Transcript Highlights:

• <00:39:42.320> Assembly, members of the 75th General Assembly, members of the 75th General
• General orders. General orders. Yeah, get up out of here. Love y'all.
• General Orders, second reading passage. General Orders, second reading of<00:58:18.720> bills.
• of the Whole consideration of General of the Whole consideration of General Orders,<00:58:34.120
• Second generation control systems.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um the IRS rule of 10% the IRS generally um the IRS rule of 10% the IRS generally permits<00:15:
• These guys have deep roots, generations in that area. Been left out for generations.
• Been left out for generation. And area. Been left out for generation.
• attorney general. attorney general. >> Not<01:23:02.480> on<01:23:02.719> Zoom.
• >> Good afternoon, Deputy Attorney General >> Good afternoon, Deputy Attorney General

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard SB 2627, which would exempt Hawaii Tourism Authority contracts and agreements for sports projects, events, and related marketing from the state procurement code and other competitive bidding requirements. HTA, DBEDT, and the State Procurement Office testified in support or with comments, while one individual offered general support for sports tourism. Senators focused on narrowing the bill so the exemption would apply more specifically to sports-related projects and marketing, rather than broad marketing activities, and discussed whether the bill should require notice to the State Procurement Office or approval by the chief procurement officer. Procurement officials said a reporting requirement would be the most expeditious option, while still allowing post-event monitoring and public posting of exemptions. Members also discussed whether the exemption should be limited to situations involving sole-source sports entities, such as major leagues or international sports organizations, to better justify bypassing procurement rules. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion provided, but members and testifiers agreed to continue working on the language. The hearing then moved to SB 2074 relating to state facilities and naming rights for the Aloha Stadium and Hawaii Convention Center. The Stadium Authority, HTA, and DBEDT testified in support, while the Outdoor Circle and other organizations opposed the measure. Opponents argued the bill could create fiscal and legal risk, echoing concerns raised in prior legislation and by the attorney general, and warned it would mark a major shift by treating public facilities as commercial branding opportunities. Supporters said naming rights could generate significant revenue to help fund the stadium project and reduce the burden on the state and developers. Senators questioned how signage would be handled, especially whether it would be exterior-facing or limited to inward-facing signage, and the Stadium Authority said it was willing to work with the Outdoor Circle on language that would preserve community aesthetics while allowing revenue generation. A senator cited a prior study estimating naming rights could bring in about $1.5 million per year over 20 years, and asked what that revenue would buy for the public; the Stadium Authority responded that it would help advance the project toward a larger, improved stadium. No final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have three the general register.
• So, two things in general: we did not put any policy in this bill.
• 2446 as amended be placed on the general 2446 as amended be placed on the general register.<00:43
• general fund for emergency<00:48:59.319> services.
• <00:49:31.200> fund Affairs and their total general fund Affairs and their total general fund

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:02.640> fund Um the A4 proposes a total general fund Um the A4 proposes a total general
• <00:18:53.919> and general fund. and general fund. and $4,314,000<00:18:56.640> per
• <00:19:05.280> fund $5,752,000 per bianium general fund $5,752,000 per bianium general fund
• <00:26:30.559> fund 3,598,000 per benium general fund 3,598,000 per benium general fund decrease
• > within Reductions to general research within Reductions to general research within the<01:12

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is personal for me, and I generally don't lobby on things that are very personal to me.
• This is personal for me, and I generally don't lobby on things that are very personal to me.
• I generally support Senate File 2498, which addresses Medicare supplement insurance in Minnesota.
• I generally support Senate File 2498, which addresses Medicare supplement insurance in Minnesota.
• reflect the affordability generics reflect the affordability generics provide<01:16:59.320> the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:57:56.440> Assembly necessary to spend the General Assembly necessary to spend the General
• it would be 50 state general funds, 50 reimbursed by Family First.
• Thank you, General, so much.
• There are no general fund dollars related to these projects.
• good morning I'm Sarah Noble general good morning I'm Sarah Noble general counsel<01:41:55.719><

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first reorganized by electing Representative Hart as House co-chair and Senator Douglas as Senate co-chair by acclamation, then approved the December 10 minutes. It then took up deferred and routine contract items, beginning with a Council on Postsecondary Education item that was withdrawn after staff explained the contract had been canceled and should not have come before the committee because the granting authority, not CPE, was issuing it. The committee next reviewed a Department for Local Government contract tied to an Eastern Kentucky flood recovery housing project in Jackson. Members questioned the high per-unit cost and whether renovation was more expensive than new construction. Staff explained the cost included acquisition of an existing downtown building and needed water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, and said developable land was limited in the area. With no motion to object, the contract was allowed to move forward. The committee then considered Kentucky Transportation Cabinet professional services contracts for highway design work. Members asked about the size of the contracts and how much of the available funding is typically used; staff said the contracts are two-year agreements, that the prior cycle reached close to $2 million per contract, and that this year’s limits were reduced because less money is available in the Highway Plan. The committee also approved a PSC amendment contract for the Bridging Kentucky program after staff explained the $150 hourly loaded rate was within the normal range for consultants. Both Transportation Cabinet items were approved without objection. Finally, the committee heard a Kentucky Communications Network Authority contract for an $85,000 study of the dark fiber market. Members asked what dark fiber is, why the study was needed, whether there was coordination with the Office of Broadband Development, and whether existing service meant there was already a market. KCNA said dark fiber is unused fiber that local providers can light to deliver service, that the study was needed because the contractor said no market existed while ISPs said demand exists, and that the report would help both KCNA oversight and broadband development planning. The contract was reviewed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we'll quit, I think the meetings will—the General Assembly will come in about 4:00. >> We could just
• Folks are involved in the General Assembly, and that's going to take priority.
• uh with the General Assembly. uh with the General Assembly.
• Thank you for doing that. >> And the only other thing is we have hired the new general counsel, Larissa
• <00:10:37.160> counsel,<00:10:38.120> Larissa the new general counsel, Larissa the

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The commission met in open session to take action on several motions related to an adjudicatory hearing. It denied a motion to dismiss, granted a motion to quash, and granted in part a renewed motion to compel and for sanctions only to the extent it continued the hearing that had been scheduled for that day. Two motions in limine, one by Mr. Jenkins and one by Representative Grossberg’s attorney, were denied, with the chair noting that relevance issues would be decided during the hearing and that the focus should remain on the conduct and allegations at issue. The commission then set hearing dates for January 26 and February 2, with hearings to begin at 9:00 a.m. and conclude before the General Assembly reconvened. It also approved the financial report/budget for October. During discussion, members noted the need to keep the commission’s work moving despite legislative schedules and the importance of not pulling members away from General Assembly responsibilities. In other business, staff announced a current issues training/CLE event for January 7, the hiring of new general counsel Larissa Pletcher effective December 16, and the start of re-registration. The chair reported ongoing efforts to fill remaining commission vacancies through the Speaker’s and President’s offices, and members discussed a possible tentative special meeting on January 12 at noon if needed. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was just kind of a general user.
• So we are asking also for notice to the Attorney General.”
• This is the first generation ever in recorded history that is actually performing worse than the generation
• AB 2025 doesn't prohibit the use of generative AI listings.
• Again, general discounts, I think that we generally want to exempt.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of our students are first generation.
• And outcomes are even worse for first-generation students.
• I'm a first-generation and low-income college student from rural Alabama.
• A gift to be passed down in generations of individual families.
• And these outcomes are even more severe for first-generation students.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its first hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including hunger-free campuses, FAFSA completion, early college/college-in-high-school programs, banning legacy preferences, AP credit consistency, and tuition equity for the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Committee leaders opened by outlining the hearing process and noting the three-minute testimony limit. Legislators and advocates generally framed the bills as equity and access measures aimed at improving college affordability, student success, and workforce development. Representative Vargas testified for H. 1466 and H. 1467, arguing that hunger-free campus should be codified because many public college and community college students face food insecurity, and that FAFSA completion should be improved through individualized outreach and an opt-out or completion requirement. Senator Lovely, the Greater Boston Food Bank, and other advocates supported the hunger-free campus bill, citing data that 44% of public university and community college students experienced food insecurity in 2023 and that food insecurity harms graduation rates. Femi Stoltz and Shanti Lopez Toro backed the FAFSA bill, saying many students miss out on Pell grants and need direct support; they pointed to state examples such as Louisiana and to recent state action requiring FAFSA awareness. Committee members asked about the federal FAFSA rollout, regional equity in food access, and the need for long-term funding and data collection. A large panel supported H. 1455 on college and high school/early college, including former Chair Roy, the Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, a student graduate, MBAE, and Tripp Jones. They described early college as a proven model that helps low-income and first-generation students, improves degree attainment, and supports workforce needs; witnesses said the goal is to scale from about 9,000 students and 55 partnerships toward 22,000 to 25,000 students by 2030, with possible future growth beyond that. Members raised questions about funding, public-private partnerships, parental involvement, faculty development, and whether the bill should include data review and more standardized policies across institutions. Representative Garcia also testified for H. 1432 on AP credit, saying students should receive consistent credit for AP scores of 3, 4, or 5. Senator Edwards and James Murphy testified for the legacy preference ban, arguing it is unfair and rooted in exclusionary history; they said some states have already banned legacy preferences in public and private institutions. Finally, UMass Dean Michael Fox, alumnus Dan Mayer, and student Jake Rasmussen supported S. 920 to include Stockbridge associate degree programs in MassEducate, saying tuition equity would help enrollment and support Massachusetts agriculture and green-industry jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not general fund; it comes out of legislative cash balance.
• Speaker, generally, would you repeat that question for me? Yes.
• General Leydig from Santa Fe.
• Speaker, generally.
• General from Santa Fe to close. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was was just for general knowledge.
• from the general fund, but from the total money that they generated because we know the general fund
• <01:22:59.199> fund<01:22:59.440> but general not from the general fund but general
• the total money that they generated from the total money that they generated because<01:23:02.719>
• > fund because we know the general fund because we know the general fund appropriation<01:23:04.320

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:31:51.919> not contains generational knowledge of not contains generational knowledge of not
• I thrives for many generations to come.
• Our generation is living dispensable.
• I see the next generation law stand on my written testimony.
• <00:48:26.000> of generations of generations of kuna<00:48:28.559> to<00:48:28.880>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Water and Land Committee held a hearing on several governor’s messages for confirmation to land and water-related boards and commissions. The first item was GM 745, confirming Nor Abbott to a second term on the Natural Area Reserves System Commission through June 30, 2029. DLNR and other supporters submitted testimony, and Abbott said his focus has been on watching for potential impacts to marine reserves from nearby land activity and helping ensure those impacts are avoided, minimized, or mitigated through a thorough process. The committee then took up GM 783 and GM 762, both involving the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission. Fenton Pang and Jensen Chop were nominated for terms ending June 30, 2028 and June 30, 2029, respectively. Multiple individuals and organizations testified in strong support, including representatives of civic clubs, Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana, and other community groups. Testimony emphasized Pang’s scientific background, cultural values, humility, and service, and described Chop as a long-time Kahoʻolawe steward with strong ties to restoration work and the Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana. Chop said his goal is to help more people build a connection to ʻāina and to continue restoration and cultural education efforts on Kahoʻolawe. The final major item was GM 770, confirming Hannah Kihalani Springer to the Commission on Water Resource Management through June 30, 2028. DLNR strongly supported her nomination, describing her as a cultural expert and advocate who can ensure indigenous knowledge is meaningfully included in water policy. Testimony from community members, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, and others highlighted her experience, integrity, and role in protecting customary and traditional water rights, especially for place-based and Native Hawaiian communities. Supporters also said her appointment was important given current water and climate challenges. The chair indicated the committee would proceed to decision-making after the hearing, and no opposition was noted in the testimony summarized here.

Transcript Highlights:

• Generally, the minimum revenue calculation subject to the Texas Franchise Tax is for the Committee on
• Generally, the minimum revenue calculation subject to the Texas Franchise Tax is for the Committee on
• Generally, the minimum revenue calculation subject to the Texas Franchise Tax is for the Committee on
• Generally, the minimum revenue calculation subject to the Texas Franchise Tax is for the Committee on
• This relates to certain authorities of the Adjutant General of Procurement and Construction.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But the governor's budget recommendations would add two attorneys general and one forensic accountant
• DHS's Office of Inspector General oversees 390,000 providers.
• and one forensic accountant to General and one forensic accountant to that<00:07:38.000> unit
• <00:09:36.839> oversees office of Inspector General oversees office of Inspector General oversees
• I think I just have more general questions.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to vary to plus or minus three grand but that's generally correct.
• It is not true that recapture funds go into general revenue.
• And now districts generally spend more than their spent allotment on spend.
• But that's not a general hold harmless every time this thing happens.
• You can see that it has generally been on an upward trend. trajectory.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Discussion on Senate Bill 835, General. Discussion on Senate Bill 835.
• You're foregoing the general revenue. It never hits the treasury.
• The government recommended a $26 million general revenue reduction.
• The government recommended a $26 million general revenue reduction.
• The new generation cooperative tax credit has been around since 1999.

Summary: The House took up a series of conference committee reports and third-read Senate bills near the end of session, with several members also recognizing House drafters and research staff. The chamber first adopted and finally passed Senate Joint Resolution 87, which drew debate over whether the measure would remove the City of St. Louis sheriff as an elected office; supporters said the change also applied to other charter governments, while opponents argued it reduced local autonomy. The report and final passage both succeeded on 95-46 votes. Members then adopted and finally passed Senate Bill 973, a package combining a wholesaler/real estate transparency measure with a land bank provision. Senate Bill 1421, a broad public safety bill, was also advanced after a motion to exceed the conference differences; supporters highlighted provisions on clean slate, masked intimidation, prosecuting attorney salaries, fentanyl, gift card fraud, unmanned aircraft, and other public safety items. The conference report passed 116-18, the bill finally passed 110-25, and the emergency clause for the drone-related portion passed 136-5. The House also adopted and finally passed Senate Bills 835 and 1111, a combined conference report that included insurance consumer protections, court administration updates, treatment court and judgeship provisions, a St. Louis civil case surcharge, and the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Senate Bill 1408 was stripped back to a single issue authorizing MoDOT to consider raising rural interstate speed limits from 70 to 75 mph, and it passed 93-46. Senate Bill 913, extending several agriculture tax credits and adding a short line railroad credit, prompted extended debate over tax credits, budget pressures, and whether such incentives should be extended now or later; a proposed child tax credit amendment was withdrawn, and the bill ultimately passed 107-30. The House then began debate on Senate Bill 1553, a critical minerals and pharmaceutical manufacturing incentive bill, with supporters framing it as a jobs and supply-chain security measure and opponents raising questions about tax incentives and local impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I mean, I can't speak to what a future General Assembly would do.
• It is the general assembly.
• Now we need to use general revenue, tax dollars.
• So there has to be a change in general on this.
• So there has to be a change in general on this.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it is not, we purposefully didn't label it just general wholesale because it's not.
• In a very recent case, where the Office of Attorney General actually won, I case.
• , and I have with me our Principal Deputy Inspector General.
• revenue dietary and administration in general basically Unitarian utilities, okay, right?
• Gavin Gadbury, I'm general counsel to the Texas Health Care Association.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are all General Funds. The Senate is all General Funds.
• These are all General Funds. The Senate is all General Funds.
• These are all General Funds. Yeah, okay. The Senate is all General Funds.
• <01:19:16.639> fund<01:19:16.960> versus general fund versus general fund versus HHS<01
• General General funds yep<03:41:55.800> yes<03:41:55.960> and<03:41:56.080> then

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1, focusing on the legislative branch budget, especially the Senate and House lines. Members discussed that the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 adjusted authorized amount was higher than 2024 actual spending, largely due to personnel, benefits, and travel, and one member proposed a $500,000 annual cut. Staff explained that any reduction would need to be allocated across specific line items such as personnel, benefits, and travel, and noted that the Senate budget is entirely General Funds. After discussion of how the adjusted authorized figures were calculated and why the branch no longer staffs some joint committees as it once did, the committee moved on without taking a vote on that section. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from the New Hampshire Retirement System. NHRS officials described their statutory administrative budget, which is funded through the retirement trust rather than the General Fund, and said the FY 2026-2027 increase is driven by IT modernization, cybersecurity, a new strategic plan, and additional staff positions. They also reviewed the system’s funding progress, clean audit opinions, investment performance, and changes to asset allocation, while noting that several recent pension-related laws required major database changes. Members questioned the large increase in salaries and benefits, the need for new employees versus contractors, the purpose of training costs, and the source of the Group Two benefit funding. NHRS said the governor’s budget includes General Funds for Group Two benefit changes, with $5 million in FY 2026 and $27.9 million in FY 2027, and that the figures reflect the governor’s recommendation and related HB 2 provisions. Committee members also asked about employer and employee contribution rates for Group Two police and fire members, which NHRS said were not included in the budget document but were about 31.2% for police and 30.35% for fire, with employee shares around 11.55% and 11.8%. The committee did not make a decision on the NHRS budget during this exchange and indicated it would review the details further before returning to it later. The committee then heard from the Community Development Finance Authority on the State Treasury Department budget line for the required state match to administer the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDFA explained that its $280,000 annual request for FY 2026 and FY 2027, totaling $560,000, supports administration, technical assistance, contracting, and monitoring of roughly $19 million in annual federal CDBG funds. Members asked about the leverage of the state match, oversight of projects, staffing, and grant prioritization. CDFA said it has 18 employees, uses public hearings and a scoring system to prioritize awards, and conducts both desk and on-site monitoring, with annual audits to ensure compliance. No vote was taken on the CDFA item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But line 100 is the total general fund impact.
• <00:15:22.399> uh Line 129 is for the next generation uh Line 129 is for the next generation
• In general. in general, commissioner?
• In general. in general, unless<01:18:56.800> you<01:18:56.880> have<01:18:57.040> something
• as an adult and and just generally as an adult and and just generally people<01:19:46.080> who

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2312 and first adopted the DE1 amendment, after which the amended bill was discussed. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the spreadsheet and explained the bill’s higher education budget changes, including increases for state grants and tribal college assistance, unchanged funding for several existing programs, and reductions or eliminations for items such as state work study, summer academic enrichment, student loan counseling, concurrent enrollment, and the student parent support initiative. Staff also noted transfers to special revenue funds, the cancellation and reappropriation of ALS research funding, and a new licensing/registration revenue item. The committee was told the bill met the committee’s zero target overall, with a net general fund change of zero relative to the February forecast, while also adding some non-general fund expenditures for program licensing and registration. Members asked several questions about the transfers and specific line items, including whether any new special revenue accounts were being created, the foster care wraparound services line, and the treatment of the University of Minnesota and Centric Care partnership. Staff explained that the transfers generally did not create new accounts, that some items were not in the base, and that the U of M/Centric Care partnership was a one-time appropriation in the prior bill but was now being built into the base at a different amount. The University of Minnesota section also included new or continued funding for medical school development, health training restoration, emergency assistance grants, ALS research, and a weather resiliency program, while the Mayo Foundation section eliminated funding for Mayo Medical School and the Mayo family medicine residency program. The policy portion of the DE1 was then introduced. It included a maximum tuition and fee amount for state grants, direct appropriation of emergency assistance grants to Minnesota State, a juvenile justice appropriation for Metropolitan State University, and the ALS research reappropriation to the University of Minnesota. It also contained repealers for unfunded programs, including a delayed repealer for the student parent support initiative. In the higher education policy article, the bill would allow Minnesota State to offer applied doctoral degrees in cybersecurity, make technical changes to hunger-free campus and sexual misconduct procedures, extend pregnant and parenting student protections to private institutions, allow OHE to retain up to 10% of certain competitive grants for administration, consolidate reports, change the state grant formula so negative FAFSA contributions count as zero, and reduce the state grant lifetime credit cap from 180 to 120 credits. The Northstar Promise provisions would limit tuition and fees to resident rates and require MnState, and request the University of Minnesota, to ensure eligible students receive the benefit.