Transcript Highlights:

• safety risks with unlicensed pools and hot tubs include drowning, waterborne illnesses, and chemical hazards
• 00:30:35.200><c> chemical</c> waterborne illnesses and chemical waterborne illnesses and chemical hazards
• 30:38.640><c> written</c><00:30:39.600><c> um</c><00:30:39.799><c> we</c><00:30:39.919><c> do</c> hazards
• uh this bill as written um we do hazards uh this bill as written um we do have<00:30:40.360><c> concerns

Bills: HF2371 , HF2147 , HF2557 , HF1165 , HF2466 , HF2465 , HF2482

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• similar work to their co-workers, contract the same illnesses, are exposed to similar workplace safety hazards
• 03.960><c> similar</c><00:05:04.320><c> workplace</c><00:05:04.880><c> safety</c><00:05:05.320><c> hazards
• </c><00:05:06.199><c> and</c> to similar workplace safety hazards and to similar workplace safety hazards

Summary: The committee took up House File 1325 and adopted the author’s A2 amendment before hearing testimony. Representative Schultz presented the bill as a set of bipartisan changes to make Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law more workable for small businesses, public employers, and taxpayers, arguing the current law is an unfunded mandate that increases costs and property taxes. The bill’s supporters said it would add flexibility, including changes affecting coverage for certain workers, employer size thresholds, front-loading, weather-related exceptions, and a delay on penalties. Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach of the Department of Labor and Industry opposed the bill, saying it would exclude about 800,000 workers, or roughly 30% of the workforce, from earned sick and safe time protections and create confusion and enforcement problems. She also objected to the proposed penalty delay, saying the department already uses compliance assistance and needs penalty authority for serious violations. The Minnesota Chamber supported modifications to the mandate, saying businesses—especially small ones—have struggled with compliance and that the law has had unintended effects on PTO policies and leave use. The League of Minnesota Cities supported parts of the bill, especially changes affecting more generous city leave policies and weather-event exemptions, saying current language creates confusion and can interfere with emergency staffing. Opponents from Education Minnesota, SEIU Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, and a nurse from Unity Hospital argued the bill would strip protections from part-time workers, minors, and workers with family caregiving needs, and would weaken a law they said has helped workers avoid discipline or lost wages when sick. Supporters from counties and an HR consultant emphasized administrative burdens, emergency staffing needs during weather events, and the difficulty of applying ESS rules to existing leave policies. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the bill was laid over for further consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've stood it up to monitor the hazardous fire weather conditions, where there's strong winds and dry
• we've we've stood it up to<00:22:21.600><c> monitor</c><00:22:22.600><c> the</c><00:22:22.960><c> Hazardous
• uh</c><00:22:24.440><c> what</c><00:22:24.559><c> we</c><00:22:24.679><c> call</c> to monitor the Hazardous
• uh what we call to monitor the Hazardous uh what we call fire<00:22:25.279><c> weather</c><00:22:25.880

Summary: The House Committee on Education met on February 6 at 2:00 p.m. and heard testimony on a series of education-related bills. HB 1200, which would codify teacher ratios in statute, drew support from the Department of Education, the Democratic Party of the Education Caucus, and 11 individuals; no opposition was noted and the committee moved on without questions. HB 1344, concerning mandatory FAFSA completion, received testimony from the Department of Education, Hawaii P20, and a University of Hawaiʻi student who cited unclaimed Pell Grant funds and low FAFSA completion rates as reasons to support the bill. Committee members asked about current outreach efforts, and DOE and P20 described FAFSA tracking data, hotlines, email support, school-based FAFSA nights, and coordination with counselors; members also raised concerns about federal education funding and Pell Grants. The committee then heard HB 1499, which would authorize staff and volunteers to administer certain medications. The Department of Education, Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi nursing leadership, and the Hawaii State Center for Nursing all testified in support, along with several individuals and the Democratic Party Environmental Caucus. The next measure, HB 902 on the Public Safety Power Shutoff program, was supported by DOE, the Public Utilities Commission, and Hawaiian Electric, but it prompted extensive questioning from the Vice Chair about whether taxpayers should fund a study to help schools remain open during shutoffs. Hawaiian Electric said the bill would help DOE assess impacts in wildfire-risk areas and noted its wildfire safety strategy, outreach efforts, and potential community resource centers, while the Vice Chair argued the utility should bear more of the cost. The committee also heard HB 961, a bill on school libraries and a CASS pilot program, with DOE offering comments and HSTA and the Hawaii Library Association strongly supporting it. HSTA argued certified librarians are important for literacy, research, and digital literacy, and said many schools lack them because of cost; the association and 14 individuals testified in support. HB 962, a related bill on DOE libraries and the system, also drew support from DOE, HSTA, and the Hawaii Library Association, with 15 individuals in support. Finally, HB 730, concerning the Civil Rights Compliance Branch, received support from DOE, White Children’s Action Network, AAW of Hawaiʻi, and many individuals. Testifiers said the branch needs more resources and training and handles more than Title IX, including Title VI, Title VII, and ADA matters. A student plaintiff in a Title IX lawsuit described unequal treatment in athletics and facilities, and another supporter said the bill would help ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• No longer under the dodgy dictatorship of Doge, we have seen the unconstitutional and half-hazard seizure
• </c><01:15:12.800><c> seizure</c> unconstitutional and half-hazard seizure unconstitutional and half-hazard
• Since then, he's weathered it all, guiding North Dakotans through blizzards, floods, and drought, always
• c> blizzards,</c> guiding North Dotans through blizzards, guiding North Dotans through blizzards, floods
• c> drought,</c><06:57:43.040><c> always</c><06:57:43.440><c> with</c><06:57:43.680><c> steady</c> floods

Transcript Highlights:

• It showcases efforts like community outreach, school safety programs, and hazard mitigation planning
• It showcases efforts like community outreach, school safety programs, and hazard mitigation planning
• It showcases efforts like community outreach, school safety programs, and hazard mitigation planning
• The Coastal Risks and Hazard Commission was established by the legislature and has done a lot of work
• The Coastal Risks and Hazard Commission recommended planning sea level elevations and things like that

Summary: The Division 2 Finance Committee heard an overview and budget presentation from New Hampshire Fish and Game, led by new Executive Director Stephanie Simi and Business Division Chief Kathy Leonti. The agency described its mission to conserve and manage fish, wildlife, and marine resources, and emphasized growing pressures from disease, climate impacts, habitat change, and increased public demand. Simi said the department is largely funded by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal grants, is reviewing staffing and internal processes, and faces critical needs including permanent funding for environmental review staff, infrastructure and IT modernization, and possible service reductions if additional support is not found. Members asked about specific program and policy issues, including chronic wasting disease in deer, hemorrhagic disease in rabbits and hares, moose population decline, and a proposed bait-disease bill. The department said it is actively monitoring diseases and did not see a need for the bait bill at this time. Legislators also discussed the Hike Safe program, which the department said has grown from an expected $100,000 annually to more than $300,000, and a possible boating version of that program, which the department said remains under consideration but would involve complex logistics and multiple agencies. Questions were also raised about rescue costs, out-of-state hikers, and whether boat registrations could be used as a revenue source; Fish and Game said boat registration is handled by the Department of Safety, though the department receives $5 per registered boat for the public boat access program. The budget discussion focused on revenue projections, use of unrestricted Fish and Game funds, and dependence on federal reimbursements. Leonti said the department met the governor’s general fund target but not the Fish and Game fund target without using surplus unrestricted funds, leaving only about $100,000 in the fund by the end of the biennium. She said the budget uses more than $18 million in Fish and Game funds annually against about $14 million in unrestricted revenue, and that five of 193 full-time positions remain unfunded. The department warned that if federal grants were halted, it could cost about $5 million over five months and force the Fish and Game fund to cover the gap. Committee members also requested that future presentations be sent electronically in advance, and the department agreed to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• is diminishing what you're seeing<01:31:06.280><c> is</c><01:31:06.400><c> a</c><01:31:06.600><c> flood
• c> bills</c><01:31:07.520><c> to</c><01:31:07.719><c> open</c><01:31:08.000><c> up</c> seeing is a flood
• of bills to open up seeing is a flood of bills to open up for<01:31:08.800><c> the</c><01:31:09.239>
• </c><03:58:47.760><c> their</c><03:58:48.040><c> state</c> um pot cartels from flooding their state um
• </c><04:27:17.119><c> into</c> nonprofit influence did not flood into nonprofit influence did not flood

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• insurance, the flood insurance companies were telling them it was wind damage.
• <03:04:57.520><c> insurance,</c><03:04:58.000><c> the</c><03:04:58.160><c> flood</c><03:04:58.399><c>
• insurance</c> flood insurance, the flood insurance flood insurance, the flood insurance companies<03
• </c> ...were telling them, no, it was flood damage.
• Yes, or a specific case where we need to go to Vermont to do a search and rescue because of flooding.

Committee: House Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• And then with all the rain that just happened, I mean, it's flooding because of something as simple as
• I mean, it's flooding because of something as simple as cleaning a culvert.
• I mean, it's flooding because of something as simple as cleaning a culvert.

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff. Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website. The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion. Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• When wildfires come, when floods rise, when the earth shakes, and when pandemics descend, you can count
• If there's a flood, if there's a fire, look to the If there's a flood, if there's a fire, look to the

Transcript Highlights:

• Flood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please recognize Representative Duel to present House Bill 4425.
• Flood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Please recognize Representative Roe to present House Bill 4430.
• Flood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Bills: HB2059 , HB3920 , HB2992 , HB3267 , HB4457 , HB3800 , HB3818 , HB4425 , HB4427 , HB4430 , HB4431 , HB4333 , HB4340 , HB4343 , HB4344 , HB4363 , HB4229 , HB4230 , HB4236 , HB4246 , HB1979 , HB3431 , HB3052 , HB3047 , HB3048 , HB4092 , HB4302 , HB3261 , HB3704 , HB3312 , HB3546 , HB3849 , HCR1021 , HB4105 , HB4159 , HB4304 , HB3835 , HB3619 , HB4490 , HB3710 , HB4201 , HB3907 , HB3748

Summary: The House met in session with prayer, the Pledge, and several recognitions, including Veteran of the Week Jake Searock, Doctor of the Day Dr. Nicole Bowden, Psychologist of the Day Dr. Amy Cherry, Nurse of the Day Eileen Cooper Grubbs, and a presentation for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day. Members also welcomed student and community guests in the galleries. The chamber then moved through a long calendar of House bills, with most measures advancing on unanimous consent or broad bipartisan votes. Among the major bills discussed, lawmakers passed measures on county jail medication reimbursement (HB 2059), a sales tax exemption for LifeShare (HB 3920), ratepayer protections for large data centers and crypto mining facilities (HB 2992), a felony offense for breaking and entering an occupied dwelling without intent to commit another crime (HB 3267), PBM access protections for specialty pharmacy patients (HB 4457), adjunct teacher guardrails in K-4 tested subjects (HB 4427), malpractice coverage for state-employed nurse practitioners and physician assistants (HB 4430), and several higher education, water, and state government cleanup bills. The House also approved bills addressing the 988 mental health lifeline, juvenile oversight disclosures, school support employee tracking, a federal education tax credit opt-in, firearms education curriculum development, AI personhood restrictions, child safety reviews related to fentanyl, and expungement relief for trafficking victims. Debate centered most heavily on HB 2992, where supporters argued data centers should pay their share of infrastructure costs so residential and other ratepayers are not burdened, while some members questioned why the bill singled out data centers instead of all large-load users. HB 3267 drew questions about how the new offense would affect people with cognitive impairments, and HB 3312, the firearms education bill, prompted concerns about who would teach the curriculum. HB 3546 on artificial intelligence personhood also generated discussion about accountability and future regulation. Several bills were amended on the floor, including HB 492, HB 4302, and HB 4105. The House recorded numerous final passage votes, with many bills passing overwhelmingly and some by narrower margins, including HB 3800, HB 4333, HB 3704, HB 4159, and HB 3619. Emergency clauses were adopted on some measures, including HB 4427 and HB 3312, while others were passed without emergency action. The chamber also reconsidered and then passed HB 1979 after a motion to reconsider a prior failure.

Transcript Highlights:

• On top of that, droughts and floods now regularly cause hundreds of millions or billions of dollars to
• provides emergency grant assistance to family farmers navigating climate disasters like wildfire, flood
• provides emergency grant assistance to family farmers navigating climate disasters like wildfire, flood

Summary: The joint informational hearing examined how agricultural programs have used cap-and-invest funding and what role agriculture should play in future climate investments. The chairs opened by noting that agriculture had been largely left out of the cap-and-invest reauthorization, despite prior support through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and framed the hearing around climate-smart agriculture, food security, rural vitality, and the need for measurable co-benefits such as water savings, soil health, and air quality improvements. The first panel included CDFA Deputy Secretary Virginia Jamison and LAO analyst Helen Kirsten. Jamison described CDFA’s climate-smart portfolio, including the Healthy Soils Program, SWEEP, the Alternative Manure Management Program, and dairy methane reduction efforts, saying roughly $727 million has supported these programs and produced estimated reductions of 31 million metric tons of CO2e, 1.6 million acre-feet of water savings, and about 4,000 projects. She emphasized technical assistance, oversubscription of the programs, and the need for continued investment and better measurement/verification. Kirsten outlined the cap-and-invest structure, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and the state’s emissions inventory, noting agriculture is about 8% of California’s GHG emissions and that funding for tier-three programs may remain constrained. She also said prior LAO work found the programs have significant reduction potential but that some estimated benefits may be overstated, recommending further evaluation. The second panel featured UC researchers Alexandra Hill and Ermi Kibreab, who presented on the economic importance of California’s working landscapes and on dairy methane reduction pathways. Hill said working landscapes are a major part of the state and national economy, with agriculture driving most of the sector’s sales and jobs. Kibreab explained that dairy is central to methane reduction because it accounts for a large share of agricultural methane emissions, and described herd efficiency, digesters, alternative manure management, and emerging feed additives as complementary strategies. He said digesters and other incentive-supported measures are helping California move toward its methane goals, while noting feed additives such as 3-NOP and seaweed-based approaches could offer additional reductions in the future. The third panel brought contrasting views from environmental advocates, farmers, and industry representatives. Phoebe Seaton argued that further state funding for dairy digesters is not environmentally or economically justified, citing concerns about methane, nitrous oxide, groundwater impacts, odors, and high cost per ton reduced. Brian Shobe of CalCAN supported continued funding for programs like AMP, SWEEP, and Healthy Soils, saying they provide multiple co-benefits and that farmers need stable, incentive-based support to comply with climate and water regulations. Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming Company described his farm’s investments in organic and regenerative practices, composting, drip irrigation, solar, habitat management, and workforce programs, and said consistent funding helps farms plan and remain viable. Tricia Gerringer of the Agricultural Council of California urged funding for FPIP, the Farmer Program, methane reduction programs, and sustainable ag waste management, arguing they deliver immediate, measurable reductions and co-benefits. Members and witnesses debated the relative merits of digesters versus alternative manure management, the role of regenerative agriculture, and whether agriculture should be treated as a distinct policy category. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with public comment supporting agricultural climate funding and a request to include agriculture in broader cap-and-invest discussions.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, it was just a couple hours ago that you and I had a little conversation about flooding and
• we know that more and more homes are at risk of fire, just like more and more homes are at risk of flood
• Just like more and more homes are at risk of flood, this is a good piece of legislation to help us deal

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5467 , SB5820 , SCR8406 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB6278 , SB5831 , SB5915 , SB5963 , SB6025 , SB6046 , SB6084 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , SB6188 , SB6291 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, SB 5467, water-sewer district, water sewer district, surplus property, public property sale, local government, RCW 57, real property disposal, personal property, notice of intent to sell, public auction

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, it was just a couple hours ago that you and I had a little conversation about flooding and
• we know that more and more homes are at risk of fire, just like more and more homes are at risk of flood
• Just like more and more homes are at risk of flood, this is a good piece of legislation to help us deal

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5467 , SB5820 , SCR8406 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB6278 , SB5831 , SB5915 , SB5963 , SB6025 , SB6046 , SB6084 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , SB6188 , SB6291 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, SB 5467, water-sewer district, water sewer district, surplus property, public property sale, local government, RCW 57, real property disposal, personal property, notice of intent to sell, public auction

Summary: The House received several messages from the Senate announcing passage of engrossed or substitute versions of House Bill 2294, House Bill 2472, Senate Bill 606, Senate Bill 6335, engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6266, and engrossed substitute House Bill 3. The chamber then moved through second and third reading on a series of measures, often suspending the rules to advance bills to final passage. A major floor debate centered on Senate Concurrent Resolution 8406, which would reestablish the Joint Select Committee on Civic Health and expand its membership. Amendment 2131, offered to keep the committee at its current size rather than expanding it, was rejected after debate over fiscal restraint, committee scope, and whether the body functioned like a “proxy legislature.” The resolution then passed 83-10. The House also passed engrossed substitute Senate Bill 6200 on portable cooling devices for renters and mobile home occupants, Senate Bill 6084 on clarifying the prohibition on voting in more than one election, second engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5105 on sexually explicit depictions involving minors, and Senate Bill 6046 authorizing the Civil Air Patrol to be used by the governor in emergencies; each drew debate over policy scope, enforcement, and state-federal authority, but all ultimately passed. The House next passed substitute Senate Bill 6054, limiting HOA and common-interest community restrictions that conflict with wildfire-hardening measures; substitute Senate Bill 6091, requiring greater transparency in real estate broker practices; Senate Bill 6291, giving more time to train and certify on-site wastewater inspectors; substitute Senate Bill 6081, creating a Public Records Act exemption for sex designation information to protect transgender people from doxxing and harassment; Senate Bill 5963, automatically enrolling certain vulnerable students in the Washington College Grant; and substitute Senate Bill 6226, addressing audiology scope-of-practice and telemedicine concerns. Most of these bills passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew dissent over added regulation, privacy, or scope-of-practice issues. The final portion of the transcript focused on Senate Bill 6106, which the Speaker ruled had an out-of-scope amendment related to agricultural seasonal workers; the bill itself passed 75-18 after debate over layoff notices and tribal sovereignty. Substitute Senate Bill 6014, dealing with pregnancy accommodations and related public records issues, saw a failed amendment to replace gender-neutral language with “pregnant woman” and then passed 68-25. The House also debated Senate Bill 5820, with multiple amendments concerning freight rail, greenhouse gas calculations, county planning, property rights, and rail safety; the excerpt ends amid that amendment debate before final action on the bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• rural areas that are already low on staff and overflooded with patients is that they would then be flooded
• with management of patients... ...and over-flooded with patients is that they would then be flooded

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several floor recognitions, including St. Mary’s High School football team for its first state championship and Black-owned businesses honored by the Legislative Black Caucus and Black Chamber of Commerce. The Rules Committee also reported Senate Resolution 77 to third reading. The chamber then confirmed Tyler Sadwith as Chief Deputy Director for Health Care Programs at the Department of Health Care Services and State Medicaid Director by a 33-0 vote. The main floor debate centered on SR 77, a resolution condemning racist and dehumanizing imagery posted by President Trump depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Supporters from multiple caucuses, including the Black, Latino, Jewish, LGBTQ, and API caucuses, described the post as racist, harmful, and part of a broader pattern of dehumanization and urged a public apology. A few Republicans objected to the resolution’s language and process, saying it was overly partisan or not collaborative, but the resolution was adopted on a 28-0 vote. The Senate also took up SB 106, a budget bill to provide $90 million in state funding for family planning providers, especially Planned Parenthood, after federal cuts under H.R. 1. Supporters argued the bill would preserve essential reproductive and preventive health services, especially in rural and underserved communities, and backfill lost reimbursements. Opponents criticized the bill’s transparency, no-bid contracting structure, and priorities compared with other needs such as distressed hospitals and developmental disability services. After debate, the Senate concurred in the Assembly amendments to SB 106 by a 26-9 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• prices higher, removing the tools we rely on to deter and prevent the catastrophic wildfires and flooding
• In the disastrous flooding that would quickly follow, I came to realize that New Mexico cannot afford
• I haven't seen any small business that can budget for wildfire or flood.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• natural sponge is removed, stream temperatures increase, water moves faster, sediment increases, and flood
• up most of our stream miles, and when they're degraded, the damage moves downstream, increasing flooding
• Short-rotation clear-cut plantation forestry increases washed-out roads, failed culverts, and flood damage

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 2598, which would create a Salmon Advisory Commission made up of tribal leaders, state agencies, legislators, and local governments to develop recommendations on salmon and steelhead recovery. Prime sponsor Rep. Lekanoff described the bill as a way to bring executive, legislative, and tribal leaders together on salmon recovery and treaty obligations. Staff noted a fiscal note of roughly $35,000 in out years. Supporters emphasized salmon’s cultural and treaty importance and the need for coordinated leadership, while the lone public testifier, Todd Myers of Washington Policy Center, opposed the bill as another statewide layer of bureaucracy and argued that recovery efforts should focus more on local, watershed-level action. The committee noted 10 signed in pro, 886 con, and one other, but no vote was taken on the bill in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2620, which would repeal the recently adopted Forest Practices Board rule expanding riparian buffers on non-fish-bearing streams and impose new standards for future riparian buffer rulemaking, including an economic viability standard for the timber industry and additional consensus and alternative-analysis requirements. Rep. Dent said the bill was intended to restore communication and collaboration in the forest practices process. Testimony was sharply divided. Tribal representatives and environmental advocates said the rule was the product of a long, science-based adaptive management process under the Forest and Fish framework and was needed to protect water quality, salmon habitat, and treaty rights; they argued the bill would undermine that process and conflict with Clean Water Act compliance. Forest industry and small forest landowner witnesses supported the bill, saying the process had lost trust, ignored alternatives, and imposed significant economic harm on rural communities and family tree farms. DNR and Ecology testified in opposition, saying the rule was based on science and that the bill would weaken water-quality protections and jeopardize HCP compliance. The committee recorded 592 signed in pro, 489 con, and one other, with no vote taken during the hearing. After the public hearings, the committee moved into executive session on five bills. Staff briefly described House Bill 2104, which would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program for wildfire response; House Bill 2348, a DNR request bill on land and material sales advertising; House Bill 2544, which would require an adjudication process for the Upper Columbia River with a proposed substitute; House Bill 2554, which would repeal Initiative 456 concerning state declarations on tribal natural resource management; and House Joint Memorial 4009, urging federal action on wildland firefighting consolidation. The committee then recessed briefly for caucus and began executive action, starting with a motion to report House Bill 2104 out of committee with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• might interplay with NFIP and federal requirements that cities have to uphold in order to guarantee flood
• protect water bodies, utility easements, ensure first responder access, or prevent properties from flooding
• land development regulations, it will invalidate existing standards too, even those that prevent flooding

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered a series of bills, many focused on local government authority, land use, housing, and public notice requirements. Several measures were reported favorably, including SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments, SB 936 on temporary door locking devices, SB 962 on affordable housing protections for farms, SB 218 on land use regulations in hurricane-affected counties, SB 1020 on regulation of chickee huts, and SB 1434 on infill redevelopment of environmentally challenged properties. SB 1180 on community development district recall elections was amended to narrow and clarify the recall process and to add provisions on synthetic turf and compact urban mixed-use districts before being reported favorably. SB 380 on legal notices was also amended and reported favorably despite significant opposition from the Florida Press Association, Common Cause, and others who argued it would further fragment public notice access; supporters said it would modernize publication options and save money. Testimony on the bills was mixed. Supporters of the housing and redevelopment measures argued they would increase attainable housing, streamline approvals, and make better use of underutilized or contaminated land, while local government groups and advocacy organizations warned about overdevelopment, reduced public input, infrastructure strain, and conflicts with comprehensive planning. On SB 1444, which combined preemptions related to religious gatherings, private clubs, and certain permitting requirements, supporters framed it as protecting religious freedom and limiting local micromanagement, while the League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties opposed it as overly broad and unclear; the bill nevertheless passed favorably after debate. SB 218 was presented as restoring normal land-use authority in counties unaffected by hurricanes while preserving protections in damaged areas, and SB 984 was described as clarifying firefighter cancer benefits and health coverage rules; both passed without controversy. The committee also heard extensive testimony on SB 948, a strike-all on local government land development regulations and orders that would create a statewide framework for starter homes and lot-split rules within urban growth areas. Supporters said it would expand housing supply and reduce regulatory delays, while opponents said it would override local zoning, weaken infrastructure and environmental protections, and apply too broadly. The bill drew support from housing advocates and some local officials, but opposition from the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and others. The transcript ends with SB 948 still under consideration, with testimony continuing and no final vote shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• increase in construction is coming from Lincoln, which is from the recovery efforts after the fire and flooding
• Madam Chair, Representative Chandler, the bulk of the EO spending is for fires and floods.
• Delgado said, when the governor declares a disaster for fire or flood or something like that, that's

Committee: Joint Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And I do have a chart of executive order spending here, and the vast majority of it is fires and flooding
• It needed to be done to help people when floods and fires came, and it happened, but we're going to figure
• Okay, things that concern me is so A lot of that construction, that certainly is fires and flood reconstruction

Transcript Highlights:

• National Guard because we're not addressing crime as a legislative body or to — Help with recovery, fire, flood
• took this same approach last year, which was largely dominated by the response to the fire and then flooding
• The flooding, the fires, all these things are communicated to people because we have a reliable backbone

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance