Transcript Highlights:

• there is an increase of 11 million<01:05:17.599> due<01:05:17.720> to<01:05:17.880> inflation
• <01:05:18.599> yes<01:05:19.119> all<01:05:19.240> right million due to inflation
• yes all right million due to inflation yes all right then<01:05:20.319> um<01:05:20.440> thank

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Minnesota Department of Administration on the governor’s capital budget requests. Commissioner Tamara Grundal described the state’s deferred maintenance backlog, saying Minnesota owns more than 4,800 buildings across 19 agencies, with an estimated replacement value of $11.2 billion and about $2.2 billion in deferred maintenance. She urged continued bonding support for asset preservation, CAPRA emergency repair funding, Capitol Complex security upgrades recommended by the ACAS advisory committee, and a budget-neutral account to help leverage federal funds for renewable energy storage and electric vehicle projects at state facilities. Members asked follow-up questions about prior security spending and CAPRA use. The commissioner said some 2018 security funds were used for items such as bollards, projectile-resistant glass, key card readers, and security kiosks, but specific details would be provided offline. On CAPRA, staff said recent projects included public safety upgrades, correctional facility repairs, water main and sewer work, roof repairs, lift station repairs, and boiler and steam trap replacements. The commissioner said the account has recently been used heavily, with about $1.9 million remaining, and estimated a typical target range of roughly $3 million to $5 million based on past spending and expected emergencies. A staffer said they did not know whether bonds had been issued ahead of time to fund the reserve and would follow up. The committee then heard from the Department of Public Safety on BCA capital projects. Commissioner Bob Jacobson and Superintendent Drew Evans said the governor’s proposal includes a new Southern BCA regional office and laboratory in Mankato, expansion of BCA regional office and lab space, and a new Minnesota State Patrol headquarters using trunk highway cash. Evans said the Mankato project is needed because of growth in DNA analysis, digital evidence, controlled substances, cyber tips, and sexual assault kit testing, and because the current St. Paul facility is over capacity. He said the new regional facility would improve turnaround times, reduce travel for scientists and law enforcement, support training, and improve evidence intake and crime scene response in southern Minnesota. Senator Pappas questioned the increase in the Mankato project cost from about $48 million to $68.6 million. Evans said the increase was driven by rising construction costs and additional specialized laboratory and support-space needs identified during design work with the Department of Administration. No votes or formal actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• dual benefit system that<00:46:22.079> threatens<00:46:22.400> to<00:46:22.559> inflate
• <00:46:23.000> costs<00:46:23.319> and that threatens to inflate costs and that threatens
• to inflate costs and undermine<00:46:23.880> the<00:46:24.040> agreements<00:46:24.520

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee opened by approving the January 16 and January 21 minutes. Members then heard testimony focused on the impact of Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) and the proposed paid family and medical leave program on Minnesota school districts, with the chair framing the hearing as an opportunity to hear from major employers and school leaders about costs and operational effects. Kimberly Lewis, speaking for the Minnesota School Boards Association and related school administrator groups, said districts generally already provide generous, locally negotiated sick leave and had initially adapted to ESST by separating vacation, sick time, and ESST into different buckets. She argued that a 2024 law effectively converted previously bargained sick leave into ESST, which she said undermines contracts, creates large unfunded costs, and may raise constitutional contract-clause concerns. Lewis cited large accumulated leave banks in some districts, increased sick leave use, and estimated significant costs from paid leave, including a reported $2.5 million impact for one large district. She urged flexibility such as prorating ESST for midyear hires and part-time staff and exempting coaches, short-term substitutes, and similar employees from ESST. Superintendent Anarie Fuco of St. Michael-Albertville said her district expects about $400,000 in added fiscal 2026 costs from ESST and paid leave, plus indirect costs from substitute coverage and increased absenteeism. She said schools already have generous bargaining agreements, but the new laws reduce verification and require districts to track leave for temporary staff, creating what she described as a need for “substitutes for our substitutes.” Fuco said the district would face more than $211,000 in direct payroll costs from paid leave alone and asked for flexibility or exceptions for districts already offering comparable benefits. Members asked follow-up questions about how substitute teachers accrue leave and how many districts may be cutting budgets; Lewis and Fuco said many districts are making cuts and that substitute and staffing burdens are growing. A third testifier began by Zoom, but the transcript cuts off before her full testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• This morning's news told us that inflation rose to 4.2%, the highest level in three years.
• /c><02:14:30.719> told<02:14:30.960> us<02:14:31.040> that<02:14:31.280> inflation
• <02:14:31.679> rose morning news told us that inflation rose morning news told us that inflation

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a question on the November ballot to cap local property school property taxes, adjusted only for inflation
• that<02:35:05.439> is<02:35:05.600> tied<02:35:06.000> to<02:35:06.560> inflation
• tax cap that is tied to inflation tax cap that is tied to inflation and<02:35:08.720> growth.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I do know that there's been a significant amount of inflation since it was last updated.
• c><00:21:25.360> of there's been significant amount of there's been significant amount of inflation
• inflation uh since it was last updated. inflation uh since it was last updated.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So there hasn't been a whole lot of inflation. There hasn't been.
• <04:12:49.359> of So there hasn't been a whole lot of So there hasn't been a whole lot of inflation
• <04:12:50.720> And inflation. There hasn't been. And inflation. There hasn't been.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 63, which concerns funding for the division of travel and tourism and its relationship to the meals-and-rooms tax calculation. Members asked for confirmation that the bill would not affect municipal distributions under RSA 78-A:26. Jennifer Ramsey of the Department of Revenue Administration explained that the amendment does not change meals-and-rooms distributions, but instead corrects the calculation for the travel and tourism appropriation by adding back the municipal fund transfer before applying the 3.15% floor. Chris Shay of the Office of the Attorney General agreed with that explanation. The committee also discussed the complexity of the meals-and-rooms statutes and the possibility of a future cleanup effort. The committee then voted 19-0 to recommend SB 63 ought to pass; it will not go on consent because it has a fiscal note. The committee next considered SB 60, relative to advanced deposit account wagering. Rep. Murphy moved ought to pass, explaining that the bill would regulate advanced deposit wagering on horse racing and impose a 1.25% revenue share on wagers from New Hampshire residents, generating roughly a quarter-million dollars in new lottery revenue in the first year. The motion passed 19-0, and the bill will not go on consent because of its fiscal note. The committee then voted 19-0 to recommend SB 147 ITL, with members noting that live racing facilities are in decline and the market is shrinking. SB 160, which updates raffle ticket pricing and prize limits for bingo-related gaming, also passed ought to pass 19-0 and will not go on consent. The committee then took up SB 73, which revises coverall bingo rules and increases prize limits. An amendment, 2025-1470H, was offered to raise the total prize amount to $5,000; members supported it as a reasonable compromise, and the amendment was adopted unanimously. The bill as amended then passed ought to pass 19-0, again with a fiscal note preventing consent placement. After those votes, the committee moved into a work session on SB 83, where members began discussing the bill’s video lottery terminal provisions, including the meaning of “maximum wager,” the absence of a cumulative betting cap, and concerns that the bill combines several distinct policy changes—tax treatment, VLT rules, renaming, and a self-exclusion database—into one measure. No vote was taken on SB 83 during the work session, and members indicated they would continue discussion later after reviewing side-by-side materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is through the Inflation Reduction Act.
• reduction grants this is<01:33:33.199> through<01:33:33.480> the<01:33:33.760> inflation
• <01:33:34.199> reduction<01:33:34.719> act is through the inflation reduction act is
• through the inflation reduction act um<01:33:35.880> the<01:33:36.000> state<01:33:36.199

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Chair Foung Hawj opened the Environment, Climate and Legacy Committee meeting by welcoming members, agency staff, and constituents, and by outlining the committee’s shared-power arrangement for the session. Members introduced themselves and described environmental activities from the interim, including gardening, outdoor recreation, farming visits, Great Lakes work, and a tree-planting trip in Thailand that Hawj said symbolized cultural unity and environmental stewardship. Ben Stanley, the committee’s nonpartisan counsel, then explained the co-chairs’ operating agreement: Hawj would chair the meeting, Senator John Hoffman would chair the next two meetings, then Hawj would chair the following two, with the chair rotating after each pair of meetings. Agendas would be set jointly, additional meetings would require both chairs’ approval, and passing a bill out of committee would require a majority of all committee members, or seven votes. At Senator Tory Westrom’s request, the agreement was to be emailed to members in writing. Stanley also reviewed the committee’s jurisdiction, which includes environmental and natural resources bills, legacy funds, and agencies such as the Environmental Quality Board, Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board of Water and Soil Resources, along with several related councils and boards. Fiscal analyst Dan Mueller then gave a budget overview of the committee’s agencies, noting that many current biennium appropriations include one-time general fund money that drops back in the 2026-27 base budget. He highlighted funding levels for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, Metro Parks, Conservation Corps, BWSR, the Minnesota Zoo, the Science Museum, and the Metropolitan Landfill Contingency Action Trust Account, and said the committee’s base-budget area totals about $2.2 billion. He also reviewed the Legacy funds, estimating available 2026-27 appropriations of about $327 million for Outdoor Heritage, $31.7 million for Clean Water, $133 million for Parks and Trails, and $185 million for Arts and Cultural Heritage. No votes or bill actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's maybe $31,000 a year for seven years plus a little bit for inflation because we know the value of
• /c><00:16:32.639> for seven years plus a little bit for seven years plus a little bit for inflation
• :33.920> know<00:16:34.079> the<00:16:34.320> value<00:16:34.560> of inflation
• because we know the value of inflation because we know the value of the<00:16:34.880> dollar<
• They have to look at what inflation is doing. Running an enterprise account is running a business.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• in in the first place to compensate for the larger base that you retired at when you were able to inflate
• :32.160> based And are all of these projections based on today's dollars, so they take no inflation
• So that takes that equation of projecting out; it has an inflation factor, and the discount has a discount
• And so that takes that equation of projecting out; it has an inflation factor, and the discount has a
• Projecting out takes in an inflation factor, and the discount has a discount factor, which are often

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• ready for such an impact, and maybe have, you know, 30% of their salary set aside, I realize that inflation
• 41.399> that salary you know set aside I realize that salary you know set aside I realize that inflation
• 00:15:43.440> big<00:15:43.639> b<00:15:43.880> out<00:15:44.040> of inflation
• has taken a a big b out of inflation has taken a a big b out of that<00:15:44.360> and<00:15:
• unlikely to reduce the weekly benefit amounts at that point because I can tell you which direction inflation

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If they were getting $1,500 a month, not adjusted for inflation, and they were putting that into their
• Seeing none, thank you very much. $1,500 a month not adjusted for $1,500 a month not adjusted for inflation
• 49.520> they<00:47:49.599> were<00:47:49.760> putting<00:47:50.079> that inflation
• uh and they were putting that inflation uh and they were putting that into<00:47:51.119> their
• to affordable housing in our state: restrictive minimum lot size requirements that unnecessarily inflate

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• S. 3424 increases the pay per case by adjusting Chapter 7 trustee compensation for inflation since 1994
• c><03:55:03.040> since<03:55:03.600> 1994<03:55:05.040> to compensation for inflation
• since 1994 to compensation for inflation since 1994 to $120. $120. $120.
• Inflation becomes a campaign strategy, and your mortgage, your job, and your savings become collateral
• Inflation becomes a campaign strategy, and your mortgage, your job, and your savings become collateral

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, January 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so just for information, inflation since 2019 has been about 25%, so...
• though we... it was out of the legislative process, but to have separate bills to adjust fees for inflation
• though we... it was out of the legislative process, but to have separate bills to adjust fees for inflation
• /c><04:05:25.439> for separate bills to adjust fees for separate bills to adjust fees for inflation
• when we could have the fiscal inflation when we could have the fiscal committee<04:05:28.560> do<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met to continue work on House Bill 2, with the chair saying the goal was to finish the bill as given by the governor, though additional amendments were expected. Members first discussed the bail section and agreed to hold it for later because a separate House bail bill was expected on Thursday and could have significant county cost impacts. They also generally accepted the proposed reorganization of positions between Fish and Game, DNCR, and the Department of Environmental Services, but noted the need to review effective dates and funding details, including a possible double appropriation of $275,000 for a scientist position already funded in HB 1. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on environmental review and native plant-related sections moving functions from DNCR to DES. Members discussed changing the rulemaking timeline from 180 days to 90 days, and clarifying that “begin” means the public hearing stage. They also reviewed how fee revenue would shift between agencies in HB 1 so the budget impact would be net zero. The committee indicated it would prepare amendments reflecting these changes and revisit them at a later vote. The longest discussion concerned the boathouse provisions. Members debated whether the new definitions and construction standards were appropriate in a budget bill, with one member arguing they should be in a separate bill, while others said the provisions were urgent because of a lawsuit and the lack of clear guardrails. Concerns included the February 20, 2025 effective date, which some thought might be retroactive, the detailed limits on what may be stored in a boathouse, and a fee increase that some felt could discourage homeowners from seeking permits. The committee also questioned whether the fee structure should be tiered for smaller projects and whether permit-by-notification projects should be exempted. No final votes were taken on these sections during the discussion; instead, members agreed to seek legal and policy answers and to return with amendments and public hearing input before voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• but they are going to be passed on to the buyers of those properties, and we're just going to be inflating
• properties and we're just going to those properties and we're just going to be<00:23:46.120> inflating
• the cost a little bit so we be inflating the cost a little bit so we just<00:23:47.840> want<
• A number of reasons for that, some of which are well known to the public: things like inflation, things
• A number of reasons for that, some of which are well known to the public: things like inflation, things

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first discussed scheduling and notice for upcoming executive sessions on a larger slate of bills, including plans to take up eight bills in the morning and possibly the last three bills in the afternoon, with caucus time provided if needed. The chair emphasized advance notice, publication, and flexibility if more bills are added later. The hearing then opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and proceeded to HB 568, a bill allowing local planning boards to request water supply studies for subdivisions to ensure water adequacy as housing density increases. Representative Kat McGee, the prime sponsor, said HB 568 was developed after constituent concerns about private wells being affected by nearby development. She described the bill as narrowly tailored, non-mandatory, and intended to preserve local control while clarifying that planning boards may request studies under local regulations. She noted bipartisan support, an exclusion for community water systems and larger groundwater withdrawals regulated elsewhere, and said the bill would help prevent water shortages and related problems for new and existing homes. Questions from members focused on whether the bill should specify that it applies to subdivisions of four or more lots, since that language had been in an earlier version. Testimony on HB 568 was mixed. Bob Quinn of the New Hampshire Association of Realtors opposed the bill, arguing it lacked a definition of “water supply study,” could lead to expensive hydrology studies, and might raise housing costs; he suggested more work with DES or a study committee. DES administrator Brandon Kernin said the department had worked from a 2010 groundwater commission report, that such problems arise only intermittently in certain areas, and that the bill would make explicit local authority to adopt such ordinances. He also said DES data and homeowner surveys can help identify problem areas and that more robust wells could be considered in the long term. The committee noted 10 online submissions in favor and 3 opposed, plus blue-sheet testimony of 2 in favor and 1 neutral, and then closed the hearing on HB 568. The committee immediately opened HB 582, a bill on safety requirements for operation of personal watercraft. Representative Darby, the sponsor, said the bill responds to the speed and maneuverability of modern personal watercraft, which he described as more like motorcycles on water than traditional boats, and cited a fatal accident on Lake Monomonac as an example of the risks. He said the bill is not intended to restrict ordinary recreation or wake surfing, but to update safety standards for a newer class of larger, quieter three-person PWCs. The hearing began with Darby’s presentation, and no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second, we still continue to face inflation in areas such as utilities, athletic transportation, and
• substitutes<03:49:40.960> 39 “39 is continued funding for our Student Activity fund, which sees inflation
• items. 44 is our shortfall, $3 million request, to help with athletic ground transportation due to inflation
• 25.239> a<04:00:25.399> request<04:00:25.680> for<04:00:25.840> training inflation
• 45 is a request for training inflation 45 is a request for training for<04:00:26.399> conferences

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What I will say is adjusting, like I said yesterday, from chalk to a Chromebook can't be met by inflation
• what we have done in this state to grow Medicaid unsustainably at 8.8%, three times the rate of inflation
• what we have done in this state to grow Medicaid unsustainably at 8.8%, three times the rate of inflation
• What we have done in this state to grow Medicaid unsustainably at 8.8%, three times the rate of inflation
• But if we're going to get this to somewhere around the rate of inflation, we need to bring a lot of brains

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House opened with a quorum call, a Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the prior day’s journal in a lighthearted exchange honoring Representative Bacon’s father. Members then announced upcoming committee meetings, including State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs; Finance; and Appropriations. The chamber moved into third reading and took up a series of bills, with several laid over or moved on the calendar before votes began. The House adopted House Bill 1433 on firefighter behavioral health benefits, House Bill 1416 on transfers from the Universal High School Scholarship Cash Fund, and House Bill 1431 on occupational licensure portability. It also adopted House Bill 1426, a Department of Law report bill, after a technical third-reading amendment correcting numbering errors. House Bill 1063, requiring an accessible list of secure transportation providers on certain department websites, also passed. In addition, the chamber adopted Senate Bill 172 on the Front Range Passenger Rail District, Senate Bill 93 on workers’ compensation coverage compliance, Senate Bill 175 on experience modification factors in workers’ compensation, Senate Bill 131 on abusive practices in sports betting, Senate Bill 165 on species conservation funding, Senate Bill 157 on a town with critical water infrastructure, Senate Bill 154 on Colorado Channel Authority Board appointments, and House Bill 1286 requiring a human present when an automated driving system operates a commercial motor vehicle. House Bill 1422, concerning security measures for certain governmental entities, drew the most extended debate. Representative Luck opposed it, citing concerns about creating a legislative police force, language affecting online speech and constituent conduct, and what she described as a workaround for TABOR. Representative Clifford explained the bill’s security provisions and sought a technical amendment to address local records language; the amendment and the bill both passed, though with notable opposition. House Bill 1424, increasing protections for persons engaged with transportation network companies, also prompted extensive testimony from Representative Wilford, who described her own assault by a rideshare driver and argued that Uber and Lyft have minimized and obscured sexual assault data while failing to protect riders; after a technical amendment, the bill passed. The House then continued with additional third-reading votes, including House Bill 1325 on natural medicine, which passed despite some opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• Otherwise, this will help slow down the increase of education cost way above inflation and way above
• Otherwise, this will help slow down the increase of education cost way above inflation and way above
• The rate of inflation a little bit and over a 10-year period that gap was getting to be substantial.
• The rate of inflation a little bit and over a 10-year period that gap was getting to be substantial.
• So, in this budget, it Of inflation a little bit and over a 10-year period that gap was getting to be

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 66, a right-to-know measure that would broaden access from “citizen” to “person,” including out-of-state requesters. Members also adopted an amendment removing the current no-filing-fee provision for appeals of unfavorable right-to-know ombudsman rulings, citing budget concerns. The bill was then reported ought to pass as amended on a 16-9 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 187, which would let a parent or guardian seek a protective order on behalf of a minor alleging abuse by someone outside the family or household, was described as a narrow fix with little fiscal impact. It passed unanimously, 25-0, and was placed on the consent calendar. House Bill 215, requiring landfill permit applicants to submit a report on potential harms and benefits, was retained because its policy had been folded into House Bill 2; the committee voted 25-0 to retain it. House Bill 219, dealing with renewable portfolio standard changes and lower renewable energy certificate values, drew opposition from members who said it would weaken renewable energy development and raise concerns about energy costs, but the motion to retain was adopted 14-11, allowing the bill to be moved into House Bill 2. The committee then retained House Bills 365, 552, 566, 572, 607, 611, and 624, all by unanimous or near-unanimous votes, generally because the relevant policy or funding had been incorporated into House Bill 2 or because the bills were viewed as technical or low-impact. HB 566 was described as a landfill leach-management bill with a fiscal note under $10,000 annually and was sent to consent. HB 572 and HB 607 were retained because their money components were moved into HB 2, though one member objected that HB 607 represented an unfunded mandate for the Hampton Beach Area Commission. House Bill 511, concerning ICE detainers and county detention practices, generated the most debate. Supporters said the amendment clarified how long counties may hold detainees without a federal contract and compared the detention period to existing bail rules; opponents argued the bill could sanction detention of people not charged with crimes and raised due-process concerns. The committee adopted the amendment 14-11 and then reported the bill ought to pass as amended on another 14-11 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 639, involving securities and digital currency issues, was also reported ought to pass after members noted unresolved concerns but said the Secretary of State’s Securities Division was willing to continue working on it in the other body; the vote was 16-10.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, but if you strip inflation away, that number is $2.3 billion.
• Uh, but if you strip inflation away, that number is $2.3 billion.
• And so whether you want to calculate our $6 billion budget deficit based on inflation or not, to me it
• And so whether you want to calculate our $6 billion budget deficit based on inflation or not, to me it
• or not, to me it really inflation or not, to me it really doesn't<03:32:22.239> matter.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Spending per pupil is up at an all-time high, way above inflation.
• :19:33.920> above up at an all-time high um way above up at an all-time high um way above inflation
• 19:36.120> the<01:19:36.639> the<01:19:36.960> the<01:19:37.480> the inflation
• and so the the the the inflation and so the the the the solution<01:19:38.080> to<01:19:38.280
• reading and math scores in inflation reading and math scores in states<01:38:27.040> that<01:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began by announcing that afternoon hearings, including House Bill 283, would be moved to Representatives Hall because of expected public interest. It then took up House Bill 671, which would establish a kindergarten literacy readiness program. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Pearson, described the measure as a way to close gaps in early reading readiness and said it was intended as a first step, with only a placeholder appropriation while details are developed. He framed it as a targeted effort to help children who are not entering first grade ready to read. Testimony on HB 671 was largely supportive. Representatives asked about the bill’s structure, whether a specific program had been identified, how it would interact with play-based learning, and why the provider was limited to a registered nonprofit. Waterford.org representatives Teresa Rosenberger and Rob Riley testified in support, describing Waterford Upstart as a home-based, evidence-based early learning program already used in New Hampshire. They said the program provides adaptive instruction, family coaching, and technology support, including computers, tablets, internet access, and translation services in more than 100 languages. They also said the model has been successful in New Hampshire, including a Nashua pilot and later statewide efforts, and that similar legislation has existed in other states. Rep. Jonah Wheeler also spoke in support of the bill. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 671. After a fiscal note for HB 671 was distributed, the committee moved to House Bill 781, which would require school districts to adopt policies for a cell phone-free education and includes an appropriation. The transcript cuts off as Rep. Litchfield was introduced to testify on that bill, so no testimony, debate, or vote on HB 781 is included in the excerpt.