Transcript Highlights:

• And all of a sudden, the potato industry realized that irrigated potatoes made much better French fries
• irrigation, and all of a sudden the potato industry realized that irrigated potatoes made much better French

Bills: SB2271, HB1216

Keywords: adult residential facilities, care services, Medicaid, payment rates, elderly care, health services, North Dakota, prescription drugs, drug affordability, copay assistance, copayment accumulator, deductible accumulator, out-of-pocket maximum, health insurance, health benefit plan, self-insured health plan, self-funded plan, third-party payment, manufacturer assistance, patient assistance program

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met with a quorum and took up three bills. House Bill 1216, dealing with prescription drug expense co-pay accumulators in health plans, was presented by Rep. Karen Carl’s, who explained it would prevent insurers from refusing to count third-party assistance toward deductibles for patients using high-cost, non-generic drugs. An amendment was offered to clarify effective dates, including a delayed January 1, 2026 start for PERS coverage. PERS testified that the amendment would align with its calendar-year benefit structure and likely reduce the fiscal note. The amendment was adopted 16-0, and the bill was set aside for further discussion later. House Bill 1199, creating a criminal justice data-sharing system and missing persons/missing Indigenous people task force, was introduced with a committee amendment changing the Attorney General reference to the Attorney General or designee. The committee noted the bill includes a $250,000 general fund appropriation for ongoing costs. The amendment passed 16-0, and the amended bill received a do pass recommendation by a 15-1 vote, with one no vote from Senator Magrum. House Bill 1531, appropriating $75,000 for an irrigation expansion study by the Agriculture Commissioner, was supported as a way to update older economic-impact studies on irrigation and assess opportunities for expansion. Members discussed its relationship to broader study pauses and the history of irrigation development in the state, including Garrison Diversion and remaining authorized acres. The bill passed 16-0. The committee then discussed scheduling for the coming week, noting a heavy bill load and plans for daily morning meetings before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> French. >> Garu. >> Hicks. >> Hutchings. >> IDE. >> Jones. >> Co. >> Landon. >> Larson. >> Love.
• French, yes. Gierau, yes. Hicks, yes. Hutchings, yes. Jones, yes. Kolb, yes. Landen, yes.
• >> I<01:39:33.280> French. >> I French. >> I French. >> No.
• French. I. Gierau. No. Hicks. I. Hutchings. I. Ide. No. Jones. I. Kolb. I. Landen. I. Larson. I.
• >> I<01:43:56.800> French. >> I French. >> I French. >> Hi.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Bread and Puppet will be here performing with their founder.
• <00:21:26.120> Bread<00:21:26.320> and there's been an addition.
• Bread and there's been an addition.
• Bread and Puppet<00:21:26.880> will<00:21:27.000> be<00:21:27.160> here<00:21:27.400

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Rabbi Toby Weisman, who spoke about Passover, the obligation to remember liberation from slavery, and the Torah’s repeated command to love the stranger. He connected that theme to immigrants and the need for community, courage, and small acts of kindness. After the devotional, the chamber took up three Senate bills for first reading and referral: S. 179 on the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act to Judiciary, S. 212 on potable water supply and wastewater system connections to Environment, and S. 227 on immigration protocols in Vermont schools to Education. The House also referred H. 558, relating to the Medicaid School-Based Services Program, to Appropriations, and H. 937, reported favorably by Ways and Means, was also sent to Appropriations under House Rule 35a. The House adopted JRS 45, a joint resolution on weekend adjournment for March 20, 2026, by voice vote. It also read and adopted several concurrent resolutions, including HCR 187 congratulating Village Garage Distillery of Bennington for a silver medal at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, HCR 213 recognizing March 2026 as Social Work Month in Vermont, and HCR 224 congratulating Vermont athletes at the 2025 National Senior Games and designating March 18, 2026, as Vermont Senior Games Day at the State House. Members made remarks in support of the resolutions, including praise for the distillery, social workers, and senior athletes, and guests in the gallery were recognized. The House then took up H. 887, which would amend the Fair Employment Practices Act to align documentation rules for crime victims with the protections already available to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking under the safe leave law. The committee and sponsor described it as a modest but important fix to ensure survivors can access both leave and anti-discrimination protections without conflicting paperwork requirements. The House agreed to the committee amendment and ordered the bill to third reading. Next, the chamber began H. 917, an omnibus military affairs bill combining several measures: correcting the Adjutant General title, defining Gold Star family member, creating a hiring preference for military spouses in state government, and providing free parking for disabled veterans. The sponsor outlined the bill’s purpose and sections, and discussion began on the title correction and related provisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Seeberger, no, I think this is one of those bread-and-butter issues where we have a land-grant
• Senator Seeberger, no, I think this is one of those bread-and-butter issues where we have a land-grant
• Johnson did a nice job of reminding us what some of that wasteful spending was, because some of these bread-and-butter
• Johnson did a nice job of reminding us what some of that wasteful spending was, because some of these bread-and-butter
• Johnson did a nice job of reminding us what some of that wasteful spending was, because some of these bread-and-butter

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Clark, Coleman, Swazinski, Dames, Dibble, Dornink, Draheim, Drazkowski, Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fateh, French
• Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fateh, French, Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fateh, French, Green,<00:07:27.880> Gruenhagen

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh again, this is for the French<00:09:35.040> benefits<00:09:35.440> for<00:09:35.680>
• fiscal<00:09:36.000> years<00:09:36.399> 25<00:09:36.959> for French benefits
• for fiscal years 25 for French benefits for fiscal years 25 for uh<00:09:38.080> bargaining<00

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The conference committees reconvened on April 25, 2025, and worked through a series of measures, mostly public employment cost items, appropriations, workers’ compensation, data sharing, and retirement-related bills. Several bills were briefly held for later action because Finance/FIN-WAM or related release had not yet been received, including SB 382, HB 423, HB 480, HB 214, HB 828, HB 717, HB 1065, and HB 1036, with some of those rolled over to a 2:30 p.m. meeting in Conference Room 16. HB 1424, relating to appropriations, was described as requiring the Director of Finance to report on transfers between position funding and operating expenses; the conferees agreed to a CD1 and voted to pass it. HB 430, relating to internships, was also agreed to in CD1 with technical amendments removing certain appropriation language and was passed after clarification that the funding covered both years and included the Helima program. The committees then moved through a block of public employment cost items. HB 1026, HB 1027, HB 1028, HB 1029, HB 1030, HB 1032, HB 1034, and HB 1035 were each reported as having CD1 agreement and Finance/WAM release, with appropriations tied to various bargaining units and governor’s messages; each was voted out. HB 1036 and HB 1037 were held over due to release issues, while HB 1038 was noted as having CD1 and Finance/WAM release and was passed for bargaining unit 13. HB 1039 was also rolled over for lack of release. Later, SB 336 on defense of state employees was agreed to with technical cleanup and passed as a CD, and SB 1491 on departmental data sharing was amended to add agencies to the state longitudinal data system and require aggregation/anonymization of certain data before being passed as a CD. Additional measures were also resolved. SB 935, relating to government, was amended to reduce the ERS multiplier for judges beginning in 2031, remove sheriff and deputy sheriff language, and require a DHR study on changing vesting from 10 to 5 years; it passed as a CD with no appropriation. SB 1567 required DERT to complete a comprehensive review of classification and compensation systems by October 31, 2026, allowed a third-party contractor, required legislative reports, and included $1.75 million in the budget; it passed as a CD. SB 855, relating to the Hawaii Retirement Savings Act, clarified covered employers, required automatic enrollment unless employees opt out, repealed a fee cap, and added funding for FY26 and FY27; it passed as a CD. SB 743 established a data sharing governance working group within the Office of Enterprise Technology Services and required a legislative report; after a brief recess it was passed as a CD. SB 717 and SB 1065 were both continued to the later 2:30 p.m. meeting because release was still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we had an epidemic of French students committing suicide the way we have transgender students committing
• And we wanted to ban a French flag being up on the wall.
• It could, for that French student, give just a small moment of "I'm not alone in the world.

Bills: SB211, HB96, SB215, SB257, SB13, SB13

Keywords: school safety, local law enforcement, superintendent, complaints, school bus regulations, National Signing Day, athletic scholarships, military enlistment, postsecondary education, apprenticeship programs, high school students, educational commitments, education intervention, State Superintendent, local boards, provisional release, subpoena authority, compliance, educational operation control, fundraising

Transcript Highlights:

• Carly French, have a seat over here. And then to my left, Rick Thompson and Kaki Hinkle. That's it.
• Carly French? Good morning, Madam Chair and committee members. My name is Carly French.

Bills: SB868, SB1337, SB1371, SB1377, SB1426, SB1620, SB2064, SB2065, SJR4

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard several bills focused on tax administration, transportation, emergency services, historic preservation, forensic training, pension funding, and the state’s rainy day fund. Senate Bill 1337, by Senator Creighton, would require the comptroller to assess penalty and interest only on the net tax due and allow sales and use tax overpayments to offset underpayments more automatically; it was left pending while the author, comptroller staff, and a private witness continued working on the language and fiscal note. Senate Bill 1371, by Senator Hinojosa, would address Corpus Christi transit authority operations, including emergency refueling coordination, fare-setting procedures, and board term limits; it received supportive testimony and was left pending. Senate Bill 1377, by Senator Perry, would create a grant program for rural counties to buy ambulances, with a committee substitute expanding eligible uses in some cases to equipment and setting a sunset date; numerous EMS officials, county representatives, and association witnesses testified in support, emphasizing rising ambulance costs, staffing shortages, and the need for rural emergency coverage, and the bill was left pending after testimony. Senate Bill 868, by Senator Sparks, would direct at least 10% of volunteer fire department assistance funding to high wildfire-risk areas; Texas A&M Forest Service explained the map and methodology, and the committee substitute was adopted. The committee also heard Senate Bill 1426, which would place the First Capitol State Historic Site in West Columbia under Texas Historical Commission stewardship, and Senate Bill 1620, which would create a Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program through the Office of Court Administration to address forensic scientist shortages; both had no opposition in testimony and their committee substitutes were adopted. Senate Bill 2065 would change the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System funding structure to require an actuarially determined state contribution and address the system’s unfunded liability over 30 years; Pasadena fire department representatives testified that the pension is an important volunteer retention tool, and the bill was left pending after testimony. Senate Joint Resolution 4 would raise the Economic Stabilization Fund cap from 10% to 15% of biennial revenue deposits, with a committee substitute correcting the effective date to September 1, 2027; the committee discussed the fund’s current balance and purpose before adopting the substitute. After quorum was established, the committee voted out the measures. Senate Bill 1868, Senate Bill 1371, Senate Bill 264, Senate Joint Resolution 4, Senate Bill 1426, Senate Bill 1620, and Senate Bill 2065 were all reported favorably to the full Senate, with some bills also certified for the local and uncontested calendar. The committee substitute for Senate Bill 868 was adopted and the bill was reported favorably as well. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THIS IS AS GREAT AS SLICED BREAD. THIS IS BETTER THAN SLICED BREAD.

Transcript Highlights:

• heritage, was born June 29, 1958, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, attended McGill University, became fluent in French
• ><00:03:30.640> in McGill University, became fluent in McGill University, became fluent in French
• 31.600> a<00:03:31.640> lifelong<00:03:32.200> interest<00:03:32.560> in French
• , developed a lifelong interest in French, developed a lifelong interest in Canadian<00:03:33.160>

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with a moment of silence and read two adopted House Concurrent Resolutions. HCR 298 recognized the importance of the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fish culture program and hatcheries to aquatic sustainability, recreational fishing, education, and the economy. HCR 300 honored the life and work of Terry Anderson, a Vermont AIDS advocate, Democratic Party leader, and longtime activist; members offered personal tributes to his compassion, mentorship, and political leadership, and the resolution was sent to his family and the Vermont Democratic Party. The chamber then took up several bills returned from the Senate. H. 583, relating to clinical decision-making, was explained as having minor Senate amendments adjusting dates and adding collaboration language for Green Mountain Care Board reporting; the House Health Care Committee recommended concurrence, and the House agreed. H. 657, relating to Department for Children and Families programming, was also amended in small ways, including changes to language on Social Security benefits for youth in foster care, certification forms for unaccompanied youth, and an effective date; after debate about whether the bill could affect family separation, the House adopted the Senate changes by roll call vote, 133-2. The House next considered S. 202 on portable solar energy generation devices. The Senate’s changes narrowed landlord-related language and updated appliance efficiency standards; the House Energy Committee then proposed a further amendment striking the Senate’s addition of electric motors from the efficiency list, citing conflicting testimony, and the House concurred with that further amendment. Members also discussed notice procedures between tenants and landlords and the safety rationale for the bill. Finally, the House passed S. 208 on standards for law enforcement identification and S. 212 on potable water supply and wastewater system connections, both in concurrence with proposals of amendment. The House then recessed until 1:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clark, Coleman, Swadzinski, Dames, Dibble, Dornik, Draheim, Draskowski, Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fate, French
• Draskowski, Duckworth,<00:05:53.840> Farnsworth,<00:05:54.680> Fate,<00:05:55.320> French
• , Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fate, French, Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fate, French, Green,<00:05:56.880><

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened under call, established a quorum, and heard a prayer and pledge. The main legislative business was House amendments to Senate File 2511, the liquor bill authorizing various municipalities to issue liquor licenses. Senators described it as a bipartisan “one-off” liquor bill with local provisions, including a St. Louis Park food hall license, Minneapolis food hall licenses, a Rochester Chateau Theater provision, expanded University of Minnesota liquor licensing flexibility, Brainerd’s Northern Pacific Center license, seasonal resort licensing, and a care-facility “granny happy hour” provision. Senator Wesenberg asked about a proposed 17-year-old server provision, and Senator Klein said it had been dropped and was never part of the Senate language. The Senate concurred in the House amendments to SF 2511, advanced it to third reading, and passed it on final passage by a vote of 56 ayes to 10 nays. The chamber also adopted committee reports, took up a confirmation calendar item, and unanimously confirmed Joseph Sullivan to another six-year term on the Public Utilities Commission after Senator Frentz reported unanimous committee support and cited broad stakeholder backing. On special orders, the Senate passed House File 3741, which modernizes educational assistance for children and spouses of prisoners of war and deceased veterans by moving coverage under the Minnesota GI Bill and increasing the benefit to $750; it passed 66-0. The Senate also passed Senate File 3622, a 97-page technical and conforming update to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act. Senator Kroon highlighted changes for small common-interest communities, insurance responsibility in mixed-use buildings, buyer disclosure, court-rule alignment, and lien priority definitions. An A2 amendment delayed the effective date of a separate 308C cooperative housing rewrite for one year to allow more consumer-protection work; after discussion involving Senators Kroon, Dibble, and Westrom, the amendment was adopted, and SF 3622 then passed 67-0. The Senate later adjourned until the following Wednesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair calls Emily French with Common Cause Texas. Welcome.
• We show you registered as Emily French, and you are representing Common Cause Texas, and you are here
• Chair calls Emily French with Common Cause Texas. Welcome back, ma'am.
• We show you registered as Emily French.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Chair calls Emily French with Common Cause Texas. Thank you.
• We show you registered as Emily French, and you are representing Common Cause Texas.
• The Chair calls Emily French with Common Cause Texas. Welcome back, ma'am.
• We show you registered as Emily French.

Bills: HB376, HB817, HB 1297, HB1478, HB1661, HB1783

Keywords: HB 817, Texas Election Code, majority vote, majority threshold, ranked-choice voting, preferential voting, instant runoff voting, vote reassignment, ballot ranking, election administration, public office election, Election Code Section 2.0215, runoff elections, plurality vs majority, voting systems, education reform, budget allocation, teacher retention, student performance, accountability measures

Transcript Highlights:

• , Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fateh, French, Duckworth, Farnsworth, Fateh, French, Green,<00:07:50.200
• Senator French, for those voting pursuant to rule 40.7. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator French, for those voting pursuant to rule 40.7. Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator French, are those voting pursuant to Rule 40.7? Thank you, Mr. President.
• Senator French, for those voting pursuant to Rule 40.7. Thank you, Mr. President.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, chair calls Emily French with Common Cause Texas. Hello ma'am.
• Chair calls Emily French, representing Common Cause Texas. Hello ma'am.
• I show you registered as Emily French.
• Chair calls Emily French representing Common Cause Texas. Welcome back, ma'am.
• I show you're registered as Emily French.

Bills: HB304

Keywords: franchise tax credit, food desert, grocery store, healthy corner store, nutrition assistance, economic development, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• Is the French language because of the shortage of language teachers in the schools?
• Is it possible that a French-speaking person can be included in this?
• , qualified by the French system and certified there, but he hasn't been paid because he was a student
• fluent in French qualified by the French fluent in French qualified by the French system<01:11:07.040
• <01:11:19.719> at you're going to be teaching French at you're going to be teaching French

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard HB 295, which would make school building aid funds non-lapsing/non-APS. Representative Cahill said the bill was intended to keep any unused building aid money available for future projects, potentially helping move projects up the priority list or provide a little more funding for school construction. Members asked about how much money has lapsed in past years, whether the education trust fund and building aid are separate, and whether any lapsing dollars could be used to pay down debt. Department of Education official Jim Carney said about $29.1 million would be available if building aid is funded to the $50 million maximum in FY26, confirmed that the fund currently lapses, and said the department would gather historical lapse data. Committee members also discussed whether a dedicated fund structure could achieve the same goal, and the chair noted that the education trust fund statute includes school building aid as one of its uses. No vote was taken; the hearing was closed and the committee said it would later hold a work session after receiving more information. The committee then took up HB 237, introduced by Representative Dan McGuire, which would prohibit the use of special education state funds and differentiated aid for students not receiving special education services. The New Hampshire School Boards Association, through Becky Wilson, opposed the bill as written, saying it was unclear, potentially unnecessary, and difficult to implement because adequacy and differentiated aid are distributed as part of a districtwide lump sum rather than as student-specific dollars. She explained that special education costs are embedded across district budgets, including staffing, training, transportation, and instruction, and that some staff and services benefit both special education and general education students. Wilson also said differentiated aid is not tied to a specific pupil and is used at the district’s discretion, though it is intended to support students with greater needs. Committee members pressed on whether the bill would require districts to track money by individual student, whether it could conflict with federal special education law, and whether it would affect least restrictive environment requirements. Wilson said making the funds student-specific could create privacy and accounting problems and could make it difficult to staff inclusive classrooms, though she did not give a definitive legal opinion on federal compliance. She agreed that students who are not eligible for special education would not be included in the separate catastrophic/special education aid reimbursement program. The discussion continued into the second section of the bill, with members exploring how adequacy aid and differentiated aid are used in practice, but no action was taken during the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have French Brown, a proponent who wishes to speak. Chair: Any other public comments?
• French Brown on behalf of the Florida Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds as a proponent.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes you've got to take two-thirds of a loaf of bread and then come back next time and work on the
• That's kind of all of our bread and butter. That's who supports...
• That's kind of all of our bread and butter. That's who supports both sides of this.

Keywords: 970, all

Transcript Highlights:

• had to cut the whole entire French program due to insufficient funding.
• <00:04:29.440> I<00:04:29.680> was<00:04:29.840> taking<00:04:30.080> French
• <00:04:30.479> classes years ago, I was taking French classes years ago, I was taking French
• <00:04:36.240> program<00:04:36.560> due<00:04:36.880> to whole entire French
• program due to whole entire French program due to insufficient<00:04:37.919> funding.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Next up we have Emily French, who is the policy director for Common Cause Texas. Morning y'all.
• I'm Emily EB French.