Video & Transcript Research : 'spending benchmarks'
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ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Energy Development and Transmission Committee Jun 2nd, 2026
Energy Development and Transmission Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- And how much will we need to spend? And you put that all on a sheet.
- But I'm going to spend most of the time on oil and gas.
- I presented this But I'm going to spend most of the time on oil and gas.
- Also probably spend some time discussing data centers as well.
- Are we missing anything that we need to spend some time talking about? Representative Foss?
Summary:
The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support.
The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ.
The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Personal care assistance and community first services and supports 3/10/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:24:55.679>
taxpayer <00:24:56.240>dollars that we should spend taxpayer dollars - that we should spend taxpayer dollars for<00:24:56.720>
services <00:24:57.279>and <00: - how he's supposed to spend and compete. how he's supposed to spend and compete.
- And then we make<00:37:05.599>
them <00:37:05.839>spend <00:37:06.079>down <00:37 - make them spend down all of their assets,<00:37:07.440>
everything <00:37:07.760>they've
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- Instead of spending over $200 million on a special election.
- As there's way better ways to spend our tax dollars. Thank you.
- So do I think that we should spend two hundred million dollars for the opportunity to avoid billions
- Even worse, it would force taxpayers to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on a rushed, confusing
- Can you explain to me how spending $200,000- Madam Chair. This entire state, they deserve this.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House passes HF2442, the omnibus climate and energy finance bill 5/7/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It spends a little bit lights on bill.
- <00:09:25.040>
And this bill does not spend RDA money. - And this bill does not spend RDA money.
- Who wants to spend more on energy running those appliances than we have to?
- :23.679>
running <00:18:23.919>those spend more on energy running those spend more on energy
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Preview of the Senate’s 2026 Session – Minority Leader Mark Johnson Feb 16th, 2026
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- One of the things that Senator Murphy and I, uh, do quite frequently is spend some time together once
- If we are going broke, well, you don't want to be, uh, spending more and having to do the debt service
- do quite that Senator Murphy and I uh do quite frequently<00:02:07.520>
is <00:02:07.920>spend - some time together frequently is spend some time together once<00:02:09.119>
a <00:02:09.280>< - more and having to do the be uh spending more and having to do the debt<00:04:54.800>
service.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Elevating Veteran Voices – Senator Steve Green May 12th, 2025
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, the one thing I don't generally like too much of what's in these bills because it's a lot of spending
- And today in Minnesota, most people don't understand that we're spending right now more than we're taking
- 08:22.479>
dig <00:08:22.720>down <00:08:22.800>in <00:08:23.039>and spending - and I like to dig down in and spending and I like to dig down in and find<00:08:23.360>
out <00 - 00:08:39.039>
we're people don't understand that we're people don't understand that we're spending
TX
Texas 89th Regular
Press Conference: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Dec 9th, 2025
Texas Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We need to pass legislation, and we've begun working on this with a 3.5% cap on spending. we need to
- But the message to our local governments is you need to be responsible with how. how you spend your money
- So if we spend $10 billion, $100 billion.
- Again, I don't think the people in tech. taxes are going to want to spend 25 cents on everything they
- We had a $40 billion surplus. a $24 billion surplus, we have to be careful how we spend it so it's spent
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Press Conference: Lt. Governor Dan PatrickRegarding a proposal to lower the "senior" homestead exemption age threshold from 65 to 55. Dec 9th, 2025
Texas Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We need to pass legislation and we've begun working on this with a 3.5% cap on spending.
- But the message to our local governments is you need to be responsible with how you spend your money
- So if we spend 10 billion On homestead exemption, that's a $1300 savings on average we're talking rough
- Again, I don't think the people in Texas are going to want to spend 25 cents on everything they buy.
- We have to be careful how we spend it, so it's spent on one-time things for the most part like we.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Judiciary Committee Meeting - 2025-04-08
Judiciary Finance and Civil Law
Transcript Highlights:
- Madam Chair and members, to fund some of these one-time needs or one-time spending items, there were
- At the end of this fiscal biennium, these agencies still have the ability to spend.
- Madam Chair, that brings us to line 120, and the total spending for this committee with the base plus
- Our total spending is $30 million over that forecast base, and that is meeting our target both in this
- Money to spend, because really we just, I think our overarching goal here is to try to be fair with what
Bills:
HF2300
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Friday, June 27, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- For the most part, they're backing away from the spending cuts, the spending restraint.
- spending cuts, the spending<02:33:42.080>
restraint. - spending restraint. spending restraint.
- cuts and you don't do enough spending cuts and you don't do enough spending cuts<02:37:05.600>
- <02:37:06.960>
cuts cuts and you weaken the spending cuts cuts and you weaken the spending - <02:37:06.960>
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 3/9/26
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- . >> So now we are going to spend, I would say, the next roughly 55 minutes, members, so we are watching
- And whoever that governor is, they're going to probably spend the first two years cleaning this up and
- Whatever we can do, I think it's a huge—it's the best use of our money this session to spend the money
- The executive branch can't spend the dollars that you don't approve.
- They can't spend one dollar you don't appropriate.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 21st, 2026 at 01:58 pm
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- Moreover, what I really want to spend the time discussing today is this chart right here, which you can
- And the spending is differences of just those things we talked about.
- It's by program what we've been Spending since 2012.
- So that's where you can see the Spending trend. Chairman Kelly, thank you. Missed it by a year.
- We spend about one third of your budget on students and two thirds On government, Mr.
Bills:
SB2
Keywords:
SB 2, State Highway Project Bonds, highway funding, transportation bonds, state road fund, motor vehicle fees, vehicle registration fees, electric vehicle fee, EV surcharge, plug-in hybrid fee, weight distance tax, road construction, infrastructure financing, Department of Transportation, State Transportation Commission, bonding authority, county road funds, municipal road funds, transportation improvement program, state highways
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- They have particular issues they care about to spend their own money.
- but for having someone who spends time in this building and knows how it works.
- corporations spending immeasurable money.
- But, I mean, that pales in comparison to what corporations are spending. in this Capitol every single
- You know, how much they're spending and maybe lowering the cost of goods for consumers and you know,
Keywords:
hemp regulation, consumable products, cannabinoids, occupational licenses, criminal offenses, SB 11, Texas attorney general, election crimes, election law enforcement, criminal prosecution, Election Code, Government Code Chapter 402, local prosecutors, county attorney, district attorney, grand jury, probable cause reports, state election offenses, voter fraud, election integrity
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-03-26 (3:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- More importantly, State government has a spending problem.
- More importantly, we have a recurring spending problem.
- It is that we cannot resist spending every single dime of recurring revenue.
- We cannot spend our way out of a spending problem.
- We must remove the temptation to spend, and I will be asking...
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, quorum confirmed, and several recognitions, including a moment of silence for retired fire captain Bill Guston and a welcome for guests in the galleries. The Speaker then outlined the House’s budget approach, saying the proposed General Appropriations Act would be lower than both the governor’s proposal and last year’s budget, and announced plans to seek a permanent 0.75% reduction in the state sales tax. The chamber also received the governor’s veto message on portions of HB 5001 and began considering motions to restore several vetoed appropriations.
Members unanimously reinstated funding for the Florida Senior Veterans and Crisis Fund, the Rockledge Advanced Water Treatment Phase 1 project, the automated staffing/time management system for the Department of Corrections, and the Baldwin sanitary sewer and water main replacement project. The House also adopted special order and GAA amendment-procedure reports. On the special order calendar, the chamber passed HB 289 on boating safety (“Lucy’s Law”), HB 735 on water access facilities, HB 11 on municipal water and sewer utility rates, CS/HB 85 on hazardous walking conditions, and CS/HB 157 on service of process, all by wide margins.
The most debated measure was HB 6017, which would repeal Florida’s “free kill” law limiting wrongful-death damages in medical negligence cases. Supporters described the bill as a long-sought justice measure for families who lost adult children and were barred from suing, while opponents argued it was needed to provide accountability and fairness. The bill passed 104-6. The House then took up HB 759, which would lower the minimum age to purchase or transfer a firearm from 21 to 18. An amendment to keep the age at 21 was defeated, and debate featured strong arguments on both sides about constitutional rights, public safety, Parkland, military service, and data on youth violence; the transcript ends during continued debate on the bill, before final passage is shown.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- What's the right level of spending? Where, in fact, do we protect and expand labor rights?
- , corporate spending in in in<00:51:14.800>
elections <00:51:15.200>and <00:51:15.440>- ,<00:54:31.760>
comes control of all federal spending, comes control of all federal spending- um how much money overall we can spend um how much money overall we can spend that<00:54:38.800>
- Then he came back and said, spending.
- ,<00:54:31.760>
Summary:
The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing on the rule of law with U.S. Representative Ed Case. Chair Carl Rhodes opened by explaining the purpose of the briefing, noting it was being livestreamed and that public testimony would not be taken in the usual way. He described the rule of law as central to democracy and introduced Case, who was invited to discuss the concept and its relevance to recent federal actions affecting Hawaii.
Case framed the rule of law as a durable system grounded in the Constitution, federal laws, separation of powers, and checks and balances, with each branch of government and the public itself playing a role. He emphasized that Congress makes the laws, the president executes them, and the courts decide whether the Constitution and laws are being followed. He also stressed that elected officials swear to uphold this structure and that the rule of law is distinct from ordinary policy disagreements.
Case then argued that the Trump administration has undermined the rule of law through actions such as dismantling or weakening agencies created and funded by law, withholding appropriated funds, removing inspectors general and other independent officials, ignoring or challenging court orders, weakening the independence of agencies like the Department of Justice and the Federal Reserve, and intimidating dissenting voices, the press, and other opponents. He said these actions have harmed Hawaii and reflect a coordinated effort to concentrate power in the executive branch. He noted that Congress has not been serving as an effective check, while federal courts have been the main remaining check through more than 46 lawsuits, and he identified voters as the ultimate check and balance, briefly correcting the timing of the next midterm election to 2026.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Appropriations and Finance Feb 4th, 2025
House Appropriations & Finance
Transcript Highlights:
- Again, there's a limit of spending up to $1 million.
- We're going to spend $70 million to provide a convenience, or...
- So, the intent is not to save it all, but to spend it at a slower pace.
- And they've been just spending out of it at leisure.
- That is a lot of money that we're spending, that we could be spending on housing.
PA
Transcript Highlights:
- These bills are optional spending. The state does not have to do it.
- This should be done after all the mandatory spending is done. I urge a no vote.
- These bills are optional spending. The state does not have to do it.
- This should be done after all the mandatory spending is done. I urge a no vote.
- At the same time, Penn State is asking taxpayers for more money while spending hundreds of millions on
Summary:
The House began with ceremonial recognitions, including guests of Representatives Benham and Warren and a farewell acknowledgment for longtime floor staffer Michelle Martin, who is leaving House service for a role in the Senate. The chamber then took up caucus and committee announcements, recessed several times, and later returned to consider a series of committee reports and bills. House and Senate bills were reported from Rules, Appropriations, and Judiciary, including referrals of several measures to committees.
The House adopted House Resolution 515 unanimously, urging Congress to review Major Richard D. Winner’s actions for possible Medal of Honor recognition. It also adopted House Resolution 208, directing a performance audit of services, wait times, and processes in the Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services; supporters said it would help improve services for Pennsylvanians with vision impairment, while the vote was 201-1. The chamber then passed several bills with amendments, including measures on foster care youth benefits, AI companion safeguards, prison industry enhancement program administration, memorial bridge designations, firefighter and EMS donation options through PennDOT renewals, horse-racing background checks, and fertility preservation coverage.
Several bills reached final passage. House Bill 1239, limiting homeowners associations from restricting rooftop solar installations, passed 109-93. House Bill 2146, amending the Sunshine Act to tighten the 24-hour agenda notice rule while preserving limited exceptions, passed 193-9 after debate over transparency and local-government flexibility. House Bill 2558, banning non-compete agreements for broadcast workers, passed narrowly 103-99 amid objections from Republicans and concerns about impacts on local broadcasters and contract rights. Senate Bills 971 and 972 also passed finally, dealing with township audit deadlines and municipal memorials for first responders.
The House also approved House Bill 2412, funding state-related universities for fiscal year 2026-27, by 155-47 after debate over Penn State’s campus closures, accountability, and per-student funding differences; House Bill 2413, appropriating funds to the University of Pennsylvania, passed 195-7. The chamber then moved several bills back to Appropriations, signed Senate Bills 971 and 972, and adjourned until the next scheduled session.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
04/29/2026 - House Republican Caucus Calendar #21
Transcript Highlights:
- And they have until the early 2030s to spend it.
- Thank you. “...a bold plan to streamline state government, cut spending, and save Arizona up to $100
- Between 2014 and 2024, we increased spending on K-12 education by 57%. Inflation was 29%.
- I will note that the counties want expenditure limitation relief to spend their opioid dollars, and I
- I think a few reports on how they're spending their money would go a long way. Yeah, outstanding.
Summary:
House Republican caucus met on April 29 to review the FY 2027 budget package and several related “budget implementation” bills, with Chairman Livingston noting that HB 2415 was being held. Staff and members walked through HB 4138, the General Appropriations Act (“feed bill”), which appropriates about $17.96 billion from the general fund and includes one-time fund transfers, 5% lump-sum reductions for most agencies, funding for the state health insurance plan, school facilities, child care, correctional officer stipends, public safety, and other prior-year items. Members emphasized that the budget reflected House and Senate negotiations after the governor left budget talks, and Republican leaders framed it as a package that lowers taxes, shrinks government, and funds priorities such as K-12, child care, foster care, and public safety.
The caucus then reviewed a series of mostly standard budget bills: HB 4139 on gaming/racing assessments; HB 4140 on federal monies, the budget stabilization fund, and ACE initiative savings reporting; HB 4141 on capital outlay, highway construction, airport funding, and rural transportation match funds; HB 4142 on commerce and lottery distributions; HB 4143 on corrections reporting; HB 4144 on environmental provisions and water-related fund uses; HB 4145 on state employee health insurance premiums and DES reforms; HB 4146 on higher education funding provisions; HB 4147 on SNAP administration and error-rate reduction; HB 4148 on K-12 inflation adjustments, school facilities, and ASDB property-sale oversight; HB 4150 on county expenditure flexibility and state office rent rates; HB 4151 on the Department of Revenue’s integrated tax system funding and related charges; HB 4152 on tax conformity, deductions, and repeal of several renewable-energy tax preferences and the Rio Nuevo diversion; and HB 4153 on transportation reporting. Discussion repeatedly centered on health plan solvency, SNAP/ACCESS eligibility and fraud controls, school funding, rural transportation, and tax conformity and relief.
The caucus also took up several blue-sheet bills: HB 2035 on extended-family placement notifications in child welfare cases; HB 2170 restricting certain PRC-controlled companies from state IT contracts; HB 2249 expanding Parents’ Bill of Rights provisions; HB 2573 on DUI interlock/restricted-license rules and psychotherapy definitions; and HB 2873, which was amended to allow withdrawal of referendum petitions before ballot qualification. HB 2415 was held. The Speaker closed by praising the caucus for its budget work, saying the package delivers tax relief, protects vulnerable populations and public safety, and reflects months of Republican negotiations, and the meeting adjourned to the floor.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
FULL INTERVIEW: Saving Our Safety Net by Stabilizing HCMC | Senator Rich Draheim Apr 24th, 2026
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And that's my biggest frustration on what we spend time doing up here is a lot of things aren't as important
- And that's my biggest frustration on what we spend time doing up here is a lot of things aren't as important
- on what we spend time doing up<00:02:00.160>
here <00:02:00.800>is <00:02:00.960>a< - I think we need to reel in the spending.
- reel in the spending. reel in the spending.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 13, 2025 - 08:00 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- If I get a buck, I save 50 and I spend 50, all right?
- They're spending money in the area. They're living there. You're making it up in other ways.
- It almost seems like it generates dollars and then they look for a place to spend them.
- Sometimes you've got to take a step back and look and say, hey, who's spending too much?
- Back and look and say, hey, who's spending too much?
Summary:
The Ways and Means Committee met on March 13, 2025, for its first meeting of the session, with member and staff introductions followed by consideration of several tax-related bills. The committee first heard HJR 163 and its implementing bill HB 165, which would extend the homestead property tax exemption for quadriplegics to surviving spouses, similar to the treatment for surviving spouses of certain disabled veterans. Sponsor Rep. Tant and constituent J.R. Harding described the financial and caregiving burdens faced by spouses of quadriplegics. The committee heard supportive testimony from the Florida Association of Property Appraisers and members voted both measures favorably without opposition.
The committee then considered HB 785 on heated tobacco products. Rep. Tramont said the bill would create a new tax/regulatory category for the product, and an amendment clarifying the definition was adopted. The James Madison Institute offered a resource on the issue, the Florida Retail Federation waived in support, and Ranking Member Eskamani said she had concerns about the excise tax treatment and would vote no. The bill passed 16-1. Next, HB 321, a property tax exemption clarification for homes for the aged, was presented by Rep. Smith as a technical “glitch bill” to align state law with IRS tax code and ease development of low-income senior housing. It drew supportive testimony and passed unanimously.
The final bill, HB 503 by Rep. Botana, would cap local government revenue from local business taxes and require refunds if collections exceed the cap, with carve-outs for fiscally constrained areas. Local government and economic development groups, including the Florida League of Cities, the City of Winter Haven, the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, and the Florida Association of Counties, opposed the bill, arguing it would limit funding for public safety, inspections, economic development, and other services and create administrative refund problems. Several members supported the bill as a tax-cutting measure, while others warned of impacts on local services and revenue flexibility. The committee reported HB 503 favorably on a 14-5 vote, and then adjourned.