Video & Transcript Research : 'payment pool'

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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection - 03/24/26

Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • structure that has been in the payment structure that has been in place<01:07:01.359> and<01:
  • If forced to use it all for nursing, Nash will lose music therapy, massage therapy, pool therapy, and
  • Consideration is the first part where you provide payment, and if they're getting around that with dual
  • Consideration is the first part where you provide payment, and if they're getting around that with dual
  • Consideration is the first part where you provide payment, and if they're getting around that with dual
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Ways and Means (01/28/2025)

Transcript Highlights:
  • as<01:07:11.119> well<01:07:11.319> as<01:07:11.680> in direct cash payments
  • as well as in direct cash payments as well as in education<01:07:12.720> funding<01:07:13.720
  • gets displayed, and more importantly, the back-office math that's different because it relates to pools
  • c> in<05:19:19.558> terms<05:19:19.760> of<05:19:19.920> horse relates to pools
  • in terms of horse relates to pools in terms of horse racing<05:19:21.280> which<05:19:21.400>
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 135, introduced by Representative Michael Harrington. He said the bill would codify a portion of the New Hampshire Constitution to bar New Hampshire businesses from being required to collect sales or use taxes for other states unless Congress mandates it, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision created an onerous compliance burden for businesses. He described the patchwork of state and local sales tax rules, thresholds, and product exemptions as extremely complex and said the bill was intended to push the issue back toward Congress and the courts. Members questioned whether the bill’s reference to a “foreign government” would apply to other U.S. states, whether the proposal would conflict with the Supremacy Clause, and whether it would create standing for businesses to challenge Wayfair. Harrington responded that “foreign government” meant any government other than New Hampshire, that he believed the state could challenge the decision in court by passing a law contrary to Wayfair, and that businesses were already being harmed by compliance costs. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill was an unfunded mandate or simply a private compliance burden, and Harrington argued that the state itself would not be collecting the taxes, but businesses would still face recordkeeping and administrative costs. Sam Garland of the Department of Justice then testified. He said the department was not taking a formal position on the bill, but offered technical comments. Garland acknowledged that Wayfair created significant compliance burdens and noted that states have become somewhat more uniform, with all states now having a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, though not all use the 200-transaction threshold and local tax variation remains substantial. He said the department’s concerns were legal, describing the issue as uncharted constitutional territory involving both vertical and horizontal federalism. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Education Committee Jun 10th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • true count, and it's national average, 70% are misclassified, estimating California, 90%, then that pool
  • my sisters and me with Happy Meals at McDonald's, fun-filled days at the parks, zoos, and swimming pools
  • grew my sisters and I with happy meals at McDonald's, fun-filled days at the parks, zoos, and swim pools
  • Los Angeles is not the dozens of small and rural districts that depend on a limited pool of local contractors
Keywords: 987, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with most of the discussion centered on student privacy, faculty health coverage, Native student data collection, mental health training for coaches, and human trafficking prevention education. AB 1159, the California Learner Personal Information Protection Act, would expand student data privacy protections to higher education, clarify existing ed-tech rules, and add limited enforcement. The author and supporters said current law is outdated and does not adequately protect sensitive student information, while some college-related stakeholders raised definitional concerns about preserving routine student communications and access to course materials. The bill was approved on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies and Consumer Protection Committee and placed on call. AB 1171 would keep unspent funds in the part-time community college faculty health insurance program from being swept for other uses and would require all community college districts to begin negotiating participation by 2030. The author and supporters argued that part-time faculty often lack employer-sponsored coverage despite teaching most community college courses, while opponents said the bill was premature because participation is still growing and the program’s full-year spending data is not yet known. Members debated whether the Legislature should preserve the funding in statute or continue handling it through the budget process. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1581 would require collection of tribal affiliation data for Native American and Alaska Native students in CalPADS to address severe undercounting and improve resource allocation. The author and tribal and education supporters said Native students are often misclassified, making it harder to provide culturally responsive programs and measure outcomes; committee members discussed how the reporting would work for multitribal and multiracial students and emphasized the need for tribal consultation and workable data definitions. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1665, requiring mental health training for school coaches, was supported as a way to help trusted adults recognize warning signs and connect student athletes to services; it also passed to Senate Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 1766, which would expand human trafficking prevention education from kindergarten through 12th grade and address online grooming and exploitation, received strong support from the author, survivors, and advocacy groups, with testimony emphasizing earlier prevention and digital safety; the transcript ended during support testimony and did not include final action on that bill.
ND

North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session

Energy Development and Transmission Committee Jun 2nd, 2026 at 09:00 am

Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • And then that last tranche is this clean, sustainable energy authority, which has a grant pool and it
  • also has a loan pool to help move technologies from that demonstration into commercialization.
  • And then that last tranche is this clean, sustainable energy authority, which has a grant pool and it
  • also has a loan pool to help move technologies from that demonstration into commercialization.
Keywords: 908, all
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

House Standing Committee on Families and Children. (2-5-26)

Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:
  • So if you're talking about medical malpractice, if you're talking about having a swimming pool installed
  • you're talking about having<00:02:48.640> a<00:02:48.879> swimming<00:02:49.200> pool
  • <00:02:50.239> um<00:02:50.640> installed having a swimming pool um installed having
  • a swimming pool um installed incorrectly,<00:02:51.920> you<00:02:52.160> have<00:02:52.319
Summary: The House Families and Children Committee met in the 2026 regular session and heard House Bill 109, which would amend Kentucky divorce law to waive the current 60-day waiting period for couples with minor children when the parties have already completed mediation or collaborative family law and are ready to finalize their decree. The bill sponsor, Representative Deetsz, argued the measure would reward families who have already done the work to resolve custody, parenting time, and property issues outside of court, and said it would not affect traditional litigation cases. She also explained that delays can be especially burdensome when retirement-account division requires a QDRO after the decree. Committee members discussed how long collaborative cases typically take, with the sponsor estimating about six months on average and longer in complex cases, and noted that some judges already require parenting classes or allow reconciliation conferences in certain circuits. David Walls of the Family Foundation testified in opposition, saying the bill would make divorce easier for parents with children and move Kentucky in the wrong direction. He argued waiting periods can encourage reconciliation, protect marriage commitments, and reduce harms to children and public costs associated with family fragmentation. He urged lawmakers to preserve or even lengthen the waiting period rather than eliminate it, and framed the issue as protecting children and strengthening marriage. During questions, Representative Bojanowski strongly objected to Mr. Walls’ characterization of divorce, saying her own divorce was necessary for her children’s well-being and that the bill simply shortens the process after mediation. Representative Elliott asked about typical timelines in collaborative cases and noted that some courts require parental education. Representative Moser asked whether counseling is required; the sponsor said it is not, though reconciliation conferences may be requested at a judge’s discretion. The transcript ends after discussion of the bill and before any recorded vote or final committee action.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • It's not a large pool of money that somebody else somewhere else has discretion over.
  • It's<00:38:29.200> not<00:38:29.280> a<00:38:29.520> large<00:38:29.839> pool
  • <00:38:30.079> of<00:38:30.320> money<00:38:30.800> that It's not a large pool
  • of money that It's not a large pool of money that somebody<00:38:32.000> else<00:38:32.240>
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee met on December 19, 2025, approved the draft minutes from the November 21 regular meeting, and received a DHS commissioners update. Patricia Tilly reported on the state’s rural health transformation application, saying CMS had provided only one question and positive feedback, that the final federal award amount was still pending, and that DHS was preparing an accept-and-expend item for fiscal review using an up-to amount. She also said the new Hampstead YDC facility remains on track, with substantive construction expected by late summer 2026 and move-in likely in early January 2027. In response to questions, she confirmed the playground/outdoor activity area had been in the original design and was added when funding became available. Henry Litman, Medicaid director, discussed the Senate Bill 248 study committee report on palliative and hospice care. He explained the distinction between palliative care, which can be provided while a patient still seeks curative treatment, and hospice care, which involves electing not to pursue curative services. He said the committee’s work pointed to a need for better education for providers and the public, and described ongoing conversations with the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Home Health and Hospice about developing materials and possibly addressing how palliative services are bundled. He also said the study committee itself did not generate future legislation, though members could pursue it separately. Litman then answered questions about Medicaid eligibility and long-term services and supports, including delays in processing, the backlog from pandemic-era redeterminations, and efforts to speed reviews. He said the department is using temporary staffing funded in part by last session’s legislation, working with the New Hampshire Healthcare Association, counties, and UNH Law to streamline policy and training, and relying more on electronic asset verification while still guarding against improper asset transfers. He emphasized the goal of balancing faster access to benefits with compliance and fraud prevention. Robert Rodler followed with the annual tuition waiver update for children in foster care or guardianship. He reported 82 applicants and 65 waivers granted, including 35 for USNH schools and 30 for the community college system, and noted a correction would be issued for inaccurate continuing/new student figures in the report. Senator Gray said he intends to pursue a separate budget appropriation for these tuition waiver costs in the future so the funding would be clearly identified and easier to track. No additional votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • These litigants would like to see the pool of water in the adjudication increased, so there's more to
  • That's one pool we don't want to get into. We get into a lot of trouble doing a lot of things.
  • That's one pool we don't want to get into.
  • So I'm pleased that there are only five that are in that pool at the moment.
Summary: The committee heard several water, wildlife, conservation, and local government bills. AB 362, by Assembly Member Ramos, would add tribal water uses as a statewide beneficial use and strengthen tribal consultation in water planning; tribal representatives and conservation groups supported it as a long-overdue correction, while water agencies, business groups, and agricultural interests raised concerns about CEQA, regulatory uncertainty, and impacts on existing water planning. The bill was moved on a due pass motion to Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials, with some members noting ongoing stakeholder discussions and one abstention. AB 1089, by Assembly Member Carrillo, would expand local permitting authority under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act to include commercial and industrial projects. The author and the City of Adelanto argued it would speed housing and economic development in the high desert while preserving the overall conservation framework, but environmental groups opposed it as premature and potentially weakening protections for Joshua trees. The committee approved the bill on a due pass motion to Appropriations. AB 1024, by Assembly Member Harabedian, would require a regional black bear mitigation plan for the San Gabriel Valley and related areas; Sierra Madre officials described rising bear intrusions and the need for state help, and the bill passed to Appropriations. AB 846, by Assembly Member Connolly, would streamline permitting for local wildfire preparedness and vegetation management projects in local responsibility areas by creating a faster review process at Fish and Wildlife and improving mapping coordination with Cal Fire. Local government, fire service, and agricultural witnesses supported the bill as a common-sense wildfire prevention measure, and it passed to Natural Resources with no opposition. AB 263, by Assembly Member Rogers, would extend emergency minimum-flow regulations for the Scott and Shasta Rivers for five years or until permanent rules are adopted; supporters said it protects salmon recovery, tribal subsistence, and the fishing economy during a transition period, while opponents argued it bypasses normal regulatory process and harms farmers. The committee approved it on a due pass as amended motion to Appropriations, with one abstention and two no votes. AB 1044, by Assembly Member Bains, would create a new Tulare County groundwater sustainability agency for undistricted lands after other local agencies split off; the bill passed to Local Government. AB 1426, by Assembly Member Arambula, began testimony on creating a Diablo Range Conservation Program to fund habitat protection and restoration across the range.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • has to do may be cheaper so when Hawaii has to do 83,000<00:05:20.720> cess<00:05:21.039> pools
  • this<00:05:21.720> has<00:05:21.880> the<00:05:22.080> potential 83,000 cess pools
  • this has the potential 83,000 cess pools this has the potential to<00:05:22.680> pay<00:05:22.880
  • My concern is you guys requesting this body when request to shut down certain set pools that a certain
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 1232, which would create a three-year wastewater technology testing pilot program at the University of Hawaiʻi Water Resources Research Center and coordinate testing with state and county agencies. The Department of Health, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and University of Hawaiʻi representatives supported the bill, saying it would help certify new wastewater technologies, lower costs for cesspool conversions, and provide data to the Department of Health. Testifiers said the prior testing effort ended after the departure of Dr. Roger Babcock, and that the new program would use National Sanitation Foundation standards, graduate students, and local wastewater facilities such as Wahiawa. Committee members asked about the $750,000 total cost, the scope of existing research, prior test sites, and whether the program would be tied to individuals or a permanent program. One member raised concerns about the fairness and data basis for sewer conversion decisions in local communities, and the University said it would follow national standards and share results openly. The committee then took up Senate Bill 686, relating to a short-term management initiative for coconut rhinoceros beetle response and related appropriations. The Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaiʻi testified in support, while a county representative and other advocates urged broader statewide coverage, including Kauaʻi, and asked that appropriated funds be usable on any island. Testimony emphasized the need for immediate action, outreach, tree-trimmer training, canopy treatments, K-9 inspections, container fumigation, and biocontrol research. A member summarized the bill’s funding components, including amounts for training, residential palm treatments, response teams, inspections, fumigation, and research, and noted the importance of directing money toward on-the-ground response. Committee questions focused on how much funding remained available, how the agencies would coordinate with DOA, whether the department was prepared to manage all the bill’s functions, and how infestations were being communicated to the public. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 657, which would appropriate funds for the University of Hawaiʻi School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology’s Center for Climate Resilient Development. The Department of Land and Natural Resources testified in strong support, and the Department of Health also supported the measure, noting that it relies on the center’s data to inform decisions and recommendations on projects. The discussion on this item was brief in the portion provided, with no vote or final action shown.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

WAM Informational Briefing 01-07-2026

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The general fund, when adjusted for a 2024 estate tax payment, is up 3%.
  • General excise tax is up 7.3%, and individual income tax is up 2.2%. a 2024 estate tax payment is um
  • up 3%. a 2024 estate tax payment is um up 3%.
  • <00:22:42.400> fee<00:22:42.799> and >> Hotel user fee and, you know, pool fee and
  • And now the DOE is saying that payment.
Keywords: 912, senate, all
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Ways and Means (02/09/2026)

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • The guarantee fund essentially acts almost in a risk pool in which all member companies promise to support
  • acts almost<00:02:53.120> in<00:02:53.360> a<00:02:53.519> risk<00:02:53.760> pool
  • <00:02:54.080> in<00:02:54.319> which<00:02:54.560> all almost in a risk pool
  • in which all almost in a risk pool in which all member<00:02:55.200> companies<00:02:56.239><
  • they had to was they had the payment they had to make<01:02:42.799> to<01:02:44.000> to
Keywords: 1189, house, all
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • They happen in bathtubs, pools, and unprotected bodies of water.
  • They happen in bathtubs, pools, ocean.
  • They happen in bathtubs, pools, and<00:43:50.400> unprotected<00:43:51.119> bodies<00:43
  • This applies whether the water is in a pool, a detention basin, or a green storm water feature.
  • , a detention basin, or a green pool, a detention basin, or a green storm<00:45:24.640> water<
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The Committee on Water and Land met on February 3, 2026, and heard testimony on several bills, with the chair emphasizing a two-minute limit and noting that bills would die if the hearing ran past noon. For HB 1848, the Commission on Water Resource Management and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development both supported the measure with technical, non-substantive amendments. Testimony focused on requiring early consultation about water availability in district boundary amendment petitions, with water officials explaining that the petitioner should submit a written statement reflecting consultation and that the goal was to identify water constraints earlier in the development process. The Land Use Commission’s representative opposed the bill, arguing that water availability is already addressed through existing environmental review and agency consultation, that the issue had been raised and rejected before, and that the proposal could create unnecessary delay or litigation. The committee then heard HB 1728 on rainwater catchment systems. The Commission on Water Resource Management said it acknowledged the bill’s intent but deferred to counties and other regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health, on regulatory implications. Hawaii Realtors testified in support. No vote was taken during the portion of the hearing shown. For HB 1652 on storm water management systems, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association opposed the bill, arguing it would weaken protections created by Act 281 (“Sharkey’s Law”) and increase drowning risk for children by exempting certain water features from safety requirements. The American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii supported the bill, saying the language clarifies and better balances child safety with practical green stormwater infrastructure, including depth-based limits and exemptions for certain agricultural ponds. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the agricultural pond exemption, saying such ponds are used for irrigation, livestock, and fire control and are generally away from the public. A private testifier, Allison Schaers, opposed the bill and described her daughter’s drowning in a detention basin, arguing that poor maintenance can turn stormwater features into dangerous hazards. The hearing ended without any recorded committee action or vote in the excerpt provided.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 2/18/25

Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • In other words, if you were part of a reserve-sharing pool, a risk pool like MISO, you minimize the amount
  • part of a were I said when you're part of a reserve<00:38:50.319> sharing<00:38:51.319> pool
  • <00:38:52.040> a<00:38:52.240> risk<00:38:52.720> pool<00:38:53.319> like
  • reserve sharing pool a risk pool like reserve sharing pool a risk pool like myo<00:38:54.640>
  • projects that had received a DOE grant and were working with neighbors to the west, the Southwest Power Pool
Bills: HF75
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • So no increases to the students' payment portion. It's going to need to go up?
  • that the acquisition and forgiveness of medical debt under the program be deemed fully forgiven upon payment
  • They need to remain housed while rebuilding and while continuing to pay their mortgage payments.
  • They need to remain housed while rebuilding and while continuing to pay their mortgage payments.
  • Clean Fuel Standard as a foundational long-term strategy to decrease the carbon intensity of the fuel pool
Bills: HCR93, HCR14, HR85
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • That's how the payment system works, and so we need a little seed money to start up the contract in order
  • That's<01:43:35.520> how<01:43:35.679> the<01:43:35.920> payment<01:43:36.239>
  • > system<01:43:36.639> works<01:43:37.280> and That's how the payment system works
  • and That's how the payment system works and so<01:43:37.679> we<01:43:37.920> need<01:43
  • Plus, there's also problems with finding third-party consultants because there's not a wide pool of them
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committees heard several housing-related bills and resolutions. HB 1298 HD3 would create a government employee housing revolving fund and a government employee 99-year leasehold rent-to-own program; testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC, labor groups, and the Maui Chamber, with the Tax Foundation and Budget and Finance raising concerns about the revolving fund. The committees recommended passage with non-substantive amendments for clarity and consistency, and the motion was adopted. HB 741 H2, which would exempt certain affordable housing projects financed by a certified nonprofit CDFI from prevailing wage requirements, drew support from housing advocates and opposition from several construction unions; the chairs said they were concerned about the labor objections and deferred the measure, with the labor committee agreeing to defer it as well. The housing committee then took up HB 417 HD1, which creates a housing efficiency and innovation subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund and allows HHFDC to transfer funds between the subaccount and the main fund without legislative approval. Testimony was largely supportive. The chair described a series of amendments, including changing the funding-efficiency standard, adding perpetual affordability language, allowing any land tenure type, broadening eligible financing tools, adding priority criteria for mixed-income projects and government-employee projects, and inserting blank appropriations tied to a requested $75 million per year and a $75 million subaccount appropriation for the HCDA 99-year leasehold project. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the recommendation was adopted. HB 422 HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and move remaining balances to the school facilities special fund, drew broad support from housing and taxpayer groups and opposition from the Department of Education and some individuals. The School Facilities Authority and DOE argued the current system had not produced enough usable land or school sites and suggested narrowing the exemption to government housing projects’ construction costs instead of repealing the fee entirely. Members pressed DOE and SFA on how much land had actually been obtained and whether the fee had been effective; the discussion highlighted concerns about unused balances, school overcrowding, and the role of the Land Use Commission and county zoning in securing school sites. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion shown. The committee also heard STR 60/SR 45, urging HHFDC to develop a plan to meet housing demand, and STR 77/SR 60, addressing continued eligibility for housing credits for certain projects after repeal of Act 31; both sets of resolutions had HHFDC support, with DHHL supporting STR 77/SR 60 and Johnny May Perry opposing both.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Folks are now in the pool for multiple projects. So when we're ...that it's not one project.
  • Folks are now in the pool for multiple projects.
Summary: The committee heard several measures focused on economic development, procurement, workforce equity, federal infrastructure funding, and food security. SB 1044 by Senator Reyes would raise and then index to inflation the cap for streamlined state contracts awarded to certified small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises for services and IT work; supporters said the current cap is outdated and limits access, while opponents representing goods suppliers and some small business groups argued the bill could disadvantage goods contractors and should preserve lower thresholds for those contracts. After discussion about the ceiling versus floor effect of the cap and the impact on different types of businesses, the bill was approved as amended and sent to Appropriations. SB 247 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would create a bid preference for projects that hire workers from disadvantaged communities; supporters framed it as a way to connect public infrastructure spending to family-sustaining jobs, while union construction employers opposed it because they said they cannot control worker dispatch through hiring halls and the bill would be difficult to implement. The committee advanced the measure to Appropriations despite those concerns. The committee also approved SJR 6 by Senator Cortese, which urges the federal government to honor commitments under the bipartisan infrastructure law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, with supporters emphasizing the importance of certainty for California infrastructure, clean energy, and semiconductor investments. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado would establish an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food assistance efforts and develop a statewide food security strategy; supporters from a Kern County food bank and the University of California said the state’s response to hunger is fragmented and needs better coordination, while committee members asked about deliverables and timelines. The bill was sent to Appropriations. The committee also took up consent items SB 700 and SB 1340, which were moved on consent to Appropriations, and the hearing ended with the remaining votes recorded and the bills advanced. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly discussed the need for clearer implementation details, data on program impacts, and how to balance equity goals with operational realities for state agencies, contractors, and small businesses.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • The second pool of money will require us, in time.
  • The second pool of money will require us, in time.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The commission approved the minutes from its March 11 meeting after a motion by Jeannie Costa and a second by Senator Michael Brady, with members noting a few possible corrections to attendance and wording. The meeting then focused on updates about the commission’s timeline and funding. Staff reported that an amendment to extend the commission’s deadline from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2027 was filed in the Fair Share budget but was not accepted, and members discussed pursuing the extension through other budget vehicles, including the regular budget, a supplemental budget, or other legislation. Commissioners also discussed the need to fill a vacancy left by Julius Brito and to potentially extend the deadline for appointing new commissioners. A substantial portion of the meeting was devoted to brainstorming the commission’s community engagement plan for the proposed Cape Verdean Culture Center. Members revisited a three-part approach involving site visits, traditional listening sessions, and outreach at existing Cape Verdean events, while also emphasizing historical accuracy, youth engagement, visibility, and regional collaboration. Commissioners suggested using surveys, canvassing, social media, a website, and other digital tools to reach people across the diaspora, including those unable to attend in person. Several members recommended specific locations and institutions for engagement, including New Bedford, Brockton, Boston, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island, with references to museums, historical societies, clubs, and cultural organizations already doing related work. Testimony and comments also addressed funding and organizational structure for the future center. Legislators described possible funding sources such as House and Senate earmarks, a bond bill, and a nonprofit structure that could later support fundraising and operations. Members discussed examples from other cultural institutions, including the Holocaust Museum, the African American History Museum, and the Haitian Toussaint Louverture Cultural Center, as models for governance and public support. The group also raised the possibility of future collaboration with the Cape Verdean government and institutions in Cabo Verde, though one member urged waiting until after upcoming elections there before making formal contacts. No additional votes were taken beyond approving the minutes and adjourning the meeting.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Apr 28th, 2026 at 01:30 pm

Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting

OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Business and Insurance 2ND REVISED Feb 19th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Business and Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Now did that mean also that the state took some responsibility for high-risk pools?
  • Would you believe that in the state of Oklahoma, there have been several either self-insured pools or
FL

Florida 2026 4th Special Session

January 21, 2026 - 04:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • enforcement agencies around the state and country are utilizing social media more and going to a more pooled
  • full-time Resources to the actual performance of these background checks, particularly when we go to that pooled
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

November 5, 2025 - 03:30 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • There's been 12,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools of stormwater storage, which equates to about 8 billion
  • When it comes to stormwater storage, there's been 12,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools of storage that
Summary: The Natural Resources and Disaster Subcommittee heard two informational presentations. First, the Department of Environmental Protection gave an overview of Florida’s water quality framework, explaining how numeric nutrient criteria, monitoring, TMDLs, and Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) are used to address impaired waters. DEP described recent changes intended to increase accountability, including five-year milestones in BMAPs, requirements for advanced wastewater treatment by 2033 in certain cases, limits on new conventional septic systems where sewer is available, enhanced nutrient-reducing septic requirements where sewer is not available, and a new agricultural regional water quality improvement element. The department also highlighted the Water Quality Improvement Grant Program, which has received nearly $1.4 billion over four years and funded more than 300 projects, as well as a public dashboard showing funded projects and a forthcoming trend-analysis dashboard for monitoring data. Members asked about enforcement of BMAP milestones, septic-to-sewer coordination with local governments, PFAS and microplastics monitoring, septic system performance standards, wastewater facility compliance, and how many facilities remain below advanced wastewater treatment standards. DEP said it can enforce BMAP obligations through administrative orders, consent orders, court action, fines, and permit conditions, and that it inspects and verifies wastewater facilities while relying on reporting and site inspections for sewer infrastructure. The department also said nutrient-reducing septic systems must achieve a 65 percent reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus, with verification required when projects seek BMAP credit. The committee then heard from the chief resilience officer on the Resilient Florida program, created in 2021 to address sea-level rise and coastal flooding. The presentation reviewed planning grants, vulnerability assessments, and the statewide critical-asset assessment, noting that all counties and most municipalities are expected to complete assessments by the end of 2026 and that vulnerability is now an eligibility requirement for future project funding. The program reported major statewide outcomes, including stormwater storage, miles of infrastructure and roadway protection, acres restored, and coastal protection projects, and highlighted examples such as breakwater improvements and lift-station elevation. Members asked about project delays, funding totals, overlap with other funding sources, and project prioritization; the program said delays often stem from design and permitting after award, that its reported totals reflect only grants it administers, and that projects are scored under the same criteria rather than being prioritized by asset type. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.