Transcript Highlights:

• We're purchasing a three-story building, which, as you can tell, has very easy access to the different
• /c><03:52:01.960> since<03:52:02.359> then<03:52:02.640> we've contract for purchase
• since then we've contract for purchase since then we've engaged<03:52:03.439> in<03:52:03.680
• a threeory building um we're purchasing a threeory building which<03:52:31.800> as<03:52:32.120
• The purchase price is $5 million, and we expect to close in March.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held an orientation for new and returning members of the House committee on agencies and administration, with introductions from members and staff. Chair Carol Maguire outlined her expectations for hearings: keep questions focused on the bill, be respectful to witnesses, and use the committee’s orientation opportunities to learn about the jail staff, retirement system, and Office of Professional Licensure. Members also discussed related assignments on other bodies, including the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules and the Joint Committee on Employee Classification, and noted that some members already serve on those panels. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the State Building Code and the committee’s upcoming workload. Members explained how the state code is intended to provide a common baseline while allowing limited local options, and why municipalities must formally adopt and publish any local amendments. They reviewed several anticipated bills: a consolidation bill to gather building-code enforcement materials in one place, a bill to update the state energy code, a bill to restrict municipal adoption of building-code changes, and a bill to update the electrical code. Members also discussed how building codes apply to older homes and commercial buildings, and why code updates are important for safety and clarity. The chair said the committee had 36 bills currently scheduled, including many early bills that must move by March 6 because they will be heard by two committees. She said the committee would use subcommittees for harder bills, with three subcommittees this year: pensions, licensing, and likely state building code. She also outlined the hearing schedule, including lighter bills on February 12 and the expectation of executive sessions later in the month. No votes were taken during the orientation, but members were told that public hearings do not require a quorum and that hard copies of bills would be distributed by committee staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• From the PX, he purchased boxes of Hershey's chocolate bars to share with family that he would be meeting
• Farmers purchase more than two-thirds of the compost produced in California, and they need compost that
• Assembly Bill 2633 clarifies that gold buyers who purchase gold for remote events must follow the requirements
• Assembly bill 2633 clarifies the gold buyers who purchase gold for remote events must follow the requirements
• But when 90% of our infill housing is for rent and not for purchase, we have to figure out a solution

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and proceeded through a large House of Origin floor file, with the Speaker repeatedly urging members to be at their desks and keep support bills brief. Early actions included dispensing with the journal, re-referring AB 2285 to the Banking and Finance Committee, and then taking up dozens of third-reading items, with many bills passed by voice or recorded vote and others passed temporarily or retained on file. The floor debated and passed a wide range of measures on land use, housing, labor, public safety, health care, utilities, taxation, and consumer protection. Among the bills approved were measures on land surveyor review (AB 1933), nurse midwife access for pregnant and postpartum patients (AB 1696), historic-district transit zoning flexibility (AB 2415), EV charging infrastructure fees and timelines (AB 1820), foreclosure bidding protections (AB 1957), tribal cannabis commerce (AB 2506), outdoor advertising permitting (AB 2024), commercial building permit timelines and third-party plan checkers (AB 2418), DUI penalties (AB 1685 and AB 1687), utility rate transparency (AB 1715), CalWORKs work-penalty changes (AB 1755), dynamic electricity rates (AB 1787), interior designer licensure (AB 1796), compost labeling and contamination rules (AB 1812), modular housing standardization (AB 1815), small claims limits for businesses (AB 1827), Native American Day as a paid state holiday (AB 1841), hospital staffing and maternity access bills (AB 1868 and AB 1882), protective orders tied to release dates (AB 1889), and a series of public health, missing persons, and teacher credentialing measures later in the file. Several high-profile bills drew extended debate. AB 2624, expanding Safe at Home privacy protections to immigrant service providers, prompted sharp disagreement over free speech and alleged limits on online posting, but supporters said it protected workers facing threats and doxing; it ultimately passed 49-19. AB 2023, creating a framework for regulating AI chatbots used by children, was framed as a child-safety measure after testimony about chatbot-related harms and suicide risks, and passed 58-8. Other notable votes included AB 2208 on Medi-Cal protections against federal cuts, AB 2299 on CalFresh/SNAP losses, AB 2115 apologizing to California Native peoples for historic state harms, and AB 2311 on public hospital physician employment; the transcript ends as the Assembly continues working through the remaining file.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you also have advertising costs of some types of raffles and purchasing of the tickets and, you know
• 12.320> raffles<00:08:12.919> and some types of raffles and some types of raffles and purchasing
• 14.480> of<00:08:14.600> the<00:08:14.760> tickets<00:08:15.440> and purchasing
• of the tickets and purchasing of the tickets and you<00:08:16.960> know,<00:08:17.160> all
• I purchased my first business in 2007, which was Jake's Bar and Lounge, and in 2009, I purchased the

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• operating in New Hampshire, to give them up to $2.5 million credit in that first year on equipment purchased
• the state most needs money, is when the economy is in a downturn and yet you're stretching out the purchase
• downturn and yet you're stretching out downturn and yet you're stretching out the<01:18:47.080> purchase
• these<01:18:48.040> over<01:18:48.280> that<01:18:48.440> extended the purchase
• of these over that extended the purchase of these over that extended period<01:18:49.200> of<

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It says number five: training in or for use of any of the security measures purchased as part of this
• This was the amendment we talked about the last time: if somebody is going to be able to purchase devices
• Again, as I said before, it adds a number five to allow for training of any devices that were purchased
• It continues to allow lease purchases with non-appropriation clauses to not be considered debt.
• be prohibited from financing building or facility improvements that become fixtures through lease purchase

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1439, Real Property, Partition of Property, Liens and Purchase Price Adjustments, favorable
• <00:54:06.600> price<00:54:06.960> adjustments,<00:54:07.600> favorable purchase
• price adjustments, favorable purchase price adjustments, favorable amendments,<00:54:08.200> amendment
• liens if a title report is not required and to The title report is not required, and to adjust the purchase
• The committee amendments include making clarifying changes related to the calculation of a purchase price

Keywords: House streaming session for Saturday, March 21, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House convened with 126 members present, heard the prayer, approved the previous day’s journal, and then took up a series of Senate messages and committee reports. Senate bills on consent calendars 21 and 22 were read the first time and referred to committees. The House then adopted favorable reports, often without amendment, on a wide range of bills including workers’ compensation evaluation procedures (HB 1325), a state shark designation (HB 97), several local alcoholic beverages measures, commemorative months for Muslim American Heritage and Jewish American Heritage (HB 661), and local license commissioner changes in Anne Arundel, Worcester, Harford, Baltimore City, and Prince George’s counties. Several bills were amended before being ordered printed for third reading. HB 121 (Baltimore County alcohol sales) was amended to change the sponsor to the Baltimore County delegation. HB 1335 on Department of Information Technology workforce recruitment and retention was amended to convert the measure into a study and recommendations report. HB 1037 on PSC oversight of broadband and VoIP was similarly amended from direct oversight to a study and report. HB 1164 on water and sewage rate consolidation and limited-income mechanisms was amended to remove rate-consolidation provisions, require a PSC study, and delay implementation. HB 1381 on stopping or parking in bike lanes added exceptions for emergency, transit, disability pickup/drop-off, disabled vehicles, loading/unloading, and construction or maintenance; HB 1504 prioritized sidewalk and bicycle pathway projects near highways with complete streets or Vision Zero policies; HB 912 adjusted community cat trap-neuter-return rules; and HB 969 clarified electric vehicle charging billing and service fees. The most extended debate centered on HB 639, the Transportation Aviation Passenger Health and Safety Act. After amendments turned it into a reporting measure for fixed-base operators and aviation service companies regarding flights carrying detained individuals, warrants, refueling, and emergency-response documentation, members questioned its practical operation, safety implications, and possible federal preemption issues. The floor leader explained the bill as amended was intended to gather information for Maryland safety and emergency planning. On motion of the committee chair, the House agreed to special order HB 639 until the end of the session for further clarification. The House also amended and advanced HB 1063 on hunting management, including deer damage permits and Sunday hunting rules, and heard a brief statement from an Eastern Shore delegate about the Rural Caucus’s approach to offering amendments rather than opposing bills outright. The session ended with HB 972, creating the Maryland Fair and Agricultural Education Promise Fund, amended to rename the bill in honor of the late Delegate Charles Otto and to replace lottery funding with an annual appropriation; the House adopted the amendments and the favorable report.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, 75% of their parcel is encumbered with the agreement on a carbon purchase.
• <01:28:50.240> on<01:28:50.400> a<01:28:50.520> carbon<01:28:51.000> purchase
• with the agreement on a carbon purchase. with the agreement on a carbon purchase.
• So those are the two others that actually purchase carbon directly and sell it from landowners, unlike
• So those are the two others that actually purchase carbon directly and sell it from landowners, unlike

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting began with introductions and approval of the previous minutes, including a small amendment clarifying a note about “leakage” in a prior presentation. The committee then heard a presentation from Sarah Hall of the American Forest Foundation on the Family Forest Carbon Program, which she described as a voluntary carbon and forest management program for smaller landowners. She said the program provides annual payments and technical assistance, requires a forest management plan within two years, and is designed to support improved forest management while still allowing compatible uses such as recreation, hunting, and some harvesting. Hall emphasized that the program is intended as one tool among many and is not a fit for every property. She said most enrolled landowners did not previously have a forest management plan or work with a forester, and that the program helps bring “unengaged” landowners into active management. She also said the program is compatible with current use and other commitments on a case-by-case basis, and that landowners retain ownership of their land and timber rights while AFF holds the carbon rights for the contract term. She highlighted examples of landowners using the program to support taxes, family ownership, wildlife habitat, timber stand improvement, and continued recreational or business uses. Committee members asked about registry compliance in New Hampshire and the relationship between carbon markets and the program. Hall responded that AFF handles registry administration for landowners and would follow up on the specific registry count raised by a member. She explained that the program is funded through a mix of carbon market revenue, philanthropy, and grants, and that carbon credits are generated through landscape-level methodology and monitored using randomly selected plots compared with FIA data. She also noted that consulting foresters are key partners in the program and that AFF has paid more than $3 million to consultants nationwide.

Transcript Highlights:

• pricing allows companies to use certain information in conjunction with one another, like your purchasing
• 55.480> your conjunction with one another like your conjunction with one another like your purchasing
• <01:07:56.000> history,<01:07:56.360> your<01:07:56.480> browsing purchasing history
• , your browsing purchasing history, your browsing history,<01:07:57.280> items<01:07:57.560>
• like to emphasize a couple of points. ...that no longer limit this bill to items eligible to be purchased

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, with most measures drawing either support or comments rather than opposition. HB 2395, relating to taking marine deposits for research, education, management, or propagation, received support from the University of Hawaii and DLNR. HB 2585, relating to agricultural tourism, drew broad support for its intent to keep agritourism secondary to farming, but agencies and farm groups raised concerns about enforcement, county authority, and the rebuttable presumption language. Testifiers included OPSD, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau, a small farm operator, and others, with some urging clearer definitions, simpler registration, and protections for bona fide farms and hosted farm stays. HB 1728, on rainwater catchment systems, was supported in principle by DLNR, which cited drought conditions and said it deferred to counties and the Department of Health on safety and regulation. HB 1881, which would prohibit passenger ropeways on mountain lands, drew strong support from community testifiers who said it would help prevent development disguised as agritourism and protect forests and country lands. HB 1990, establishing penalties and possible foreclosure for unresolved zoning violations, received comments from the Attorney General recommending removal of AG references and more county-centered enforcement, while the Hawaii Association of Realtors warned the 30-day timeline could create problems for absent or unaware homeowners. The committee also heard HB 1712, which would expand and make permanent certain seats on the State Building Code Council. The Plumbers and Fitters union supported the bill, but BIA Hawaii requested amendments to add “licensed contractor” language, and architects and other professionals opposed the measure, arguing that increasing the council from 12 to 15 voting members would make it less efficient and harder to reach quorum. Finally, HB 2151, relating to hempcrete, was supported by a Kauai workforce development advocate and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, who said hempcrete could support agriculture, manufacturing, and affordable housing while reducing carbon and reliance on imported materials. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• 22.399> the developer is made whole even though the developer is made whole even though the purchase
• 31:23.360> be<00:31:23.520> less<00:31:23.679> than<00:31:23.919> the purchase
• price will be less than the purchase price will be less than the cost<00:31:24.240> of<00:31:
• <01:21:06.640> by,<01:21:07.360> uh, older homes are purchased by, uh, older homes
• are purchased by, uh, different<01:21:07.760> investors<01:21:08.400> for<01:21:08.800>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not only our employees that get the opportunity to purchase the goods that are provided, but our
• :14:25.279> the<00:14:25.519> opportunity<00:14:26.000> to<00:14:26.240> purchase
• <00:14:26.720> the that get the opportunity to purchase the that get the opportunity to purchase
• When we think about a lot of the barriers that are in place, a lot of times it's around group purchasing
• Around a lot of times, it's around group purchasing organizations, food distribution organizations, food

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Make America Healthy Kentucky Task Force met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and then heard a presentation on the state’s “food is medicine” efforts. Chair Funky Fromm opened by describing a recent foot injury from a road hazard and used it to emphasize the importance of infrastructure, nutrition, sleep, and activity as part of a broader wellness culture. The main witnesses were Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell, Holly Harris of Appalachian Regional Health Care (ARH), and Jim Muser of the Kentucky Hospital Association. Shell and Harris described a partnership between the Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky Hospital Association, and hospitals such as ARH to connect local farmers with hospital cafeterias, farmers markets, CSA-style subscription food boxes, and medically tailored meals. Harris said ARH serves a large region with 14 hospitals, more than 95 clinics, about 6,700 employees, and 1,300 medical staff, and that the system began by improving employee food options because hospital workers often have limited access to healthy meals during shifts. They reported examples such as a local-protein burger, parking-lot farmers markets, subsidized CSA boxes for employees, and plans for container gardens at some hospitals. The witnesses said the program is intended to improve health outcomes, reduce readmissions, support chronic disease management, and also increase rural prosperity by expanding demand for Kentucky farm products. Shell said more than 40 hospitals had already been onboarded into the food-is-medicine program, with measurable outcomes being studied through pilots such as one at Russell County Hospital. He also noted that some systems, including CHI St. Joseph Health, Taylor Regional, and UK King’s Daughters, have formally embedded food-as-medicine goals into strategic plans. Members and witnesses also discussed barriers, especially the lack of reimbursement, fragmented short-term funding, and regulatory or purchasing hurdles that make it difficult for small farmers to participate. Shell said the goal is to make the model scalable and easier for hospitals and farmers to navigate, while Harris emphasized that ARH has been funding its efforts without reimbursement because of its mission. No votes or formal policy actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• connected that has a 1% service connected that has a 1% service connected disability by empower them to purchase
• disability by empower them to purchase disability by empower them to purchase homes by removing the
• and allowing um when they veterans and allowing um when they veterans and allowing um when they purchase
• a home that you know I notice purchase a home that you know I notice purchase a home that you know I

Bills: HB 10, HB 12, HB 147, HB 1522, HB 422, HB 675, HB 204, HB 748, HB 912

Keywords: regulatory reform, government efficiency, administrative law, rulemaking, agency deference, judicial review, de novo review, Texas Government Code, Administrative Procedure Act, state agencies, plain language, regulatory burden, regulatory reduction, cost-benefit analysis, fiscal note, public benefits and costs, contested case, rule challenge, Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office, advisory panel

Transcript Highlights:

• Dan Wills continued, explaining that the city had purchased a tile shop, retrofitted it, and that it
• for a public safety facility,<00:18:59.440> the<00:18:59.679> city<00:19:00.000> purchased
• <00:19:00.400> a<00:19:00.640> tile facility, the city purchased a tile facility, the
• city purchased a tile shop,<00:19:01.360> retrofitted<00:19:01.919> it,<00:19:02.240><
• authority for capital or Safe Schools has caused additional strain on our fund balance, having to purchase

Bills: HF2178, HF942, HF2470, HF1043, HF1287, HF1229, HF1230, HF424, HF571, HF404, HF910, HF1055, HF318, HF319, HF401, HF609, HF306, HF1599, HF1881

Keywords: HF2178, Cohasset, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, public infrastructure, water tower, water infrastructure, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street reconstruction, municipal infrastructure, Public Facilities Authority, bond proceeds fund, Minnesota bonding, local government aid, utility infrastructure, public works, infrastructure, stormwater

Transcript Highlights:

• . $300,000 in 2008 is the equivalent purchasing power of $439,500 in 2008 has the equivalent purchasing
• 10.360> equivalent $300,000 in 2008 is the equivalent $300,000 in 2008 is the equivalent purchasing
• the $439,500 th000 in 2008 has the $439,500 th000 in 2008 has the equivalent<01:14:21.560> purchasing
• <01:14:22.080> power<01:14:22.480> of equivalent purchasing power of equivalent purchasing

Bills: HF169, HF195, HF194, HF1756, HF2133

Keywords: HF169, Minnesota insurance, health plan, summary of benefits and coverage, SBC, patient assistance program, deductible, health insurer, consumer disclosure, out-of-pocket costs, medical assistance funds, copay assistance, health coverage transparency, chapter 62Q, enrollee, HF195, Fairmont, street reconstruction, bonding bill, capital investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Employers are able to offer these benefits themselves, either through a self-insured or a purchase plan

• So when we do go live for applications, there will be private plans available for purchase for

• First, if you're looking to purchase a private plan from a private carrier, uh, we're looking

• 00:57:56.920> you're<00:57:57.359> looking<00:57:57.559> to<00:57:57.839> purchase
• <00:57:58.160> a uh if you're looking to purchase a uh if you're looking to purchase a private

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So our group has met with a private land buyer who did purchase a large parcel, and a part of it does
• with um a private land buyer<00:43:40.160> who<00:43:40.359> did<00:43:40.680> purchase
• c> a<00:43:42.240> um<00:43:42.440> a<00:43:42.599> large buyer who did purchase
• a um a large buyer who did purchase a um a large partial<00:43:43.440> and<00:43:43.559> a
• I still believe purchasing a property for parking should be the priority, because if you improve the

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Water and Land Committee heard several measures related to DLNR, coastal management, and public lands. SB 561, which appropriates funds for conservation enforcement equipment for the Oʻahu branch of DOCARE, drew broad support from DLNR and multiple organizations, with the chair noting 18 supporters and no opposition. SB 465 would require DLNR to study the carrying capacity of Kīkiʻola Small Boat Harbor on Kauaʻi and report to the Legislature; DLNR supported the intent but suggested the study be timed with an ongoing $41 million capital improvement project. Senator Kouchi explained the bill was meant to close a permit loophole that has allowed operators to increase passenger capacity without additional approval, while one testifier opposed the measure as unnecessary and late. Supporters included county and community representatives, while some written testimony opposed it. The committee also heard SB 1456, which broadens the definition of beach restoration to include work on eroded beaches and degraded dune systems, including sand management, native vegetation, and removal of abandoned materials. DLNR, the University of Hawaiʻi, and other testifiers supported the measure as an administrative update. SB 1460 would require BLNR lease extensions to use updated forms reflecting current leasing practices; DLNR supported it as an administrative bill. SB 1517 would authorize public land leases for recreational residential use by public lottery limited to county residents. DLNR supported the bill, and Chipper Wiman and others testified that it would help preserve Kauaʻi’s historic recreational cabins and create fairness for local families; the committee also heard concerns about older cabins, market-based auction prices, and the need to keep these leases affordable for residents. The committee then heard SB 1511, which would prohibit vessels longer than 75 feet from entering Honoliʻi Bay, with an exemption for government vessels; DLNR and at least one additional testifier supported it. SB 1019 would allow the Ocean Stewardship Special Fund to be used for beach restoration planning and grants to nonprofits for cleanup, but DLNR said that purpose fit better under the separate Beach Restoration Special Fund, and the Ocean Tourism Coalition opposed the bill on that basis. Finally, SB 1457 would authorize DLNR to issue interim rules on commercial and recreational water sports equipment use for up to two years; DLNR described it as an adaptive-management tool for changing conditions, while multiple water-sports operators and residents opposed it, arguing it would reduce public participation, expand agency power, and target the foiling community. The hearing closed with the chair noting heavy opposition to SB 1457, including 88 written testimonies against it and only a few in support.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are actually purchased from a company; they're specifically built with clear doors on them so students
• <01:14:52.920> are<01:14:53.560> actually<01:14:54.560> uh<01:14:55.040> purchased
• are um these are actually uh purchased are um these are actually uh purchased from<01:14:56.199>
• To support these events, we purchase multiple copies of the selected books.
• We purchase multiple copies of the selected books, usually in paperback, to keep the cost down.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Minnesota Senate Education Policy Committee heard testimony on Senate File 508, a bill to restrict cell phone use in schools. Senator Mann said the proposal was based on roundtables with school districts across the state and on reports from other states, and argued that cell phones are harming student attention, mental health, classroom culture, and student-teacher relationships. She said K-8 restrictions are broadly supported, while high school policies should be more flexible, and emphasized that districts should control implementation. The bill also includes funding for education efforts around why the restrictions are being adopted and how students can use technology responsibly. Testifiers largely supported the bill or the general goal of limiting cell phone use. Dr. Anna Tyranny, a parent and licensed psychologist, said cell phones and social media can contribute to anxiety, poor concentration, cyberbullying, and inappropriate sharing, and urged a balanced approach that includes digital literacy education. St. Cloud Area Public Schools Superintendent Laori Pam and Tech High School staff member Molly Kenzie described their district’s policies, which keep phones away for the day in elementary and middle school and restrict them during class in high school. They cited U.S. Department of Education guidance, research on mental health and sleep disruption, and the need for age-appropriate, equitable, and consistently communicated policies. St. Cloud reported that its middle school policy, piloted and then expanded districtwide, led to a 50% reduction in cell phone discipline referrals and fewer classroom power struggles. The district said high school violations remain concentrated in certain grades, especially ninth and eleventh, and that it continues to address the issue through PBIS teams. No vote or final committee action on the bill was described in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• and '70s the cause for a massive construction of multifamily housing that was then subsequently purchased
• :30.880> subsequently family that was then subsequently family that was then subsequently purchased
• 00:54:33.079> by<00:54:33.680> by<00:54:34.000> the<00:54:34.760> uh purchased
• uh by by the uh purchased uh by by the uh H<00:54:37.680> so<00:54:37.920> the<00:54:38.119
• and then we own 418 scattered-site homes that also have significant capital needs, and those were purchased

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention heard presentations focused on public housing and related funding needs, with testimony from Minnesota NAHRO and several local housing authorities. Melissa Taphorn described the role of housing authorities statewide, including public housing, vouchers, CDBG/HOME funds, Bridges, and HEAT, and emphasized that public housing serves over 36,000 low-income Minnesotans, many of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, or children. She said federal operating and capital funds are insufficient, creating deferred maintenance backlogs, and noted that Minnesota’s public housing capital needs over a five-year period were about $500 million, with nearly $200 million unmet. She also discussed federal uncertainty, including a recent HUD funding freeze notice, possible changes to fair housing requirements, RAD repositioning options, and Build America, Buy America costs. Committee members asked about tenant rent calculations and the populations served. Testimony clarified that public housing residents generally pay 30% of monthly income, with utility allowances factored in, and that the average tenant rent in Minnesota is about $399. Members also heard that about 65% of public housing households are seniors or people with disabilities, while about 35% are families. The committee then heard examples of how state POP grants have been used to preserve public housing stock. Kurt Kina of the Red Wing HRA described multiple POP-funded projects that replaced windows, upgraded heating and cooling, and modernized electrical systems in a 100-resident high-rise, saying the work was essential to keep the building viable. Louise Siba of the St. Paul PHA testified that St. Paul’s authority serves nearly 22,000 people through more than 4,200 public housing units and over 5,200 vouchers, with most townhomes and high-rises serving elderly or disabled residents. She said St. Paul PHA has received nearly $16 million in POP funding since 2012, including about $8.5 million last year, and that those funds enabled major life-safety and modernization projects such as the Denan Terrace renovation and boiler, plumbing, and interior upgrades in high-rises. Jill Keers of the Duluth HRA described a broader set of housing programs, including vouchers, rehab loans, emergency repair funds, construction training, and development. She said Duluth HRA is adding 128 housing units between 2023 and 2025, including mixed-income rentals, senior housing, and family townhomes, and stressed that state investment through POP and other programs is necessary to keep housing affordable and safe.

Transcript Highlights:

• S-4162, Bailey, expands the Fresh Connect program, which provides rebates for the purchase of local produce

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on March 5 and moved a series of bills, with brief discussion on most measures and several members noting support for the proposals. Bills advanced included loan forgiveness and reimbursement for attorneys serving Indigenous clients (S161A), a study of lithium-ion battery fires and prevention (S257), annual housing and zoning reporting to the Department of State (F919A), a temporary state pesticide commission (S1368), an emergency repair pilot program for hazardous building code violations (S1838), a searchable veterans resources database (S2070), Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution (S2587), expanded fraud and tax-fraud provisions (S32), a NYSERDA rebate program for lithium-ion batteries for mobility devices (S3560), directing certain fines and penalties to a conservation enforcement account (S4033B), Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day (S4152A), expansion of Fresh Connect to supermarkets and grocery stores (S4162), restrictions on executive-branch contracting during a hiring freeze (S473), real-property transfer documentation and forgery-related protections (S5177), changes to retirement beneficiary options after a beneficiary’s family offense conviction (S6750), and a deposit placement program for public monies (S8357). Several bills were described as addressing fraud, housing, veterans’ services, public safety, and commemorations, and members generally spoke in favor of the measures. A few bills drew more specific comments: supporters emphasized the importance of honoring Fred Korematsu and recognizing the injustice of Japanese American detention, and the fraud-related bill was framed as a response to white-collar tax fraud and government losses. The real-property bill was highlighted as a response to mortgage and deed fraud affecting homeowners. On the housing reporting bill, there were three negative votes, and on the pesticide commission bill there were two members without recommendation. The lithium-ion battery rebate bill also drew several negative votes, while most other measures passed with little or no opposition. By the end of the meeting, the committee had completed its agenda and announced it would resume more regular meetings, while noting that the state budget process would continue to affect scheduling.

Transcript Highlights:

• , Stefanics, and Nava, an act relating to health coverage, enacting sections of the Health Care Purchasing

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Enacting sections of the Health Care Purchasing Act, the New Mexico Insurance Code, the Health Maintenance