Transcript Highlights:

• I'm wondering if you've done the analysis to look at sites that might be available if we come back to
• <01:05:04.559> on numerous discussions with legislators on numerous discussions with legislators
• So yes, we've done that analysis. That was one of the requests.
• analysis so that was one of the uh analysis so that was one of the uh requests<01:06:21.880> um
• <01:15:10.480> to pressure the legislature legislators to pressure the legislature legislators

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Department of Environmental Services officials outlined the solid waste system, including curbside collection, convenience centers, transfer stations, H-POWER, and the existing landfill, and explained that H-POWER reduces the volume of waste going to the landfill by about 90%. They reviewed the siting history, including the 2019 Land Use Commission deadline, the 2020 enactment of Act 73 with landfill setback and conservation-district restrictions, and the 2021-2022 landfill advisory committee that evaluated six sites but recommended none because they were within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. The city said it ultimately selected a site in central Oahu, on agricultural land near Wahiawa and the Dole Plantation, as the best legally permissible option and described it as requiring about 150 acres, with 90 acres for the landfill itself. City officials also described the proposed landfill design and safeguards, emphasizing a modern sanitary landfill with double liners, leachate collection, groundwater monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring. They said the ash from H-POWER is dry and that leachate would be pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. They stated the site is away from residences and groundwater wells, accessible by highway, and can be permitted under state and federal rules, though they acknowledged that a full environmental review, public hearings, and multiple permits would still be required. When asked whether the new landfill could be operating before the 2028 closure date, the city said it did not yet know and that an extension of Waimanalo Gulch might be needed if the new site is not ready in time. The Board of Water Supply strongly opposed the city’s decision to site a landfill above Oahu’s freshwater resources. Its representative said the agency’s mission is to protect safe, dependable water for the future and that it had disapproved all six previously proposed sites because they were located over freshwater aquifers. In response to questions from legislators, the Board said it could not guarantee the liner system would remain impermeable forever and warned that leachate can contain hazardous chemicals, including so-called forever chemicals. The Board characterized the proposal as a long-term risk to the island’s drinking water supply and compared the decision to past infrastructure choices that later proved problematic. No votes or formal actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that we have Taylor Tidwell Bennett, who's my committee legislative assistant, and we have others
• Both the Senate and House provisions call for a misclassification fraud impact analysis to be coordinated
• The Senate language is permissive and allows the analysis, and the House requires the report every two
• to be coordinated between the analysis to be coordinated between the Department<00:48:12.640> of<
• and then the House requires the analysis and then the House requires the<00:48:22.640> report

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hawaii families, motor vehicle crashes cost the state $580 million annually according to a 2019 analysis
• <00:24:11.600> updating according to a 2019 analysis updating according to a 2019 analysis
• aims to change our culture legislation aims to change our culture to<00:32:08.840> encourage<
• So my intent is either to work on legislation for next year or to see if we can do something regarding
• <01:10:33.040> for is either to work on legislation for is either to work on legislation for

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on February 11, 2025, and heard a series of bills focused on transportation funding and roadway safety. HB 1154 would cap Central Services assessments from the state highway, airport, and harbor funds, with a CPI-based process for additional deductions; the Department of Transportation supported it and the Department of Budget and Finance offered comments. HB 1164 would restore highway revenue bond authorization for DOT capital projects, and HB 1286 would prohibit pedestrians from walking along interstate and certain state highways except for authorized duties; both drew DOT support, with Ulupono Initiative and an individual offering comments or support on HB 1286. HB 1162 would require motorcycle instruction permit applicants, beginning July 1, 2026, to complete an approved basic rider course before becoming eligible, and HB 537 would require helmets and chin straps for all operators and passengers of two-wheel motorized vehicles; both had DOT support, with HB 537 also drawing support from AAA Hawaii and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, and opposition from one individual. The committee then took up HB 387, which would expand negligent injury in the first degree to include injuries negligently inflicted by intoxicated drivers. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing current law already covers drunk driving and that the proposal would turn alcohol-caused negligence causing injury into a felony; prosecutors from Honolulu and Hawaiʻi counties and DOT supported it, saying serious injuries short of “substantial bodily injury” are not adequately punished and that circuit court would better handle restitution and related proceedings. Members asked about data on cases that might fit the new felony category, and prosecutors said they did not have exact numbers but could try to provide more information. The committee also heard HB 1084 and the related HB 1387, both of which would lower Hawaiʻi’s per se DUI blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05. Support came from DOT, police departments, the Department of Health, prosecutors, the Governor’s office, MADD Hawaii, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Alcohol Policy Alliance, AAA Hawaii, and the National Transportation Safety Board, all citing research that lower BAC limits reduce impaired driving and fatalities. The Public Defender opposed the change, and some testimony raised concerns about enforcement and the need for an amendment in HB 1084. Several individuals and advocates gave emotional testimony about crashes and losses tied to impaired driving, while supporters emphasized that a 0.05 standard would save lives and would not harm alcohol sales or the tourism economy. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing reflected in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Both agencies submitted advance notification to legislative leadership of their intent to apply for the
• Both agencies submitted advance notification to legislative leadership of their intent to apply for the
• So we're going to have to do some rethinking, and I suspect that at the next long legislative session
• For the record, my name is Travis Miller with the Legislative Fiscal Office.
• For the record, Steve Robbins from the Legislative Fiscal Office.

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the process for enacting comprehensive legislation is ongoing.
• We've never had a legislative hearing to properly assess this risk.
• This is government expansion through bureaucracy, not legislation.
• council or legislative schedule, and so on.
• And we had legislation several times regarding charter schools.

Bills: HB1540, HB3837, HB5571, SB370, SB2425

Keywords: government review, Texas Sunset Act, regulatory oversight, agencies, sunset provisions, autonomous vehicles, regulation, safety, criminal offense, Autonomous Vehicle Commission, registration, regulations, Level 4 automation, Level 5 automation, self-driving technology, traffic laws, permit system, collision reporting, safety standards, Automated Vehicle Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• This isn't just about today's legislation.
• The Center will provide independent analysis of proposed legislation, regulations, and other policy actions
• But no piece of legislation is perfect.
• Thank you for bringing this legislation forward.
• Using the legislation we passed on the floor that was a package of retail theft legislation, not using

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened, first dealing with quorum and routine procedural matters before moving through a series of third-reading bills, many focused on immigration enforcement, worker protections, child care, and school or voting-site safety. Early measures included AB 2393, AB 1994, AB 1929, AB 1633, AB 1650, AB 1655, AB 1851, AB 1896, and AB 2230, with authors and supporters arguing these bills would provide accountability, protect immigrant communities, preserve access to benefits and services, and limit intimidation by immigration enforcement. Opponents repeatedly argued the bills were anti-law-enforcement, unconstitutional, or based on exaggerated or nonexistent threats. Several bills passed by recorded vote, including AB 2393 (41-15), AB 1994 (58-0), AB 1929 (41-17), AB 1650 (44-19), AB 1655 (50-14), AB 1851 (56-0), AB 1896 (41-19), and AB 2230 (42-15). AB 1633, a 54-vote bill imposing a tax on for-profit detention facilities, was debated at length but the roll was not completed in the excerpt and the item was moved on from temporarily. After a caucus break, the House returned and took up additional bills. AB 2379 would require child care providers to be informed of constitutional protections and receive multilingual training regarding immigration enforcement; it passed 59-10 on both the urgency and the measure. AB 2460 would direct the education department to update referral protocols so schools can better respond to students affected by immigration enforcement trauma and family deportation; it passed 52-8. AB 2495 would expand prohibitions on unfair immigration-related practices by employers, making immigration-related threats unlawful in workplace disputes; it passed 50-15. Throughout the day, debate was highly partisan and often heated, with repeated exchanges over whether the bills addressed real harms or were political messaging, but the Assembly ultimately advanced the measures that came to a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• year two of the term are as follows: ought to pass, ought to pass with amendment, inexpedient to legislate
• c><00:07:23.280> to pass with amendment inexpedient to pass with amendment inexpedient to legislate
• 24.720> for<00:07:24.960> intram<00:07:25.360> study<00:07:26.080> and legislate
• refer for intram study and legislate refer for intram study and recommended<00:07:27.199> but
• I didn't do that analysis, but I think ultimately that ratio would very much be driven by the number

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The work session was limited to House Bill 1750, a supplemental appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services’ SNAP administration. Before testimony, Representative Terski distributed a written statement from Representative Priest for the record. Department officials Karen Heert and Nathan White then walked the committee through a chart showing SNAP participation, federal benefit dollars, and state administrative costs, emphasizing that the benefits themselves do not flow through the state budget. They explained that the reported administrative cost includes overhead and cost-allocation methods used to maximize federal reimbursement, and that the current participant count is about 75,000 with the trend steady in recent years. Members questioned whether the reported costs were stable, how much of the administrative expense was directly tied to SNAP, and whether reducing overhead would lower the need for the appropriation. The department said the cost per participant and per dollar distributed would be lower if SNAP were isolated, but that the broader allocation system also supports federal claiming across multiple programs. Officials said SNAP eligibility is redetermined every six months, that the department processes nearly 50 eligibility programs with about 250 field staff, roughly 70 unfunded positions, and a vacancy rate around 25%. They also said most errors in the program are unintentional and can come from either staff or participant mistakes, and that the department reviews errors to identify systemic fixes. The committee discussed the fiscal impact of the bill and related budget issues. DHHS said the current adjusted authorization for 2026 is about $31 million, but actual spending is expected to be closer to $25–26 million because of vacancies and unfilled positions. Members asked whether the $4.4 million shortfall identified in the fiscal note would come from the rainy day fund; staff said it would not be taken directly from that fund, but would reduce the amount available to flow into it at the end of the biennium. The committee also reviewed Senate Bill 603 FN, which was described as an alternative approach that would require DHHS to transfer funds within its existing budget rather than provide new money; officials said it would simply codify an option the department already has. No vote or final action on House Bill 1750 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Frankfort, not by legislators who are elected by their constituents, but by unelected, unaccountable
• we did get the letter from legislation we did get the letter from the<00:13:50.880> cabinet<00
• cleanup Bill last session legislation cleanup Bill last session legislation was<00:26:46.120>
• This is an example of what a good piece of legislation is supposed to look like.
• is supposed to look like you legislation is supposed to look like you reach<00:28:45.399> out

Keywords: 00:00 Call to Order 01:55 Attendance Roll Call 02:10 HB 422 Discussion 03:35 HB 422 Vote 04:55 HB 6 Discussion 11:30 HB 6 Vote 16:45 HB 87 Discussion 20:22 HB 87 Vote 21:43 HB 255 Discussion 24:33 HB 255 Vote 26:19 HB 437 Discussion 29:09 HB 437 Vote 30:25 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 6, sponsored by Rep. Wade Williams, which would require administrative regulations with a major economic impact of $500,000 or more over two years to go through the legislature. Williams argued the bill would rein in regulatory overreach, improve transparency, and still allow emergency regulations. Several members raised concerns about executive-branch authority and the role of subject-matter experts, while others supported the bill as a way to improve communication and legislative oversight. The bill passed on a roll call vote and was sent to the House floor. The committee then considered House Bill 87, sponsored by Rep. Emily Callaway, with a committee substitute adopted first. The bill is aimed at reducing barriers for people with felony records who are seeking occupational licenses, while preserving existing public hiring practices for cities and counties. Callaway said the changes were mostly technical and intended to make the process more transparent, with no fiscal impact. The committee approved the bill, and it passed with the committee substitute. House Bill 255, sponsored by Rep. Amy Neighbors, also passed with a committee substitute. The measure updates and modernizes the Kentucky Board of Physical Therapy statutes, which sponsors said have not been substantially revised since 1958. Supporters said the bill clarifies outdated language, defines terms more clearly, and better reflects current practice, including physical therapist assistants. The chairman noted the long effort to update the practice act and praised the work of the stakeholders involved. Finally, House Bill 437, sponsored by Rep. Tony Hampton, was presented as a cleanup bill for alcohol beverage control law. It would limit state and local ABC administrators and investigators from making arrests unless they are POP certified, while leaving their other authority intact. Hampton and supporting witnesses said the change would align the statute with other law enforcement certification requirements and help keep civilian administrators from being put in harm’s way. The transcript ends during discussion of this bill, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am working to try to move some legislation.
• argue that um perhaps having legislation argue that um perhaps having legislation that's<00:36:56.359
• Legislators came to her funeral to mourn with us.
• Legislators came to her funeral to mourn with us.
• supports HF 1627 as amended legislation supports HF 1627 as amended legislation that<01:18:42.679

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Not about the aligning, but whether I decide to represent myself. ...have done analysis that presumably
• This approach introduces inconsistency in lab analysis and can complicate prosecution, as officers and
• means greater scientific precision to the statutory definition, which supports more consistent lab analysis
• want to thank Senator Parker and Representative Thompson for all their work on human trafficking legislation

Bills: SB1099, SB1896, SB1980, SB127, SB614, SB955, SB1278, SB1372, SB1936, SB1937, SB2580, SB2595, SB2798

Keywords: SB 1099, illegal alien, undocumented immigrant, unauthorized immigrant, immigration status, felony sentencing enhancement, criminal penalty increase, Texas Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, affirmative finding, judgment finding, deportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, sentencing reform, felony offense, first-degree felony, minimum sentence, Criminal Justice, Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you be willing to have any conversations about that with this piece of legislation?
• He added that another $665,000 comes off the top because the legislation Senator Brown submitted would
• He said these projects are potentially very expensive, and DNR has not even completed its analysis.
• He said he does not have a plan, detailed analysis, or bids, and he is not familiar with a government
• So we also don't believe that DNR needs this legislation. ...by this.

Summary: The committee met in public hearing on Senate Bill 1586, sponsored by Sen. Ben Brown, which would address abandoned, ownerless landfills in Missouri. Brown described the bill as a response to a constituent who discovered contamination near property in Franklin County, and said the measure had evolved through multiple versions. He explained that the bill would give the Department of Natural Resources clearer authority over ownerless landfill sites, direct 10% of tipping fees from solid waste districts toward assessment, investigation, testing, remediation, and management of those sites, create an interim committee for further study, and tighten seller disclosure requirements to require written, dated notice by mail. Brown said the state has 29 such sites and argued that counties and DNR lack the resources to study or clean them up. Support testimony came from Marisa Grosoccoe, dean of engineering at the University of Missouri, who said the bill provides both a regulatory framework and a steady funding stream, and that environmental studies are a necessary first step to determine the scope and cost of cleanup and potentially return contaminated land to productive use. She said the funding would likely support only a few studies per year, but would reduce uncertainty and help unlock other funding sources. Opposition came from representatives of solid waste districts, including Chris Bussin and Diana Bryant, who argued the districts already perform important recycling, household hazardous waste, and grant administration work, and that the proposed diversion of tipping fees would reduce funding for those programs. They said the districts are already tightly regulated, that the abandoned landfill issue has been known for years, and that DNR already has authority to act. Lacey Miller, speaking for informational purposes, said the districts support local recycling and community programs, especially in small counties and schools, and warned that consolidation or funding cuts would hurt local services. No vote was taken; the hearing on Senate Bill 1586 was concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we certainly want to work with our partners in the legislative partners as well as our providers
• So the agency is certainly committed to working with legislative partners and managed care plans and
• One of the department's legislative budget request items which is a 50.6 million fun shift from federal
• Any change in the legislative budget requests to 50.6 million could directly impact the state's overall
• They're going to sort fall. >> We put in our legislative budget request, which, you know, but by doing

Transcript Highlights:

• This allows for expedited consideration of legislation.
• which they've already passed, acting as instructions to all of those committees to prepare the legislation
• It's not a big huge, uh, savings, um, but you can see line by line kind of what our preliminary analysis
• Let me just ask, on your preliminary analysis on your chart, what would be the total, um, the total that
• Madam Chair, nothing is official until the Legislative council, um, gives their, uh, blessing to it,

Transcript Highlights:

• You did a lot of helpful legislative work in the off-season, and I think it paid off.
• We do have a lot of tax credit and tax cut type legislation, and I tell people we don't legislation and
• I respect your opinions and thoughts and ideas on the various legislation that has been sent up by the
• This is a piece of legislation, and I will tell you what the sub... sub, and I will tell you what the
• So, I just wanted to make that analysis that Georgia has all that... that analysis that Georgia has all

Bills: HB86, HB273, HB379, HB386, HB387, HB388, HB389, HB487, HB600, SB120, HB176

Keywords: rural health, hospital funding, tax credits, qualified donations, Alabama Department of Revenue, HB273, Hunger-Free Campus Act, hunger free campus, food insecurity, college hunger, student hunger, campus pantry, food pantry, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, basic needs, student food assistance, meal vouchers, meal credits, food vouchers

Transcript Highlights:

• SO WHEN WE'RE DOING LEGISLATION LIKE THIS, ESPECIALLY FOR A BILL THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS, I HEARD
• WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE WITH THIS PROVISION IN THE LEGISLATION?
• THIS LEGISLATION IS FOCUSED ON, IS FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE IT IS AN INSTITUTION SPECIFIC PROCESS.
• WE HAVE THE ABILITY AS LEGISLATORS TO NARROWLY TAILOR LEGISLATION IF IT SERVES A COMPELLING GOVERNMENT
• THERE IS A PORTION ON THE STAFF ANALYSIS THAT LINES OUT ALL THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As each city... ...be added by separate statute, legislation, or is it a population qualification?
• With your support, this legislation will allow McAllen to reinvest in the infrastructure that will help
• not be possible without this legislation and the incredible partnership it represents between the City
• Because when you're... looking at obligating things multiple legislative sessions out.
• So you have the 27th, 29th, and 31st legislative sessions to get the authorization you're looking for

Bills: SB1071, SB1444, SB1483, SB1556, SB1703, SB1756, SB1854, SB2036, SB2133, SB2297, SB2622, SB2779, SB2955, SB2979

Keywords: municipality, tax revenue, hotel project, convention center, economic development, hotel tax, municipal authority, local governments, local authority, convention centers, hotel occupancy tax, municipal finance, local tax revenue, tourism, hotel and convention center project, Tax Code Chapter 351, city revenue, special district, Texas municipalities, venue financing

Transcript Highlights:

• THIS LIGHT HIGHLIGHTS RECENT CHANGES OVER THE LAST 2 TO 3 YEARS LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENT.
• LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR AND SENIOR POLICY COUNCIL OF THE ACO OF FLORIDA OPPOSES THIS BILL.
• OF THE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR FLORIDA FOR ALL HERE TO PROPOSE SB 100.
• YOU CAN REVIEW THE ANALYSIS.
• THE FACT THE QUESTIONS COULD BE ANSWERED TELLS US THIS IS GOOD VISA LEGISLATION.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The 2026 legislative session has begun. My name is David Tarnas.
• We're also working with the analysis.
• So in 1976, legislators decided to eradicate...
• Now, we have had some legislative Now, we have had some legislative changes<00:44:52.640> since
• That is a nonpartisan national organization of legislators.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of legislation.
• > of<00:16:18.000> legislation.
• Um, this is so much past this legislation.
• And um, what roadblocks might appear with passing this legislation?
• And um, what roadblocks might appear with passing this legislation?

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on two Parkinson’s-related bills in Minnesota: one to ban paraquat and another to create a state Parkinson’s research trust fund. Rep. Christy Purcell said the research bill would create a dedicated pot of money to coordinate and fund Parkinson’s research in Minnesota, with Sen. Mann as the Senate author. Supporters said Minnesota should act because Parkinson’s is growing rapidly, there is no cure, and state institutions could serve as a research hub. Several people living with Parkinson’s testified about the personal and family impact of the disease, including early-onset diagnoses, loss of work, mobility challenges, and the burden on caregivers. Speakers from the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation supported both bills, arguing that paraquat is strongly linked to Parkinson’s, that exposure can affect farmers and nearby residents, and that prevention and research are both needed. The paraquat bill was described as especially important because alternatives exist and the chemical is reportedly used very little in Minnesota. During the discussion, Rep. Hansen said the paraquat bill would be held over and not voted on that day because a fiscal note was requested. He said the committee would hear the bill later that day and urged colleagues to keep an open mind. In response to questions, supporters said they anticipated little opposition beyond chemical-industry interests, and they emphasized that the bill was aimed specifically at paraquat rather than other chemicals. The research bill was discussed as a possible $25 million request, though no vote was taken on that proposal in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Port is carrying that um legislation Port is carrying that um legislation that<00:04:33.280>
• <00:04:44.080> that working on a piece of legislation that working on a piece of legislation
• <00:19:54.960> And from the legislative point of view.
• And from the legislative point of view.
• Will that impact legislating this session? Yeah, it's amazing.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The program previewed the Minnesota Senate’s new session and featured interviews with Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Minority Leader Mark Johnson. Murphy said the DFL will focus on Capitol security, gun violence prevention, a supplemental budget, bonding/infrastructure, and continued anti-fraud work. She tied the session’s priorities to recent political violence and federal actions in Minnesota, and said she is working on legislation requiring federal agents to follow Minnesota’s rendering-aid law. She also said the Senate will pursue a bonding bill, likely a small supplemental budget bill, and additional fraud-related measures, including an independent inspector general proposal that stalled in the House. Murphy said the state’s November forecast showed a modest surplus but warned that federal policy changes could worsen the out-year budget outlook. She said the Senate would remain committed to balancing the budget and would not use infrastructure as leverage in negotiations. On fraud, she said the caucus has already passed multiple bills since 2023 and wants stronger enforcement, while expressing concern about prosecutorial capacity. She also emphasized a desire for bipartisan cooperation despite an election year and recent tragedy, saying senators should keep debates focused on policy and maintain working relationships. Johnson said Senate Republicans will emphasize fraud, affordability, infrastructure, and a broader approach to safety that includes mental health, school safety, and law enforcement training and equipment. He said the Senate has limited jurisdiction over the increased federal presence in Minnesota but can work on areas where bipartisan agreement is possible. He also said the session will be a bonding year, with attention to roads, bridges, water systems, and other capital projects, and noted that the governor’s proposed $97 million bonding bill is far below the roughly $6.5 billion in requests. On the budget, he said the legislature may have limited room to address the projected deficit this session, and he warned that retirements are changing the Senate’s makeup while also creating opportunities for new members and ideas.