Transcript Highlights:

• spaces, but I'm trying to learn more and my people want me to know, you know, well, what is this legal aid
• spaces, but I'm trying to learn more and my people want me to know, you know, well, what is this legal aid
• what<01:30:56.239> is<01:30:56.320> this<01:30:56.560> legal<01:30:56.800> aid
• well, what what is this legal aid for? well, what what is this legal aid for?
• the recruitment of faculty and students, how much, if any, is the consideration of domestic versus foreign

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the May 12 minutes, then deferred item 285 on the routine personal service contract green list for Western Kentucky University to the July 2026 meeting. It also noted that several deferred university contracts had been withdrawn by the institutions, and then approved the remaining agenda items without objection, including personal service contracts, amendments, memoranda of agreement, Kentucky Entertainment incentive agreements, deferred items, and corrections, except for items pulled for further review. The main pulled item was a Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts contract supporting Fayette District Court’s juvenile treatment court through Fayette County Public Schools. Court officials explained that the program, created under Supreme Court rules in 2022, serves court-connected juveniles with mental health and related needs, operates at the courthouse, and uses a school-employed program manager funded through a pass-through arrangement with Fayette County Public Schools and the Urban County Government. They said the program has had over 100 referrals, accepted about half, and had at least 25 successful graduates, with 11 high school graduates among participants. Members asked about who pays for drug screens, family involvement, and what counts as successful completion; the officials said the Urban County Government’s Division of Youth Services pays for drug screens and services, and that parents must participate in classes and support services. The committee then approved the contract review, with some members explaining their votes in support and one member emphasizing the committee’s role in reviewing contracts in the public interest. The committee also reviewed two Auditor of Public Accounts contracts. The auditor’s representative said contract 11, with Vantage Point Solutions, will examine the Kentucky Communications Network Authority/Kentucky Wired network for $700,000, well below the $1.5 million appropriated, and that a report is expected before the 2027 regular session. Contract 12 funds a special examination of investment managers used by Kentucky’s retirement systems, prompted by a Legislative Oversight and Investigations request to assess whether investments tied to ESG factors are consistent with fiduciary duties; the representative said the retirement systems have been cooperative and that findings are expected on a similar timeline, with some flexibility built into the deadline. After questions about the Texas litigation referenced in the explanation, the committee approved both auditor contracts without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• basic supplemental revenue aid.
• It increases the funding for this by adding an additional tier of entirely aid, which is just all aid
• On line 7, consolidation transition aid. This is an ongoing aid increase.
• So, in fiscal year 26, it is not the entire reduction to the school library aid. Aid.
• Non-public pupil transportation aid and non-public pupil education aid have given parents the resources

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• costs for literacy aid. costs for literacy aid.
• Section 20 renames the literacy incentive aid as literacy aid.
• Section 20 renames the literacy incentive aid as literacy aid.
• and the K12 uh on distribution of aid and the K12 uh aid<01:42:33.679> payment aid payment aid
• <01:42:46.480> payment aid statutes and the aid payment aid statutes and the aid payment schedule

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:42:26.800> that pupil Aid that's a three-fold Aid that pupil Aid that's a three-fold Aid
• So if the legislature creates an aid but only funds that aid for two years, that aid goes out to school
• So if the legislature creates an aid but only funds that aid for two years, that aid goes out to school
• This also lines up with an aid appropriation on my typical aid appropriation spreadsheet.
• or<01:35:56.159> credits reduction Aid Border City Aid or credits reduction Aid Border City

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on January 21, 2025, for its first hearing of the session and began with organizational business. Members and staff introduced themselves, described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair reviewed committee procedures, including how to request bill hearings, amendment deadlines, and handout deadlines. The committee also heard introductions from nonpartisan and partisan staff, including House Research and House Fiscal Analysis personnel who will support the committee’s work this session. The main substantive item was an overview presentation on the state budget and education finance process. Staff explained how Minnesota’s general fund is forecast twice a year, how the committee should read the budget documents and aid/levy tracking sheets, and how the current biennium compares with the upcoming budget window. They described the November forecast, noted that the committee will later receive the February forecast, and outlined the committee’s role in reviewing K-12 state aid spending, school district revenue, and property tax impacts. Staff walked through the aid appropriation summary spreadsheet and explained its columns, including end-of-session spending, fiscal year 2024-25 actuals and estimates, and the 2026-27 and 2028-29 planning horizons. They emphasized that many education programs are forecast-driven and can change with enrollment and other data. The presentation also summarized the state’s overall revenue mix and spending priorities, noting that K-12 education is the largest general fund category and that state aid makes up the majority of school revenue. No bills were heard and no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• family education aid, and home visiting aid.
• family education aid, and home visiting aid.
• family education aid, and home visiting aid.
• family education aid, and home visiting aid.
• family education aid, and home visiting aid.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• community, in our state, the way that these programs are designed, rather than going to fraudsters of foreign
• community, in our state, the way that these programs are designed, rather than going to fraudsters of foreign
• community, in our state, the way that these programs are designed, rather than going to fraudsters of foreign
• The wire transfers through banks to U.S. and foreign-located individuals, and recently established shell

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, the MDE learned that they employed, at the federal level or at director level, a foreign
• :41.200> a federal level or uh at director level a federal level or uh at director level a foreign
• 12:42.320> with<00:12:42.560> at<00:12:42.639> least<00:12:42.959> two foreign
• national with at least two foreign national with at least two deportation<00:12:44.240> orders

Bills: HF3409, HF3487, HF3401

Keywords: immigration status, undocumented students, immigrant rights, K-12 education, public school enrollment, Plyler v. Doe, school district, charter school, cooperative unit, law enforcement access, ICE, immigration enforcement, civil lawsuit, private right of action, injunctive relief, mandamus, student records, directory information, parental engagement, equal access to education

Transcript Highlights:

• They have a special status and they cannot be treated like foreigners and immigrants to Hawaiʻi.
• be have a special status and they cannot be treated<01:27:39.400> like<01:27:40.400> foreigners
• <01:27:41.280> and<01:27:42.239> um treated like foreigners and um treated like foreigners

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Water and Land Committee heard several measures related to DLNR, coastal management, and public lands. SB 561, which appropriates funds for conservation enforcement equipment for the Oʻahu branch of DOCARE, drew broad support from DLNR and multiple organizations, with the chair noting 18 supporters and no opposition. SB 465 would require DLNR to study the carrying capacity of Kīkiʻola Small Boat Harbor on Kauaʻi and report to the Legislature; DLNR supported the intent but suggested the study be timed with an ongoing $41 million capital improvement project. Senator Kouchi explained the bill was meant to close a permit loophole that has allowed operators to increase passenger capacity without additional approval, while one testifier opposed the measure as unnecessary and late. Supporters included county and community representatives, while some written testimony opposed it. The committee also heard SB 1456, which broadens the definition of beach restoration to include work on eroded beaches and degraded dune systems, including sand management, native vegetation, and removal of abandoned materials. DLNR, the University of Hawaiʻi, and other testifiers supported the measure as an administrative update. SB 1460 would require BLNR lease extensions to use updated forms reflecting current leasing practices; DLNR supported it as an administrative bill. SB 1517 would authorize public land leases for recreational residential use by public lottery limited to county residents. DLNR supported the bill, and Chipper Wiman and others testified that it would help preserve Kauaʻi’s historic recreational cabins and create fairness for local families; the committee also heard concerns about older cabins, market-based auction prices, and the need to keep these leases affordable for residents. The committee then heard SB 1511, which would prohibit vessels longer than 75 feet from entering Honoliʻi Bay, with an exemption for government vessels; DLNR and at least one additional testifier supported it. SB 1019 would allow the Ocean Stewardship Special Fund to be used for beach restoration planning and grants to nonprofits for cleanup, but DLNR said that purpose fit better under the separate Beach Restoration Special Fund, and the Ocean Tourism Coalition opposed the bill on that basis. Finally, SB 1457 would authorize DLNR to issue interim rules on commercial and recreational water sports equipment use for up to two years; DLNR described it as an adaptive-management tool for changing conditions, while multiple water-sports operators and residents opposed it, arguing it would reduce public participation, expand agency power, and target the foiling community. The hearing closed with the chair noting heavy opposition to SB 1457, including 88 written testimonies against it and only a few in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• application for federal student aid. application for federal student aid.
• to as a student aid account.
• aid.
• And so the lower the student aid aid.
• <00:07:16.479> student<00:07:16.720> aid financial aid um federal student aid financial

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We want you to vote no on this for legal aid funding and essential life-saving legal aid services like
• Aid for almost 50 years now.
• This is to fund legal aid.
• We have bankers on the legal aid board and the local legal aid board.
• I'm a supporter of legal aid...

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• about the running out of financial aid. about the running out of financial aid.
• trying to fund uh the financial aid trying to fund uh the financial aid programs<00:21:07.360>
• strengthening our student financial aid strengthening our student financial aid protections.<00:
• So, if an federal financial aid.
• ,<00:36:55.839> we're various financial aid statutes, we're various financial aid statutes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And as we have seen across this nation, foreign adversaries like China have moved to purchase land next
• And as we have seen across this nation, foreign adversaries like China have moved to purchase land next

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and pledge, established a quorum, excused absent members, and approved the journal. During second reading, several bills and a joint resolution were reported to the Rules Committee, including measures on trauma center provider coverage, cremation, public library trustees, local occupational license fees and taxes, and a food-is-medicine resolution. The House also communicated passage of House Bills 176, 178, and 280 and requested concurrence. Committee reports advanced Senate Bill 39, Senate Bill 181 with a committee substitute, Senate Bill 17 with a committee substitute and title amendment, and Senate Bill 34. The chamber then took up and passed Senate Bill 13, which would allow military installations to have ex officio representation on nearby planning and zoning bodies to improve communication about land use near bases. It passed 37-0. Senate Bill 46, concerning school transportation, was amended by committee substitute to require background checks and drug testing for drivers of school vans and to extend van use to 10-passenger vehicles; it passed 37-0 after a brief clarification about the amendment’s display in the system. Senate Bill 22, expanding the dual credit scholarship program to support a teacher apprenticeship pathway, was amended to require a 2.75 GPA and then passed 36-1 after questions about employment status and liability; the sponsor explained it would help address teacher shortages and reduce student debt. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 90, which extends the behavioral health conditional dismissal pilot program from 2027 to 2031 to continue offering treatment-based alternatives to incarceration for eligible low-level offenders; it passed 37-0. Senate Bill 51, a proposed constitutional change to freeze property tax assessment increases for homeowners age 65 and older on their primary residence, also passed 37-0. Senate Bill 30 was passed over but retained its place in the orders of the day. The rules committee later posted Senate Bills 27, 40, and 76 for the next day, and the Committee on Committees referred Senate Bill 109 to Licensing and Occupations, Senate Bill 68 to State and Local Government, and Senate Resolutions 45 and 46 to the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• down in the state of California and us in the state of California having to import refined gas from foreign
• Sir, of a million barrels a day, Sir, of a million barrels a day that we import crude oil from foreign

Summary: The committee first heard SB 14, which would direct state agencies to reduce single-use plastics and improve waste diversion at state facilities by updating integrated waste management plans, increasing reusable foodware use, reducing paper purchasing, and requiring better employee education and recycling/composting practices. Supporters from the California Compost Coalition, Republic Services, Waste Management, and others said the bill would help build composting and recycling markets and let the state lead by example. Several groups that had opposed earlier versions said they were now neutral after amendments, including the removal of a 90% requirement. The bill was moved out on a due pass as amended recommendation. The committee then took up SB 326 on wildfire mitigation. The bill would create a framework for Cal Fire to evaluate the risk-reduction benefits of fuels management and landscape resilience investments, and it would accelerate implementation of Zone Zero defensible-space standards, including grants for local enforcement and broader application to rental and sale properties and post-fire reconstruction. Support came from Stanford climate researcher Michael Mastrandrea and several local government, insurance, and climate groups. With no opposition, the bill passed as amended to Appropriations. Next, SB 34 on port emissions and the South Coast Air Quality Management District drew extensive testimony. The author said the bill was narrowed by committee amendments to preserve the ports’ ability to reduce emissions while preventing cargo throughput caps and addressing concerns about automation, local control, and the timeline for port clean-air planning. Supporters included ILWU, business groups, and port-related stakeholders, while the South Coast AQMD and many environmental and community organizations opposed it, arguing it would weaken public-health protections and set a bad precedent. After lengthy debate, the committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to Transportation, with some members voting no and others abstaining. The committee also heard SB 279, which would expand composting options for farmers and small community composters by allowing limited on-farm composting after large biomass events and increasing the amount small operations may process and sell. Supporters said the bill would help address agricultural waste, expand composting capacity, and reduce landfill disposal. Commercial composting representatives opposed it, warning that the bill could create regulatory inequities, strand recent investments in permitted facilities, and allow too much unregulated food waste. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations on a due pass vote. The transcript also briefly referenced SB 613 on upstream methane emissions data, described as having no opposition and intended to improve tracking of imported oil and gas emissions.

Transcript Highlights:

• to, based on the environmental depredations that come from processing and extracting minerals in foreign
• Hotels and the like, leveraged with visa fees that foreign visitors pay when they come.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they couldn't spend EFA funds or whether it's different agent aided aid or adequacy aid on, you know
• So they couldn't spend EFA funds or whether it's different agent aided aid or adequacy aid on, you know
• So they couldn't spend EFA funds or whether it's different agent aided aid or adequacy aid on, you know
• aid or adequacy different agent aided aid or adequacy aid<00:51:22.400> on<00:51:22.720> you
• They're not aid. for HAL. They're not aid.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The commission to study the cost of special education met, confirmed a quorum, introduced members and guests, and approved the minutes from the October 29 meeting. Members noted the commission’s mandate under Senate Bill 57 and emphasized the need to focus on recommendations and findings by July 1, 2026. The chair also distributed additional handouts, including materials related to the Education Freedom Account (EFA) program and administrative rules tied to differentiated aid and disability determinations. The main discussion centered on how students qualify for differentiated aid under the EFA program. Matt Sutherton of the Children’s Scholarship Fund explained that the organization, which contracts with the state to administer EFAs, accepts either school-district/IEP documentation or a medical certification of disability (MCD) from a licensed medical professional. Members questioned how this process relates to the state’s special education rules and whether the school-district examiner standards in ED 107/1107.04 apply to EFAs. Sutherton said the MCD form, created with the department, requires the medical professional to sign that they are qualified to make the determination and to identify the disability. Several members expressed concern that the EFA process is less rigorous than the school-district IEP process and may be inflating disability counts. One member argued that the administrative rules cited are primarily for school districts, not EFAs, and said the Department of Education may not know how many of the roughly 890 EFA students receiving differentiated aid came through school-district documentation versus the MCD pathway. Another member said the EFA system appears more generous than the school system and raised concerns about oversight, auditing, and whether the program’s data are accurate. Sutherton said the organization reviews signed documentation, credentials, and diagnosis information, and may request additional records to help adjudicate expenses. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the prior minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also are support personnel aid.
• general education aid.
• requests nor receive aid. requests nor receive aid. So<01:54:42.639> Mr.
• aid.
• and the non-public non-public pupil aid and the non-public transportation<02:02:30.400> aid.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Legal Aid of the Bluegrass. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass.
• Aid. Aid. >> Good<00:02:16.720> morning.
• Aid. Aid. >> Good<00:02:21.599> morning.
• Legal Aid Society. Legal Aid Society.
• So, the Legal Aid Network of Kentucky is made up of four civil legal aid programs.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations from the Legal Aid Network of Kentucky, including Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, Kentucky Legal Aid, AppalRed Legal Aid, and the Legal Aid Society in Louisville. The presenters explained that the four nonprofit programs provide civil legal services in all 120 counties, focusing on low-income clients and matters such as domestic violence, family law, housing, expungement, public benefits, and veterans’ issues. They emphasized that they do not handle criminal defense cases and described statewide efforts such as the kyjustice.org website and Project Renew, which helps people in recovery with legal issues that affect stability, employment, housing, and family reunification. Each organization highlighted regional service challenges and examples of casework. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass described its 33-county service area, its mobile “justice bus,” and expungement work for people in recovery. Kentucky Legal Aid focused on disaster response after the December 2021 tornadoes, including insurance disputes and contractor fraud, and said it has continued to handle repeated FEMA-declared disasters. AppalRed described serving 37 rural counties with limited attorneys, the shortage of lawyers in “rural legal deserts,” and its disaster-response work after flooding and tornadoes, including FEMA appeals clinics and volunteer attorney support. The Legal Aid Society described its Louisville-area veteran services, including Social Security and VA disability cases, veterans treatment court referrals, and homeless outreach. Committee members praised the organizations’ work and noted the importance of their services. In response to questions about funding, the presenters said their support comes from a mix of Legal Services Corporation funds, state appropriations, federal grants such as VOCA, VAWA, and HUD, United Way, and foundation funding. They stressed that many grants are restricted, while state funding is more flexible and useful for emergencies and day-to-day operations. The presenters said current funding does not fully meet demand and requested an increase in the General Assembly’s appropriation from $500,000 per year to $1 million per year, or $2 million over the biennium.

Transcript Highlights:

• and state AIDS and and federal AIDS and state AIDS and and local<00:11:31.959> AIDS<00:11:32.959
• And the aid amount is a function of initial aid, transportation aid, which is a portion of initial aid
• <00:42:36.160> a Aid um transportation Aid which is a Aid um transportation Aid which is a
• Um, they, you know, maybe have an aid or a part-time aid.
• They're, you know, they maybe have an aid or a part-time aid.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those include school readiness aid, ECF, and home visiting aid, and health and developmental screening
• aid.
• education aid streams.
• education aid streams.
• education aid streams.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• because they couldn't get financial aid because they couldn't get financial aid at<00:19:58.799>
• :23.760> problem because building aid is a huge problem because building aid is a huge problem
• after we had a moratorium should get building aid now. aid all along.
• And if you did, we would aid all along.
• school building aid was not available. school building aid was not available.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division met to consider two bills: HB 112 and HB 1399. On HB 112, members debated a proposal tied to civics education requirements for public higher education. Supporters argued the measure would reinforce basic civic knowledge and noted that a similar high school requirement had already been enacted with little apparent fiscal impact. Opponents said the legislature should not dictate university curriculum and raised concerns about administrative burden and precedent. The committee voted 5-3 to recommend ought to pass. The committee then heard testimony on HB 1399, which concerned Claremont and retroactive school building aid related to past construction during the state moratorium on building aid. A Claremont representative explained the district’s history, estimated the lost state aid, and said any funds would likely be used for contingency, tax relief, or future liabilities, while preferring normal building aid participation going forward. Members discussed whether the issue reflected state policy, local governance, or both, and whether the bill would create an unfair retroactive precedent or a broader statewide obligation. After discussion, the committee voted on an ITL motion for HB 1399. The motion failed, and the committee instead approved the bill 7-1. The chair then closed the hearing and adjourned the meeting.