Video & Transcript Research : 'Sergeant Mark Butler'
Page 193 of 428
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy and Natural Resources Apr 3rd, 2025 at 09:00 am
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- This one is marked that came from council as 0-7, as 7, or as 1,000. I'll look on Laws.
- Boards; 2339, the strict liability on wildfire mitigations; 2340, the study; and 2325, the high water mark
- And 2325, the high water mark on non-federal easements.
Summary:
The Natural Resources Committee reconsidered Senate Bill 2159, which concerns a study related to nuclear energy and waste. Members discussed a proposed amendment to clarify that the study would address above-ground storage of nuclear waste, not underground storage, reflecting concerns raised by constituents about earlier nuclear-related proposals. The committee adopted the amendment and then gave SB 2159 a unanimous 13-0 do pass recommendation.
The committee then took up Senate Bill 2245, described as a hunting-related bill, and recommended it do pass on a 13-0 vote after brief discussion with Game and Fish support noted. Senate Bill 2216, the duck stamp bill, was also advanced 13-0. Testimony on SB 2216 explained that it would help Game and Fish better track resident duck hunting participation and generate revenue for waterfowl habitat, PLOTS access, and possible federal matching funds.
The most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 2137, which addresses baiting rules and chronic wasting disease surveillance. An amendment was proposed to set a 50-gallon limit at a hunting location, require a 50-foot setback from property used for animal agriculture, and direct continued disease surveillance with a report due before December 31, 2028. After discussion about fence setbacks, livestock concerns, and the department’s authority to manage disease, the committee adopted the amendment by a 7-6 vote and then passed the bill as amended on an 8-4 vote. The committee also noted several remaining bills would be taken up the following week and adjourned, with no meeting the next day.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Before we release the grades, I invite ASE Texas President Mark Wood to provide an overview of the Texas
- So I'll turn it over to Mark. Well, thanks so much, Julie. Ms. Jones, appreciate it.
- Mark Boyd are available for questions. And so with that, I will open up the floor for questions.
Keywords:
Texas, Infrastructure Report Card, ASCE, population growth, climate change, investment, public safety, engineering standards
Summary:
The meeting focused on the release of the 2025 Texas Infrastructure Report Card, highlighting key findings and recommendations for improving infrastructure across various sectors in the state. Julie Jones, Vice President of ASCE Texas, opened the session by introducing key speakers, including Dr. Art Wood and committee co-chairs Griselda Gonzalez and Austin Mazzarelli. Throughout the discussion, the report's grades were revealed, showing the state's infrastructure received an overall grade of 'C'—adequate but requiring significant attention and investment. Emphasis was placed on the rising challenges posed by climate change and increased population growth, underscoring the need for strategic investments in infrastructure to support Texas' economic growth and public safety.
TX
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Business meeting to consider S.93, to amend the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to address harmful algal blooms, S.98, to require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a vetting process for prospective a Feb 5th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- on Wednesday, his first full day as Secretary of Transportation, he did not know that it would be marked
- Marked by the deadliest disaster in U.S. airspace in two decades.
- Marking number one would make it a violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act for the following individuals
Bills:
SB161, SB195, SB216, SB245, SB246, SB257, SB258, SB260, SB278, SB281, SB283, SB93, SB98, SB99, SB306, SB314, SB315
Keywords:
vehicle safety, crash test, crashworthiness, NHTSA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, New Car Assessment Program, NCAP, motor vehicle safety standards, 49 CFR parts 571 and 572, THOR dummy, THOR-50M, THOR-05F, WorldSID, female crash test dummy, male crash test dummy, occupant protection, frontal impact, side impact, vehicle ratings, automotive safety
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Mark Gallagher, you can go first, please, sir. I'm sorry, Mark Stover.
- Mark Stover, please. Yes, yes, sir, thank you. Morning, Mr. Chairman, Mr.
- Mark mentioned that Texas is the fastest growing solar and storage market in the country.
- Mark mentioned that Texas is the fastest growing solar and storage market in the country.
- Yeah, but maybe you just want to mark it at a time.
WY
Wyoming 2026 Regular Session
House Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions, February 11, 2026
Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions
Transcript Highlights:
- Actually, in Laramie County, we use the express marking. We mark our ballots by machine as well.
- <00:59:13.359>
by express marking. - We mark our ballots by express marking.
- We mark our ballots by machine<00:59:13.839>
as <00:59:14.079>well. - , but but the anything or hand mark, but but the timeline<00:59:22.240>
what <00:59:22.480>
Keywords:
voting, elections, electronic voting systems, transparency, public testing, voter registration, qualified elector, residency requirements, voting rights, mortgage modification, priority, electronic signatures, real property, financial covenants, 911 services, emergency response, grant funding, next generation technology, government accountability, public safety
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Senator Bruce Tarr was then mentioned as the committee looked for Mark Brewster or anyone from Brewster
- Nobody listened to my mom about my Lyme because there was no bull's-eye mark around my bite, which isn't
- Mark Saunders. Mark, you've been waiting patiently. Hey, you're all afternoon. Thank you.
- My name is Mark Saunders from Sheffield, husband, wife Whitney, and father of two girls, Molly, who's
- August 10th of this year marks 20 years since my daughter first became ill.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Financial Services held a lengthy public hearing with more than 70 people signed up to testify, focusing mainly on health insurance and health care access bills. Early testimony centered on H.1257/S.712, which would require insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment of genetic craniofacial conditions. Supporters included legislators, dentists, and medical experts who said these conditions are not cosmetic, can severely affect eating, speech, pain, and social functioning, and often create major financial hardship because insurers deny coverage. A related dental bill, H.1262/S.676, drew technical testimony from the Life Insurance Association of Massachusetts about implementation issues with the 2022 dental loss-ratio law, while the Massachusetts Dental Society supported H.1306/S.696 on transparency in dental network leasing and opposed H.1262. Representative Gentile also testified for H.4013, which would ban for-profit acute care hospitals and for-profit health insurers in Massachusetts, arguing that profit incentives undermine patient care.
A major portion of the hearing was devoted to H.1261/S.799, a bill to protect patients from surprise ambulance bills. Municipal fire chiefs, Boston EMS, nonprofit ambulance providers, and the bill’s Senate sponsor said the measure would require insurers to pay ambulance providers directly and promptly, cap patient out-of-pocket costs, and reduce confusion caused by out-of-network billing. Witnesses described ambulance services as essential public health infrastructure and said current billing practices can discourage people from calling 911 or leave municipalities and nonprofits unable to recover costs. Committee members asked about unpaid debt, municipal billing burdens, and how the bill would affect rates and reimbursement. No votes were taken during the hearing.
The committee also heard extensive testimony on H.1249/S.805, which would require screening for PANS/PANDAS in medical and clinical settings. Legislators, clinicians, parents, a teen with the condition, and educators described PANS/PANDAS as an infection-triggered inflammatory illness that can present as sudden psychiatric symptoms and is often misdiagnosed as a mental health disorder. Supporters said routine screening at well visits, emergency rooms, and other clinical settings would help identify children earlier, reduce unnecessary psychiatric treatment and hospitalizations, and improve outcomes. Testifiers repeatedly urged favorable action, emphasizing the personal and financial toll on families and the potential for early treatment to prevent long-term harm. The hearing concluded with continued testimony on these bills; no committee action or votes were announced.
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 086 Apr 10th, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, and Ansel Adams.
- > Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Washington, Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison,<00:19:59.480>
Mark - Edison, Mark Twain, and Ansel Adams. Edison, Mark Twain, and Ansel Adams.
- Gosh, I marked on this. Thank you to the good Senator from Denver and Aurora.
- Thank you um to Gosh, I marked on this.
Summary:
The Senate met with a quorum, approved the journal, and then proceeded out of order to consider Senate Joint Resolution 20, recognizing April 9, 2026, as Home Education Day in Colorado. Senator Pelton spoke in strong support of home education, describing it as a parent-led choice that benefits students and families. The resolution was adopted on a 30-0 vote, and the current roll was added as co-sponsors.
The chamber then took up the consent calendar and passed House Bill 1229, House Bill 1244, and Senate Bill 153. HB 1229, which concerns the human-animal bond as a social determinant of health, drew three no votes from Senators Pelton, Zamora Wilson, and Baeza; the other two measures passed unanimously. The Senate also laid over third reading of bills until Friday, April 10.
In Committee of the Whole, senators considered Senate Bill 72, which increases criminal penalties for assaultive conduct involving a motor vehicle and adds causing death with a motor vehicle to criminally negligent homicide. The committee adopted the report and advanced the bill on second reading. Later, the chamber laid over Senate Bill 134 and House Bill 1084 until April 10, and then took up Senate Bill 140, which would exempt certain rare disease and plasma therapies from review by the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board. Sponsors and supporters argued the bill protects access for patients with rare diseases and prevents harm to treatment development, while opponents said it would weaken the PDAB’s affordability work and was too broad. Senators Weisman and Gonzales spoke against the bill, with Weisman citing concerns about the federal definition used and Gonzales defending the PDAB’s role in lowering drug costs; the debate continued in the transcript without a final vote shown.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Limiting local governments from mandating HOAs 3/2/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I see two testifiers listed: Mark Foster and Roxanne Kimball.
- <00:05:08.200>
Uh, <00:05:08.520>Mark see two testifiers listed. - Uh, Mark see two testifiers listed.
- Uh, Mark Foster Foster Foster and<00:05:10.960>
Roxanne <00:05:11.680>Kimball. - My name is Mark Foster and I committee.
Summary:
House File 2614 was heard with a delete-everything amendment adopted at the outset. The bill, as explained by the authors, would prevent local governments from requiring amenities or common property that effectively force the creation of a homeowners association, while still allowing developers to create HOAs voluntarily when needed. The authors said the language was negotiated with stakeholders, including the League of Minnesota Cities, and was intended to be moved on to the Housing Committee for further discussion.
Supportive testimony came from Housing First Minnesota and the Minnesota Homeownership Center. They argued that unnecessary HOA mandates can raise housing costs, reduce homebuyer choice, and shift public infrastructure costs onto homeowners through dues in addition to property taxes. Testifiers cited examples involving single-family developments, a Burnsville case involving a large roof assessment and disputed ACH withdrawal, and the Heritage Park development in Minneapolis, where an HOA was required but later became difficult to dissolve. They said the bill would preserve HOAs where they are genuinely needed, such as townhomes or shared-amenity developments.
Members raised questions about the removal of county-specific language in the amendment, the meaning of the bill’s references to services and common property, and whether the bill would still allow neighborhood signs or other developer-requested features. A major point of concern was stormwater ponds and drainage infrastructure: one member argued that prohibiting cities from requiring HOA maintenance of such facilities could shift costs to taxpayers, while the authors responded that the bill was meant to stop cities from mandating discretionary amenities and that maintenance issues had been partly addressed in the amendment. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion provided, but the amendment was adopted and the bill was discussed for referral onward.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Finance Nov 21st, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Mark Montoya.
- Thank you, Mark, for walking us through that history. And thank you both, Mr.
- Finally, if we plug in our temporary legislative match reductions that Mark discussed earlier on top
- I'll now turn things back over to Mark to summarize the overall findings of this report and next steps
- Representative Lujan, Mark is correct. We don't currently provide.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Financial Services Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- So if you go to a TravelX at Logan, obviously their profit margin is to mark up the price of a euro or
- There are obviously... their profit margin is to mark up the price of a euro or a peso or wherever you're
- We're going to move to our last testifier, Mark Salters. Mark, are you with us online? Hello?
- My name is Mark Salters, and I'm a public policy manager with PayActive, an employer-integrated earned
- Thank you, Mark. Appreciate your testimony and for hanging in there until the end.
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on several financial services bills, with the main focus on cryptocurrency kiosk regulation, financial literacy, and earned wage access. Legislators and witnesses described widespread crypto-related scams targeting older adults, often involving impersonation, urgency, spoofed phone numbers, and rapid transfers through kiosks that are difficult to trace or recover. Supporters of the kiosk bills said Massachusetts needs licensing, registration, transaction limits, warning notices, receipts, refund protections, and other safeguards; some also urged a “pause” or hold on transactions to give victims time to reconsider and allow law enforcement to intervene. The Attorney General’s office, AARP, local law enforcement, and several prosecutors and sheriffs backed the consumer-protection approach, while Bitcoin Depot supported a narrower regulatory framework but opposed low fee caps and strict daily limits, arguing they would function like a ban and reduce legitimate use.
Witnesses from Waltham police, Middlesex and Essex County law enforcement, and the AG’s office said crypto scams are growing quickly, losses are often unrecoverable once funds move, and current tools are limited. They described cases involving elderly victims losing thousands of dollars, and said warnings alone are not enough because scammers keep victims on the phone and guide them through the process. Some witnesses said a temporary hold or refund mechanism has worked in at least one case, while others emphasized that transaction limits and visible disclosures could reduce harm even if they do not stop fraud entirely. The AG’s office also said it would submit written opposition to separate earned wage advance legislation, while DailyPay testified in support of that bill, saying earned wage access helps workers bridge short-term gaps without debt or credit reporting.
The committee also heard support for mandatory financial literacy education from Representative Jim Hawkins, who said high school students need instruction on credit, debt, and inflation before they enter adulthood. In addition, the committee took testimony on litigation financing bills from insurance industry representatives, who argued for disclosure and regulation of predatory litigation lending and warned about foreign interference and reduced plaintiff recoveries. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing; members asked questions throughout, and the chair noted the need to move testimony along because of time constraints.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 03/24/26
Environment, Climate, and Legacy
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- They've been marks from the TEA. Okay. All right.
- Calls David Marks, Teresa Rappaport, and Donya Wiggins. Thank you very much. Thank you.
- Members, I have called David Marks from TEA. up as a resource witness, just in case.
- Marks, I understand and I appreciate the difference the campuses when that when they're incarcerated.
- I just had my staff do a quick search and I mean they came up they They didn't even mark them all.
Bills:
HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627
Keywords:
education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- So even if you pay it off at that 20-year mark, you're still going to be staffing it, and that staffing
- So that is at the six month mark.
- If it still continues to drag out at that 12-month mark that remains...
- The remedial order, if it's not already been issued, will be issued, and at the 12-month mark, there's
- And I know that you said at the six, y'all usually give them a six month mark for non-compliant. bills
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Housing Finance and Policy Committee 2/25/25
Housing Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- All right, so first on the list then will be Mark Foster.
- My name is Mark Foster, Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs for Housing First Minnesota
- with a finished basement, sales tax is currently collected on... so first on the list then will be Mark
- so first on the list then will be Mark Foster<00:04:25.440>
welcome <00:04:25.720>back - 00:04:34.479>
is to join you this afternoon my name is to join you this afternoon my name is Mark
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Jan 15th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Transcript Highlights:
- What's special about the three-year mark for returning back to the prisons?
- So, to the senator's question, is that three-year mark important because that is the benchmark?
- Is that three-year mark important because that is the benchmark?
- accepted, but is it nationally accepted because that data has shown that once I hit that three-year mark
- The Commission follows that sort of national standard, but we also believe that this three-year mark
Summary:
The committee met to hear an overview of the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice budget area and then received performance-measure presentations from the Department of Corrections, the Commission on Offender Review, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Staff reviewed the roughly $7.4 billion criminal justice and judiciary budget, noting major funding areas such as corrections, law enforcement, victim services, courts, and due process, along with recent investments in prison health care, security equipment, fentanyl enforcement, court staffing, and juvenile justice salaries and education programs.
Secretary Dixon of the Department of Corrections described staffing and population pressures, including growth in inmate population, overtime-driven deficits, and the opening of additional housing units. He emphasized the department’s use of performance measures and highlighted reforms such as incentivized prisons, administrative management units, reentry planning, faith-based programs, and expanded education and vocational training. Members asked about teacher hiring, public defender pay parity, fentanyl funding, staffing capacity, and the role of the National Guard; Dixon said teacher vacancies had improved, public defenders had received comparable pay increases, fentanyl funding would be addressed further by FDLE, and the Guard had helped stabilize staffing.
The Commission on Offender Review reported on parole, conditional release, addiction recovery supervision, and revocations, saying its recidivism/success rates had improved over a three-year measurement period. Senator Rouson pressed the commission on clemency and pardons, saying that work was omitted from the presentation and asking for backlog and case data; the commission said it did not have those figures on hand and would follow up. The committee also discussed a conditional medical release pilot study, and members questioned the report’s conclusion that no suitable elderly inmate population could be identified, asking what criteria were used and whether stakeholders were consulted.
Secretary Hall of the Department of Juvenile Justice outlined the agency’s prevention-to-residential continuum and its emphasis on education, data-driven decision-making, and evidence-based programming. He said salary increases had reduced vacancies, juvenile arrests and residential commitments had fallen sharply over time, and tools such as civil citations, risk assessments, and quality-improvement reviews were being used to guide placements and services. Hall also described the department’s use of dashboards, monthly data check-ins, and the dispositional matrix to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Tran Committee Meeting - 2026-04-08
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- We have Mark Culver's and there Pettus. I think in that order. I think I got it backwards.
- Rob Denton is here as available to answer questions, as is engineer Mark it, John MacPherson, or did
- Rob Denton is here as available to answer questions, as is engineer Mark it, John MacPherson, or did
- My name is Mark Hulbert. I'm the public works director for the city of Brooklyn Park.
- My name is Mark Hulbert. I'm the public works director for the city Brooklyn Park.
Bills:
HF4807
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
02/03/2026 - Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology
Appropriations, Transportation and Technology
Transcript Highlights:
- And is marked as the first Arizonan to die in that war.
- Policing is a profession marked by chronic stress and repeated exposure to trauma.
- Policing is a profession marked by chronic stress and repeated exposure to trauma.
- Policing is a profession marked by chronic stress and repeated exposure to trauma.
- Policing is a profession marked by chronic stress and repeated exposure to trauma.
Bills:
SB1001, SB1035, SB1056, SB1065, SB1138, SB1161, SB1204, SB1207, SB1248, SB1274, SB1284, SCM1002, SCM1006, SCR1020
Keywords:
appropriation, economic security, blind individuals, older adults, state funding, Arizona Department of Corrections, ADC, corrections, prison, jail, correctional officers, prison guards, staffing, retention, salary increase, pay raise, wage increase, general fund, state budget, private prisons
Summary:
The committee approved the January 27, 2026 minutes and held SB 1138 for further changes. It then heard SB 1035, which appropriates about $34 million from the General Fund for a 5% pay increase for Arizona Department of Corrections sworn officers and civilian employees, with an amendment extending the raise to private prison employees under contract. Supporters said DOC pay is not competitive and vacancies are high; opponents questioned paying private prison staff and raised concerns about private prison incentives. The committee adopted the amendment and gave SB 1035 a do pass recommendation on a 6-3 vote.
The committee also approved two memorials to rename highways: SCM 1002 for L.F. Quinn Memorial Highway and SCM 1006 for PFC Michael Nolan Memorial Highway. Both measures drew emotional testimony about the honorees’ public service and military sacrifice, and both received do pass recommendations, with SCM 1002 passing 9-1 and SCM 1006 passing 9-1 after members discussed tribal jurisdiction and agreed to follow up with a letter to the tribe.
SB 1065, which would appropriate $3.64 million for the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Military Veterans Fund, was supported by the sponsor and researchers who said the treatment can help veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, pain, and related conditions. Some members objected that the FDA has not approved HBOT for many of the claimed uses and questioned prior unspent funding, but the bill still received a do pass recommendation on a 6-4 vote. SB 1248, which clarifies funding and attendance-count rules for county jail and juvenile detention education programs, also passed unanimously.
Later, the committee approved SB 1204, a $5.5 million General Fund appropriation to design and analyze improvements to the U.S. 60/Loop 303 interchange, after testimony from local officials and residents about severe congestion, crashes, and public safety delays; it passed 8-1. SB 1207, a $150,000 study on financing mechanisms for development-related infrastructure along the same corridor, also passed 7-1. Finally, SB 1001, which restores $1 million for the Older Individuals Who Are Blind program, passed 9-0 after testimony from blind seniors and advocates about long waitlists and the program’s role in preserving independence. The committee then began SB 1274, a police foundation specialty license plate bill, with sponsor and foundation testimony describing wellness, remembrance, and youth programs funded by plate revenues, but the transcript cuts off before any vote on that measure.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
HHS-EIG, EIG DEFER, EIG-AEN Public Hearings 02-06-2025
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- our testifiers list, we have Jimmy Toyoka from DBEDT, who has submitted testimony in support, and Mark
- our testifiers list, we have Jimmy Toyoka from DBEDT, who has submitted testimony in support, and Mark
- Mark Licker, Chief Energy Officer, said he stands by the testimony in support.
- language does move forward, and thanked the committee for listening to his testimony. the committee Mark
- Mark Ernie La has submitted commentary.
Summary:
The committees heard testimony on SB 1221 and SB 1222, both relating to storm water management and detention/retention ponds. Testifiers, including the Department of Health, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, and a family member affected by a drowning death in a poorly maintained detention pond, strongly supported stronger statewide safety standards, inspections, and maintenance requirements. Several speakers urged that the bills be combined or aligned so they would cover both existing and future ponds, and there was discussion about whether responsibility should remain with DOH or be shifted to DLNR, which members said has more relevant expertise. The committee ultimately amended SB 1221 to move responsibilities from DOH to DLNR, add two positions, and include existing ponds, then passed SB 1221 with amendments. SB 1222 was deferred.
The committees also heard SB 1432, concerning changes to the Department of Health’s responsibilities related to Kalaupapa as the patient population declines. DOH testified in support, saying the bill begins the conversation about future responsibilities after there are no longer patients at Kalaupapa. Testimony from K4dhana O Kalaupapa, descendants, and community members emphasized that the affected community and other stakeholders should be included in planning, and several speakers asked for more detail on the state’s transition plan, financial responsibilities, and preservation of the site’s cultural and historical significance. Members discussed the need for a coordinated plan among DOH, DLNR, and DHHL, and asked for more detailed cost information and a clearer roadmap. The committee passed SB 1432 with amendments, including stakeholder consultation language and a requirement for a state plan and financial details to be reported back.
Later, the committees heard SB 1339, which would create a program to characterize statewide carbon sequestration potential and underground water resources. DBEDT and the Chief Energy Officer testified in support, describing it as part of a broader coordinated effort involving DHHL, DBEDT, the University of Hawaii, and the Energy Office to advance geothermal and related research. No vote or final action on SB 1339 was taken in the portion provided.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Rethinking Paying Subminimal Wage to Persons with Disabilities Task Force Apr 24th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Well, Mark, I'll let you introduce yourself and kind of overview, if you would, please.
- Okay, well, Mark, I'll let you introduce yourself and kind of overview, if you would, please.
- My name is Mark Kinnison.
- for individuals with disabilities, either as a Medicaid provider, which is what I would be, or what Mark
- really, they established some benchmarks to make sure that they were moving towards that five-year mark
Summary:
The meeting was a 14(c) Task Force hearing focused on employment experiences of Oklahomans with disabilities and the state’s use of subminimum wage. Numerous self-advocates and workers testified about their jobs, accommodations, pay, transportation barriers, and the importance of community integration. Several speakers described positive experiences in competitive or community jobs, while others recounted being underused, fired without explanation, or paid by piece rate or minimum wage in sheltered or enclave settings. Many emphasized that fair pay, independence, ABLE accounts, and supportive employers matter to them, and several said they want future careers, promotions, or even to own businesses and help others with disabilities find work.
Task force members discussed recurring themes from the testimony: transportation as a major barrier, the importance of community and self-advocacy, employer misconceptions and stigma, the need for better transition services from school to work, and the difficulty families face navigating benefits and employment systems. Members also raised concerns about people being fired without explanation and about the need for meaningful options for those not ready for competitive employment. Suggestions included more employer education, reverse job fairs, job coaching, benefits planning, better coordination between DDS and DRS, and stronger transition supports in schools and through programs like Project SEARCH.
Staff then presented research on how other states have phased out or eliminated 14(c) certificates. Examples included Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington, with common approaches such as phase-out timelines, technical assistance, provider transition plans, and support for competitive integrated employment. The presenters noted that Oklahoma still has 40 entities using 14(c), most of them DDS providers, but many providers are already moving away from it. Members discussed potential unintended consequences, the need for a clear timeline, the possibility of blending or braiding services, and whether Oklahoma should create a more one-stop, employer-friendly system. No votes were taken, and the group agreed to continue gathering information and return in June to begin shaping priorities and possible policy directions.