Transcript Highlights:

• Loved working with her in the legislature and she's been a great Secretary of State.
• And we do have funding from the legislature.
• But as far as this, how much money are you getting funding from the legislature?
• That is a policy decision for the legislature, sir. What are your thoughts on it?
• States like Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Florida, Minnesota.

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas legislature must pass SB 7 to ensure these rights are fully safeguarded.
• The real danger is unchecked male intercourse and this very legislature.
• During the 89th legislature, after testifying in this room, I had a personal experience with this exact
• Despite there being a limited amount of time in a special session, this legislature is set on wasting
• SB7 is a waste of the time, resources, and energy of the Texas Legislature.

Bills: SB7 , SB14 , SB 7 , SB 14

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• first time ever, charter schools would have to make their own case for funding directly to the legislature
• My name is Keith Mishon, and I serve as president of the Florida Educators Association.
• you today as the first charter school graduate in the nation to be elected to serve in a state legislature
• In fact, with my experience, I've had the opportunity to be able to sit here before you in the legislature
• It's why 215 school committees endorsed voting against ...the legislature in the past, unfortunately,

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a lengthy hearing on a large slate of bills focused primarily on charter school policy and vocational technical education. Committee members opened with ground rules for testimony, including a two-minute limit, written testimony acceptance, and a live-streamed format. The committee then heard testimony on bills to expand collective bargaining rights in Horace Mann and Innovation Schools, reform charter school funding and reimbursement, allow enrollment preferences for high-need students in charter lotteries, and require BESE to consider district impacts when approving new or expanded charters. Several witnesses, including union leaders, parents, educators, and legislators, argued that charter growth has strained district budgets and that funding formulas should be reworked to better protect public schools; charter advocates and alumni countered that charter schools serve high-need students well and should not be penalized for their success. A major portion of the hearing focused on vocational technical education bills, including proposals to expand access and capacity, create a large grant program, and increase MSBA reimbursement rates for vocational school construction. Supporters described long waitlists, strong labor-market demand, and the higher cost of building and maintaining vocational schools, while municipal officials emphasized the tax burden on local communities. The committee also heard testimony on charter school reimbursement bills that would extend the state’s reimbursement schedule, with witnesses from districts such as Boston, Worcester, Fall River, and New Bedford describing large net losses to charter tuition and arguing for longer reimbursement periods and structural reform. The committee took no final votes during the hearing. In one instance, the chair said a bill would be held open until a missing senator could testify. Members asked several detailed questions about charter admissions lotteries, special education placements, funding formulas, and the practical effects of proposed charter caps and reimbursement changes. The hearing remained informational, with witnesses and committee members presenting sharply different views on whether the bills would improve equity and opportunity or harm existing public school systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• What actions should the legislature take this session to advance nuclear energy?
• And so I think that the legislature, building off of what Governor Abbott gave us, directed under the
• This was done, I think, in Florida, where they hardened the system to some significant extent to improve
• Unfortunately, the legislature is required to do that through reserve funds.
• And that's not the payment and statutory scheme that the legislature has set out.

Bills: SB1468 , SB1612 , SB1789 , SB2530 , SB2571 , SB2717 , SB2967

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• client this year, a young college student with a lawful student visa from Central America, studying in Florida
• Homeland Security proceeded to process him in and out of federal facilities six or seven times in Florida
• 23.680><c> in</c> federal facilities six or seven times in federal facilities six or seven times in Florida
• ,<00:35:25.040><c> Louisiana,</c><00:35:26.480><c> California,</c> Florida, Louisiana, California, Florida

Summary: The Judiciary Committee held an informational briefing on the impact and legality of federal immigration enforcement efforts in Hawaii, with Chair Carl Rhodes framing it as the sixth and final interim briefing in a series on the rule of law and local effects of federal actions. He said the discussion would focus on due process concerns, questioning and detention of citizens and lawful immigrants, free speech issues, and pressure on state and local law enforcement, and noted the issues may be revisited in the 2026 regular session. There was no public testimony or committee vote; only invited speakers presented. Dr. Amy Agayani opened by arguing that immigrants are integral to Hawaii’s history, economy, and communities, and contrasted that with what she described as harmful narratives portraying immigrants as criminals. She cited figures that one in five Hawaii residents is foreign-born, that immigrants make up about 20% of the labor force and over 27% of entrepreneurs, and that roughly 40,000 people in Hawaii are undocumented, many of whom may have pathways to legal status but face language, information, and court barriers. She also said federal enforcement has expanded beyond undocumented immigrants to include citizens and lawful residents, and warned that attacks on birthright citizenship and visa categories could affect many families. Matina Mock of the legal clinic emphasized the complexity of immigration law and the severe lack of legal representation, noting a nationwide backlog of 11.3 million immigration-related applications and 3.4 million court cases, plus about 1,400 pending immigration cases in Honolulu with only two immigration judges. She said Hawaii has only six or seven nonprofit immigration legal service providers, and that represented clients are far more likely to obtain relief. Mock described a recent case involving a lawful student visa holder who was transferred among multiple federal facilities before being brought to Honolulu without clear notice, which she said illustrated due process violations. She also said ICE activity in Hawaii has sharply increased, with about 150 arrests from January to July 2025, a 380% increase over the same period in 2024, and that many detainees have no criminal record. Stephanie Haro Sevilla and another clinic fellow described 2025 enforcement as a major shift driven by a January executive order, the end of prior limits on arrests in sensitive locations, and arrest quotas they said require 3,000 arrests per day nationwide. They said this has led to arrests without warrants or probable cause, broader targeting of people with minor offenses or no criminal history, and the use of resources from other federal agencies and local law enforcement for civilian immigration enforcement. They also said the federal detention center in Honolulu is holding roughly 40 to 80 civilian detainees on any given day, often in conditions they characterized as prison-like, and warned that the current escalation could eventually affect lawful permanent residents and naturalized citizens. The speakers urged the public to support immigrant-rights advocates and local protective policies and funding measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• And without that information, Madam Chair, the legislature cannot evaluate whether the program is protecting
• It's not something that we've passed in the legislature that the governor signed.
• It was signed; legislation passed by this legislature and signed into law.
• In our case, the owner lives in Florida, and we know that there are some state laws that aren't always

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• &gt;&gt; All right,<00:13:28.720><c> Florida</c><00:13:28.959><c> leader</c><00:13:29.200><c> moves</
• c><00:13:29.360><c> for</c><00:13:29.440><c> the</c> &gt;&gt; All right, Florida leader moves for the
• </c> you know the California legislature you know the California legislature passed<00:51:40.960><c>
• &gt;&gt; Florida,<01:43:27.920><c> yield.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Florida, yield. Senator may proceed. &gt;&gt; Florida, yield. Senator may proceed.

Summary: The Senate reconvened after a snow delay, heard an invocation from Reverend Scott Shelton, and conducted several floor introductions and recognitions, including birthday wishes for staff, a welcome for a temporary office staffer, recognition of the Center for Urban Families, and introduction of the week’s pages. The chamber then approved the prior journal and moved through bill and bond initiative readings, referring the listed measures to their standing committees or the capital budget subcommittee. The first substantive action was adoption of a favorable committee report on Senate Bill 17, an emergency bill authorizing the Baltimore City Board of Licensed Commissioners to issue a related event promoters permit for the CIAA tournament. The floor leader said the bill had no amendments, no fiscal impact, and no opposition in committee. The Senate adopted the report without objection and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 1 from the Judicial Proceedings Committee, which would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to adopt a statewide policy on law enforcement face coverings, apply it to state, local, and federal officers in Maryland, and enforce violations through a civil citation and discipline. The committee report included two amendments: one technical and one making the policy statewide and preempting local policies. During extended debate, the bill’s sponsor argued that masks undermine transparency and trust and that the measure would create a uniform standard. A senator from Frederick County questioned whether the bill would effectively create a policy for federal agents without Maryland-specific training and raised concerns about enforcement, temporary detention, complaints, and possible conflicts with federal authority. The sponsor responded that officers would retain discretion, that the bill would be enforced through civil citations, and that similar civil enforcement mechanisms have been upheld in Maryland. No final vote on the amended report is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• But I did also want to share there is some quote, ...the will of the legislature.
• We don't get to decide even as a legislature.
• To the question, it would not preclude a future legislature.
• This legislature has made tremendous progress over the last six years.
• The legislature has the ability to enforce mandatory voting.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on S. 7 and H. 63, proposed constitutional amendments to restore voting rights to people incarcerated for felony convictions. Sponsors Rep. Erica Iderhoven and Sen. Liz Miranda argued that Massachusetts should reverse the 2000 disenfranchisement change, describing it as a recent and racially discriminatory policy that excludes thousands of residents—disproportionately Black and Latino—from civic participation. They said the amendment would put the question before voters, likely in 2028, and noted that implementation details such as domicile and where incarcerated people would register to vote would be handled separately through legislation and existing jail-based voting work. A large number of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people testified in support, many speaking remotely from MCI Norfolk, MCI Shirley, and MCI Framingham. They said voting would affirm dignity, accountability, rehabilitation, and connection to community, and several described civic education programs inside the facilities that had helped them engage with public policy. Witnesses repeatedly characterized disenfranchisement as “civil death,” linked it to racial injustice and the legacy of slavery, and urged the committee to advance the bills favorably. A few speakers also addressed practical questions about voting location and domicile, with sponsors saying those issues are not specified in the constitutional amendment and would be worked out later. Committee members asked several questions, including whether incarcerated people would vote in the community where they were incarcerated or where they previously lived, and whether future legislation could include carve-outs based on offense type or time served. Testifiers and sponsors generally said the amendment itself does not decide those implementation questions, and some said they would oppose carve-outs. One member raised a broader moral objection about allowing people convicted of serious crimes to vote; supporters responded that punishment should not erase democratic rights and that voting can support rehabilitation and reentry. No vote or final committee action was taken during the transcript provided. The hearing also briefly included testimony on a separate matter, S. 521, a proposed ratification of the federal Child Labor Amendment. Witnesses supporting that measure warned against renewed child labor rollbacks in other states and argued Massachusetts should reaffirm protections for children and education. That portion of the hearing was separate from the voting-rights discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under this bill, the administration will be required to present fully developed options to the Legislature
• Finally, AB 177 is a bill that requires the Department of Finance to present to the Legislature options
• the bill that came from the Legislature.
• I want to begin by applauding the governor and the legislature for...
• We hope the Legislature will take action.

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:

• We look forward to partnering with the Legislature this year to strengthen this.
• And I, of course, invite collaboration with the Legislature in achieving the 100% mark.
• And we need the Legislature to put food on the table first. And I know you will have...
• And we need the Legislature to put food on the table first.
• I think for the Legislature, it must have... ...to get ahead of this.

Summary: The joint hearing focused on CalFresh enrollment, food insecurity, and the effects of the recent federal shutdown and H.R. 1 on California families. Opening remarks emphasized that the shutdown delayed SNAP/CalFresh benefits for the first time in the program’s history, prompting emergency state, county, and local responses such as Operation Feed California, county emergency funds, food bank expansions, and Alameda County’s temporary food distributions and gift card support. Members also framed the issue as both a hunger and affordability crisis, noting that California produces abundant food but still has high rates of household food insecurity. The first panel reviewed food insecurity data and program impacts. PPIC’s Tess Thorman said about 13% of California households were food insecure in 2023, with higher rates among households with children and among Latino and Black households, and explained that CalFresh, school meals, and WIC significantly reduce poverty and hunger. Nourish California’s Betzabel Estudio described food insecurity as a policy choice and outlined state policy efforts such as Food for All, Thriving Transitions, and expansion of the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT program. The California Association of Food Banks said demand remains high, food banks are serving millions monthly, and federal cuts and reduced TEFAP food supplies are worsening the strain. The second panel gave a CalFresh program overview from CDSS and Alameda County. CDSS reported that CalFresh participation has improved, with California’s participation rate rising from 67% in 2020 to 81% in the latest federal data, and highlighted recent successes including the minimum nutrition benefit pilot and the revived fruit-and-vegetable incentive program. Officials also warned that H.R. 1 will add work requirements, reduce eligibility for some immigrants, and create future cost-sharing pressures for the state and counties. Alameda County described local caseloads, application declines tied to fear and uncertainty, and efforts to reduce error rates and support students, older adults, and other hard-to-reach groups. A student CalFresh ambassador testified about the burdensome application process and the need for more outreach and basic needs support on campuses. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, with members discussing possible future legislation, outreach funding, and state backfill strategies.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not the place of the legislature to be making this type of decision.
• Layla Jane's and Clementine's cases were in California, but the Arizona legislature should take measures
• The legislature here drew those lines in original statutes deliberately and purposefully, and SB 1635
• People to keep up with what's happening at the legislature.
• They need guidance from the legislature, and that is what this bill is intended to do.

Committee: House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills on criminal justice, victims’ rights, education, and public safety. SB 1094, which creates a civil cause of action for minors who received irreversible gender reassignment surgery in violation of Arizona law, drew strong opposition from civil liberties and LGBTQ advocates who called it discriminatory and unnecessary, and support from the sponsor and medical-policy witnesses who argued minors cannot consent and that the procedures are not medically supported; it passed 6-3. SB 1635, a bill making it a crime to warn a person of an imminent arrest when the speaker knows police are there to arrest that person, prompted extensive First Amendment objections from the ACLU and others, while supporters said it was narrowly tailored to prevent people from helping suspects evade arrest; it also passed 6-3. The committee then approved SB 1673, appropriating lottery-funded money for the law enforcement crime victim notification system, after testimony that the program standardizes and improves victim notifications statewide; an amendment increased the amount from $5 million to $8.2 million, and the bill passed 9-0 as amended. SB 1092, which would bar early termination of probation for dangerous crimes against children, drew emotional testimony from victims’ advocates and opposition from defense-side speakers who warned it would remove judicial discretion and could sweep in people whose conduct was nonviolent or based on accidental online clicks; it passed 6-2 with one member present. Other bills considered included SB 1239, extending the statute of limitations for failure to register as a sex offender, which supporters said would help law enforcement and opponents said was redundant because registration violations are already tracked and prosecuted; it passed 5-4. SB 1139, a strike-everything bill requiring GPS monitoring for homeless registered sex offenders, failed after testimony that existing probation tools already cover the same population. SB 1502, increasing penalties for unlawful flight from police when aggravated by danger, injury, DUI, or transporting a child, passed 5-1 despite concerns about over-criminalization and possible impacts on innocent drivers. The committee also passed SB 1248 on county detention education programs, SB 1240 excluding certain DCAC probationers from county probation incentive calculations, SB 1669 narrowing rape-shield evidence rules to physical injury, and SB 1540 creating a new offense for fuel dispenser theft after an amendment removed mere possession of a device from the criminal statute.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I'm proud to bring forward today the workers' comp advisory council recommendations to the legislature
• Um, as just a bit of legislature.
• Coral Springs, Florida, borders to the north another suburb of Fort Lauderdale called Parkland, Florida
• And during their stop in legislature.
• , which was soon followed by Club Florida, which was soon followed by Club Q<04:23:04.720><c> in</c><

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> It is important to note the legislature It is important to note the legislature has<00:25:53.120
• </c> legislature. Thank you, Madam President. legislature. Thank you, Madam President.
• Thank you, Madame President. legislature. We are the sacred defenders legislature.
• . legislature. legislature.
• </c> in our legislature in our legislature. in our legislature in our legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's to stay within the confines of a part-time citizen legislature, be diligent, and try to be
• You have the Florida open debate on the motion to adopt. Thank you, Mr. President.
• The legislature passed. I think it was in 2018.
• What we're not seeing show up clearly here is us, the legislature, and our budget.
• Thank you. power is us, the legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Public Advocates Office is an independent advocate established by the Legislature to represent the
• And so, as with any new idea and any big idea, I think it will be important for the Legislature to be
• It puts evidence in front of this Legislature on what advanced nuclear can and cannot do on our grid.
• It puts evidence in front of this legislature on what advanced nuclear can and cannot do on our grid.
• I like this, where I know this has been a very controversial topic in the Legislature for many years.

Summary: The committee heard several energy-related bills. AB 710 would require investor-owned utilities to share critical circuit and grid information with local and tribal governments and community choice aggregators to help plan microgrids for resilience during PSPS events and wildfires. Supporters from counties and cities said better data sharing is needed to develop microgrids for critical facilities; PG&E and SDG&E opposed the bill as drafted, citing privacy and grid-security concerns, though SDG&E said amendments may address some issues. Members generally supported the bill’s goal, and the author accepted committee amendments. AB 2182 would restructure the CPUC’s industrial energy efficiency program so industrial customers’ funds are used for industrial projects, with less review and more focus on projects that reduce transmission and distribution needs. Support came from large energy users, with members praising the bill’s ratepayer protections and asking about caps, agriculture, and carbon capture; the author said agriculture could participate and carbon capture was removed from the bill. AB 2589 would require utility federal tax savings to be returned to ratepayers, building on prior legislation; it drew little debate and no opposition on the record. The committee also heard AB 2163, which would create strategic clean energy and critical mineral development zones, especially to support geothermal and lithium development in places like Imperial County and the Salton Sea. Supporters emphasized jobs, domestic supply chains, and state competitiveness, while some members raised questions about whether other zero-carbon resources should be included; the author said the bill could be receptive to those ideas. AB 2505 would allow hydrogen refueling stations to use dedicated utility meters and service lines, with supporters from the hydrogen industry and labor. AB 1577 would require data centers to report energy and water-use information to the Energy Commission and local planners; supporters said it would protect ratepayers and communities, while industry groups opposed the bill as too broad and duplicative, though they welcomed amendments narrowing the scope and adding trade-secret protections. AB 2065 would impose penalties on utilities that seek to recover prohibited or double-counted costs from ratepayers, and AB 2516 would create a California Grid Manufacturing Initiative to reduce equipment costs and expand in-state manufacturing; both drew strong support and some concerns about overreach and implementation. Finally, AB 2647 would direct the Energy Commission to study advanced nuclear’s role in meeting California’s electricity needs, with testimony in support from nuclear advocates and academics; the hearing ended before any final votes were taken, with several motions pending quorum.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the challenges we constantly see is that ratepayers, and we may set up programs here in the Legislature
• The Public Advocates Office is an independent advocate established by the Legislature to represent the
• It puts evidence in front of this Legislature on what advanced nuclear can and cannot do on our grid.
• It puts evidence in front of this Legislature on what advanced nuclear can and cannot do on our grid.
• I like this where I know this has been a very controversial topic in the legislature for many years.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• That, of course, came from the Community Economic Resilience Fund that you, the Legislature, so generously
• Okay, lower than Florida, lower than a lot of these states, Arizona, Nevada, places where everybody's
• And thank you to the efforts of the legislature.
• And thank you to the efforts of the legislature.
• They worked with the California Centers for Science and Innovation, which the Legislature has funded

Summary: The hearing focused on the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz) and several related budget proposals. Director D.D. Myers described the California Jobs First economic blueprint, regional planning efforts across 13 regions, and the state’s strategy to target sectors such as ag tech, space, life sciences, semiconductors, and emerging technologies. She also discussed the California brand campaign, export promotion, film tax credits, and the California Civic Media Fund, emphasizing job creation, regional equity, and business attraction/retention. Members raised questions about support for journalism, arts and creative industries, AI’s impact on jobs, foreign direct investment, manufacturing, tariffs, and how the Jobs First framework is being implemented across regions. Go-Biz then presented trailer bill language to extend the encumbrance deadline for remaining Jobs First administrative funds and to codify the Office of Regional Economic Development Initiatives. The department said $95 million of the $100 million Jobs First appropriation had already been deployed to grants for counties and tribes, and members asked for more information on regional outcomes, including Orange County and the North State. Public comment supported Jobs First and the Small Business Development Centers’ role in helping businesses access capital and create jobs. The committee also heard a request for ongoing CalExport funding to replace uncertain federal STEP support; the LAO noted the Legislature may want to weigh whether to backfill federal reductions, while Go-Biz argued the state program is needed because federal support appears unlikely to continue and demand exceeds available funding. The committee next heard the film and television tax credit staffing request. Go-Biz asked for funding for three permanent positions to manage the expanded program, and the LAO recommended approval given the increased workload. The Film Commission reported a sharp rise in applications after AB 1138 and the program expansion, with productions taking place both inside and outside the Los Angeles 30-mile zone and activity spread across the state. Finally, Go-Biz presented a request for one permanent position and one graduate student assistant to support innovation and emerging technologies, including quantum and fusion. Members asked about the use of the state’s quantum funding, and staff explained it would support microgrants, state capacity-building, and workforce education. No formal votes were taken in the portions provided, and the chair indicated some items would be moved and heard later in the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not the place of the legislature to be making this type of decision.
• Layla Jane's and Clementine's cases were in California, but the Arizona legislature should take measures
• The legislature here drew those lines in original statutes deliberately and purposefully, and SB 1635
• That's why we have separate branches of government: we have the legislature and we have the judicial.
• They need guidance from the legislature, and that is what this bill is intended to do.

Bills: SB1092 , SB1094 , SB1139 , SB1239 , SB1240 , SB1248 , SB1326 , SB1502 , SB1512 , SB1540 , SB1616 , SB1635 , SB1669 , SB1673

Committees: House Judiciary , House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Keywords: probation, dangerous crimes, children, Arizona Revised Statutes, criminal justice, juvenile offenses, rehabilitation, gender reassignment, civil liability, minors, medical consent, detransition, family court, therapeutic intervention, expert testimony, parenting time, child development, sex offenders, statute of limitations, prosecution

Transcript Highlights:

• First elected to the Arizona Legislature in 1996, Barbara Leff served in both the House of Representatives
• to force every law enforcement agency in our state to work with ICE. ...by this Republican legislature
• SB 1474 is a clear overreach of power by this legislature. Why are we prohibiting state agencies?
• With bills like this, the legislature is contemplating an exciting future, including zippy cars that
• It will take the tribal voice out here within the legislature.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, and this is, I mean, things are going to change here within the Legislature, and in these,
• And I think that if the legislature had a better understanding of what the salt caverns could save not
• So here's the funding Karen was talking about: the $25 million that came through the legislature into
• Chairman, and members of the legislature, yes, that's a good point.
• This was actually one of the first funds that the legislature created.

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.