Transcript Highlights:

• So for communities like mine, this is not theoretical. We're seeing it firsthand.
• So for communities like<00:26:08.000> mine,<00:26:08.400> this<00:26:08.559> is<
• like mine, this is not theoretical. like mine, this is not theoretical.

Bills: HB1881, HB2218, HB1956, HB2151, HB1845, HB1844, HB2103, HB2424, HB1650, HB376, HB2599, HB1861

Keywords: land use, ropeway, transportation, state regulation, government exemption, DLNR, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Board of Land and Natural Resources, BLNR, public lands, public trust resources, community co-management, co-management agreement, community-based organization, Native Hawaiian, malama aina, ahupuaa, subsistence, cultural resources, religious practices

Summary: The committee on Water and Land met on February 10, 2026, with Chair Mark Hashem outlining strict testimony rules and noting a time constraint because of later hearings and floor session obligations. The committee then took up several bills, hearing mostly supportive testimony on HB 1881 relating to land use, HB 2218 relating to DLNR/community management, and HB 1956 relating to freshwater waves, while HB 1845 relating to the Land Use Commission drew legal concerns and opposition. HB 2151 relating to building materials had no substantive testimony presented in the excerpt, and the committee moved through it quickly. On HB 1881, testimony focused on protecting North Shore lands from overdevelopment. A supporter described the area as valuable precisely because it remains largely undeveloped, and a member asked whether the bill’s restrictions on “finculars” would affect existing or future private residential installations; the response suggested the bill was aimed at future commercial uses and that grandfathering or personal-use exceptions might be possible, but the exact wording would need legal refinement. HB 2218 received broad support from OHA, DLNR, Kua, Sierra Club, Hui Maka Aana, the Honlay Initiative, and others, who said the measure would expand community-based co-management across DLNR divisions, build on existing park partnerships, and produce real benefits such as better stewardship, safer access, local jobs, and stronger community trust. Members asked about the bill’s five-year review structure, how multiple community groups would be handled, and whether the model could apply to ocean or nearshore areas; DLNR said the board would retain authority, agreements would be non-exclusive and subject to review, and the department was still working through how the approach would function across different divisions and marine settings. For HB 1956, the Attorney General offered technical comments, urging clearer definitions of “residing” and “freshwater way,” clearer timing for citations and arrests, and more explicit procedural safeguards and agency roles. On HB 1845, the Attorney General and Land Use Commission raised concerns that the bill could conflict with constitutional protections for important agricultural lands and could not be reconciled with existing voting requirements; the LUC also said commissioners cannot vote by proxy under sunshine law and warned that the bill could allow too few commissioners to approve major boundary changes. Members questioned how the bill would work in counties without designated important agricultural lands, and the LUC explained that Kauai is the only county to have completed the IAL process, while the broader statutory process remains county-driven and has been the subject of litigation. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• UEC is actively mining in my home county, Johnson County, and proudly employs around 80 Wyomingites and
• UEC is actively mining<01:30:00.920> in<01:30:01.240> my<01:30:01.480> home<01:30
• :01.720> county,<01:30:02.080> Johnson mining in my home county, Johnson mining in my home

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• buzzing causes headaches, stress, sleep disturbances, and anxiety in Granberry, Texas, Bitcoin Data Mining
• anxiety in Granberry, Texas,<00:52:00.960> Bitcoin<00:52:01.440> Data<00:52:01.760> Mining
• <00:52:02.800> Noise Texas, Bitcoin Data Mining Center.
• Noise Texas, Bitcoin Data Mining Center.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is in a year that a former student of mine had his car set on fire in Clayton, a year that saw malicious
• I've had several classes with a student that messaged a peer of mine, 'I hope you die a worthless death
• My fears are not mine alone.
• But I also worry that in exercising this core tenet of faith of mine and standing up for the oppressed

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know some districts are better than others, but that's just been an observation and a concern of mine
• just been an observation and a<00:38:37.359> concern<00:38:37.520> of<00:38:37.760> mine
• <00:38:38.800> Thank a concern of mine moving forward.
• Thank a concern of mine moving forward.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee first heard from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s Grants Management Division on federal victim-services funding. Staff described the main grant programs they administer, including STOP VAWA, VOCA victim assistance, sexual assault services, Byrne state crisis intervention, and Project Safe Neighborhoods. They emphasized that VOCA is especially volatile because it is funded by the federal Crime Victims Fund, which has declined sharply in recent years, reducing Kentucky’s available awards and forcing cuts to state, local, and nonprofit subgrants. They also outlined steps the cabinet has taken to stabilize funding, including changing the subaward formula, aligning the grant period with the state fiscal year, subawarding one year behind the federal cycle, and retaining a reserve. Members asked about how funds reach victims, how subgrantee amounts are determined, and requested a breakdown of grant recipients and amounts; staff said they would provide that information later. The committee then received a detailed presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice on alternatives to detention. Commissioner Randy White and staff explained that ATDs are short-term, less restrictive placements for low-risk youth, including electronic monitoring, home supervision, group homes, foster care, private child care, community programs, mentoring, evening reporting centers, and in-home wraparound services. They described the referral and approval process involving court-designated workers, detention alternative coordinators, courts, and county attorneys, and said DJJ currently has 16 ATD-related contracts, with placements, programs, and electronic monitoring among them. They also reported that between July 1, 2024, and July 30, 2025, 1,652 juveniles were involved in the process, including 168 diversion cases. Members questioned the cost of juvenile detention versus adult incarceration, whether families pay for electronic monitoring, whether there is a national model for juvenile detention, and what alternatives exist for truancy and contempt cases. DJJ said families do not generally reimburse for electronic monitoring, there is no single national model, and day treatment centers are an important alternative for some youth. The department also said it builds daily routines and wellness education into its facilities, and that more than two-thirds of its programs are evidence-based. Officials said they currently monitor vendor performance through quarterly reviews and can end contracts for poor performance, but that data tracking is still largely manual. They said the new JCOM system, now in pilot in the eastern region, should improve reporting and help identify outcomes and recidivism more effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of my family members, a cousin of mine, had two young daughters, an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old
• I don't know how to explain that I'm a woman born with a body like mine, but I know for a fact what I
• A young female staffer in this building was subject to a similar incident not long before mine.
• I've met a great friend of mine who moved away years ago because of the government's endorsement of transphobia

Bills: SB7, SB14, SB 7, SB 14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• that is to be introduced when a special session is called, that certainly is my commitment to you and mine
• :11:57.679> and certainly is my commitment to you and certainly is my commitment to you and mine
• <01:12:00.080> And<01:12:00.320> and mine to you Senator Rest. Okay.
• And and mine to you Senator Rest. Okay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If this bill passes, it'll get worse not only for my family and families like mine.
• Every one of those numbers is a stolen future, a shattered family, and a story just like mine.
• In communities like mine, there are moments, whether due to staff shortages, emergencies, illness, or
• consideration that we do not have rogue officers out there working for some of these companies like mine

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several public safety, criminal justice, and regulatory bills. HB 4995 would create a training and certification program allowing licensed physicians and certain EMS personnel assigned to tactical units to carry firearms during high-risk deployments, with supporters saying it would let tactical medical staff protect themselves while providing immediate care; the bill was left pending. HB 2609 would repeal the failure-to-appear-or-pay/OmniBase license-hold program, with the author and advocates arguing it creates compounding debt and unnecessary barriers to driving, while judges and municipal court representatives said the program is a voluntary, cost-effective tool that improves court appearances and reduces warrants; the bill was also left pending. HB 4879 would create a grant program to help local law enforcement pay for lab testing of suspected hemp/Delta-9 THC substances, and HB 5436 would let licensed auto recyclers buy certain untitled vehicles for scrap or parts to curb illegal sales, VIN cloning, and chop shops; both measures were left pending after brief testimony in support. The committee also heard HB 1777, which would require a discrete designation on driver’s licenses and state IDs for people required to register as sex offenders. The author and supporters argued the marker would help law enforcement and businesses quickly identify potentially dangerous offenders and prevent harm, while opponents called it a stigmatizing “scarlet letter” that would increase harassment, family harm, and reintegration barriers. The bill was left pending. HB 4155 would create a two-year Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force in the Governor’s Office to study family violence homicides, gather stakeholders, and recommend policy changes; the author, HHSC, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and a survivor testified in support, and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4514, which would authorize DPS to use facial image verification, with consent and privacy safeguards, to help businesses confirm identities and combat fraud; supporters from the lumber and identity-verification industries said it would reduce theft and fraud, and the bill was left pending. Finally, HB 5139 would clarify that peace officers and jailers are justified in using less lethal force weapons when acting within training and official duties; law enforcement groups supported the measure as a way to encourage use of less lethal tools without fear of prosecution, and testimony was underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• about expanding it to health care facilities, and I just wanted to share a story from a constituent of mine
• to share a story from a<00:23:44.000> constituent<00:23:44.480> of<00:23:44.640> mine
• who<00:23:46.400> um<00:23:46.640> it's<00:23:46.799> her a constituent of mine
• um who um it's her a constituent of mine um who um it's her ex-husband<00:23:47.520> but<00:23

Bills: HF2354, HF1672, HF2389, HF2870, HF2743, HF1918, HF2551, HF1671

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, medical cannabis, medical marijuana, cannabis, cannabinoids, hemp, marijuana registry, patient registry, visiting patient, Tribal cannabis, Tribal medical cannabis program, Tribal sovereignty, Office of Cannabis Management, designated caregiver, home cultivation, adult-use cannabis

Transcript Highlights:

• Now our favorite bill of the day, or at least mine—there's a little controversy on the speed limit, but
• We will be laying it over. mine<00:56:11.839> there's<00:56:12.039> a<00:56:12.160>
• little<00:56:12.440> controversy<00:56:12.960> on<00:56:13.079> the mine there's
• a little controversy on the mine there's a little controversy on the speed<00:56:13.520> limit

Bills: HF2382, HF639, SF1075, HF1243, HF1087, SF1360, HF739, HF2337, HF1220, HF712, HF1219

Keywords: accident reporting, law enforcement, data privacy, contracted service providers, public safety, HF639, Minnesota driver license, Department of Public Safety, driver medical review, loss of consciousness, voluntary control, seizure, nonepileptic seizure, epilepsy, antiseizure medication, physician statement, medical certification, commercial driver, CDL, medical examiner's certificate

Transcript Highlights:

• H is that mine, chair? Oh yes.
• H is<01:51:00.560> that<01:51:00.719> mine<01:51:01.119> chair?
• <01:51:02.719> 826<01:51:03.679> HB<01:51:04.480> 826 is that mine chair?
• Oh yes. 826 HB 826 is that mine chair?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard several housing-related bills and resolutions. HB 1298 HD3 would create a government employee housing revolving fund and a government employee 99-year leasehold rent-to-own program; testimony was generally supportive from HHFDC, labor groups, and the Maui Chamber, with the Tax Foundation and Budget and Finance raising concerns about the revolving fund. The committees recommended passage with non-substantive amendments for clarity and consistency, and the motion was adopted. HB 741 H2, which would exempt certain affordable housing projects financed by a certified nonprofit CDFI from prevailing wage requirements, drew support from housing advocates and opposition from several construction unions; the chairs said they were concerned about the labor objections and deferred the measure, with the labor committee agreeing to defer it as well. The housing committee then took up HB 417 HD1, which creates a housing efficiency and innovation subaccount in the rental housing revolving fund and allows HHFDC to transfer funds between the subaccount and the main fund without legislative approval. Testimony was largely supportive. The chair described a series of amendments, including changing the funding-efficiency standard, adding perpetual affordability language, allowing any land tenure type, broadening eligible financing tools, adding priority criteria for mixed-income projects and government-employee projects, and inserting blank appropriations tied to a requested $75 million per year and a $75 million subaccount appropriation for the HCDA 99-year leasehold project. The committee recommended passage with amendments, and the recommendation was adopted. HB 422 HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and move remaining balances to the school facilities special fund, drew broad support from housing and taxpayer groups and opposition from the Department of Education and some individuals. The School Facilities Authority and DOE argued the current system had not produced enough usable land or school sites and suggested narrowing the exemption to government housing projects’ construction costs instead of repealing the fee entirely. Members pressed DOE and SFA on how much land had actually been obtained and whether the fee had been effective; the discussion highlighted concerns about unused balances, school overcrowding, and the role of the Land Use Commission and county zoning in securing school sites. The committee did not take final action on the bill in the portion shown. The committee also heard STR 60/SR 45, urging HHFDC to develop a plan to meet housing demand, and STR 77/SR 60, addressing continued eligibility for housing credits for certain projects after repeal of Act 31; both sets of resolutions had HHFDC support, with DHHL supporting STR 77/SR 60 and Johnny May Perry opposing both.

Transcript Highlights:

• how there were days that I cried because there were days that I thought about certain students of mine
• 00:37:16.960> certain<00:37:17.319> students<00:37:17.760> of<00:37:17.920> mine
• thought about certain students of mine thought about certain students of mine and<00:37:18.720><

Bills: HF550, HF412, HF796, HF140

Keywords: redistricting, Bipartisan Commission, Minnesota Constitution, census, legislative districts, HF412, Minnesota legislature, education committee, K-12 education, school observation, teacher observation, administrator observation, legislative transparency, legislator accountability, House rules, Senate rules, Legislative Reference Library, public reporting, education finance, education policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, there are moms like mine, families all over making tough sacrifices who may just be a couple
• <00:04:44.919> are<00:04:45.160> moms<00:04:45.479> like<00:04:45.800> mine
• finally there are moms like mine finally there are moms like mine families<00:04:46.919> all<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 249 helps small businesses like mine all throughout Minnesota and gives us a boost to our
• House File 249 helps small businesses like mine all throughout Minnesota and gives us a boost to our
• House File 249 helps small businesses like mine all throughout Minnesota and gives us a boost to our
• You can't just shut down an iron mine.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It gave me the strength to stand taller, to speak louder, to take back what has always been mine.
• what has to speak louder, to take back what has always<00:53:09.320> been<00:53:09.520> mine
• always been mine. always been mine.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 29 was heard in committee as a proposal to suspend adoption of the revised social studies standards, push implementation to 2030-31, repeal the requirement to embed ethnic studies across all standards, and cancel related appropriations. The bill sponsor argued Minnesota schools should focus on basic academic achievement and that ethnic studies requirements add burdens and distract from reading, math, and science. The chair moved the bill to the Committee on Education Finance after opening the hearing and then took extensive public testimony. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters of HF 29, including Katherine Kersten, Deanna Moose, Kendall Qualls, Hillary Swanson, and Diane Smith, argued the ethnic studies framework is ideological, overly focused on race, insufficiently transparent, and costly in professional development time; several said it would divide students or burden teachers. Some supporters also claimed the standards or framework promote activism, critical race theory, or racial stratification. Opponents, including Mark Westfall, Crystal Johnson, Jim Grathwol, Marcus Penny, Claude Sigman, and Courtney Major, said the standards are inclusive, research-based, and designed to help students understand multiple perspectives, civic life, and the contributions of diverse Minnesotans. They emphasized that ethnic studies can improve engagement, critical thinking, and representation, and that teachers should be trusted to implement the standards. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The only formal action noted was the chair’s motion to re-refer House File 29 to the Committee on Education Finance.

Transcript Highlights:

• in a dangerous state called diabetic ketoacidosis, as you've heard remarked on in speeches prior to mine
• in speeches<00:59:48.000> prior<00:59:48.240> to speeches prior to speeches prior to mine
• 50.839> days<00:59:51.079> later<00:59:51.520> I<00:59:51.680> developed mine
• a couple of days later I developed mine a couple of days later I developed type<00:59:52.319> 1

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This program is for working families and families like mine who struggle to provide for our medically
• working families and Alice<00:39:20.359> families<00:39:20.880> like<00:39:21.119> mine
• 00:39:21.599> who<00:39:21.800> struggle<00:39:22.200> to Alice families like mine
• who struggle to Alice families like mine who struggle to provide<00:39:23.000> for<00:39:23.359

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I would like to see Seabrook and some of these other towns like mine, who's cutting from the fire
• :38.080> like and and some of these other towns like and and some of these other towns like mine
• 39.199> from<01:26:39.520> the<01:26:40.280> fire<01:26:40.719> budget mine
• who's cutting from the fire budget mine who's cutting from the fire budget to<01:26:42.000> say

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I asked that question because I would love to see that, or even just put it in front of mine.
• 01:07:25.720> of see that or even just put it front of see that or even just put it front of mine
• 01:07:26.880> much<01:07:27.079> work<01:07:27.319> to<01:07:27.480> do mine
• I mean there's so much work to do mine I mean there's so much work to do but<01:07:28.480> if

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Finance held informational briefings first with the Department of Defense on its FY 2026 budget request, then with the Hawaii School Facilities Authority. Major General Steve Logan outlined the Department of Defense request for $40.5 million in state funds, which he said would leverage about $74 million in federal matching funds and support 411 open projects that could attract up to $2.3 billion in additional federal grant money. He said the budget focuses on sustainment, safety, and reorganization in light of lessons from the Maui wildfires. Key requests included $1.3 million to sustain IT systems, $2.7 million for 32 HEMA emergency management positions, three new Hawaii Army National Guard positions plus four upgrades, and $1.9 million for the Youth Challenge Program to cover state-mandated fringe costs and staffing needs. He also reviewed capital improvement projects, including Youth Challenge facility upgrades, siren modernization, ADA improvements, building retrofits for disaster resilience, Army facility upgrades, a third state veterans home on Maui, HEMA EOC improvements, and a maintenance/fuel building at Diamond Head. Members asked about the siren modernization timeline, and HEMA said roughly 26 to 31 sirens would be modernized this year, with 15 on Maui, eight on Oahu, and eight on the Big Island. Questions also focused on Youth Challenge and Job Challenge enrollment and vacancies, with the department saying the Hilo Job Challenge Academy is growing and that combining Youth Challenge recruiting statewide into one Kilauea program has helped enrollment. Logan also answered questions about the New Year’s Eve medical transport mission, explaining the Hawaii Air National Guard’s relationship with active-duty Air Force assets and saying the flight cost is about $20,000 per flight hour, though the final bill had not yet been determined. On the Maui veterans home, staff said the University of Hawaii site was no longer viable after faculty senate opposition, so the department is now focused on a 10-acre Puna District site; the project remains tied to a certified $35 million state match and August 2025 and August 2026 federal suspense dates. Logan said the veterans home remains one of the department’s highest priorities, but it could not be moved higher in the submitted CIP ranking. The department also discussed a Governor’s add-on for a fire marshal/Office of Recovery and Resiliency proposal. Logan said the fire marshal position was reestablished last session but has not yet been filled, and that if the function is transferred to the Department of Defense, the department wants funding ready to move quickly. Staff later said the request would include about $1.1 million for seven positions and about $2.2 million for operating costs, though details were still preliminary. The committee then reconvened for the School Facilities Authority briefing, where Executive Director Ricky Fujitani described the agency as a startup created in 2020 to improve school and workforce housing development through standardized designs, prefabrication, best-value procurement, and public-private partnerships. He said Hawaii’s single school district still functions like 15 different districts because of its 264 schools across 15 complex areas, and that the authority’s goal is to create more efficient, maintainable, and cost-effective facilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not going to get into as much of mine because Jason is the technical one, so I'm going to let him
• I'm not going to get into as much of mine because Jason is the technical one, so I'm going to let him
• because Jason is the technical of mine because Jason is the technical one<02:30:06.800> so<02
• This doesn't have to do with parents sharing any extra information or any AI or any data mining.
• So there's not a data mining component. There's not AI doing things.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 232 from prime sponsor Representative Mark Pearson, who said the bill is intended to protect conscience rights for health care professionals and students, especially in relation to abortion and sterilization-related procedures. He argued that protecting ethical objections would help retain and recruit medical workers in New Hampshire, reduce moral injury, and preserve patient access to care. Pearson said the bill is not meant to allow discrimination based on protected characteristics and emphasized that it is limited to objections to specific procedures, with an amendment added to address concerns raised by Chairman Lynn. Members questioned Pearson closely about the scope of the bill and amendment, including whether it could apply to non-physician staff such as schedulers or receptionists, whether a provider could refuse emergency care, and who would determine when an emergency exists. Pearson said the bill does not apply to emergency situations or to treatment after an abortion has already occurred, and he stated that emergency triage would control in obvious emergencies. He also said the intent was not to allow a person to take a job and then unexpectedly refuse duties, and he suggested the amendment could be tweaked to clarify its application to facilities and staff. Additional questions focused on whether the bill should be broader than the procedures listed, how it would interact with federal conscience protections, and whether it could affect contraception-related services, including pharmacies. Pearson responded that the bill addresses the specific issues raised by people he and his wife had spoken with, and he was open to revising the amendment to reduce ambiguity. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion provided.