Video & Transcript Research : 'purchasing'
Page 153 of 359
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 4/13/26
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair, is the Met Council's ability to purchase and take on more land development.
- Council Representative Jones is the Met Council ability<00:58:23.200>
to <00:58:23.320>purchase and <00:58:24.440>take <00:58:24.760>on <00:58:25.760>um ability to purchase- of evidence in meeting the provisions of this bill before conducting routine activities such as purchasing
- of evidence in meeting the provisions of this bill before conducting routine activities such as purchasing
Keywords:
transportation, interchange, funding, bonds, St. Paul Park, transit, Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities, metro area, high-frequency transit, bus rapid transit, busway, guideway, transportation policy plan, transit performance measures, regional transit benchmarks, transit-oriented development, TOD, zoning, land use
Summary:
The committee approved the April 8, 2026 minutes and then heard House File 3373, which was laid over. The bill sought trunk highway bond funding for preliminary and final design work at the 70th Street interchange in St. Paul Park. Representative Hansen, Mayor Keith Frankie, and Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham described the interchange as undersized and increasingly unsafe because of refinery truck traffic, aggregate hauling, nearby growth, and changing traffic patterns. Members asked about prior study, cost, and greenhouse gas requirements, and the bill author said the request was about $500,000. Chair Cosgrove noted the bill would be laid over and suggested the issue could involve future statutory exemptions.
The committee then took up House File 4449, also laid over, after adopting the A4 author’s amendment. Representative Jones presented the bill as a transit planning and accountability measure for the Twin Cities metro. It would set numeric transit goals, require better coordination between road projects and future transit projects, and give the Met Council more tools to support transit-oriented development, including property acquisition and development around transit corridors. Jones argued the bill would help avoid rebuilding roads twice and improve transit ridership, frequency, speed, and reliability.
Representative Olson offered an amendment to exempt highway projects primarily addressing documented safety issues, arguing that safety projects should not be burdened by added transit requirements or costs. Jones said she supported the safety concern but opposed the amendment as written because the bill was aimed at major construction projects. After a roll call, the amendment failed on an 8-8 tie. The bill itself remained laid over for further work, with the chair noting there was still time to refine the proposal.
MD
Transcript Highlights:
- House Bill 875, public safety distribution of literature to purchasers of firearms and ammunition, favorable
- 00:25:50.600>
of <00:25:50.720>literature <00:25:51.200>to <00:25:51.360>purchasers - distribution of literature to purchasers distribution of literature to purchasers purchasers<00:
- > of<00:25:53.120>
firearms <00:25:53.760>and <00:25:53.920>ammunition purchasers - of firearms and ammunition purchasers of firearms and ammunition favorable. favorable. favorable.
Summary:
The House convened with 124 members present, offered a prayer, and recognized foster youth visiting the chamber. Members then adopted two House resolutions honoring Dr. Sonja Santelises for 10 years as CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools and recognizing Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, for 104 years of service, scholarship, and sisterhood. The House also received Senate bills and began taking up committee reports.
Several bills were reported favorably and advanced to third reading, including measures on higher education grants, public safety pay restrictions, retirement and pension system work group extensions and cost-of-living adjustments, synthetic turf and aquaculture studies, rail crew requirements, Howard County speed limits, election address confidentiality, IT investment fund uses, ethics financial disclosures, Public Information Act divorce records, aging-in-place grants, judicial assignments, clerk and register salaries, and firearm literature distribution. House Bill 428, concerning temporary assignment of former judges, was special ordered until the next day after the minority whip requested time for an amendment.
The chamber also considered and adopted amendments on several bills. House Bill 437, the Transportation and Climate Alignment Act of 2026, was amended to exempt the Chesapeake Bay Bridge project and then special ordered after questions about greenhouse gas impacts on major highway expansion projects. House Bill 457 on menstrual hygiene products at higher education institutions, House Bill 538 on student enrollment disclosures, House Bill 561 on child care credential funding, House Bill 720 on a veterans scholarship, and House Bill 212 on out-of-state vehicle registration all received amendments and favorable reports as amended. HB 212 drew extended debate about Maryland residents using out-of-state tags, with supporters saying it would help enforce registration laws and opponents raising concerns about legislative вмешательство in vehicle regulation and enforcement discretion.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 3/4/26
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The fact that they became a monopolist through bribery, we should think about unwinding their purchases
- :53.440>
about <00:09:53.680>unwinding <00:09:54.320>their <00:09:54.560>purchases - think about unwinding their purchases think about unwinding their purchases because<00:09:55.360
- that go to work every day in one of these segments, fulfill a role, work in marketing, work in purchasing
- work in uh accounting for purchasing work in uh accounting for these<01:14:02.960>
companies <
Bills:
HF3718
Keywords:
veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, licensing, client consent, continuing education, emergency services, teletriage, 1183, house
Summary:
The Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee met with quorum present, approved the March 2 minutes, and then heard a presentation on economic consolidation in agriculture from Austin Ferk, who said he was not taking additional public testimony. Ferk argued that consolidation in meat, dairy, and grain markets has squeezed farmers on both input and output prices, raised consumer prices, and reduced product quality. He used charts and examples to claim that concentrated markets lead to price gouging, that farmers now receive a historically low share of each food dollar, and that industrial production has contributed to environmental problems, especially in Iowa.
Ferk focused on several large agribusiness firms, especially JBS and Cargill. He described JBS as a dominant meatpacker with a history of bribery allegations and market power across beef, pork, poultry, and leather, and said its ownership of brands can obscure who is actually selling the product. He also criticized Cargill as an opaque, privately held company with enormous influence over grain and food markets, and said the farm bill and crop insurance system have been shaped to favor overproduction of corn and soy rather than diversified farming. He argued that these policies, along with ethanol demand and export-oriented livestock production, have harmed rural communities, increased manure and nitrate pollution, and contributed to health problems.
In the latter part of the presentation, Ferk discussed antitrust and policy responses, including concentration studies, a proposed packer ban that would prevent meatpackers from owning the animals they slaughter, and restrictions on slotting fees and other pay-to-play practices in grocery retail. He also referenced the failed Kroger-Albertsons merger as an example of consolidation harming local communities. No committee vote or formal action was taken on the presentation beyond approving the minutes.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee 3/4/26
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- c><01:03:54.400>
to uh to determine the eligibility to uh to determine the eligibility to purchase - And I know there's a little bit of discretion in statute for both permit to purchase and permit to carry
- From the time that the purchase order was generated and sent to the supplier, the bad actors had jumped
- Cloud, Minnesota, it went to Sacramento, California in real time as it was being dispatched. purchase
- order was generated and sent to purchase order was generated and sent to the<01:37:39.840>
supplier
Keywords:
Capitol security, public safety, emergency management, state buildings, law enforcement, corrections, legislative approval, rule-making, financial impact, jail regulations, expungement, firearm eligibility, criminal records, organized retail crime, retail theft, supply chain theft, theft enterprise, organized theft, cargo theft, shoplifting
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- to 12.6 add language to conform with the spreadsheet related to a fee increase on county-based purchasing
- Senator Mann's Senate File 1785 relating to the prescription drug repository, allowing that entity to purchase
- Senator Mann's Senate File 1785 relating to the prescription drug repository, allowing that entity to purchase
- Senator Mann's Senate File 1785 relating to the prescription drug repository, allowing that entity to purchase
- Senator Mann's Senate File 1785 relating to the prescription drug repository, allowing that entity to purchase
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (04/01/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, they have the ability to purchase and sell securities when they see that appropriate.
sell <00:20:36.799>securities <00:20:37.280>when <00:20:37.600>they purchase- and sell securities when they purchase and sell securities when they they<00:20:38.480>
see <00 - <00:22:56.400>
Um <00:22:56.799>when purchased and sell quickly. - Um when purchased and sell quickly.
Summary:
The committee held a work session on HB 302, which would add precious metals and digital assets as potential investment options. State Treasurer Monica Misipelli said she took no position on the bill and did not see an immediate fiscal impact or operational problem, but explained that the state’s operating funds and rainy day fund require liquidity and stability, so they would not be suitable for volatile assets like precious metals or digital assets. She said the only funds that might potentially use such investments would be certain trust funds held in perpetuity, which are managed by an outside investment advisor under a contract and investment policy.
Members asked about the treasurer’s current investment practices, including the types of funds managed, the role and discretion of the investment advisor, the state’s risk profile, and whether the bill would affect existing authority. Misipelli said the office follows RSA 11 and related statutes, with different objectives ranging from conservative to aggressive depending on the fund, and that the advisor meets with the office regularly, with formal performance reviews on a quarterly basis. She also said the office recently centralized management of about 40 trust accounts totaling roughly $60 million into five combined portfolios under a five-year contract with an RFP-selected vendor. When asked whether precious metals or digital assets are already indirectly available through mutual funds, she said that was possible for some mutual funds, but she was not certain about digital assets.
Representative Ammon, the bill’s sponsor, said similar legislation had passed the Oklahoma House, the Texas House and Senate, and had advanced in Arizona. He argued the bill was intended to give the treasurer more tools to help balance portfolios and hedge inflation, noting concerns about federal debt and inflation. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair ended the questioning after thanking the treasurer and asking her to remain available in case further questions arose.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee 4/1/25
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- activities like training<00:47:36.599>
and <00:47:36.839>capital <00:47:37.160>purchases - <00:47:38.040>
talk <00:47:38.200>a training and capital purchases talk a training - and capital purchases talk a little<00:47:38.480>
bit <00:47:38.640>more <00:47:38.839>< - This funding will directly support, like was said, planning, training, equipment purchases, infrastructure
- purchases infrastructure improvements Etc<00:59:10.119>
allowing <00:59:10.480>those <00
Keywords:
public safety, school safety, active shooter, active shooter drill, violence prevention, threat reporting, anonymous tip line, See It, Say It, Send It, Minnesota Fusion Center, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, officer-involved death, missing person, endangered missing person, criminal background check, national background check, FBI fingerprint check, adult entertainment license, massage license, correctional facilities
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/25
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The witness said they felt very confident that, through community partnerships or purchasing, resupply
- cover the cost of an e-platform that shares over 300,000 electronic materials and to make select purchases
- <00:26:19.960>
where <00:26:20.240>open make select purchases where open make select - purchases where open educational<00:26:21.399>
resources <00:26:21.919>just <00:26:22.080 - <01:07:04.480>
Services you'll note is that um purchase Services you'll note is that um purchase
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 02/26/25
Jobs and Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- She said she has received grants that helped her purchase a car and has been able to further her training
- She said she has received grants that helped her purchase a car and has been able to further her training
- this would have helped me financially in high school to provide me with the things that I wanted to purchase
- this would have helped me financially in high school to provide me with the things that I wanted to purchase
- With the things that I wanted to purchase but couldn't afford, and I remember in high school we would
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- actually, personally on a policy front, I would be in favor of smaller houses to allow people to purchase
- houses to allow in favor of smaller houses to allow people<01:42:20.400>
to <01:42:20.880>purchase - <01:42:22.560>
Um, people to purchase their own homes. - Um, people to purchase their own homes.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Criminal Justice and Public Safety (01/14/2026)
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, and if you wish to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed dealer, um, there is the firearms
- transaction record, which all licensed firearms dealers are required to have purchasers complete.
- Um, and if you uh uh wish<03:48:43.279>
to <03:48:43.520>purchase <03:48:44.080>a <03:54:05.920>- possession purchasing and transport an<03:51:01.920>
integral <03:51:02.479>and <03:51:of <03:54:06.160>firearms and and uh and um purchase of firearms and - possession purchasing and transport an<03:51:01.920>
PA
Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session (Jun 29 2026)
Pennsylvania Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Pennsylvanians are crossing state lines every day to purchase legal cannabis in those states.
- Pennsylvanians are crossing state lines every day to purchase legal cannabis in those states, and unfortunately
Summary:
The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then received communications recalling it for voting session and referring gubernatorial nominations and a series of Senate and House bills and resolutions to standing committees. Leaves of absence were granted, and the chamber recessed briefly for committee meetings and party caucuses before reconvening.
On the floor, the Senate unanimously agreed to House Bill 1102 and later passed Senate Bill 1133 and Senate Bill 1303 by 50-0 votes. Several measures were set aside to their proper place in the calendar or re-referred, including Senate Bill 1182 and House Bill 928 to Appropriations. The Senate also adopted multiple amendments to Senate Bill 1372, including a technical amendment from Senator Brooks, an amendment offered on behalf of Senator Loughlin, and Senator Fontana’s amendment requiring carbon monoxide detectors in child care facilities; after amendment, Senate Bill 1372 was held over. The chamber adopted Senate Resolution 326 urging a posthumous Medal of Honor for Major Richard Winters.
During petitions and remonstrances, Senator Tartaglione urged action to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, noting it has been 20 years since the last increase. Senator Dush honored Colonel James C. Harding on his birthday, highlighting his military service and decorations. Senator Street introduced a discharge resolution to force consideration of adult-use cannabis legalization, arguing the issue has bipartisan support and should receive a vote. Senator Dush also delivered extended remarks on the Founders, John Adams, religion, and the Constitution.
Committee reports followed, including Appropriations reporting Senate Bills 1061, 1182, and 1303 as committed and House Bill 2400 as amended, and Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure reporting House Bill 2426 as committed. The Senate then considered supplemental calendars, adopting an amendment to Senate Bill 1182 and passing Senate Bill 1303 on final passage, both by 50-0 votes. The chamber was also notified of upcoming committee meetings, and it recessed until June 30, 2026, at 11 a.m., unless recalled sooner.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for $30,000 that will allow us to help purchase
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for $30,000 that will allow us to help purchase
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education held an informational hearing at Quincy Public Schools focused on career and technical education (CTE). Committee members said the visit was intended to gather input for statewide CTE legislation, including efforts to expand awareness and access, improve middle school exposure, invest in equipment and facilities, and strengthen ties to workforce boards and labor pathways. Quincy officials described their CTE system as integrated with academics and highlighted support from district, city, and state partners.
School leaders outlined Quincy’s CTE offerings, including 15 Chapter 74 programs at Quincy High School and four at North Quincy High School, with about 1,360 students enrolled. Presenters emphasized curriculum aligned to DESE frameworks, work-based learning, industry-recognized credentials, safety training, business electives, dual enrollment and articulation with Quincy College, and grant funding such as Skills Capital and Perkins. They also discussed support liaisons for nontraditional careers and military pathways, advisory committees, and plans to seek Chapter 74 approval for an engineering program at North Quincy, along with new computer science and business offerings.
Testimony from MassHire South Shore described workforce partnerships, YouthWorks, job fairs, resume workshops, and the Credit for Life Fair, while the assistant superintendent explained Quincy’s MyCAP planning grant and efforts to build a student-driven college and career readiness system. Three students testified about their pathways in welding, early education and care, and healthcare technology, describing hands-on learning, certifications, clinical or co-op experiences, and future plans for college and careers. Committee members praised Quincy as a model for combining CTE with general education, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn and unanimous adjournment.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Revenue - Finance Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- versus New Jersey and $2,280 versus Pennsylvania and Maryland on an estimated $38,000 in taxable purchases
- , then what will happen is that they'll stay here and they will use services, products, and make purchases
Summary:
The House Revenue and Finance Committee met to consider two tax-related measures sponsored by Representative Holofsky. The first was House Substitute 1 for House Bill 386, the Tipped Worker Tax Relief Act of 2026, which would allow a temporary Delaware income tax deduction of up to $15,000 for qualified tips for tax years 2027 through 2029, with phaseouts at higher incomes and a refundable credit for lower-income workers. Committee discussion focused on whether the bill applied to residents and non-residents, whether credit-card tips were included, the need for an updated substitute, and the expected fiscal impact. The Office of the Comptroller General said the bill would likely reduce general revenue and that the fiscal note had not yet been fully reviewed, while Deputy Secretary Goldsmith said the Department of Finance could administer it and that implementation costs would be modest. After public comment, the committee voted on a motion to release the bill, but it did not receive enough votes, so the chair said she would walk it for additional signatures.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 219, which would phase in an increase in the military pension income exemption from $12,500 to $25,000 by tax year 2029. Representative Holofsky argued the measure would help attract and retain military retirees, support the economy, and provide a strong return on investment through spending, taxes, and community participation. Members raised concerns about whether the benefit should be income-based, with one member arguing that higher-income retirees may not need the tax break, while supporters emphasized the multiplier effect and the value of veterans to the state. Public testimony from Veterans of Foreign Wars representatives strongly supported the bill and described how the exemption could influence retirement decisions and local economic activity. A motion to release the bill also failed to get enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it for signatures before adjourning the meeting.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Revenue - Finance Committee Meeting Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- versus New Jersey, and $2,280 versus Pennsylvania and Maryland on an estimated $38,000 in taxable purchases
- , then what will happen is that they'll stay here and they will use services, products, and make purchases
Summary:
The House Revenue and Finance Committee met to consider House Substitute 1 for House Bill 386, which would create a temporary Delaware income tax deduction for qualified tip income from tax years 2027 through 2029. The sponsor described it as relief for service workers in restaurants, salons, and similar tipped occupations, with a deduction of up to $15,000, income-based phaseouts, a refundable credit for lower-income workers, and a sunset for later review. Committee members raised questions about the resident/non-resident language, the fiscal note, and whether the Department of Finance could implement the change; Finance said the department could administer it and expected only modest administrative costs, while the Comptroller’s office said the bill would reduce general revenue. After a brief recess to review updated language, the committee took public comment, but no one testified. A motion to release the bill failed to receive enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it to seek additional signatures.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 219, which would phase in an increase in the military pension income exemption from $12,500 to $25,000 by tax year 2029. The sponsor argued the measure would help attract and retain military retirees, citing economic return estimates, workforce benefits, and support from all 21 Senate co-sponsors. Some members supported the bill as a way to reward service and bring in long-term residents, while others questioned whether the exemption should be income-based rather than available to all military retirees, including those with substantial second careers. The Department of Finance said it could operationalize the bill and that the non-resident language was unnecessary because the subtraction is already picked up in the non-resident code section. Public testimony from veterans’ organizations strongly supported the bill, emphasizing that the exemption can influence retirement decisions and help veterans and their families stay in Delaware. A motion to release the bill also failed to get enough votes, and the chair said she would walk it for signatures before adjourning the meeting.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature Day 58-2 May 14th, 2026
Oklahoma House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Section 7 kind of deviates a little bit in talking about state purchases of software.
- In talking about state purchases of software, it, granted, is about critical infrastructure, but it's
Keywords:
legislative procedure, session calendar, deadline schedule, bill deadlines, joint resolution, Oklahoma Legislature, 61st Legislature, regular session, adjourn sine die, floor deadline, third reading, committee deadlines, bill drafting, appropriations, budget bills, ethics commission, agency rules, administrative procedures act, local and special laws, pension legislation
Summary:
The House first took up Senate Bill 893, a conference committee report on property and critical infrastructure. The bill would bar foreign principals from countries designated as foreign adversaries from owning agricultural land or other land, especially within 10 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure, and also restrict certain state software purchases tied to adversarial countries. Members asked about how later-designated adversary countries would be covered and about the delayed effective date, which was explained as giving current owners time to divest. The conference report was adopted without objection, and the bill then passed the House 89-0.
The chamber then considered Senate Bill 2, another conference committee report on wind energy setbacks. The measure would establish statewide setback standards for industrial wind turbines, including 2.5 tip heights from occupied dwellings and 1.5 tip heights from nonparticipating property lines, with exceptions for projects that had already secured most site control or queue positions before the effective date and for small community-scale systems. Supporters said it was a compromise that at least put some protections into statute, while opponents argued it weakened earlier House language and eliminated county local-control options. After debate, the bill failed on a 20-67 vote.
Later, the House voted 60-19 to override the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1589, allowing it to become law notwithstanding the governor’s objections. The session also included prayers and announcements, including updates about Representative Cantrell’s hospitalization and a note that the Senate had adjourned sine die. The House then adjourned sine die for the second regular session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Rules - Legislative May 12th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- You know, for example, the building that I referenced, it was purchased for just about $3 million.
- Whereas when it was the previous purchase, the building was over $200 million.
Summary:
The Legislative Rules Committee met with a quorum and held a public hearing on Senate Bill 1694, along with related Senate Bill 1688, both described by the sponsor and supporters as a modernization and expansion of the Missouri Downtown and Rural Economic Stimulus Act (MODESA). Senator Steve Roberts said the bills would broaden redevelopment tools, extend timelines, expand residential incentives, and help projects in St. Louis and other communities without using general revenue. Supporters from the Cordish Companies, the City of Kansas City, Greater St. Louis Inc., Historic Revitalization for Missouri, and BioSTL emphasized past redevelopment successes, including Power & Light, Ballpark Village, and potential reuse of large vacant buildings such as the AT&T Tower and Railway Exchange Building. They argued the proposal would leverage private investment, create jobs, and provide a predictable statewide framework. One witness opposed the bill, arguing it would create more bureaucracy, rely on tax abatements and TIF, and burden taxpayers. Committee members asked questions about the bill’s scope, rural component, fiscal note, and specific redevelopment targets, and the public hearing then closed.
After a brief stand-at-ease, the committee entered executive session and adopted a substitute for the combined Senate Bill 1694/1688 package, then voted do pass on the House Committee Substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bills 1694 and 1688 by a vote of 10-0. The committee also considered Senate Bill 1586, a solid waste measure, and voted do pass Senate Substitute Number 2 for Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1586 by a vote of 8-2. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 889, a cleanup bill removing obsolete statutes, and voted do pass the House Committee Substitute for Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 889 by a vote of 8-0 with two members voting present. The meeting then adjourned.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Lowering the High Cost of Healthcare | Senator Matt Klein May 1st, 2026
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- If you're an independent purchaser of the health care market, like a farmer or a small business owner
- An independent purchaser of the health care market, like a farmer or a small business owner, we've seen
Summary:
The discussion focused on healthcare affordability in Minnesota and several related bills the senator said he is advancing this session. He described rising costs for Medicare beneficiaries, individual market purchasers, and hospitals, warning that federal changes to premium tax credits and Medicaid funding would worsen access and financial strain across the state. He said his goal is a comprehensive response to protect access to care, especially for safety-net and rural providers.
A major topic was Senate File 3769 on the 340B drug pricing program. The senator said the bill would empower the attorney general to enforce federal 340B requirements after pharmaceutical companies allegedly failed to provide discounted drugs to safety-net hospitals such as Hennepin County Medical Center and North Memorial. He said the measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support, after a nearly two-hour floor debate and significant lobbying by drug კომპანიies, and argued it could have an immediate effect by restoring hospital revenue and lowering medication costs for patients. He also said 340B is part of a broader effort to stabilize HCMC and other struggling hospitals.
The senator also discussed Senate File 3859, which would create a Minnesota vaccine advisory council to provide science-based recommendations after he said the federal advisory process had been undermined. He emphasized that the proposal would not require vaccinations, but would help counter misinformation and require insurance coverage for recommended vaccines. In addition, he supported Senate File 3650, a bipartisan bill to ban direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, arguing that such ads raise costs and can steer patients away from appropriate medical advice. No additional votes or committee actions were taken in the interview itself beyond the senator’s description of the 340B bill’s passage.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 03/16/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I have a bill, of course, that prohibits the mandate that requires school districts to purchase, operate
- I HAVE A BILL OF COURSE THAT PROHIBITS THE MANDATE THAT REQUIRES SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PURCHASE OPERATE
Summary:
The Senate met on March 13, 2026, approved the prior day’s journal, received a message discharging Assembly Bill 2330 from committee and substituting identical Senate Bill 5843, and welcomed visiting delegations from Connecticut. The chamber also adopted privileged resolution J.1753, honoring Saint Patrick and Irish Americans and memorializing the Governor to proclaim March 2026 as Irish American Heritage Month. Senators Kavanagh and Fahy spoke in support, emphasizing Irish heritage, immigration, public service, and the St. Patrick’s Day tradition; the resolution was adopted and opened for co-sponsorship.
The Senate then acted on a series of bills on the calendar. Measures passed included bills by Senators Hinchey, Comrie, Skoufis, Stavisky, Sanders, Kavanagh, Gianaris, Cleare, and others, with several receiving unanimous support and a few drawing recorded negative votes. Senator Fernandez’s education bill related to placing opioid antagonists with AEDs and first aid kits in schools passed 60-1 after supportive remarks from Senators Oberacker and Fernandez. A bill authorizing a study on lithium-ion battery fires also passed unanimously, with Senators Borrello and Weik explaining affirmative votes while urging caution about electric bus mandates.
The most debated item was Calendar 446, Senator May’s bill directing the Department of Economic Development to move the Central New York Welcome Center from Destiny USA to the Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn. Senator Walczyk questioned the move’s cost, location, visitor traffic, and local support, arguing Destiny USA was the better site; Senator May responded that the state had built the Auburn facility and should provide sustainable operating support. The bill passed 47-15. The Senate then completed the controversial calendar and adjourned until Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.
VA
Transcript Highlights:
- report relates to regulation of contractors, solar installation companies, sale, lease, or power purchase
- relates to regulation of contractors, solar installation companies, and the sale, lease, or power purchase