improperly, costs to hospitals, whether hospitals and the hospital association supported the measure, and how the exchange would work in transfer scenarios. The sponsor said the bill would make unauthorized sharing illegal, that most hospitals already participate in some form of HIE, and that the exchange would not cost the state anything immediately because there was no appropriation attached. The discussion also noted possible help from rural transformation funding. The transcript ends during continued questioning of House Bill 534, before final passage or other action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• because VLACS, as a charter school, has to give the state assessment, but all of their students are remote
• So, they utilize sort of a hybrid approach where VLACS will set up a couple of remote sites in the state

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Education Freedom Account Oversight Committee met on March 27 and approved the agenda, adding a request for clarification on how the Children’s Scholarship Fund separates applications for the EFA program and the education tax credit program. The committee also approved minutes from December 30, 2025, and March 27, 2026, with a request that the March minutes include a link to the live stream. Members discussed the status of pending Legislative Budget Assistant audit reports on EFA and special education, noting the reports were still not released and would likely come later in the summer after review by the Department of Education and the Children’s Scholarship Fund. A major topic was the EFA program’s administrative fee, which statute allows up to 10% of deposits. Children’s Scholarship Fund representatives said current administrative costs were under 8%, that staffing had been reduced through the ScholarVia platform, and that any unused amount is reconciled and returned to students at year’s end. Members asked for historical administrative-cost data and a written explanation of how the withholding and reconciliation process works. The committee also reviewed the distinction between the EFA and education tax credit funding streams and was told the two programs use separate applications and separate funds, though both use the same platform. The committee spent substantial time on assessment and accountability. Department of Education staff explained that EFA students may satisfy annual assessment requirements through a portfolio, a norm-referenced test, or the statewide assessment; only about 10 EFA students took the statewide assessment, while most used portfolios or standardized tests such as the California Achievement Test and NWEA. Staff described how statewide assessment data are kept separate by student identifier and can be aggregated for EFA reporting, and members asked for breakdowns by grade, test type, and school district. The department also discussed linking assessments through Lexiles and Quantiles and said it could provide a list of commonly used formative assessments in New Hampshire districts. The committee additionally discussed a possible PSAT addition to the state contract and the costs of the statewide assessment program. Another major issue was special education eligibility and services within the EFA program. Members questioned the rule allowing a medical certification of disability from a licensed professional anywhere in the United States as an alternative to an IEP-based determination. Department staff said the current system allows either pathway, that about 1,000 EFA students are identified as special education students, and that the program does not track growth or service alignment on an individual basis. Members expressed concern that the medical-certification route may be too broad and asked for data on the disability categories used. The committee also discussed career and technical education access for EFA students, noting that Senate Bill 491 would provide guidance and that House Bill 1817 would address access and funding issues, but that current law still allows EFA funds to be used to pay CTE costs. The meeting ended with a request for future agenda items and a decision to leave the next meeting date open until fall, pending further information from the LBA audit process.