Transcript Highlights:

• And so if we take away this $5 million, which the governor had recommended, and we don't replace it,
• This is the Clarendon Road replacements, the infamous State Fair Road that we discussed at length, I
• The proposed replacement briefly is St. Louis Society of Blind and Visually Impaired.
• This also has to do with the Clarendon Road replacement, only instead of just reducing the funds, I'm
• So trying to, you know, replace general revenue where we could to save it, you know, was my overarching

Summary: The House Budget Committee met with a quorum and began by taking up a series of budget bills and committee substitutes, including House Bills 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, which were laid over. The chair then walked members through a committee amendment package, explaining a mix of technical corrections, fund swaps, and adjustments involving highway patrol fringe costs, summary budget timing, rural health care, the CCBHO FMAP correction, and marijuana-fund reallocations. Members adopted the chair’s decrease amendments and later adopted the corresponding increase amendments, including partial restoration for Care to Learn, a Title I grant language change, an Overpass and Seymour road project, technical corrections for DPS and health-related items, and restorations for Jordan Valley and FQHC substance abuse funding. After a brief recess for session and lunch, the committee returned to House Bill 2 and began considering member amendments. On House Bill 2, the committee adopted Representative Lewis’s amendment making the curriculum transparency and parent portal item a pilot program, and Representative Davidson’s amendment adding $2 million in federal Child Care and Development Block Grant funds for One-Time Wonder School. Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to shift funding from Missouri Star Solutions and WorkKeys to the Success Ready Student Assessment failed, as did Representative Taylor’s proposal to move $1.2 million from career ladder to community college nursing programs. The committee then rejected Representative Steinhoff’s attempt to redirect Title I Innovation and Improvement Grant funds back to the governor’s recommendation, and later adopted Representative Steinhoff’s vocational rehabilitation amendment, which restored the department’s request and drew down additional federal matching funds. The committee also adopted Representative Hyne’s language amendment to allow flexibility between the MOQPK pre-K grant program and the Child Care Works tri-share program, though members discussed concerns about cross-bill flexibility and whether funds would actually be available. Representative Fogle’s amendment to require budget communications sent to committee chairs to also go to the full Budget Committee was defeated after members expressed concern about information overload and the difference between required distribution and requested information. The committee then took up a lengthy debate over Representative Fogle’s amendment to remove language barring Parents as Teachers participation for children already enrolled in public pre-K. Supporters argued the programs serve different purposes and that families should not be forced to choose between them, while opponents said the language was intended to prevent duplication of services and preserve resources for children without other options. After extensive discussion, the amendment failed. The committee continued with additional House Bill 2 amendments, but the transcript ends before final action on the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• It only raises the replacement rate to about 30-some-odd percent, 32%. It doesn't affect the fund.
• It only raises the replacement rate to about 30-some-odd percent, 32%. It doesn't affect the fund.
• It only raises the replacement rate to about 30-some-odd percent, 32%. It doesn't affect the fund.
• rate, um there's a wage replacement rate, um there's going<02:02:41.440><c> to</c><02:02:41.599><c>
• </c><02:04:36.080><c> rate</c><02:04:36.320><c> for</c> about a 26% wage replacement rate for about a

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• uh, certainly hospitals are large employers, so it's not surprising that they're going to have to replace
• plant equipment on an occasional replace plant equipment on an occasional basis<01:15:15.440><c> to<
• So after a hip replacement or knee replacement, if they can't be at home, they can come back and rehab
• You know, you can go in for a hip replacement and you can go home the same day, you know, things like
• and you can go in for a hip replacement and you can go home<01:34:48.239><c> the</c><01:34:48.480><c

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Select Subcommittee first took up adoption of three previously prepared nonpartisan committee summary reports dated October 15, November 13, and November 21. Senator Rasmusson objected to the lack of advance notice about the day’s testifiers and criticized the practice of having nonpartisan staff summarize what he described as a partisan agenda. The chair responded that the committee’s purpose is to gather information, not hear bills, and that the summaries were intended as neutral resources for the Senate. Senator Coopek moved adoption, the motion was opposed by Rasmusson and another member, and the motion passed. The committee then turned to the day’s hearing on federal impacts on Minnesota, with the chair focusing on federal funding threats and the effect of congressional budget actions on health care, especially in greater Minnesota. The first presentation came from the Minnesota Department of Health on the state’s rural health transformation work. Assistant Commissioner Carol Broom introduced the team and described the rural hospital transformation program as a major opportunity to invest in rural health, while acknowledging longstanding challenges such as demographics, transportation barriers, and the financing of care. Nitha Moibi outlined the state’s rural health chart book and data showing an aging population, workforce shortages, and many health professional shortage areas, and described proposed strategies including workforce pipelines, bridge payments for low-volume birth hospitals, telehealth access points, mental health urgent care, and chronic disease prevention. Acting Assistant Commissioner Anna Ashby of the Minnesota Management and Budget office explained the state’s application to CMS for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was created in federal law and awarded Minnesota just over $193 million for federal fiscal year 2026. She said the application was shaped by public comments, stakeholder meetings, and legislative outreach, and included initiatives on preventive care, workforce, care access, behavioral health, and provider financial stability. She also reviewed implementation constraints, including a January 30 revised budget deadline, limits on administrative spending, restrictions on using funds to offset Medicaid losses, and the need to show measurable progress to remain eligible for future funding. The presentation noted that most year-one funding would go to rural hospitals, with additional support for federally qualified health centers, community mental health centers, tribal partners, and technical assistance.

Transcript Highlights:

• We desperately need the seasonal recreation tax replacement aid legislation.
• </c><00:23:51.760><c> Aid</c> Recreation tax replacement Aid Recreation tax replacement Aid legislation
• </c><00:38:02.319><c> Aid</c><00:38:03.040><c> and</c> recreational tax replacement Aid and recreational
• tax replacement Aid and that<00:38:03.480><c> would</c><00:38:03.760><c> essentially</c><00:38:04.480
• We wanted to replace garage doors for walls, and we were told no.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee amendments would replace the Department of Human Services with the Governor's Office of
• The amendments would replace references to disabled residents with people with disabilities, and they
• And some of our largest utility companies, including Public Service and others, replaced some very old
• So I have concerns with the retroactivity. ...replaced some very old assets at the time.

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that project will, that funding will be replaced with Department of Energy... ...and that funding
• will be replaced with Department of Energy funding.
• numbers so that people understand that that billion dollars might very well be in that pipeline to replace
• They're going to have to use all what's in the Viking line to replace what's getting used in Fargo and

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee received a compliance and status update on Industrial Commission programs and the Bank of North Dakota. Staff reviewed appropriations and spending for several Industrial Commission funds and grant programs, including lignite research, oil and gas research, clean sustainable energy, grid resiliency, salt cavern analysis, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members discussed the timing of reimbursements, uncommitted balances, and the structure of the pipeline capacity and enhanced oil recovery funding. The Industrial Commission also reported on its administrative budget, grant management system project, and recent leadership transitions across several agencies. Karen Tyler of the Industrial Commission described active grant rounds and the status of major projects. She said the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority approved three projects in its sixth round, with remaining uncommitted cash and loan capacity still available, though no new funding was appropriated this session. She also said the Oil and Gas Research Council approved six enhanced oil recovery projects and expects additional funding after a federal Department of Energy award replaces one project’s state funding. For grid resiliency grants, she said some projects have been funded, some commitments were returned or reallocated, and some DOE funds remain pending. She also updated the committee on the salt cavern business case study, which replaced an earlier larger development proposal, and on the NDSU research park grant, where the nonmatching portion was paid and the matching portion has moved slowly because the match must be in cash. Ron Ness then gave an extended presentation on enhanced oil recovery and North Dakota oil and gas trends. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on infrastructure, especially gas takeaway and projects like the Bakken East pipeline. He argued that enhanced oil recovery using CO2, natural gas, surfactants, and other methods could extend Bakken production for decades, but that the state needs more CO2 supply, better storage, and updated tax and regulatory incentives. Members asked about lateral lengths, CO2 availability, pipeline impacts, and the role of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Ness emphasized that the projects are intended to share technical learning across operators and attract follow-on investment. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and strategic update. President Don Morgan said the bank’s mission remains to support North Dakota agriculture, commerce, and industry while cooperating with the state’s financial sector. He reviewed the bank’s main business lines: participation lending with community institutions, student loans, disaster lending, mission-based programs, and a new fintech-focused effort. Morgan said deposits are flattening, so the bank is managing balance sheet growth carefully, while still reporting improved net income and strong efficiency. He also introduced Rough Rider Coin as a bank-to-bank payment rail, not a public cryptocurrency, intended to speed and modernize payments within North Dakota’s banking and credit union system. Committee members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster program use, and how credit lines and liquidity would be affected if deposits shrink.

Transcript Highlights:

• amendment should be, if somebody wants to trust but verify, the amendment should be a verbatim replacement
• /c><00:02:57.120><c> verbatim</c> amendment should be a verbatim amendment should be a verbatim replacement
• 58.560><c> bill</c><00:02:58.840><c> with</c><00:02:59.120><c> House</c><00:02:59.360><c> Bill</c> replacement
• of the bill with House Bill replacement of the bill with House Bill 1600,<00:03:00.920><c> which</c>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our county faces a critical shortfall of over $100 million in vehicle license fee replacement funds.
• So you can have these replacement site opportunities on the ground level, especially when I think of
• Rental rates don't account for end-of-useful-life replacements.
• Rental rates don't account for end-of-useful-life replacements.

Summary: The hearing began with a vote-only agenda and then focused first on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding. County officials, city leaders, labor representatives, nonprofits, and public safety advocates argued that the loss of roughly $157 million would force major cuts to homelessness services, housing assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, fire and police staffing, and other local services. They described the current formula as outdated and unfair, tied to school funding and basic-aid dynamics that no longer work for San Mateo County, and urged both an immediate budget restoration and a permanent legislative fix. The Department of Finance said the payments are discretionary, not statutorily required, and noted the administration does not view the expenditure as sustainable in the current fiscal climate. Committee members expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said they would keep the issue under consideration; the committee later voted to move the two vote-only items on the agenda. The committee then received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not currently an active project, while the Fell Street project shifted from an integrated DMV-housing plan to a more feasible relocation of the DMV into leased commercial space, with a budget change proposal pending. Members pressed DGS on the slow pace of redevelopment, the potential for housing on state sites, and the costs and feasibility of adaptive reuse. DGS said many state buildings are aging and that adaptive reuse depends heavily on building design, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The Government Operations portion then turned to the California Education Learning Lab, which supports intersegmental higher education innovation grants. The Lab asked for permanent restoration of $4 million in ongoing funding and a move of its home agency from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, along with technical trailer bill changes. Supporters said the program has funded more than 120 projects reaching thousands of faculty and hundreds of thousands of students, including work on generative AI in higher education. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the California Education Interagency Council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held the item open. Finally, GovOps presented the new California Education Interagency Council staffing request, seeking four ongoing positions to support the council, with funding already included in last year’s budget. The department said the governor has appointed Debbie Cochran as executive officer and that the remaining positions are being recruited. Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee began questions about how the council will be staffed and organized.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our county faces a critical shortfall of over $100 million in vehicle license fee replacement funds.
• So you can have these replacement site opportunities on the ground level, especially when I think of
• Rental rates don't account for end-of-useful-life replacements.
• Rental rates don't account for end-of-useful-life replacements.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• more local levy, they could increase the level that they wanted to, or is it just a one-to-one replacement
• doing a more local levy, they could increase the level that they wanted to, or is just a one-to-one replacement
• This bill risks replacing that with a fragmented system where a child's services depend on their zip
• This bill risks replacing that with a fragmented system where a child's services depend on their zip

Summary: The committee first met in executive session on House Bill 3070, a firearms-related bill. Representative Koslow argued the bill was not truly Second Amendment friendly, saying it could block return of stolen firearms, expose taxpayers to large payouts, and harm firearm dealers. Representative Greg said local law enforcement did not support it. The committee then voted 3 ayes and 9 noes, and HB 3070 failed to be reported do pass. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2904, which would expand animal mistreatment law to include starvation and add a House committee substitute addressing false reports of animal abuse. Representative Don Mayhew said the bill responds to cases of animals left chained and neglected, and supporters from the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane World for Animals, and the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation backed the measure. No opposition testimony was offered. The bulk of the meeting focused on House Bill 2933, which would allow school districts in St. Louis County to withdraw from the Special School District of St. Louis County through board action and a local vote. The sponsor and supporters, including Lindbergh officials, parents, and an attorney, said the current SSD structure is too rigid, lacks accountability, and can fail to meet students’ individualized needs; they cited service delays, litigation, and concerns raised by families. Opponents, including SSD administrators, superintendents, parents, and advocates, said SSD provides specialized services that many districts could not replicate, warned the bill could fragment services and create instability, and pointed to the countywide history and existing review mechanisms for SSD. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 2933.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this replaces our current one-size-fits-all approach, and I think it's pretty reasonable.
• They had a federal grant, I believe, that they were going to replace an old lateral with some piping.
• Wop Canal in my district, they had a federal grant, I believe it was, that they were going to replace
• I wouldn’t think that we would replace stablecoin for cash.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first approved the March 16 and March 17 minutes, then introduced RS 33798, a Department of Administration procurement-related bill from Senator Van Orden. The committee next heard Senate Bill 1422, a major rewrite of Idaho campaign finance law sponsored by Senator Harris and Secretary of State Phil McGrane. The bill would move campaign finance provisions from Title 67 to Title 74, reorganize the law into clearer parts, add disclosure and reporting requirements, prohibit foreign contributions, require “paid for by” language, add pre-primary and pre-general reports, create a more graduated fine structure, and clarify rules for independent expenditures, electioneering communications, and donation timing. Questions focused on enforcement, reporting thresholds, and whether the bill addressed ad truthfulness; McGrane said it did not regulate speech content, only spending and disclosure. The committee voted to send SB 1422 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 889, a broad overhaul of the State Procurement Act presented by Representative Britt Raibolt. The bill updates procurement definitions, clarifies best-and-final-offer procedures, requires use of agency subject-matter experts, allows multiple-award contracts, clarifies bid scoring and analysis, lets prior state contract performance be considered, requires vendor agreement before federal contracts are sent to CMS, protects certain technical information while requiring disclosure if a vendor later bids, adds a debarment process for bad-faith conduct, creates a cooling-off period for certain former officials and employees, establishes a protest bond for bid challenges, and requires reporting of procurement-related spending over $50. Raibolt said the bill was prompted by practical procurement problems and aimed to improve consistency, transparency, and cost savings. The committee sent HB 889 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Two additional bills related to the ITD building and surplus property were also advanced. House Bill 890 would repeal a special surplus-property disposal provision and return disposal of administrative property to the regular process under the State Board of Land Commissioners. House Bill 900 would set procedures for insurance claims over $100,000, require an appraisal opportunity for affected agencies, require public notice of settlement offers, and mandate a public hearing and legislative notice if an agency relocates services or sells property after a damage-related claim. Both bills were sent to the floor with due pass recommendations. The longest discussion was on House Bill 898, which would move the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society into the new Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Sponsor Senator Den Hartog said the move would improve coordination on federal permitting, strengthen Idaho’s voice with federal agencies, and preserve all federally required SHPO functions, with funding and staff continuing. Many preservation professionals, local officials, and citizens testified in opposition, arguing the current structure works well, that SHIPO benefits from being housed with the Historical Society, and that moving it under an office focused on energy and minerals could create conflicts of interest or pressure to weaken preservation review. Supporters, including water and utility representatives, argued the change would improve coordination, reduce delays, and help small entities navigate complex federal processes. The sponsor closed by saying the bill complies with federal law and would not change the underlying preservation review process, though the committee had not yet taken final action in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this replaces our current one-size-fits-all approach, and I think it's pretty reasonable.
• And this replaces our current one-size-fits-all approach, and I think it's pretty reasonable.
• They had a federal grant, I believe it was, that they were going to replace an old lateral with some
• I wouldn’t think that we would replace stablecoin for cash. I would think that we, if there were...

Summary: The committee first approved the March 16 and March 17, 2026 minutes. It then introduced RS 33798, a proposal related to cooperative and group discount purchasing in the Department of Administration procurement division, and sent it for printing. The main policy item was Senate Bill 1422, a major rewrite of Idaho campaign finance law. Senator Harris and Secretary of State Phil McGrane said the bill would move the laws into Title 74, reorganize reporting rules, prohibit foreign contributions, require new disclosures for signature-gathering and independent expenditures, add pre-primary and pre-general reports, increase contribution limits modestly, and create a graduated fine structure. Questions focused on reporting thresholds, commercial recordkeeping, and the distinction between reporting violations and other violations. The committee voted to send SB 1422 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 889, a broad update to the State Procurement Act. Representative Britt Raibolt said the bill clarifies procurement definitions, best-and-final-offer procedures, use of subject-matter experts, multiple-award contracts, bid scoring, prior performance, federal CMS approval timing, confidentiality of technical information, debarment, cooling-off periods, protest bonds, and disclosure of procurement-related spending. He said the goal was to improve consistency, transparency, and efficiency in large state procurements. After brief questions about the need for the overhaul and the definition of frivolous protests, the committee voted to send HB 889 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. House Bill 890, also presented by Raibolt, would repeal a surplus-property carve-out used in the ITD building sale and return disposal of surplus administrative property to the regular process under the State Board of Land Commissioners. The committee also advanced HB 900, which sets procedures for private insurance claims over $100,000 involving state property damage, requires appraisal opportunities, public notice of settlement offers, and a public hearing plus legislative notice if an agency relocates services or sells property after such a claim. Both bills received due pass recommendations. The longest discussion was on House Bill 898, which would move the State Historic Preservation Office from the Idaho State Historical Society into the new Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination. Senator Den Hartog said the move would improve coordination on federal permitting and preserve SHPO’s functions, while opponents argued the current placement supports preservation work, grants, archives, and Section 106 review, and that moving SHPO into an office focused on energy and minerals could create conflicts of interest and weaken preservation outcomes. Testimony came from historians, preservation professionals, local commission members, utility and water industry representatives, and a youth witness, with supporters emphasizing streamlined permitting and opponents emphasizing mission alignment and public trust. The sponsor closed by saying the bill complies with federal law and that federal law allows states flexibility in where to house the office; the transcript ends before any final committee action on HB 898.

Transcript Highlights:

• In section 15 of this bill, there is a strike to a reference to contact address, and it has been replaced
• <00:38:13.160><c> taking</c><00:38:13.440><c> them</c><00:38:13.760><c> and</c><00:38:14.120><c> replacing
• </c><00:38:14.720><c> the</c> and taking them and replacing the and taking them and replacing the the

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Williams, what is the cost of replacement for somebody who becomes disabled because of PTSD?
• through nine months of academy training, and then they ride with an officer for a year, so the cost of replacing
• through nine months of academy training and then they ride with an officer for a year, so the cost of replacing
• In this particular situation, because we're talking about law enforcement and the cost of replacing law

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several public safety and corrections measures. SB 1161 would prevent $750,000 appropriated to DPS for Yuma County’s Amberly’s Place Family Advocacy Center from lapsing; testimony emphasized that the bill preserves existing funding for crisis response and victim services. The committee also advanced SB 1215, which clarifies the cancer list tied to the occupational disease presumption for firefighters and peace officers and adds retroactivity to June 30, 2021. SB 1270, aimed at retention for Tier 3 corrections employees, would allow optional employer supplemental contributions to defined contribution accounts at specified service intervals, with an amendment capping annual contributions at $5,000 and requiring employer policies; members discussed retention, vesting, and whether the incentive could simply be taken and left after the waiting period. Both SB 1161 and SB 1215 received due pass recommendations, as did SB 1270 after one no vote and several members noting the need for better retention tools. The committee then considered SB 1400, which authorizes law enforcement wellness and crisis response programs and sets confidentiality rules for information shared in those programs. Supporters said the bill would expand access to peer and professional support while preserving public records and misconduct investigation access, but members raised concerns that the privilege language could be too broad for licensed therapists; the sponsor indicated openness to an amendment, and the bill was advanced with members reserving the right to change their votes if the language is not tightened. SB 1538, as a strike-everything amendment, would require workers’ compensation coverage for PTSD treatment for firefighters and peace officers and could include one course of MDMA treatment if federal approval and DEA rescheduling occur by the stated deadline. Supporters described promising clinical trial results and argued the bill is a conditional authorization, while counties opposed the mandate and raised cost concerns; after debate over whether the bill is permissive or mandatory, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and gave the bill a due pass recommendation. The committee also passed SB 1537, which renames the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund as the Public Safety De-escalation and Life Safety Fund and repeals the advisory commission. Supporters said the new name better reflects the fund’s use for de-escalation and less-lethal equipment, while some members opposed the change and preferred the money be used for raises. Finally, the committee began hearing SB 1580, which would appropriate funds for fire incident management support hardware and software and, under a chairman’s amendment, redirect money from the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund to additional public safety technology and retention/recruitment purposes; testimony focused on regional data-sharing systems and the need for accountability and clarity on how the funds would be spent.

Transcript Highlights:

• raise concerns for folks as long as—if we're, you know—and so what we really don't want to do is replace
• Replace the bill's behind-the-meter energy storage requirement with a requirement that the CPUC establish
• Current non-emitting resources like solar, wind, and storage cannot completely replace traditional backup
• have plenty of cheap electricity, as we just discussed, that could be used for industrial firms to replace

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The ballot initiative would fully replace current Massachusetts law 40P, which essentially prohibits
• The ballot initiative would fully replace current Massachusetts law 40P, which essentially prohibits
• In terms of the Massachusetts ballot initiative, then, to move on to that, it would replace the existing
• profits that could only be achieved by squeezing more money out of the tenants, or displacing and replacing

Bills: H5008

Keywords: rent control, housing stability, tenants rights, affordability crisis, consumer protection, 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House amendment removes a detailed provision regarding what constitutes sufficient capacity and replaces
• amendment removes a requirement that the property owner pay all infrastructure and connection costs and replaces
• youth are not... ...accessed by a foster care agency on behalf of a foster youth are not used to replace
• appointees to the Medical Examiner Commission remain active until resignation, disqualification, or replacement

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of recognitions for interns, staff, and guests. Members also honored retiring Senate staffer Susan Miller and recognized a veteran injured in combat. After routine announcements, the chamber moved to returning messages from the House and began taking up bills and amendments. The Senate concurred in House amendments and passed SB 118 on RV park assessments and SB 572 on ethics for public officers and employees, both by 38-0 votes. It then took up the elections bill, CS/CS/HB 991, which drew extensive debate. Supporters said it would strengthen election integrity by tightening citizenship verification and ID rules; opponents argued it would burden eligible voters, especially students, seniors, disabled voters, and others without the newly required documents. The bill passed 27-12. The chamber also passed the education package SB 182 after adopting a Senate amendment to the House amendment, and approved SB 474 on military affairs, SB 425 on historic cemeteries, HB 929 on local regulation of chickees, and HB 35/SB 1370 on habitual traffic offender designation, all with unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The Senate then considered SB 902/ HB 733, the Department of Health package. Members adopted an amendment and amendment-to-amendment that preserved most Senate provisions while modifying or removing several House additions, including some early steps and medical marijuana-related changes, and the bill passed 37-0. The chamber also began work on HB 905, the foreign influence bill, with a strike-all amendment offered to expand restrictions on foreign influence, sister-city agreements, linkage institutes, and related activities, but the debate on that measure was still underway when the transcript ended. Several other returning messages and bills were temporarily postponed, and the Senate recessed briefly before resuming business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Excuse me, the amendment having been withdrawn, appears the Senator has a replacement amendment.
• been withdrawn, appears the Senator has been withdrawn, appears the Senator has a<00:50:45.280><c> replacement
• </c> a replacement amendment. All right. a replacement amendment. All right.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, March 12, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate convened with a quorum, heard an invocation from Pastor Delman Coates, and received several guest introductions, including the doctor of the day, student visitors, homeschool advocates, community leaders, and the Braver Angels group. The chamber also journalized remarks welcoming Dr. Coates and recognized a prayer breakfast, with members offering brief thanks and acknowledgments before moving to legislative business. The Senate handled several messages and nominations, including withdrawal of an appointment, Johns Hopkins Police Accountability Board nominations, and Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners nominations, all referred to Executive Nominations. The chamber also received House Bill 156 and an Executive Nominations Committee report recommending confirmation of a slate of appointments, which was special ordered for later consideration. A motion to return Senate Bill 463 to second reader and special order it for Tuesday was adopted without objection, and Senate Bill 473 was also special ordered for Tuesday. On third reading, the Senate passed a large number of bills, including measures on ignition interlock participation, school construction, port hearing notice, veteran status notation for educators, correctional officer scholarships, benefits exploitation, veterans trust fund applications, presidential electors, advance enrollment for children of active service members, retired law enforcement handgun permits, high-risk pregnancy discharge communication, charitable organization audit thresholds, child care criminal history checks, water pollution discharge permits, blockchain task force creation, franchise registration reform, licensing portability for foreign service members and spouses, Medicaid collaborative care cost-sharing, gift card fraud, school for the deaf board membership, vehicle dealer hearings, massage therapy advertising, protective body armor reporting, lithium-ion battery safety, pharmacy prescriber agreements for opioid use disorder treatment, human relevant research fund contributions, state and higher education email requirements, and auto insurance producer commissions. Most passed unanimously or by wide margins; Senate Bill 348 and Senate Bill 585 passed with 30 and 32 votes in favor, respectively. Senate Bill 140, concerning benefits exploitation, drew extended debate over constitutionality and pending litigation, with one senator citing an Attorney General opinion and another citing a Supreme Court case on neutral principles in church property disputes; the bill ultimately passed with 40 votes. Members later changed several votes on the floor, including on Senate Bills 172, 376, 428, and 48. The session ended while the clerk was beginning to read Senate Bill 629, with the remaining calendar not completed in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And coming up the way, we only have 40 to replace those 60. Now my grade level goes down.
• So was there any consideration to have this replace the APR? No.
• think that, you know, when we looked at that, we wanted to make sure that was a part of it, but not replace
• Ohio replaced A through F grades after about a decade, with lawmakers arguing that letters failed to

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay. 60 of them graduate, and coming up the way we only have 40 to replace those 60.
• So was there any consideration to have this replace the APR? No, no.
• think that, you know, when we looked at that, we wanted to make sure that was a part of it, but not replace
• Ohio replaced A through F grades after about a decade, with lawmakers arguing that letters failed to

Summary: The House first approved the previous day’s journal by roll call vote, 116-0, and then spent a long portion of the morning recognizing visiting students, homeschool groups, professional associations, veterans, and other guests in the gallery. A moment of silence was held in honor of Conrad Ashcraft after a member introduced his grandmother, who was present to testify on a bill related to his death. The chamber also recognized a birthday page, a 90th birthday for a House staff member, and Chiropractic Physicians Day. The main floor debate centered on House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2710, which would create an A-through-F school grading system for public schools and charter schools. Supporters said the bill would give parents a simple, transparent way to understand school performance, while also preserving more detailed underlying data and adding a climate scorecard amendment covering suspension, restraint, and satisfaction measures. The bill sponsor and supporters emphasized that the measure was revised from earlier versions, that the A grade would be based on the top decile rather than a moving target, that literacy and growth measures were important, and that any teacher incentive funding would be handled through appropriations and the teacher retention and recruitment fund rather than direct bonuses. Opponents argued that letter grades would stigmatize schools, destabilize staffing, and oversimplify complex school conditions, especially in districts with high poverty, mobility, or special education populations. Several members questioned the fairness of comparing schools with different funding levels, demographics, and student turnover, and others argued that the bill would not solve concerns about the MAP test or broader school funding. One member objected that the bill applied only to public and charter schools while state dollars are also now going to private-school tuition support. Despite those concerns, the House adopted the amendment offered by the St. Louis member, then adopted the committee substitute and ordered House Bill 2710 perfected and printed. Afterward, the House took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 2404 and 2172, a measure to remove deed restrictions on unused public school property and create a right of first refusal for public entities, including charter schools. Supporters said the bill would allow vacant school buildings to be reused for education rather than sit unused or be demolished, and could generate revenue for school districts. The bill was advanced after discussion, with members citing examples from St. Louis and other areas where unused buildings could have been repurposed for charter or other educational use.