Transcript Highlights:

• >> Those are capital projects.
• you can see um for for major projects. you can see um for for major projects.
• Um, we have, like, DPW projects or construction projects.
• Um, we have, like, DPW projects or construction projects.
• to be done, or you have to pay back the federal funds. types of projects. types of projects.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with approval of partial minutes, with members noting that DHS/HHS material was not yet included and that the minutes would be finalized later. The committee then heard from the General Court about several dedicated funds. Testimony explained the Joint Legislative Historical Fund, which receives a $25,000 annual general fund appropriation and transfers from visitor center sales above a $50,000 threshold, and is used for portrait maintenance, chamber work, Hall of Flags upkeep, and other historical preservation needs. Members also discussed the preservation of the Civil War flags in the Hall of Flags, with the General Court stating the flags are monitored through annual high-definition photos and that no immediate stabilization project is planned. A question about Union cemeteries was raised but the witness said he had no knowledge of federal funding for them. The committee also reviewed the visitor center revolving fund and noted that the accounting presentation is confusing because transfers are netted out so the fund ends each year at $50,000. Members suggested the narrative should clearly identify the transfer amounts and actual revenue, and staff agreed to note that in future reporting. The General Court then described its special legislative account as a stability reserve for capital and emergency needs, citing past uses such as the plaza ADA renovation, the legislative parking garage, and moving operations to One Granite Place. Members asked about interest earnings and were told the account is held in the treasury and any interest goes to the general fund unless statute directs otherwise; no additional funding was recommended at this time. The Department of Administrative Services then presented the law enforcement memorial fund, explaining it is a long-standing leftover construction fund with a small balance that has not been needed because the New Hampshire Law Enforcement Memorial Officers Association privately funds memorial upkeep and plaques. Members discussed whether the state should transfer the remaining money to the nonprofit, but no decision was made; the department said it would research whether such a transfer is legally possible. The department also reviewed the former land conservation endowment fund, now moving to Fish and Game under House Bill 2, and explained that it primarily covers administrative costs, management fees, and investment losses for a long-term conservation program. Members asked about the fund’s large balance and the increase in expenses, and were told the fund is intended to last indefinitely and that future reporting will shift to Fish and Game.

Transcript Highlights:

• :27.320> working<00:25:27.600> toward<00:25:27.880> racial<00:25:28.280> and<
• <00:25:29.320> in<00:25:29.400> Minnesota.
• I'm here today<00:25:31.000> to<00:25:31.120> speak<00:25:31.400> in<00:25:31.480
• <00:25:39.520> direct<00:25:39.960> filing.
• All<00:25:41.560> Minnesotans<00:25:42.200> deserve<00:25:42.800> safe,<00:25:43.280

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the University Hall Fan Coils Project.
• This contract expired on November 25, 2023, and was not renewed.
• There has been delays in the overall project for different reasons.
• This will begin on contract 16 and will extend through number 25.
• Number 25 is the Department of Veterans Affairs with UAMS.

Summary: The committee met to review a supplemental agenda, procurement rule revisions, methods of finance, discretionary grants, contracts, and a member disclosure. The Office of State Procurement presented rule changes tied to 2025 legislative changes, including Act 782, with updates to sole-source definitions, unrealistic bids, protest requirements, debarment procedures, and recodification references; the committee voted to accept the supplemental agenda and approve the rules. Members also approved eight methods of finance covering university repairs, equipment replacement, property purchase, and capital projects, along with a large slate of discretionary grants for courts, health, DHS, historic preservation, and tobacco prevention programs. The committee then reviewed RFQs and six ratifications. The ratifications included a Workforce Connections payment to ACT WorkKeys, Department of Health costs from an ice-storm-related water leak, a large Department of Public Safety ratification for Motorola’s Arkansas Wireless Information Network upgrade, Veterans Affairs HVAC and medical-service payments, and a UA Little Rock painting contract. The Department of Public Safety ratification drew extended questioning about why the expired Motorola contract had not been renewed sooner and why the issue took months to reach the committee; agency officials said the project was bond-funded, had not been tracked in ASIS, and involved ongoing negotiations and system updates. Despite concerns, the committee approved the ratifications. Members also reviewed a long list of construction, intergovernmental, out-of-state, and in-state contracts, including numerous university, DHS, health, corrections, and state agency agreements. Several contracts were discussed in more detail, including an SAU custodial contract question about sales tax and transparency reporting, and Department of Corrections aerial application contracts for Tucker and Cummins farms, which officials said served separate facilities in different parts of the state. The committee approved the contract lists, reviewed reports, and accepted a disclosure from Representative Andrew Collins regarding his investment interest in a company leasing property to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• :16.640> to<00:25:16.880> Hawaii<00:25:17.279> residents<00:25:17.600> while<
• >> First<00:25:22.159> up,<00:25:22.400> we<00:25:22.559> have<00:25:
• >> Chair,<00:25:26.559> chair,<00:25:26.880> members,<00:25:27.520> Maria<
• 00:25:29.520> we<00:25:29.679> will<00:25:29.840> stand<00:25:30.000> on
• > written<00:25:30.640> testimony<00:25:31.120> with<00:25:31.279> comments.

Bills: SCR96, SCR109, SCR164, SCR172, SCR166

Keywords: electric reliability, renewable energy, interconnection, Hawaii Electric Reliability Administrator, Public Utilities Commission, capacity shortfalls, energy policies, mail-order pharmacy, insurance, healthcare access, chronic disease management, cost savings, rural access, emergency healthcare, patient adherence, critical infrastructure, foreign influence, local control, energy dependence, economic resilience

Summary: The Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce heard several Senate concurrent resolutions related to utilities, pharmacy access, critical infrastructure, and energy policy. STR 96 SD1 asked the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to report on the progress of the Hawaii Electric Reliability Administrator; the PUC offered written comments and the measure later advanced as is. STR 109 SD1 urged the insurance commissioner to study expanding mail-order pharmacy use. Testimony was split: DCCA’s insurance division, HMSA, and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans supported the study, while Shipa and the Hawaii Pharmacist Association opposed it, arguing mail-order pharmacy is already available and that in-person pharmacist counseling should be preserved. The measure was ultimately deferred. The committee also heard STR 164 SD1 on protecting Hawaii’s critical infrastructure from foreign influence. Greenpeace Hawaii and 350 Hawaii strongly supported the resolution, framing it as a consumer protection and resilience measure tied to reducing dependence on imports and strengthening local food and energy systems. No opposition was presented, and the resolution was moved out as is. STR 172 SD1 HD1 directed the PUC to conduct a comprehensive analysis of ways to maximize cost reduction and minimize financial risk while meeting state goals. DCCA, the Hawaii State Energy Office, and the PUC offered comments, and Earthjustice supported the measure; it was also advanced as is. For STR 166 SD1, which concerns how the PUC should evaluate generational energy commitments, DCCA, the Hawaii State Energy Office, and the PUC provided comments, while 350 Hawaii, Greenpeace Hawaii, and others opposed any move toward LNG, arguing it would harm ratepayers and conflict with Hawaii’s renewable goals. After discussion, the committee amended the resolution to add language directing the PUC to evaluate any LNG or other imported-fuel proposal for its potential effects on or delays to the state’s renewable portfolio standards, including the 2045 deadline. The amended resolution then passed, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><00:25:06.880> able<00:25:07.120> to<00:25:07.440> use<00:25:07.919> that
• <00:25:19.279> bill<00:25:19.840> that<00:25:20.240> if<00:25:20.640> for
• <00:25:24.960> We<00:25:25.279> had<00:25:25.919> uh<00:25:26.080> a<
• <00:25:38.240> And<00:25:38.480> it<00:25:38.799> wasn't<00:25:39.360> in
• > the<00:25:43.440> members<00:25:43.679> on<00:25:43.919> your<00:25:44.159

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 25:06.960> and<00:25:07.120> they're<00:25:07.640> um<00:25:07.760> to<00
• case managers<00:25:12.760> have<00:25:12.919> been<00:25:13.080> working<00:25:
• with<00:25:16.200> the<00:25:16.320> team<00:25:16.640> since<00:25:16.960>
• > the<00:25:31.480> um<00:25:32.480> uh<00:25:32.720> the<00:25:32.919>
• > cares<00:25:39.799> and<00:25:40.000> so<00:25:40.600> that<00:25:40.760><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• :24.159> it<00:25:24.320> was<00:25:24.559> going<00:25:24.799> to<00:25:
• <00:25:29.279> Uh<00:25:29.440> but<00:25:29.679> it<00:25:29.919> has
• <00:25:40.799> Uh<00:25:41.039> but<00:25:41.360> by<00:25:41.600> and
• > that<00:25:48.480> got<00:25:48.720> the<00:25:49.039> 9-2<00:25:49.760
• 00:25:51.679> and<00:25:51.919> this<00:25:52.159> is<00:25:52.320> the to

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We did a pilot, the RFI squared project, where the governor's had different pilot projects for a dollar
• CRDP project.
• I'm the project coordinator for the Sweet Potato Project 2 under the CRDP.
• and the legislative project.
• It stated that the project proposed a $15.8 million cut to the California Reducing Disparities Project

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, focusing first on the Commission on Behavioral Health, then EMSA, and then the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Department of Finance said the state faces a third consecutive deficit and that the May Revision includes difficult trade-offs, including proposed eliminations or reversions of some behavioral health and public health funds. The LAO echoed concern about the structural deficit and said it was still awaiting some budget details before offering a full analysis. For the Commission on Behavioral Health, Finance proposed eliminating $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act funds, arguing the money would help offset General Fund costs and noting future Proposition 1 innovation funding. The commission strongly opposed the cut, saying it would eliminate or delay launch-ready grants for early childhood supports, full-service partnerships, and peer respite, and would eventually end ongoing grant programming. Several advocates and commissioners testified that the funds support underserved communities and that Proposition 1 is not a substitute for the existing programs. The chair asked Finance to look for alternatives, but no vote was taken. EMSA presented mostly technical budget adjustments: increased authority for the California Poison Control System, a correction to EMSIS funding, and a reappropriation for enterprise services and data management. CDPH then reviewed a broader set of May Revision proposals, including reversions from the California Reducing Disparities Project, workforce development, STD prevention, hepatitis C prevention, hospice, and extreme heat funding, as well as a new generative AI pilot for health facility survey reporting. Members raised concerns about cuts to CRDP and gender health equity programs, especially because many grants are mid-contract and serve underserved communities; CDPH said the reversions were part of solving the deficit and that CRDP had been successful, while also clarifying that abortion.ca.gov would not be eliminated. Public comment was overwhelmingly opposed to the CRDP and related cuts, with many speakers describing the programs as life-saving and cost-effective. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we've got $25 million allocated.
• What is the projection of this year after year?
• for future loss projections.
• Going forward into the future for future loss projections.
• Out of this $25 million, are there any projects that we are funding that were not necessarily recommended

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section<00:25:01.440> 8<00:25:02.120> amends<00:25:02.520> the<00:25:02.600>
• 25:11.120> back<00:25:11.360> the<00:25:11.480> report<00:25:12.120> modestly
• Um<00:25:14.920> uh<00:25:15.000> by<00:25:15.160> a<00:25:15.200> month.
• <00:25:16.080> Section<00:25:16.520> 9<00:25:17.080> repeals<00:25:17.520>
• Section<00:25:22.520> 10A<00:25:23.920> charges<00:25:24.360> the<00:25:24.440><

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional performance by four Vermont music therapists, followed by remarks recognizing music therapy as an evidence-based profession and welcoming the performers to the chamber. The body then handled several referral and procedural matters: Senate Bills 212 and 328, and Senate Bill 325 after an Environment Committee report, were referred to Ways and Means under House Rule 35A because of revenue impacts. The House also read HCR 263, congratulating the 2026 Mount Mansfield Union High School Division 1 championship girls basketball team, and members offered brief congratulations and announcements, including a birthday greeting for the Chief of Staff, notice of an art social, and a reminder about the House Adjournment Pool benefiting Good Samaritan Haven. The House voted to move Senate Bill 206, relating to licensure of early childhood educators, from Government Operations and Military Affairs to Human Services. It then took up House Bill 951, the state budget bill, suspended rules to consider it immediately, and voted not to concur with the Senate’s proposal of amendment. The House requested a committee of conference and appointed Representatives Shay, Feltes, and Lumley to serve on the House side, then suspended rules again to message its action to the Senate forthwith. In the orders of the day, the House passed House Bill 902 on amendments to the City of Barre charter, and passed Senate Bills 142, 179, 227, 230, and 298 in concurrence with proposals of amendment. Action on Senate Bill 223, relating to water quality, was postponed for two legislative days. The House then considered Senate Bill 327 on economic development, hearing detailed testimony from the Commerce and Economic Development, Ways and Means, and Appropriations committees. The bill would support small businesses, repeal the VEGI sunset, create hospitality and culinary workforce initiatives, revise the Rural Industrial Development Grant Program, authorize cash rounding when pennies are unavailable, and establish a C-PACE financing program. Ways and Means offered nine amendments, including changes to VEGI limits, grant language, rounding notice provisions, and C-PACE timing and tax clarifications; the House adopted the amendments and proposed the bill back to the Senate as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• projects, with a maximum amount of $25 million awarded to each project.
• > each amount of 25 million awarded to each amount of 25 million awarded to each project.<00:09
• more months to get these projects more months to get these projects started.<00:10:38.000> But
• any other uh energy producing project any other uh energy producing project would<00:13:36.720><
• license application and project plans. license application and project plans.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Attendance Roll Call 03:09 SB 57 Discussion 04:03 SB 57 Roll Call Vote 38:37 SB 172 Discussion 41:27 SB 172 Roll Call Vote 50:23, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including a prayer, the pledge, recognition of an Energy and Environment Cabinet leadership academy group, a roll call establishing quorum, and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes. The main item was Senator Danny Carroll’s presentation of legislation to create a nuclear-ready site readiness pilot program in Kentucky. He said the bill is intended to help build a nuclear ecosystem in the Commonwealth by supporting early site permits, construction permits, or combined licenses, with the state contributing up to $25 million per project and a total of $75 million for up to three projects. He emphasized safeguards such as refundable funding if conditions are not met, legislative rather than authority-only selection of projects, and oversight by the Kentucky Nuclear Energy Development Authority (NIDTA). He also described related provisions on cost recovery through the Public Service Commission, tax incentive eligibility for nuclear ecosystem projects, training and consultant support for the authority, and eligibility for fusion projects. Carroll and Rodney Andrews said the proposal is meant to attract utilities, developers, and large industrial users such as data centers, and to spread projects geographically, with particular attention to Eastern Kentucky and other rural areas. They said selection criteria would include site suitability, prior site use, regional economic need and impact, geographic diversity, additional investment, federal funding status, and whether a community has applied to be designated nuclear-ready. They stressed that communities would not be forced to host reactors and could choose which parts of the nuclear ecosystem to participate in. Carroll also said the bill could help Kentucky compete with states like Texas and Tennessee, and Andrews said industry contacts viewed the proposal as a signal that Kentucky is open to investment. Members generally expressed support for the bill and its goals, while asking about taxpayer exposure, site size, permitting, grid needs, national security, and reactor technology. Carroll said the state’s direct commitment would be capped at $75 million, with any additional cost recovery depending on PSC approval and project specifics. He said small modular reactor sites would be much smaller than traditional plants, and described a model in which a utility partners with a developer and a data center, with power contracts helping offset costs over decades. On security and technology, Carroll and Andrews said newer reactors would still be subject to the same standards as larger units, and Andrews explained that next-generation designs may use different fuels and materials such as TRISO and high-assay low-enriched uranium. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided, and the chair noted time limits and that additional members still had questions, including one witness expected to speak against the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then the projected maintenance factor payment in 2024-25 increased to about $5.6 billion, up from $4.1
• You know, 2024-25 is unique in that, right?
• I think that additionally, right... ...right, this is a proposal in 2024-25, the current year. 2024-25
• And just... ...of about $1.2 billion in 24-25.
• -25 is about $103 million.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance met for its annual Proposition 98 overview, with Chair Alvarez outlining the committee’s focus on K-12 funding, student outcomes, and use of one-time funds. Superintendent Tony Thurmond gave an update on education issues, including wildfire recovery support for affected school communities, ongoing concerns about federal threats to education funding and immigration enforcement, progress on literacy and math, dual-language immersion, educator housing, and support for dual enrollment. Members broadly expressed support for these priorities, while also raising concerns about implementation, funding stability, and the need for schools to remain safe places for students. The committee then reviewed the Governor’s Proposition 98 proposal. The Department of Finance said the 2025-26 Proposition 98 guarantee is projected at $118.9 billion, with higher revenues and TK-related rebenching driving the increase. The LAO said the budget adds about $7.5 billion over two years and discussed the volatility of the guarantee, especially in 2024-25, when changes in revenue could have an outsized effect on school funding. Members questioned the proposed $1.6 billion delayed settle-up payment, the legal basis for delaying it, and the impact of possible federal funding freezes. The LAO presented alternatives such as a reserve deposit or delayed disbursement, while Finance said the proposal is intended to manage uncertainty. Members also raised concerns that ethnic studies implementation was not funded in the January budget, and Finance said the administration was not proposing funding for it. The committee next heard on the Proposition 98 rainy day fund and education deferrals. Finance said the reserve would receive a mandatory deposit of about $1.2 billion in 2024-25 and a discretionary deposit of $376 million in 2025-26, leaving a balance of about $1.5 billion. The LAO supported rebuilding the reserve as a way to manage volatility. On deferrals, Finance described the Governor’s plan to eliminate remaining deferrals by 2025-26, and the LAO said paying them off improves cash flow and budget resilience. Members generally supported eliminating deferrals and rebuilding reserves, though some asked about acting earlier if revenues allow. The committee also reviewed the proposed $1.8 billion student support and professional development block grant; Finance said it would fund professional development, recruitment and retention, and dual enrollment, while the LAO recommended clearer language on local discretion and use for one-time costs. Members were divided, with some supporting flexibility and others warning that one-time block grants can create instability and confusion for districts.

Transcript Highlights:

• Such as a regional project.
• project.
• project.
• Has the staff done any projections, if they feel that $25 million—I mean, I would... ...half than any
• projections if they feel that $25 million?

Bills: SB20, SB111, SB211, SB218, SB14

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• :11.119> um<04:25:11.960> could<04:25:12.080> you<04:25:12.760> I<04:25:12.880
• > member<04:25:14.840> people<04:25:15.040> that<04:25:15.159> are<04:25:
• :16.359> um<04:25:17.000> as<04:25:17.119> of<04:25:17.359> December<04:25
• <04:25:19.279> of<04:25:19.439> our<04:25:19.760> our<04:25:19.920> fiscal
• <04:25:23.279> some<04:25:23.560> odd<04:25:23.840> members<04:25:24.840>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 153, which would require two or more law enforcement officers in each county to receive animal cruelty training through the police standards system. Representative Barbara Coma, the sponsor, said the bill was prompted by problems in animal cruelty cases, especially in rural areas without animal control officers, and she described it as a limited training measure. She said an amendment was forthcoming that would add an eight-hour approved course and a two-hour refresher every three years, and she emphasized that the trained officers would serve as resources rather than being required to take action themselves. Members asked about cost, due process, overlap with animal control officers, how trained officers would be identified and notified, and whether veterinarians could fill the role. Coma responded that the bill would not be a heavy financial lift, would not interfere with animal control officers, would apply to livestock as well as companion animals, and would still require law enforcement involvement because veterinarians cannot lawfully remove animals from property. She also said the training could improve due process by helping officers better understand when animal removal is appropriate and how cases should proceed. Sheriff William Wright, speaking for the New Hampshire Sheriffs Association, testified in opposition. He said training itself was acceptable, but the bill went beyond training by creating an obligation for sheriffs and state police to respond to and potentially investigate animal cruelty cases, which he argued would be ambiguous, unfunded, and burdensome for staffing and resources. He said some sheriff’s offices do not have investigative deputies and that the bill could create liability and uncertainty about who would lead investigations. In response to questions, he said the association would likely have no objection if the bill were limited to training, but it opposed the assistance/investigation mandate as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• And from 2016-17 to 2024-25...
• So, as you'll recall, the project receives 25% of GGRF on a continuously appropriated basis, so they
• We would note that the project update report assumes that the project will continue to retain all of
• The project update report also...
• I know you're not the one doing the project review, but the timing of the project review seems totally

Summary: The committee held an informational hearing on transportation agency budget proposals and did not take any votes. The first major discussion focused on the Motor Vehicle Account shortfall and a proposed one-time $166 million transfer from the Air Pollution Control Fund and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to offset California Air Resources Board mobile source costs. Department of Finance and the LAO described the account’s long-running structural deficit, driven largely by employee compensation growth and REAL ID-related workload, while members criticized the use of Proposition 4, GGRF, and other one-time or redirected funds as backfills and urged a longer-term solution that addresses both revenues and expenditures. The committee then heard Caltrans’ request for $25 million in General Fund support to create a Clean California Community Cleanup and Employment Pathway Grant Program. Caltrans said the program would build on the prior Clean California effort by funding local litter and graffiti cleanup, community engagement, and workforce pathways for vulnerable populations. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal, arguing that local litter abatement is not a core state responsibility and that one-time funding is unlikely to solve persistent local cleanup needs. Several members echoed those concerns, while public commenters split between support for the cleanup/employment model and calls to instead restore funding to the Active Transportation Program and transit operations. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency requested that California administratively recognize Tahoe’s federally designated population figure for state formula-based transportation funding, which would raise the population count used in formulas from 40,000 to 145,000. The agency said the change would not request new money but would better align state formulas with federal law and support a shared regional funding framework; members appeared generally supportive, though they noted the need to phase in the change to reduce impacts on other regions. The final presentation was on High-Speed Rail. The LAO reviewed the authority’s project update report, noting that it did not fully meet statutory requirements and that key details are still pending in a supplemental report expected later in the summer. The LAO said the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment still shows an estimated roughly $7 billion funding gap, with no specific plan to close it, and highlighted risks from federal review, inflation, and uncertain GGRF revenues. High-Speed Rail Authority staff said they are conducting a bottom-up review of scope, schedule, ridership, and costs, expect to provide updated information by late summer, and are exploring public-private partnerships and other financing strategies. Members stressed that no further funding commitments should be made until the updated analysis is available.

Transcript Highlights:

• > in<01:25:07.440> the<01:25:07.600> SEC<01:25:07.920> year<01:25:08.159>
• where<01:25:19.560> we<01:25:19.760> pulled<01:25:20.040> in<01:25:20.440>
• <01:25:24.440> been<01:25:24.639> in<01:25:25.000> a<01:25:25.600> in
• ><02:25:07.920> that<02:25:08.800> to<02:25:09.520> to<02:25:09.720> protect<
• 25:33.399> a<02:25:33.640> state<02:25:34.000> law<02:25:34.880> on<02:25

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on HB 366, which would increase school building aid for eligible projects. Representative Cahill, the prime sponsor, said the bill would raise the annual minimum from $50 million to $60 million and help address a long backlog of school construction and renovation needs after years of a moratorium on applications. He argued that districts forced to build during the moratorium were left to shoulder costs through local property taxes, and he cited examples such as Londonderry, Claremont, and other communities with aging or inadequate facilities. He also said the current aid structure, including paying 80% upfront and 20% at completion, concentrates too much spending at once and limits how many projects can be funded. Several committee members asked about the fairness and structure of the program. Representative Maguire questioned whether aid should be distributed more broadly to all districts rather than only a few selected projects, and Representative Luneau noted that the committee would also be considering related bills on catastrophic aid, special education aid, and the school foundation formula. Cahill responded that building aid has historically been targeted to property-poor communities and that the state should be a reliable partner in school construction. He also said the bill includes a small retroactive component for communities that built during the moratorium, which he described as a compromise. Testimony in support came from Representative Cluder, who described Claremont’s Stevens High School project as a case where a bond issue narrowly failed and the city later had to fund renovations without state aid, contributing to high property taxes. He said the bill would help property-poor communities and urged passage. Tony Weinstein of New Market also supported the bill, saying his community had serious facility and safety needs, had moved forward with scaled-back renovations during the moratorium, and still faced debt-service burdens without state participation. Robert Thompson, superintendent in Hampstead, testified that his district needs an addition for overcrowding, safety, and special education space, and said building aid would help reduce out-of-district placements and transportation costs. No vote was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You said 2/3 of the cost regulatory is 25% of the cost of development. 25% is, and of that 2/3 is during
• the development stage. 1/3 is during the building stage, dividing that 25% up.
• Well, it depends on how complicated the project. Are there utilities there?
• project, and the road department says we do not want sidewalks.
• It depends on the scale of the project.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:25:31.919> in<00:25:32.240> in<00:25:32.480> in<00:25:32.600> the
• Northern Lake<00:25:33.919> Country<00:25:35.080> so<00:25:36.080> I<00:25:36.279
• > me<01:25:02.480> it's<01:25:02.639> really<01:25:02.920> hard<01:25:03.159
• in a toll and<01:25:24.040> human<01:25:24.480> Health<01:25:25.000> that<01:25
• <01:25:27.239> further<01:25:27.760> I<01:25:27.880> do<01:25:28.000> not

Bills: HF1124, HF1457, HF1803

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• name<00:25:09.960> on<00:25:10.080> your<00:25:10.280> lips<00:25:10.760>
• 00:25:15.160> her<00:25:15.360> mother,<00:25:16.120> and<00:25:16.320> Tommy
• 25:18.840> over<00:25:19.080> 30<00:25:19.440> years<00:25:20.520> have<00
• So, So, So, I<00:25:25.800> held<00:25:26.080> this<00:25:26.320> on<00:25:26.440
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Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 10 March, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, received the invocation and pledge, and then dispensed with reading the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. Several guests and pages were introduced, including junior pages, a doctor of the day, Farm Bureau representatives, and other visitors in the galleries. The chamber also recognized a birthday and welcomed a House member to the Senate. On the calendar, the Senate took up several bills and mostly adopted strike-all amendments before passing them, often by morning roll call. These included HB 1646, which increased disaster trust fund transfer limits for declared and non-declared disasters; HB 1649, which authorized additional state fund transfers for Main Street revitalization projects and increased the total authorized expenditure; HB 1653, which kept a local improvements project fund bill alive for possible repurposing of funds, including a Mississippi Valley State residence hall project; and HB 669, which allowed patrons to bring wine into licensed premises with a corkage fee and changed wine shipment reporting from quarterly to semiannual. HB 1620 created an economic zone around the Chevron refinery in Jackson County, and HB 2787 changed school district gas-piping inspection requirements from annual testing to a two-year cycle, with funding support from gas companies. The Senate also handled several concurrence and conference motions on House and Senate bills, including SB 2263 on probable-cause requirements for Marine Resources officers boarding or stopping vessels, SB 2524 establishing the Postsecondary Attainment Council, and SB 2597 involving the ABC warehouse transfer in Madison County, with the chamber choosing not to concur and to invite conference on those items. SB 2368 made technical changes to the higher education legislative plan grant program, and SB 2526 on the Rural Water Oversight Committee returned with changes removing a reverse repealer and shifting administration of some duties to a nonprofit using rural water revolving loan funds. The Senate also tabled motions to reconsider on some items, and one nomination-related motion drew extended remarks about the role of the capital post-conviction counsel office and respect for crime victims.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are going to be launch-ready projects.
• They're able to ...health project.
• That's okay; that still makes up around 25% of our current caseload because it's always about 25% of
• The caseload projection for this year is...
• The 0.7 is based on year-over-year growth between 24-25 and 25-26.

Keywords: 987, senate, all