Transcript Highlights:

• the gasification plant takes the chunk coal, we deliver it over there, and then we run it over some screens
• And then we run it over some screens, and the finer coal falls through, and that gets transferred over
• This is the Leland Olds Station, and you can kind of see on the right-hand side of the screen, way at
• The other thing that you see on the screen here, this is the bottom ash conveyor.
• And then once we go out to the back, we go to our next screen, to the scrubber.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, at the nucleus, what you're seeing on the next screen is illegal cell phones.
• We currently are working across teams to tighten screening and proven verification and find solutions
• Advanced screening technologies using millimeter-wave technology similar to what you see in the airport
• Advanced screening technologies using millimeter wave technology similar to what you see in the airport
• That's something that takes a little bit more time in the screening of our cases.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Like he's trying to memorize the Gettysburg Address, just so he can switch back to the first screen to
• Meanwhile, the button to autofill the code is sitting right there on the same screen, quietly judging
• So insurance allows for preventative care, access to screenings, access to treatment after a diagnosis
• It also dealt with background screenings, which are currently not required in surrogacy arrangements
• When you adopt a child, they do a background screen.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee considered a large agenda of bills and reported several measures favorably. Early action included SB 6, a settled claim bill involving the Department of Children and Families and a trust for Leila Estrada and Sapphire Williams, and CS/CS/SB 1266, which creates a cybersecurity experiential learning and clearance-readiness program through the Department of Commerce and Cyber Florida. The committee also approved SB 532 on clerks of court funding, allowing clerks to retain all excess Article V revenue rather than returning half to the state and clarifying foreclosure sale procedures. In addition, the committee passed CS/CS/SB 1602 and CS/CS/SB 1604 to create and fund a pilot housing program for veterans through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, and CS/SB 1110 to expand Medicaid and private insurance coverage for medically necessary orthotics and prosthetics, including testimony from affected families and advocates. The committee also adopted an amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/SB 1012 on inmate services, removing the bill’s medical-services compensation provisions while retaining changes to the inmate welfare trust fund and related facility uses. It also adopted a delete-all amendment and then favorably reported CS/CS/CS/SB 1614, which was narrowed to remove a provision allowing local governments to use excess fees to construct new buildings. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 17, a Medicaid oversight and transparency bill. The sponsor said the measure would create a joint legislative Medicaid oversight committee, authorize the Legislature to retain its own actuary, modernize Medicaid statutes, strengthen managed-care performance standards, and increase accountability for pharmacy benefit managers and related entities. After amendment, the committee adopted changes removing several PBM-related provisions while retaining the broader oversight framework. Testimony from supporters emphasized transparency, fraud prevention, and cost control, while a PBM trade association asked to continue working on affiliate-manufacturer, network, and payment issues. The bill was reported favorably. The most extensive discussion centered on CS/SB 1758, which proposes major changes to Medicaid and SNAP. The sponsor described five reforms: stronger fraud and overpayment recovery authority, a Medicaid work requirement for certain able-bodied adults, expanded behavioral-health services through Medicaid waivers, pharmacy-program changes to obtain rebates and reduce institutional costs, and SNAP/EBT reforms including photo IDs and work requirements. The committee adopted two amendments: one adding a transitional “glide path” for people who gain employment but risk losing Medicaid, and another exempting hospice patients with six months or less to live. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fraud, improve accountability, and encourage work, while opponents warned it would increase administrative burdens, push eligible people off coverage, and conflict with federal law or guidance. The bill remained under debate with extensive public testimony from advocates, providers, and affected families, and the transcript ends before final disposition on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• In this bill, there is a three-panel member of retired judges who create a screening panel.
• And then of the 30, there are five members... create a screening panel uh there is a a create a screening

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• given a contraption that's<01:05:42.799> basically<01:05:43.200> a<01:05:43.599> screen
• patient with neck injuries lying in a hospital bed unable to turn their head even to see the VRI screen
• If there were a two-dimensional screen.
• , unable to sit up and look at the screen, unable to sit up and look at the screen, she<01:06:40.799
• their head even to see the VRI screen their head even to see the VRI screen was<01:07:08.160>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, there's a program called Min Choices, which is what you have to be screened by to get into one of
• Choices, which is what you have<00:54:46.640> to<00:54:46.720> be<00:54:46.880> screened
• c> to<00:54:48.000> get<00:54:48.160> into<00:54:48.400> one have to be screened
• by to get into one have to be screened by to get into one of<00:54:48.640> these<00:54:48.880
• <01:05:39.039> program's state's newborn screening program's state's newborn screening program's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , including periodic prenatal and postpartum depression screening of pregnant and postpartum patients
• providing maternal depression screening providing maternal depression screening for<03:48:42.800
• ,<03:49:17.439> including maternal depression screening, including maternal depression screening
• of pregnant and depression screening of pregnant and postpartum<03:49:22.640> patients.
• for the caregiver depression screening for the caregiver of<03:49:29.520> a<03:49:29.760>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section five is for the maltreatment screening guidelines, and they must not be limited; they must not
• limit an agency's ability to screen and investigate a report of maltreatment that may have occurred
• limit an agency's ability to screen and investigate a report of maltreatment that may have occurred
• > guidelines<00:13:13.600> and the malreatment screening guidelines and the malreatment
• screening guidelines and um<00:13:14.720> that<00:13:15.279> they<00:13:15.920> uh<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Judges will tell you that especially if they have some kind of screening in their courthouse, they may
• Judges will tell you that especially if they have some kind of screening in their courthouse, they may
• that you see Uh the dollar amounts here that you see on<00:08:03.759> the<00:08:03.919> screen
• are ones that are modeled on the screen are ones that are modeled after,<00:08:06.479> I<00:08
• <00:08:16.800> um if they have some kind of screening um if they have some kind of screening

Bills: HF3874, HF3875, HF3378

Keywords: judicial funding, Chief Justice security, fiscal year 2028, court system, judicial branch, judiciary, court notices, restitution, child protection, publication process, human services, Optum reports, data privacy, transparency, legislative oversight, 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the March 3 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Minnesota Judicial Branch on House File 3874, which was laid over for possible inclusion in a finance bill. State Court Administrator Jeff Shorba and Chief Judge Michael Fritz testified in support of a supplemental funding request focused on judicial branch safety and security, along with funding to cover the employer share of Minnesota Paid Leave costs. Shorba said the branch is seeking help because it did not receive funding for paid leave in the last session and is having to hold positions open to absorb the cost. The safety and security request included five parts: personal data protection for judges and court administrators, home security, two additional staff positions for threat assessment and coordination, security for the chief justice at public events, and a revived courthouse security grant program for counties. Testimony emphasized rising threats and incidents involving judges and court staff, including examples of doxing, home surveillance, and threats involving litigants, and cited increases in reported incidents, threats, and disturbances. Fritz said the branch’s current response system is stretched and that more law-enforcement-trained staff would improve coordination and response. Members questioned why the judicial branch should receive state funding for paid leave when private employers must absorb the cost, and Shorba responded that the branch was excluded from end-of-session funding decisions and that the mandate should be funded for all branches of government. Members also asked about the threat-response process and whether local law enforcement should be used more directly. Another concern raised was whether State Patrol troopers assigned to judicial security would have the training needed for criminal-code enforcement, and Shorba said the branch is discussing that issue with the State Patrol. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The example that you see up on the screen is actually from the state of Michigan.
• <00:25:35.279> is that you see up on the screen is that you see up on the screen is actually
• You see 15 on the screen and you're going to say why?
• You see 15 on the screen and you're going to say why?
• You see 15 on the screen endorsement.

Bills: HF624

Keywords: HF624, Minnesota fishing law, game and fish, walleye stamp, walleye stamp validation, angling, angler, fishing lines, two lines, four lines, open water fishing, ice fishing, Department of Natural Resources, DNR, fishing regulations, fish harvest, conservation, Minnesota Statutes 97C.315, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• with uh the legitimate players, um, you know, when they have warning signs as you move through the screens
• with uh the legitimate players, um, you know, when they have warning signs as you move through the screens
• They have warning signs as you move through the screens.
• I think, you signs, right, on screen.
• The warnings on the screen are absolutely a good idea. It's a component.

Bills: HB0075, HB0128

Keywords: virtual currency, kiosk, financial institutions, regulation, Wyoming Money Transmitters Act, penalties, severance tax, oil production, tax exemption, energy sector, economic impact, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On a separate screen, the employee directed me to enter in $200 for my refund.
• /c><00:15:55.199> On<00:15:55.440> a<00:15:55.600> separate<00:15:55.920> screen
• On a separate screen, direct deposit.
• On a separate screen, the<00:15:56.399> employee<00:15:56.720> directed<00:15:57.120>
• They manipulate kids, distorting their reality and keeping them glued to the screen.

Bills: HF1392, HF2233, HF695, HF2228, HF1289

Keywords: consumer protection, restitution, attorney general, consumer enforcement, unclaimed funds, victim compensation, settlement funds, special revenue fund, general fund, restitution account, consumer fraud, state treasury, eligible consumers, distribution of funds, tax subtraction, income tax, refund, unpaid compensation, Minnesota Department of Revenue, consumer redress

Transcript Highlights:

• Are you able to see my screen? Yes, okay.
• screen screen yes<00:31:12.799> okay<00:31:13.799> so<00:31:14.200> just<00:31:
• You can see by the map on this screen it's a huge zoo.
• You can see by the map on this screen it's a huge zoo.
• You can see by the map on this screen it's a huge zoo.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was part of why we had the recommendation to add that screen, or, you know, why Secretary of
• But with ERIC, there's more of an automated way of screening those lists and helping to flag, hey, these
• But with ERIC, there's more of an automated way of screening those lists and helping to flag, hey, these
• But with ERIC, there's more of an automated way of screening those lists and helping to flag, hey, these
• way of screening those lists and<01:13:46.400> helping<01:13:46.639> to<01:13:46.800><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• :24:22.880> hearing<00:24:23.200> and<00:24:23.440> vision<00:24:23.760> screening
• <00:24:24.200> to hearing hearing and vision screening to hearing hearing and vision screening
• Of screening, or if not, what initiates them going through the process you just described?
• The speaker said they do have it on their screen, but that is not any help right now.
• here that's not any help to on my screen here that's not any help to you<01:10:02.000> right<

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The work session focused on special education, especially the differentiated aid component and special education aid, which members noted is still often called “catastrophic aid.” The chair said the committee was trying to better understand how special education costs are growing, how districts are delivering services through SAUs or internally, and how reimbursement formulas affect local costs. Members also discussed the need for better data before making decisions on several education funding bills, and Representative Brown was tasked with capturing questions for follow-up information from the department or elsewhere. Testimony from the state special education director, Becky Fad, centered on why student counts in various disability categories have shifted over time. She said the categories themselves have not changed much, but autism has increased because of greater understanding and identification, developmental delay has grown because it applies to children under age 10 who may not yet have a clear diagnosis, and some students previously classified under speech/language or other health impairment are now identified in more specific categories such as autism. She emphasized that the IEP is based on a child’s individual needs, so a change in category would not necessarily change services, though it may help educators support the student differently. Members asked about whether the shifts reflect better diagnostic capability, whether the department should gather more data on the reasons for the changes, and whether autism-spectrum data could be broken down further. Fad said the department does not currently have data on the causes of the shifts or on where students fall within the autism spectrum, but that collecting and analyzing such data is on its list of priorities and a new data manager had recently been hired. She also explained that each child is counted only once on the chart by primary disability, that the IEP or eligibility team determines the primary category based on evaluations, and that any child can be referred for special education by a parent, teacher, or doctor, after which the district must meet within 15 days to decide whether to evaluate. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• They'll also be on the screen at time.
• The print on the screen will get a little small for you, so you may want to look at your written copies
• 29.160> the<00:15:29.240> print<00:15:29.480> on<00:15:29.639> the the screen
• at time the print on the the screen at time the print on the screen<00:15:30.079> will<00:15:
• will get a little small for you screen will get a little small for you so<00:15:31.839> you<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Education Finance Committee met on January 21, 2025, for its first hearing of the session and began with organizational business. Members and staff introduced themselves, described their districts and backgrounds, and the chair reviewed committee procedures, including how to request bill hearings, amendment deadlines, and handout deadlines. The committee also heard introductions from nonpartisan and partisan staff, including House Research and House Fiscal Analysis personnel who will support the committee’s work this session. The main substantive item was an overview presentation on the state budget and education finance process. Staff explained how Minnesota’s general fund is forecast twice a year, how the committee should read the budget documents and aid/levy tracking sheets, and how the current biennium compares with the upcoming budget window. They described the November forecast, noted that the committee will later receive the February forecast, and outlined the committee’s role in reviewing K-12 state aid spending, school district revenue, and property tax impacts. Staff walked through the aid appropriation summary spreadsheet and explained its columns, including end-of-session spending, fiscal year 2024-25 actuals and estimates, and the 2026-27 and 2028-29 planning horizons. They emphasized that many education programs are forecast-driven and can change with enrollment and other data. The presentation also summarized the state’s overall revenue mix and spending priorities, noting that K-12 education is the largest general fund category and that state aid makes up the majority of school revenue. No bills were heard and no votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• act out many times, it is not out of malice or ill intent, and it's because they have unmet needs, trauma

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held its sixth public hearing and took testimony on a large slate of bills, with the chair moving H. 542/S. 341 on family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care to the top of the agenda so young constituents would not have to wait. Witnesses from labor, community organizations, and FFN providers strongly supported the bill, saying FFN care fills critical gaps for families working nonstandard hours, especially in low-income, immigrant, and BIPOC communities. Testimony emphasized that FFN providers are currently underpaid, often receive only about $24 per child per day, and should be guaranteed at least the state minimum wage. Witnesses also backed changes to the voucher system to allow families to combine formal and FFN care more flexibly, and they supported creating an FFN advisory council. Committee members asked about the difference between FFN and center-based care, registration requirements, fingerprinting/background checks, EEC’s ongoing study group, and the fiscal impact; witnesses said the current annual cost is about $1.8 million and could rise to about $6 million if all current FFN providers were paid minimum wage, still under 1% of the EEC budget. The committee then closed testimony on that bill. The committee next heard testimony on several preschool and universal pre-K bills, including H. 707 on public preschool facilities, H. 687/S. 339 on universal pre-K and mixed delivery, and related bills such as H. 606, H. 523, H. 618, H. 522, H. 510, and H. 615, many of which were later closed without additional witnesses. A Lowell school official testified that space and facilities funding are major barriers to expanding preschool and that the city has hundreds of children on voucher waitlists. Other witnesses and organizations, including the Early Care and Education Consortium and AFT Massachusetts, supported mixed-delivery universal pre-K and warned that public-school expansion should not undermine community-based providers, whose preschool tuition helps subsidize infant and toddler care. Several witnesses also urged stronger standards for preschool teachers, better staffing ratios, and more integrated special education and support services. The committee accepted written testimony on some bills and closed testimony on the others when no one else came forward. A major portion of the hearing focused on H. 541/S. 373, which would ban school exclusion in pre-K through third grade. Advocates from Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mass Appleseed, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, AFT Massachusetts, and the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee argued that suspensions and expulsions at young ages harm learning, worsen inequities, and contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. They cited data showing disproportionate impacts on Black and Latinx students, students with disabilities, and low-income children, and described personal stories of children whose behavior improved when schools kept them in class and addressed underlying needs. Committee members asked for updated data on the number of students and districts affected, and witnesses said they would provide more detailed written information. After testimony on this and a few other bills, including S. 372, S. 357, and H. 275/S. 133, the committee closed testimony and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• many responders are also veterans, and this bill would help to decrease their cumulative vicarious trauma

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security heard testimony on several bills, beginning with a major workplace violence proposal for health care settings. Senator Lovely, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Hospital Association, and SEIU 1199 all supported legislation requiring hospitals and other health care employers to conduct facility-specific risk assessments, develop violence prevention plans, train workers, and provide reporting and protections for assaulted employees. Witnesses described workplace assaults as frequent and escalating, and committee members discussed balancing worker safety with concerns about criminalizing mental illness; testimony emphasized that the bill targets intentional assaults while preserving treatment and discretion for behavioral health crises. The committee also heard strong support for bills to strengthen traffic safety, including primary seat belt enforcement, rear-facing car seat requirements, and seat belts on school buses. AAA Northeast, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, law enforcement, legislators, and the Massachusetts Insurance Federation all backed the measures, citing crash data, injury prevention, and personal stories of traumatic brain injury. Senator O’Connor testified for school bus seat belts, saying Massachusetts should join other states requiring them, and later Sophia Furzada of the National Transportation Safety Board urged passage of school bus seat belt and child passenger safety bills, saying lap-shoulder belts would reduce injuries and save lives in crashes where compartmentalization is not enough. Other testimony included support for a bill to make 9-1-1 disability indicator forms more accessible and inclusive, with the witness arguing the form should better reflect mental health, developmental disabilities, language access needs, and a fifth-grade reading level. The committee also heard opposition to a proposal to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, with a parks and recreation director warning of unintended consequences for municipal camps and underserved communities. Finally, the committee took testimony on a bill to expand the Forensic Science Oversight Board to include workforce representation, which MOSES said would restore technical expertise to the board. At the end of the hearing, the committee adjourned without taking votes on the bills discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, unresolved childhood trauma and something that hadn't been addressed turned into addiction

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a hybrid hearing on several property and local tax bills. The main focus was H.56, the Municipal Empowerment Act, which the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, and Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo supported as a package of local options and administrative reforms. Supporters said municipalities need more tools to relieve pressure on property taxes and fund services, citing proposed increases to local meals and lodging taxes, a new local vehicle excise surcharge, senior property tax relief, one-year override flexibility for emergencies, and central valuation of telecom and utility property by DOR. The administration said the bill was based on municipal listening sessions and was intended to give cities and towns optional, not mandatory, revenue tools. Opponents, including the National Federation of Independent Businesses, argued the tax increases would hurt restaurants, hotels, tourism, and small businesses and add to affordability concerns. The committee also heard testimony on H.3211, dealing with deeds excise receipts, from Norfolk County Commissioner Richard Staidi. He said Norfolk County is financially stable but needs additional revenue for major capital needs at its agricultural school, especially a new cafeteria and other aging facilities, and also to support county programs such as veteran transportation services. On S.2020, a bill to allow settlements of tax liability, Greater Boston Legal Services, the Asian American Civic Association, and several individual taxpayers urged creation of a more workable offer-in-compromise process at DOR. They said the current system is too subjective, requires an unaffordable $5,000 threshold, lacks clear standards and appeal rights, and leaves low-income taxpayers stuck with unmanageable debt, license suspensions, or business closures. Supporters said the bill would give both taxpayers and DOR a practical way to resolve liabilities and bring people back into compliance. The committee also took testimony on S.1966, which would require nonprofits selling property to disclose any back-tax obligations to buyers. Senator Peter Durant said the bill was prompted by a personal experience in which a tax bill arrived after a nonprofit property purchase was already completed, and he argued the disclosure would prevent buyers from being surprised by retroactive tax liability. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair closed the session after hearing from all scheduled witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• It will take a long time to recover from the trauma of this year, but economic recovery can really start

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House and Senate DFL lawmakers held a Capitol news conference to press for a $100 million small business relief package in response to the economic fallout from Operation Metro Surge and related ICE enforcement activity. Representatives Cedrick Frazier and Jay Xiong, along with Senator Susan Pappas and other supporters, said the enforcement surge caused widespread fear, reduced customer traffic, lost wages, and closures for immigrant-owned and other small businesses in Minneapolis-St. Paul and greater Minnesota. They argued the state has a history of providing disaster-style aid when communities are harmed through no fault of their own and said this situation warrants similar action. Business and community testimony described specific losses: a Willmar restaurant closed after both parents were detained, a North Mankato grocery store opening was delayed, The Coven reported a 33% revenue drop at two locations, and Lake Street businesses were said to have lost substantial revenue and staff. Speakers said the damage affected workers, landlords, suppliers, and neighborhood corridors statewide, and several emphasized that the relief should come as grants or forgivable loans rather than additional debt. They also criticized House Republican leaders for tying the relief to changes in paid family leave and for blocking a public hearing. In response to questions, Frazier said negotiations were ongoing through committee chairs and conference committee, with the issue still being discussed in broader leadership talks. He said the House would need only one Republican vote in committee and on the floor to advance the measure, and identified Chair Baker as a possible supporter because of harm in his district. Speakers said the Senate has already passed the relief and urged the House to act quickly before the end of session.