Transcript Highlights:

• <00:04:53.360> necessary<00:04:54.320> to support necessary to support necessary to access
• <00:05:34.479> all aid system, one that truly supports all aid system, one that truly supports
• the cusp of getting additional support. the cusp of getting additional support.
• > students<01:23:53.679> will the right support, these students will the right support,
• in a family of nine, my parents' support in a family of nine, my parents' support reinvigorated<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mahalo for your support.
• Mahalo for your support.
• Seeing none, we'll go to Zoom testifiers. support. support.
• internships, and employment support. internships, and employment support.
• Mahalo. social, and economic development social, and economic development support. support. support.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing on Act 310 grants and aid focused on organizations describing how federal funding cuts, Medicaid/SNAP changes, and related policy shifts are affecting their services and budgets. Committee members explained there would be no Q&A, testimony would be limited to one minute, and in-person participants would be heard before Zoom callers. Members repeatedly asked testifiers to identify the amount of federal funding lost or at risk. Testimony came from a wide range of nonprofits and community providers, including Aloha Care, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Literacy, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Tsunami Museum, The Kohala Center, West Hawaii Community Health Center, West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Dynamic Community Solutions, Feeding Hawaii Together, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Homana, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Most described reduced or threatened federal support and requested state funding to maintain services such as health care access, food security, disaster preparedness, literacy and digital inclusion, youth mentoring, arts education, housing, and climate or agricultural resilience. Several speakers emphasized direct impacts on vulnerable populations, including kūpuna, low-income families, immigrants, homeless youth, and people with disabilities. Requests ranged from relatively small planning or program grants to multi-million-dollar stabilization asks, with some organizations citing specific losses such as reduced Medicaid or USDA funding, canceled EPA or FEMA support, or expiring federal grants. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Security in support. Security in support.
• in support. in support.
• Hawaii Bicycling League in support. Hawaii Bicycling League in support. support. support.
• Maui Chamber support. Shop in support.
• Office of the Governor in support. support. support.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 2694 SD2, which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to create automatic adjustment mechanisms for water carriers, including a water carrier inflationary cost index, and to waive certain requirements under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Testimony was sharply divided. The Department of Transportation, Young Brothers, and several shipping, harbor, labor, and business-related supporters argued the bill would modernize regulation, reduce the need for large catch-up rate cases, and help keep rates aligned with rising costs. Young Brothers said its current rate-setting process is expensive and delayed, and that annual adjustments with guardrails such as a 5% cap and periodic full reviews would support sustainable operations and the state’s supply chain. Some supporters also said the company’s less-than-container-load service and required inter-island routes create costs that are not fully covered by current rates. Opponents, including the Consumer Advocate, the Maui Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Food Industry Association, restaurant and chamber groups, and other businesses, argued the bill would lead to higher costs for consumers and businesses and should not move forward. Several testified that shipping costs already significantly affect pricing and that automatic increases would worsen the cost of living. The Consumer Advocate said Young Brothers should focus on cost control and implementing its business plan rather than automatic rate increases. The Maui Chamber and others pointed to a recent PUC decision that imposed a two-year stay on rate increases and said the bill would undermine that protection. Some opponents urged the committee to defer to the PUC’s regulatory authority. The PUC explained that it regulates water carriers as public utilities under existing statute and said it had recently approved a temporary rate increase while imposing a two-year stayout period on further increases, with emergency relief still possible. PUC members said they were still examining whether they have authority to adopt the proposed WICI mechanism by rule and wanted legislative clarity. In response to questions, the PUC said it prefers the current two-year stayout as reflected in its order. Young Brothers also clarified that it serves less-than-container-load cargo, that some routes and services are cross-subsidized because they are not profitable, and that an independent observer is being put in place to monitor implementation of its updated business plan. The transcript ended with the committee still taking questions; no final vote or disposition on the bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the continued support of the legislature, that's going to continue to grow.
• the nutrient application rate as a way to allow additional application of fertilizer on citrus to combat
• Tuck actually ran the bill on the ag housing last year, which I very much supported, and look forward
• I fully support ag housing, so whatever it is that she's doing, I'm in.
• to support efforts of the department to use AI.

Summary: The committee received an overview from Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson on the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, including staffing, licensing, forestry, law enforcement, and consumer services. He emphasized agriculture as a major economic driver and a national security issue, arguing that Florida should protect farmland, aquifer recharge areas, and the wildlife corridor through the Rural and Family Lands program. He said the program is cost-effective because the state buys development rights rather than land outright, keeps land on local tax rolls, and helps preserve farmland in perpetuity. He also highlighted the Fresh From Florida marketing program, increased social media reach, and the department’s efforts to reduce vacancies and improve pay and efficiency. Members asked about nutrient management, citrus disease, housing, disaster recovery, wildfire prevention, interdiction stations, and concealed carry permitting. Simpson said SB 1000 and updated best management practice manuals, informed by University of Florida research, are helping agriculture use less water and fertilizer, and he described citrus greening as having devastated the industry while noting research, replanting programs, and CUPS as possible paths to recovery. On housing, he argued that allowing H-2A farmworker housing on farms would ease pressure on the broader housing market, and on disasters he described a zero-interest loan program for farmers affected by hurricanes and other events. He also detailed wildfire preparedness improvements, including upgraded helicopters, dozers, drones, and prescribed burns. The commissioner said ag interdiction stations are catching stolen semis, drugs, human trafficking, and other illegal activity, and that the department wants more technology, including X-ray scanning, to inspect more trucks. He also discussed concealed carry administration, saying the department cleared a large backlog and that constitutional carry reduced but did not eliminate permit demand because permits still provide reciprocity and other benefits. Members generally praised the department’s work, expressed support for rural land protection, Fresh From Florida, water-quality improvements, and foreign-interference concerns, and the meeting ended with no formal votes or other committee action beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• It comes out of the resources that support military families and mission-focused member service.
• Supporters of this legislation argue reducing interchange costs will lower prices for consumers, and
• I really think a lot of the solution is in support for small and medium-sized retailers in negotiating
• We combat them every, you know, in multiple jurisdictions, both at the federal and the state level.
• Chris, I think it's a fantastic support... ...still an option.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on the future of payments and sales transactions by credit card heard extensive testimony from credit union, banking, retail, restaurant, and payments-industry representatives about proposals to limit interchange fees, especially on the tax and tip portions of transactions. Several witnesses opposed state-level restrictions, arguing they would create a patchwork of rules, burden state-chartered institutions, raise compliance complexity, and ultimately reduce resources for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, rewards, and access to credit. Others, including retail and merchant advocates, said swipe fees are a significant and growing cost for small businesses and that states should consider reforms such as limiting fees on taxes and tips, allowing surcharging, improving transparency in merchant contracts, and studying collection costs more closely. Witnesses also discussed recent legal and regulatory developments, including Illinois’s interchange-fee law, OCC and NCUA interim rules, and the ongoing Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement. Industry representatives said the Illinois law has been delayed and is likely preempted for most transactions, while merchant advocates argued the state efforts and court rulings show that networks and banks do not set fees competitively. The proposed antitrust settlement was described by some as a meaningful but limited merchant victory, with temporary fee reductions and expanded surcharge/steering rights, while others said it still falls short of structural reform. The commission members pressed witnesses on the practical effects of fees, the cost of cash, whether merchants can pass costs through, and whether small businesses are actually seeing benefits from the current system. Members repeatedly emphasized the need for a fair middle ground that protects both small businesses and the payment system. No substantive votes or policy actions were taken beyond accepting testimony, and the meeting ended with adjournment after all scheduled witnesses had spoken.

Transcript Highlights:

• To support that mission, we have several goals.
• It's something that L&I had continued to support and run.
• We're supportive of most of the recommendations that were considered by the task force in concept.
• We also support giving L&I more authority to enforce successorship accountability and escalate penalties
• We understand where they're coming from on that, but once again, we didn't want to do anything and support

Summary: The committee first received an update from the Attorney General’s office on a new workers’ rights unit and two request bills. The office said the unit will focus on wage theft and civil rights enforcement, using existing resources for a small staff. It also described a bill to expand civil investigative demand authority for labor, wage theft, prevailing wage, and discrimination investigations, and an Immigrant Worker Protection Act that would require employer notice when federal immigration authorities request employee records, limit access to nonpublic work areas without a warrant, and restrict disclosure of employee data without proper legal process. Senators asked about costs, funding sources, and the scope of the proposed authority, and the office said it would follow up with more detail. The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Washington’s workers’ compensation system from Labor and Industries, including how claims are filed, how the medical provider network works, and how treatment authorizations and utilization review are handled. L&I said the network was created to improve care quality and return workers to work, and explained that most routine care is automatically authorized while certain procedures require prior approval or review. A question from Senator Conway focused on the role of the medical director and the appeals process; L&I said decisions can be protested and reconsidered, with exceptions reviewed through a complex treatment unit and medical staff. An experience panel followed with testimony from labor representatives, physicians, and an injured-worker attorney, who argued that the medical provider network and treatment guidelines can delay or deny needed care, especially in complex cases such as PTSD, brain injuries, and serious orthopedic injuries. They described long appeals, utilization review barriers, provider shortages, and the impact on injured workers and families, while L&I’s presentation emphasized the system’s structure and review safeguards. The committee then heard a report from the Underground Economy Task Force in the construction industry. L&I summarized the task force’s findings on worker misclassification, unregistered contractors, and unpaid taxes and premiums, and outlined consensus and majority recommendations, including better interagency communication, stronger penalties for repeat offenders, more authority to address successorship, possible contractor notice requirements, and further study of cash payments. The Attorney General’s office, labor, and business representatives generally supported the report’s goals but differed on some recommendations, especially those affecting independent contractors, contractor liability, and administrative burdens. The chair and Senator Conway thanked participants and said the report would inform future legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things that as I reviewed your bill and I and I as you know, I'm very supportive.
• I look forward to your amendment and to helping support this. Thank you, Mr. President.
• 549 Marker is recognized on floor Amendment 2. our efforts in combating child sexual predators the rapid
• We're in support of this bill, but we're just trying to ensure that in the transition, we don't... lose
• Privately funded, relying on support from the public through donations, merchandise sales, sponsorship

Bills: SJR18, SCR9, SCR13, SB10, SB11, SB19, SB20, SB25, SB62, SB260, SB263, SB293, SB314, SB384, SB412, SB441, SB442, SB494, SB523, SB569, SB616, SB688, SB707, SB766, SB842, SB869, SB890, SB914, SB929, SB971, SB992, SB1066, SB1145, SB1621, SJR36, SJR18, SCR9, SCR13, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB372, SB495, SB842, SB971, SB1066, SB929, SB765, SB523, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB869, SB890, SB992, SB1145, SB494, SB290, SB766, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB263, SB412, SB20, SB441, SB442, SB1621, SB569, SB314, SB25, SB293, SB914, SB260, SB1248, SB740, SB14, SB1006, SB20, SB25, SB260, SB293, SB314, SB384, SB442, SB494, SB616, SB869, SB890, SB929, SB992, SB1145, SB1621, SR232, SR237, SR242, SB16, SB22

Keywords: capital gains, taxation, constitutional amendment, state revenue, individual investment, Supreme Court, judicial independence, Keep Nine, checks and balances, water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, education, Ten Commandments, public schools, religious display

Transcript Highlights:

• We appreciate your support. Yes, sir. Thank you.
• What support, if any, can legal actors do to help?
• In 2019, there was bipartisan support to lower the barriers to certain occupations licensed by the state
• that, how big is that a problem in our state, and what type of suggestions may you have in how to combat
• It does offer other games to Floridians that, again, would support their tribal efforts, their tribal

Summary: The Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee met to hear a panel on the prosecution and enforcement of illegal gaming in Florida. The chair opened with a video showing seized machines at a Florida Gaming Control Commission warehouse and described the scale of illegal operations. Panelists included the commission’s executive director, local sheriffs and police officials, and state attorneys from several counties, who described widespread illegal slot-machine locations, often in strip malls or convenience-store-type settings, and said the machines are typically used in organized criminal activity rather than legitimate amusement gaming. Witnesses repeatedly said the current penalty structure is ineffective because possession and operation of illegal slot machines are generally second-degree misdemeanors, which they described as too minor to deter operators who can quickly reopen after paying fines or completing diversion. They said enforcement is resource-intensive, requiring undercover work, search warrants, machine seizure, storage, forensic review, and long prosecutions, often while the same operators reopen elsewhere. Several panelists cited associated crimes such as robberies, firearms offenses, prostitution, drug activity, human trafficking, and at least some homicides tied to illegal gaming locations. Members also asked about the difference between legal amusement devices and illegal slot machines, online gambling, illegal horse racing, local licensing and ordinances, and whether manufacturers or distributors could be pursued. The commission and prosecutors said legal slot machines are limited to specific regulated locations and that lawful amusement machines lack a material element of chance. They said many illegal machines are imported or reworked versions of gaming devices and that upstream accountability is difficult under current law. Panelists also discussed cooperation with licensed casinos, tribal gaming entities, and local governments, noting that some local ordinances have tried to permit or limit these businesses. The main policy takeaway from the panel was a call to increase penalties, likely to felony-level offenses, and to consider stronger forfeiture and enforcement tools. No vote or formal action was taken at the meeting, and the chair adjourned after thanking the panelists.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Health in support.
• of Health in support.
• of Health in support.
• of Health in support.
• We support this.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint hearing opened with House Bill 1462 on crisis services. Testimony from the Department of Law Enforcement, the Community Alliance on Prisons, and the Department of Health supported expanding behavioral health crisis services as an alternative to arrest or incarceration. Witnesses said additional crisis sites would help divert people in mental health crisis to appropriate care, and the Department of Health described its current crisis center in Ewa, including the need for renovations such as a padded room and the time required to get the facility operational. In response to questions, the department estimated the Ewa center’s budgeted cost at about $4.3 million, not including rent or startup repairs, and said a second site’s cost would depend on whether it was freestanding or attached to an existing facility. The committee then heard House Bill 700 on cognitive assessments. The Executive Office on Aging supported the bill’s intent but asked that it be amended to make assessments optional rather than mandated, to pilot the program first, and to allow flexibility in handling HIPAA-protected data. SHPDA also supported the measure but said it should not be mandatory and suggested that payers reimburse for assessments when requested by patients, families, or physicians. The Alzheimer’s Association and caregivers strongly supported standardizing cognitive assessments to improve early detection and access to newer treatments, while noting the existing opt-out provision. The Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities supported the bill but asked that the age 65 threshold be removed because cognitive decline can begin much earlier for people with Down syndrome, autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and related conditions. In response to a question, the Office on Aging said a pilot project could likely be done for about $150,000, with data security being the main added cost. The final bill discussed was House Bill 237 on peer support programs. Testimony from Family Hui Hawaii, Early Childhood Action Strategy, peer support workers, and families described peer-to-peer programs as a cost-effective way to reduce isolation, strengthen families, and provide long-term community support. Speakers said these programs help parents and caregivers navigate crises, child welfare involvement, addiction recovery, and other challenges, and can have lasting benefits for children’s development and family stability. Several witnesses tied the bill to broader state goals, including infant and early childhood mental health, trauma-informed care, and child welfare reform. Written testimony from about a dozen organizations and individuals was also noted in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, so I'm hoping I have your support.
• So, I wholeheartedly support this.
• <01:06:38.079> We've wholeheartedly support this. We've wholeheartedly support this.
• <01:07:14.000> in So thank you for your support in So thank you for your support in advance
• <01:28:00.880> uh paying their fair share to support uh paying their fair share to support

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ask for your support. ask for your support. >> Very<00:56:08.559> good.
• I'm all supportive of that.
• position that I support position that I support with<01:34:22.000> that.
• I rise in support of amendment L3. I rise in support of amendment L3.
• Ask for support. with wage theft. Ask for support.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chaplain, you said you support House Bill 4, is that right? Yes. And you support it because...
• Black support more than doubled a majority of.
• I'm a combat veteran of Vietnam and a combat veteran of Iraq.
• I support recognizing the Texas boom by supporting redistricting.
• Either people will support you, and America will support you, and we're watching.

Bills: HB4

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• with the theater out there for uh combat with the theater out there for uh combat specifically<00
• <02:06:13.119> Workforce here director supports Workforce here director supports Workforce
• fund I'm in the uh West support fund I'm in the uh West Progressive<02:16:04.159> support<02:
• > LCC<02:16:09.280> program program support LCC program program support LCC program support
• they're community colleges to support they're community colleges to support our<02:21:44.439>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:21.680> our another step to further support our another step to further support our
• This legislation will support act.
• recovery centers to further support recovery centers to further support recovery.<00:07:47.440><
• is our turn to support them and to<00:09:36.240> support<00:09:36.560> our<00:09:36.800
• support this common sense legislation. support this common sense legislation.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise to support this bill.
• I rise to support this bill. Speaker. I rise to support this bill.
• public servants who support veterans. public servants who support veterans.
• veteran to be sent to specific supports. veteran to be sent to specific supports.
• As we support our veterans homes.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• continuously advocated for the support continuously advocated for the support and<00:45:22.760><
• Congressman Rob Whitman for supporting Congressman Rob Whitman for supporting this<02:12:29.559>
• <02:48:30.840> strong shener energy they support strong shener energy they support strong
• <03:10:54.680> this urge my colleagues to support this urge my colleagues to support this
• Speaker, I support H.R. 695.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask for your support. I ask you to support this amendment. Thank you.
• support this amendment. Thank you. support this amendment. Thank you.
• support of amendment 0026H. support of amendment 0026H.
• in support of this bill as well. in support of this bill as well.
• the lives lost, not just in combat. the lives lost, not just in combat.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• standard science actually does support standard science actually does support low<00:07:56.160><
• Sucralose is pending review by EFSA; the existing reviews actually support their safety as well.
• their safety as reviews actually support their safety as well.<00:09:52.880> Uh,<00:09:53.120
• the gold standard science would support the gold standard science would support not<00:18:42.880
• They have plenty of money to support that. We spend the most money of anybody.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met for its third meeting, approved the minutes, and heard testimony from Dr. Jack on behalf of the American Beverage Association and Kentucky Beverage Association. Dr. Jack argued that the “totality of the science” supports low- and no-calorie sweeteners as safe and useful tools for reducing sugar and calories, citing FDA and other domestic and international reviews, clinical trials, and the FDA’s recent healthy-label rule. He also described the industry’s transparency efforts, including a “Good to Know” database compiling ingredient and safety information, and said the beverage industry has voluntarily worked to offer more choices with less sugar. Members questioned him about whether beverage ingredients are restricted in other countries, possible health effects beyond weight and cancer, concerns about metabolic issues and gut microbiome effects, whether sweeteners are addictive, and why companies do not simply remove sweeteners. Dr. Jack responded that most ingredients are permitted in many jurisdictions, that broad food-safety reviews have looked at multiple endpoints and found the ingredients safe, that the gut microbiome is still being studied, and that recent clinical evidence does not show increased sweetness preference. He also said business decisions about formulations are up to companies and noted that cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are metabolically similar. The committee also discussed consumer apps and ingredient-scoring tools; Dr. Jack said the industry’s website presents facts without interpretation and is based on food-safety agency assessments. At the end of his testimony, the chair accepted additional fact sheets for the committee. The meeting then moved on to introduce Dr. Gary Huber, who began testimony by emphasizing integrative medicine, metabolic syndrome, and the role of diet, exercise, sleep, and stress in health, but his full presentation was not included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is he supporting the bill or not supporting the bill?
• Is he supporting the bill or not supporting the bill?
• need the extra support. need the extra support.
• The position that provides<04:24:59.600> support. provides support. provides support.
• support for their staff. support for their staff.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• was cited all over the world to support was cited all over the world to support anti-global<03:49
• methodology to support his claims number methodology to support his claims number three<03:49:23.880
• I support the proposal with a few suggestions.
• your M sorry thank you yeah I I support your M sorry thank you yeah I I support this<04:41:04.760
• it says the convention shall not support it says the convention shall not support or<05:42:10.558

Keywords: 1189, house, all