Video & Transcript : 'small business' :
Page 162 of 500
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- A quorum is present, and the Senate is ready for business.
- Why not small businesses?
- businesses.
- And private businesses should not be enforcement agencies.
- Without objection, the Senate will advance to the 15th order of business, miscellaneous business.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, okay, so we have a busy agenda, so I'm going to ask you all to move really quickly along with me.
- First, uh, improvements to our business block infrastructure, which will open land along Highway 169
- And this is not a small issue.
- ,</c> Paynesville to attract new business, Paynesville to attract new business, expand<01:07:11.080><
- Um and with the uh such a small town.
Bills:
HF4156 , HF3835 , HF3995 , HF4383 , HF4091 , HF4084 , HF4311 , HF198 , HF4486 , HF4302 , HF4309 , HF4032 , HF3855 , HF3673 , HF4265 , HF4012 , HF4339 , HF4298 , HF3852
Committee:
House Capital Investment
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- I've used it for small projects.
- I'm a small guy, you know, a few guys excavation business, but it has helped tremendously.
- </c><00:10:49.600><c> guy</c> for small projects I'm a I'm a small guy for small projects I'm a I'm a
- </c><00:39:30.480><c> portion</c> small portion of that very small portion small portion of that very
- Does the committee have any other business? No other business.
Committee:
Senate Transportation
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Mar 17th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I've been wanting this to happen for a long time for small schools.
- And growing up in a small town where I graduated with 34, and we only...
- So the way I see this, that small area would be able to.
- businesses.
- We have to protect the public, but also, we shouldn't be pricing Oklahomans and small businesses out
Bills:
SB1627 , SB227 , SB366 , SB1193 , SB1433 , SB1450 , SB1481 , SB1749 , SB1810 , SB1812 , SB1921 , SB1948 , SB2044 , SB2178 , SB169 , SB1877 , HB1409 , SB1266 , SB1432
Keywords:
criminal code cleanup, duplicate statutes, statutory consolidation, repealer bill, emergency clause, Title 21 crimes, Title 47 DUI, child abuse reporting, child neglect, child sexual abuse material, child pornography, sex offenses, rape, stalking, domestic abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, sex trafficking, gang-related offense, eluding police
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Transportation Feb 19th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- And our business model is focusing on offering leasing solutions, long-term leases, which allows vessels
- Small addition: if the scale of the demand were sufficient to enable much larger supply volumes, say
- So your P3 office is very small, but we want to grow it and we're adding to it as we speak.
- This is especially We are still delaying basic repairs by sending these comparably small projects out
- that support business aviation in our region.
Summary:
The Senate Transportation Committee met for a work session and public hearing on February 19, 2026. In the work session, Switch Maritime presented a proposal for hydrogen fuel cell ferries for Washington State, including a budget proviso directing the Joint Transportation Committee to study hydrogen propulsion and a lease model for future Washington State Ferries procurement. The company described its Sea Change vessel, said the design could be adapted for Washington routes such as San Juan Islands–Anacortes, and emphasized that hydrogen fueling could be delivered through a mobile supply chain without new charging infrastructure. Senators asked about vessel flexibility, size, hydrogen availability, and terminal compatibility.
The committee also received an update from WSDOT on the new public-private partnership program authorized in 2025. Staff said the agency is developing a four-phase implementation process, including consultant selection, a steering committee, a program manual, stakeholder engagement, and candidate project identification, with a report due to the transportation committees on September 1, 2026 and program launch targeted for January 1, 2027. The presentation stressed that the program manual will provide flexibility within the statute and that legislative input is being sought on engagement and project timing.
The public hearing was on Senate Bill 6352, an omnibus transportation resources bill that revises and expands provisions from last year’s ESSB 5801. Staff outlined sections covering a mobile driver’s license and ID card program, a reduced-fee ID card for older drivers, changes to alternative fuel and aviation taxes and fees, revised sales tax distributions for ferry and multimodal funding, transit and bicycle education grants, fish passage permitting, clean energy siting on WSDOT right-of-way, toll notice procedures, older driver safety outreach, traffic safety camera revenue sharing, and a delay to the tow-truck indigent impound reimbursement program. The prime sponsor highlighted two priorities: digital driver’s licenses and dedicated ferry funding.
Testimony was mixed. Supporters included airlines and aviation groups backing mobile ID and repeal of the luxury aircraft tax, transit and bicycle safety advocates supporting grant flexibility and continued bike education funding, and ferry advocates supporting dedicated ferry revenue. Local governments, including Bellevue, Kenmore, and Tacoma, raised concerns about the traffic camera revenue change, saying the shift from net to gross revenue would reduce local safety funding and could discourage new camera programs. The Association of Washington Cities also warned about unintended consequences in the fish passage and traffic camera provisions. RV dealers sought a delay to the luxury vehicle tax, and peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo asked for clarification on documentation requirements. The committee took no final vote and announced it would consider executive action the following week.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Hearings to examine the nomination of Rodney Scott, of Oklahoma, to be Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security. Apr 30th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Finance Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- business in our society.
- There was a very small group of people that posted inappropriate offensive material.
- is unique in the fact that it takes such a small amount to kill so many people.
- Penalties that threaten the business's survival, and I think with proper guidance, our small businesses
- Will you work to ensure that small businesses in rural states, and a number of us are from rural states
Committee:
Senate Finance Committee
Keywords:
Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, border security, asylum, transparency, Hernandez Rojas, migrant treatment, public testimony
Summary:
The meeting centered on the nomination of Rodney Scott to serve as the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Throughout the session, various senators expressed concerns regarding CBP's recent practices, including issues related to border security and the treatment of migrants. Questions were raised about Scott's involvement in previous incidents, particularly surrounding the controversial death of Mr. Hernandez Rojas while in custody, which sparked a heated discussion about accountability and transparency in current border policies. Senators emphasized the importance of balancing efficient border security with humane treatment of individuals seeking asylum.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- That was a small question. Small question. Okay, I'll take it in pieces. ...much, Chairman?
- That was a small question. Small question. Okay, I'll take it in pieces. Challenges.
- ... ...in the restaurant industry, people in the, whether it's the small business retailers in and around
- I don't go to Coeur d'Alene Lake now anymore because it's just way too busy.
- I had that said, what do they think of having more businesses in town?
Committee:
Senate Resources and Environment
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- Our business is solely... we're a partner for the insurers.
- I am a federal firearms license holder, a small business owner, and the Arizona State Director for Women
- Thanks. holder, a small business owner, and the Arizona State Director for Women for Gun Rights.
- as one of those prohibited businesses.
- Who are the businesses operating in this area?
Bills:
HB2016 , HB2104 , HB2105 , HB2174 , HB2256 , HB2289 , HB2477 , HB2903 , HB2939 , HB2979 , HB2996 , HB4103
Committees:
Senate Finance , Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference
Keywords:
tax penalties, filing, tax returns, administration, Arizona Revised Statutes, insurance regulation, modeling organizations, financial disclosure, rate-making, predictive models, salvage vehicles, insurance claims, abandoned vehicles, salvage auction dealers, vehicle title, taxation, bonds, school finance, budget override, tax increases
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Transportation Committee Apr 28th, 2025
Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- I too have small rural areas. And again, my concern is with the mandate.
- But we also allowed for some flexibility for our small and rural districts.
- That we didn't add to confusion or business uncertainty.
- One, the DMV—these are business partners of the DMV.
- your business partner.
Committee:
House Transportation
Summary:
The Assembly Transportation Committee heard a series of bills, beginning with AB 431, which would create a statewide framework for advanced air mobility infrastructure and planning. The author and supporters from AUVSI, Joby Aviation, United Airlines, Wisk Aero, the City of Long Beach, and Archer argued the bill would help California lead in eVTOL technology, support jobs, reduce congestion, and improve sustainability. The committee accepted amendments, and AB 431 passed on a do-pass-as-amended vote to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
The committee then considered AB 630, dealing with abandoned and hazardous RVs. The author and supporters, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office, said the bill would help local governments address unsafe RVs, curb “van-lording,” and improve notice and reporting requirements before dismantling certain unclaimed vehicles. Opponents from the Western Center on Law and Poverty and ACLU California Action argued the bill would destroy needed shelter for unhoused people and that the notice and valuation process could harm vulnerable residents. Members discussed the bill’s focus on dismantling rather than towing, and AB 630 passed as amended.
Other measures taken up included AB 314 on transit-oriented development around high-speed rail stations, AB 1223 on Sacramento County transportation funding flexibility, AB 1111 on flexibility for zero-emission school bus mandates, AB 1190 on limiting fees charged by DMV online business partners, AB 987 on predatory towing fees, and AB 911 on a narrow exemption from zero-emission fleet rules for telecommunications bucket trucks and sail-on wheels. Testimony generally split between supporters emphasizing affordability, local flexibility, consumer protection, or emergency readiness, and opponents raising concerns about implementation, mandates, or unintended consequences. Several bills were advanced by committee vote, with some members recording no votes or abstentions on measures they said needed further work.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/26
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- So a pretty small portion of our budget is spent on grants.
- So pretty small, a portion of our budget is spent on grants.
- So jumping into February, February had across the board pretty small changes, very small, less than a
- Well, this first one isn't a small change, but it's small in the expenditure forecasts.
- , expanding the business into nursing facility construction.
Committee:
House Human Services Finance and Policy
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Jan 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- They're so small it's really hard to measure them in a person's body.
- So this is just grocery, the small grocery sack.
- And first off, thank you for running your business in Clark County and in Vancouver.
- Peter Godluski, with the Association of Washington Business, signed in opposed.
- So you mentioned small forest landowners.
Summary:
The committee held public hearings on several bills, beginning with SB 5965 on retail bags. Staff explained that the bill would prohibit single-use plastic and reusable film plastic carryout bags, raise the paper bag pass-through charge from 8 cents to 20 cents, exempt certain assistance-program customers from bag charges, and add manufacturer/distributor penalties. The sponsor and supporters, including environmental groups, Seattle Public Utilities, Tacoma, county solid waste representatives, and health advocates, argued the current law has led to thicker plastic bags and more plastic pollution, microplastics, and recycling contamination. Opponents from hospitality, grocery, retail, paper, and plastic bag industries said the bill would raise costs, create checkout confusion, burden food delivery and takeout operations, and amount to a de facto ban on paper bags as well; several urged waiting for more data on the current 12-cent fee. The hearing ended with a reported 1,240 non-testifiers on SB 5965, with 541 pro, 695 con, and 4 other.
The committee then heard SB 6030 on plastic bags. Staff said the bill would allow film plastic and paper carryout bags if they meet recycled-content standards, keep the paper bag fee at 8 cents, reduce the plastic bag fee from 12 cents to 8 cents, and remove the minimum thickness standards for reusable film plastic bags while retaining recycled-content requirements and the SNAP exemption. No public testimony was taken on the bill, and the chair noted 208 non-testifiers, with 192 pro, 11 con, and 5 other.
Finally, the committee heard SB 5975 on lead in cookware. Staff described it as a third-round update to the state’s cookware lead law, narrowing covered cookware, delaying the 10 ppm lead standard to 2030, and allowing compliance through FDA or European testing methods. Supporters, including some industry representatives, said the current law is unclear and difficult to enforce, that a workable test is still being developed, and that the bill would provide certainty and avoid unintended coverage of safe products. Opponents from Ecology, Health, environmental groups, and consumer advocates argued the bill would weaken Washington’s existing protections, create broad exemptions, and allow high-lead cookware to remain on the market; they also criticized shifting from total-content testing to leach testing. The hearing closed with 609 non-testifiers on SB 5975, with 54 pro and 552 con.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Emerging Issues Mar 2nd, 2026
Emerging Issues and Professional Registration
Transcript Highlights:
- Tax levied on businesses.
- So mind your business. And she left.
- Instead, we're hyper-focusing on a group of small people, or a small group of people. My apologies.
- Instead, we're hyper-focusing on a group of small people, or a small group of people. My apologies.
- It's targeting a small group, a small group of Missourians right now. That's what it's doing.
Summary:
The committee held public hearings on several bills, beginning with HB 2855, which would let the Department of Labor adjust workers’ compensation administrative taxes and the second injury fund surcharge in smaller 0.1% increments instead of 0.5%. The sponsor and the department said the change would better right-size collections and reduce the burden on employers; the Missouri Chamber also supported the bill as good governance. No opposition was presented, and the hearing on HB 2855 was closed.
The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 3142, a camp-safety bill prompted by the Camp Mystic flooding tragedy in Texas and a Missouri drowning case. The sponsor and multiple grieving parents urged mandatory emergency plans, staff training, background checks, licensing, weather warnings, and clearer oversight for summer camps. Supporters included the American Camp Association and some state and youth-safety advocates, while opponents—especially camp operators, the Missouri Afterschool Network, and park and recreation representatives—argued the bill was too broad, could burden day camps and church camps, and might worsen child-care shortages. Several witnesses suggested the bill should be narrowed to distinguish overnight residential camps from lower-risk day camps and possibly be housed under DSS rather than DESE. No vote was taken.
Finally, the committee took testimony on HB 1893 and HB 2075, which would require sex-segregated multi-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms in private schools and public buildings, with enforcement tied to state funding in some cases. Sponsors said the bills were meant to create clear statewide standards and protect privacy and safety; opponents argued the measures would harm transgender and intersex people, be difficult or impossible to enforce, and create safety and discrimination problems. Supporters emphasized private-school autonomy and concerns about safety in shared facilities. The hearing concluded after extensive questioning, with no action or vote reported.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs (02/11/2026)
Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- I have I'm busy. me. I'm a service dog. I have I'm busy.
- . business. business.
- </c> cities and towns and they're small. cities and towns and they're small.
- Something that is done on the backs of small businesses in New Hampshire.
- </c> every store and put us out of business. every store and put us out of business.
Committee:
House Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Summary:
The hearing focused on House Bill 1281, which would establish standards and voluntary certification for agency-owned “facility comfort dogs” used by police and other public safety agencies. Representative Morton, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to create a consistent statewide framework because different departments currently use different policies. He emphasized that the bill is meant to distinguish comfort dogs from service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and noted that a small amendment may be needed to make that distinction clearer. He also said the bill is timely under the ADA because comfort dogs fall outside service-animal protections, but still need training standards for public safety and consistency.
Committee members questioned whether the bill was too detailed and whether the legislature should be setting rules on matters like training methods, diet, and breeding. Laura Barker of Hero Pups, who helped train New Hampshire’s first police comfort dog, supported the idea of a minimum standard but said the bill should be less prescriptive and should not interfere with therapy dogs or private handlers. She explained that comfort dogs vary in temperament and deployment needs, that raw diets raise zoonotic disease concerns, and that the program should remain voluntary and not cost the state money. Detective Michelle Jones of Portsmouth Police opposed the bill as written, saying the term “facility comfort dog” is confusing, the bill is overly restrictive, and some provisions go beyond what should be mandated by statute; she suggested a more flexible, guideline-based approach and noted that departments already have their own SOPs and can enforce them internally.
Justin Brassen of the Manchester Police Department also testified, describing the history of comfort dog programs in New Hampshire and the work of a prior subcommittee formed through the governor’s commission on PTSD among first responders. He said there are currently no statewide standards and that the earlier study involved police, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, and NAMI New Hampshire, with the goal of creating a thoughtful work product. He agreed the bill needs work and answered questions about how departments handle training and public access. By the end of the hearing, members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, and one committee member suggested the bill may be better handled through interim study because of the amount of work still needed.
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
01/27/2026 - House Natural Resources, Energy & Water
House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference
Transcript Highlights:
- I also have a small business that is in a county island inside Tucson.
- So my small business, which uses water—we do abrasive water jet cutting—uses water.
- I also have a small business that is in a county island inside Tucson.
- So my small business, which uses water—we do abrasive water jet cutting—uses water.
- No further business. Meeting adjourned. Thank you.
Summary:
The committee began by announcing that House Bill 2094 would be held and not heard that day, then received a lengthy update from Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzky on Colorado River negotiations and post-2026 operating rules. He described Arizona’s legal position, the basin’s water allocations, current shortages, conservation efforts, and the state’s view that the Upper Basin should share more of the reductions and move more water from reservoirs above Lake Powell to Lake Mead. Members asked about tourism, recreation, tribal water rights, public outreach, and the role of the state’s delegation and the federal government. Buschatzky said Arizona has already made major conservation cuts and that further reductions are likely, whether by agreement or federal action, and emphasized ongoing negotiations and public meetings.
The committee then heard House Bill 2758, which would expand McMullen Valley groundwater transfer rules to allow eligible entities, including private water companies, to withdraw and transport groundwater under specified conditions, with ADWR oversight and reporting requirements. Supporters argued the bill would provide a lawful, regulated way to move water for urban growth and housing needs, while opponents from La Paz County and rural advocacy groups said it would accelerate aquifer depletion, harm private wells, and benefit a New York hedge fund at the expense of local residents. After debate over guardrails, stakeholder outreach, and the impact on rural communities, the committee adopted the Griffin amendment and passed HB 2758 as amended on a 6-4 due-pass vote.
Finally, the committee took up House Bill 2098, which revises bonding authority and public hearing notification requirements for county water augmentation authorities and allows such authorities to enter into local repayment agreements with WIFA. Pinal County officials and related stakeholders testified in support, saying the changes would help the Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority finance future water and infrastructure projects, including possible augmentation efforts tied to Bartlett Dam, and would clean up statutory language to match the authority’s needs. The transcript ends during testimony on HB 2098, before any committee vote on that bill is shown.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
Transcript Highlights:
- And what percentage of the business, particularly the government business, are the Canadians getting
- What percentage of the business, particularly the government business, are the Canadians getting access
- Because a small fabricator like myself, I'm a small- to mid-sized fabricator.
- Pricing for our product now is unfairly set by businesses for our businesses with help from their governments
- So I go back 42 years on this, and a lot has changed in the business.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight heard testimony on several procurement-related bills. Senator Lovely and steel industry witnesses supported S. 2167/H. 3411, which would require preference for U.S. manufacturers on public construction projects using steel and other materials. They argued that Canadian and other foreign fabricators underbid Massachusetts firms because of exchange rates, subsidies, and different labor-cost structures, causing local job losses and economic leakage. Committee members asked about tariffs, market share, and whether the bill should be folded into broader municipal legislation; the witnesses said public work should stay in Massachusetts and that the bill would help preserve local industry and jobs.
The committee also heard strong support for S. 2107, a bill to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities in state and municipal contracting. Work Inc. testified that a preference for contractors employing people with disabilities would expand competitive employment, reduce reliance on public assistance, and generate net savings for taxpayers. Members asked about the estimated savings and whether recent federal changes to benefits would affect the numbers; the witness said the figures may need updating but that the underlying employment opportunity remains important. Another bill, H. 3339/S. 2187, would prohibit state and municipal contracts for new artificial turf fields containing zinc, plastic, or intentionally added PFAS. Sponsors and supporters cited health risks, heat retention, injuries, and PFAS contamination, while committee members discussed local bans, disposal problems, and whether indoor facilities or alternative materials could be used.
Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro testified in favor of H. 12 and H. 13, which would update Chapter 30B procurement thresholds and allow municipalities to bundle snow hauling and removal with plowing contracts. He said the changes would give local governments more flexibility, reduce confusion between school and municipal procurement rules, and make snow contracts more attractive to vendors. Members questioned whether quasi-public agencies and state entities should also be subject to 30B, and Shapiro said many public entities have their own procedures but that transparency and fairness should apply across the board. The committee also heard support for S. 2150, a software licensing bill aimed at preventing vendor lock-in by ensuring state agencies can run purchased software in the infrastructure that best fits their needs; the witness said restrictive licensing can drive up costs and create cybersecurity and modernization problems, and that similar laws have already passed in several other states.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- For instance, this year that’s several of the business deductions.
- of them to facilitate their normal course of business, so it doesn't have to come to the legislature
- its business.
- It's good for business as a lobbyist, right? You can claim... Just nibble around the edges.
- It's good for business as a lobbyist, right?
Committee:
Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference
Summary:
The committee heard several tax, retirement, and property-related measures. SB 1215, the so-called “comma bill,” was described as a technical correction to firefighters’ cancer coverage language: it reorganizes the listed cancers into a column format to avoid comma-delimitation confusion, and an amendment removed unintended police-officer language. The bill was amended and passed 6-1. SB 1180 would codify the Department of Revenue’s practice of assuming federal tax conformity for above-the-line items when preparing state tax forms; DOR said it would not have changed this year’s executive-order-driven changes, and the bill passed 7-0. SCR 1028, a referral to voters, would narrow an existing exception under Prop. 108 for agency-set fees and assessments; supporters said it would curb delegation of taxing authority, while opponents warned it could hinder public services and business operations. The resolution passed 4-3.
The committee also advanced several other measures. SB 1292 clarifies that the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System’s 5% ownership cap applies only to publicly traded corporations, to avoid problems with investment funds being classified as corporations; PSPRS supported it, and it passed. SB 1294 restores county assessors’ authority to prorate property value for property destroyed in any manner, while preserving the five-year classification protection for property destroyed by verifiable accident; it passed 6-1. SB 1430, the annual tax corrections act, made minor cleanup changes and codified current practice, and passed unanimously. SB 1270 would allow CORP employers to make optional supplemental defined-contribution incentive payments of up to $5,000 to certain Tier 3 corrections employees to aid recruitment and retention; supporters called it an optional tool, while some members raised concerns about county costs and pension policy, and it passed 6-1.
SB 1290 drew the most extended debate. It requires advance notice and inspection reports for property inspections by DOR and county assessors and bars repeat on-site inspections of agricultural property for three years after an inspection. Farm and ranch groups said the bill would improve transparency and reduce repeated disputes over agricultural classification, while county assessors opposed it, arguing it would add costs, create inconsistent reporting, and interfere with their duty to inspect and value property annually. The bill passed 4-2 with one member not voting, and the chair noted it would likely remain a work in progress.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/18/25
Commerce Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- On to our first item of business today.
- as a course of business.
- We often are selling to independent small family-owned businesses as well.
- We often are selling to independent small family-owned businesses as well.
- Representative Stevenson, I think that this makes a lot of sense, and we definitely help our small businesses
Committee:
House Commerce Finance and Policy
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Apr 20th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- The Sierra Business Council also manages the Small Business Development Center for the eight-county Northeastern
- First, I took small jobs.
- And we agree with the parts of the bill that would remove the barriers for small businesses and individual
- That uncertainty makes it extremely difficult for companies like ours, a small business, to plan projects
- in business for myself.
Summary:
The committee heard a long series of bills, beginning with AB 2026 on groundwater recharge. The author and supporters said the bill would streamline permitting for recharge projects, codify long-standing CEQA exemptions for flood diversions to recharge, and add tribal consultation and other guardrails. Water agencies and local districts supported the measure as a way to capture high-flow water and reduce groundwater subsidence, while environmental groups and some irrigation districts opposed it, warning that the bill’s exemptions and broader diversion authority could harm rivers, Delta resources, and public trust values. The bill was discussed but not voted on because the committee lacked a quorum at that point.
The committee then took up AB 1577 on data center energy accountability, which would require monthly reporting of energy-use data and permit-related estimates of energy and water demand. The author and the Little Hoover Commission argued the bill would improve transparency, help protect ratepayers, and give regulators better information for grid planning. Data center industry representatives opposed it as duplicative, burdensome, and uniquely targeted, while local governments, environmental groups, and some utilities supported it or supported it if amended. The bill was later reported out with a due pass recommendation once a quorum was established.
Members also heard AB 2245 on a producer responsibility program for lubricant products and containers, AB 2170 on CEQA language-access and environmental review protections for overburdened communities, AB 2059 on rural transportation and VMT mitigation, AB 1808 on Western Joshua tree permitting and fee relief, AB 2182 on industrial energy efficiency program changes, and AB 2231 on streamlining two hospital projects. Testimony was mixed on most of these bills: supporters emphasized affordability, local control, environmental justice, or project urgency, while opponents raised concerns about CEQA scope, regulatory duplication, costs, and environmental impacts. Several measures received due pass recommendations and roll-call votes, including AB 2170, AB 2059, AB 1808, AB 2182, and AB 2231, with some members voting no or not voting and some bills left open for absent members.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Custodial accounts for virtual currency 3/3/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- must maintain written policies addressing risk management, cybersecurity, internal controls, and business
- business lending, and financial guidance.
- </c> internal controls and business internal controls and business continuity<00:02:32.800><c> and</c
- </c> already trust for mortgages, small already trust for mortgages, small business<00:03:12.400><c>
- </c><00:13:57.519><c> credit</c> would put some of our small credit would put some of our small credit
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Science, Technology and Telecommunications Sep 23rd, 2025
Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We are not interested in the operational business data of any entity.
- And that's what we are running into because many of the business leaders at those small schools do not
- There's some chili in small arrays in Leyendecker.
- That's a very dragnet, inexact way of doing business.
- So it's not a small investment for most people.