Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Uh, are we talking about how junior colleges and K through 12? >> No.
• Senator Smith. >> Uh, are we talking about how junior colleges and K through 12? >> No.
• </c> junior colleges and K through 12? junior colleges and K through 12?
• The junior college system, the community college system, is already exempt.
• The junior college system, the community college system, is already exempt.

Bills: HB245 , SB16 , SB59 , SB62 , SB79 , SB88 , HB245 , SB16 , SB59 , SB62 , SB79 , SB88

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation Education

Keywords: inhalants, controlled substances, butyl nitrite, nitrous oxide, amyl nitrite, health, public safety, SB16, four-point restraint, hog-tie, hog tie, prone restraint, law enforcement, police, sheriff, use of force, restraint techniques, positional asphyxia, arrest procedures, detention

Transcript Highlights:

• The<00:21:34.240><c> United</c><00:21:34.480><c> States</c><00:21:34.720><c> Environmental</c> The United
• States Environmental The United States Environmental Protection<00:21:35.679><c> Agency</c><00:21:36.159
• </c> Hockey Federation's 2026 World Junior Hockey Federation's 2026 World Junior Hockey<01:28:18.520>
• I still remember walking into the X for the first time as a junior, feeling the energy and excitement
• I still remember walking into the X for the first time as a junior, feeling the energy and excitement

Bills: HF2148 , HF2693 , HF2542 , HF1141 , HF1770 , HF1489 , HF1709 , HF244 , HF1266 , HF807 , HF2619 , HF1340

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: affordable housing, local control, revolving loan fund, community partnerships, Minnesota housing policy, housing, locally controlled housing, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, housing infrastructure bonds, state bonds, bonding bill, supportive housing, permanent supportive housing, homelessness, veterans housing, senior housing, manufactured home parks, community land trust, single-family housing, multifamily housing

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we're also moving since this previously was the Homemade Food Freedom, which would be in a dwelling

Bills: HB2894 , HB3418 , HB3415 , HB3413 , HB3414 , HB3416 , HB3417 , HB3419 , HB3420 , HB1739 , HB1752 , HB1979 , HB2941 , HB2992 , HB3075 , HB3086 , HB3177 , HB3269 , HB3278 , HB3279 , HB3497 , HB3644 , HB4432 , HB3720 , HB3849 , HB3882 , HB3919 , HB3941 , HB4118 , HB4141 , HB4268 , HB4342 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB4434

Keywords: HB2894, Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act, rural jobs, rural investment, tax credit, capital investment tax credit, state tax credits, economic development, rural fund, rural investor, qualified investment, eligible business, Department of Commerce, rural business, investment certification, tax liability, credit cap, workforce development, small business finance, rural development

Transcript Highlights:

• Transitional housing and permanent supportive housing must be allowed in zones allowing residential dwellings

Summary: The Housing Committee considered two bills in executive session. House Bill 2266, the “step housing” bill, was presented with a proposed substitute that set different siting rules for transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, emergency shelters, and emergency housing; allowed some local standards and certifications; required local code updates within two years or the next comprehensive plan update; and grandfathered existing facilities. Members debated several amendments, adopting amendments to allow form-based codes, clarify timing and definitions, and preempt conflicting local requirements, while rejecting amendments that would have added school/daycare setbacks, expanded operational requirements, or changed local program conditions. The committee then approved the substitute bill on a 10-7 vote and reported it out with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2489 would bar local governments from adopting or enforcing laws that criminalize or penalize life-sustaining activities on public property unless adequate alternative shelter space is available. The proposed substitute narrowed and clarified the bill, including exceptions for imminent harm, emergency access, disability access, and certain criminal laws; it also allowed regional shelter agreements and broadened the definition of adequate alternative shelter space. Members adopted an amendment allowing portable mats, beds, or other sleeping spaces in drop-in overnight shelters, including those in religious buildings, while rejecting or withdrawing other amendments, including one on park facilities and one on weapons. After debate over public safety, shelter availability, and local control, the committee passed the substitute bill on a 9-8 vote and reported it out with a do pass recommendation. The chair then announced the committee would not meet the following day.

Transcript Highlights:

• As shooting or discharging a firearm, explosive, or other weapon into an occupied dwelling, building,

Bills: SB210 , SB225 , HB280 , HB287 , HB94 , HB88 , SB157 , HB7 , HB8 , HB42

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, blood tests, DUI, law enforcement, traffic offenses, chemical analysis, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• We had some one-time junior funds that built upon the $498,000, but the junior funds kind of come and
• And units of government do the grant writing.
• They ruled 5-4 that we could not dismiss the United States claims through our decree without the United
• So we went back to the table with the United States and the districts.
• That was important to the United States, and that was one of the last issues...

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• I came to the United States when I was five or six.
• You know, in fact, Madam Chair and members of the committee ABIQ in the 1920s, when the United States
• I recall that We approached you and asked if you wish to become a unit of government.
• With a quick claim title, we conducted certified title research using Junior monies.
• We were looking at becoming a unit of government.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a company that has a subsidiary in the United States, but it's a Canadian company.
• And so this is unique in the United States.
• They operate the only conventional mill in the United States for uranium ore.
• We're really unique in the United States in terms, and that's what we push in our agreement.
• This particular site, there are not any inhabited dwellings or anything close to it.

Committee: House Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• So for the ACT, they take that at the beginning of their junior year.
• , am I going to be evaluated based on the results of my students in two years when they take that junior-level
• Chair Torres-Fossett and committee members, Henry Rose, a external affairs manager with United Way of
• Chair Torres-Fossett and committee members, Henry Rose, an external affairs manager with United Way of
• Henry Rose, an external affairs manager with United Way of Southern Nevada.

Committee: Assembly Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, when I was in junior high, my dad took us from her because he was worried about us, moved to the
• Um, when I was in junior high, my a bed.
• I'm a junior at Washington Tech, and I'm here to speak against passing the HF 29 bill.
• I'm a junior at Washington Tech, and I'm here to speak against passing the HF 29 bill.
• I'm a junior at Washington Tech, and I'm here to speak against passing the HF 29 bill.

Summary: House File 29 was heard in committee as a proposal to suspend adoption of the revised social studies standards, push implementation to 2030-31, repeal the requirement to embed ethnic studies across all standards, and cancel related appropriations. The bill sponsor argued Minnesota schools should focus on basic academic achievement and that ethnic studies requirements add burdens and distract from reading, math, and science. The chair moved the bill to the Committee on Education Finance after opening the hearing and then took extensive public testimony. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters of HF 29, including Katherine Kersten, Deanna Moose, Kendall Qualls, Hillary Swanson, and Diane Smith, argued the ethnic studies framework is ideological, overly focused on race, insufficiently transparent, and costly in professional development time; several said it would divide students or burden teachers. Some supporters also claimed the standards or framework promote activism, critical race theory, or racial stratification. Opponents, including Mark Westfall, Crystal Johnson, Jim Grathwol, Marcus Penny, Claude Sigman, and Courtney Major, said the standards are inclusive, research-based, and designed to help students understand multiple perspectives, civic life, and the contributions of diverse Minnesotans. They emphasized that ethnic studies can improve engagement, critical thinking, and representation, and that teachers should be trusted to implement the standards. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The only formal action noted was the chair’s motion to re-refer House File 29 to the Committee on Education Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is, quote, the policy in the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive
• It is, quote, the policy in the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive
• It is, quote, the policy in the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive
• Church of Christ serving the United Church of Christ serving congregations<00:47:54.800><c> in</c><00
• high we had gym years ago in uh junior high we had gym class<01:03:10.000><c> and</c><01:03:10.119><

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Major General Rob Austinburg, Association of the United States Army, we support. Thank you.
• Major General Rob Austinburg, Association of the United States Army, we support. Thank you.
• My name is Martin Gonzalez, United States Marine Corps combat veteran several tours overseas.
• I had a choice to protect the Constitution of the United States, so I need to have the choice.
• I’m a United States Navy veteran, and I’m currently opposed to the bill as written.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs met as a subcommittee because a quorum was initially lacking, and heard six bills. AB 81 by Assemblymember Ta would require CalVet to study the mental health needs of women veterans; supporters from county veterans service officers, veterans organizations, and behavioral health groups said women veterans face higher rates of military sexual trauma, PTSD, depression, and suicide, while no opposition appeared. The bill was later passed 7-0 and re-referred to Appropriations. AB 826 by Assemblymember Gonzalez would prohibit unaccredited individuals or businesses from charging veterans fees to file or assist with VA benefits claims, impose a civil penalty, and direct penalty revenue to veterans services and district attorneys. Supporters argued the bill would curb predatory “claim sharks” and protect veterans from exploitation, while opponents from private claims consulting firms and several veterans said the measure could restrict access to legitimate help and should be narrowed to target bad actors instead of banning paid assistance broadly. After extensive testimony and discussion about federal law, accreditation, and possible amendments, the committee passed the bill 8-0 and re-referred it to Judiciary. AB 556 by Assemblymember Patterson would clarify that campus-level mandatory fees are covered under the CalVet fee waiver for dependents of certain veterans and Medal of Honor recipients. Supporters said the bill would fulfill the state’s promise to veterans’ families, while concerns were raised about fiscal impacts on CSU campuses and the need for more precise cost estimates. The bill was passed 6-0 and sent to Appropriations. The committee also adopted its rules 7-0 and approved the consent calendar, which included AB 264, AB 1508, and AB 1509, all re-referred to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, there's a lot at stake here—a lot of apartments, a lot of dwellings, a lot of housing, a lot
• Apartments<02:03:06.000><c> a</c><02:03:06.119><c> lot</c><02:03:06.239><c> of</c><02:03:06.360><c> dwellings
• </c><02:03:06.800><c> a</c><02:03:06.920><c> lot</c><02:03:07.040><c> of</c> Apartments a lot of dwellings
• a lot of Apartments a lot of dwellings a lot of housing<02:03:08.760><c> U</c><02:03:09.159><c> a</c

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on March 13, 2025, and first announced that SB 1456 would be deferred to the end of the agenda and ultimately worked on later, with the chair indicating the bill would be deferred and revisited in a future measure. The committee then heard SB 841 on marine life conservation districts. DLNR supported the bill, saying it would fund carrying capacity studies to inform rules and policies. Testimony noted a pilot study already underway at the Puka Marine Life Conservation District and another nearing completion at the old Kona Airport MLCD. Members discussed costs, with DLNR estimating about $300,000 per year for one user-experience study, potentially more for ecological analysis, and also discussed possible funding from the Mālama Kai special fund. DLNR said it had no objection to consulting current operators and other users, and explained the program would be a new, ongoing adaptive-management tool. The committee next heard SB 411 on capital improvement projects at small boat harbors. DLNR supported the intent, saying the bill would help expedite use of special funds for CIP work, while the Department of Budget and Finance opposed it, arguing the draft could conflict with constitutional limits on appropriations. Public testimony from an industry representative supported the bill and urged more collaboration with commercial operators, while committee discussion focused on whether DLNR could already use special funds for repairs, how much engineering and bidding work is required before projects go out to bid, and whether the current process creates bottlenecks when bids exceed initial estimates. DLNR said it can do some repairs and maintenance within existing authority and funding ceilings, but that the bill as drafted could be too broad. The committee also heard SB 5 on historic preservation, where DLNR supported the measure and NAOP Hawaii opposed it, saying the bill’s broader definition could expand the scope beyond the stated goal of narrowing reviews and reducing backlog. The committee then took up SB 1462 on the state historic preservation income tax credit. The Department of Taxation said the revenue estimate assumes the cap would be reached each year the credit is available, and DLNR supported the bill. SHPD said the prior credit had sunset, outreach had previously been done in targeted communities such as Chinatown, and owners of eligible historic properties are notified during review. Finally, the committee heard SB 268 on island burial councils. DLNR supported the bill, and OHA strongly supported it, saying the councils have struggled with quorum and expertise and that the measure would restore the original intent of having lineal descendants and cultural practitioners as decision makers, while still allowing landowners and developers to testify and participate. OHA also said it would help provide technical support and urged continued involvement from SHPD and the Attorney General’s office.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are local boards that are permitting the first offshore wind project in the United States.
• There's local boards that are permitting the first offshore wind project in the United States.
• In the early '80s, my parents, both low-income immigrants, lived in an attic unit in Medford with no
• We have over 200 member organizations representing 80,000 units of affordable housing and working at
• , more... ...is typically $50,000 to $150,000 per unit more expensive than a typical rehab.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.

Transcript Highlights:

• we are saying is that a sitting president's private company, which has never in the history of the United
• to receive personal monetary benefits from a public entity while serving as the president of the United
• to where I do not believe that anybody should benefit monetarily, let alone the president of the United
• But many of the units in this condominium building are short-term rental units.
• But you worked for a number of years for United Parcel Service. Is that right?

Bills: S0092 , S0110 , S0192 , S0212 , S0260 , S0350 , S0394 , S0422 , S0434 , S0442 , S0484 , S0546 , S0556 , S0684 , S0696 , S0706 , S0748 , S0786 , S0820 , S0824 , S0838 , S0840 , S0848 , S0856 , S0962 , S1000 , S1014 , S1036 , S1050 , S1054 , S1080 , S1118 , S1134 , S1338 , S1480 , S1500 , S1506 , S1622 , S1724

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Committee on Rules met with a quorum and considered a long agenda of bills, many of them retained from the prior week. The most debated measure was CS for SB 706, which would preempt naming of major commercial service airports to the state and designate Palm Beach International Airport as the Donald J. Trump International Airport, subject to FAA approval and a trademark agreement. Amendments were offered and rejected, including proposals to prevent private financial benefit from the naming. Several senators spoke in opposition, citing concerns about naming an airport after a sitting president, lack of local input, and the trademark/licensing arrangement; supporters argued there was no cost to the airport and that the bill simply set a state naming policy. The committee reported the bill favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also reported favorably CS for SB 546 on conservation land notice requirements, CS for CS for SB 1014 on municipal utility service to properties outside city limits, CS for SB 1500 on uncontested probate proceedings, SB 962 on excluding farms from certain zoning definitions, and CS for SB 820 on problem-solving court reporting requirements. The committee then approved several bills from Senator DiCeglie and Senator Arrington. SB 840, addressing land-use regulations for local governments affected by natural disasters, was supported by local-government and environmental advocates who said it would restore local control after SB 180’s hurricane-related restrictions; the sponsor said it was intended to correct unintended consequences of last year’s law. CS for SB 856, requiring online listing platforms to show estimated ad valorem taxes on residential listings, was amended to exclude social media platforms and broaden liability protections; the sponsor and a county property appraiser described it as a consumer-transparency measure. CS for SB 110, clarifying homestead exemption treatment for long-term leases that end at death, was also reported favorably. The committee took up a controversial strike-all amendment to SB 212, which focused on public swimming pools and added residency and related restrictions for certain sex offenders and offenders on community control or probation. The amendment drew strong opposition from advocates and affected families, who argued it would worsen homelessness, impose broad geographic restrictions, and lack evidence of improving child safety; supporters said it was a targeted public-safety measure. Despite the objections, the committee reported the bill favorably. The committee also approved SB 684 on electronic signatures for total-loss vehicle and vessel titles, SB 394 on reinsurance intermediary managers, SB 434 on property tax assessment treatment for wind-hardening improvements, CS for CS for SBs 658 and 608 on water-safety requirements for rental properties with pools or nearby water, SB 748 on adding voting-rights restoration information to sentencing score sheets, and CS for SB 824 requiring school districts to inventory unimproved real property. The meeting ended while the committee was beginning SB 848 on stormwater treatment, with an amendment being introduced as the transcript cut off.

Transcript Highlights:

• That unit now counts as 1.1 units of housing as opposed to just one unit of housing.
• That unit now created a unit under that.
• units in their community.
• For our applications, we had to agree that we were going to grow our dwelling units by a minimum of 3%
• And they have an incentive, a positive incentive, to grow the dwelling units in their community.

Transcript Highlights:

• A young man from Laramie: "I'm Lane Jones and I'm a junior at the University of Wyoming.
• Jones</c><01:08:35.839><c> and</c><01:08:36.000><c> I'm</c><01:08:36.159><c> a</c><01:08:36.319><c> junior
• </c><01:08:36.560><c> at</c> I'm Lane Jones and I'm a junior at I'm Lane Jones and I'm a junior at University
• behind</c><01:14:52.960><c> uh</c><01:14:53.280><c> uh</c><01:14:53.440><c> an</c> it it's nice to unite
• My name is Jordan Sites, and I teach junior high students here at the public school in Encampment.

Bills: SF0025 , SF0027 , SF0043 , SF0066

Committee: Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c><01:24:27.880><c> uh,</c> replacement of those those units, uh, replacement of those those units
• </c><02:01:34.600><c> highs,</c> these high schools or big junior highs, these high schools or big junior
• Uh, and then one is our junior high roof is over like 1.5 million.
• Within our specifically our junior high and that's a lifetime skill.
• So, there's some Junior High.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on School Facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• I now invite all to join me in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America.
• chamber and brings great pride to all of us: United States Senator Ed Markey.
• I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States. Congratulations.
• Junior. The woman oral votes for Bradley H. Jones Jr. Stephen Willett votes for Ronald Mariano.
• United States of America. House of Representatives.

Summary: The House of Representatives convened on January 1, 2025, for the opening of the 194th General Court. The session began with the call to order, invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, and National Anthem, followed by remarks from the Dean of the House, Governor Maura Healey, and Speaker Ron Mariano. Speakers highlighted the historic nature of the new session, the approaching 250th anniversary of American independence, and priorities such as public service, transparency, and continued collaboration between the House, Senate, and administration. The House received and filed the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s communication transmitting election returns, then adopted a special committee report confirming that the members-elect had been duly elected. The chamber also accepted the resignation/declination of Representative-elect Gerald Paracela, who had been nominated to the District Court. A committee was appointed to notify the Governor that a quorum of members-elect had assembled and were ready to be sworn in, after which the Governor administered the oaths of office to the members. The House then elected Ronald Mariano of Quincy as Speaker by roll-call vote, with 132 votes; Bradley H. Jones Jr. received 21 votes, Mark T. Lombardo 4, and the total vote count was 157. Timothy Carroll of Hull was elected Clerk by acclamation and sworn in, and he announced the appointment of assistant clerks. The House also adopted temporary rules to continue the prior session’s House rules and temporary joint rules, and agreed to a Senate order scheduling a convention for the following day to administer oaths to the Governor’s Council. The session concluded with a benediction and adjournment until the next day at 11 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our next witness is uh Robert Martinez Junior. Chief. Good morning, Chief. Please.
• with all the local and state federal agencies, and I do have task force officers assigned to those units
• commitment by authorizing the state to coordinate and execute border protection agreements with the United
• Um, there's usually a United States federal government representative in those meetings.
• So, any attempt to do that is just something that is not legal right now in the United States.

Bills: HB176 , HB180 , HB176 , HB180 , HB333 , HCR35

Committee: House S/C on State-Federal Relations

Keywords: tax, ad valorem, voter-approval, local government finance, property tax, repeal, tax rates, school finance, tax reduction, compressed tax rate, education, funding, HB 176, Texas border security, interstate compact, Government Code Chapter 794, Texas-Mexico border, border enforcement, immigration enforcement, ICE 287(g)