Video & Transcript Research : 'testimonials'
Page 171 of 500
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If there are no further questions, we will proceed to testimony. The chair calls Terry Hall.
- If there are no further questions, we will proceed to testimony. The chair calls Ron Luque. Mr.
- I appreciate your testimony and your expertise, sir. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it.
- You still have a live witness testimony. Um, does that change your opinion at all?
- Wolf, just a few questions to kind of clarify some of your testimony.
Bills:
HB 767, HB 1242, HB 1373, HB 1404, HB 1708, HB 1936, HB 2041, HB 2198, HB 2270, HB 2315, HB 2415, HB 2427, HB 2455, HB 2457, HB 2522, HB 2523, HB 2686, HB 2763, HB 2775, HB 2944, HB 3034, HB 1683, HB 1695
Keywords:
highway designation, memorial, Montgomery County, Paul P. Mendes, transportation, HB 1242, Texas Transportation Code, U.S. Highway 281, Brooks County, Ernesto Soliz Cantu, memorial highway, road naming, TxDOT, road signage, commemorative resolution, memorial markers, county road 304, Huppergate Road, Los Robles Trail, Farm-to-Market Road
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 19, 2025 - 10:30 AM
Transcript Highlights:
- There are no amendments and there is public testimony.
- We're back on the bill as amended, and we do have public testimony.
- No more public testimony. Members, is there debate on the bill? Okay.
- Seeing none, we do have public testimony.
- There is public testimony. John Brady, FSU SGA, is a proponent of the bill.
Summary:
The Education Administration Subcommittee heard and advanced a series of education bills focused on transparency, accountability, attendance, school start times, student well-being, and career planning. HB 1321, by Rep. Salsman, would remove public-records and public-meeting exemptions for university presidential searches, eliminate the Board of Governors from those searches, require Board of Governors members to file full financial disclosures and be Florida residents, and expand syllabus posting requirements; it passed 15-0. HB 1079, by Rep. Botana, as amended, broadened eligibility for dropout retrieval programs to include students who withdrew and did not reengage in education, and it also passed 15-0 after a strike-all amendment and supportive testimony from a program provider.
The committee also approved PCS for HB 969, by Rep. Kassel, which shifts evaluation of school mental health services to the Department of Children and Families and requires more detailed outcome data, surveys, and reporting related to the Mental Health Assistance Allocation program; it passed 15-0. HB 1367, by Rep. Booth, creates a statewide attendance policy with uniform definitions and reporting requirements to address chronic absenteeism; it passed 15-1 after support from business and education groups and some concern about state control over district policy. PCS for HB 261, by Rep. Gerwig, revises the 2023 middle and high school start-time law by allowing districts to document compliance efforts and unintended consequences rather than fully meet the mandated later start times; it passed 16-0.
The most debated bill was HB 1483, by Rep. Valdez, which would align Florida’s school grading scale with the familiar 90/80/70/60 letter-grade standard over a five-year transition and require school grades to appear on student report cards. Supporters argued the current scale is misleading and too lenient, while opponents warned it would sharply increase failing school labels, create costs and turnaround mandates, and confuse parents and students. Despite extensive testimony from school board members, teachers, students, and advocacy groups on both sides, the bill passed 12-4. The committee then quickly approved HB 1245, a one-year Hunger-Free Campus Pilot Program for three universities with the highest share of Pell-eligible students, and HB 571, which expands career planning, paid work experience, and credit-transfer review for students; both passed unanimously.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And with that, there may be some testimony, but reserve the right to close.
- For that testimony, members, any questions for this panel? All right. Thank you.
- They heard testimony and evidence. three full straight days and at the end of that third day...
- Thank you for your testimony. Vice Chair Johnson. Which branch? I was in the Army.
- Thanks for your testimony. Thank you.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Senate Energy and Natural Resources (02/18/2025)
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for the testimony, and we're going to close the testimony and is there a motion to move into
- I’m going to hand in to the committee testimony from Forum Energy.
- I’m going to hand in to the committee testimony from Forum Energy.
- Thank you for your testimony, Senator Ros. Thank you, Mr.
- <02:09:50.199>
I'm described in my prior testimony I'm described in my prior testimony I'm
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Artificial Intelligence Task Force 2025 (10-9-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- begin your testimony. begin your testimony.
- We've talked appreciate your testimony.
- with your testimony when you're ready. ready. ready.
- Um, thank you for your testimony.
- Um, thank you for your testimony. done. Um, thank you for your testimony.
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then heard testimony on the use of artificial intelligence in therapy and mental health settings. Representative Lisa Willner and Brenda Rosen of NASW Kentucky argued for “guard rails” on AI chatbots so they cannot present themselves as licensed therapists or replace school counselors, psychologists, or social workers. They said AI can support licensed professionals, but warned that chatbots cannot reliably recognize nonverbal cues, escalate crises, or provide accountable care, and they cited examples of harmful chatbot interactions, including a suicide case and a chatbot telling a user to “Please die.”
The witnesses also raised concerns about data privacy, commercialization of sensitive mental health conversations, and the use of personal clinical content to train AI models. They said minors should require parental consent and suggested transparency about how a chatbot is trained and who created it. They distinguished between unvetted consumer chatbots and AI tools that have been scientifically validated or approved as digital therapeutics, noting that some evidence-based tools may be useful for specific conditions such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.
Committee members asked whether regulation should be handled by the legislature or by professional boards, and whether a multi-state model would be preferable to 50 different state approaches. The witnesses generally favored expert-led standards and said a board or panel of experts could review and approve mental health chatbots, but members cautioned that boards can become too restrictive and that legislation should preserve flexibility and avoid discouraging children from seeking help. The discussion ended with a request for the witnesses to restate their proposed policy ideas, including privacy protections, bans on commercialization, limits on training AI with clinical content, transparency requirements, and informed consent.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Information Technology Oversight Committee (9-10-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- The Secretary of State's testimony.
- Thank you so much for your testimony.
- appreciate your testimony. appreciate your testimony. Okay. Okay. Okay.
- <01:20:31.960>
about We've heard a lot of testimony about We've heard a lot of testimony about - <01:20:41.720>
the testimony we've heard from the testimony we've heard from the Department
Keywords:
Meeting Start 00:00:00
Commonwealth Office of Technology 00:01:00
Department of Education 00:21:00
Transportation Cabinet 00:35:30
Secretary of State 00:45:15
Cabinet for Health and Family Services 00:56:11
Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related legislation 01:09:11, 958, all
Summary:
The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then focused first on the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s legacy systems and two specific projects. COT officials said many agencies have made progress moving off legacy applications, with remaining mainframe systems slated to be retired through RFPs or other work orders. They also described a legacy funding pool of $10 million per biennium used to help agencies transition. The two projects discussed were the Kentucky aerial photography and elevation data program, which provides statewide aerial imagery and lidar data for GIS, E911, environmental, transportation, and other uses, and a citizen identity and access management system intended to give residents a single login for state services. Officials said the GIS program costs about $1.2 million annually to host and maintain, with data acquisition costing several million more per year, and that the citizen identity system would cost about $2.5 million per year after an initial three-year COT investment. Members asked about duplication of funding, licensing, local government use, and whether multi-factor authentication would be required; COT said the GIS data is being acquired as statewide unlicensed data and that MFA would be available but not yet mandated statewide.
Committee members pressed COT on costs, overlap with cabinet-level IT spending, and the practical benefits of the GIS and identity projects. COT explained that GIS hosting is generally covered through enterprise assessments billed quarterly to agencies, while the new aerial data is intended to benefit the whole state and local partners. On the identity project, officials said it would centralize authentication for citizens who use state systems, improve compliance with zero-trust and NIST-related security expectations, and reduce help desk and maintenance burdens through self-service account tools. Members also discussed whether the system would extend to local governments; COT said it would be a Kentucky.gov-style state login for users inside the state identity infrastructure, not a local-government system.
The Department of Education then testified that it does not operate mainframes or major legacy systems, having moved long ago to cloud-based, off-the-shelf products and vendor-supported services. KDE officials described a strong emphasis on staff cybersecurity awareness, standardized statewide systems, vendor risk-sharing, and reducing sensitive data exposure, including efforts to move away from student Social Security numbers. They also highlighted a transition from Microsoft Active Directory to Identity Automation, which they said will improve identity management and make multi-factor authentication universal across K-12. In response to questions about Kentucky Wired and internet service, KDE said all 171 school districts and KDE agencies have been moved to a new next-generation internet service through ENA by Zayo, with strong satisfaction, e-rate savings, and better reliability. Officials warned that any internet disruption would immediately affect attendance, grades, student records, payroll, security systems, and communications across the K-12 system.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you, Chair your testimony.
- I'll uh, Lee and Kristen's testimony.
- Identify yourself and go testimony.
- Uh, up Thank you for your testimony.
- <00:38:10.400>
Thank <00:38:10.480>you, testimony. Yes. Thank you, testimony.
Keywords:
short-call substitute, substitute teacher, substitute teaching license, pilot program, teacher shortage, education workforce, school district, charter school, Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, PELSB, background check, paraprofessional, education support personnel, temporary license, substitute training, retaliation, teacher pay, daily substitute pay, Minnesota education law, education innovation
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Are we ready then to begin testimony? Nothing further?
- as we detail in our written testimony as we detail in our written testimony this<00:26:35.279>
- If you'd identify yourself for the record, we're pleased to have your testimony.
- as some of the previous testimony.
- I really do appreciate all the testimony.
FL
Florida 2026 4th Special Session
January 29, 2026 - 12:30 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- Seeing no questions, do we have any public testimony? No public testimony.
- Do we have any public testimony? No public testimony. Members, any debate? Thank you.
- Question and then we want to leave time for public testimony and debate. You're recognized.
- We're going to move into public testimony. Our first speaker is Areli Colon...
- Is there any public testimony? No public testimony.
TX
Texas 89th Regular
S/C on County & Regional Government Apr 28th, 2025
S/C on County & Regional Government
Transcript Highlights:
- I appreciate your testimony. The Chair calls Elizabeth Miller.
- Thank you for your testimony.
- Thank you for your testimony. The chair calls Richard Fallon. Thank you.
- Thank you for your testimony. The chair calls Phil Claiborne.
- All right, thank you for your testimony. And Kevin Gein, come on up.
Bills:
HB2814, HB4477, HB5084, HB5108, HB5127, HB5383, HB5611, HB5663, HB5664, SB1563, HB2668, HB3841, HB4114
Keywords:
juvenile justice, release documents, children, identification, Texas Juvenile Justice Department, civil service, staffing requirements, local government, positions exemption, Texas legislation, fireworks, Lunar New Year, retail permits, public safety, Texas law, holiday sales, HB 5108, deaths in custody, custodial death, jail death
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you so much for your testimony.
- Thank you for your testimony.
- Thank you for your testimony. Next up, we have Ashley Hightower.
- Thank you for your testimony.
- Thank you for your testimony. Thank everyone for their testimony today.
Keywords:
HF1966, Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs, STARS program, alternative education, alternative programs, education finance, general fund appropriation, student support services, career readiness, employment skills, academic skills, social skills, student conferences, training grants, Minnesota Department of Education, specialized education, at-risk students, nontraditional education, HF54, Silver Lake
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you so much for your testimony today to arrest.
- Thank you, Danny, for your insightful testimony.
- Thank you so much for your testimony.
- If not, I thank you so much, and please submit that testimony.
- Thank you for your passionate testimony, Tony. Right away. Thank you for your passionate testimony.
Summary:
The committee held an informational hearing on responding to federal immigration enforcement in Massachusetts, with opening remarks from Sen. Liz Miranda and Rep. Bud Williams emphasizing fear in immigrant communities, recent ICE operations, and the need to learn from advocates and affected residents rather than debate individual bills. The hearing was organized around three topics: detention, arrests, and surveillance, with members repeatedly asking what the legislature can do to improve transparency, legal access, and oversight.
On detention, Leah Hastings of Prisoners’ Legal Services said most people end up in ICE custody through contact with the criminal legal system and argued that state carceral systems are deeply intertwined with immigration enforcement. She described conditions at Plymouth County House of Correction and Burlington ICE holding as concerning, citing limited medical care, disability accommodations, solitary confinement, retaliatory transfers, and poor attorney access. Hastings said Massachusetts should reduce funding for sheriffs and the Department of Corrections, ban intergovernmental service agreements and 287(g) agreements, and invest instead in housing, treatment, and other community supports. Members also discussed ICE reimbursement, the immigrant legal defense fund, and the need for more immigration attorneys.
On arrests and enforcement tactics, David Albright of JALSA said federal immigration enforcement has been expanded by major new funding and incentives, including higher payments for 287(g) and bed contracts, and he noted that most ICE detainees nationally do not have criminal records. He said Massachusetts has one 287(g) agreement with the Department of Corrections and one IGSA with Plymouth County, and that ICE also uses Burlington, Hanscom, and informal local collaboration in places such as Milford and Auburn. Danny Tampona of Neighbor to Neighbor and the LUCE Rapid Response Network described more than 10,000 hotline calls from 46 cities and towns, with arrests often involving masked agents, surveillance of workers and families, traffic stops, broken windows, and arrests at check-ins or schools; he said the network is concentrated in places including Everett, Chelsea, Lynn, New Bedford, Milford, Marlboro, Framingham, and Springfield. He urged legislation requiring clear identification for law enforcement, limits on surveillance technologies, and stronger legal defense resources.
On surveillance, Joshua Dancoff of Citizens for Juvenile Justice argued that current state policies allow broad sharing of fingerprints and surveillance data with ICE, including through BRIC, the Massachusetts Fusion Center, and municipal police policies. He cited cases in Chelsea and Everett where children were taken from police custody into ICE custody and said many departments automatically share arrest fingerprints and other information with federal authorities. He recommended limiting fingerprint sharing, restricting surveillance databases and task-force participation, and curbing police and sheriff collaboration with ICE even where no formal 287(g) exists. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for more immigration lawyers, possible bar advocate-style funding for immigration defense, and legislative action to prevent further collaboration and deportation infrastructure.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Combatting Antisemitism Jun 21st, 2026 at 12:30 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- Hi, thank you for this really meaningful testimony.
- And your testimonies will be reflected in our recommendations. Thank you.
- And my testimony today is rooted in that experience.
- My testimony today is rooted in that experience.
- We've had some incredible testimony throughout our 13 meetings.
Summary:
The meeting was a special commission hearing on antisemitism held off-site at Kerem Shalom Synagogue in Concord, with commissioners approving prior minutes and noting a quorum, a rescheduled October 27 meeting, and the addition of a new commissioner. The co-chairs and host speakers emphasized the personal and communal significance of holding the hearing in a synagogue and the importance of confronting antisemitism while protecting free speech, academic freedom, and civil discourse. The commission heard from former SJC Justice and current UMass General Counsel David Lowy, who discussed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, said its use as nonbinding guidance does not raise First Amendment concerns, and described UMass’s response to a discriminatory academic conference policy. Commissioners also asked about campus speaker vetting, protest rights, and university practices for addressing antisemitism and protecting students’ access to education.
District Attorney Marian Ryan testified about restorative justice as a tool for addressing hate incidents, saying it can help victims be heard, reduce reoffending, and be used in criminal, school, and community settings. She described local programs, online reporting forms, and the need for better statutory tools, including changes to restitution and education requirements in hate-crime cases. Commissioners asked whether restorative justice affects charging decisions, and Ryan said it should not alter whether a hate crime is investigated or charged. She also identified model programs and said the commission’s work aligns with the national strategy it is charged with implementing.
Three rabbis then described the rise in antisemitic incidents in schools and communities, the emotional toll on Jewish families, and the need for stronger school responses, clearer language in incident communications, and better training for educators. Rabbi Brad David recounted repeated incidents in Acton-Boxborough and praised the district’s improved partnership and response, while Rabbi Tom Shah described parental anxiety, concerns about classroom materials lacking context, and the need for balanced instruction. The rabbis also discussed synagogue security costs and measures, including volunteer security teams, police support, grants, and physical protections. Commissioners said the testimony would inform forthcoming recommendations, and DESE staff noted they are developing instructional-materials guidance and a rubric for educators. The final witness, Professor Christina Miller, outlined hate-crime prosecution issues in Massachusetts, including mixed-motive cases, the need for clearer statutes and jury instructions, better training for police and clerk magistrates, guidance on sentencing and diversity-awareness programs, and the use of community impact statements.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
State Committee Meeting - 2026-04-09
State Government Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- When you're ready, if you'll state your name for the record and begin your testimony, please.
- Uh Chair Klevorn, testimony, please.
- So, thank you very much for your testimony. Thank you very much for your testimony.
- Thank you very much for your testimony. And now we will have Laura Ziegler.
- Thank you very much for your testimony. Next, we'll move to member discussion.
Keywords:
Central and Eastern European Affairs, ethnic council, advisory council, Minnesota state government, immigrant communities, refugees, humanitarian parolees, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Czech Republic, Baltic states, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo, Russia
Summary:
The committee first approved the April 7, 2026 minutes and then held an informal hearing on House File 4364, which would establish a Central and Eastern European Ethnic Council in Minnesota. Representative Jordan and testifiers Mykola Mager and Julia Miller described the large Central and Eastern European community in Minnesota, its contributions to the state, and the need for a formal advisory body to help address barriers to government services, support refugees, workforce development, entrepreneurship, and cultural understanding. Members expressed general support and noted the bill’s importance, but no formal action was taken on the bill during the hearing.
The committee then took up House File 4543, a bill to create a centralized payroll reporting portal for prevailing wage projects. Representative Frazier said the bill would reduce administrative burden on project owners, improve transparency and accountability, and help prevent wage theft, misclassification, tax fraud, and insurance fraud. Testifiers from county, city, and contractor groups largely supported the idea of streamlining reporting, but contractor representatives raised concerns about employee data privacy, public access to sensitive payroll information, duplication of existing systems, interoperability with contractor software, and the need for stakeholder engagement. Members echoed both support and caution, and the bill was laid over as amended rather than advanced.
Finally, the committee considered House File 4821, described by Chair Klevorn as addressing the “penny problem” and a related change to high-deductible insurance plans. The bill would authorize state agencies to round cash transactions because of the penny shortage and would change MMB’s obligation to offer certain high-deductible health plans from “must” to “may,” producing modest administrative savings. Members questioned the drafting of the rounding language and asked about cash transactions at state agencies and the handling of cannabis tax payments. The chair noted the bill had missed the deadline and would be caught by the chief clerk’s office; the discussion ended with the bill being laid over as amended.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Social media platform requirements related to minors 3/17/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Thank you for your testimony. >> All right. Thank you for your testimony.
- >> All right, thank you for your testimony.
- >> All right, thank you for your testimony.
- . >> Thank you for your testimony.
- Um, but the testimony and the work.
Summary:
The committee took up House File 4138, a bill aimed at limiting harmful social media practices for minors by requiring verifiable parental consent for accounts and restricting addictive features and targeted advertising for youth users. Chair Scott offered an A2 amendment, with an oral clarification striking specific language and two commas; the committee adopted the amended A2, and the bill was then discussed as amended. The bill author described social media as addictive by design and said the measure would use age-estimation technology to identify users 15 and under, require parental consent, and provide a different, less addictive experience for youth.
Supportive testimony came from the Minnesota Catholic Conference, parents Jerry and Giana Cox, and a Minnesota high school student, all arguing that social media harms youth mental health, encourages excessive use, and exposes children to manipulation, cyberbullying, and addictive design features like infinite scroll and autoplay. They said the bill would help parents, protect children, and reduce exploitation of minors’ data. Several committee members also spoke in favor, saying the bill addresses corporate negligence, youth mental health, and the need to act even if the proposal needs more work.
Opposition testimony came from industry groups including the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the Information Technology Industry Council, and NetChoice. They argued the bill is vague and narrow in scope, could create uneven coverage, and may push platforms toward intrusive age-verification or digital-ID-like systems that raise privacy and data-breach concerns. They also said restrictions on personalized or algorithmic features could weaken safety tools and make it harder to protect young users. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the excerpt, but the amended A2 was adopted and the bill remained under discussion.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Health Committee Jul 15th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- All testimony comments are limited to the bill at hand.
- Are there any others in the hearing room who would like to offer testimony in opposition?
- So I appreciate the testimony, the providers who have to deal with this every day.
- I think, you know, I personally wish the testimony would have focused.
- So I want to be very clear about that, especially with the testimony that we heard.
Summary:
The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on health care access, oversight, and affordability. The first major item was SB 306 by Senator Becker, a prior authorization reform bill. Becker and supporters, including the California Medical Association and California Hospital Association, argued that prior authorization delays care, adds administrative burden, and can lead to serious patient harm. The bill was substantially amended late in the process to have DMHC and CDI identify services and drugs to exempt from prior authorization based on utilization data, with safeguards for fraud, waste, abuse, and patient safety. Health plans and insurers opposed the measure as written, saying prior authorization remains an important utilization-management tool and raising concerns about the 90% threshold, drug inclusion, and how modifications are counted. The committee also heard SB 35 by Senator Umberg, which would let cities or counties inspect unlicensed sober living homes if DHCS does not act promptly on complaints. Supporters said the bill would address weak enforcement and protect residents, while one behavioral health directors group opposed it unless amended. Members generally supported the measure, citing problems with unlicensed facilities and the need for local enforcement backup.
The committee then heard SB 62, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark if approved by the federal government. Senator Wiener said the package would add hearing aids, durable medical equipment, and infertility treatment including IVF, acknowledging that premiums could rise but arguing the benefits were worth it. Health Access California and other advocates supported the bill, while the California Family Council opposed it. The committee also took up SB 596 by Senator Menjivar, which would tighten the rules for hospitals claiming an on-call list as a defense to nurse staffing ratio penalties. Supporters, including nurses and SEIU, said hospitals have used vague or ineffective on-call practices to avoid accountability and that the bill would improve enforcement and patient safety. Hospital groups opposed it, arguing that staffing is highly dynamic, that hospitals need flexibility to manage acuity and emergencies, and that the bill could increase costs and interfere with collective bargaining arrangements.
Finally, the committee heard SB 40 by Senator Wiener, the Insulin Affordability Act, which would cap insulin copays at $35 for a 30-day supply and restrict step therapy unless a plan covers at least one insulin in each drug type. Supporters, including physicians, diabetes advocates, nurses, students, and patient groups, said insulin is life-saving and too often unaffordable, forcing patients to ration or choose between medication and basic needs. There was no formal opposition testimony, though one member questioned why insulin remains so expensive. The committee also began discussion of SB 363, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full presentation or any action on the measures. No votes are recorded in the portion provided, and several bills were noted as consent items earlier in the hearing.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House military and veterans division approves bill to remove e-pull tab restrictions 2/19/25
Transcript Highlights:
- Please begin your testimony. Uh, thank you. Thank you to the committee. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
- Tim Engstrom, please state your name and begin your testimony. Thank you, Chairman.
- Please come to the table and state your name for the record and begin your testimony.
- Please state your name with the proper pronunciation and begin your testimony.
- Rinsky: Thank you for your testimony. I appreciate it.
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on House File 733, which would restore electronic pull-tab features such as open-all, free play, bonus games, and similar functions that were restricted in 2023. The bill’s supporters, including representatives of Allied Charities of Minnesota, the American Legion, and a Bloomington school activities foundation, argued that the 2023 changes reduced revenue for charitable gambling operations and, in turn, cut funding for veterans programs, youth sports, food shelves, school needs, and other local community services. Several supporters cited early revenue declines since the new rules took effect, including double-digit drops and one example of a Bloomington site reporting a 29% year-over-year decline overall and a 44% drop in e-tab revenue. They also argued that restoring the features would help charities without meaningfully increasing casino play.
Opponents, including Citizens Against Gambling Expansion and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, said the bill would expand slot-machine-like gambling in neighborhood bars and restaurants and increase problem gambling and related social harms. They argued the features in question mimic slot machines, are especially concerning in non-age-restricted locations, and would amount to a major expansion of gambling. The tribal representative also said the 2023 clarification was appropriate, that charitable gambling revenues do not translate efficiently into mission funding, and that tax relief or other policy changes would be better ways to help charities than restoring the disputed features.
The chair reminded testifiers to keep comments neutral and not partisan. After testimony, a member discussion began, with Representative Ray Rower thanking the testifiers and expressing support for their work. The transcript excerpt does not show a final vote or disposition beyond the bill being recommended to be re-referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Senate Health and Human Services (01/14/2026)
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Have have you for your testimony.
- <00:48:44.880>
because raised in the previous testimony because raised in the previous testimony - So, in layman's terms, this testimony.
- If you're coming up here and reading testimony, you don't need to read testimony.
- Uh, you can summarize your testimony.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources, February 12, 2026
Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- testimony. We'll continue on here. testimony. We'll continue on here.
- And testimony to that during committee.
- <00:59:52.480>
was pathway and we also as as testimony was pathway and we also as as testimony - One person says in the testimony today.
- <01:04:06.960>
Any testimony for Miss Peters? Any testimony for Miss Peters?
Keywords:
right to repair, digital electronics, consumer protection, embedded software, manufacturers, repair providers, tools and documentation, anti-theft measures, blockchain, financial technology, digital innovation, economic development, select committee, trespass, hunting, land use, public access, wildlife, 916, all
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- All right, in that case, we'll go back to Miss Bears for your testimony. Mr.
- Please introduce yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.
- Thank you, Mara Deir, for sharing your testimony.
- Thank you. testimony my name is Barbara Bennett I testimony my name is Barbara Bennett I am<00:35:59.640
- Please introduce yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.