Transcript Highlights:

• Once the information is dropped, that bill will be put on the House floor.
• The Secretary of State has not completed its work, and when they do, the bill will drop, and HCM 2002
• This measure also requires that a category of ballots called 'late earlys' be dropped off at the polls
• We also have provisions in here to make it much more convenient to drop off those ballot affidavit envelopes
• Just so that people are not having to drive quite so far to drop off these ballots.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The meeting covered a long list of House bills, mostly on third-read consent calendars, spanning appropriations, elections, education, public safety, water, taxation, and criminal law. Early discussion focused on HB 2148, which would give the legislature authority to appropriate non-custodial federal funds, described by the sponsor as a transparency measure. Other measures discussed included HB 2091 on insurance-related assessment limits, HB 2122 on reciprocity for BTR-related professions, HB 2138 clarifying firefighter workers’ compensation coverage, and HB 2008 barring public school libraries from using public money to pay library professional associations. HB 2110, removed from consent, would allow school governing body members to pray at meetings, with members noting Supreme Court precedent supporting such prayer. Several bills addressed school safety and parental rights. HB 2142 would create a School Safety Center at the Arizona Department of Education and allow up to 10% of school safety program funds for administration, with supporters citing an audit and lack of oversight. HB 2249 would expand the Parents’ Bill of Rights to require notice if a school employee facilitates social transitioning of a minor and to provide broader access to educational records, with penalties discussed for violations. HB 2074 would add mandatory reporting for anyone in a medical facility who knows a partial-birth abortion is occurring, and HB 2144 would allow child support calculations to begin during pregnancy based on a confirmed pregnancy test and related DNA testing provisions. The committee also took up election-related measures. HB 2022 would make permanent changes tied to the federal Electoral Count Act, including moving Arizona’s primary earlier to preserve military and overseas voting access, while keeping petition dates valid and preserving existing deadlines for candidates. HCM 2001 urged federal designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, and HCM 2002 supported a separate congressional effort involving CARE and related federal review and designation processes; members debated the distinction between direct designation and a request for federal investigation. HCR 2001 proposed a constitutional amendment to limit voting to U.S. citizens, require government ID to register, prohibit foreign contributions, and end early voting by the Friday before an election. Water, land use, and tax bills were also reviewed. Measures included HB 2024 on snowpack augmentation as a water supply development project, HB 2029 and HB 2030 tightening how Water Conservation Grant Fund money is used, HB 2053 appropriating $100,000 for updated stormwater recharge mapping, HB 2096 expanding revolving fund uses to address cesspools, HB 2097 capping groundwater withdrawal in irrigation non-expansion areas, and HB 2116 funding potential Colorado River litigation. On the tax side, HB 2016 would remove late-filing penalties when no tax is due, HB 2104 and HB 2105 would protect agricultural property owners from repeated reclassification and require notice of inspections, and HB 2289 would update truth-in-taxation examples to reflect higher home values. The committee also heard bills on criminal penalties and other matters, including HB 2043 on felony murder involving an unborn child, HB 2045 on discharging a weapon near a vehicle, HB 2131 and HB 2132 on weapons trafficking and fentanyl penalties, and HB 2062 authorizing a Buffalo Soldiers memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza.

Transcript Highlights:

• We dropped off a letter to him, and hopefully we'll have the governor here to present his proposals to
• As we moved into 2021-22, the revenues dropped to $37 billion and then came up in $25,000. how much of
• As we moved into 21, 22, the revenues dropped to $37 billion and then came up in $25,000. 37 billion,
• Their second-largest source would be charges for services, and then you start dropping back a little
• Was right there, and then we start dropping off other uses, cultural, recreation, things like that.

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you could delete the dropped card. Apologies. Okay, hold on. Just one sec.
• All it does is cross out three words on the form regarding 7 or more, so that whenever there's a drop
• Uber driver would have to fill out the form, but normally somebody... ...who has an Uber driver, they drop
• I mean, if we drop it in the mail and it's just going across town, that's not hard to understand that
• I have had clerks drop equipment on their legs. We appreciate curbside voting.

Bills: HB2139, HB2253, HB3632, HB4171, HB4309, HB4508, SB760, SB1470

Keywords: voting access, polling place, disability, caretaker provisions, ballot delivery, election code, HB 2253, Texas Election Code, bond election, bond issuance, local government, election cancellation, disaster declaration, natural disaster, emergency election, county election officer, polling place notice, open meeting, election workers, voter safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of Assembly, the situation where massive amounts are being dropped on the property line, That's
• Members of the Assembly, the situation where massive amounts are being dropped on the property line,
• A lot of it has to do The number of deer licenses that we've been issuing has been dropping.
• But, you know, we're one bad winter away from dropping that number quite a bit.
• Chronic wasting disease and baiting didn't drop the numbers; the state did.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present, then received a gubernatorial message listing numerous bills signed by the governor. The chamber also handled conference committee business, including appointing conferees for House Bills 1003 and 1169 after refusing to concur with Senate amendments, and adopting a conference committee report on House Bill 1053, which repealed a Century Code section related to the length of the state highway system. A major portion of the meeting focused on Senate Bill 2137, which would allow supplemental feed for hunting and include an expiration date. The House divided the proposed amendments into two parts. Division A, dealing with baiting limits and setbacks near livestock facilities, drew extensive debate over private property rights, enforceability, livestock protection, and hunting access, and failed 14-76. Division B, requiring chronic wasting disease surveillance and a report to Legislative Management, also drew debate over whether the reporting requirement was necessary or too late to be useful; it failed 44-46. With both divisions defeated, the House then passed the underlying bill 56-34. The House also laid over Senate Bills 2340, 2326, and 2289. Later, it defeated Senate Bill 2325, which would have created a process for non-federal easements on wetland areas, by a vote of 4-84. It passed Senate Bill 2210, directing a legislative management study on watershed-based water management, 85-3; Senate Bill 2387, establishing rights for sexual violence survivors, 89-0; and Senate Bill 269, allowing state agencies to satisfy legal notice requirements by posting on their websites if newspaper publication is missed, 72-17. The House then excused absent members and adjourned until Monday, April 14, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and then it'll drop onto that, and it drops up and it comes up the conveyor and drops into a crusher
• You get a little bit of a little drop out in this section called...
• You get a little bit of a little drop out in this section called the economizer section.
• Just a small portion of that will drop out. Any hard, heavy particles will drop out of there.
• You puff that just hard enough to get the ash to drop off.

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:

• You know, our Speaker Emerita Hortman taught us that it's not over till the gavel drops on sine die.
• And if we can gavel drops on sine die.
• out of higher education altogether drop out of higher education altogether and<01:30:20.160> not<
• around $1,000, will cause them to drop around $1,000, will cause them to drop out<01:30:30.760><
• <01:30:44.080> from students or let the floor drop from students or let the floor drop from

Bills: HF4252

Keywords: higher education, student aid, financial aid, grant programs, scholarships, Office of Higher Education, Minnesota State, University of Minnesota, community college, technical college, postsecondary institution, college affordability, student fees, athletic facilities, competitive athletics, developmental education, remedial courses, pregnant students, parenting students, priority registration

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, we they wouldn't put him drop him $20,000 or less.
• ><00:01:40.040> wouldn't<00:01:40.440> put<00:01:40.640> him<00:01:40.960> drop
• <00:01:41.320> him Now, we they wouldn't put him drop him Now, we they wouldn't put him drop

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They did some cutting here and there just to, I think, drop some numbers off.
• They did some cutting here and there just to, I think, drop some numbers off.
• I believe the Senate had dropped to 51. We agreed on 42, which moved from 929.79 to 971.79.
• With some of the expertise we had on the committee, we were able to drop that down to $20 million. $11.3

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee reconvened in the afternoon and took up only Senate Bill 2015, the Department of Corrections budget. Representative Steeman explained that the budget reflected major changes from the Senate version because bed contracts with Grand Forks and Burleigh-Morton were still unresolved when the Senate acted. He described rising inmate populations, added county/regional jail payments, deferred maintenance and repair funding, planning money for a new Missouri River Correctional Center, software and equipment upgrades, victims of crime grants, and a one-time diversion/deflection center grant for Fargo funded through the Community Health Trust Fund. He also outlined funding for body cameras, tasers, and protective vests, and a Native American reentry program/report provision, along with a legislative management study on sentencing, corrections, and parole oversight. Members asked about the possibility of private or design-build alternatives for the new Missouri River Correctional Center. After discussion, the committee adopted language directing the steering committee to oversee design and construction and to explore other options. There was also discussion of the importance of maintaining North Dakota’s correctional rehabilitation culture, the cost and availability of out-of-state placements, and the current number of inmates housed in regional, county, and interstate facilities. The committee adopted the amendment to engrossed Senate Bill 2015 and then approved the bill as amended on a 21-0 vote, with two members absent and not voting. Representative Steeman was designated as the carrier. The chair then thanked members for their work and announced the committee would reconvene the next morning to continue with remaining bills and budget work before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, so in 2017, the law raised the eligible age to 18, and what I heard is marriages dropped significantly
• Girls who marry are 50% more likely to drop out of high school and 4 times less likely to graduate college
• I'm from Houston, a water drop in the bucket.
• She dropped out of high school.

Bills: HB168

Keywords: certificates of obligation, local government debt, municipal finance, county finance, public works, bond election, voter petition, registered voters, refinancing certificates, Texas Local Government Code, municipality, county, hospital district, infrastructure financing, public improvement, debt issuance, general obligation alternative, public oversight, local bonds, historic preservation

Transcript Highlights:

• Like most transit systems across the country, CAT experienced a significant drop in ridership during
• Are the schools running their own buses as well, or are they just relying on parent drop-off and fixed
• If we were to say drop busing and say take an Uber, what are the pitfalls in that?
• Deidre, the Bismarck Mandan implementing the new sales tax funding source, are they looking at dropping
• If we were to say drop busing and say take an Uber, what are the pitfalls in that?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Government Finance Transportation Study Subcommittee met to review fixed-route transit systems and related funding needs. After approving the prior meeting minutes, the committee heard presentations from Cities Area Transit in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, Bisman Transit in Bismarck-Mandan, and MATBUS/Fargo, along with comments from North Dakota Protection & Advocacy. The transit agencies described their routes, paratransit services, ridership trends, fare structures, fleet replacement needs, and rising operating costs, emphasizing that transit supports access to work, school, medical care, and other essential services. Testimony also noted that ridership fell during the pandemic and has been recovering, while vehicle and maintenance costs have risen sharply. Grand Forks transit reported 17 routes, a recent fare increase, and operating costs that exceed fare revenue, with paratransit service extending beyond the federal minimum service area. Bisman Transit outlined its fixed-route and paratransit operations, recent service expansions, local mill levies, sales tax support, and federal grant structure, and said it is seeking more stable funding and flexibility beyond paratransit-only support. Minot’s transit superintendent explained the state’s existing transit aid formula, the use of refurbished buses, and the challenges of driver recruitment and electric bus infrastructure. Fargo asked for additional state support for fixed-route urban transit. Committee members discussed whether ride-share services could replace transit, the cost per trip, local match requirements, and whether a separate state funding source should be recommended for the four urban fixed-route systems. The subcommittee ultimately approved a motion to have Legislative Council prepare a summary of its activities for inclusion in the full Government Finance Committee report, and members indicated they would seek more detailed funding figures from the transit agencies before making any specific recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• But sometimes I hear people say that every drop counts.
• If every drop counts, then we should question why the oil and gas industry is still using so much fresh
• But sometimes I hear people say that every drop counts.
• If every drop counts, then we should question why the oil and gas industry is still using so much fresh
• It's literally a drop in the bucket of the total 82 billion gallons of produced water every year.

Bills: HM45, HB276, HB300

Keywords: Taos County, Questa, produced water, treated produced water, water reuse, water quality control commission, freshwater conservation, rural communities, acequias, Indian nations, tribes, pueblos, water rights, industrial water use, data centers, artificial intelligence, AI, quantum computing, economic development, renewable energy

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> So in your scenario, you would drop the amount?
• If the data continues as it is, by 2041, we'll drop by 25% in high school grads to about 4,700.
• So, that's immediately going to drop. This is going to happen in about 7 months.
• This is going immediately going to drop.
• us down to about 93% so that'll drop us down to about 93% strength. strength. strength.

Bills: HB0032

Keywords: English proficiency, commercial drivers, vehicle operation, traffic safety, penalties, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That pin drops to exactly where to go.
• to exactly where to go that pin drops to exactly where to go that pin drops they<00:20:01.600>
• This current year, eight of those schools dropped off, so we have 20 schools.
• This current year, eight of those schools dropped off, so we have 20 schools.
• This current year, eight of those schools dropped off, so we have 20 schools.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Primary and Secondary Education Committee met and first took up House Bill 14, which would establish Alyssa’s Law in Kentucky public schools. The bill, as amended by committee substitute, would allow districts to implement wearable panic alert systems for school staff beginning in the 2025-26 school year. Sponsor Rep. Kevin Jackson and supporters described the system as a silent badge/button that can alert school offices, 911, first responders, and other personnel, with different button sequences for different emergencies. Testimony from Lori Alade, Alyssa’s mother and founder of Make Our Schools Safe, emphasized that “time equals life” and said the technology can help in active threats, medical emergencies, weather events, and other urgent situations. Students from St. Margaret Mary’s Kentucky Youth Assembly also supported the bill, citing the Georgia school shooting response as an example of how such systems can save lives. Members asked about vendor neutrality, costs, training, and whether the system could be used off campus; sponsors said the bill is intended to be vendor neutral, estimated statewide costs ranged from about $2 million to $6 million, training would be provided before the school year, and they would follow up on the off-campus question. The committee approved HB 14 with the committee substitute attached. The committee then reconsidered and approved House Bill 48, a cleanup measure related to school reporting requirements. The substitute was described as addressing department concerns about eliminating certain reporting forms while preserving district flexibility and reducing burdensome reporting. It would allow schools to maintain or use alternative reporting methods, provide KDE a timeline and guidelines for reporting on Cognia software used for CPS and C-dips, and require a written report to the LRC describing reporting requirements imposed on public schools and districts, with items not reapproved by the legislature sunsetting in 2026. The bill passed the committee with the committee substitute attached. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 190, as amended by committee substitute, which would shift the measure from a planning-and-action bill to a planning-only bill for advanced coursework and codify some gifted-student regulations. Rep. Duvall and Dr. Julia Link Roberts of WKU said the bill is intended to expand opportunities for high-potential students by requiring districts to set policies on advanced coursework or accelerated learning options for grades 4 through 12. The substitute changes the standard from “proficient” to “distinguished,” allows districts flexibility in how they implement the policies, and may require automatic enrollment for students scoring distinguished, with opt-out provisions and a principal exception if coursework conflicts with career pathways or CTE access. Members discussed how the proposal differs from current advanced programs, the broader inclusion of students, and district variation in available opportunities. No final vote on HB 190 was included in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• If we were able to drop it to a 1% inflation factor, that premium would drop to $5,607.
• <00:13:51.640> to that premium would drop to that premium would drop to $5,607. $5,607. $5,607
• If we drop this insurance, we very well could, like thousands of other people, in 10 years, 20 years,
• That's the difference of keeping the insurance or dropping it. Um, and that's it.
• or dropping it. or dropping it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• find out that it was in our software and the internet and it spreads out, and that's when the bombs drop
• They evaluate whether or not you've been talking shit about the government online, and they'll drop your
• find out that it was in our software and the internet and it spreads out, and that's when the bombs drop
• look. they evaluate whether or not you've been talking to you about the government online and they'll drop
• And as I told you in my email, if you guys act up, I'll drop the hammer on that stuff.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The newly formed House Artificial Intelligence and Innovation Committee held its first meeting with member and staff introductions, followed by adoption of the committee rules. Staff explained that the rules mirror House rules, including the chair’s control of the agenda and testimony, and deadlines for amendments and agendas. The committee adopted the rules without objection. The chair then delivered an extended presentation on artificial intelligence, describing AI as a rapidly evolving tool that is already affecting many sectors, including note-taking, media, healthcare, workforce, data centers, and semiconductor manufacturing. He emphasized both the opportunities and risks of AI, including misinformation, deepfakes, job displacement, privacy concerns, and potential misuse by governments, while also highlighting Arizona’s role in chip fabrication, infrastructure, and innovation. He said the committee would meet weekly, hear short presentations from industry and subject-matter experts, and focus on responsible governance that supports innovation without overregulation. Members then shared their perspectives. Several expressed cautious optimism, noting AI’s potential in healthcare, education, public administration, and business, while stressing the need for guardrails, cybersecurity, and human oversight. Members also discussed personal uses of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grok, and transcription apps, and raised concerns about older adults, children, and people with disabilities being affected by AI-generated content or automation. The chair closed by saying the committee would be bipartisan, Arizona-focused, and likely to consider bills as the session progresses, then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I dropped off my oldest, or I enrolled my oldest at preschool, and they hand me a stack of paper.
• What we've seen is our family care home providers are being dropped from their residential provider solely
• care home and large family care home, and it's just the large family care homes that are getting dropped
• Normal family care homes are already protected in statute from having their residential insurer drop
• Here's what I'll say: I cannot guarantee that prices will drop overnight, but that I could.

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard and passed several bills. HB 293 would codify the Office of Faith and Community in the Executive Office of the Governor, create a liaison and advisory council, and was supported by faith-based and nonprofit groups; some members questioned possible duplication with existing services and the source of any future funding, but the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 547 would create an exception to the 30-day notice requirement before hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers sell medical debt when the debt buyer agrees not to use interest, fees, or extraordinary collection actions and must return charity-care-eligible debt; it passed unanimously after brief support testimony. CS/HB 1553 would require reporting of uterine fibroid data to the Department of Health to create a de-identified public database and reauthorize funding for implementation; it also passed 24-0, with members noting the earlier database mandate had not been carried out. The committee then took up CS/HB 1195, “Gage’s Law,” which would require hospitals and hospital-based emergency departments to test for fentanyl in urine drug screens for suspected overdose or poisoning cases. The bill was presented as a response to overdose deaths and the need to better detect fentanyl, and emotional testimony from a parent described a son’s death after a hospital did not test for fentanyl. Members from both parties spoke in strong support, emphasizing stigma, the need for better treatment and data, and the potential to save lives; the bill passed 24-0. CS/HB 47 on child care and early learning providers would streamline inspections, speed background screening, offer free online training/testing, update definitions, protect certain family child care homes from insurance issues, and create a license-exempt category for employer-provided child care; after questions about parent notice, database listing, background checks, and insurance, an amendment was adopted and the bill passed 24-0 as amended. Finally, CS/HB 647 would allow advanced practice registered nurses to sign death certificates in hospice settings, addressing delays that can leave families waiting to complete burial arrangements. Support testimony came from advocacy and hospice groups, and members cited the bill’s importance for families and religious burial timelines. The bill passed 23-0. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• walking in the door and telling<00:46:54.160> you<00:46:54.200> to<00:46:54.280> drop
• telling you to drop everything can have. telling you to drop everything can have.
• ><01:03:29.200> have works remotely, they they may have works remotely, they they may have dropped
• <01:12:04.800> in<01:12:04.920> their<01:12:05.080> car,<01:12:05.640> drops
• <01:12:05.920> their of gasoline in their car, drops their of gasoline in their car, drops

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that if we drop it down to 2.5, the local school district would have to, between 2.5 and 3.5, they
• this 3.5x to 2.5x drop this 3.5x to 2.5x we<00:12:15.600> are<00:12:15.839> projecting
• So that if we drop it down to start.
• <00:12:53.360> If<00:12:53.519> you're it in in dropping it down.
• If you're it in in dropping it down.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Another service that we provide is a drop-in center in the middle of the International District.
• Where youth are on the streets, it's a very low-barrier entry to that drop-in center where we provide
• Practice program across the nation, drop-off centers.
• They can bring that youth and drop them off at New Day shelter. We're open 24 hours.
• Baciccia talked about, the drop-in centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I met monthly with anybody who wanted to stop in, and then in each of our schools, dropped in regularly
• <00:26:10.559> school<00:26:11.120> twice<00:26:12.120> and<00:26:12.320> dropped
• <00:26:12.720> out from one school twice and dropped out from one school twice and dropped
• 29:42.440> twice again kicked out of one school twice again kicked out of one school twice dropped
• out of one school twice no way dropped out of one school twice no way would<00:29:44.320> I<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee did not get to the planned testimony on attendance and excessive unexcused absences, but instead heard from Minnesota’s Superintendent of the Year and Teacher of the Year. The chair opened by noting the committee was short on time, introduced the idea of hearing from the two award recipients, and briefly referenced a question he likes to ask students about what book every high school student should read. Superintendent Putnam of St. Cloud Area Schools then testified about the superintendent-of-the-year selection process, his district’s work, and the community context in St. Cloud. Putnam described the award as a community honor and said his leadership is guided by authenticity, transparency, and hope. He highlighted district efforts to improve attendance and enrollment, expand community engagement, create family advocate and inclusive decision-making structures, and support students through partnerships and wraparound services. He also discussed district demographics and needs, including food insecurity, IEPs, multilingual services, and homelessness, and noted initiatives such as preschool partnerships, an ambulance bay, school safety improvements, and two full-service community schools funded in part by a federal grant. In response to member questions, he said PSO enrollment had not been a major issue in St. Cloud, explained that student jobs and responsibilities help improve attendance and engagement, and urged lawmakers to be curious and avoid assumptions about public schools. The committee then heard from Tracy Bird, Minnesota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year and a ninth-grade English teacher at Minneapolis Washburn. Bird shared his personal path into teaching, including earlier school struggles, work in finance, and encouragement from a principal who saw his potential. He described the nomination and selection process for Teacher of the Year and said his classroom is shaped by student energy, high expectations, and the realities of a diverse school community with both high mobility and affluent students. He emphasized that students are more engaged when they feel part of something larger than themselves and said his district’s work includes giving students meaningful jobs and responsibilities. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.