Video & Transcript Research : 'ballot application'
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HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
CPC Public Hearing- Wed Feb 5, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Consumer Protection & Commerce
Transcript Highlights:
- a copy of that application.
- a copy of that application.
- a copy of that application.
- a copy of that application.
- application.
Summary:
The committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce met on February 5, 2025, and heard testimony on several bills. HB 918, relating to labeling, drew support from the Department of Health, INDA (the nonwoven fabrics industry), and Hawaii Realtors. INDA said the bill aligns with do-not-flush labeling laws in other states but raised a concern about the six-month compliance deadline tied to FIFRA approval. In response to committee questions, witnesses explained that the bill is aimed mainly at disinfecting wipes, that most products are already labeled nationally, and that the proposed timing issue could be addressed by using Oregon’s approach. No vote was taken on the measure during the portion shown.
The committee also heard HB 1482, relating to controlled substances. HPD supported the bill, and Aloha Green Holdings and the Department of Health both said they supported the intent but recommended technical amendments. Their testimony focused on clarifying the treatment of Delta-8 THC, distinguishing synthetic or artificially derived cannabinoids from naturally occurring forms, and avoiding confusion in the hemp law. Members asked whether Delta-8 would show up on drug tests; witnesses said it would test positive for THC and would not be distinguished from Delta-9. The bill was then set aside as the committee moved on.
HB 981, relating to attorney’s fees, drew opposition from a law firm representing homeowners and associations, which argued the bill would limit access to legal services, favor developers and contractors, and make settlement harder. The witness suggested instead using existing consumer-protection fee-shifting concepts, and committee members explored whether a capped fee award or a broader attorney-fee rule would be more appropriate. The committee then took up HB 807 and HB 336, both relating to condominiums. HB 807 received support from the Green Infrastructure Authority and the Hawaii Bankers Association, while one testifier urged deferral over unresolved questions about commercial PACE financing; the bank association asked for more time to work with HGIA, and the chair indicated decision-making could be deferred to allow that discussion. On HB 336, the Community Associations Institute opposed the bill as removing checks and balances, while the Hawaii Workers Center and others supported it as a step toward clearer enforcement of health and safety issues in condominiums and rental housing.
OR
Oregon 2026 Regular Session
Joint Emergency Board 06/17/2026 8:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- Today's agenda will include work sessions on 30 requests related to federal grant applications, agency
- the initial application requirements.
- The Department of Forestry submitted final applications in December 2025.
- The new suite of applications will utilize a cloud-based architecture platform.
- The new suite of applications will utilize a cloud-based architecture platform.
Summary:
The Emergency Board met on June 17, 2026, and approved a series of subcommittee recommendations, mostly on consent, related to federal grant applications, agency funding adjustments, and position authority. Early actions included approval of four federal grant applications from natural resources agencies, three public safety grant applications, a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, retroactive approval for an AmeriCorps volunteer-generation grant, and a $7.5 million allocation to Southern Oregon University from a special appropriation for short-term financial stability. Members supporting the SOU item emphasized the university’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and the need for a long-term higher education plan; several members voted no or raised concerns about sustainability, but the motion passed.
The board also approved a federal apprenticeship expansion grant for the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, a school nutrition equipment grant for the Department of Education, and an Oregon Health Authority request tied to Medicaid community engagement requirements under H.R. 1. Public safety items included funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a report on the stalled juvenile justice information system modernization project with a follow-up viability report due in 2026, and a statewide evacuation planning tool for emergency management. The evacuation tool drew strong support as a wildfire preparedness measure, with members noting it could significantly reduce alert times and save lives.
A major point of debate was the Department of Justice request to add 16 permanent positions and increase other funds limitation for antitrust enforcement. Supporters argued the federal government has pulled back and Oregon needs capacity to pursue active cases and protect consumers; opponents objected to the process, the size of the expansion, and the incentive structure tied to settlements and awards. Despite those concerns, the motion passed. The board also approved Water Resources Department requests for the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement program, an assistant water master position in Washington County, and federal funding for Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater data collection. The water master item prompted questions about county cost shifts, but staff said the position would remain externally funded and would not be filled without those resources.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- Let me be perfectly clear: we seek further time to consider these applications.
- Let me be perfectly clear: we seek further time to consider these applications.
- Not only are we under-resourced, ...process to respond to these applications.
- We have two active applications now for sites in excess of 30 acres.
- We have two active applications now for sites in excess of 30 acres.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government held a hybrid hearing on late-filed bills and formal petitions, with testimony focused mainly on Senate Bill 3026 and House Bill 5294. The committee heard from legislators and local officials about S. 3026, which would give equal voting access in a six-town regional school district process. Testifiers from the Sixth Town Regional Planning Board and local select boards said the current voting setup is unfair because one town can vote during normal polling hours while others have a narrower voting window, and they argued the bill would ensure equal voter opportunity for a major regional school decision amid declining enrollment and financial pressure on the districts.
The committee also heard extensive testimony on H. 5294, a Worthington home rule petition seeking a one-year solar moratorium. Worthington officials, residents, and advocates said the town is facing multiple large-scale solar and battery storage proposals and lacks the staff, legal resources, emergency response capacity, and technical expertise to evaluate them. Witnesses raised concerns about fire risk, groundwater and drinking water impacts, forest and wildlife impacts, decommissioning, and the effect on rural character and farmland, while emphasizing that the moratorium was framed as a planning tool rather than opposition to clean energy.
Several speakers said the state’s solar siting and approval process is too complex and top-down for small rural towns, and that volunteer boards are being asked to manage industrial-scale projects without adequate support. One witness from a statewide group said Worthington’s situation reflects broader problems across western Massachusetts and urged the committee to address solar siting more broadly in a future session. The hearing concluded after testimony and committee questions, with no votes or final actions taken during the meeting.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee Mar 19th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- You have to file an application. The application is reviewed at the FCC.
- They can deny that application. "It is quite possible. They can deny that application."
- The application requested two things.
- And instead, in the three months between the application, when the application was filed in March 2023
- So those were taken into account in evaluating the AT&T application.
Summary:
The committee held an informational hearing on Carrier of Last Resort (COLR) to examine its history, current operation, and possible future changes in California. Chair Tasha Berner said the hearing was prompted in part by AT&T’s 2023 request for relief from COLR obligations and by broader concerns about public safety, affordability, universal service, and access to modern broadband and telecommunications. The first panel featured a telecommunications expert who traced COLR back to universal service principles and explained how states have handled COLR differently, including full deregulation, limited rural obligations, or transition pathways tied to competition and customer protections. Members asked about affordability, federal and state processes for service withdrawal, and whether COLR remains necessary given modern competition.
CPUC staff then described California’s COLR framework, explaining that universal service rests on access, reliability/quality, and affordability, and that COLR requires carriers to provide basic service, including voice-grade calling, 911 access, relay services, and Lifeline. Staff said AT&T’s application sought relief in nearly all of its territory, but no replacement COLR came forward during the proceeding, and public participation hearings drew thousands of comments and strong concern from rural and vulnerable customers. The CPUC outlined its ongoing rulemaking to reconsider whether the 1996 COLR rules and 2012 basic-service definition still fit current conditions, with workshops and public hearings scheduled and a proposed decision expected later in the year or into 2026. Members pressed staff on geographic outreach, wireless coverage, whether broadband can be part of basic service, public safety during wildfires, and what reporting and complaint processes currently exist.
In the final panel, industry and public-interest witnesses sharply disagreed. A U.S. Telecom representative argued COLR is outdated, costly, and copper-focused, and said reform should allow technology-neutral alternatives such as wireless, fiber, and satellite while preserving reliable voice and emergency access. The CPUC Public Advocates Office countered that COLR remains a necessary public safeguard, especially for rural and low-income customers, and argued that any transition should maintain or improve service, with public benefits such as broadband investment and continued protections for 911, disability access, and affordability. Committee members focused on the difference between an obligation to serve everyone and a mere option to serve, and on whether the Legislature should provide clearer guidance as the CPUC’s rulemaking moves forward.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Feb 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- ON AVERAGE, IT IS THE PROCESS IS OVER 6 MILLION APPLICATIONS ANNUALLY PER YEAR.
- THIS MODULES MAIN FOCUS IS TO MANAGE ALL THE APPLICATIONS THAT COME INTO THE SYSTEM.
- THE APPLICATION.
- ON THE MAINFRAME NOW THEY MAKE UP CRITICAL PIECES TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
- THE OTHER AREA IS, MAINLY ON THE APPLICATION PROCESSING SIDE.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AEN-HOU, AEN, AEN DEFER, AEN DEFER Public Hearings 02-03-2025
Agriculture and Environment
Transcript Highlights:
- Applications for grants shall be made to the Department of Agriculture and contain the information as
- At a minimum, the applicant shall: 1) be licensed or accredited in accordance with federal, state, or
- Applications for grants shall be made to the Department of Agriculture and contain the information as
- Comply with all applicable federal, state, and county statutes, rules, and ordinances. 9.
- Comply with all applicable federal, state, and county statutes, rules, and ordinances. 9.
Summary:
The committees heard several agriculture and food-system bills. SB 1562 would create a Combined Housing Operational Agricultural Mobilization Program to help bona fide farmers live and farm on agricultural lands and provide a tax credit for donated land. Testimony generally supported the goal of housing for farmers and farm workers, but raised concerns about placing the program within the Department of Agriculture, possible constitutional and drafting issues, land-quality standards, lease structure, and whether another agency might be better suited. The committees recommended passing SB 1562 with amendments, including clarifying DOA authority to acquire agricultural lands and establishing an advisory committee within the department; the recommendation was adopted.
The committees also heard SB 1171 on providing monofilament netting through hardware stores to help slow coconut rhinoceros beetle spread, SB 1186 on creating a statewide interagency food systems coordination team and working group, SB 1250 on a Farm to Families program, SB 1303 on agricultural loans, SB 1395 on a climate mitigation and resiliency special fund, SB 504 on a local agricultural transportation cost reimbursement program, SB 1185 on reviewing and repealing obsolete agricultural laws, and SB 187 on funding permanent agricultural biosecurity positions. Most testimony on these measures was in support, with some suggested refinements: for SB 1186, a youth advisory seat and clearer performance benchmarks; for SB 1250, broader eligibility for food pantries, cold storage, and staffing support; for SB 1303, support for lower interest rates and expanded loan tools; for SB 1395, debate over the fund’s structure and revenue source; for SB 504, clearer eligibility for small and beginning farmers, cooperatives, and food hubs; and for SB 1185, interest in joining the working group but concern about overbroad deregulation.
No roll-call votes were taken on the other measures in the excerpt, but the chair reported testimony counts on some bills, including 89 in support and none opposed for SB 1250, 13 in support and one opposed for SB 504, and 14 in support with one comment for SB 1395. SB 1303 and SB 187 also drew supportive testimony from the Department of Agriculture, farm groups, food banks, and industry organizations, with SB 187 emphasizing the need to make Act 231 biosecurity positions permanent and fully funded.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Jul 8th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- So we know the application process can be confusing and cumbersome.
- As the Senator mentioned, the 2020 Better FAFSA application rollout was not a huge success.
- It addresses the confusion in the applications.
- Last year, thousands of students applying for FAFSA struggled to submit their applications.
- It is allowing open access to anybody to be able to utilize the application.
Summary:
The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several Senate measures focused on student access, workforce needs, and institutional stability. Senator Laird presented SJR 4, which urges the federal government to restore NIH funding cuts and protect California’s research universities; UC testified in support and there was no opposition. Senator Ashby presented SB 761, the CalFresh for Students Act, to connect Cal Grant applicants with potential CalFresh eligibility and expand qualifying programs; the bill drew broad support from higher education, student, anti-hunger, and county groups, with members sharing personal experiences with food insecurity and no opposition.
Senator Cabaldon presented SB 520 to create a California Nurse Midwifery Education Fund for a new master’s-level nurse midwifery program, citing maternal health disparities and provider shortages, especially in rural and Central Valley communities. Supporters from the California Nurse Midwives Association and the Black Wellness and Prosperity Center emphasized workforce shortages and maternal mortality; one member raised concerns about the bill’s use of inclusive language, but the bill was otherwise well received. Cabaldon also presented SB 640, which would create a statewide direct admissions process to CSU for eligible high school seniors using existing data systems; supporters said it would reduce barriers, improve equity, and help declining-enrollment campuses, while members raised questions about special education students, rural access, dual enrollment, and measuring effectiveness. The committee voted SB 640 out on a 6-0 roll call.
Cabaldon’s SB 744 would preserve California students’ access to enrollment and financial aid if a federally recognized accrediting agency loses approval, by treating affected institutions as accredited for state purposes; the bill drew no public testimony and advanced on a 4-2 roll call. Senator Cortese’s SB 494 would require classified school employees’ disciplinary appeals to be heard by an administrative law judge, matching protections already available to teachers and community college faculty; labor groups supported the bill, while school districts and administrators opposed it over cost, local control, and implementation concerns. The committee also heard SB 550, a revised pilot to allow San Jose State and a nonprofit, state-accredited law school to jointly develop a public law school pathway; supporters argued it would expand affordable legal education and public-interest careers, while UC and independent colleges opposed it as inconsistent with the Master Plan. Members debated access, jurisdiction, funding, and bar pass rates, and the bill advanced on a 4-2 roll call to the Judiciary Committee.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Joint Appropriations Jan 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- CMS required us to have at least three pillars in our application.
- to the department as they roll the application processes out.
- Once they come in, the department will review them, and once they approve the application, that application
- They've been a great partner in helping us put this whole application together.
- And so how would they, you know, fill out an application and contact you?
Bills:
HB1623
Keywords:
HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid
Summary:
The committee heard House Bill 1623, the appropriations bill tied to North Dakota’s Rural Health Transformation Program, which is funded through a new federal rural health care grant. Senator Bekkedahl explained the bill’s background, the interim committee process that developed it, and the federal conditions attached to the award, including spending deadlines, administrative cost limits, and restrictions on uses such as new construction, supplanting existing funding, and certain other costs. Legislative staff then walked through the seven sections of the bill, including appropriation authority, transfer authority, contingent appropriations for pass-through grants, procurement and public improvement exemptions, recipient reporting, legislative reporting, and immediate effective date.
Commissioner Traynor and HHS staff described how the department plans to implement the program, emphasizing that the funding is intended to improve rural access, workforce recruitment and retention, technology and data connectivity, and community health initiatives. They said the department will rely on local applications, technical assistance, templates, listening sessions, and partnerships with providers, schools, public health units, tribal entities, and other community groups. Members asked about reimbursement timing, upfront costs, administrative expenses, sustainability after the five-year grant period, and whether CTE centers, public health units, gyms, grocery stores, and other community partners could participate; the department said yes, within program rules and with a focus on measurable outcomes and sustainability.
Several supporters testified in favor. Mental Health America of North Dakota and the Mental Health Advocacy Network supported the bill and urged investment in community-based mental health, crisis response, children’s services, peer support, and mobile crisis teams. HIA Health described the grant as a chance to expand home-based and hospice care, noting that rural providers already have workable models but need funding to scale them. A cybersecurity representative also supported the bill, warning that the large amount of health data and AI-related tools will require strong data protection and professional support. The hearing was closed with no opposition testimony, and the committee announced it would return later in the day for further work on the bill and other measures.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 03/04/25
Environment, Climate, and Legacy
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
House - Chamber Meeting Mar 1st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Speaker and gentlemen, I've seen the application.
- So I have an application They fill out the application. Mr.
- Speaker, kind lady, I score the application.
- will that stay on all applications?
- to assess that particular person's application and weigh it against another person's application.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government, Finance, Personnel, and Public Retirement.(7-1-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- And in 2026 based on their applications.
- ,<00:19:31.880>
those was more so the 300 applications, those was more so the 300 applications - We will accept those applications through August 31st.
- We have instructions for the application, the online application, and we have sample resolutions available
- We have instructions for the application, the online application, and we have sample resolutions available
Summary:
The committee received a budget and program update from Kentucky Emergency Management on the state’s urban search and rescue buildout. Eric Gibson and Doug Hargrave said the legislature’s funding was used to create FEMA-type urban search and rescue capacity, including Kentucky Task Force 1 and 2, the incident support team, and the helicopter aquatic rescue/hoist team. They emphasized that the effort is not just equipment purchases but also training, credentialing, warehouse and training-facility development, canine program expansion, and coordination with local search and rescue agencies across the Commonwealth.
Gibson reported that the agency executed 99.4% of the $16.175 million appropriation by the end of the fiscal year and said the team met its readiness target ahead of schedule, with equipment already being deployed in recent flood response operations. He also said $500,000 per year was set aside for local search and rescue grants, with about $482,000 awarded to 29 teams in one year and $490,000 to 36 teams in the next, averaging about $20,000 per grant. Several members urged the committee to consider increasing support for local responders in future budgets, noting rising equipment costs and the importance of local teams as first on scene.
Members asked about staffing, coverage, and benefits. Gibson explained that the task force is a mixed workforce of full-time fire personnel loaned from local departments, professional service staff such as doctors and engineers, and temporary deployment staff, with workers’ compensation coverage provided through KYEM and/or home agencies depending on the arrangement. He also said local search and rescue members are not currently included in line-of-duty death benefits. In response to questions about coverage and deployment, he described the two task force locations as designed to keep resources within roughly 100 miles of every Kentuckian.
The discussion also turned to recent flood response and disaster recovery. Gibson said the state had mobilized up to 24 teams over the weekend, documented roughly 60 to 80 water rescues or assisted evacuations, and was seeing significant damage in counties such as Cumberland, Clinton, and Metcalfe, including agricultural losses. He said several counties were meeting FEMA public assistance thresholds and that the state was preparing a broader relief request that could include FEMA, SBA, and USDA assistance. He also updated members on efforts to claw back and reallocate unused “strained fiscal liquidity” funds by the statutory deadline, saying notices were sent and funds were redirected where possible to unmet local needs.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- This is an annual application.
- This is an annual application. FAFSA. This is an annual application.
- Uh the application institutional aid.
- , including any kind of suspicion of a fraudulent application that gets triggered on the application.
- oddities um for that application oddities um for that application including<00:34:51.440>
any
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy and Natural Resources (04/16/2026)
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
certificate Uh deny applications for certificate Uh deny applications for certificate based<00- applicant would be uh on the committee. applicant would be uh on the committee.
- . application. application.
- , applicant, applicant, the<00:56:23.560>
potentially <00:56:24.080>affected <00:56:24.520 - And this is basically application.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety - 03/19/25
Judiciary and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- of a particular case and the applicable of a particular case and the applicable law<00:14:45.279
- Not all applicants are treated.
- Um, applicants do complete those applications.
- Um, applicants do complete<01:00:32.079>
those <01:00:32.640>applications. - complete those applications. complete those applications.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- self-identified via various applications self-identified via various applications that<00:15:49.120
- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or the FAFSA, and the Minnesota DREAM Act application.
- <00:28:29.880>
we federal financial aid application we federal financial aid application we - Broadly speaking, when the schools have their application process, as part of that application review
- two applications and awarded those<01:06:33.039>
two <01:06:33.240>applications <01:06:
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight Apr 28th, 2026 at 09:30 am
Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- We have two license applications from the Department of Transportation to approve.
- The committee has received a Memorial Bridge naming application to honor Ethan W.
- Seeing none, I now make a motion to approve the Memorial Bridge naming application.
- By your vote of 8 yes, no, you have adopted the application.
- By your vote of 8 to 0, we have approved the application.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight met with a quorum present and entered executive session to consider two Department of Transportation license applications and two memorial naming applications. The committee discussed a Memorial Bridge naming application to honor Ethan W. Amberger, with the sponsor, Representative Bryant Wolfen, explaining that the request came from the family after the young man died in a tragic car accident and was intended as a memorial to a loved one.
The committee then approved the Ethan W. Amberger Memorial Bridge naming application by roll call vote. It also considered and approved a memorial highway naming application honoring Deputy Sheriff Casey Shoemate, sponsored by Representative Don Mayhew, likewise by roll call vote. Both naming applications were adopted unanimously, recorded as 8-0.
After completing the executive session business, the committee voted to exit executive session and then adjourned with no further business.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight Apr 28th, 2026
Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- We have two license applications from the Department of Transportation to approve.
- The committee has received a Memorial Bridge naming application to honor Ethan W.
- Seeing none, I now make a motion to approve the Memorial Bridge naming application.
- No, you have adopted the application.
- By your vote of 8 to 0, we have approved the application.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight met with a quorum present and first entered executive session to consider two Department of Transportation license applications. The committee then took up two memorial naming requests: a Memorial Bridge naming application to honor Ethan W. Amberger, sponsored by Representative Bryant Wolfen, and a Memorial Highway naming application to honor Deputy Sheriff Casey Shoemate, sponsored by Representative Don Mayhew. Representative Wolfen briefly explained that the bridge request was intended to memorialize a young man who died in a tragic car accident and whose family had worked through the process.
After discussion, the committee voted to approve both naming applications. The bridge naming application was adopted by roll call, and the highway naming application was approved 8-0. Following the approvals, the committee exited executive session and adjourned with no further business.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- bill is relative to the five applicants bill is relative to the five applicants that<00:56:15.359
- >
already <00:56:22.799>signed of those applicants have already signed of those applicants - the application process take?
- of 23, which are five applicants of 23, which are five applicants >> and<00:59:01.599>
- <01:33:21.920>
with operators uh applicants with operators uh applicants with applications
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- House 3843, resolutions for an application to Congress for an amendment overturning Citizens United.
- And these applications must be consistent or harmonized.
- These applications must be consistent or harmonized across states to present a unified petition.
- I'm here in support of H. 4692 and Senate 284 that would remove the old, outdated applications for a
- Remove the old, outdated applications for a constitutional convention from the books.
Summary:
The hearing of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs was opened by Chair Joe McGonagle and Vice Chair Senator Mike Rush, who noted that Chair John Velis was deployed with the Massachusetts National Guard. The chairs explained the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, live streaming, and filing deadlines, and said the committee would hear 11 House bills and eight Senate bills dealing with federal and overseas issues. Much of the hearing centered on competing resolutions about Article 5 constitutional conventions, along with related resolutions on D.C. statehood, child labor, Citizens United, and Cambodia.
Supporters of H. 4692 and S. 284, a joint resolution to rescind all prior Massachusetts Article 5 convention applications, argued that old resolutions from the 1930s and 1970s could be used to count Massachusetts toward the 34-state threshold for calling a federal constitutional convention. Testifiers from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, Reproductive Equity Now, labor groups, and others warned that a convention would have no clear rules, could not be reliably limited to specific topics, and could put civil rights, reproductive rights, labor protections, and other constitutional protections at risk. Several speakers also cited a recent federal lawsuit and said the safest course was to remove outdated applications from the books.
A large opposing panel testified in support of H. 3888, a resolution calling for a Convention of States to propose amendments limiting federal power, imposing fiscal restraints, and establishing term limits. Supporters argued that Article 5 provides a lawful way to address federal overreach, debt, and congressional stagnation, and said the process would be limited by state applications and ratification by 38 states. Some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about a runaway convention, broad language in the resolution, and whether Congress could or should set rules for such a convention. Representative Gentile also testified in support of several related resolutions on overturning Citizens United, D.C. statehood, and the child labor amendment, while Representative Howard and Representative Tongue supported a Cambodia resolution condemning political oppression and urging free and fair elections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee Apr 21st, 2026
Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- And then last was nuclear for national security applications.
- Based on that, this flexibility allows many applications.
- and that allows this flexibility allows many applications.
- So these were the few big tech applications. But let's step back.
- These were the few big tech applications, but let's step back.
Summary:
The meeting was a presentation and Q&A at Idaho National Laboratory focused on the state of nuclear energy, advanced reactors, and the lab’s role in testing, regulation, and commercialization. Speakers described INL’s broader mission beyond nuclear, including cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, but emphasized its major nuclear capabilities: the Advanced Test Reactor, TREAT, the Materials and Fuels Complex, and other test beds used to accelerate fuel and materials testing. They also highlighted the lab’s size, workforce, internship pipeline, and partnerships with DOE, DHS, DOD, and private companies.
A major topic was the federal push to speed up nuclear deployment through executive orders and regulatory reform. Speakers said DOE and the NRC are reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, streamlining environmental reviews, and working toward a goal of having three new nuclear systems achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. They discussed the difference between microreactors, small modular reactors, and traditional gigawatt-scale plants, arguing that advanced reactors can be factory-built, safer, and better suited for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, and other nontraditional uses. They also said the U.S. is rebuilding its nuclear supply chain, including enrichment and fuel fabrication, and that states willing to host parts of the fuel cycle could see major economic benefits.
The speakers addressed questions about cost, safety, waste, and international competition. They said advanced reactors rely on passive safety features, TRISO fuel, and natural circulation, and that the industry’s challenge is often cost uncertainty rather than a precise fuel or materials limit. They argued used nuclear fuel should be viewed as a resource rather than waste if recycling becomes policy, and said microreactors should produce relatively small amounts of spent fuel. They also noted that China and Russia continue to build aggressively, with China on pace to surpass the U.S. in total nuclear generation, while U.S. projects such as Palisades, Crane Clean Energy Center, Duane Arnold, Oklo, Aalo, MARVEL, and Project Pele are moving forward under DOE and private-sector partnerships.