Video & Transcript : 'small business' :
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ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Apr 9th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
North Dakota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate will be on the first order of business: prayer by the chaplain.
- Continuing on to the 14th order of business.
- Continuing on to the 14th order of business.
- Continuing on the 11th order of business.
- Continuing on the 11th order of business.
Summary:
The Senate opened with prayer, the pledge, and a quorum call, then took up House amendments to Senate Bills 2009, 2147, and 2113. On motion, the Senate refused to concur in the House amendments and appointed conference committees for each bill. The chamber then considered several House bills, adopting amendments and passing House Bill 1556, which creates a Children's Cabinet work group to study out-of-home placement and treatment for children with behavioral health issues, and House Bill 1363, which directs development of a customizable cardiac emergency response plan template for schools and athletic events. House Bill 1533, requiring students to complete a half-unit of financial literacy for graduation, also passed after amendment. House Bill 1226, dealing with masks in public places and protest-related identification concerns, passed after the Judiciary Committee removed language about complying with law enforcement requests to unmask.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- This is Delvico, Deputy Superintendent, and over business and finance.
- A small $534 adjustment was tied to the...
- You know, our tourist business is because of the Cajuns, mainly.
- Small increase.
- And my question has been always, it's how, business.
Committee:
House Appropriations
Summary:
The committee met on March 17 to review the FY27 budgets for the Department of Education and several special schools and commissions. Fiscal staff outlined the Department of Education’s roughly $6.4 billion budget, noting that most funding goes to the Minimum Foundation Program and subgrantee assistance. Major changes discussed included the removal of one-time teacher pay stipends, increases for the LA GATOR scholarship program, and projected adjustments in early childhood funding. Members also reviewed the constitutional amendment proposal tied to using about $2 billion to pay down teacher retirement obligations and provide future teacher pay raises.
Dr. Cade Brumley testified that Louisiana’s education outcomes have improved and answered questions on math performance, charter school funding, the LA GATOR scholarship, and the special education Choice program. Members pressed the department on the sustainability and balance of funding between LA GATOR and Choice, the number of applicants and current recipients, and outreach efforts. Brumley said charter schools are funded through the MFP like other public schools, that LA GATOR currently serves about 5,500 students with applications recently reaching about 17,000, and that the Choice program serves about 500 students with a waiting list of about 700 applicants. He also said the department would implement whatever funding levels the legislature approves.
The committee then heard the special schools and commissions budget, including the Special School District, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, Thrive Academy, École Pointe-au-Chien, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and BESE. Testimony focused on facility needs, enrollment, and program outcomes. LSU? No—LSM leaders described urgent roof and ceiling repairs estimated at about $800,000, while Thrive Academy highlighted student achievement, community service requirements, and economic impact. LPB said it is facing a federal funding loss of about $2.5 million and is responding with higher Passport fees, underwriting, and private fundraising. BESE’s small staff and administrative role were also explained, with members asking about board operations and the use of statutory dedication funds.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Business and Insurance 2ND REVISED Feb 26th, 2026
Business and Insurance
Transcript Highlights:
- business owner.
- a business of any type, the responsibility is on your shoulders.
- And what I believe very strongly in Oklahoma is we are losing the small business owner, not only in health
- I think that fairness and business is very important.
- With that, I call this meeting, Business and Insurance, adjourned.
Committee:
Senate Business and Insurance
Summary:
The Senate Business and Insurance Committee met to consider several bills, with the chair emphasizing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and the impact on local and rural pharmacies. Before taking up the bills, the committee announced that Senate Bills 1620 and 1625 would be laid over. The committee also adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 1673 to exempt certain state-funded flexible benefit plans, and then passed the bill, which creates the Prosthetic Access and Accountability Act of 2026 and requires health plans that already cover prosthetic benefits to administer them without disability-based discrimination.
The committee then passed several PBM-related measures. Senate Bill 1500 requires PBMs to reimburse rural pharmacies within 30 calendar days. Senate Bill 1447 adds safeguards to the Oklahoma Employee Insurance Plan by restricting PBM contracts, including disfavoring PBMs involved in recent lawsuits or those affiliated with insurers, retail pharmacy chains, specialty pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies, or drug manufacturers. Senate Bill 1646 strengthens utilization review standards for mental health and substance use disorder treatment, and Senate Bill 2007 prohibits PBMs from reducing reimbursement after a successful appeal and adds administrative fees when they fail to make required adjustments.
The committee also passed Senate Bill 1275, which requires upfront disclosure of all fees for short-term rental bookings such as Airbnb and VRBO, with only tax added at checkout. Finally, the committee passed Senate Bill 2074 after extensive debate; it would require fairer and more transparent PBM reimbursement using a Medicaid-based methodology and a professional dispensing fee, with supporters arguing it would help independent and community pharmacies and opponents raising concerns about consumer costs and legal issues. All bills considered in the meeting were reported out with favorable votes, and the meeting adjourned after the chair noted one more meeting would be held the following week.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Appropriations Apr 11th, 2025 at 08:30 am
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- It's a small token of appreciation, but, you know, I don't know how many people are aware of this, but
- So it truly is helping the really small rural communities.
- So, I mean, it gives the perspective of the tremendous number of very small to small to what might be
- But we see fund balances for small towns like Milner and Colfax. There has been some...
- , keeping businesses open, doing projects they just can't do without some additional help.
Committee:
House Appropriations
Summary:
The committee first took up Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs appropriation. Representative O’Brien explained the House changes, including funding for a restored Veterans Benefits Specialist FTE, salary equity adjustments for the commissioner and veterans service officers, one-time funding for veteran homelessness services, carryover authority for the Fargo Fisher House, and a highly rural transportation grants program. Members also discussed the commissioner’s prior salary increase and the use of transportation grant funds for administrative costs, as well as the status of the Fisher House project. The committee adopted amendment 25.092.0203 and then gave SB 2025 a do pass recommendation as amended, with Representative O’Brien as carrier.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 2307, the library bill. Members debated a proposed amendment that would have removed the fiscal note, but several members objected on policy and process grounds, citing constitutional concerns, potential costs to counties and state’s attorneys, and the fact that the bill had not been heard as a full policy hearing. The amendment failed 4-19. The committee then voted do not pass on SB 2307 as introduced, and Representative Murphy was named carrier.
The committee also briefly discussed House Bill 2188 on the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority. Representative Bosch described the program’s grant and low-interest loan authority and the Senate’s reduced funding levels. The committee amended the bill to restore the Senate funding amounts in Section 3, then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Kempenich carrying it. Finally, the committee considered two rural development bills and chose Senate Bill 2097, the rural endowment fund bill, for do not pass while advancing House Bill 2390, which uses regional councils to distribute rural development grants. The committee amended HB 2390 to lower the population threshold from 4,500 to 3,000, kept the 50% set-aside for communities under 1,500, and then passed the bill as amended, with Representative Mitskog as carrier.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Committee Jun 15th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And it's a very serious business.
- It's a small one, but I think a significant one.
- It really, really has to do with our small cities.
- and they're critical to this solution, but small cities cannot be forgotten.
- My child care program is more than a business.
Summary:
The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the 2026 Budget Act, which leaders said was the negotiated compromise with the Senate and was expected to move to the floor that evening. Opening remarks emphasized that the plan balances the budget over two years, reduces the structural deficit, and builds reserves, while also protecting core services in the face of federal cuts. Jason Sisney outlined the legislative budget framework and the likely floor bills, including AB 109, SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. Department of Finance representative Eric Khali said the administration appreciated the two-year balanced approach and supported the modification in SB 122, while noting the package uses additional revenues and new spending to soften or reject some proposed cuts.
Most of the discussion focused on major spending areas. Members and subcommittee chairs highlighted protections and additions for health care and human services, including rejecting the proposed Medi-Cal asset limit change, delaying premium increases, restoring clinic and dental funding, supporting distressed hospitals and county indigent care, and expanding county eligibility staffing to handle H.R. 1-related workload. Education members described record or expanded support for TK-12 schools, child care, special education, community colleges, teacher recruitment, and higher education, including a change to extend Cal Grant eligibility to age 30 for some community college students. Housing and homelessness funding was increased for HAP, multifamily housing, and the low-income housing tax credit, while public safety members pointed to investments in victims’ services, restorative justice, and prison closure savings.
Several members also raised concerns or priorities tied to the budget deal. Some praised the package as a moral document that protects vulnerable Californians, immigrant communities, LGBTQ residents, seniors, and people with disabilities. Others noted unresolved issues, including the MCO tax’s impact on districts, the need for more support for local journalism, arts, biotech R&D incentives, transit and GGRF-related concerns, and the need for continued work on Prop. 98 and long-term fiscal resilience. The vice chair cautioned that despite the current progress, the state remains vulnerable to revenue volatility and warned that the budget should build more resilience against a possible downturn. No formal vote was taken in the portion provided, but the committee was preparing the budget package for floor action and final negotiations.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House energy panel approves HF249 2/25/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> truckers Sawmills and Allied businesses truckers Sawmills and Allied businesses in<00:03:33.080>
- House File 249 helps small businesses like mine all throughout Minnesota and gives us a boost to our
- in duth Minnesota been in business in duth Minnesota been in business<00:07:31.280><c> for</c><00:07
- </c><00:09:13.480><c> businesses</c><00:09:14.040><c> like</c> file 249 helps small businesses like file
- 249 helps small businesses like mine<00:09:14.680><c> all</c><00:09:14.839><c> throughout</c><00:09:
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
House Chamber - Wed Apr 30, 2025, 9:00AM HST - Day 59
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> the teachers and the small businesses. the teachers and the small businesses.
- small business, large business, single small business, large business, you<04:31:37.680><c> name</c><
- The capital goods to small businesses.
- The renewable energy small businesses.
- That represents likely 4,324 small businesses, potentially businesses in our community that needed and
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections Feb 20th, 2026 at 10:30 am
State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections
Transcript Highlights:
- We just have a lot of business to take care of.
- This bill updates the cap for the Small Works roster.
- This bill updates the cap for the Small Works Roster to keep up with inflation.
- By having this increase in the Small Works cap, we'll be able to increase the utilization of small minority
- , veteran, and women-owned businesses.
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Caucus of the Whole - 2026-05-29 - 11:15AM
Vermont House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It can be used for scholarships or capital projects, but 2 million is a small percentage of a bigger
- The two bodies differed only on one provision about qualified small business stocks, where we moved the
- We also added a small...
- The federal government changed how their income taxes for corporations and businesses operate.
- In linking up slightly differently so that small and large... differently so that small and large businesses
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on State and Local Government - 03/26/26
State and Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- It's frequently proven to be quite burdensome, particularly for people who are proposing a small business
- </c><00:24:13.480><c> business</c> proposing a small business proposing a small business that<00:24:15.120
- </c><01:02:06.200><c> and</c><01:02:06.360><c> mid-size</c><01:02:06.920><c> businesses,</c> lot of small
- and mid-size businesses, lot of small and mid-size businesses, local<01:02:08.120><c> retailers,</c>
- </c> impact small businesses. impact small businesses.
Committee:
Senate State and Local Government
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jan 26th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- In doing so, we're protecting small businesses and workers, as well as ensuring accountability in California's
- In doing so, we're protecting small businesses and workers, as well as ensuring accountability in California's
- And so consumer protection outweighs private business interests.
- Costs that small providers really can't absorb.
- These are often women-owned, Latina-owned small businesses who simply want to provide safe, loving care
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Business, and we certainly understand that.
- Pending business: HB5151.
- Pending business: HB3333.
- And so you're not talking about the small septic tanks that are – well, they're not that small. set off
- Texas is a proud business-friendly state.
Committee:
House Environmental Regulation
Keywords:
translation, environmental quality, complaints, accessibility, multilingual, TCEQ, environmental justice, environmental complaints, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, language access, public information, Texas Commission, multilingual access, administrative actions, environmental regulations, state representatives, state senators, penalty notice, Water Code, legislative notification
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:05:59.840><c> doesn't</c> part is that if a business doesn't part is that if a business doesn't
- It’s big business, and wine is an important part of this business.
- Wineries and other and helps a business Wineries and other businesses<00:20:25.960><c> in</c><00:20:
- There's a small upcharge.
- But the numbers in comparison are small. The numbers in comparison are small.
Committee:
Senate Commerce
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm a business owner. We've got 20 employees.
- I'm a business owner. We've got 20 employees.
- Here's the breakout of the Lard members. that small grants program is put on by that small grants program
- Again, everything from small to really, really large projects.
- </c> projects so with uh no other business projects so with uh no other business before<01:15:09.120>
Committee:
House Legacy Finance
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Jun 4th, 2025
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Okay, we're going to be moving on to business on the daily file.
- user base and small community service districts.
- businesses, veterans, seniors, and others.
- businesses, veterans, seniors, and others.
- Now everybody's quiet while there's no business.
Summary:
The Assembly convened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file of bills. Early procedural motions included a failed attempt to suspend the rules for AB 1219, followed by consideration of numerous measures on housing, veterans, education, elections, energy, wildfire prevention, public safety, and consumer affordability. Several bills drew bipartisan support and passed overwhelmingly, including AB 878 on safety accommodations for survivors of violence, AB 948 on school district facility maintenance, AB 81 and AB 88 on veterans’ mental health and student aid, AB 640 on school board fiscal training, AB 660 on housing permit timelines, AB 1048 on workers’ compensation billing disputes, AB 1119 on dual credentialing, AB 1172 on inhalable anti-seizure medication access, AB 1227 on wildfire prevention, AB 1285 and AB 696 on lithium-ion battery safety, AB 1417 on offshore wind transparency, AB 1530 on disaster recovery assistance, and AB 353 on affordable home internet. Some measures drew opposition or more divided votes, including AB 704 on sealing certain misdemeanor records, AB 1249 on early voting access, AB 1280 on thermal energy incentives, AB 1448 on offshore oil protections, AB 380 on price gouging, AB 402 on Cal Grant increases, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification, and AB 1084 on expedited gender-change and name-change court orders. The Assembly also granted reconsideration on AB 435, a child passenger safety bill, and passed it after debate on the five-step safety-seat standard.
The floor debate featured recurring themes of affordability, housing, wildfire preparedness, election access, veterans’ services, and public safety. Supporters of the election bill AB 1249 argued it would simply add a Saturday early-voting option in non-VCA counties, while opponents raised concerns about verification and county staffing. AB 30, authorizing E15 gasoline in California, was presented as an urgency measure to lower fuel costs and passed unanimously on the urgency and the bill. AB 1466 on groundwater disputes was also taken up, with the author arguing it would reduce frivolous litigation and better represent all water users; the vote was 42 ayes and 17 noes. After completing the file, the Assembly recessed for lunch, later returned, and continued with additional file items, with many measures passing on strong bipartisan votes.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Jan 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Here is too busy. Probably see. But it gives you the breakdown for you to those.
- If you have a business you're doing, you're going to work in cyber to some great.
- We are pretty small university, but and we're in Lakeland at that.
- And so this head to launch a fashion business.
- If there's any further business to come before the committee seeing no further business Representative
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Environmental Quality Committee Jun 17th, 2026
Environmental Quality
Transcript Highlights:
- This does just address a small percent of the illicit devices.
- Sustainability is core to our business model.
- Very small hole in the back. It's a challenge, right? It's a pen, right?
- So this Sharpie is not in business with the vape company, right?
- At a time when families and small businesses are feeling the strain of high fuel costs, that difference
Committee:
Senate Environmental Quality
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- If you think about it, in an audit year for a small business, that's two full weeks our bookkeeper is
- </c><00:09:14.360><c> business</c><00:09:14.720><c> with</c> obligations as a small business with obligations
- </c><00:09:22.200><c> business</c><00:09:22.600><c> that's</c> audit year for a small business that's
- audit year for a small business that's two<00:09:23.040><c> full</c><00:09:23.279><c> weeks</c><00:09
- </c><00:09:36.560><c> business</c> significant challenge to small business significant challenge to small
Committee:
Senate Taxes
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- We'll come back into business here. We'll come back into business here.
- businesses support this.
- Small business in Arizona is the driver of Arizona businesses.
- Most of the businesses that will be getting these small breaks are small businesses.
- It benefits mostly ordinary people and small businesses, and for that reason I vote yes.
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and several guest recognitions, including a student honored for a national Mandarin speech contest, a Ms. Black Arizona candidate, and a Madison Elementary School reusable-tray pilot program. The body also recognized interns and approved the prior journal. The chamber then moved through Committee of the Whole calendars and adopted committee reports recommending passage of a series of budget-related bills.
The main legislative business centered on the 2026-27 budget package and related omnibus measures, including appropriations, budget implementation, capital outlay, commerce, criminal justice, environment, health care, higher education, human services, K-12 education, state property, revenue/taxation, and transportation bills. Most of these measures were advanced with do-pass recommendations, with repeated debate focused on the tax omnibus and the overall budget’s policy choices. Supporters argued the package provided affordability, tax relief, conformity with federal tax changes, reduced government spending, and reforms to entitlement and other programs; opponents argued it favored corporations and wealthy taxpayers, cut health care, food assistance, housing, tourism, wildfire response, and education, and would forfeit federal matching funds.
Several members specifically criticized the failure to close the data center tax exemption and to raise sports betting taxes, while supporters defended those provisions as pro-business and pro-growth. There was also discussion of fund sweeps, including university research funds, housing trust funds, and other agency balances, with opponents saying the sweeps targeted encumbered or already-committed money. After debate, the Senate adopted Committee of the Whole reports and advanced the bills, and later took up House bills introduced and placed on third reading, with members explaining their votes on HB 4138, the General Appropriations Act, largely along party lines.
At the end of the session, the Senate processed messages from the House requesting the return of SB 1160 and SB 1786 for reconsideration, and the Senate requested the House return HB 2415 for reconsideration. The chamber also introduced and placed several House budget bills on third reading, including HB 4138 through HB 4153, continuing the budget process.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- We'll come back into business here. We'll come back into business here.
- businesses support this.
- Small business in Arizona is the driver of Arizona businesses.
- Most of the businesses that will be getting these small breaks are small businesses.
- It benefits mostly ordinary people and small businesses, and for that reason I vote yes.