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MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Capital Investment Committee 3/26/26

Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, I would uh state.
  • </c> the state. the state.
  • make our state a better state than everyone around us.
  • </c> is helps our whole state. is helps our whole state.
  • </c><01:36:18.520><c> everyone</c> our state a better state than everyone our state a better state than
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • And that deadline as stated on page 18."
  • And I'm very time in state government.
  • . state. state.
  • But if it's somebody that lives across the state or doesn't even live in the state that wants to, you
  • But if it's somebody who lives across the state or doesn't even live in the state and wants to stop something
Summary: The concurrent meeting began with roll calls for both the Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government and the House Standing Committee on Local Government, establishing quorums. The committees then heard a Department for Local Government presentation on the Community Development Block Grant program, which serves smaller and more rural areas. Commissioner Matt Sawyers and Executive Director Mark Williams explained the 2026 HUD application as a public hearing, noting an estimated total of a little over $25 million, with proposed allocations for public facilities, community projects, economic development, public services/Recovery Kentucky, and housing. They also described proposed changes, including shifting some funding from economic development to housing, raising non-traditional application ceilings, extending the economic development application window, and giving the commissioner flexibility to reallocate funds if requests exceed the allotment. No legislators or members of the public asked questions, and both chambers approved the presentation and then adjourned the House portion. The Senate committee then took up Senate Bill 149 by Senator Elkins, which updates county treasurer statutes. The bill shortens the waiting period for appointing an acting treasurer from 30 days to 5 days and allows fiscal courts to appoint a temporary treasurer for up to 60 days during vacancies, illness, incapacity, or termination. Members discussed the need for continuity in county finances, and the bill received favorable expression 9-0. Next, the committee considered several housing-related bills from the housing task force. Senate Bill 224, by Senator Mills, creates vested property rights for development applications and narrows who may appeal certain local land-use decisions; the committee adopted a substitute, then approved the bill 8-1 after members raised concerns about standing language and possible impacts on local participation. Senate Bill 225 requires the housing and construction department to analyze the cost and housing-supply effects of proposed housing regulations; it passed 9-0 after a committee substitute. Senate Bill 233, by Senator Neal, removes annual financial reporting requirements for homeowners associations with 14 lots or fewer to reduce burdens on small developments; it passed 9-0. Finally, Senate Joint Resolution 75, as amended, directs the Public Service Commission to study affordability and water/wastewater utility regionalization, including possible consolidation of small districts; the amendment and the resolution both passed 9-0, with one member noting concerns about whether the matter should proceed as an administrative case rather than a study.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

AGR-EEP Joint Public Hearing - Fri Feb 6, 2026 @ 9:00 AM HST

Agriculture & Food Systems

Transcript Highlights:
  • harmonize state branding and harmonize state branding initiatives.<00:57:33.359><c> Report</c><00:57
  • </c> harvested and assembled in the state. harvested and assembled in the state.
  • procurement code.
  • </c> the well the the state procurement code. the well the the state procurement code.
  • </c> obtained by a state or county agency. obtained by a state or county agency.
Bills: HB1621, HB1880, HB1831
Summary: The joint committees on Agriculture and Food Systems and Energy and Environmental Protection heard three bills. HB 1621 would create a conservation, agriculture, and soil health incentive program under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, with annual reporting and funding. Testimony was broadly supportive from the Climate Commission, University of Hawaiʻi, Hawaii Farmers Union, White Alliance for Progressive Action, and the Farm Bureau, and the bill was described as a way to advance soil health and support producers. HB 1880 would prohibit, beginning in 2027, the use of pesticides containing 1,3-dichloropropene (such as Telone). The Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity offered written comments, Hawaii Farmers Union supported the ban citing drift and health concerns, and the Farm Bureau opposed it, arguing growers need such tools; the bill also drew discussion about crop rotation and other pest-management practices. HB 1831 would authorize funding to address survey deficiencies and wastewater compliance issues on certain non-agricultural parklands; the Attorney General’s Office warned the bill as written may violate the U.S. Constitution’s contract clause and suggested revisions, while the department and Farm Bureau supported the measure’s intent. The committees later took up decision-making and voted to pass all three measures with amendments, with the effective dates changed to July 1, 3000 and HB 1831 amended to reflect the Attorney General’s suggested changes. The Agriculture and Food Systems committee then heard HB 1572, which would establish a four-year restorative aquaculture development program to streamline permitting, expand infrastructure and workforce capacity, create pilot sites, and convene an advisory council. The Attorney General noted a technical issue about whether council members would be compensated, and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, Hawaii Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union all expressed support for streamlining aquaculture and promoting restorative aquaculture. Members asked about the bill’s focus on restorative aquaculture, and the department said the program would give the area dedicated resources and a framework. The committee also heard HB 219, which would temporarily reestablish the coffee berry borer pesticide subsidy program and manager position; the department, Waimea Coffee Association, Farm Bureau, and Farmers Union supported it. HB 2139 would fund University of Hawaiʻi research on treatment methods for the Queensland longhorn beetle. Testimony from DLNR, the invasive species council, university researchers, farmers, and the Farm Bureau emphasized the beetle’s spread and damage to trees and crops, and described nematode biocontrol as promising but labor-intensive and in need of more research and scaling. Members asked whether the funding was for research rather than a position, whether the current nematode approach is sufficient for large orchards, and whether other controls are being explored; the response was that the bill funds testing and that more work is needed, including local production of nematodes if the method proves effective.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> follow the procurement process in state follow the procurement process in state code<00:07:06.560
  • </c> Dam, which is up Morehead State Dam, which is up Morehead State University.<00:10:28.959><c> I'm
  • We have a set number of parks in the state where the state actually is a distribution system operator
  • </c><00:24:03.520><c> is</c><00:24:03.760><c> a</c> state where the state actually is a state where the
  • </c> in the state we have 11 locations. in the state we have 11 locations.
Summary: The committee heard presentations from the Department for Environmental Protection and the Office of Energy Policy on Kentucky’s state-owned dam repair program and the electric grid resilience program. Commissioner Tony Hatton explained how state dams are defined and classified under Kentucky law, the criteria used to prioritize repairs or decommissioning, and the status of several projects funded in the last biennium. He said the department is using a design-bid-build process, with major work planned or underway at Willisburg Lake, Big Bone Lick State Park Dam, Clemens Lake Dam, Marion County Sportsman’s Dam, Chinoa Lake Creek/Canning Creek Dam, and Lake Malone, and that $0.5 million is reserved for routine repairs. He also described the timeline and cost pressures, noting that construction seasons and bid uncertainty can affect schedules and estimates. Members asked several questions about whether the estimates were current, how accurate the bids tend to be, why the process takes so long, and whether it would be better to fund design separately before construction. Hatton said the estimates are the best current engineering estimates, that costs often stay within about 10% but can vary, and that the overall process is usually closer to two years than four, though delays can occur. He also said all of the allocated dam funds must be available before bids can be let. The committee discussed whether design work can become stale if construction is delayed. Kenya Stump then updated the committee on Kentucky’s electric grid resilience program under federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding. She said Kentucky has received years one through three of the five-year program and has allocated funds to state park electric systems and municipal utilities, with years four and five not yet received. She identified Ken Lake State Park and Kentucky Dam Village as the two state park projects in progress, and Owensboro, Princeton, Williamstown, and Hopkinsville as the municipal projects selected through a competitive process. She said the projects are under contract or in final negotiations, with municipal construction expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026 and finish by the end of 2026, and explained that the work includes line, pole, transformer, meter, and outage-management upgrades. Members asked about the relationship between this program and prior park appropriations, the timing of agreements with Parks, and whether the park systems could eventually be transferred to the local electric cooperative; Stump said the park agreements are imminent and that the upgrades are intended to bring the systems up to code so the cooperative can maintain them. No votes were taken, and the chair adjourned the committee until the following Wednesday, with a possible time change to avoid a scheduling conflict.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> split up all over the state, right? split up all over the state, right?
  • </c> or have a higher level of state subsidy. or have a higher level of state subsidy. Right?
  • Affordable housing and clean energy projects, which we know are critical to meeting important state goals
  • </c> planning or state. planning or state.
  • the state use of state money or direct the state use of state money towards<01:23:46.560><c> commercial
Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 1604, which would create an agricultural workforce housing group within the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to address shortages of farmworker housing. The department said it supported the bill’s intent but emphasized that the group’s early work should focus on gathering data and surveying farm operators to assess actual demand, to avoid “mission creep.” Testimony from the City and County of Honolulu Office of Economic Revitalization, Hawaii Farmers Union, Hawaii Farm Bureau, Housing Hawaii’s Future, and the Maui Chamber of Commerce was in support, with one witness suggesting a housing advocacy nonprofit be added to the working group for balance. The committee then discussed HB 1713 on school impact fees, which would clarify exemptions for certain affordable housing projects and exempt new residential developments of fewer than 100 units. The Attorney General’s office said the bill should define “low to moderate income households” because that term is not defined in chapter 302A. HHFDC, the School Facilities Authority, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, and others supported the measure, arguing it would reduce administrative burden and remove barriers to housing. Members questioned whether the bill should instead repeal the school impact fee entirely; supporters said they also favored full repeal but viewed this bill as a more feasible step. The School Facilities Authority also explained that about $28 million in school impact fees had been collected across four districts and none had yet been spent, and discussed how recent nexus requirements limit how the funds can be used. HB 1722, relating to residential condominiums, drew extensive testimony and questioning. HCDA supported the bill and explained that it amends the 99-year leasehold pilot program created by Act 97 of 2023 by reducing owner-occupancy restrictions from 100% of units to 60%, allowing some rental or subleasing flexibility for the owner-occupied units, and permitting up to 40% of units to be sold to qualified residents after being on the market for more than 60 days. HCDA said the original restrictions, combined with rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and competition from nearby projects, made the pilot project difficult to market and finance; it said the changes are needed to make the project feasible and competitive. Supporters including AP Hawaii, Kila LLC, and project representatives said the amendments would help make the demonstration project in Kakaʻako viable. Some members raised concerns that the changes could weaken long-term affordability and questioned why certain ownership language was being deleted if rentals would still be restricted. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Veterans and Military Affairs Division 3/25/26

Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> being ordered to state active service. being ordered to state active service.
  • </c> most veterans in the state. most veterans in the state.
  • It's it's uh, no cost to the<00:20:46.640><c> state.</c> the state. the state.
  • Code.
  • Code.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/23/2026 - House Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Public Safety & Law Enforcement

Transcript Highlights:
  • I know that at least with some of the 401(a)s that the state uses, the state just goes, hey, it's going
  • There is no request from the state in association with this bill.
  • So you stated an 80% effective rate? Mr.
  • We need to be careful about where we're using state funds.
  • We need to be careful about where we're using state funds.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Commerce Mar 11th, 2026

Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • If there are state abatements attached to that...
  • be considering as the best interest of the state?
  • who didn't file Louisiana state taxes last year.
  • But in other states, I find it hard for me to integrate in that state and find employees.
  • Jody Montero with Energy is favorable. Mr.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Veteran and Military Affairs REVISED: Links added Feb 5th, 2026 at 10:30 am

Veteran and Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chief Oklahoma state level benefits yield for questions and move for adoption. Thank you, Mr.
  • That mirrors compensation of the active duty paying benefits for state employees.
  • When it comes to the state guard, which the state guard's been around, we just don't use them that often
  • over the state guard.
  • So that was, well, we talked about State Guard's always been around.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Veteran and Military Affairs REVISED: Links added Feb 5th, 2026

Veteran and Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • would be treated as if they are service-connected when that veteran is applying to receive Oklahoma state-level
  • One of the paths to citizenship in the United States is through service in the military.
  • When it comes to the State Guard, which has been around, we just don't use them that often.
  • of the State Guard.
  • The State Guard's always been around. We didn't want to confuse the two.
Summary: The committee heard several veterans-related bills. House Bill 3257 would treat 100% disabilities caused by medical malpractice at a VA facility as service-connected for purposes of Oklahoma state benefits, aligning state treatment with federal benefits; members asked about the bill’s scope and its relation to military service and citizenship, and it passed 6-0. House Bill 3432 would allow veterans to attend public school sporting events without paying gate admission; one member spoke against the idea of preferential treatment for veterans, but the bill passed 5-1. House Bill 3428 would require the Department of Labor, working with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, to create a workplace poster for employers with more than 50 employees listing veteran benefits and contact information for assistance programs. The author emphasized it was not a recruitment effort and said the poster would mainly provide hotline numbers and claims assistance information; it passed 7-0. House Bill 3043 would let ODVA hire PRN, seasonal, or as-needed employees during peak periods instead of relying on full-time staff, and members discussed possible reporting additions; it passed 7-0. The committee also considered House Bill 3044, which continues the existing tax return donation option for the ODVA equipment capital improvement program, and it passed 7-0. House Bill 3078, as amended, changed the donation mechanism to a direct link to the ODVA website rather than a checkbox on state transaction forms, and the amendment was adopted before the bill passed 8-0. Finally, House Bill 3940, a broad cleanup/omnibus measure revising National Guard and State Guard provisions, retention and education assistance rules, museum-related authority, and other technical matters, was presented as a follow-up to prior legislation, amended by PCS, and passed 7-0 with one member absent/abstaining; the committee then adjourned.