Transcript Highlights:

• So Mike has a sample there that we brought; it can be passed around.
• So Mike has a<00:16:03.199> sample<00:16:03.839> there<00:16:04.639> that<00:16:
• <00:16:06.160> uh<00:16:06.240> it a sample there that we brought. uh it a sample there

Bills: HF4059, HF76

Keywords: climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, sustainability, environmental policy, renewable energy, Minnesota Climate Innovation Financing Authority, earned incentive release credit, release credits, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, sentence reduction, good time, prison time, incarceration, violent offenses, murder, criminal sexual conduct, sex offenses

Transcript Highlights:

• They could provide sample student assignments from teacher candidates.
• They<00:50:26.000> could<00:50:26.160> provide<00:50:26.559> sample<00:50:26.960
• > student They could provide sample student They could provide sample student assignments<00:50

Bills: HF3421

Keywords: early literacy, reading instruction, teacher preparation, teacher candidates, teacher licensure, educator licensing, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, field experience, supervised practicum, evidence-based reading, science of reading, literacy methods, teacher training, preservice teachers, school-based experience, reading intervention, Minnesota education policy, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Harris Poll to develop a statewide and a national survey to gain a more statistically significant sample
• stat survey to gain more stata stat statistically<00:30:12.159> significant<00:30:12.880> sample
• <00:30:13.200> of<00:30:13.360> what statistically significant sample of what statistically
• significant sample of what young<00:30:13.840> adults<00:30:14.240> and<00:30:14.480><

Bills: HF3650, HF2238

Keywords: student career pathways, education framework, experiential learning, employer engagement, career technical education, HF2238, Minnesota, workforce development, construction trades, youth skills training, youth apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, construction training, career and technical education, CTE, child labor laws, minor labor, labor exemption, workforce pipeline, skilled trades

Transcript Highlights:

• Anyone conducting a study with a degree of scientific rigor knows that sample sizes must be randomized
• degree of scientific rigor<00:59:33.280> knows<00:59:33.520> that<00:59:33.680> sample
• /c><00:59:34.000> sizes<00:59:34.480> must<00:59:34.720> be rigor knows that sample
• sizes must be rigor knows that sample sizes must be randomized,<00:59:35.760> not<00:59:36.000

Bills: HB0003, HB0117, HB0041

Keywords: pregnancy centers, abortion, pro-life, healthcare, women's rights, state regulation, civil rights, freedom of speech, informed consent, civil liability, coercion, healthcare rights, law enforcement, death benefits, retirement, survivor support, public safety, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• will lower the measurable amount of alcohol from the maximum of 0.08 to a maximum of 0.05 on blood samples
• /c><01:38:13.679> 0.05<01:38:14.800> on<01:38:15.119> blood<01:38:15.440> samples
• <01:38:16.560> and to maximum of 0.05 on blood samples and to maximum of 0.05 on blood samples

Bills: HB1694, HB1695, HB1986, HB1797, HB1879, HB2034

Keywords: sustainable aviation fuel, tax credit, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, Hawaii, economic development, carbon footprint, aviation sector, renewable fuels, local production, energy resilience, agricultural innovation, job creation, clean fuel standard, alternative fuels, carbon intensity, emission reduction, greenhouse gases, transportation, autonomous vehicles

Summary: The committee opened by explaining hearing procedures, including a two-minute oral testimony limit and that decision-making would follow after testimony. It then took up SB 20008, which would set 55 mph as the maximum speed limit on all parts of the DKI/Saddle Road highway. The bill’s introducer described it as a response to safety concerns and noted prior public opposition when the speed limit was lowered from 60 mph; the Hawaii Police Department was listed in opposition, while DOT and several individuals testified in support. No vote was taken during the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 20009, requiring new plates/tags or emblems for used motor vehicles transferred between private individuals, and SB 2026, which would require drivers approaching stationary vehicles on the shoulder or roadside to slow down and, if necessary, change lanes. The Attorney General supported SB 2026 but recommended narrowing and clarifying the language by removing references to shoulder/roadside, collision or mechanical problem, and other limiting definitions so the duty would apply more broadly and be easier to enforce; AAA and OMA also supported the measure. Members discussed the practical need for a mandatory move-over rule, especially for roadside workers and tow operators, and the committee heard concerns about enforceability on two-lane roads and in accident scenes. SB 2053 was then heard, authorizing electronic signatures on supporting documents used to transfer ownership of total-loss vehicles to insurers without notarization and requiring insurers to indemnify the finance director for claims arising from those electronic title issuances. The Hawaii Insurers Council, Copart, the City and County of Honolulu, and others supported the bill, with Copart describing it as a modernization that would reduce delays for total-loss settlements; technical amendments were requested. The committee also heard SB 2172, which would allow all-terrain vehicles to operate at night if equipped with lights and a slow-moving vehicle emblem, adjust helmet requirements, define utility terrain vehicles, and include ATVs in motor vehicle insurance law. DOT said it could support the bill only if limited to low-speed areas, and the insurance industry warned it could create a new insurance scheme; the City and County of Honolulu opposed while the Hawaii Farm Bureau and an individual supported. Finally, SB 2253 was introduced to expand first-degree negligent injury to include injuries negligently inflicted by intoxicated drivers, with DOT, county prosecutors, and the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office in support; Honolulu prosecutors said they would oppose a proposed amendment because they wanted the language to preserve the offense as a lesser included offense tied to negligent homicide.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's saying that if you do not provide a sample, that your license, which is a privilege, will be suspended
• 08.800> a It's saying that if you do not provide a It's saying that if you do not provide a sample
• 10.800> license,<01:41:11.280> which<01:41:11.520> is<01:41:11.679> a sample
• , that your license, which is a sample, that your license, which is a privilege,<01:41:12.880> will

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Like we want to see a sample from each of these and show that you have that documentation through our
• 52.960> a have two of these. like we want to see a have two of these. like we want to see a sample
• 53.760> these<01:06:54.000> and<01:06:54.160> show<01:06:54.240> that sample
• from each of these and show that sample from each of these and show that you<01:06:54.640> have

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is just a small sample of some of the equipment that we have to get.
• <00:48:13.359> just<00:48:13.520> a<00:48:13.760> small<00:48:14.000> sample
• This is just a small sample of we have.
• This is just a small sample of some<00:48:14.720> of<00:48:14.800> the<00:48:14.960>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August minutes, and heard a brief announcement from Senator Richardson about the Missing in America Project interring unclaimed veterans’ remains at the Western Kentucky Veterans Cemetery in Hopkinsville. He read the names of several veterans being laid to rest with military honors, and the chair thanked the volunteers involved in the effort. The main presentation was an update on Kentucky’s urban search and rescue program from the Department of Military Affairs and Kentucky Emergency Management. Officials said the program is being built around two regional task force hubs, a helicopter aquatic rescue team, an incident support team, and a rescue aid fund for local search and rescue units. They reported that the $8.3 million appropriated for the program in the 2025 budget was fully executed, that $482,670 of the rescue aid fund went to 29 local teams, and that $493,592 has already been allocated in the current year to 36 teams. They also described warehouse and equipment purchases, staffing with full-time and part-time personnel, and a new training site on state property for collapsed-structure and multi-agency exercises. Officials said the program has already been used in recent disasters, including flood response and urban search and rescue operations in several parts of the state, and claimed the effort has impacted more than 1,500 citizens through rescues, evacuations, and related assistance. They said the helicopter aquatic rescue team is fully operational, the task force roster should be finalized by January, incident support should be online by April, and the full program should be deployable by June 30 or July 1, 2026. Members asked about statewide response times, K-9 search capabilities, and the long-term cost of the program, including concerns about reliance on federal matching funds. The presenters said K-9 assets will be part of the task force, that pre-positioning during forecasted storms can reduce response times significantly, and that they would provide more detailed budget information later.

Transcript Highlights:

• Was there an adequate sample size?
• Did the sample size represent the population that is being reported on?
• Was there an adequate sample size?
• Did the sample size represent the population that is being reported on?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And your six-year cycle of reviewing these IEPs, is that in a school a random sampling, like one out
• random these IEPs, is that in a school a random these IEPs, is that in a school a random sampling
• :36:22.639> every<01:36:22.880> 10<01:36:23.120> or<01:36:23.360> is sampling
• like one out of every 10 or is sampling like one out of every 10 or is it<01:36:23.760> every

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee met for its third discussion on special education aid under retained bill 742, with the chair noting that no action would be taken at the meeting. The chair reviewed prior hearings on Medicaid and local special education funding shortfalls, saying the committee was trying to understand why districts are facing proration of special education aid and how to reduce unfunded costs. He raised a series of questions for the Department of Education about the Nessus system, eligibility and ineligibility, invoices and vouchers, audit procedures, reimbursement rates, out-of-state placements, and who enters data at the district level. Rebecca Fdet, director of special education services at the Department of Education, explained that Nessus is the statewide special education information system and that every child in special education must be entered into it. She said most districts use it to develop IEPs and track services, while six districts use it only as a data reporting tool. She described which fields are required, how the system connects IEP development to the financial section, and how districts submit invoices when seeking special education aid, court-ordered placement payments, or episode-of-treatment placements. She said the department reviews invoices against the IEP, pays only for allowable services, and uses a cap that notifies districts when they reach the annual limit. Members asked about who submits the information, how districts decide when to seek aid, and how costs are calculated for individual or group services. Fdet said the district, usually an administrative assistant in the SAU office, submits the documentation electronically, and districts decide when to track students for aid based on their own circumstances. She said reimbursement is based on actual costs tied to the IEP, with group services split among students, and that the department does not generally set rates for local services. The only rate-setting she described was for approved private special education providers, which submit annual cost spreadsheets for tuition rates. She also said out-of-state providers must be approved by their own state, and the department checks licensure and certification through monitoring and investigations if concerns arise. The department also described its monitoring process, called Program Approval and General Supervision Monitoring, or PAGS. Fdet said districts are reviewed on a six-year cycle, with more intensive review for districts needing assistance or intervention and fewer file requests for districts meeting requirements. She said the department can review up to 65 data points on an IEP and that districts must submit special education aid paperwork by July 31, with superintendent verification due by August 15. The meeting ended with continued questions about procurement, audit procedures, and how the department handles out-of-district and out-of-state placements.

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's some other states that had a sample version.
• And there's some other states that had<00:46:13.280> a<00:46:13.599> sample<00:46:14.000
• 14.319> And<00:46:14.480> we're<00:46:14.720> going<00:46:14.800> to had a sample
• And we're going to had a sample version.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• something, if someone had that need, it would be more efficient to do a special request and go out there, sample
• request and go efficient to do a special request and go out<01:53:34.639> there<01:53:34.960> sample
• > ask<01:53:36.000> for<01:53:36.239> this<01:53:36.480> to out there sample
• it or ask for this to out there sample it or ask for this to be<01:53:36.880> reported.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The $125,000 for each year—I was just going to give you a sample of some of the courses we have—includes
• going to<00:25:37.640> give<00:25:37.760> you<00:25:37.960> a<00:25:38.200> sample
• > of<00:25:39.399> some<00:25:39.559> of<00:25:39.720> the to give you a sample
• of some of the to give you a sample of some of the courses<00:25:41.360> uh<00:25:41.480>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They'll also do soil sampling, but generally if he had a bumper crop last year, he knows he needs to
• fertilizer needs are they'll also<00:34:07.760> do<00:34:08.240> soil<00:34:08.679> sampling
• /c><00:34:09.679> but<00:34:09.879> generally<00:34:10.359> if also do soil sampling
• but generally if also do soil sampling but generally if he<00:34:10.560> had<00:34:10.679>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need additional support to maintain operations and staffing to meet the new sampling requirements,
• 05.640> new operations and staffings to meet the new operations and staffings to meet the new sampling
• <01:08:06.359> requirements<01:08:06.960> the<01:08:07.079> new sampling requirements
• the new sampling requirements the new responsibility<01:08:08.160> to<01:08:08.520> administer

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• If the proposed amendment is successfully passed by the legislature, then it can be placed on the ballot

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held its first hearing of the session, led by House Chair Adrian Madaro and Senate Chair James Eldridge. The committee explained the constitutional amendment process and the hearing procedures, then took testimony on four bills concerning proposed amendments to the Massachusetts Constitution, with the main focus on S. 11 and H. 71, which would amend Article 99 relating to agricultural and horticultural land taxation. Senator Jo Comerford, Rebecca Miller of the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, and Representative Natalie Blay all testified in support of the bills. They argued that the current five-acre minimum for farmland tax treatment is outdated and harms farmers, especially new, urban, and smaller-scale farmers, by forcing some land to be taxed at higher commercial rates. Supporters said the change would help preserve farmland, strengthen the local food system, and address economic pressures on farms, including high land values, climate impacts, and an aging farm workforce. In response to a question about abuse or false claims, Comerford and Miller said existing certification processes under Chapter 61A and municipal review help verify active farming, and Miller noted the bill requires land to be in production for two years before receiving the rate. Committee members asked about the status of the 21st Century Farm Commission, and Comerford said a report was expected in the spring. After testimony concluded, the chairs asked whether anyone else wished to testify and then entertained a motion to adjourn, which was made and accepted.

Transcript Highlights:

• limitation on state fiscal year spending equal to state public K-12 education funding and submitting a ballot

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ... author, consider the comments going forward to ensure that ACA is considered for the November ballot

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee met for its sixth policy hearing of 2026 and considered one measure, ACA 18, the “student empowerment amendment.” The authors, Assemblymembers Solache and Arends, said the constitutional amendment would expand student representation on the UC Board of Regents by adding a second voting student regent, with both undergraduate and graduate representation. They argued this would better reflect the student body, improve decision-making, and align UC with the California State University and Community College systems, which already have two student voting members. Supporters, including current and former UC student leaders and representatives from the UC Student Association, testified that students are the primary stakeholders in the university system and should have more meaningful voting power on issues such as tuition, housing, basic needs, free speech, and campus policy. They said the current single student regent cannot adequately represent the diversity of UC students and that the proposal would strengthen shared governance and accountability. No opposition testimony was presented. Committee members voiced support, with several noting the importance of student voice and representation. The committee accepted the authors’ amendments, then voted the measure out on a due pass as amended motion to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The roll call ultimately finished at 9-0 in favor, and the chair adjourned the meeting after announcing the next hearing date.

Transcript Highlights:

• lawful presence reporting; SB 1056, budget unit vacant positions reporting; SB 1057, watermark paper ballots

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The Arizona Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established a roll call showing 28 members present and two excused. The journal from January 12 was approved, and several guests were introduced, including representatives from CSG West and NCSL, Tucson Electric Power/UniSource Native business resource group members, Yaqui community guests, students from Marcos de Niza High School, and the mayor of Guadalupe. Senators also offered remarks honoring former Attorney General Mark Brnovich with a moment of silence. A major ceremonial item was a proclamation and flag presentation honoring the life and service of Amaya Curley, presented by Senator Hatathlie. The proclamation recognized Curley’s Navy service, her cultural values, and her impact on family and community, and her family was introduced in the gallery. The Senate also recessed briefly for the presentation of an Arizona state flag flown over the Capitol in her memory, accompanied by a certificate from the Secretary of State. On floor business, the President Pro Tem announced extended deadlines for opening Senate folders and for bill introduction sets. The Senate received a House message consenting to adjourn the legislature from January 15 until January 20, and the chamber adopted a motion to accede to that request. The clerk then read a long list of second-reading bills and resolutions covering elections, education, health care, firearms, taxation, transportation, immigration-related reporting, public records, and other topics. No bill votes were taken during this portion beyond the adjournment-related motion, and the Senate later adjourned until January 15, 2026, at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• THE LEGISLATURE HAS THE ABILITY TO PLACE A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT TO PROVIDE TRANSFORMATIONAL RELIEF ON

Keywords: 998, house, all