Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, Minnesota saw less than a dozen new or expanded dairies, swine, or poultry feedlots built in
• <01:04:51.000><c> dairies</c><01:04:51.920><c> swine</c><01:04:52.559><c> or</c><01:04:52.799><c> poultry
• </c> or expanded dairies swine or poultry or expanded dairies swine or poultry feed<01:04:53.640><c>
• are upstream and not in an adjoining county where we've had issues, where there have been nuclear waste
• are upstream and not in an adjoining county where we've had issues, where there have been nuclear waste

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> waste? Why why would it be new waste? waste? Why why would it be new waste?
• waste.
• hazardous waste waste household hazardous waste exemption<04:02:16.319><c> could</c><04:02:16.560><c
• of hazardous waste.
• :11.760><c> waste.

Committee: House Environment and Agriculture

Summary: The Environmental Policy Subcommittee took up HB 1621, which would require a baseline environmental impact study before development of certain manufacturing and storage facilities. Members said the concept had merit, but they could not resolve major drafting and implementation issues, including how to define covered facilities, what the study would require, and how enforcement would work at the municipal or county level. Several members expressed concern about unintended consequences and said the proposal was not ready; the subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL), and the full committee later adopted that recommendation on a 16-0 roll call vote, placing the bill on consent. The committee then discussed HB 1053, involving electronically submitted pesticide use reports. Representative Comtois presented an amendment creating a department database and protecting confidential information, but said she still needed to check whether it was germane and to review administrative issues with the Department of Agriculture. After hearing from David Russo of the Division of Pesticide Control, the committee agreed to continue work on the amendment and took no action that day. The committee also reviewed HB 1186 on egg labeling and producer exemptions. Representative Comtois offered an amendment exempting small producers from most requirements except labeling, but Commissioner Sean Jasper asked for more time to review the impact and suggested the state might not need the existing egg law at all if federal USDA rules already cover the field. Members agreed to hold action until the following week. Finally, the committee began discussion of HB 1780 on penalties for violations involving seeds, plants, and nursery stock, focusing on labeling rules and germination-date requirements; testimony from industry and department representatives indicated they were working toward a compromise that would allow multiple relabelings, add production dates, and set a 36-month sale limit, but no final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 3007 extends the sunset to 2031 for the water quality management advisory council, the hazardous waste
• management advisory council, the solid waste management advisory council, and the radiation management

Bills: HB1675 , HB3242 , HB1739 , HB3320 , HB3047 , HB4434 , HJR1089 , HB4432 , HB3718 , HB3705 , SR43 , HB1933 , HB4248 , SB1847 , SB1778 , HJR1086 , HB3001 , HB3002 , HB3003 , HB3004 , HB3005 , HB3007 , HB3008 , HB1590 , HB1242 , HB3818 , HB4305 , HB1979 , HB1225 , HB3931 , HB4454 , HB3849 , HB1746 , HB3720 , HB4275 , HB4300 , HB3586 , HB2268 , HB3755 , HB4117 , HB4294 , HB3650 , HB4298 , HB3270 , HB3145 , HB3056

Keywords: emergency management, severe weather, youth camp, summer camp, overnight camp, day camp, outdoor education, adventure camp, wilderness program, campground safety, tornado preparedness, flooding, flash flood, high winds, hail, lightning, extreme heat, extreme cold, wildfire smoke, evacuation plan

Transcript Highlights:

• Without the capacity to use this waste productively, it'll be piled and burned or left to decay.
• This bill is about making sure we have the resources to use forest waste in ways that are beneficial
• It creates a fund that supports projects that help us sustainably use forest biomass waste.
• , like forest waste or agricultural waste that would otherwise be piled and burned.
• They are limited to only forest waste or other organic waste in the case of the Biomat, but they are

Committee: House Utilities and Energy

Summary: The committee heard several energy and utilities bills focused on wildfire resilience, affordability, electrification, and clean energy development. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that beneficially use forest biomass waste from wildfire mitigation and forest restoration; supporters said it would reduce open burning and emissions while providing firm renewable power, and the bill passed 13-0. AB 39, by Assembly Member Zbur, would require larger cities and counties to adopt local electrification planning for EV charging and building decarbonization, with emphasis on disadvantaged communities; it passed 9-0. AB 1167, by Assembly Member Berman, would bar investor-owned utilities from charging ratepayers for lobbying, promotional advertising, and similar shareholder-benefit activities, and would add transparency and penalties; utilities opposed parts of the bill as overly broad, but the measure passed 7-0 with members noting continued work on the language. The committee also advanced AB 1417 on offshore wind community benefits and transparency. The bill, presented by Assembly Member Stephanie Nguyen, would require reporting of developer funding to local and tribal communities for capacity-building and expand the voluntary offshore wind and coastal resources protection program to allow such grants. After amendments, industry groups that had opposed the bill moved to neutral, and the measure passed 9-0. AB 367, by Assembly Member Bennett, would require backup power, tank topping, and facility hardening for water districts in high fire-risk areas in Ventura County; water agencies opposed unless amended due to cost and liability concerns, but the bill passed 10-0. Later, AB 745, by Assembly Member Irwin, would allow investor-owned utilities to finance undergrounding through securitization and disallow a return on equity for undergrounding projects. Supporters argued it would lower ratepayer costs; utilities argued it would effectively discourage undergrounding and could raise other costs. The bill passed 7-4. AB 1423, also by Assembly Member Irwin, would apply reliability standards to state-funded EV chargers installed before 2024; supporters said taxpayers should not fund unreliable infrastructure, while charging-network groups raised retroactivity and legal concerns, including issues with the Electrify America consent decree. The bill passed 13-0. Finally, AB 388, by Assembly Member Rogers, began discussion of a narrow change to the electrical corporation definition and the “over-the-fence” rule to facilitate green hydrogen projects; supporters emphasized decarbonization and job creation, while Southern California Edison raised concerns about regulatory oversight and customer protections. The transcript cuts off before a vote on AB 388.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm in the poultry business. I'm a large live poultry dealer.
• I'm in the poultry business. I'm a large live poultry dealer.

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee held an orientation meeting focused on introducing members, outlining committee norms, and hearing an overview from the Department of Transportation. Chair David Mills emphasized the committee’s long-standing bipartisan working style, asked members to share contact information for short-notice scheduling, and noted that the committee would need to complete as much work as possible before the building is vacated later in the year. Members introduced themselves and described backgrounds in engineering, construction, planning, local government, military service, education, and business. Several members highlighted prior service on planning boards, school boards, zoning boards, or in transportation-related fields as relevant to the committee’s work. Members repeatedly described the committee as collegial and nonpartisan, with most bills going to the consent calendar. The chair also noted that the committee’s work centers on state infrastructure, including roads, bridges, highways, and buildings. Representative Cluder, the ranking member, and others echoed that the committee is effective because it talks issues through and resolves disagreements collaboratively. One member mentioned a recent trip that reinforced the importance of infrastructure resilience after storms and rebuilding efforts in other states. Department of Transportation officials, led by Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer David Rodrig, gave a detailed organizational and operational overview. They described DOT’s structure, mission of “transportation excellence,” and major responsibilities across highways, bridges, rail, transit, aeronautics, maintenance, and administration. Rodrig reported 1,651 permanent positions and 404 vacancies, 2,160 state bridges with 115 on the Red List, 4,600 centerline miles of roadway, 25 public airports, 11 transit systems, and 194 active state-owned rail lines. He also outlined FY 2024 spending, project development activity, highway maintenance operations, fleet and fuel systems, and the distinction between the highway fund and DOT’s budget, including the role of federal funds and the turnpike enterprise fund. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this orientation meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh most of the<00:37:15.839><c> waste,</c><00:37:16.079><c> fraud,</c><00:37:16.240><c> and</c><00:37
• Our students deserve better than this waste and red tape. Mr.
• President Trump is poultry, and eggs.
• I don't want to waste money on overpriced defense contracts that overpromise and underdeliver. Mr.
• I don't want to waste get a bad deal.

Transcript Highlights:

• are more dangerous than any of that other stuff for the farmer to sell. the slaughter of rabbit and poultry
• the slaughter of rabbit and poultry products<07:25:48.760><c> for</c><07:25:48.880><c> sale</c><07:25
• Speaker, since we already have this practice in place for red deer, elk, bison, poultry, and rabbits
• 07:33:25.640><c> deer,</c><07:33:26.000><c> elk,</c><07:33:26.360><c> bison,</c><07:33:27.000><c> poultry
• ,</c><07:33:27.520><c> and</c> for red deer, elk, bison, poultry, and for red deer, elk, bison, poultry

Transcript Highlights:

• It's actually needed surgery, and we've wasted valuable time on saving a possible eye on that.
• And that would have been a complete waste of her time.
• And so she was going to go there, and that would have been a complete waste of her time.
• He said this prevents waste and unintended benefit inflation while maintaining some level of fairness
• I mean, he flat out says that we should be used for fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry,

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted a House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2300 by a unanimous roll call vote of 18-0. The substitute combined a number of previously approved professional registration items, including emergency suspension authority, chiropractic and massage therapy provisions, accountant regulations, the athletic trainer compact, social worker regulations, a speech-language pathologist fix, telehealth, nonprofit pharmacies, and the physician assistant compact. Members noted that work was still ongoing on bell bondsman language before the committee moved into public hearing. The main public hearing was on House Bill 2897, which would expand optometrists’ authority to perform certain laser and in-office procedures. Representative Farnan and optometry supporters argued the bill is about patient access, especially in rural areas, and said it would allow three laser procedures—YAG capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty, and laser iridotomy—plus clarify other already-performed office procedures, while still excluding major surgeries such as cataract surgery, LASIK, and corneal transplants. Supporters said optometrists already receive relevant training, that a 32-hour certification course would serve as a safeguard, and that patients often face long waits or long travel times for care. Opponents, including ophthalmologists, argued the bill would blur the line between optometry and surgery, create safety risks, and rely on insufficient training and ambiguous language. They cited complications from laser procedures, questioned emergency care claims, and said optometrists should not be regulated as surgeons unless placed under the State Board of Healing Arts. No vote was taken on HB 2897, and the chair recessed the hearing for later continuation. The Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education then took up House Bill 3239 and adopted Amendment 0.01H, which capped the program at $4 million to keep it from becoming an open-ended cost. The committee then adopted the House Committee Substitute and voted the bill do pass by 11-7. The committee also combined House Bills 2913 and 3228 into one substitute and voted that combined measure do pass by 19-0. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2195, which would create the Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program and encourage school districts to incorporate driver-safety content into existing courses without adding a fiscal note or mandating a standalone driver’s ed class. Sponsor Representative Reedy and supporters from AAA Missouri and the Missouri Driver Education Coalition said the bill would address teen crash rates, improve access to driver education, and help schools use existing curriculum time more flexibly. The hearing remained in discussion with testimony continuing.

Transcript Highlights:

• As experts from our community warned, CARE Court is a waste of money, and so would SB 27.
• As experts from our community warned, CARE Court is a waste of money, and so would SB 27.
• A blind, low-income senior in Oakland had $53,000 in code fines for yard waste and peeling paint.
• Water Board indicates no enforcement actions were taken every year since 2017 in over 70% of known waste
• Wasting precious dollars on cleanup and abatement could go to proactively managing our strained water

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.

Transcript Highlights:

• ownership was passed down through the years to Samuel Black, who transitioned the operation from a poultry
• ownership was passed down through the years to Samuel Black, who transitioned the operation from a poultry
• shutdown and the 54 days of lockout that we experienced here in this chamber after a completely wasteful
• There's so much vegetation, waste, that has been piled up.
• THERE'S SO MUCH VEGETATION, WASTE, THAT HAS BEEN PILED UP.

Transcript Highlights:

• The livestock and poultry producers in Mississippi and around the country have taken huge financial hits
• here's an example I was have been strongly supportive of reopening the Colombian market to American poultry

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a poultry barn in Wilmer. We can lock the poultry barn in Wilmer if we so chose.
• </c><00:12:57.279><c> Barn</c><00:12:57.480><c> in</c> Wilmer um we have a poultry Barn in Wilmer um
• we have a poultry Barn in Wilmer<00:12:58.040><c> we</c><00:12:58.120><c> can</c><00:12:58.279><c> lock
• </c><00:12:58.560><c> the</c><00:12:58.680><c> poultry</c><00:12:59.160><c> bar</c><00:12:59.360><c>
• and</c> Wilmer we can lock the poultry bar and Wilmer we can lock the poultry bar and Wilmer<00:12:59.800

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I dealt with a situation this fall in which we had a large poultry producer, Pure Prairie, that
• And what I will say is that if you are a small farmer in the poultry industry, you basically are beholden
• </c><00:56:23.160><c> uh</c> you know Pure Prairie a large poultry uh you know Pure Prairie a large poultry
• </c><00:56:31.960><c> industry</c><00:56:32.839><c> you</c> small Farmer in the poultry industry you
• small Farmer in the poultry industry you basically<00:56:33.839><c> are</c><00:56:34.079><c> beholden

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• And along those lines, we can use a health data utility to identify waste.
• And I don't mean waste in the form of something intentional.
• waste like not sharing test results, or administrative waste like billing errors and prior authorization
• waste like unnecessary services,<01:36:14.320><c> operational</c><01:36:15.040><c> waste</c><01:36:15.360
• ><c> like</c><01:36:15.760><c> not</c> services, operational waste like not services, operational waste

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Health Services met to approve the June 18 minutes and hear introductory remarks from new Cabinet Secretary for Health and Family Services Dr. Steven Stack and new Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. John Langfeld. Both described their backgrounds and emphasized a shared focus on using health data to improve quality, coordination, and outcomes across Kentucky. They highlighted the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHI) as a central tool for connecting hospitals, labs, providers, public health systems, Medicaid, and other state and federal data sources, and said the system supports notifications, immunization records, surveillance, and care coordination. They also outlined priorities such as continued investment in KHI, stronger interoperability, privacy protections, and expanded analytic capacity to turn data into action. Committee members then asked about COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and informed consent, particularly for pregnant women and children. Dr. Stack said informed consent should come through a licensed health care provider, that Kentucky did not mandate the COVID vaccine, and that the evidence still supports vaccination for high-risk groups, including pregnant women, citing professional medical guidance. A follow-up exchange focused on concerns about past vaccine policies and the need for patients to receive full information before making decisions. Senator Heron asked how KIPRC/KIPR could be used to address firearm injuries. Dr. Langfeld said the key opportunity is to make data more real-time and usable for day-to-day response, while Dr. Stack said the department would continue its long-standing partnership with KIPRC and noted his view that gun violence is a public health emergency. He added, however, that because firearms are a deeply divided issue, the Department for Public Health’s current role is mainly to make data available for authorized research rather than to take a broader policy role. No votes or formal actions beyond approving the minutes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• SNAP uh when you look at what you could buy the outside of the store, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry
• SNAP uh when you look at what you could buy the outside of the store, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry
• SNAP uh when you look at what you could buy the outside of the store, fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry
• ><c> and</c><00:25:07.000><c> fish,</c><00:25:07.720><c> dairy</c><00:25:07.960><c> products,</c> poultry
• , and fish, dairy products, poultry, and fish, dairy products, breads<00:25:08.760><c> and</c><00:25:

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered Senate Concurrent Resolution 61, sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Representative Matt Lockett. The resolution, as amended by committee substitute, would create a legislative task force tied to the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) framework to study Kentucky health policy, including Medicaid drug approvals, preventive and alternative therapies, holistic health education, oversight and transparency in health care, and research into integrative approaches. Supporters said the goal was to address chronic disease and reduce over-medication, while emphasizing the effort was not intended as an attack on agriculture or the pharmaceutical industry. The resolution received favorable expression and passed the committee 9-0. The committee then heard Senate Resolution 18 from Senator Neal, urging Kentucky to maximize participation in the federal SNAP Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program. Testimony from Jessica Klein of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy and Secretary Eric Friedlander explained that SNAP E&T provides job training, education, and support services for SNAP participants, and that the program is federally matched and does not require additional General Assembly funding in the normal course. Members discussed how the program works, whether it could create new state costs, and how it fits with efforts to connect food assistance, workforce development, and local agriculture. Questions also focused on whether SNAP spending can be steered toward healthier foods and farmers markets, including Kentucky’s Double Dollars program, which was described as helping participants buy produce, meat, and dairy at participating markets and some retailers. Several members expressed support for the workforce goals but asked for more information on fiscal impacts and purchasing data. Secretary Friedlander said the SNAP E&T funds are separate from nutrition benefits, and that the state match generally comes from employer, university, or workforce partner contributions rather than new state appropriations. Senator Herron explained her vote in favor by saying the program could help people gain education and employment and reduce reliance on SNAP over time. Senate Resolution 18 was then adopted by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good afternoon, Beth Seton, Director of the Office of Waste.
• They proposed changes to the Chronic Wasting Disease Detection and Response Rules.
• Issue number three is chronic wasting disease.
• Chronic wasting disease is a. degenerative neurological disease that affects cervids.
• Mountain lions are one of our best natural defense. defenses against chronic wasting disease.

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• We had a number of poultry farms that were impacted by this, but we had a crossover to dairy and then
• dairy back into the poultry herds.
• We had a number of poultry farms that were impacted by this, but we had a crossover to dairy and then
• dairy back into the poultry herds.

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• within 30 days. 301 KAR 4:120 establishes a comprehensive list of reportable wildlife, livestock, poultry
• list of reportable<00:12:46.000><c> wildlife,</c><00:12:46.560><c> livestock,</c><00:12:47.120><c> poultry
• ,</c> reportable wildlife, livestock, poultry, reportable wildlife, livestock, poultry, and<00:12:47.680

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met in August with a quorum present and approved the prior meeting minutes without objection. The committee then reviewed several regulations, generally adopting staff-suggested amendments without objection, and heard brief explanations from agency representatives on each item. The Board of Pharmacy regulations would clarify what registered and certified pharmacy technicians may do under supervision and what certified technicians may not do, while updating registration applications. The Board of Cosmetology package included changes to executive director authority, licensure and reciprocity rules, school requirements, training hours, instructor ratios, sanitation and disease-related rules, complaint procedures, and permit terms; members asked about straight razor language and the increase in student-to-instructor ratios, and the board explained that cosmetologists are not permitted to use straight razors and that the higher ratio was intended to give schools flexibility, especially for part-time students and schools with wait lists. The Occupational Therapy emergency compact regulation added four compact rules adopted in April 2025, and Senator West raised a technical question about certification requirements under House Bill 6; the agency said it had been instructed to file the regulation as submitted. The Department for Fish and Wildlife Resources presented a package covering wildlife management area rules, a northern pintail bag limit increase, reportable disease reporting, and a repeal tied to boat registration fees. After a brief explanation of the new wildlife disease reporting rule, the agency requested and received a deferral of 301 KAR 2:031 to avoid a gap while replacement language is finalized. The Economic Development Finance Authority explained an emergency regulation for the Kentucky Entertainment Incentive Program, saying it was needed because the program had become oversubscribed and because administration was shifting to a new film office and council; members also asked about certification issues under House Bill 6, and the agency said it had filed the regulation as directed. The Department of Workplace Standards emergency PPE regulation was also discussed, with members asking about HB 6 certification language, and the agency gave the same response. The Department of Insurance regulation would create a $10,000 registration fee and a $1,000 annual licensing fee for pharmacy benefit manager licenses, with an agency amendment exempting PBMs that solely serve workers’ compensation plans. Members asked how many PBMs would be affected and why workers’ compensation PBMs were carved out; the agency said there were 70 registered PBMs total, four solely workers’ comp, and that workers’ comp rates are set by statute and could not absorb the fee. Finally, the Public Service Commission’s pole attachment regulation was summarized as a broadband-expansion measure that speeds application review, increases the number of poles allowed in a single application, and shortens dispute timelines; the commission explained it grew out of earlier legislative direction and subsequent emergency amendments, and the committee adopted the staff amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Missed out on horses, but swine, poultry... Rabbits, lambs, goats.
• Speaker, through 4-H, Kate has shown horses, poultry, and goats, and competed in shotgun.

Transcript Highlights:

• , so Oregon Cattlemen's Association, Dairy Farmers Association, the Northwest Chicken Council and poultry

Summary: The Explanatory Statement Committee for Initiative Petition 28 met on July 14, 2026, to select a fifth member needed to complete the committee. LPRO staff explained the committee’s role in preparing an impartial, plain-language ballot measure statement, reviewed the statutory deadlines, and noted that if the committee could not agree on a fifth member, the Secretary of State would appoint one. Committee members introduced themselves as the two chief petitioners and representatives for sportsmen’s and agricultural interests. The discussion focused on possible fifth members. The Secretary of State had already confirmed the availability of Bob Herman and former Representative Lane Shetterly. One member also suggested Jake Hammons, an Oregon prosecutor with animal cruelty law experience, but the group did not pursue that option immediately. Members discussed the relative neutrality and experience of the candidates, with several expressing comfort with either Herman or Shetterly and a preference to move quickly. The committee voted unanimously to use Bob Herman as the first choice and Lane Shetterly as the alternate fifth member, with the understanding that if both were unavailable the committee would reconvene. LPRO said it would confirm the fifth member, distribute the draft explanatory statement prepared by Legislative Counsel, and schedule the drafting meeting for July 22, 2026. Members were invited to submit alternative draft language by July 21.