Video & Transcript Research : 'workforce equity'

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NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Aug 18th, 2025

Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • create an entry-level or early entry pathway into nursing for many students, helping to address workforce
  • So we can address these challenges and ensure a strong nursing workforce in New Mexico.
  • In terms of equity... And community partnerships, Madam Chair.
  • The housing offices at the Department of Workforce Solutions are also involved.
  • My name is Carly Malone, and as of a couple of weeks ago, I am the new analyst for CYFD and workforce
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • We absolutely have to pay attention to what is conveyed by the workforce.
  • We continuously get feedback from our hospitals that they don't have access to workforce, and that by
  • This legislation is a workforce bill. This legislation is for the workers.
  • Is that proper workforce management?
  • competing for a workforce with anybody else.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Corrections Apr 30th, 2025 at 08:04 am

Corrections

Transcript Highlights:
  • I’m with Texas Center for Justice and Equity.
  • clearing a pathway to meaningful work for people with records is necessary to help them, increase the workforce
  • He said he believed it was an important criminal justice reform and workforce development bill and asked
  • nondisclosure retroactive to help more people access stable housing and contribute to the Texas workforce
Summary: The Corrections Committee first took up pending business and reported several previously heard bills favorably to the full House, including HB 1515 and SB 2405, the TDCJ Sunset bill and its Senate companion, HB 5639 on the veteran housing program, HB 2854 on hospital visits as a parole or mandatory supervision condition and related hospital liability, and SB 1080 on occupational licenses for people with criminal convictions. The committee also heard and advanced SB 1080 without amendment, then moved into new business. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 3618, which would limit invasive group strip searches of female inmates in TDCJ facilities. Formerly incarcerated women and advocates testified in support, describing humiliation, trauma, barriers to programming, and arguing that searches were often ineffective and that contraband more often comes from staff. TDCJ’s resource witness said the agency has looked at technology such as millimeter scanners and is in the process of placing them in facilities, while the bill sponsor said the measure would preserve searches in emergencies and require female officers when women are unclothed. HB 3618 was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4515 on expanding orders of nondisclosure, with the author saying the committee substitute would narrow the bill to marijuana possession only; supporters from Alliance for Safety and Justice and Right on Crime argued it would improve reentry and public safety, while members asked about eligibility and related offenses. HB 1826, requiring depression screenings for pregnant and postpartum incarcerated women, drew support from women’s health advocates and formerly incarcerated witnesses; the bill was left pending. HB 1969, to help people leaving prison renew or obtain driver’s licenses, and HB 2708, expanding nondisclosure eligibility for certain misdemeanor convictions, were also laid out and left pending. Later, the committee heard HB 2729, which would bar hearsay evidence in hearings on violations of release conditions, and SB 1021, which would make stalking convictions ineligible for community supervision and add related victim-protection provisions; both were left pending. SB 1610, addressing civil commitment facility safety, sex offender registration, and penalties for assaults on staff, drew strong opposition from civil commitment residents, family members, and civil rights advocates who argued it was punitive and raised due process concerns; the resource witness said assaults had increased and explained the civil commitment process and existing legal safeguards. Finally, HB 4764 would require TDCJ to report detailed annual data on restrictive housing; supporters said the bill would improve transparency around solitary confinement, and the committee left it pending before adjourning.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Public Safety Committee Apr 1st, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • This rise in violence not only endangers the safety of our transit workforce and our riders, but also
  • This rise in violence not only endangers the safety of our transit workforce and our riders, but also
  • undermines public. dangers the safety of our transit workforce and our riders, but also undermines public
  • cost over the term of four years instead of every two years, thus providing an opportunity to have equity
Summary: The Assembly Public Safety Committee met to consider several bills, with six measures approved on consent, including bills on background checks, female offender prison facilities, a juvenile justice hunger survey, protective orders and firearms, a youth offender camp pilot, and peace officer behavioral health training. AB 710 and AB 848 were pulled by the authors. The committee also took up AB 458, AB 394, AB 1094, AB 1092, and AB 1036, with extensive testimony on each. AB 458, by Assembly Member Stephanie, would require state agencies purchasing firearms, ammunition, or accessories to vet vendors for compliance with firearms laws and procurement standards. Supporters, including Brady and the California Police Chiefs Association, said taxpayer funds should not go to dealers with serious violations; opponents argued the bill added burdens and vague standards. The committee approved the bill as amended and sent it to Appropriations. AB 394, by Assembly Member Wilson, would expand protections for transit workers and riders by broadening enhanced battery penalties, clarifying who may seek temporary restraining orders in the transit context, and making those orders system-wide. Transit agencies, labor groups, and law enforcement supported the bill, while public defender and civil liberties groups raised concerns about vagueness, duration, and impacts on access to transit. The committee passed AB 394 to Judiciary as amended. AB 1094, by Assembly Member Baines, would raise the minimum parole eligibility term for child torture convictions involving a child under 14 in the perpetrator’s care or custody from seven years to 20 years. Prosecutors, sheriffs, and police groups supported the bill, citing the severity of the abuse and the need to protect child victims; opponents argued the parole system already screens for risk and that harsher sentences do not improve public safety. The committee approved the bill as amended to Appropriations. AB 1092, by Assembly Member Castillo, would extend concealed carry weapon license renewals from two years to four years; supporters said it would reduce costs and administrative burdens, while the chair and others opposed it as unnecessary. The committee ultimately voted the bill down. AB 1036, by Assembly Member Schultz, would expand post-conviction discovery access for people convicted of felonies with sentences of one year or more, including Brady materials and jury selection notes. Innocence organizations and defense groups supported it, while district attorneys opposed the broader discovery obligations; the committee passed it to Appropriations as amended.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Finance (05/27/2025)

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • waiver,<00:47:17.680> the So by its very nature, those Medicaid services are based on equity
  • Thank you. services are based on equity and not services are based on equity and not equality.<00:47:
  • And we know we have a health care workforce, let's say, crisis.
  • And we know we have a health care workforce, let's say, crisis.
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Health Committee Jul 8th, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • train judicial officers, or work with us to budget, recruit, and hire the staff needed to expand our workforce
  • Our members rely on evidence-based tools that uphold the ethical principles of equity and patient safety
  • We believe this bill promotes responsible innovation while keeping patient safety and equity at the center
  • thank Senator Weber Pierson for her leadership on this issue, and we urge your support of SB 503. ...equity
Summary: The committee heard several health-related measures. SB 27 by Senator Umberg would revise and expand California’s CARE Court by limiting the expansion to people with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, clarifying the definition of “clinically stabilized,” and narrowing the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Supporters, including behavioral health officials and family members, said the bill would reduce dismissals and better serve people with severe illness; opponents warned the expansion would strain county staffing and housing resources and could undermine voluntary engagement. The bill passed on a do pass motion to the Committee on Public Safety. SB 503 by Senator Weber Pierson would require AI tools used in health care facilities to be identified, monitored, and mitigated for bias when used in clinical decision-making or resource allocation. The author and supporters from Kaiser Permanente and the California Medical Association said the bill would help prevent discriminatory outcomes and improve trust and safety. The committee discussed the need to clarify developer and deployer responsibilities, and the bill passed as amended to Privacy and Consumer Protection. SB 68 by Senator Menjivar would require restaurants to provide written allergen information for the top nine food allergens, with tiered flexibility for smaller establishments. The bill was supported by patients, families, nurses, and allergy organizations, who described severe reactions and the difficulty of relying on verbal disclosures alone. The California Restaurant Association opposed unless amended, seeking broader use of the national model food code and additional liability language. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 403 by Senator Blakespear, which would remove the sunset from the End of Life Option Act; supporters described the law as a compassionate, well-functioning option for terminally ill patients, while faith-based groups opposed it. The bill passed to Judiciary. Later, SB 41 by Senator Wiener was introduced to rein in pharmacy benefit manager practices that steer patients to mail-order pharmacies and reimburse community pharmacies below cost; community pharmacists and several health organizations testified in support, describing pharmacy closures and patient access problems.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Education Funding (09/09/2025)

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chair, I want to make sure I clarify my statements on equity issues.
  • You know, if you're a poorer our equity.
  • We talked about equity a lot and I think we clarified what we meant through the meeting.
  • We talked about equity a lot and I think we clarified what we meant through the meeting.
  • We talked about equity a lot and I to.
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The subcommittee began its first meeting on retained education funding bills, focusing on HB 366, which concerns school building aid for eligible projects, and HB 295, which would make school building aid program funds non-lapsing. The chair framed the discussion around broader questions about how school building aid should work, noting the state’s limited available funding, the existing debt service obligations, and whether the current formula should continue or be changed. He also raised concerns about the state’s overall revenue constraints and the need to consider renovation, new construction, and possibly leasing within any future program. Members and the Department of Education representative discussed whether school building aid is a state or local responsibility, the current backlog of projects, and the condition of school facilities statewide. Tim Carney of the Bureau of School Facilities described his background and answered technical questions about current programs. Representative Luno argued that under the ConVal decision the state has responsibility for school buildings, including construction and renovation, and that the program also serves an equity function by helping districts with less property-tax capacity. Representative Papich urged the committee to focus on policy structure and fairness rather than just available dollars, saying the current system creates winners and losers and suggesting a simpler per-capita or similar allocation model, while acknowledging a possible transition for projects already in the pipeline. The discussion also covered CTE facilities and leasing. Carney explained that charter schools, and possibly CTE centers, can receive limited leasing aid, and that CTE capital requests are funded through a state capital process, while federal Carl Perkins funds cannot be used for construction. He and others described a separate rotational funding approach for CTE centers, but several members said that model can leave programs waiting too long and may not match changing workforce needs. The chair and others noted that a report from a related study group on CTE policy and funding was still pending, and that its absence could affect legislation for FY28. No votes were taken and no bill was acted on in the portion of the meeting provided; the discussion ended with interest in modeling alternatives, reviewing the waiting list, and examining the tradeoffs of reducing upfront state aid versus funding more projects overall.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Education Finance - 02/26/25

Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • make sure that we are really keeping our work focused on the student and preparing for a future workforce
  • <00:02:05.600> that<00:02:05.880> equips<00:02:06.240> those future Workforce
  • that equips those future Workforce that equips those students<00:02:06.799> with<00:02:06.960
  • Automatic enrollment helps our workforce to meet the needs of today as well as tomorrow.
  • When students take advanced coursework, the workforce is stronger.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • take this opportunity to welcome you all to the eighth hearing on the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce
  • So, in sum, prevailing wages support a highly skilled, safe workforce.
  • We are in a tumultuous political time, and we need to have a workforce that stays.
  • Legislators need a workforce that stays.
  • Legislators need a workforce that stays, and the Commonwealth needs a workforce that stays.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The hearing focused on several labor-related bills, especially proposals to give legislative employees the right to organize and collectively bargain, close a prevailing wage loophole for off-site prefabrication work, and strengthen enforcement against wage theft. Committee chairs opened the hearing by explaining the hybrid format and asking witnesses to keep testimony brief. Multiple legislators testified in support of the legislative staff union bill, saying staff deserve the same bargaining rights as other public employees and that unionization would improve pay, benefits, retention, and workplace dignity. Witnesses also discussed how the bill would likely be structured, with separate House and Senate bargaining arrangements or locals, and emphasized that it would only create the option to unionize, not require it. A second major topic was the prevailing wage bill addressing off-site fabrication and prefabrication in construction. Union leaders, contractors, and workers described how more work is being shifted from job sites into shops, especially in sheet metal, HVAC, electrical, and pipefitting work, and argued that the law should treat that work the same as on-site construction when it is part of a public project. They said the current loophole lets some contractors underbid by paying lower wages off-site, while responsible contractors already pay prevailing wages in their shops. Supporters argued the bill would protect workers, preserve apprenticeship and training standards, improve safety and quality, and make enforcement easier through certified payroll and clearer definitions. The committee also heard testimony on wage theft legislation. Representative Dan Donahue, the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, AFL-CIO representatives, and carpenters’ union witnesses described wage theft, misclassification, labor brokers, and tax fraud as widespread problems that hurt workers, honest contractors, and public revenues. They supported giving the Attorney General stronger enforcement tools, adding contractor accountability up the subcontracting chain, and protecting workers from retaliation and from delays that can cause claims to expire. A separate witness supported a bill to extend the statute of limitations for Wage Act cases while AG investigations are pending, and another supported changes to help hospital workers enforce timely payment rights. No votes were taken during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports on the bills.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Education Policy Committee 3/19/25

Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Through my journey, I saw firsthand that the systemic issues within housing, workforce, and education
  • /c><00:42:47.119> to by our 10 Minnesota commitments to by our 10 Minnesota commitments to equity
  • . equity. equity.
  • MDE's educator workforce center does already oversee many of these initiatives in the required report
  • readiness NE world's west best workforce readiness NE world's west best workforce report<01:19:18.080
Keywords: 1183, house
AL

Alabama 2026 Regular Session

Alabama House Mar 3rd, 2026

Alabama House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:13:08.280> policies<00:13:09.080> that and equity-centered policies that and equity-centered
  • And then also we're workforce career.
  • <01:34:47.800> development Did I miss the workforce development Did I miss the workforce development
  • what you're calling the workforce what you're calling the workforce development. development. development
  • :35:03.880> program,<01:35:05.120> they're a workforce development program, they're a workforce
Keywords: 1136, house, all
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JHA Public Hearing - Tue Feb 24, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • maintaining Hawai's healthcare workforce maintaining Hawai's healthcare workforce and<00:27:52.159
  • It's a matter of public health, equity, and basic human dignity.
  • It's a matter of public health, equity, and basic human dignity.
  • system already facing workforce system already facing workforce shortages<01:25:43.600> and
  • We have a workforce that is considered direct patient care.
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard testimony on HB 1875, which would expand Hawaii’s existing protections to include gender-affirming health care, clarify permitted disclosures of protected health information, and bar certain adverse actions by malpractice insurers and health carriers against providers of lawful reproductive or gender-affirming care. The Insurance Division of DCCA supported the bill with a technical amendment, suggesting language tied to actuarial analysis rather than the phrase “actuarially sound.” The Office of Information Practices also provided comments. Most testimony was strongly in support. State agencies and advocacy groups, including the Hawaii State Youth Commission, State Health Planning and Development Agency, Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Public Health Institute, Stonewall Caucus, ACLU of Hawaii, PFLAG Oahu, Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the bill would protect patient privacy, reduce chilling effects from out-of-state litigation, and help retain providers in a state already facing shortages. Several testifiers said gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based, and life-saving, and emphasized that Hawaii should protect its own health care decisions from outside political pressure. A few individuals testified in opposition, arguing the bill was unnecessary or that it protected providers more than opponents of the bill, but these views were not echoed by most of the testimony. The chair repeatedly reminded testifiers to keep comments brief and maintain decorum. The transcript provided does not include a final committee vote or disposition on the bill.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

89th Legislative Session May 27th, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Members, this is to address workforce development in the growing fields of nuclear energy.
  • SB1191 standardizes GPA calculations in high schools to help students pursuing workforce-focused or locally
  • Members, this amendment seeks to create equity in the funding of our groundwater conservation districts
  • It is a direct attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It targets...
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bills: SB15, SB35, SB290, SB1365, SB2568, SB18, SB427, SB1860, SB1864, SB2675, SB596, SB2858, SB3058, SB816, SB1163, SB1484, SB1898, SB1777, SB1802, SB2692, SB315, SB1585, SB1626, SB2058, SB2050, SB2105, SB2245, SB2764, SB2611, SB2497, SB2452, SB2243, SB1705, SB1244, SB1361, SB438, SB578, SB584, SB2690, SB2521, SB2487, SB2342, SB2063, SB125, SB2041, SB1962, SB1413, SB6, SB2878, SB13, SB30, SJR87, SB7, SB127, SB293, SB441, SB3059, SB57, SB512, SB1718, SB140, SB2055, SB2075, SB2018, SB1534, SB1567, SB785, SB1233, SB1580, SB1663, SB413, SB447, SB519, SB467, SB1579, SB1191, SB1021, SB1838, SB2807, SB2835, SB546, SB2121, SB2167, SB2024, SB1032, SB1049, SB1266, SB1400, SB1302, SB401, SB1596, SB1281, SB1242, SB1343, SB1346, SB2753, SB2221, SB1719, SB2177, SB552, SB646, SJR1, SB15, SB800, SB790, SB748, SB571, SB1957, SB1923, SB1896, SB1760, SB1335, SB2368, SB2477, SB2587, SB2972, SB2986, SB2965, SB1563, SB1467, SB1164, SB1137, SB614, SB705, SB961, SB918, SB955, SB869, SB850, SB863, SB1610, SB1055, SB2206, SB457, SB2337, SB1362, SB926, SB1494, SB251, SB456, SB500, SB1307, SB2615, SB2995, SB2321, SB973, SB974, SB865, SB506, SB781, SB1522, SB1558, SB510, SB667, SB763, SB2073, SB1858, SB1660, SB505, SB2900, SB1433, SB1540, SB1964, SB1300, SB1644, SB2217, SB2373, SB2431, SB1758, SB2480, SB3039, SB3047, SB3073, SB2920, SB2781, SB826, SB766, SB2460, SB527, SB1946, SB2885, SB1243, SB2610, SB2595, SB857, SB2501, SB66, SB268, SB331, SB618, SB414, SB1394, SB2425, SB898, SB993, SB442, SB735, SB784, SB2538, SB1919, SB1013, SB2215, SB2322, SB626, SB570, SB747, SB2183, SB673, SB1015, SB1447, SB1370, SB1784, SB1897, SB2873, SB2891, SB2933, SB2540, SB2681, SB2695, SB1965, SB2203, SB872, SB875, SB1030, SB1277, SB1730, SB1681, SB1152, SB2969, SB2747, SB2705, SB2541, SB1708, SB2080, SB2721, SB1986, SB2392, SB2539, SB2857, SB2799, SB2785, SB2782, SB1531, SB1927, SB1263, SB1098, SB35, SB290, SB1365, SB2568, SB18, SB427, SB1860, SB1864, SB2675, SB596, SB2858, SB3058, SB816, SB1163, SB1484, SB1898, SB1777, SB1802, SB2692, SB315, SB1585, SB1626, SB2058, SB2050, SB2105, SB2245, SB2764, SB2611, SB2497, SB2452, SB2243, SB1705, SB1244, SB1361, SB438, SB578, SB584, SB2690, SB2521, SB2487, SB2342, SB2063, SB125, SB2041, SB1962, SB1413, SCR9, SB21, SB1198, SB1405, SB2601, SB2778, HB5560, HB762, HB1584, HB 107, HB 114, HB138, HB4386, HB2495, HB581, HB3348, HB5323, HB4341, HB6, HB171, HB143, HB449, HB3486, HB4263, HB5246, HB2, HB2011, SB17
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Science, Technology and Telecommunications Sep 22nd, 2025

Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • So I think that the return on investment in terms of the people and the workforce is really incredible
  • One stat I wanted to point out for you all is that 64% of the middle school STEM workforce are people
  • We also want to invest in workforce pathways.
  • I am currently the STEM workforce coordinator, and we handle that work internally.
  • We can say we have the workforce, we have the heritage, and it's just down the road.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

EEP Public Hearing - Tue Jan 28, 2025 @ 9:00 AM HST

Energy & Environmental Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • It seems to me it’s mostly about equity.
  • 00:53:40.839> it's<00:53:41.079> mostly<00:53:41.480> about<00:53:42.160> Equity
  • it seems to me it's mostly about Equity it seems to me it's mostly about Equity the<00:53:43.559
  • retention and workforce protection.
  • retention and workforce protection.
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection opened its first hearing of the session and heard testimony on several energy and environmental bills. On HB 470, relating to noise and leaf blowers, the Department of Health supported the bill’s intent to reduce noise pollution but raised concerns about using decibel limits alone and suggested using dBA measurements; testimony also noted the bill would regulate future sales rather than current use, and there were three additional testimonies, two in support and one in opposition. No questions were raised before the committee moved on. The committee then heard HB 742 on transit-oriented development, which would require HCDA to prepare a programmatic EIS for Ewa, Kapalama, and West Oahu improvements. UH supported the bill, HHFDC said it was already preparing a master plan and programmatic EIS for the Ewa area, and HCDA explained that the projects are already underway or completed, including infrastructure work funded by prior appropriations. Supporters said the bill would streamline environmental review and potentially reduce costs for future housing, while HCDA emphasized the work is already in progress. On HB 340, concerning a streamlined grid-ready home interconnection process and related cost recovery, DCCA provided comments, the Attorney General suggested changing a deadline to a specific date, and the PUC said it wanted to study the matter further while still meeting the 180-day reporting requirement. Solar and clean energy groups strongly supported the bill as a way to speed interconnection and advance grid-interactive technologies, while Hawaiian Electric supported the goal of more DERs but opposed the process, saying its interconnection performance has improved and that collaboration would be preferable to legislation. Members asked about newer technologies, UL 1741, and ratepayer impacts, and the Consumer Advocate said removing the cost-recovery section would alleviate its concerns. The committee also heard HB 243, requiring PV- and EV-ready new residential construction, which the Hawaii State Energy Office described as a cost-saving no-brainer because installing these features during construction is much cheaper than retrofitting later. The hearing then shifted to HB 350, expanding the water-heater systems that can satisfy building-permit requirements to include heat pump water heaters alongside solar hot water systems. The Energy Office supported the bill, Solar Ray supported the concept but asked for amendments to align efficiency standards and noted the bill’s removal of a 15-year lifespan limit for solar thermal systems, and Hawaii Solar Energy Association raised questions about how heat pump performance should be measured and whether PV-plus-heat-pump combinations should qualify. Committee members asked about impacts on smaller homes and ADUs, and the discussion remained focused on technical standards and possible amendments; no votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Ways and Means (01/12/2026) (Full Stream)

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • sweat equity, financial and sweat<01:41:18.960> equity.
  • She is not a wealthy sweat equity.
  • available to um to workforce housing. available to um to workforce housing.
  • The entry level people, workforce<02:28:42.800> housing<02:28:43.120> that<02:28:43.359
  • > can<02:28:43.439> afford<02:28:43.840> a workforce housing that can afford a workforce
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1596, which would raise New Hampshire’s cigarette excise tax from $1.78 per pack to about $2.80, using an inflation-based adjustment since the rate was last set in 2008. Representative Jerry Stringham, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure would keep New Hampshire competitive with neighboring states, generate revenue, and help offset other budget pressures. He also described the bill as repealing an income-based premium charge in Medicaid/CHIP-related programs and restoring cuts to the University System of New Hampshire, arguing that the combined package would still leave the state in a positive fiscal position. He said the tobacco tax increase would likely have some cessation effect but would remain low relative to other New England states, and he cited prior testimony from health groups supporting a larger increase. Members questioned the sponsor about how the new rate was calculated, the prior tobacco tax reduction and restoration, whether tobacco companies would absorb or pass on the tax, and the fiscal note’s estimates for Medicaid premium revenue and UNH funding. Stringham said he used Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation data, that the earlier 10-cent reduction did not produce the expected sales increase, and that the current bill would eliminate the premium charges now in the budget. He later clarified that the Department of Medicaid Services had updated the revenue estimate, but said the bill still showed a surplus overall. He also said the federal government already imposes a $1-per-pack tax and that New Hampshire would remain below neighboring states even after the increase. Two public witnesses testified in opposition to the tax increase. Anna Bettincourt, a tobacco category manager, argued that higher tobacco taxes would unfairly target smokers, reduce New Hampshire’s tax advantage, and likely shift purchases to other states or illicit markets rather than reduce use. She said tobacco companies generally do not lower prices and that Massachusetts’ flavor restrictions had not eliminated sales. In response to questions, she maintained that a smaller increase would still be harmful and that enforcement problems make bans ineffective. The sponsor and some members countered that smokers impose higher health costs and that tobacco taxes are a policy tool for both revenue and public health. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on State and Local Government - 05/01/25

State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • She remembers a time when we could build for young families, our workforce, and move-down buyers at a
  • and move down buyers at a workforce and move down buyers at a price<00:19:33.200> that<00:19:
  • years<00:55:19.200> uh<00:55:19.280> to<00:55:19.520> build<00:55:19.760> equity
  • /c><00:55:20.240> our<00:55:20.480> home<00:55:20.800> and years uh to build equity
  • in our home and years uh to build equity in our home and we<00:55:21.680> can't<00:55:22.160>
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Health and Human Services - 02/18/25

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • Facility fees are directly passed on to patients without transparency, equity, or strong notification
  • without passed on to patients without passed on to patients without transparency<00:08:24.680> Equity
  • <00:08:25.080> or<00:08:25.400> strong transparency Equity or strong transparency Equity
  • File 91 to ensure that child care providers can maintain high-quality programs while addressing the workforce
  • are shortage of healthcare workers and are experiencing<01:13:41.199> that<01:13:41.760> Workforce
Keywords: 1187, senate, all