Transcript Highlights:

• The second part requires KDE to cooperate with the local boards of education and help them with any technical
• c><00:24:56.520> to the second part um requires KDE to the second part um requires KDE to cooperate
• 58.120> the<00:24:58.200> local<00:24:58.560> boards<00:24:58.800> of cooperate
• with the local boards of cooperate with the local boards of education<00:24:59.600> and<00:24

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a roll call establishing a quorum. The chamber approved the prior journal, excused absent senators, and received a House message noting passage of several House bills, including House Bill 1 despite the governor’s veto. The clerk also reported committee recommendations on a number of House bills, which were placed on the calendar, and new resolutions were introduced recognizing Chloe Yates, student wellness and physical activity in schools, and the Kentucky State Long-Term Care Ombudsman program. The main floor action centered on House Bill 1, which implements the Federal Education Opportunity Program in Kentucky. Supporters argued the measure would bring federal tax-credit dollars into Kentucky to expand educational opportunities for students and families at no cost to the state budget, while opponents urged sustaining the governor’s veto and raised concerns about accountability and the bill’s structure. After debate, the Senate voted 31-5 to override the veto, and House Bill 1 was finally passed notwithstanding the governor’s veto. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 183 on proxy advisory services. The House committee substitute exempted certain nonprofits with less than $500,000 in annual gross revenue from proxy advisor services from the bill’s cause-of-action provisions while preserving attorney general enforcement authority. The chamber concurred with the House substitute and then passed the bill as amended. Senators also passed Senate Bill 263, the School of Innovation cleanup bill, which makes technical changes, requires KDE support for waiver applications, and creates a pilot project for three schools of innovation with proposed matching grants. Senate Bill 281 on grandparent visitation was also adopted with committee substitute and passed unanimously after discussion focused on balancing grandparents’ access with parental rights and existing case law. Later, the Senate began consideration of Senate Bill 324 on the film industry credit, with the sponsor describing technical changes and expanded provisions to support film, video, gaming, and related production activity in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• Gina Powers from Rath, Young and Pignatelli on behalf of the Cooperative Credit Union Association.
• ><00:10:33.440> behalf<00:10:33.800> of<00:10:33.920> the<00:10:34.640> Cooperative
• Pignatelli on behalf of the Cooperative Pignatelli on behalf of the Cooperative Credit<00:10:35.360

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As members know, Great River Energy is a generation and transmission cooperative.
• We are owned by our 26 distribution cooperatives.
• existing transmission lines and being able to upgrade in a timely manner. by our 26 distribution cooperatives
• . by our 26 distribution cooperatives.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on their own practices and in their own business models to help them understand how to be more cooperative
• how to um models to help them understand how to um be<00:20:14.880> more<00:20:15.200> cooperative
• <00:20:16.080> with<00:20:17.039> uh<00:20:17.520> compliance be more cooperative
• with uh compliance be more cooperative with uh compliance and<00:20:18.720> kind<00:20:18.960

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She deserves a full investigation, cooperative with the federal government, who committed this murder
• And while the BCA can investigate, we all know they cannot do a full, fair investigation without cooperation
• There's nothing in here that compels the federal government to cooperate in any way with that state investigation
• be anything in our laws that compels the federal government to engage in that investigation, to cooperate

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Cooper. Thank you. Thank you for coming, Mr. Cooper.
• Madam Chair, members of the committee, uh, Shad Cooper, I'm with the Wyoming Fire Advisory Board, but
• Cooper. Any questions? >> All right, go ahead.

Bills: HB0078, SF0012, SF0013, SF0052, SF0069, SF0070

Keywords: forest health, grant program, state forester, wildfire prevention, environmental conservation, habitat improvement, military, national guard, reenlistment, extension bonus, funding, Wyoming, Wyoming National Guard, recruitment, referral bonus, military service, eligibility expansion, incentive program, wildlife management, environmental restoration

Transcript Highlights:

• agreement with CMS is under what's what they refer to as a ...is under what they refer to as a cooperative
• And the cooperative agreement stipulates some guardrails and some restrictions, and a very compressed
• Now, what this required us to do is because of the restrictions in the cooperative agreement, uh, we
• Now, what this required us to do is because of the restrictions in the cooperative agreement, uh, we

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from its January 13 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and agreements, with members repeatedly voting to review items without objection. The chair noted the agenda included 227 contracts totaling about $89.5 million, all with vendors registered with the Secretary of State. Most items were approved after brief discussion and roll-call votes. Several contracts drew questions. Kentucky State University explained two four-month contracts tied to its online academic program: one for continued implementation support and one for marketing. University officials said the program is in a transition year under a management improvement plan, that the university owns the intellectual property, and that the marketing effort is aimed at growing enrollment in targeted programs such as business and social work. They reported online enrollment had grown from 74 students to 612, with an overall university enrollment of 2,872, and said the goal is to reach about 1,000 online students by fall. The committee approved both items, though Senator Douglas said he would keep watching university spending. The Department of Education presented a contract cancellation for administrative reviews of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. Officials said USDA changed the review requirement from every three years to every five years, making the outside contract unnecessary because internal staff can now handle the work. The committee approved the cancellation. The Transportation Cabinet also explained an increase to a professional services contract for engineering work on a section of KY 54 in Owensboro, describing it as preliminary design and commissioning work for a multi-section roadway project; the committee approved that item as well. The Kentucky Lottery Corporation sought approval for an amendment tied to its iLottery platform. Officials said the increase reflected higher sales volume, since the contract structure causes prize and platform-related expenses to rise as sales grow. The committee approved the amendment. The Department of Public Health also discussed a perinatal psychiatry consultation program funded by a five-year federal HRSA grant; members raised concerns about what would happen if federal support changes, but no action beyond discussion was noted in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• to put a student in a particular campus, I think the more it makes that difficult for campuses to cooperate
• to put a student in a particular campus, I think the more it makes that difficult for campuses to cooperate
• that's not really done by other states or rarely done, and what implications would that have for cooperation
• Well, first of all, in a cooperation, that's something that could be discussed.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Committee met to discuss possible changes to North Dakota’s higher education funding formula, with a particular focus on separating the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences MD program from the general formula. Dr. Jenkins outlined several options for the MD program, including a fixed-funding model, a hybrid model, or keeping it in the formula, and emphasized the need to preserve strong support for medical education while making future funding clearer. He also discussed efforts to increase the share of North Dakota students in the MD program through ND85, expanded recruiting, early acceptance pathways, MCAT prep, a four-plus-one program, and the Primary Care Accelerated Track, along with future cost pressures such as AI licensing and residency growth. The committee then reviewed a simplified funding model from the University System Office that would base funding more heavily on student FTE, credentials awarded, and a few incentive factors such as small institution and research adjustments. Members questioned the use of placeholder numbers, the lack of a clear methodology for the small institution and research factors, and whether the model would adequately account for differences among institutions, high-cost programs, and graduate education. Several members raised concerns that arbitrary factors would be hard to defend politically and could distort funding or create competition between schools, while others said the exercise was useful as a starting point for discussion. Alex presented a second alternative that kept the current SIP-code structure but increased CTE weighting, added a progressive economic size factor, and separated out the MD program. His model also added an on-campus face-to-face headcount component and a credentials component, with the intent of rewarding in-person enrollment and completions. Members questioned the use of headcount instead of FTE, how hybrid, online, dual-credit, and off-campus students would be treated, and why face-to-face enrollment was weighted more heavily than completion. No formal votes or final actions were taken; the committee instead continued discussion and asked members to provide direction on which elements, if any, should be developed further.

Transcript Highlights:

• I thank everyone for their cooperation.
• But I really appreciate the fact that it appears that you're working cooperatively, and I hope you would
• So, of course, despite decades of international cooperation globally, annual carbon emissions are still
• AB 1316 would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation with the Department of Justice

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of water, parks, transportation, species protection, and fisheries bills. AB 430 would require the State Water Resources Control Board to publish an economic and environmental impact study when emergency water regulations are extended over multiple years; the author and supporters from agricultural and water groups said it would add transparency without limiting emergency authority. AB 1139 would expand a CEQA exemption to let county park agencies open existing roads and trails for non-motorized recreation, with supporters emphasizing access to nature and opponents warning about impacts to sensitive habitat, tribal resources, and fire risk. AB 929 would temporarily exempt small community water systems and managed wetlands from certain SGMA pumping reductions and fines; supporters said it would protect vulnerable communities and wetlands, while farm and water coalition opponents argued it would undermine basin-wide groundwater management and shift burdens to other users. AB 1225, creating an Accessibility Advisory Committee for State Parks, drew broad support and passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 514, which would encourage local water suppliers to develop emergency water supplies for drought and service interruptions; it passed with broad support, though one member cautioned against using scientific research as a loophole. AB 550 would let developers seek incidental take permits for species under consideration for listing, aimed at reducing delays for clean energy projects; environmental groups supported the goal but asked for clearer standards, limits on using research as mitigation, and a fee provision, and the bill passed as amended. AB 697 would authorize an incidental take permit for the State Route 37 interim project in Solano and Marin counties, balancing congestion relief and habitat restoration; supporters stressed long commutes and urgent restoration deadlines, while opponents raised climate, sea-level-rise, and tribal concerns. The bill passed, with some members noting they would continue to work on the measure. Other measures discussed included AB 975, which would give Sutter County a narrow, temporary exemption from streambed alteration agreements for certain damaged small bridges and culverts; county officials described repeated flood damage and long permitting delays, and the bill passed as amended. AB 1056 would phase out transferability of set gillnet permits after 2027, allowing only a final family transfer; supporters framed it as a gradual response to bycatch concerns, while fishing industry opponents said it would unfairly target an existing fishery and set a bad precedent. The committee also took up AB 1146, described by the author as a response to politically motivated water releases; supporters from conservation and water organizations backed the bill. Several bills were voted out to Appropriations, some were left open for later action or add-ons, and the committee repeatedly noted it was working through the agenda without a quorum early in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• qualifies as an ultra-processed food, and second, it would direct state scientists, working in cooperation
• qualifies as an ultra-processed food, and second, it would direct state scientists, working in cooperation
• And that is something that we're going to ask our state scientists working in cooperation with leading
• Our state scientists, working in cooperation with leading experts at UC, to look at all the research

Summary: The committee heard a series of environmental safety and toxic materials measures, with several bills moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Early in the meeting, the consent calendar was approved, including AB 372, AB 455, AB 1096, AB 1102, and AB 754. AB 362 by Assembly Member Ramos, which would recognize tribal beneficial uses of water and strengthen consultation and protection for tribal water uses, drew strong support from tribes and environmental groups. Water agencies and local government representatives opposed unless amended, raising concerns about CEQA requirements, co-management language, and conflicts with existing water law. The bill advanced to Appropriations, with some members voting aye and others not voting or absent. AB 728 by Assembly Member Lee would require age verification for the sale of certain anti-aging skin care products to minors. The author and a youth witness described social media-driven use of adult skin products by children and alleged skin damage, while supporters argued age checks are a reasonable consumer protection. Dermatologists and retailers opposed the bill, saying it could restrict legitimate acne and other medical uses of over-the-counter products, create compliance problems, and lacked a clear scientific basis. The committee discussed possible ambiguity in the bill’s definition of anti-aging products, but the measure still passed to Appropriations. AB 532 on low-income water rate assistance, AB 773 on copper-based anti-fouling paint, AB 998 on household hazardous waste disposal of vape pens, AB 1031 on geothermal hazardous waste fees, and AB 864 on solar panel hazardous waste and recycling all received strong support and advanced to Appropriations. Supporters for AB 532 emphasized water affordability and local program authority; AB 773 supporters said conflicting state water and pesticide rules are creating confusion for harbors and cities; AB 998 was presented as a practical way to let schools and local facilities dispose of confiscated vape devices safely; AB 1031 was framed as reducing DTSC fee burdens on geothermal development in Imperial County; and AB 864 would ease recycling and reuse of end-of-life solar panels. The committee also began hearing AB 1264 on ultra-processed foods in school meals, with the author and supporters arguing it would phase out the most harmful ultra-processed foods from school meals by 2032, but the transcript cuts off before the full discussion and any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we may need your cooperation at some other opportune moment. So, thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Uh, and uh, we may need your cooperation<00:49:49.440> at<00:49:49.839> some<00:49:50.400
• > other<00:49:50.800> opportune cooperation at some other opportune cooperation at some

Bills: SF1959, HF2444, SF2298, HF2445, SF2216, HF2443, HF2130, HF1943, HF2436, HF2442

Keywords: veterans, military affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Military Affairs, omnibus veterans bill, appropriations, National Guard, state active service, armory, State Armory Building Commission, veterans homes, veterans cemeteries, county veterans service office, Minnesota GI Bill, Gold Star families, Blue Star families, Secret War in Laos, Hmong veterans, Laos veterans, special guerrilla units

Transcript Highlights:

• member, you know, sometimes we want to decide on how we want to run our city, but sometimes a little cooperation
• but sometimes want to run our city, but sometimes a<00:56:59.920> little<00:57:00.160> cooperation
• <00:57:02.360> I a little cooperation might be needed.
• I a little cooperation might be needed.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been done for many years in Vienna, to New York, to the states here, with cooperative and land trust
• Vienna to New York to the states here Vienna to New York to the states here with<00:29:42.000> cooperative
• with cooperative and land trust housing. with cooperative and land trust housing.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So this removes common interest communities, cooperatives, and small businesses to keep it on residential
• c><00:02:59.920> communities, common interest communities, common interest communities, cooperatives
• and<00:03:01.440> small<00:03:01.879> businesses<00:03:02.879> to cooperatives
• and small businesses to cooperatives and small businesses to keep<00:03:03.360> it<00:03:03.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who will seek certification, who will attempt in good faith to work towards a cooperative federal-state
• innovative steps to both in terms of adversarial posture, but also collaboration, coordination, cooperation
• They were removed in coordination and cooperation with... ...the Department of Justice.
• Immigrants, documented or undocumented, are more likely to report crimes and cooperate with police when

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee took up SB 2-C, a major immigration enforcement bill sponsored by Senator Gruters and co-introduced by Senator Fine. Gruters described the measure as a broad crackdown on illegal immigration that would replace a single immigration officer with a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, create a $250 million grant program for local law enforcement, fund additional Department of Agriculture interdiction staff and facilities, expand pretrial detention for certain unauthorized immigrants, increase criminal penalties, require more cooperation with ICE, and eliminate in-state tuition eligibility for undocumented students. He and supporters framed the bill as a way to support law enforcement, deter illegal immigration, and align Florida with federal enforcement efforts. Committee questioning focused heavily on the bill’s education, detention, and enforcement provisions. Senators pressed Gruters and Fine on why the bill did not address employer sanctions or E-Verify, whether the tuition changes would affect students who had grown up in Florida, how sanctuary-policy enforcement would work, and whether the bill would create practical burdens for prosecutors, jails, and local officials. Gruters said he was open to working on E-Verify in regular session but not to amending this bill, and Fine argued the tuition repeal would apply to undocumented students who had qualified under existing law. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri testified in support, saying ICE bed capacity was still insufficient and that county jails needed more resources to honor detainers. Mark Schlachman of FSU Law offered historical context, noting prior state-federal cooperation efforts and warning of unintended consequences, while several public witnesses opposed the bill as unconstitutional, costly, and harmful to immigrant families and the economy. Opponents from the Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU of Florida, Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, Florida Policy Institute, AFL-CIO, and immigrant advocacy groups argued the bill would invite litigation, encourage racial profiling, harm the workforce and higher education, and punish law-abiding immigrants and their families. They emphasized that immigration is a federal matter, that K-12 education must be provided regardless of status, and that removing in-state tuition would reduce access to college and hurt Florida’s economy. Some speakers urged the committee to grandfather current students if the tuition waiver is repealed. The meeting ended with continued public testimony and no final vote reflected in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• part of the Great Lakes USA, Cru, the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Country, which are all cooperative
• Mississippi River Country which are all Mississippi River Country which are all Cooperative<00:12:38.880
• 39.240> groups<00:12:39.760> that<00:12:40.079> uh<00:12:40.240> promote Cooperative
• State groups that uh promote Cooperative State groups that uh promote internationally<00:12:41.720><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: Explore Minnesota Executive Director Lauren Bennett McGinty gave the committee an agency overview focused on the state’s tourism, livability, business attraction, film, and outdoor recreation promotion work. She highlighted record 2023 tourism results, including 80.2 million visitors, $4.1 billion in economic impact, more than 180,000 hospitality jobs, and $2.3 billion in state and local taxes, and said tourism sales, hotel occupancy, and other metrics continued to improve. She also described the agency’s marketing strategy, including a new campaign centered on authentic Minnesota stories, expanded domestic and international advertising, and a strong emphasis on winter, diverse markets, and accessibility. McGinty reviewed several one-time-funded programs launched or expanded in the last year, including Explore Minnesota for Business, the tourism recovery grant program, the first Tribal Nations Grant program, and the outdoor recreation industry partnership with IRRR, DEED, and DNR. She said the recovery grants had distributed $1.15 million to 110 grantees, the tribal grant program had spent $1.4 million with eight tribal nations, and outdoor recreation was estimated at $13.5 billion annually with 10.5% growth. She also noted strong media and social media results, including a viral Timberwolves-related campaign, high video completion rates, and increased website traffic. In response to committee questions, McGinty said the workforce and business attraction campaign is aimed at showing why people choose to live and work in Minnesota, using stories from newer residents and businesses, and that it is performing well in markets such as Silicon Valley, Boston, and Seattle. She said the agency is investing more in winter advertising to promote Minnesota as a winter destination and is working with partners to highlight activities beyond outdoor cold-weather recreation. Members also discussed the agency’s new film program, resident retention efforts, and a planned music-themed tourism ad tied to Prince and Bob Dylan. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:04:54.880> I<00:04:54.960> appreciate<00:04:55.480> the<00:04:55.560> cooperation
• <00:04:56.280> of Chair, I appreciate the cooperation of Chair, I appreciate the cooperation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been very positive to cooperate on amendments.
• It's been very positive to cooperate on amendments.
• So that's the Pentagon's list of institutions, including in China, that are very high risk to cooperate

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 399 by Senator Bass, which would create the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council to review and potentially block certain gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships involving foreign adversary sources. Bass said the bill is intended to protect university research, intellectual property, and students from foreign influence, and would also require public disclosure of certain foreign-linked arrangements and a plan to eliminate foreign-adversary-linked software. Supporters from State Armor argued Louisiana universities have been vulnerable to Chinese Communist Party influence and intellectual property theft. Representatives from Tulane University and Lenovo raised concerns that the bill could create duplicative review, delay research, raise costs, and sweep in legitimate private or multinational entities; a proposed amendment to exempt entities operating under a CFIUS national security agreement failed 4-8. After debate, the committee moved SB 399 favorably. The committee then considered Senate Bill 310 by Senator Cloud, presented by Representative Carlson, which would require public school and college health centers to display information about pregnancy resources available in Louisiana. Supporters from Louisiana Right to Life said the bill would help connect pregnant students with existing state and private assistance programs, while the ACLU submitted a red card in opposition without speaking. The bill was moved favorably without objection. The committee also advanced House Resolution 171 by Representative Turner, which calls for a study of the workforce-oriented TOPS Tech and M.J. Foster programs, with business and workforce groups supporting the study as a way to measure outcomes and return on investment; it was moved favorably. Next, the committee took up House Bill 1084 by Representative Turner, a tuition autonomy bill for public post-secondary institutions. An amendment was adopted to add a conceptual framework for tuition-setting considerations, but the bill would still remove the existing 10% over two years cap and allow institutions to set tuition more freely. Turner argued universities need more flexibility because state funding has declined and campuses face deferred maintenance and operating pressures. Several members, especially Representative Carlson, warned that higher tuition could reduce access and that the bill did not address broader structural problems in higher education. Despite those concerns, HB 1084 was moved favorably by an 8-3 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 351 by Senator Jackson Andrews, which would let families apply for child care assistance through CCAP once pregnancy is known, rather than waiting until after birth, to help move them up the waiting list. An amendment was adopted to have BESE, rather than the department, handle rulemaking and to allow the House and Senate education committees to approve the implementation process. The bill was then discussed as a way to help parents return to work sooner, and the hearing continued with questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• 14:04.440> citizen bipartisan and legislative citizen bipartisan and legislative citizen cooperation
• cooperation cooperation came<00:14:07.160> up<00:14:07.400> with<00:14:07.640> some

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We absolutely need their cooperation in fighting fraud, and we expect them to come.
• They've been cooperative. They've been very responsive to my requests.
• They've been cooperative. They've been very responsive to my requests.

Keywords: 1183, house