Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas the Alabama Department of Commerce annual report lists 234 projects last year that combined for
• <00:33:20.480> The destination for global commerce. The destination for global commerce.
• , federal departments, federal departments, the<00:37:02.640> Department<00:37:03.040>
• There are some issues there between the Department of Correction and the Department of parole in terms
• <02:26:04.319> of issues there between the Department of issues there between the Department

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Alabama Senate convened with prayer and the pledge, then established a quorum with 27 senators present. The body excused absent senators, approved the previous day’s journal, and allowed bills and committee reports to be introduced throughout the day. The Senate also welcomed guests in the gallery, including Auburn University McCarter School of Building Science students and retired MPD Sergeant Martin Bean. The chamber received multiple House messages and gubernatorial confirmations, referring several local bills and appointments to the appropriate committees. Committee reports included favorable action on Senate Bills 298 and 91 from County and Municipal Government, and House Bills 297, 365, and 436 from Local Legislation. The Senate adopted several resolutions, including recognitions for Tharptown Baptist Church, Tuskegee University Day, Dr. Bradley Heim, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School volleyball, and a special order calendar resolution setting priority bills for the 15th legislative day. On local bills, the Senate advanced and gave final passage to a series of county and municipal measures, including SB 301 (Perry County), SB 314 (Morgan County), SB 295 (Montgomery County), SB 312 (Marshall County), HB 371 (Pike County constitutional amendment), HB 386 (Elmore County), HB 330 (Etowah County), HB 409 (City of Alabaster), HB 408 (Shelby County), SB 299 (Barbour County), HB 416 (Cleburne County), and HB 421 (Lawrence County constitutional amendment). HB 337 on Madison County was carried over. The Senate also adopted a resolution honoring Alabama’s record-breaking economic development year, citing major investments and job creation, and heard a lengthy Black History recognition segment on W.E.B. Du Bois, Patricia Roberts Harris, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou. The main policy discussion centered on Senate Bill 240 regarding parole hearings, with the sponsor explaining it would allow the Pardons and Parole Board to hear from inmates and victims by phone or video to reduce travel burdens and improve access. The sponsor said an amendment was being worked on and moved to carry the bill over to the call of the chair, while another senator raised questions about whether inmates currently have an in-person opportunity to speak and whether board members would be able to question participants remotely.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first up on a seat will actually be a Department of Commerce Deputy Commissioner, Pete Woff, and
• The first up on a seat will actually be a Department of Commerce Deputy Commissioner, Pete Woff, and
• The first up on a seat will actually be a Department of Commerce Deputy Commissioner, Pete Woff, and
• Now we have Deputy Commissioner Pete Woff of the Department of Commerce, and you have three and a half
• Now we have Deputy Commissioner Pete Woff of the Department of Commerce, and you have three and a half

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to make sure the Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Department of Labor
• For their plan review has been much slower than the Department of Health.
• (DLI) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), which is a challenge.
• So there is CTE which is managed under the Department of Education.
• And just because the department says... Yeah, 'we don't do construction.'

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, which I think has one of the worst names
• And the Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, which is Virginia Works, is dedicated to
• I staff the House Labor and Commerce Committee; my colleague Sarah Kinzer staffs the Senate Commerce
• I staff the House Labor and Commerce Committee, my colleague Sarah Kinzer, the House Labor and Commerce
• Department of Labor is the parent responsible for oversight of the state UI programs. The U.S.

Summary: The Commission on Unemployment Compensation met, established a quorum, and elected Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling as chair and Senator Mike Jones as vice chair. The commission also adopted its electronic meeting policy and heard introductions from new members, staff, and officials from the Secretary of Labor’s office and the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Secretary Jessica Lumen outlined the administration’s workforce and labor priorities, including supporting workers, employers, and program transparency, while members raised concerns about business climate, job losses, labor participation, and the implementation of paid family and medical leave. Staff provided legislative updates on recent unemployment-related bills. These included increases to the weekly unemployment benefit amount enacted in 2025 and 2026, a bill on labor dispute disqualification that changed how lockouts are treated for benefit eligibility, and a budget item providing $75,000 for actuarial support to the commission. The commission also discussed the 2025 work group on annual adjustments to weekly benefit amounts; staff reported that the work group did not complete its charge, and members agreed to revisit whether to reconstitute it at a future meeting. Delegate Martinez expressed support for continuing the work, and the chair said the issue would be taken up at the next meeting. Deputy Commissioner Joanna Darkus gave a detailed presentation on Virginia’s unemployment insurance system, including current claims data, eligibility rules, employer tax structure, benefit levels, trust fund solvency, fraud prevention, and customer service operations. She reported that Virginia’s unemployment rate remains low, weekly claims are modest, the current weekly benefit range is $160 to $478, and the trust fund balance factor is projected at 50.9 percent, near the threshold for additional employer charges. Members asked about the taxable wage base, trust fund solvency, the effect of benefit increases, fraud controls, and the planned paid family and medical leave program. VEC said it is implementing that program through regulations, staffing, IT procurement, public listening sessions, and consultation with other states. A public commenter from the Virginia Poverty Law Center urged the commission to strengthen state investment in unemployment insurance and warned that federal support is uncertain. The commission then adjourned without taking further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Commerce maybe, that talked about how many grants came in, how many they were able to fund, and that
• I'm the Director of the Energy Assistance Program for the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
• This would be a question for the Department of Commerce, but from the new program standpoint in LIHEAP
• Madam Chair, also to the gentleman from the Commerce Department, looking at one of the testifiers who
• Do you track that within the department? Mr. Schmitz, do you have that information?

Transcript Highlights:

• Welcome to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• I will be requesting that the... ...Department of Defense provide a classified briefing to all members
• de facto closure of the Suez Canal to container traffic, have had serious consequences for ocean commerce
• Embassy, and I went to the Commerce Department. They told me to fill out a complaint.
• So the United States Commerce Department would not even allow me to file a complaint.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um for the Department of Agriculture.
• our uh our department and the retailers. our uh our department and the retailers.
• >> fire department >> fire department >> by<02:11:52.159> Right.
• Forget about the commerce clause.
• Forget about the Commerce Clause.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While we still await a formal cost estimation from the Department of Revenue for this bill, I want to
• While we still await a formal cost estimation from the Department of Revenue for this bill, I want to
• Very likely this will be thrown out under the Foreign Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
• foreign income differently than domestic income, because that's the whole purpose of the Foreign Commerce
• By investing in SNAP and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Commonwealth can mitigate the

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue, chaired by Senator James Eldridge and Representative Adrian Madaro, opened its hearing with a moment of silence for the late Lowell State Senator Ed Kennedy and reviewed hearing procedures and deadlines. The committee then took testimony on several corporate tax bills, including S. 2033/H. 3110 on offshore tax avoidance, H. 3248 on a manufacturing tax exemption, H. 3057 on a tiered corporate minimum tax, and S. 2041 on a corporate tax haven blacklist, along with a separate business interest deduction bill. No votes were taken during the hearing. Supporters of S. 2033/H. 3110, including labor unions, health care workers, educators, public health advocates, seniors, and several legislators, argued that Massachusetts needs new revenue to offset federal cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, health care, education, and other services. They said the bill would raise roughly $400 million annually by increasing the share of offshore profits included in the state tax base from 5% to 50%, and they framed it as a fairness measure that would require large multinational corporations to pay more while leaving most local businesses and workers unaffected. Testimony emphasized risks to MassHealth, PCA services, adult dental care, hospitals, schools, and public health programs if new revenue is not raised. Opponents, including the Mass Taxpayers Foundation and the Council on State Taxation, argued the proposal is poor tax policy and likely unconstitutional because it would tax foreign-source income without allowing foreign tax credits or a comparable apportionment method. They said Massachusetts should take a broader, coordinated approach to federal tax changes rather than a standalone bill, and warned of litigation risk and possible double taxation. Supporters such as MassBudget and former tax counsel Don Griswold countered that the bill is a reasonable rough-justice approach, consistent with federal and neighboring-state treatment, and that it would primarily affect a small number of very large multinationals. On S. 2041, the Global Business Alliance opposed the proposed tax haven blacklist, while supporting a separate bill allowing business interest deductibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• Alex Halley, Florida Department of AG and Consumer Services is waiving in support.
• And Chad Kunde of Florida Chamber of Commerce also is waiving in support.
• The Department of Commerce, Tiffany Tilley relocation, the Amendment funds program program by redirecting
• Authorize the Department of Commerce to adopt emergency rules to administer the program provides an appropriation
• authorizing the Department of Commerce to expand for the 25 26 fiscal year and revises the effective

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I move That House Commerce and Economic Development substitute for House Memorial 52.
• I do pass motion for House Commerce and Economic Development substitute for House Memorial 52, House
• Speaker, gentlemen, you are correct, it would be the secretary of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
• The Senate Indian Affairs and Cultural Department. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Uh, I do wanna take the this moment just to say thank you to the Commerce Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I also think the Commerce Department's got a...
• And then I also think the Commerce Department's got a...
• <00:17:08.799> of to have you know the local Department of to have you know the local Department
• Finally, I want to note that the Department of Commerce has reviewed this bill and has no concerns.
• Department of Commerce has reviewed this bill and has no concerns.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm Glenn Blackman, director of the Energy Policy Office at the Department of Commerce.
• And I'm Glenn Blackman, Director of the Energy Policy Office at the Department of Commerce.
• My agency, the Department of Commerce, is also the economic development agency.
• Stephanie Scott, the director of the Innovation Cluster Accelerator program at the Department of Commerce
• And just a bit about our role at Commerce.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Energy Supply, Energy Conservation, and Energy Resilience opened by electing Senator Shoemake as chair and Representative Alex Ibarra as vice chair. Members then moved into a series of work sessions focused on data centers, transmission, and workforce needs tied to Washington’s clean energy and grid planning challenges. Kate Bruns and Glenn Blackman presented preliminary findings from the governor’s Data Center work group, created under Executive Order 25-05. They said the group met for six months, received more than 1,000 public comments, and included representatives from agencies, industry, tribes, labor, utilities, environmental groups, and research institutions. The presenters emphasized that data centers are expected to be the largest source of load growth over the next five to ten years, creating concerns about grid capacity, ratepayer impacts, forecasting, water use, backup generation, and compatibility with Washington’s energy and climate laws. They described nine recommendations, including protecting existing energy and climate policy, improving forecasting, seeking more clean power and transmission, and encouraging flexible data center operations. A proposed tax incentive change that would have expanded eligibility while tying the exemption to new clean electricity sources narrowly failed in the work group. Members asked about tribal consultation, cooling technologies, and local benefits from data centers; the presenters said tribal consultation was ongoing and a final report would follow. Keegan Moyer of West Tech then outlined a regional transmission study showing major strain on the Western grid from load growth, electrification, resiliency needs, and limited transmission capacity. He said the 10-year study identified about 12,000 line miles of needed projects across the West, with roughly $56 billion in estimated costs, including planned projects, reliability upgrades, and new interregional transfer projects. He stressed that many projects are upgrades within existing rights-of-way, but new corridors are still needed, and he previewed recommendations on permitting, equipment procurement, cost allocation, and project sponsorship. In response to questions, he discussed the difficulty of crossing jurisdictional “seams,” the role of federal coordination, landowner compensation, eminent domain as a last resort, and the limited role of public financing beyond a federal GRIP grant. Stephanie Scott of Commerce presented the transmission workforce study, which focuses on substation technicians, line workers, and line clearance tree trimmers. She said current workforce levels are far below what will be needed under a clean energy expansion scenario, and that active projects are essential because apprenticeship training depends on thousands of hours of hands-on work. She highlighted barriers such as high upfront CDL and pre-apprenticeship costs, the need for wraparound supports, and the importance of expanding access for women, people of color, and tribal communities. Members asked about tribal utility apprenticeship programs, utility-run training pipelines, and whether the study included funding sources; Scott said the report would include an inventory of apprenticeship programs and tribal considerations, but revenue ideas were outside the study scope. Finally, Brant Johnson of Grid United described the North Plains Connector as a case study in large transmission development. He said the project, a 420-mile, 3,000-megawatt HVDC line connecting Montana and North Dakota, has relied on early stakeholder engagement, route changes, tribal consultation, and coordinated federal and state permitting to reduce risk and shorten timelines. He said the project aims for permits by the end of 2026 and construction beginning in 2028, with an earliest commercial operation date of 2032. In response to questions, he discussed the challenges of crossing regional seams, interconnection queues, land acquisition and compensation, eminent domain, and financing, noting that the project is primarily privately financed with a $700 million federal grant covering a portion of costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:22:10.400> of next we have the Department of next we have the Department of Education.
• our<01:12:56.440> public department is also our public department is also our public information
• <01:23:21.160> read experience for our department. read experience for our department. read
• Um, the Secretary of Commerce, through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
• and Commerce for Communications and Commerce for Communications and Information<01:38:04.720>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the other question would probably be for either the Department of Health or the Department of Commerce
• So we had a lot department of commerce.
• the Commerce Department.
• of Health and the Minnesota Department of Health and the Commerce<01:57:29.199> Department.
• Very helpful to get Commerce Department.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, your Commerce and Economic Development Committee, to whom has been referred House Bill 281,
• Speaker, your Commerce and Economic Development Committee, to whom has been referred House Bill 346,
• Speaker, your Commerce and Economic Development Committee, to whom has been referred House Health and
• Speaker, your Commerce and Economic Development Committee, to whom has been referred House Bill 421,
• By the workforce, for example, the Department of Workforce Solutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Commerce. And then also through the same act, the Digital Equity Act was created.
• However, that was terminated by the Department of Commerce on May 9, 2025.
• then the US department of commerce and then the US department of commerce and then also<00:45:22.960
• we by the department of commerce and we by the department of commerce and we have<01:00:57.040>
• Department of Commerce with the Digital Equity Act.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, I move that my Commerce Committee amendment be adopted.
• Chair, I move that the floor amendment to my Commerce Committee amendment be adopted.
• Chair, I move that the Commerce Committee amendment as amended be adopted.
• House Bill 2388, appropriating monies to the Arizona Commerce Authority.
• House Bill 2388, appropriating monies to the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Claudia Mildner, Assistant Chief Deputy Legislative Director at the California Department
• I work for the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health, and I urge support of AB 1790.
• Yolanda Benson, representing the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, in strong opposition.
• Alexis Rodriguez, with the California Chamber of Commerce, in opposition.
• I saw the Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber, who is against.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's what interstate commerce.
• And under the commerce clause product.
• of<00:18:21.520> Environmental So now the Department of Environmental So now the Department
• <00:39:18.640> of Authority and to the Department of Authority and to the Department of Revenue
• division of the department of revenue. division of the department of revenue.

Bills: HB0120

Keywords: energy production, natural gas, industrial sovereignty, manufacturing, tax exemptions, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:01:58.000> uh Department of Corrections that uh Department of Corrections that uh manages
• of Commerce to the BCA.
• The state fraud unit moves from the Department of Commerce to the BCA.
• of Commerce to the BCA.
• Line 97 is $5 quarters of commerce.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all