Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Burns, Burns here. Senator Coleman, Coleman here. Senator Daniels, Daniels here.

Bills: SB1323 , SB1863 , SB1932 , SB1950 , SB1956 , SB1970 , SB1599 , SB1312 , SB1776 , SB1858 , SB1985 , SB1302 , SB1809 , SB1401 , SB2053 , SB1503 , SB1553 , SB1427 , SB1642 , SB1421 , SB1837 , SB1566 , SB1567 , SB1794 , SB1484 , SB1557 , SB1564 , SB1591 , SB1395 , SB1456 , SB1562 , SB1613 , SB1983 , SB1550 , SB2065 , SB2152 , SB2159 , SB2172 , SB2110 , SB2111 , SB2114

Keywords: memorial designation, highway, Sheriff Marty Grisham, transportation, Oklahoma Statutes, memorial highway, road designation, John Skelley, motor carrier, administrative hearing, legal representation, corporate liability, aviation, aircraft, surveillance, regulations, fees, Oklahoma statutes, memorial, highway designation

Transcript Highlights:

• It would be pit toilet access only.
• It would be pit toilet access only. Okay.
• It would be pit toilet access only.
• This unless someone has something so burning that they think it's something new. Kind of new.
• </c> unless someone has something so burning unless someone has something so burning that<00:42:57.760

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• If you look at the borrow pit to the right of that tractor, you'll see one track down the top of that
• borrow pit.
• If you look at the borrow pit to the right of that tractor, you'll see one track down the top of that
• borrow pit.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the pit stop, 66, is the case they're talking about.
• Medicaid</c><00:01:53.280><c> I</c><00:01:53.360><c> think</c><00:01:53.960><c> the</c><00:01:54.079><c> pit
• </c><00:01:54.320><c> stop</c> people to Medicaid I think the pit stop people to Medicaid I think the
• pit stop 66<00:01:55.360><c> is</c><00:01:55.600><c> the</c><00:01:56.200><c> the</c><00:01:56.520><

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:06:45.000><c> working</c><00:06:45.240><c> on</c><00:06:45.360><c> that</c><00:06:45.599><c> pit
• </c><00:06:45.840><c> bill</c> up and so was working on that pit bill up and so was working on that pit
• /c><00:06:46.680><c> working</c><00:06:46.960><c> on</c><00:06:47.120><c> that</c><00:06:47.319><c> pit
• </c><00:06:47.599><c> bill</c><00:06:48.039><c> if</c> yeah he's working on that pit bill if yeah he's
• working on that pit bill if you<00:06:48.240><c> don't</c><00:06:48.440><c> mind</c><00:06:48.759><c

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up several insurance and health-related bills, beginning with Senate Bill 18, which was presented by Senator Girdler and insurance witness Adam Sheridan. The bill was described as addressing a shortage of garage liability insurance for used auto dealers in Kentucky, which has left many small dealers with only one or two coverage options and, in some cases, unable to obtain the insurance needed for a dealer license. The committee adopted a motion and second, then passed SB 18 unanimously and reported it favorably with the recommendation that it pass on the House floor. The committee then considered Senate Bill 24, also presented by Senator Girdler with testimony from Eric DeCampo of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The bill was framed as an anti-fraud measure that would expand the definition of a fraudulent insurance act to cover misrepresentations about property damage and repair costs in property insurance claims. Testimony emphasized that insurance fraud raises premiums for consumers and that the bill would help deter inflated or fabricated claims. After a brief question about whether the bill created new felonies, the committee voted to pass SB 24 unanimously and report it favorably. House Bill 524, presented by Rep. Aaron Thompson with officials from the Office of the Controller and State Risk, would extend reinsurance requirements for the state’s fire and tornado/self-insurance fund from July 1 of this year to July 1, 2030, and rename the fund the Commonwealth’s Property and Casualty Insurance Fund. The bill was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously. House Bill 421, presented by Rep. Amy Neighbors, would require full coverage of FDA-approved bowel preps without out-of-pocket cost or prior authorization issues and update colorectal cancer screening coverage rules for high-risk patients by incorporating multisociety task force guidelines. Members discussed the bill’s personal importance and its minimal fiscal impact; it passed unanimously with a committee substitute. House Bill 236, presented by Rep. Adam Moore and Commissioner Sharon Clark, would cap annual out-of-pocket costs for epinephrine at $100. Members spoke in support, including personal remarks about the importance of access to epinephrine, and the bill passed unanimously with a favorable recommendation. Finally, House Bill 210, presented by Rep. Michael “Sarge” Pollock and Dr. Steve Robertson of the Kentucky Dental Association, addressed dental limited benefit plans and direct payment to dentists. Members asked whether the bill also affected vision/hearing arrangements or third-party administrators; the witness said it was intended for non-ERISA dental plans in Kentucky and suggested follow-up with the commissioner for further clarification. The committee adopted the committee substitute and then passed HB 210 favorably, with 15 yes votes and no votes against. The meeting then adjourned, with a reminder about the Banking and Insurance dinner later that evening.

Transcript Highlights:

• Very importantly, over 85% of F-PIT dollars are going into disadvantaged and low-income communities.
• of Food Producers, echoing previous comments of our ag colleagues, specifically as it relates to F-PIT
• funding in the amount of $200 million for the FARMER Program, $75 million for alternatives to ag burning

Summary: The committee hearing focused heavily on CARB’s broad trailer bill request for regulatory fee authority. Finance and CARB argued the proposal would let CARB develop fees to recover reasonable costs for implementing and enforcing regulations, while the LAO recommended rejection because the authority was too broad, could apply to an entire division of code, and would delegate core legislative taxing/fee-setting power without enough guardrails. Members from both parties raised concerns about the breadth of the authority, accountability, affordability impacts, and whether the Legislature would be put in an up-or-down position after CARB had already developed regulations. CARB responded that fees would still go through a budget change proposal and legislative approval before collection, and cited existing examples such as transport refrigeration units and commercial harborcraft fees. The committee then reviewed CARB’s request for permanent resources to implement SB 905 on carbon capture, utilization, storage, and carbon dioxide removal. CARB said the Legislature had previously authorized limited-term positions and funding, but it had struggled to recruit and retain staff with specialized regulatory and technical expertise, and that the work had included pre-rulemaking contracts, technology review, and permit-related preparation. Members questioned the pace of work, the use of limited-term positions, and whether additional permitting authority would be needed. CARB said it hoped to begin rulemaking later in the year if permanent resources were approved. Members also discussed the cap-and-trade spending plan, noting lower-than-expected auction revenues but higher interest earnings, and the need to monitor the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and possible May Revision changes. The committee then heard overviews of the zero-emission vehicle package, the Community Air Protection Program, demand-side grid support, and e-bike incentives. CARB described ongoing investments in community-based transportation equity, drayage trucks, harbor craft, and other clean technology demonstrations, while members pressed on affordability, program duplication, and whether enough funding was being directed to incentive programs. No formal votes were taken during the portion provided, and the chair repeatedly indicated that the hearing was intended to surface concerns for later budget negotiations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I hate that we're pitting these two schools against each other because that's what we're doing
• bowl game in the last 10 years, so I don't know that we can judge it by that, but I feel like we're pitting
• So we're going to start pitting athletics against athletics. Let's talk about conferences.
• So we're going to start pitting athletics against athletics. Let's talk about conferences.

Bills: HB97 , HB280 , HB183 , HB151 , HB202

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 2, the General Appropriations Act, and reviewed the Senate Finance Committee substitute and amendments. Staff described the budget as balanced, with recurring growth of about 2.65% and reserves maintained at roughly 28% if the related disaster reform bill passes. Members discussed the bill’s major spending areas, including health care, child care, public safety, economic development, natural resources, and education, along with technical corrections, cleanup items, and where the public could find the revised bill online. There was also discussion of contingent appropriations that depend on other bills passing, and staff said a hot list of those items would be circulated. Several members asked about specific allocations, including university athletics and facilities funding for UNM and NMSU, tourism, the State Racing Commission, the Spaceport Authority, and school-related items. The committee also discussed reserve levels, oil and corporate income tax revenue assumptions, disaster and fire recovery funding, and concerns about fraud, waste, and abuse in emergency spending. Members raised questions about a Gallup DA funding issue, online school funding, and a personal care/health care item in the Health Care Authority budget. Staff clarified several line items and explained that some appropriations were tied to future legislation or temporary provisions. After debate, the committee adopted the Senate Finance Committee amendments and then voted on the committee report for House Bill 2. The motion to do pass House Bill 2 as amended passed 8-3. The chair noted that the committee would need to return later because of caucuses and the floor schedule, and staff thanked members for the process and preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget will include a 5% reduction in PIT in the numbers presented to you.
• We've spent the available money, not one penny spent from rainy day, not one penny spent from the PIT
• So the PIT reserve fund, we don’t have a plan right now for touching that money.
• So do these gaps contemplate a 5% PIT cut or a 10% PIT? Net 5. Okay.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and essentially, again, not unlike previous education funding formulas, pitting one town against
• Next, I have Margaret Burns. Margaret Burns: Good afternoon, members of the committee.
• My name is Margaret Burns.
• Margaret Burns: As I understand the bill, it would bring us back to that way of doing it pre-1977, and
• Margaret Burns: Oh, thank you. Yes, I do. Thank you so much.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• locate the den, go in there, tranquilize the female, count, measure, weigh the cubs, also give them PIT
• tag trackers so that when they show up in the harvest later, ...PIT tag trackers so that when they show
• And so we feel really good about our... pit tag trackers so that when they show up in the harvest later

Bills: HB4128 , HB3659 , HB3270 , HB3145

Committee: House Wildlife

Summary: The Wildlife Committee first announced that House Bill 4147 would be laid over at the author’s request, and the chair said this would likely be the committee’s only wildlife meeting until more bills arrived from the Senate. The committee then took up House Bill 4128, which would move Oklahoma’s bear hunting season start two weeks earlier, to September 15. Members questioned the current bear population, harvest trends, and the effect of moving the season earlier on female harvests. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said its estimates are based on harvest data and prior OSU mark-recapture studies, and that the bear population is believed to be slowly increasing, with current estimates around 2,500. The department also said moving seasons earlier in Arkansas increased harvests and the share of females taken. Despite concerns about population impacts, the bill received a do pass recommendation and passed 6-0. The committee next considered House Bill 3659, a request bill for resident duck hunters that would allow nonresidents to hunt only Monday through Thursday during the last 30 days of duck season so residents could hunt weekends. There was no debate, and the bill passed 7-0. House Bill 3270, as amended with a PCS, addressed feral swine damage, especially to peanut farmers in western Oklahoma. The author said the measure was a work in progress and would need stakeholder input, including from sporting facilities that had concerns. After a brief discussion about trapping and other control methods, the bill passed 7-0. Finally, House Bill 3145, also amended with a PCS, was described as a clarification of language governing commercial hunt areas, since different operators were interpreting tagging rules differently. The committee approved the clarification and passed the bill 7-0. The chair then said no meeting was planned for the following week unless circumstances changed, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've sat with families who've watched their homes burn to the ground.
• Teams compete in pit-based challenges and undergo reviews by judges to demonstrate their engineering
• Teams compete in pit-based challenges and undergo reviews by judges to demonstrate their engineering
• Teams compete in pit-based challenges and undergo reviews by judges to demonstrate their engineering
• Teams compete in pit-based challenges and undergo reviews by judges to demonstrate their engineering

Bills: HB3317 , HCR75 , HR227 , HB7959 , HB8364 , HB6431 , HB6903 , HB5334 , HB2347 , HB5366 , HB6495 , HB7971 , HB6956 , HB4930

Keywords: gratuity, death benefit, civil servants, line of duty, federal employees, compensation, survivor benefits, emergency appropriations, Iran, military force, War Powers Resolution, U.S. Armed Forces, hostilities, Congress, national security, agriculture, National Agriculture Day, support, industry impact, celebration

Transcript Highlights:

• It used to be called PIT. Yes, sir. It's a hit maneuver.
• I'm sure there was some reason to change the name of it, but I still refer to them as PIT.
• Colonel, if you would, would you please shed a little light on the PIT maneuver that was done on the
• Mine is totally different than PIT maneuvers and stuff on this one.

Committee: All ALC-GAME & FISH/STATE POLICE

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hager and other agency leaders about vehicle pursuits and tactical vehicle interventions (TVIs, formerly PIT maneuvers). Hager said Acts 734 of 2020 and 82 of 2022, which increased penalties for fleeing in a vehicle, along with a public campaign and work with prosecutors, helped reduce pursuits by 29% from 2023 to 2025, or 180 fewer pursuits last year than in 2023. He said the agency also added 120 troopers during that period and that the goal is to protect innocent civilians, officers, and suspects. Members asked about where pursuits occur most often, prosecution practices, the possibility of making fleeing charges non-pleadable like DWI, and a recent mistaken TVI incident involving the wrong vehicle; Hager said no one was injured in that incident and called it inexcusable. The committee also discussed the Arkansas State Police Foundation. Hager explained that the foundation is a private support group made up largely of businesses and citizens that raises money for trooper-family scholarships, emergency relief for troopers affected by disasters or family hospitalizations, and facilities and training support, including the driving track. He said he was not aware of any lobbying activity by the foundation and praised its staff and leadership for supporting the agency beyond what the state budget can provide. Next, Director Chris Chapman of the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training described the state’s decertification and officer accountability process. He said every separation from an agency must be reported, and if an officer leaves under circumstances that may warrant decertification, the file is flagged so any future hiring agency must be told the full history before the officer can be added to a roster. Chapman said the commission has increased decertification requests from 158 in the prior three years to 256 in the last three years, with 147 officers currently pending hearings, and that the backlog has been reduced from about four and a half years to about a year and a half. Members asked about resignations during investigations, appeal rights, citizen complaints, and FOIA access to decertification records; Chapman said those matters can trigger review, appeals go to circuit court, and the records are generally public. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after discussion of a possible future committee visit to a fish hatchery in Lonoke County.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we want to say they're burning jet fuel?
• Do we want to say they're burning jet fuel?
• In early 2024, we incorporated our PIT collection workloads later that year.

Transcript Highlights:

• health and my family’s well-being to care for the sick, and I supported my fellow coworkers who were burning
• They divide communities, pitting workers against employees, governments against citizens.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management

Summary: The Joint Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Management held a hearing on several emergency management bills, with most of the testimony focused on Senate Bill 539, which would prohibit COVID-19 mRNA vaccination or gene-altering procedures as a condition of entry, employment, school attendance, or access to public venues. Senator Durant and many public witnesses supported the bill, arguing that COVID-era mandates were coercive, ineffective, and harmful, and that the state should not require proof of vaccination in future emergencies. One witness, Joanne Tuller, testified in opposition, saying the government should retain authority to impose public health measures in emergencies and warning against permanently limiting that power based on the COVID experience. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 540, concerning the prevention of radioactive material discharge, with a Sierra Club representative and local residents opposing Holtec’s disposal of wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant and citing health, environmental, and economic concerns in Plymouth and nearby communities. Senator Driscoll testified in support of Senate Bills 537 and 538, describing them as measures to strengthen the Commonwealth’s strategic preparedness stockpile and to create a framework for emergency response during surges in hospitalizations, including temporary waivers of prior authorization when hospitals are over capacity. In addition, Dr. Jennifer Carlson testified in support of H.885, a resolve creating a special commission on the field of emergency management, arguing that the profession should be more fully professionalized and staffed by dedicated experts rather than part-time “second hat” officials. Several other bills on the docket, including H.883 and H.84, had no sign-ups. The chair closed each bill’s testimony section as the list was exhausted, and the hearing was adjourned without any votes taken during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> as they call it the pit. as they call it the pit.
• You can stay there or you can go up into the pit. What do you want to do? Go to the pit.
• </c> there or you can go up into the pit. there or you can go up into the pit.
• I don't know if y'all want to go to the pit or if y'all want to go to the pit or okay, I guess y'all
• </c><01:03:08.319><c> or</c> if y'all want to go to the pit or if y'all want to go to the pit or Okay

Summary: The Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board met with a quorum, approved the November 12 minutes by voice vote, and then heard a presentation from former Governor Ernie Fletcher and Dave Johnson on Medicaid reimbursement for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Fletcher argued that addiction should be treated as a chronic disease requiring a longer continuum of care, not just short residential stays, and said recovery should combine clinical treatment with social supports such as housing, transportation, employment, peer coaching, and recovery housing. He cited data on overdose trends, low treatment rates, and high costs for people with SUD, and said current reimbursement models create poor incentives and do not adequately support long-term recovery or measure outcomes well. Fletcher proposed a “carve through” model administered at the MCO level with standardized metrics, data sharing, and an independent recovery coordinator that would assess patients, coordinate care, and connect them to clinical and social recovery services. He suggested using bundled payments, shared savings, and partial risk arrangements, with recovery housing reimbursed on a PMPM or weekly basis and funded in part through existing Medicaid spending and other sources such as opioid abatement funds. He also emphasized peer support, telemedicine, criminal justice coordination, workforce and education supports, and the use of technology, including text messaging and possibly AI, to maintain long-term follow-up and identify relapse risk. Members questioned how the model would work in practice, especially the education and staffing requirements for recovery coordinators, reimbursement levels, and how many patients each coordinator or peer would serve. Fletcher said peers could be certified and would need additional training in assessments such as ASAM and recovery residence standards, but he did not give a precise salary figure, saying the market and bundled rates would determine that. He also said follow-up should continue for years, noting relapse risk over the first 18 to 24 months and that meaningful employment and ongoing peer contact help sustain recovery. No formal vote or action was taken on the substance use presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• They burn it up. Our air quality every summer goes right to black.
• And what they've done to that forest, it'll burn.
• Ron's country already burned here, what, a few years ago. They're not.
• There's one existing gravel pit lease that's currently there.
• You guys do a great job of not burning things up. So I appreciate that.

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from University of Idaho representatives on the university’s land-grant mission and its role in federalism, followed by detailed overviews of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources. Speakers described the Morrill, Hatch, and Smith-Lever Acts, the university’s history, and examples of research, extension, and workforce training in agriculture, engineering, law, forestry, fire science, and youth programs such as 4-H. They highlighted facilities and programs including research stations, the Idaho Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, the deep soil ecotron, the Wildland Fire Center, the experimental forest, and the policy analysis group, while also noting the impact of federal and state funding delays and cuts on staffing and research capacity. Committee members asked about several current issues, including quagga mussels, screw worm, chronic wasting disease, and the effects of funding cuts. University officials said they were not actively researching some of those wildlife and livestock disease issues but were willing to help if capacity and funding allowed. They also said budget reductions had caused real losses, including layoffs and reduced programs, and that federal grant delays had disrupted research timelines. The committee also raised questions about conflicts of interest and university employees’ outside work; the university said it has annual conflict-of-interest and conflict-of-commitment training and review procedures. The committee then heard from Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse and the Idaho Sheriffs Association on the federal 287(g) immigration partnership program. Hulse argued that participation should remain voluntary and locally controlled, describing the different 287(g) models, the training and liability concerns, and the distinction between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. He said Idaho agencies already cooperate with ICE in other ways and that mandatory participation could create staffing, legal, and community-trust problems. Members asked about costs, liability, detention standards, and whether deputies lose local control under task force arrangements; Hulse said the answer depends on the specific model and operation, and he emphasized the need for local discretion. Later, the committee took testimony on the long-running bighorn sheep and domestic sheep conflict affecting western Idaho grazing allotments. Idaho Wool Growers representatives and affected ranchers described the history of state legislation, federal litigation, and the closure of grazing areas after bighorn sheep transplants, which they said cut livestock operations in half and caused major financial and personal hardship. They argued that the state and federal agencies had not lived up to assurances that permittees would be held harmless, and they urged continued attention to the issue. No formal votes or committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Boss behavior is pitting workers against other communities, which we have seen used in rhetoric around
• We do not pit workers against each other. That is not what we do in the labor movement.
• It is absolutely out of line to propose to take things away, and it is out of line to pit one group of
• and it is out of to take things away and it is out of line<00:14:02.720><c> to</c><00:14:02.840><c> pit
• one group of workers line to pit one group of workers against<00:14:05.880><c> another.

Transcript Highlights:

• It used to be called PIT. Yes, sir. It's a hit maneuver.
• I'm sure there was some reason to change the name of it, but I still refer to them as PIT.
• Would you please shed a little light on the PIT maneuver that was done on the wrong car for us?
• Mine is totally different than PIT maneuvers and stuff on this one.

Committee: All ALC-GAME & FISH/STATE POLICE

Transcript Highlights:

• These are pit bulls with a goat, and you will notice a picture will tell a thousand words.
• share these pictures with you<00:04:43.600><c> these</c><00:04:43.720><c> are</c><00:04:43.919><c> pit
• </c><00:04:44.160><c> bus</c> you these are pit bus you these are pit bus with<00:04:47.639><c> with<

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The committee heard two measures relating to dogs and coconut trees. On SB 301 SD1, which would add penalties for dog owners whose dogs destroy property on land zoned for a use, testimony was overwhelmingly supportive. Ranchers, farmers, and other testifiers described dogs attacking livestock, trespassing on property, and in some cases injuring people and killing goats or chickens. Several speakers urged stronger penalties, owner accountability, and in some cases insurance requirements. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also supported the bill, saying it would strengthen existing law and help protect agricultural producers. The committee noted there were 13 testimonies in support, none opposed, and no comments. The committee then heard SB 1582, which recognizes the coconut palm as an official sustainable staple food source in the state. Testimony was uniformly supportive from DLNR, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Niu Now, and individual speakers who described the cultural, spiritual, and practical importance of niu/coconut in Hawaiian life, as well as its value as a food source and the need to protect it from the coconut rhinoceros beetle. Several speakers also emphasized biosecurity and continued funding for invasive species control. The committee stated there were 20 testimonies in support, none opposed, and no comments. In decision making, the committee recommended both measures be passed as is. SB 301 SD1 was adopted with four votes in favor and one no vote. SB 1582 was adopted unanimously, with five votes in favor.

Transcript Highlights:

• Burns. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. It's an honor to be here. Again, the U.S.
• </c><00:10:42.960><c> Burns.</c> going to turn it over to Mr. Burns. going to turn it over to Mr.
• Burns. Thank<00:10:43.800><c> you.
• former Martha oil field and other locations, flooding of these formations caused high levels of NORM in pit

Committee: Senate Natural Resources & Energy