Video & Transcript Research : 'hate speech'

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CA
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Mar 12th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • prosecutor has another court appearance to make for cases involving murder, stalking, domestic violence, or hate
Summary: The Assembly convened, initially without a quorum, and the clerk called the roll until a quorum was present. The body then proceeded with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and several unanimous-consent motions, including re-referrals of AB 1878, AB 2089, and AB 1660 to different committees. Members also introduced guests, including the 2025 Central East High School football team, Morgan Hill leadership students, Southlands Christian fourth graders, and journalist Juan Esparza Loera, whom members praised for decades of reporting in the Central Valley. On the floor file, ACR 139 was presented to designate March as Sleep Apnea Awareness Month. Supporters described the health and safety risks of undiagnosed sleep apnea and emphasized the value of screening and treatment; the resolution was adopted by voice vote after 61 coauthors were recorded. AB 1656, a human-trafficking victim protection bill, was also taken up and passed 58-0 after testimony that it would expand “good cause” for trial continuances to better protect survivors and preserve continuity of counsel. The chamber also adopted the consent calendar, including AB 1583 and SCR 11, by 63-0 votes. The session concluded with adjournments in memory for Salinda Gonzalez, a Yurok community advocate for mental health and suicide prevention, and Sandy Steers, a Big Bear conservationist and executive director of Friends of Big Bear Valley. Members highlighted Gonzalez’s work supporting Native communities and Steers’ decades of wildlife advocacy and public education. The Assembly then announced its next meeting for Monday, March 16 at 1 p.m., including the Women of the Year ceremony, and adjourned.
AZ
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/10/2026 - House Democratic Caucus Calendar #10

Transcript Highlights:
  • It's a terrible, horrific, ugly, hate-filled bill that we shouldn't have even been seeing in education
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The caucus reviewed a long calendar of bills spanning health care, education, tax, public safety, firearms, elections, and family law. On health and education, HB 283 would expand diabetes-related coverage for certain supplies; SB 1126 would require schools to provide records and cooperate with Department of Child Safety caseworkers; SB 1210 would require out-of-state private postsecondary institutions to register in Arizona; and SCR 1006, which would create private causes of action over restroom and pronoun policies in schools, drew strong opposition and was requested to be pulled from consent. Members also discussed HB 2308, which would bar dental insurers from owning dental practices, and SB 1049, which would cap spousal maintenance at four years and change how the marital standard of living is considered; both prompted questions and SB 1049 was pulled from consent. Several tax measures were also reviewed. SB 1293 would limit GPLET abatements by protecting school district revenue, and members noted prior opposition. SB 1294 would clarify county assessors’ authority to prorate destroyed property for tax purposes, though members said they were still researching whether it was necessary. SB 1430, the Tax Corrections Act of 2026, would make technical tax changes and remove redundant language, but members said they wanted Department of Revenue-requested corrections restored. SB 1053 would reduce concealed weapons permit fees for Arizona residents and was pulled from consent after concerns about fee impacts and unresolved amendment language. On public safety and firearms, SB 1058 would prohibit government records distinguishing firearm retailers and firearm owners and was pulled from consent after criticism and reference to a prior veto. SB 1093 would expand riot-related offenses to include property damage and add riot to conspiracy and racketeering provisions. SB 1160 would restrict drones near ticketed entertainment events, with supporters framing it as a public safety measure and clarifying that event-authorized drone use could still be exempt. SB 1211 would allow lifetime injunctions for felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence. The caucus also considered election-related bills. SB 1006 would raise the threshold for aggregated campaign contribution reporting from under $100 to under $200, and it was pulled from consent. SB 1029 would create a process for terminating a campaign committee after a candidate’s death. SB 1038 would make cast vote records public records, SB 1057 would add fraud countermeasures for paper ballots, and SB 1237 would require consultation with county recorders and legislative leaders before the Secretary of State updates the Elections Procedures Manual. Several of these election bills were noted as having been vetoed previously, and the meeting ended by moving into closed caucus.
VA
VA

Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Labor and Commerce Mar 5th, 2026

Labor and Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • Because I hate to tell you all know. But you know I will. But I just want to thank each one of you.
Keywords: House Room A, General Assembly Building, 976, house, all
OK
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Health and Human Services REVISED Feb 23rd, 2026 at 02:00 pm

Health and Human Services

MS
MS

Mississippi 2026 Regular Session

Veterans and Military Affairs - Room 210, 19 February, 2026; 2:00 P.M.

Veterans and Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • I know y’all hated to miss a week of school. Poor things. You’ll have to do that. Okay.
Keywords: Veterans and Military Affairs - Room 210, 19 February, 2026; 2:00 P.M., 925, all
Summary: The committee began by having a group of student pages introduce themselves, with the chair praising them as the best group of pages he had seen in his seven sessions. He then moved quickly through the agenda, noting that four bills were on the calendar and that three had already been voted on in committee substitute form. House Bill 1076, the Safeguarding American Veteran Empowerment Act, was presented as a strike-all using the same language previously approved 52-0 to place limits on claim sharks. House Bill 1084 would increase authorized military leave for training from 15 to 21 days; members were told it was double referred and would also go to Appropriations, but the language was the same as previously passed 52-0. House Bill 1085, the Mississippi National Guard Service Members Medical Readiness Act, was described as a strike-all version of the committee’s earlier Tricare-related bill, again said to be verbatim to the version previously passed 51-0. House Bill 1713 was explained in more detail as a measure to codify long-standing authority for the Mississippi National Guard to offer state-sponsored voluntary death and dismemberment insurance, up to $25,000 per person. The new language would clarify who administers the program and who is eligible, and the sponsor emphasized that the coverage is voluntary and has no fiscal note because participants would pay for it themselves. After brief questions, each bill was moved by title sufficient do pass and approved by voice vote, with the chair announcing the ayes had it. The chair also said there would be at least one more meeting later for reappointed nominations once a peer report was available, and the committee then rose and reported.
AR
AR

Arkansas 2026 Regular Session

LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-STATE AGENCIES Feb 12th, 2026

LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-STATE AGENCIES

Transcript Highlights:
  • I hate these mics. Good afternoon.
Summary: The committee met with prayer and approved the January minutes, then heard a series of Arkansas Legislative Audit reports. Reports with findings were presented for the Department of Human Services, Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, Department of Corrections, and Department of Veterans Affairs, along with a special report on law enforcement racial profiling policy compliance. Several reports without findings were also filed without objection. For DHS, auditors reported apparent thefts involving false benefit claims in disaster nutrition assistance and Medicaid, a nearly $610,000 altered warrant cashed by a California auto body shop, and multiple asset-control issues, including missing equipment, inventory discrepancies, and improper sales tax paid on exempt vehicle purchases. Members questioned DHS about the warrant fraud and whether other agencies or California officials had been notified. For Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, auditors cited missing museum receipts and problems with change funds at Daisy State Park and War Memorial Stadium; department officials said they are considering cashless payment options and provided an update on the museum loss investigation. For Corrections, auditors reported unauthorized personal fuel-card purchases totaling about $4,500 and a delayed disaster recovery test for critical IT systems. Department officials said staffing has been increased for fuel-card oversight and that a full production disaster recovery test is scheduled soon. For Veterans Affairs, auditors found improper pay for employees who were not working, duplicate vendor payment, and numerous overtime approvals that were not properly authorized; the department said it has tightened overtime approval procedures. The special report said only 203 of 383 law enforcement agencies had responded regarding racial profiling policies, and the Attorney General had notified the remaining agencies that they were not in compliance. The committee requested a list of nonresponding agencies and adjourned, with the next meeting scheduled for March 12.
FL
FL

Florida 2026 4th Special Session

January 20, 2026 - 01:00 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • I hate to be brought into the topic but I want to thank the Governor for his stance on supporting our
TX
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Press Conference: Senator Nathan Johnson Jul 30th, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

FL
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

June 5, 2025 - 02:30 PM

Transcript Highlights:
  • I ALWAYS HATE TO SPEAK AGAINST ANY ISSUE THAT THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE IS CHAMPIONING BUT WE HEAR
ND
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 1308 Conference Committee Apr 16th, 2025 at 08:30 am

Transcript Highlights:
  • And I hate to continue to, you know, put more and more on them.
Keywords: 908, all
Summary: The conference committee on HB 1308 met to review Senate amendments related to the Human Trafficking Commission and continuing education language for regulated professions. Senator Beauchay explained that the bill would make the commission more independent and robust by changing permissive language to mandatory language, adding members from DHS/Children and Family Services, school districts, the State’s Attorneys Association, and the governor’s office, and designating the Attorney General or designee as presiding officer. The committee also discussed a new duty for the commission to provide annual human trafficking prevention and awareness education for students, with a proposed cross-reference to DPI curriculum law to avoid conflict with HB 2330. Members raised questions about the size of the commission, quorum concerns, and how the existing human trafficking task force differs from the commission. Testimony from Amy Boyd-Bomey of YouthWorks supported broader representation, especially from child welfare, schools, and tribal entities, and emphasized that trafficking of youth in North Dakota disproportionately affects Native youth. Committee members discussed the need for tribal representation, including a single representative chosen by tribal chairs, and suggested adding language to ensure that perspective. Boyd-Bomey also noted that the statute already references designees from state, local, and tribal agencies, though the committee considered making that more specific. No final action was taken. Representative Davis was asked to draft possible language changes, and the committee agreed to stand at ease and reconvene later, but ultimately the chair announced that more time would be needed and that another meeting would be scheduled.
ND
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 11th, 2025 at 09:30 am

Appropriations - Human Resources Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • She's going to hate high maintenance.
Bills: SB2015
Keywords: corrections, rehabilitation, prison budget, department of corrections, adult services, youth services, correctional facilities, Heart River correctional center, Missouri River correctional center, James River correctional center, minimum security facility, county jails, regional jails, deferred maintenance, capital construction, strategic investment and improvements fund, Bank of North Dakota, line of credit, tasers, body cameras
Summary: The Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division met to finalize changes to the human services budget bill and related amendments. Members discussed several items, including a proposed $5 million appropriation for the Altru Hospital project to address inflationary costs, with the rest of the funding question left for conference committee. They also agreed to keep the 10-year operating requirement language for the project and remove a matching-funds provision that was no longer needed. The committee spent considerable time on the OASIS child welfare IT system. Donna Auckland explained that the project is still in the RFP stage, with vendor selection and contract negotiation likely taking months, and that the system will require 50-50 federal matching authority. Based on that testimony, the committee agreed to reduce the general fund amount from $14 million to $6 million and use a line of credit for the remaining authority, while preserving the federal match authority so the contract can be signed and the project can proceed. Members also approved a technical fix to add governor’s designee language for the Children’s Cabinet, which had been missed in another bill already on the governor’s desk. Keith reviewed updated long sheets showing additional budget adjustments, including provider inflation changes, a $50,000 Family Voices grant, reductions to CARES Act COVID funds, and moving the $5-per-day basic care rate increase from ongoing to one-time funding. No formal votes were recorded in the transcript, and the committee adjourned with plans to reconvene Monday if the final bill version was ready.
ND
ND

North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division Apr 10th, 2025 at 02:30 pm

Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, so, but like you said, I hate to pass something that's undoable.
Bills: HB1329
Keywords: government spending database, public expenditure transparency, open data, government transparency, school district spending, state spending, local government finance, education finance, budget database, expenditure reporting, salary transparency, benefits data, public records, Legislative Management study, North Dakota, school board training, superintendent, principal, business manager, higher education spending
Summary: The division first discussed Senate Bill 1540 and related amendments involving implementation mechanics, procurement exemptions, and an emergency clause. Bank of North Dakota representatives explained that, based on a timeline review with DPI, the project would be very difficult to implement for the 2026-27 school year without exemptions from state purchasing and IT oversight rules and without an emergency clause; they said the normal procurement process could take about 240 days and that a 15-month implementation window would likely push the start to 2027-28 if those changes were not adopted. Members also raised a separate policy question about a criminal penalty placeholder in the bill, and the committee agreed that the sentence was unnecessary and should be removed. The committee deferred means-testing questions and fiscal-note issues to the next morning, with the understanding that the bill would be drafted in a way that made it workable if it advanced. The committee then turned to the water budget bill and reviewed the latest amended version, which included changes to the Water Topics process, Southwest Pipeline line of credit provisions, Red River supply funding, Mouse River project amounts, general water funding, studies on Missouri River intakes and water governance/finance, and a carryover/transfer adjustment. Chris Cattermas of the Department of Water Resources said most of the carryover funds were already obligated, with the largest unobligated amount in flood control. After review, Senator Thomas moved a do-pass recommendation on the bill as amended, the motion was seconded, and the committee approved it unanimously. The chair noted that other bills would be taken up the next morning, including 1013, 1014, and 1540.
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/24/26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • there's more here and cuz there I think there's more here and I<01:35:53.600> I<01:35:53.760> hate
  • put<01:35:54.159> more<01:35:54.320> regulations<01:35:54.800> on I I hate
  • to put more regulations on I I hate to put more regulations on businesses<01:35:55.679> because
  • c><01:35:55.920> we<01:35:56.080> all<01:35:56.239> hate<01:35:56.400> to
  • <01:35:56.560> do businesses because we all hate to do businesses because we all hate to do that
Bills: HF2400, HF1724, HF3437, HF4333, HF2874, HF4052
Keywords: real estate, appraisers, disciplinary actions, sanction matrix, Minnesota Statutes, direct primary care, healthcare agreements, medical services, patient care, health insurance, mortgage fees, residential loans, commercial loans, finance regulations, investment properties, insurance, supplemental health insurance, short-term care, home health care, nursing care
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Human Services - 03/16/26

Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • We've just been working as a group, but it's just the timeline's just—I hate starting in February.
  • <01:09:39.799> starting just the timeline's just I hate starting just the timeline's just
  • I hate starting in<01:09:40.319> February.
  • Consolidate one there and say, look at Jim and say, “I hate your bill, Jim Abeler.”
  • I'm just finding I hate the word oppose. I just don't know why, but I do. But I do. So, um, Ms.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 3/3/26

Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • that we all have to live with as human beings, and in particular as legislators, cuz plenty of people hate
  • that we all have to live with as human beings, and in particular as legislators, cuz plenty of people hate
  • > don't<00:33:42.720> even<00:33:43.240> know<00:33:43.440> the people hate
  • us who don't even know the people hate us who don't even know the first<00:33:43.880> thing<00
  • I hate feeling like that.
Bills: HF3542, HF3819
Keywords: data privacy, investigative data, welfare system, public funds, transparency, child care, licensing, inspections, compliance, program integrity, 1183, house
Summary: The committee took up House File 3542, authored by Representative Hudson, and first adopted the February 25 minutes. Hudson explained that the bill, as amended in a DE1, would require agencies to disclose to the public, legislators, or the press the existence of certain investigations only after the subject has been notified and the agency has decided to reduce, suspend, or withhold payments. He said the amendment was intended to avoid tipping off subjects before notification while still increasing transparency about investigations involving public funds. A separate A3 amendment was withdrawn after the DE1 was adopted. Several members questioned the bill’s scope and timing, asking what “existence of an investigation” meant and whether the proposal would disclose information before findings were complete. Hudson clarified that the bill was aimed at identifying who is being investigated, not revealing investigative details. The committee then heard extensive public testimony from child care providers and advocates, who opposed the bill and argued it would expose providers to harassment, threats, and stigma before any findings were made. Testifiers described recent threats, ICE-related disruptions, audits, overpayment findings, and the burden of CCAP compliance, saying the bill would punish providers for paperwork errors and worsen safety concerns, especially for Somali and other providers of color. A board member of the Minnesota Child Care Association also opposed the bill, saying providers had been chilled from speaking publicly because of death threats and harassment, and warning that disclosure of investigations could intensify that climate. In response, Hudson said the bill was not about targeting child care providers generally and was limited to confirmed ongoing investigations after notice to the subject. The committee then heard from Inspector General Keys, who explained that CCAP investigations are administrative, not criminal, and are based on evidence of repeated errors or financial misconduct rather than intentional fraud. He said the office looks for patterns beyond simple mistakes and that the bill’s notice requirement would not impede investigations. The discussion ended amid a brief procedural dispute over comments directed at Hudson, after which the chair returned to the bill and the Inspector General’s testimony.
KY
KY

Kentucky 2025 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (10-22-25)

Transcript Highlights:
  • Every county doesn't have the same luxury we do, and if you want to extend that program, I hate to hit
  • Every county doesn't have the same luxury we do, and if you want to extend that program, I hate to hit
  • Uh, if you come forth, please, and introduce yourself, and, uh, hate to do this to you, but we have a
  • <01:51:18.719> but<01:51:18.880> we<01:51:19.119> have<01:51:19.280> a hate
  • to do this to you but we have a hate to do this to you but we have a whole<01:51:19.840> six<
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September 24 minutes, and heard a briefing from representatives of three Kentucky drug task forces: Greater Hardin County, Bowling Green-Warren County, and Bluegrass Narcotics. The presenters described how multi-jurisdictional task forces operate, their partner agencies, and the kinds of drugs and trafficking patterns they are seeing, with fentanyl identified as the most dangerous and fastest-growing threat. They also described large seizures and investigations involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, tractor-trailer shipments, postal shipments, and a case tied to a pill press and undercover work with the DEA. Bluegrass Narcotics said it was formed in response to overdose deaths and has since seen major reductions in complaints and overdose deaths in Harrison and Bourbon counties. A major theme of the presentation was funding. The task forces said Byrne JAG funding has declined from about $2.1 million statewide in 2023-2024 to $1.4 million this year, while their costs for vehicles, fuel, technology, overtime, office space, and training have risen sharply. They said local support and asset forfeiture help, but the revenue is uneven and unpredictable, and they asked the legislature to consider adding about $1 million per year in state support, with oversight from the Justice Cabinet or Office of Drug Control Policy. They also emphasized that if meth labs return, many agencies would need new training and equipment because those capabilities have largely expired or been scaled back. Members asked about possible statutory barriers, coordination across counties and states, the source of drugs, and how seized cash is handled. The task forces said coordination with federal, state, and other local agencies is generally strong, but money remains the main obstacle to broader operations. They explained that seized cash is held as evidence and, after court proceedings, may be awarded back to task forces or split under statute, with 15% going to the Commonwealth’s attorney and 85% to law enforcement. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the briefing.
KY
KY

Kentucky 2025 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection (7-30-25)

Transcript Highlights:
  • I hate to say that, but I really do.
  • I hate to say that, but I really do.
  • <01:13:12.960> I<01:13:13.199> hate<01:13:13.360> to<01:13:13.520> say
  • I hate to say that, but I high enough. I hate to say that, but I really<01:13:14.320> do.
  • I hate to cut you short. >> Nope. Yes, sir.
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The meeting began with roll call, adoption of the minutes, and brief remarks, including birthday recognition for Representative Maseroni and a moment of reflection for a soldier who died during training at Fort Knox. The committee then heard a presentation from Tony Hatton, commissioner of the Department for Environmental Protection and acting director of the Kentucky Division of Water, with Amanda Lefer, deputy commissioner, on the state’s water and wastewater programs and planning. Hatton described Kentucky’s water resources and the Division of Water’s responsibilities, including watershed and nonpoint source work, KPDES discharge permitting, PFAS response, engineering review of water infrastructure, inspections, public outreach, and sampling. He said Kentucky has 428 public water systems, 263 water treatment plants, about 1.9 million service connections, and nearly 97% of the population has access to municipally treated water. He also noted that the state has 43 systems receiving awards for EPA areawide optimization and emphasized operator training, regionalization, and use of GIS mapping and Kentucky Infrastructure Authority data to support planning and funding decisions. Members raised concerns about aging infrastructure, water loss, staffing shortages, and wastewater problems in local systems. Representative Blandon described severe failures in a city system, including major water loss and sewer backups, and asked whether the state could intervene; Hatton said the division inspects treatment facilities and provides compliance assistance but is not authorized to manage delivery systems, though third-party help and emergency funding can be used in some cases. Senator Smith and others shared similar experiences with line loss and system failures, while Hatton pointed to regionalization and funding support as the main tools available. The discussion also highlighted PFAS as an emerging issue, with Hatton saying the department is working with systems to meet anticipated federal requirements by 2029.
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 2/18/25

State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Because we have several dots, and we lead CL knows how much I hate dots.
  • Because we have several dots, and I know how much I hate dots.
  • Because we have several dots, and I know how much I hate dots.
  • :30:54.880> I dots and we lead CL knows how much I I dots and we lead CL knows how much I I hate
  • dots um so I would prefer that we hate dots um so I would prefer that we have<01:30:58.360> a
Bills: HF1, HF2
Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 2/10/25

Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • There’ll be plenty of other time, but I would hate to have a conviction somehow get overturned on appeal
  • to<01:35:46.800> have<01:35:47.320> a<01:35:47.520> conviction but I would hate
  • to have a conviction but I would hate to have a conviction somehow<01:35:48.480> get<01:35:48.639
  • want to say it’s a bit of a roll of the dice to say it’s a bit of a roll of the dice, and I would hate
  • I would hate to have our legislature or the folks controlling the committees at this point have there
Keywords: 1183, house
Summary: The committee held its first meeting on February 10, 2025, with member and staff introductions and opening remarks from Chair Kristin Robbins about the committee’s bipartisan mission to address state fraud and improve oversight of executive branch spending. Robbins said the committee would focus on both legislation and informational oversight hearings, likely in coordination with standing policy committees, and emphasized concerns about reported fraud in state government and the need to prevent waste before it occurs. Members from both parties generally expressed support for the committee’s work and interest in learning more about the issues. The sole agenda item was a presentation from the Legislative Auditor on the 2023 report, “Oversight of State-Funded Grants to Nonprofit Organizations.” Legislative Auditor Judy Randall and Deputy Legislative Auditor Jodi Munson Rodriguez explained that the report reviewed how comprehensive Minnesota’s grants management policies are and how well agencies follow them. They said the policies cover the grant lifecycle but often lack detail, and the office found widespread noncompliance in recent years. The presentation included examples such as limited standards for progress reports, flexible monitoring requirements, and no required timeline for closeout reviews. The auditors also noted that state agencies spent an average of about $514 million annually on nonprofit grants from fiscal years 2018 through 2022, with about 2,400 nonprofit organizations receiving grants. The auditors said several factors contribute to compliance problems, including inconsistent funding for grants management, limited training, and uneven use of electronic grants systems. They also noted that statutes gave little authority to enforce compliance. Since the report was released, the Department of Administration has taken some steps, including changes to pre-award financial review policies and a timeline for closeout reviews, but the auditors said other recommendations remain only partially implemented. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on at this meeting.
MN
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 01/29/25

Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:
  • I hate to, uh, perhaps have a different perspective than Senator Drazkowski.
  • Hydro in the renewable energy<00:29:04.200> standard<00:29:05.200> I<00:29:05.360> hate
  • /c><00:29:05.519> to<00:29:05.960> uh<00:29:06.559> perhaps energy standard I hate
  • to uh perhaps energy standard I hate to uh perhaps have<00:29:07.039> a<00:29:07.159> different
  • If you'd come forward and testify, and even though I hate to say this because I hate cutting people off
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
Summary: The Minnesota Senate Energy Committee heard Senate File 426, authored by Senator Icorn, which would remove the 100-megawatt cap on hydropower for purposes of qualifying as an eligible energy technology under Minnesota law. Supporters said hydropower is carbon-free, reliable, flexible baseload power that can help Minnesota meet its 100% carbon-free electricity goal by 2040. Testifiers from Missouri River Energy Services and Minnesota Power described existing hydropower resources, including allocations from federal Missouri River dams, Minnesota hydro stations, and Manitoba Hydro, and argued that the bill would preserve and expand options for clean energy development. Several members raised concerns about the bill’s purpose and potential environmental impacts. Senator McEwen questioned why the size limit should be removed without specific proposed projects or more information about the need for larger dams, citing concerns about fisheries, water resources, and land use. Senator Port and others asked about costs, environmental effects, and where new projects might be built. In response, supporters said the bill is intended to open the door to future projects and allow agencies to review proposals through existing permitting and environmental processes, rather than approving any specific dam. Committee members offered mixed reactions. Senator Frentz said he supported the concept but recommended laying the bill over for further discussion and possibly sending it to the Environment Committee, noting environmental concerns and the need for more conversation. Senator Gruenhagen strongly supported the bill, arguing that it merely lifts a cap while leaving permitting and review requirements in place. Senator Hoffman also supported the bill, saying current policy blocks consideration of new projects and that the change would allow regulators to evaluate proposals on their merits. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the bill was left open for further consideration.