Transcript Highlights:

• :00.079><c> back</c><00:49:00.400><c> and</c><00:49:00.640><c> then</c><00:49:00.880><c> we</c> and that
• </c><00:49:02.000><c> it.
• </c><00:49:02.640><c> And</c><00:49:02.800><c> so</c><00:49:03.119><c> that's</c><00:49:03.359><c> a<
• And so that's a very important<00:49:04.240><c> aspect</c><00:49:04.640><c> for</c><00:49:04.880><c>
• Again,<00:49:06.720><c> 19</c><00:49:07.040><c> loans</c><00:49:07.440><c> out</c><00:49:07.599><c> the

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• :01.360><c> and</c><01:49:01.520><c> Koki</c><01:49:02.800><c> the</c><01:49:03.199><c> most</c><01:49
• :03.360><c> of</c><01:49:03.520><c> their</c><01:49:03.679><c> work</c><01:49:03.840><c> is</c> LFA and
• /c><01:49:04.639><c> prevent</c><01:49:05.119><c> uh</c><01:49:05.280><c> inter</c> So, you know, for
• c> it</c><01:49:57.199><c> tells</c><01:49:57.360><c> you</c><01:49:57.520><c> it's</c><01:49:57.760>
• <c> there</c><01:49:58.000><c> you</c><01:49:58.159><c> know</c><01:49:59.199><c> so</c> that it tells

Summary: The joint informational briefing from the House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment focused on the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s update on Hawaii’s biosecurity framework, especially implementation of Act 231 (2024) and Act 236 (2025). Chairs Corey Chun and Mike Gabbard opened the meeting by framing the briefing as an update on investments to fight invasive species and improve statewide evaluation and coordination. Department leaders Sharon Her and Richard Kim described historic legislative and executive investments that have allowed the department to rebuild and modernize biosecurity infrastructure to better prevent, detect, control, and eradicate invasive species. The presentation emphasized the importance of biosecurity to Hawaii’s agriculture, economy, environment, and public well-being, citing threats such as rapid ohia death, little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, brown tree snake, and red imported fire ant. Staff explained the state’s layered approach—pre-border, border, and post-border—and compared it to New Zealand’s model, stressing that Hawaii must act as a “net, not a wall” and that prevention before entry is far more cost-effective than response after establishment. They also outlined agency roles across the system, including agriculture, natural resources, health, transportation, enforcement, and university partners, and noted that Act 231 strengthened authority over high-risk imports, offshore treatment, compliance agreements, and pest management plans, while Act 236 renamed the department and clarified statewide biosecurity coordination. Jonathan Ho then walked through specific program areas and progress. He said pre-border risk analysis is being supported by Act 231 funding and a university contract, while offshore compliance and treatment efforts have improved substantially, including Christmas tree inspections from Oregon and Washington and airline declaration systems that provide advance passenger information. For border work, he highlighted inspections, surveillance, detector dogs, and port monitoring. For post-border response and readiness, he discussed the invasive pest hotline and dashboard, trace-forward/trace-back and diagnostics, preparedness for future threats, and the need to build stronger internal capacity. He also described a developing transitional facilities program authorized by Act 236, modeled on New Zealand’s certified facilities system, and said the department has already begun outreach to industry groups such as the Hawaii Floriculture and Nursery Association. No votes or formal actions were taken; the meeting was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need<00:49:00.800><c> to</c><00:49:00.960><c> do</c><00:49:01.040><c> it</c><00:49:01.200><c> for<
• /c><00:49:01.440><c> all</c><00:49:01.599><c> of</c><00:49:01.760><c> the</c><00:49:01.920><c> children
• </c><00:49:04.800><c> Thank</c><00:49:04.960><c> you</c><00:49:05.119><c> for</c><00:49:05.280><c> your
• Thank you for your time.<00:49:06.079><c> Um,</c><00:49:06.400><c> we</c><00:49:06.640><c> have</c><00
• :49:07.119><c> Alexis</c><00:49:08.280><c> Borguson.

Bills: HF2436

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• issue comes in a lot of times<00:49:00.599><c> I'll</c><00:49:00.760><c> speak</c><00:49:00.920><c>
• to</c><00:49:01.040><c> the</c><00:49:01.119><c> skilled</c><00:49:01.440><c> nursing</c> times I'll
• </c><00:49:02.640><c> just</c><00:49:02.760><c> don't</c><00:49:03.040><c> have</c><00:49:03.200><c>
• > to</c><00:49:03.880><c> support</c><00:49:04.200><c> all</c><00:49:04.319><c> of</c><00:49:04.440><
• c> the</c><00:49:04.520><c> beds</c><00:49:04.760><c> that</c> Staff to support all of the beds that

Committee: House Health Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And<00:49:01.080><c> if</c><00:49:01.240><c> we</c><00:49:01.400><c> can</c><00:49:01.600><c> make</c
• ><00:49:02.000><c> them</c><00:49:02.680><c> shoulder</c> And if we can make them shoulder And if we
• </c> the officer the officer uh<01:49:50.640><c> was</c><01:49:50.840><c> killed</c><01:49:51.240><c>
• 2</c><01:49:51.680><c> 2</c><01:49:51.840><c> years</c><01:49:52.120><c> ago.
• </c> All<01:49:56.200><c> right.</c> All right. All right. Other<01:49:57.200><c> questions?

Bills: HB0098 , HB0075 , HB0041 , HB0101

Committee: House Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• uh the cost um as Mr Brooksby mentioned uh the the<00:49:02.599><c> rental</c><00:49:02.920><c> fee<
• /c><00:49:03.319><c> so</c><00:49:03.760><c> again</c><00:49:03.920><c> $100</c><00:49:04.880><c> as<
• /c><00:49:05.000><c> a</c><00:49:05.160><c> limit</c> the rental fee so again $100 as a limit the rental
• fee so again $100 as a limit on<00:49:05.559><c> a</c><00:49:05.920><c> uh</c><00:49:06.119><c> in</
• c><00:49:06.280><c> il</c><00:49:06.440><c> legal</c><00:49:06.799><c> rental</c><00:49:07.799><c> with

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• :00.440><c> a</c><00:49:00.480><c> little</c><00:49:00.680><c> bit.
• Is that Am<00:49:02.120><c> I</c> Am I Am I representing<00:49:03.560><c> that</c><00:49:03.760><c> correctly
• Senator,<00:49:06.120><c> you</c><00:49:06.440><c> um</c> Senator, you um Senator, you um I<00:49:08.000
• ><c> understand</c><00:49:08.360><c> your</c><00:49:08.440><c> question</c><00:49:08.920><c> and</c><
• 00:49:09.720><c> I</c><00:49:09.880><c> I</c><00:49:10.000><c> think</c> I understand your question and

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the September 11 meeting by motion and voice vote. It then received a brief update on the statewide emergency responder voice system, but no presenter was present. The chair said he expected a more substantive update in November and warned that if there is not real progress on acquiring needed private properties, the committee may consider further action, including possibly freezing funding. The main discussion centered on the Department for Community Based Services’ child removal and reunification work and its structured decision-making tools. Commissioner Lisa Dennis and General Counsel Wesley Duke explained that the intake, safety, and risk assessment tools are being used at very high rates and that the department is still implementing and evaluating the system. Dennis said the tools are meant to inform, not replace, professional judgment; when staff disagree with a recommendation, the worker and first-line supervisor consult and decide together. Members questioned whether the system favors keeping children in the home, whether the department has studied safety outcomes for in-home cases versus removals, and whether foster home shortages affect removal decisions. Dennis said child safety remains the top priority, that the practice has not changed, and that the department would provide additional data on outcomes later. Members also asked about permanency timelines and delays in termination of parental rights cases; Dennis said federal timelines are difficult to meet because of family progress, substance use recovery, and court delays, and she confirmed foster parent shortages were not the reason for those delays. The committee then heard a presentation from the Department of Revenue on the new My Taxes portal. Staff said the portal, launched in March, replaced DOR’s portion of the old Kentucky One Stop Business Portal and now allows businesses to file and pay multiple taxes, update account information, and receive official notices. They reported the system is available 24/7 except for scheduled maintenance every other Thursday evening, has maintained over 99% availability since launch, and now has a dedicated contact center with 50 agents plus a public help line and email. In response to questions, the department said early downtime was caused by unexpectedly high traffic, but server capacity was increased and in the last three months there had been only one day of unexpected downtime.

Transcript Highlights:

• From their<00:49:51.920><c> research,</c><00:49:52.560><c> we</c><00:49:52.720><c> know</c><00:49:53.200
• ><c> that</c><00:49:54.040><c> mass</c><00:49:54.800><c> um</c> their research, we know that mass um
• their research, we know that mass um school<00:49:55.600><c> shootings</c><00:49:56.760><c> where</c>
• <00:49:57.000><c> four</c><00:49:57.320><c> or</c><00:49:57.440><c> more</c> school shootings where four
• </c><00:49:59.720><c> are</c><00:49:59.880><c> insiders,</c><00:50:00.880><c> 80%.

Summary: The committee heard House File 3493, the Safe Schools Revenue Increase bill, and first adopted the DE amendment before moving the bill on for re-referral to Ways and Means. Representative Lawrence described the bill as a multi-layered school safety package for all students and schools, including public, nonpublic, charter, and tribal schools, with increased safety funding, mental health support, anonymous threat reporting, school safety plans, and student discipline changes. Several supporters emphasized the need for flexible safety funding and cited real-world safety concerns, including anonymous tip systems that had generated many reports, classroom evacuations, staff injuries, and the need for more resources for mental health and safety infrastructure. Some supporters, including charter school leaders and Catholic Conference testimony, argued the bill’s flexibility and broader safety approach were important, while others supported the K-3 suspension language as a needed tool in severe cases. Opponents focused heavily on the bill’s repeal of Minnesota’s K-3 suspension ban and non-exclusionary discipline requirements. Legal aid, disability advocates, and education groups argued that suspensions harm young children, worsen disparities, and disproportionately affect students of color and students with disabilities, and they urged the committee to keep restorative and non-exclusionary practices in place. Disability advocates also asked that any safety planning explicitly account for students with disabilities and that the bill remain aligned with IDEA protections and individualized education decisions. Several testifiers opposed using public funds for private schools, saying public money should stay in public programs. Other testimony came from school administrators and staff who supported restoring limited suspension discretion, describing serious elementary incidents, classroom evacuations, and injuries that they said required a short-term removal option to stabilize classrooms and plan for students’ return. Mental health and school support personnel witnesses stressed that safety and mental health funding should remain distinct and that more counselors, social workers, and related staff are needed to address student crises. No final vote on the bill itself was taken in the portion provided beyond adoption of the DE amendment and the motion to re-refer the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:49:18.160><c> I</c><02:49:18.200><c> know</c><02:49:18.360><c> that</c><02:49:18.600><c> earlier
• :49:19.920><c> asking</c><02:49:20.240><c> for</c><02:49:20.360><c> a</c><02:49:20.400><c> little</c>
• </c><02:49:21.520><c> the</c><02:49:21.600><c> body,</c><02:49:22.000><c> but</c><02:49:22.720><c> so
• for the body, but so we earlier we<02:49:24.000><c> passed</c><02:49:24.480><c> the</c><02:49:25.240
• the the 287G repeal for<02:49:28.280><c> cooperation</c><02:49:29.040><c> with</c><02:49:29.640><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• First up is Department of Health. sp1298<00:49:07.200><c> members</c><00:49:07.520><c> are</c><00:49:
• 07.680><c> there</c><00:49:07.839><c> any</c> questions<00:49:12.440><c> okay</c><00:49:12.599><c> moving
• </c><00:49:13.000><c> on</c><00:49:13.680><c> to</c><00:49:14.200><c> SB</c> questions okay moving on
• to SB questions okay moving on to SB 1633<00:49:17.760><c> relating</c><00:49:18.160><c> to</c><00:49
• :18.359><c> hemp</c><00:49:18.680><c> hemp</c><00:49:18.920><c> hemp</c> 1633 relating to hemp hemp hemp

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The joint Housing and Health and Human Services hearing began with Senate Bill 878, which would extend the sunset date for the state rent supplement program for kupuna to June 30, 2028. Testimony was uniformly supportive, including from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Executive Office on Aging, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and others. Catholic Charities described a waitlist of seniors at imminent risk of homelessness and said the program helps seniors retain housing or secure units with landlord support. Members asked whether the bill would expand the number of households served; staff said the contract allows up to 127 households and that additional pending households could be funded, but applicants must still go through the program process. Both committees voted to pass SB 878 unamended. The committees then heard Senate Bill 1610 on Ohana Zones. The Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions supported the measure so long as it did not supplant existing funding, and described the funding as supporting homelessness services and wraparound supports. The Department of Human Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources offered comments, with DHS suggesting a definition of “kali” be added for clarity. The committee chair said the bill would receive technical amendments for clarity and consistency and accepted proposed amendments related to including “tales” in the program; the measure was advanced with amendments, with members voting in favor in both committees. In the joint Health and Human Services and Labor and Technology hearing, Senate Bill 1496 on civil rights and website accessibility drew support from disability advocates and organizations, including the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the National Federation of the Blind, the Deaf and Blind Task Force, and the Disability and Communication Access Board. Testimony emphasized the need for stronger state protections amid concerns about federal enforcement, while one testifier raised concerns about jurisdiction, minimum contacts, the use of WCAG 2.1 standards, and the bill’s immediate effective date. The committees decided to pass SB 1496 with technical amendments, including adding a defective date to allow further work before conference, and the recommendation was adopted in both committees. Later, the joint Health, Human Services, and Commerce and Consumer Protection hearing took up Senate Bill 404 on service animals. The Attorney General’s office raised a possible constitutional issue and the lack of an enforcement mechanism, while DHS deferred to other agencies. DCAB supported the bill but recommended amendments to identify an enforcement agency and require notices from professionals and sellers of service-animal or emotional-support-animal paraphernalia. Several advocacy and real estate-related groups testified in support. After discussion, the chair recommended deferring SB 404 for further work because of the Attorney General’s concerns, and the hearing adjourned without a vote on the measure. The final joint Transportation, Culture and the Arts, and Health and Human Services agenda heard SB 1526 on a drug and alcohol toxicology testing laboratory and SB 1492 on mobility management; both measures were advanced with amendments or as-is, with SB 1526 sent forward with technical amendments and SB 1492 moved ahead after members noted blank dollar amounts and requested the Department of Transportation provide figures.

Transcript Highlights:

• President, there are 49 ayes, zero nays. I have received a constitutional majority.
• President, there are 49 ayes, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 ayes, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 ayes, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 aye, zero nay. I have received a constitutional majority.

Bills: SB5223 , SB6071 , SB5966 , SB6061 , SB6016 , SB5973 , SB5053 , SB5249 , SB5899 , SB6190 , SB5574 , SB5873 , SB5924 , SB6263 , SB6282 , SB5950 , SB6074 , SB6096 , SB5609 , SB5901 , SB5943 , SB5975 , SJM8016 , SB5907 , SB6031 , SB6155 , SB6158 , SB6227 , SB5947 , SB6085 , SB6234 , SB6274 , SB5909 , SB6044 , SB6239 , SB6045 , SB6089 , SB6170 , SB5954 , SB5762 , SB6032 , SB6066 , SB6082 , SB6164 , SB6176 , SB6319 , SB6308 , SB6200 , SB6080 , SJM8014 , SB6177 , SB6052 , SB6182 , SB5828 , SB6335 , SB6017 , SB5470 , SB5990 , SB5046 , SB5387 , SB5637 , SB5647 , SB5839 , SB5888 , SB5962 , SB6018 , SB6037 , SB6047 , SB6078 , SB6130 , SB6147 , SB6151 , SB6197 , SB6220 , SB6256 , SB6311 , SB6343

Keywords: criminal offense, fingerprinting, law enforcement, state regulations, public safety, overpayment recovery, modernization, health care, legislation, healthcare, nutrition, medically tailored meals, dietary support, food security, chronic illness, tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development

Transcript Highlights:

• So we did, we were on pages 12, line 29 through page 16, line 49. Great.
• On line 49, also from the Public Education Reform Fund.
• So thank you for also kind of flagging lines 47 and 49, line 48.
• And so thank you for also kind of flagging lines 47 and 49, line 48.
• So on line 49, yeah, on line 49, I believe that might be the same item.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• continues instead of like you it just continues instead of like you say<00:48:59.640><c> chasing</c><00:49
• :00.000><c> it</c><00:49:00.160><c> down</c><00:49:00.920><c> yes</c><00:49:01.520><c> it's</c><00:49
• :01.599><c> a</c><00:49:01.839><c> specific</c> say chasing it down yes it's a specific say chasing it
• down yes it's a specific rental<00:49:02.559><c> car</c><00:49:02.960><c> or</c><00:49:03.400><c> license
• </c><00:49:03.720><c> plate</c><00:49:03.960><c> for</c><00:49:04.280><c> rental</c> Representative Joy

Bills: HF2066 , HF340 , HF341 , HF566 , HF2107 , HF2130

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• 59.760><c> our</c> nation posing a grave threat to our nation posing a grave threat to our national<01:49
• :00.800><c> security</c><01:49:01.800><c> the</c><01:49:02.000><c> cartels</c><01:49:02.520><c> are</
• c><01:49:02.760><c> Waging</c> national security the cartels are Waging national security the cartels
• are Waging War<01:49:03.320><c> in</c><01:49:03.560><c> America</c><01:49:04.239><c> and</c><01:49:04.400
• ><c> it's</c><01:49:04.639><c> time</c><01:49:04.920><c> for</c><01:49:05.400><c> America</c> War in

Transcript Highlights:

• followed by<01:49:08.360><c> Boyd</c> hagy<01:49:12.080><c> and</c><01:49:12.239><c> I</c><01:49:12.400
• ><c> apologize</c><01:49:12.920><c> if</c><01:49:13.080><c> I</c><01:49:13.560><c> don't</c><01:49:13.800
• ><c> I'm</c><02:49:39.000><c> here</c><02:49:39.200><c> in</c><02:49:39.399><c> opposition</c><02:49:
• :40.720><c> 148</c><02:49:41.720><c> as</c><02:49:41.840><c> a</c><02:49:41.960><c> mental</c><02:49:
• 47.800><c> to</c><02:49:47.880><c> you</c><02:49:48.000><c> from</c><02:49:48.120><c> both</c><02:49:

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on House Bill 148, which Rep. Jim Kofalt said is the same language as last year’s HB 396, vetoed by the governor. He described the bill as allowing, but not requiring, separation by biological sex in three areas: bathrooms and locker rooms, houses of correction, and certain athletic competitions. Kofalt argued the bill would give local school boards and other policymakers discretion to set practical rules, citing concerns about safety, privacy, and a Milford incident involving a biological male in girls’ locker rooms. Committee members pressed him on the lack of a definition of “biological sex,” and he said he did not think one was necessary because males and females are commonly understood. He also said the bill was meant to address situations where outside groups threaten lawsuits and leave local boards with no latitude. Testimony then split sharply. Supporters, including Executive Counselor Karen Hill and several others, said HB 148 would roll back anti-discrimination protections, contradict New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” values, and harm transgender and non-binary people. Opponents described the bill as discriminatory and unnecessary, arguing that existing bathroom and sports policies already work and that the bill would invite harassment, invasive enforcement, and legal conflict. Several speakers, including trans residents and parents of trans children, said they had used public restrooms without incident and warned that enforcement would be impractical or abusive. One supporter argued the bill was needed to protect girls’ privacy and safety and cited school sports disputes and a concern about a sex offender at a game as examples of why sex-segregated rules should be restored. Committee members asked questions about how biological sex would be defined, whether the bill was responding to real incidents in New Hampshire, and how any restrictions would be enforced. Kofalt said he was aware of issues in several school districts and at the State House, but did not have detailed documentation for every case. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided; the chair instead moved through public testimony under a strict two-minute limit and noted that follow-up questions would be limited so the committee could hear multiple bills that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• The<00:49:00.600><c> question</c><00:49:01.080><c> is,</c><00:49:01.360><c> shall</c><00:49:01.640><c
• > the</c><00:49:01.760><c> bill</c><00:49:02.040><c> pass</c><00:49:02.480><c> in</c> The question is
• , shall the bill pass in The question is, shall the bill pass in concurrence<00:49:03.480><c> with</c
• ><00:49:03.640><c> proposal</c><00:49:04.200><c> of</c><00:49:04.320><c> amendment?

Transcript Highlights:

• President, there are 49 yeas, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 yeas, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 yeas, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 yeas, zero nays.
• President, there are 49 yeas, zero nays.

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2340 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Summary: The Senate took up a series of House bills, often suspending the rules to move measures directly to final passage after brief debate. Messages from the House reported signed bills being transmitted, and the Senate later signed several measures in open session. The chamber also excused a few members from voting on specific bills. Among the first major actions, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2508, clarifying the scope and authority of the Office of Independent Investigations, passed 44-4 after supporters described it as a technical housekeeping bill and opponents raised concerns about overlapping investigations. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408, which dedicates 20% of sales tax revenue from the two large stadiums to a community preservation and development authority in South Downtown/Pioneer Square/Chinatown International District, passed 47-1 after supporters emphasized reinvestment in historic buildings and neighborhood safety. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500, requiring more complete resale certificates for common interest communities and homeowners associations, passed 39-9 after a successful amendment clarifying litigation language. Substitute House Bill 1570, allowing collective bargaining for certain student employees at public institutions, failed an amendment to remove the emergency clause and then passed 29-19 despite objections that it blurs student and employee roles. The chamber then debated Substitute House Bill 1390, which repeals the Community Protection Program and directs DSHS to transition participants into other developmental disability services. Numerous amendments sought to preserve restrictions, add assessments, or create liability protections, but most were rejected; the committee striking amendment updating agency names and dates was adopted. The bill passed 29-20 after a lengthy, emotional debate over whether the program protects public safety or unfairly restricts people with developmental disabilities, with supporters citing civil rights concerns and opponents warning about risks to vulnerable residents and the lack of a detailed transition plan. Other measures passed with broad support, including Substitute House Bill 2114 on defective license plates (48-0), Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2471 on collective bargaining if the NLRB loses authority (31-18), House Bill 1069 on bargaining over supplemental retirement contributions for Department of Corrections employees (31-18), House Bill 2441 expanding medical premium reimbursements for surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths (49-0), and Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1710 adding preclearance requirements under the Washington Voting Rights Act, which drew debate over local control and litigation but had not yet reached a final vote by the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members, Senate Bill 24 by Senator Connick designates Interstate 49 as Senator Jay Bennett
• “Naming Interstate 49 to honor Senator Johnson is particularly meaningful because the north-south highway
• that ultimately became I-49 was one of the defining priorities of his entire public career.
• highway, connecting Lafayette, Alexandria, Natchitoches, and Trefort, began long before Interstate 49
• transportation funding supported the development of the corridor that would ultimately become Interstate 49

Bills: HCR63 , HCR69 , SCR6 , SCR18 , SB2 , SB19 , SB24 , SB50 , SB70 , SB96 , SB101 , SB103 , SB104 , SB114 , SB122 , SB159 , SB160 , SB182 , SB412 , SB418 , SB460

Committee: House Transportation, Highways & Public Works

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on Monday, April 27, with a quorum present and took up a series of Senate bills and one House concurrent resolution, most of them related to transportation infrastructure, memorial highway designations, and prestige license plates. Early action centered on Senate Bill 122, which would direct the Department of Transportation and Development to be more proactive about bridge maintenance, inspection, reporting, and public meetings on bridge conditions; the committee adopted a large amendment package before reporting the bill with amendments. The committee also reported favorably SCR 6 supporting an LNG facility at Port Fourchon and SCR 18 directing a study of commercial driver’s license privileges compared with neighboring states. Several bills designated memorial highways or bridges, including SB 50 for the Elwood T. Brady Jr. Memorial Bridge, SB 70 for the Officer Mark Brock Memorial Highway, SB 460 for the Hayden Lane Mangum Memorial Highway, SB 101 for the Daniel Edward Didillo Memorial Highway and Bill Blue Evans Memorial Highway, SB 160 for the Speaker Joe R. Salter Memorial Highway, SB 418 for the Dick and Jacques Schuford Memorial Highway, SB 103 for the Gladys Edwards Highway, SB 159 for the Surgeon Roelio Roy Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Highway, SB 182 for the Mayor Billy Cobb Memorial Highway, SB 104 for the Ernest J. Gaines Memorial Highway, and SB 2 for the Falcons Band Highway. The committee also approved SB 114 creating a prestige plate for the Foundation for Moral Law and SB 96 creating a Fallen Heroes prestige plate. One of the more substantive policy items was HCR 63, which creates a task force to study whether certain active-duty military personnel without civilian driver’s licenses should be allowed to operate federally owned vehicles on state highways; it was reported favorably after discussion of military training and licensing differences. Another major item was HCR 69, urging DOTD to improve Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish; the committee adopted amendments adding findings about flooding, drainage, and evacuation concerns, and then reported the resolution with amendments. The committee also considered SB 19 on the state employee retired prestige plate; after objections about whether proceeds should continue supporting LASERS, the bill was reported favorably by roll call vote, 13-1, with Representative Schamberhorn voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, the $7.4 billion that goes into the New Mexico General Fund represents 49% of our entire state
• And whereas of that amount, $7.4 billion went to the General Fund, representing 49% of the General Fund's
• But not only that, the oil and gas contributed 49% of all revenue to the state budget.
• Speaker, I am going to repeat that: the oil and gas industry contributed 49% of all revenue to the state
• memorial, and we are very appreciative of how much they contribute to our state, and I believe it's about 49%

Transcript Highlights:

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Committee: Senate Human Services