Transcript Highlights:

• We're a Minnesota-based full-scale solar and battery energy storage developer and owner-operator.
• energy storage developer and owner<00:32:10.320> operator.
• Today, US Solar is a medium-scale business that embraces new technologies like battery energy storage
• of energy that can be used for the heating, and some of that storage being with like hydrogen or other
• of energy that can be used for the heating, and some of that storage being with like hydrogen or other

Bills: HF3556

Keywords: community solar, energy, solar power, renewable energy, Melissa Hortman, 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the February 26, 2026 minutes and then took up House File 3556, which would rename Minnesota’s community solar garden program the Melissa Hortman Community Solar Garden Program. The bill’s author described the measure as a tribute to Hortman’s leadership and her role in creating the program, noting its importance to Minnesota’s solar industry and the broader clean energy transition. The author moved HF 3556 to the general register, and the committee proceeded to testimony. Testifiers from the Public Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce, solar industry groups, clean energy organizations, and community solar advocates all supported the bill. They credited Hortman with authoring and advancing the 2013 legislation that created Minnesota’s community solar program and said it became a national model that expanded access to solar for renters, lower-income households, and others who could not install rooftop systems. Several witnesses highlighted the program’s growth, including more than 1 gigawatt of approved projects, strong participation by low- and moderate-income subscribers, and job creation and private investment in Minnesota. Witnesses also emphasized Hortman’s personal leadership style, describing her as prepared, persuasive, collaborative, and deeply committed to clean energy and public service. Some recounted personal interactions with her and said the name change would preserve her legacy and ensure future Minnesotans remember her impact. No vote on the bill itself was taken during the testimony shown, beyond the motion to send HF 3556 to the general register.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alabama, it is just unfathomable to me that we would do this and not do something to even store safe storage
• Alabama, it is just unfathomable to me that we would do this and not do something to even store safe storage
• enduring experiences for teachers and students in an area of the state that is not easy to get to our facilities
• enduring experiences for teachers and students in an area of the state that is not easy to get to our facilities
• enduring experiences for teachers and students in an area of the state that is not easy to get to our facilities

Bills: HB187, HB98, HB360, HB394, HB398, HB388, HB187, HB98, HB360, HB394, HB398, HB388

Keywords: school safety, emergency response, training, public safety, Alyssa's Law, law enforcement, scholarship, tuition assistance, dependent education, Alabama, blackout license plate, HB360, Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday, sales tax holiday, firearms, guns, ammunition, bullets, primers, gun accessories

Transcript Highlights:

• name of Chad Holly, who was brutally beaten, a young man who was brutally beaten for breaking into a storage
• facility.
• I don't know if you may or may not remember that, but for the last, every Facility.
• and the timeliness of flood warnings, and finally $20 million toward a new swift water training facility
• facility of not more than 200 acre-feet of water for the purposes of erosion, floodwater, and sediment

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, you know, just like any other commercial facility, there would be the standard energy involved
• Such as fusion energy, storage, critical minerals, and advanced manufacturing components.
• moved from our lab bench experiments to our first pilot, and we are looking to expand beyond our facility

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• APPLIED INTELLIGENCE WHICH WILL BE LOCATED IN THE GULF COAST RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER, THIS FACILITY
• IT GOT DEMOLISHED BY HURRICANE MICHAEL SO WE ONLY USE THE FACILITY FOR STORAGE NOW, IT'S DOWN BY SHELL

Transcript Highlights:

• construction of the Amistad and Falcon Reservoirs. along the Rio Grande for flood control and water storage
• We're working to expand the facility to 20 million gallons per day.
• system obtained status as a wholesale water provider and purchased a site for the first treatment facility

Bills: SCR13, SB1248

Keywords: water rights, treaty compliance, Rio Grande, agriculture, drought, international water, Texas water supply, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, TPWD, harvest reports, wildlife harvest data, public information act, open records, confidentiality, hunter privacy, angler data, game animals, game birds, fur-bearing animals, nongame animals

Transcript Highlights:

• Cement facility is vital to these efforts.
• Zone of influence, that three miles, that are even, even if your own facility or building other facilities
• We only permit facilities that may emit air contaminants, and according to statute, a facility Excludes
• It's just two miles from our last facility, which actually, enough, was the last facility we ever built
• And if it does affect their facility, then it...

Bills: SB2037, SB1757, SB1758, SB1759, HB29

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• I do want to address the fact that safe storage laws, especially with these enhanced storage requirements
• We can reduce deaths by suicide if we adopt safe and secure storage.
• I do want to address the fact that safe storage laws, especially with these enhanced storage requirements
• I do want to address the fact that safe storage laws, especially with these enhanced storage requirements
• We can reduce deaths by suicide if we adopt safe and secure storage.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• storage storage continuing<00:41:44.960> to<00:41:45.280> protect<00:41:45.520> the
• So how big is the storage problem regarding the biological evidence?
• very limited uh storage space. very limited uh storage space. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
• I don't know. >> They have a storage they have to store stuff as well. >> Yes, I believe. Yes.
• problem with the devices that storage problem with the devices that we've<00:49:07.040> seized.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills related to bribery and public corruption. On SB 2249, which would increase penalties for bribery under certain circumstances, the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and Honolulu Police Department supported the measure, arguing that Hawaii’s current class B felony penalty is probationable and too weak to secure cooperation in corruption cases, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Snyder decision narrowed federal bribery prosecutions. The Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing that elevating bribery to a class A felony and making it non-probationable was excessive, overbroad, and would remove judicial discretion. Multiple individuals also testified in support. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about removing deferred acceptance of plea provisions and asked HPD about the $20,000 threshold; the prosecutor said alternative charges could still be used in plea bargaining, and HPD said the threshold aligns with first-degree theft. The committee also discussed how current law tolls the bribery statute of limitations while an official remains in office, with the prosecutor explaining it can extend up to six years total. The committee then heard SB 2494, which would set a nine-year statute of limitations for bribery offenses. The Public Defender opposed the extension, saying the justification based on the length of federal investigations was too broad and that bribery already has a longer limitations period than most felonies. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the bill, saying bribery cases often involve coordination with federal investigators, that federal and state evidence-gathering methods may differ, and that a longer period would help ensure admissible evidence and allow state prosecution when federal law no longer applies. Members asked whether there were public examples of cases lost to the current limitations period; the prosecutor said he was not aware of any publicly available examples, but maintained nine years was a reasonable period. The committee also considered SB 2737, which would create a misdemeanor for failure by a state or county elected official to report bribery. The Department of the Attorney General offered comments and suggested changing the term to “public servant” for consistency with existing law. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office supported the intent but warned the reporting requirement could create Fifth Amendment issues for witnesses who might otherwise be useful in grand jury proceedings. The bill drew broad public support, with 33 supporters and no opposition noted. Finally, the committee took up SB 3071, which revises sex trafficking and promoting prostitution statutes by redefining “profits from prostitution” and adding an affirmative defense for certain lawful transactions. The Public Defender opposed the measure, saying it still could reach people without the required criminal intent and that the affirmative defense language could be applied unevenly. The Attorney General and Honolulu Prosecutor supported the bill, saying it better addresses concerns raised by the State v. Ibarra decision while closing loopholes that allow traffickers to disguise profits as loans or gifts. The prosecutor emphasized that traffickers are sophisticated and can structure transactions to evade current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additional permitting operation requirements through the Railroad Commission and facility air quality
• We know that they have provided 47,000 jobs in the renewable energy and storage space, and if we invest
• If we move... ...and storage space, and if we invest in them, we can continue to grow those numbers.
• while they don't pass bond issuances, they do receive money from the state of Texas to now build facilities

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation, messages from the House, and several recognitions, including county day delegations from Fayette, LaSalle, Jim Hogg, Austin, and others, as well as a recognition of Rob Keppel for his career with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. The chamber also adopted several resolutions, including SR 429 designating October 2025 as RET Syndrome Awareness Month and SR 432 honoring Rob Keppel. A doctor-of-the-day introduction and a public announcement about free skin checks were also made. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1152, creating the offense of continuous manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, passed after suspension of the rules. SB 1868, regulating kratom and related substances, was amended to prohibit smokeable kratom products and kratom pills and to clarify THC variants such as Delta-8 and Delta-10, then passed. SB 1349, creating offenses for transnational repression and unauthorized enforcement of foreign law, drew debate over a failed amendment that would have added election misinformation and foreign meddling; the bill ultimately passed unanimously. SB 2037, expediting review of LNG environmental permits, passed after amendments clarifying fees and deadlines, with opposition focused on its energy-policy implications. SB 1164, addressing emergency detention and court-ordered inpatient mental health treatment, passed after a drafting-error correction and discussion of the bill’s basis in recommendations from the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. The Senate also advanced SB 2743 on prosecution of certain election offenses, which would allow a court process to disqualify a local prosecutor who repeatedly refuses to prosecute election cases and appoint the Attorney General; it passed to engrossment amid questions about evidence and local discretion. SB 1299, protecting nonprofit members, supporters, volunteers, and donors from disclosure by public agencies, passed unanimously. SB 2349, exempting certain short-term leases and temporary tenancies from floodplain notice requirements, passed unanimously. SB 2788, adding PSAT and pre-ACT scores for Texas Success Initiative exemptions and clarifying dual-credit eligibility, passed unanimously after amendment. SB 843, creating a TEA database of school district bonds, taxes, and bond-related projects and adding charter schools, passed after amendments on funding and scope. Finally, SB 1832, allowing parents to transfer a student who was victimized by a public school employee to another campus, passed to engrossment after extended debate over whether the bill should also cover private schools and how it would interact with school choice and ESA policy. SB 39, revising the admission rule in commercial motor vehicle collision cases, was laid out and debated over its effect on negligent entrustment and related evidence, with the author emphasizing that the bill preserves the bifurcated trial structure and does not alter other admissibility rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 631 is an act relating to energy storage goals, introduced by Representatives Campbell of
• Please listen to the first reading of the bill. >> H 631, an act relating to establishing energy storage
• 03.600> energy Bill 631 is an act relating to energy Bill 631 is an act relating to energy storage
• by storage goals introduced by representatives<00:05:06.479> Campbell<00:05:06.960> of
• energy storage goals. energy storage goals.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a moment of silence honoring four former members who had recently died: Avis Jarvis, Ernie Shan Jr., Ernest Earl, and Malcolm F. Severance. Members then introduced 12 bills for first reading and referral, covering topics including voyeurism and disclosure of sexually explicit images, crime victims’ rights in forensic cases, domestic abuse orders of protection, family court judgments, connected-device security standards, energy storage goals, environmental amendments, municipal votes on cannabis retail, cannabis consumption in prohibited places, elimination of Department of Corrections supervisory fees, an independent monitoring board for body-worn camera footage, and operating under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Each bill was read and referred to the appropriate committee. During announcements, members noted an upcoming Vermont National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus meeting, recognized a representative’s birthday, observed a moment of silence for former doorkeeper Cornelius L. Reed, and welcomed a new child in the gallery. The chamber then moved to the orders of the day. The House considered H.28, which would add explicit affirmation language to oath requirements in titles 1 through 10 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated and make related technical and gender-neutral wording changes. The Judiciary Committee recommended amendment, and the House adopted the committee amendment and ordered third reading. The House also took up H.409, a strike-all amendment concerning bail revocation procedures. The bill would correct bail-cap language for now-sealable misdemeanors and create a clearer process for prosecutors to appeal denied motions for bail revocation; witnesses from legislative counsel, public safety, prosecutors, defense, and the judiciary supported it. The committee vote was reported as 10-1 after a correction from the floor, the House adopted the amendment, and third reading was ordered. The House then adjourned until Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• They bought a facility that had brewing previously in there and decided they wanted to brew there, but
• They bought a facility that had brewing previously in there and decided they wanted to brew there, but
• <00:13:57.040> that<00:13:57.320> had<00:13:57.480> a they bought a facility
• It's the storage of the information I have a problem with. Perfect, thank you.
• <00:54:30.319> of problem with that it's the storage of problem with that it's the storage

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with House Bill 242, a liquor bill concerning brew pub licenses. Testimony from the New Hampshire Beer Distributors Association, the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, and the Liquor Commission explained that the bill is intended to correct a clerical error from the prior session and restore the agreed-upon language. The bill would allow a brew pub, within the existing 2,500-barrel limit, to self-distribute its own product to one authorized on- or off-premise license; otherwise it must use wholesale distribution. Witnesses said the measure is a narrow fix specific to brew pubs and does not affect other manufacturing licenses. No opposition was raised during the hearing, and the chair closed the hearing after no committee questions remained. The committee then heard House Bill 81, which would allow patrons to take purchased alcoholic beverages into restaurant restrooms. The sponsor argued the current prohibition is outdated and can create safety risks by forcing people to set drinks down, citing concerns about drink tampering and a personal story about a friend who was drugged and assaulted after leaving a drink unattended. Committee members and the sponsor discussed whether the bill would increase liability for restaurants, how enforcement would work, and whether the current law is aimed at preventing underage handoffs or drink spiking. The sponsor said the bill would be permissive for establishments, not mandatory, and that liability would still depend on overservice and Liquor Commission investigations. The New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association testified in opposition, saying the bill could raise liability and create concerns about underage consumption in bathrooms. The hearing ended without a vote, with the chair noting the bill would move on to further committee/subcommittee consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• mental health facility. >> Senator Smitherman, did you have a... >> when you get to if I can be ready
• 41:16.880> rehab committed to an inpatient drug rehab committed to an inpatient drug rehab facility
• or to an inpatient mental facility or to an inpatient mental health<00:41:19.440> facility.
• c><00:41:20.240> Senator<00:41:20.640> Smitherman,<00:41:21.119> did health facility
• Senator Smitherman, did health facility.

Bills: SB169, SB180, SB203, SB87, SB195, SB192, SB169, SB180, SB203, SB87, SB195, SB192, HB132, HB37, HB13, HB54, HB126, HB7, SB30, HB188, HB189, HB26, HB264, HB288, HB248, HB249, HB227, HB228

Keywords: Lieutenant Governor, vacancy, governor appointment, Alabama Constitution, state government, media monitoring, government contracts, state agencies, local agencies, media regulations, transparency, dental insurance, medical loss ratio, premium regulation, insurance commissioner, rebate, consumer protection, midwifery, licensed midwives, State Board of Midwifery

Transcript Highlights:

• The first part of the bill is extended UI benefits for the affected workers at Cleveland Cliffs facilities
• The third part of the bill includes a provision on safe storage of reactive mine waste, which I know
• My brother works at our facility. My father does this. It affects everyone.
• to express that this is going to have a ripple effect to everyone with what they've done to our facility
• <00:04:09.120> they've they've done to our facility they've they've done to our facility they've

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 3030, the Minnesota Miners Relief Act, was presented as a response to layoffs at Cleveland-Cliffs facilities in Minorca and Hibbing, where more than 600 workers were expected to be affected. Supporters said the bill combines an extension of unemployment benefits for laid-off miners with two policy provisions: a site-specific standard intended to address long-running MPCA permitting and rulemaking issues, and standards for the safe storage of reactive mine waste. Speakers argued the package would provide immediate relief while also creating more certainty for future mining jobs and critical minerals development on the Iron Range. The event featured remarks from Representatives Spencer Igo and Cal Warwas, St. Louis County Commissioner Mike Jugovich, Senator Rob Farnsworth, and union and mine representatives, all of whom emphasized the personal and community impact of the layoffs. They described the potential ripple effects on suppliers, local businesses, young workers, and public revenues, and said the bill was about livelihoods rather than politics. Several speakers stressed that the policy provisions were meant to provide clearer, safer standards rather than weaken environmental protections, and they urged bipartisan cooperation to preserve mining jobs and support the region’s long-term future. In response to questions, Igo said the bill had strong bipartisan support for the UI extension and that the policy provisions should not threaten its chances. He said the UI portion was about three pages of the six-page bill and estimated the cost to the UI trust fund at between $1 million and $12 million. He also said the other provisions would require only modest statutory changes. The bill had been heard in the labor committee and was laid over for possible inclusion or further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• BELIEVE IT WAS HELENE, ONE OF THE FOLKS I WAS WORKING WITH WAS TRYING TO PROVIDE AREAS FOR DEBRIS STORAGE
• WE DID MORE THAN THAT, WE SAW THE FACILITY AS BEING STRATEGIC TO THE SPACEPORT SO WE TOOK OWNERSHIP OF
• SO WE HAVE IMMEDIATELY BEGUN EXPANSION OF OUR WORLD-CLASS FACILITY IN AUBURNDALE.
• IT'S A STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY.
• HAVE YOU GIVEN THOUGHT OR BEGUN TO WORK ON ANY IDEAS ON HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET FACILITIES, THERE

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the things that I've been doing since 2018 is I go to the Shakopee Correctional Facility and I
• ago, the issue of when these issues are investigated, that there was a hard drive, or you know, a storage
• device, that was confiscated by the investigators, and they couldn't even duplicate that storage because
• drive that was or you know a storage drive that was or you know a storage device<01:18:05.199>
• that storage because that would<01:18:14.719> have<01:18:14.920> been<01:18:15.800>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They could be paintings, you know, in a climate-controlled storage facility, lots of other things like
• know, in a climate controlled storage know, in a climate controlled storage facility,<01:43:21.600
• facilities facilities by<02:09:03.440> uh<02:09:03.599> having<02:09:04.000> our
• My family lives in North facility.
• It's It's the uh the facility itself.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen many, many, many, many face liens on homes because they rented out a room to someone.
• around the Jackson Public Health System to become one of the largest and now world-class health facilities

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen many, many, many, many, face liens on homes because they rented out a room to someone.
• around the Jackson Public Health System to become one of the largest and now world-class health facility

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen many, many, many people face liens on homes because they rented out a room to someone.
• around the Jackson Public Health System to become one of the largest and now world-class health facilities

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment on property tax reform. The measure would increase the homestead exemption in stages, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses such as public safety, education, infrastructure, natural resources, debt service, employee benefits, and certain administrative costs. Supporters, led by Senator Avila, argued the proposal would provide meaningful property tax relief and push local governments to rein in spending, while opponents warned it would shift costs to fees, reduce local flexibility, and threaten funding for core services. Several amendments were offered and rejected. Senator Sharief proposed an income-based circuit breaker for property tax relief; Senator Smith offered a sunset clause; and Senator Berman proposed revising the ballot statement to better match the amended proposal and remove outdated references. Each amendment failed on recorded votes. During questioning and debate, senators pressed Avila on the ballot language, the effect on local services, whether the legislature could later restrict local spending by statute, and whether renters would benefit. Avila said the ballot language was not his and repeatedly stated he was presenting the governor’s proposal, while also saying local governments would need to prioritize budgets and that future legislatures could address implementation details. After the amendment votes, the joint resolution was read a third time and moved into final debate. Supporters said the proposal would give homeowners relief and force fiscal discipline at the local level. Opponents, including Senators Nathan, Bracey Davis, Smith, Polsky, and Errington, argued the measure was rushed, lacked a completed fiscal analysis or replacement revenue, and could harm police, fire, libraries, parks, housing, and other local services. They also criticized the ballot summary as misleading, especially regarding the staged homestead exemption increase. The transcript ends during debate, before any final vote on the joint resolution itself.