Transcript Highlights:

• Please come to the table, state your name, and begin your testimony.
• Please state your name and begin your testimony."
• The testimony that you just heard from Mr.
• <01:19:38.679> on submitted separate written testimony on submitted separate written testimony
• <01:26:21.199> from note that we have written testimony from note that we have written testimony

Bills: HF770, HF857, HF38, HF1500, HF43

Keywords: HF770, Rural Finance Authority, RFA, capital investment, state bonds, general obligation bonds, bonding bill, agricultural loans, farm loans, beginning farmer, new farmer, seller-sponsored loans, loan restructuring, agricultural improvement loans, livestock expansion, modernization loans, rural development, Minnesota agriculture, farm credit, chapter 41B

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, there is no public... there are no amendments, but we do have public testimony.
• Is there public testimony? There's no public testimony. Members, is there debate on the bill?
• There is no public testimony. Members, is there any debate on the bill?
• Seeing no questions on the amendment, there is no public testimony. Debate on the amendment.
• That is public testimony. Members, is there debate on the bill? Representative Valdez.

Summary: The Education Administration Subcommittee heard and advanced six bills. The first, PCS/HB 1073 by Rep. Koster, would give individual school board members timely, free access to district documents and budget information, require agendas and supporting materials to be kept as public records, and prohibit school districts from requiring or incentivizing nondisclosure agreements. Testimony from a Volusia County school board member and a former educator described difficulty obtaining records and concerns about NDAs; some members raised chain-of-command concerns, while others argued the bill was needed for transparency. The bill passed 15-3. The committee then approved HB 4049, a local bill for Jacksonville/Duval County that changes how the Duval County School Board’s attorney is selected, and OGSR/HB 7021, which extends and clarifies the public-records exemption for education examination and assessment instruments through 2031. HB 4049 passed 17-1 after debate over whether the board should use the city’s general counsel process; HB 7021 passed unanimously with no debate. Members also approved CS/HB 753 on school counselors, which removes certain certification barriers while keeping degree and counseling requirements in place and allows districts to choose whether to require the removed certificates. Supporters said the bill could help address counselor shortages and free counselors to focus on students; it passed 18-0. Finally, HB 157 created a School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program for D- and F-rated schools, using high-performing current or retired teachers as mentors with stipends funded from an existing allocation. Members discussed mentor limits, funding, and oversight, but the bill passed unanimously, 18-0. The meeting adjourned after committee members recognized visiting officials and students.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe right now, we have some figures referenced in our written testimony.
• We'll go to testimony, although there is nobody set up to testify.
• We've seen from some of the testimony given today.
• Thank you very much for being here and for your testimony. Thank you very much.
• Thank you very much for your testimony.

Bills: HB321, HB 1027, HB 1295, HB1782, HB2295, HCR29, HCR56

Keywords: Medicaid, child health, express lane option, income verification, supplemental nutrition assistance, telepharmacy, healthcare access, remote dispensing, rural clinics, pharmacy regulations, health literacy, state health plan, health care, patient outcomes, public health, economic impact, healthcare, breast cancer, cervical cancer, insurance eligibility

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your testimony. Next, we will have...
• York, for your testimony as well, and Representative Bliss. Thank you.
• He represents the Marshall area, and he has testimony. Fires Mr.
• With the testimony. OK, thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here.
• I appreciate your testimony and welcome. And then Ms.

Bills: HF2411, HF2471, HF1440, HF1393, HF1631, HF1259, HF280, HF1281, HF1459

Keywords: cultural heritage, funding, White Earth Nation, tribal community, construction, Delano, sesquicentennial, community events, fall of Saigon, Saigon anniversary, Vietnam War commemoration, Vietnamese Minnesotans, Cambodian Minnesotans, Lao Minnesotans, Southeast Asian refugees, Asian American heritage, cultural heritage fund, Minnesota Humanities Center, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, equity funding

Transcript Highlights:

• We work with you all to give information, provide resource, testimony.
• And so I think her recommendation, and I'm guessing by your testimony, you support.
• And I get that in your testimony, I heard very clearly, is that you currently are not.
• My testimony was specific to Tuya, now, of course, our general manager and Management team oversee the
• Good seeing you again. and thanks for coming in to your testimony today.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also going to be hearing testimony from a number of these folks.
• these folks um also U all the testimony these folks um also U all the testimony I<00:01:30.680><
• through this testimony really appreciate the<02:09:08.040> testimony<02:09:08.480> and
• Thank you all for your testimony today and for your work on it. We are adjourned.
• Thank you all for your testimony today and for your work on it. We are adjourned.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and I'll finish up my testimony Um, and I'll finish up my testimony there.<00:16:23.759>
• So, we will move into testimony Okay.
• testimony as well, we do use this data. testimony as well, we do use this data.
• I do appreciate the fact that testimony.
• , but as you were doing your testimony, but as you were doing your testimony,<04:15:04.880> if

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1331, which would allow the town of Derry to incorporate the Derry Cooperative School District as a department of the town through a charter amendment. The prime sponsor and several supporters argued the change would increase local control, streamline overlapping town and school functions, and potentially help align school spending with Derry’s tax cap. Supporters also said Derry is large enough to warrant a structure more like Manchester or Nashua, and one witness cited a 2018 nonbinding Derry ballot question that passed 597 to 547 in favor of seeking authorization for this change. Opposition came from NEA New Hampshire President Megan Tuttle, who said the association and the Derry Education Association opposed the bill because schools are not simply another municipal department and because Derry voters had already rejected merging the district into town government. She argued the state should respect local control and the community’s prior decision. Committee members asked about the scope of the proposed charter change, the role of the school board, and the reported prior vote, and the sponsor clarified that the amendment would be limited to this specific purpose rather than opening the entire charter. The hearing then moved to House Bill 1374, which would change the procedures for withdrawing from a cooperative school district. Representative Mary Murphy said current law gives other cooperative towns too much control over a withdrawing town’s decision, and her bill would remove the requirement for approval by the other towns while raising the withdrawing town’s approval threshold to a supermajority. She pointed to Francis Town’s 2024 withdrawal vote and said the bill was intended to protect students and local decision-making. The sponsor asked for an ought to pass recommendation, and committee members asked follow-up questions about the prior withdrawal vote and the number of voters involved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because two of our our testimony agree?
• Thank you very much for your testimony. testimony. testimony. >> Thank<02:08:15.440> you.
• . testimony. testimony.
• consistent with a lot of the testimony consistent with a lot of the testimony in<02:25:39.120>
• going to close my testimony. going to close my testimony. >> Thank<02:32:07.359> you.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will now move into public testimony. testimony. Is there any public testimony?
• Seeing no public testimony, we will now move into debate.

Transcript Highlights:

• I look forward to hearing your testimony and working together toward meaningful, lasting solutions.
• Thank you, Madam Chair. testimony on the federal impact on the racial wealth gap.
• Thank you for your testimony and for your work on Beacon Hill with us.
• And just a reminder to everyone that you can submit written testimony.
• So you have a long written testimony that has a lot more data, so I am constraining your testimony to

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held a hearing on the impact of federal policy on the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts, the fourth in a series on federal impacts on racial equity. Chair Bud Williams and Chair Miranda opened by emphasizing that no bills were being heard and that the committee would instead take testimony from invited witnesses; public written testimony was also accepted. The chairs and witnesses repeatedly cited long-standing wealth disparities affecting Black and brown communities, including homeownership, wages, business ownership, and access to capital, and linked those disparities to federal policy changes, housing, education, health care, and workforce development. Administration officials testified first. Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones described persistent labor market disparities, including higher unemployment for Black and Latino residents, lower median hourly wages, and underemployment among degree holders, and highlighted state efforts such as ESOL-for-work funding, workforce training grants, MassHire career centers, skills-based hiring, and the state equity dashboards. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiami Mahania argued that poverty drives poor health, not the reverse, and said wealth gaps contribute to chronic disease, maternal health inequities, medical debt, and shorter life expectancy; she pointed to the Advancing Health Equity Massachusetts initiative, a health care affordability working group, and the governor’s push to bar medical debt from credit reporting. Assistant Secretary Juan Vega of EOED focused on entrepreneurship and procurement, citing technical assistance grants, founder support programs, place-based investment, the Business Front Door, and the need to broaden access to contracts, capital, and business growth opportunities. Committee members pressed the panel on the effects of the federal “big beautiful bill” on households, especially single-parent and Black women-led households, and on whether the state could develop more timely data systems instead of relying on federal numbers. Officials said the impacts were still being monitored, but warned that Medicaid and SNAP changes would likely hit lower-income households and community institutions hard. Members also asked about unions and apprenticeships, microbusiness definitions, supplier diversity, pay equity, and degree inflation; the administration said registered apprenticeships and skills-based hiring are key tools, and noted that wage equity reporting is still in its early stages. Later testimony from BECMA’s Nicole O’Bean stressed that tariffs, DEI rollbacks, immigration enforcement, capital gaps, and federal funding cuts are constraining Black-owned businesses and inclusive procurement, while Gastón Institute researchers described severe Latino homeownership and rent burdens, educational inequities, and the need for housing, labor, and education policy changes to close the wealth gap.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not taking any me-too testimony of anyone else in support of AB 1917.
• Hunt for his testimony today; he raised some good points.
• So thank you for the testimony here today. I really appreciate it.
• Okay, we'll now take me-too testimony of anyone's support of AB 2001.
• If you could... ...testimony, obviously, from an expert witness.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As our testimony showed, the sun relies on no pipeline.
• That was pretty good impassioned testimony, I think, today and such.
• Chairman, before I go into it, I'll just address the prior testimony.
• Chairman, before I go into it, I'll just address the prior testimony. testimony. prior testimony that
• We're about to hear testimony. Yes. Mr. Chair? Yes. Oh, sorry, we're about to hear testimony.

Bills: HB2014, HB2055, HB2145, HB2150, HB2696, HB2755, HB2763, HB2781, HB2782, HB2787, HB2795, HB2889, HB2975, HB2985, HB2986, HCM2009, HCR2020, HCR2038

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, Arizona Revised Statutes, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, fuel reformulation, gasoline standards, environmental regulations, ethanol supply, Air Quality, state land department, mineral lease, renewals

Transcript Highlights:

• have votes on the bills we've had testimony on.
• We will hear testimony on bills and then catch up on the votes.
• have votes on the bills we've had testimony on.
• In the absence of testimony— Excellent. Mr. Chair? Yes, Senator Epstein.
• All right, we will go ahead and hear testimony and explanation on 2780. Mr.

Bills: HB2091, HB2140, HB2320, HB2384, HB2398, HB2502, HB2780, HB2918, HB2939, HB2950, HB2999, HB4020, HB4026, HB4029

Keywords: insurance, financial surveillance, regulations, assessments, Arizona Revised Statutes, investment, state treasurer, gold bullion, treasury management, financial regulations, school districts, bonds, financial advisors, elections, municipal advisors, cost of borrowing, lease agreements, school property, tax exemptions, impact aid revenue bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not going to have that testimony in here, but we want to make sure that folks are recognized.
• You are welcome to respond to public testimony if you'd like.
• So what we're going to do is allow seven people to give testimony at one minute each.
• So what we're going to do is allow seven people to give testimony at one minute each.
• Earlier in testimony, I heard the police officer, I'm sorry to catch your name, but I heard.

Bills: SB97, SB55, SB40, SB38, SB120, SB113, SB116, SB117, SB118

Keywords: tax credits, municipality, county property, industrial revenue bonds, economic development, qualified expenditures, solar energy, tax credit, renewable energy, photovoltaic, solar thermal, New Mexico, economic incentive, energy independence, SB40, Driver Privacy and Safety Act, automated license plate reader, ALPR, license plate reader, vehicle surveillance

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for acknowledging my testimony today.
• Thank you for acknowledging my testimony today.
• I listened to a lot of testimony in opposition today.
• Is there a firearms dealer willing to provide some testimony?
• We heard it from testimony today.

Bills: SB4, SB7, SB9, SB17

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare, medical education, salaries, graduate education, clinician pay, health sciences, education funding, faculty salary, University of New Mexico, healthcare funding, general fund, state budget, New Mexico legislation, gun control, firearm safety, dealer regulation, illegal trade, background checks, 996

Transcript Highlights:

• that the bill by the repeated testimony that we<00:34:41.960> had<00:34:42.200> by<00:
• >> Clarification, I thought we were going to be hearing some testimony from the prime sponsor today.
• some testimony from the prime<01:10:26.160> sponsor<01:10:26.600> today.
• The motion is up to pass. sponsor, have more testimony, and then sponsor, have more testimony, and then
• >> Clarification, I thought we were going to be hearing some testimony from the prime sponsor today.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After your testimony, you may exit the room or return to your seat.
• I appreciate your testimony as well.
• Thank you very much for your testimony.
• But thank you for your time, thank you for your work, thank you for your testimony.
• And so I'm grateful for everyone's testimony here today.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• CAN TALK ABOUT OUR CHILDREN ALL DAY LONG BUT IN RESPECT FOR TIME I HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED MY TESTIMONY
• I'M GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT EVERYBODY'S TESTIMONY TO ABOUT A MINUTE AND A HALF IF YOU WOULD BECAUSE WE
• BUT I ASKED THAT YOU GUYS SUPPORT THIS BILL, THANK YOU. >> Chair Passidomo: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
• >> Chair Passidomo: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, ERIN DIPIETRO FROM FLORIDA FAMILY VOICE IN SUPPORT.
• I AM OPPOSED, THANK YOU. >> Chair Passidomo: THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• points it was clear from the testimony points it was clear from the testimony that<00:19:51.960>
• So when I heard the testimony from the Manufactured Housing Institute at a task force hearing, I was
• the testimony from the manufactured<00:21:22.679> housing<00:21:23.080> Institute<00:21
• Um, I believe there's still some more testimony from other folks if you all want to continue, and then
• <00:42:57.200> under references in in prior testimony under references in in prior testimony

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:01 Roll Call 00:16 HB 211 Discussion 02:55 HB 211 Vote 16:30 HB 160 Discussion 18:50 HB 160 Vote 52:06 Adjournment 57:35, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Local Government met for its first meeting of the year, established a quorum, and heard two bills. House Bill 211, sponsored by Representative Chris Lewis, would create a definition for cigar bars and allow indoor cigar smoking in qualifying establishments if they meet criteria such as deriving at least 15% of gross income from cigar-related sales, restricting entry to those 21 and older, prohibiting cigarettes and vaping, and requiring a smoke-free area for deliveries. Lewis and Louisville Metro Council member Anthony Pantini described the bill as a small-business and tourism measure modeled on Tennessee law, while the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and a St. Elizabeth physician opposed it, arguing it would undermine local smoke-free ordinances and expose patrons and workers to harmful secondhand smoke. Several members raised local-control concerns, and Lewis said he was open to local governments making decisions on less restrictive approaches. The committee adopted a committee substitute and then approved HB 211 on a roll call vote, with multiple members voting yes and several no votes, sending the bill forward as amended. The committee then heard House Bill 160 from Representative Susan Whitten, with Logan Haynes of the Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute. They said Kentucky faces a housing shortage of roughly 200,000 units and that starter homes are increasingly unaffordable, making manufactured housing an important part of the solution. Whitten said the bill would treat manufactured housing more like site-built housing while still allowing local governments to enforce cosmetic standards such as roof pitch, exterior facade, and foundation material, and she emphasized that HOA, deed, and historical preservation restrictions would remain in place. Haynes argued that modern manufactured homes are federally and state inspected, more energy efficient, faster to build, and more affordable than site-built homes, and he said the bill would not open the door to older-style mobile homes or single-wides except in limited narrow-lot situations. Representatives from the Kentucky League of Cities and the Kentucky Association of Counties expressed concerns about the bill’s current language, saying land-use decisions should remain local and warning that the definition of qualified manufactured home and the bill’s treatment of local standards could have unintended consequences. They said they appreciated Whitten’s willingness to work with them and indicated they hoped to continue negotiating amendments as the bill moved forward. No vote on HB 160 was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we will take public testimony after the presentation.
• Information about how to register for in-person and remote public testimony was on the legislature's
• Then we will take public testimony after the presentation.
• signed up for public testimony.
• And we have two people signed up for public testimony. Can you bring them up?

Summary: The committee meeting began with a brief explanation of the renamed Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee subcommittee, now called the Committee to Hear SAO Performance Audits, and a presentation from the State Auditor’s Office on its current biennium performance audit work plan. The auditor described how topics are selected from a large pool of potential audits and highlighted several ongoing or planned audits, including the Liquor and Cannabis Board, oversight of authorized entities serving students with disabilities, the Quality Home Care Initiative, Medicaid managed care versus fee-for-service costs, the Housing Commission tenant ownership follow-up, DSHS vendor payment patterns, implementation of the Since Time Memorial curriculum, and the Washington State ferry system. Members asked about coordination with JLARC to avoid duplication, and the auditor said the offices exchange work plans, monthly updates, and quarterly coordination meetings. The committee then heard the State Auditor’s performance audit on how charter schools identify and support at-risk students. Auditors reviewed four charter schools—Catalyst Public Schools, Innovation High School, Pinnacles Prep, and Rainier Prep—and focused on English language learners, homeless students, and special education students. The audit found the schools met nearly all legal requirements reviewed, with only one area where two schools partially met a language-access requirement. The schools also used several promising practices, including small-group instruction, culturally responsive environments, and multi-tiered systems of support, though the auditors recommended better documentation of procedures to improve consistency. Families interviewed generally reported positive experiences, while noting resource constraints. Committee members asked about how the four schools were selected, whether the audit compared charter populations to home districts, and how MTSS requirements applied to the schools reviewed. The State Auditor’s Office said the sample was chosen for geographic diversity, student population characteristics, and representation from both authorizers, and that K-2 MTSS requirements were not evaluated because they applied to only one school. Representatives from the Charter School Commission and charter school advocates responded positively, emphasizing technical assistance, collaboration, and sharing best practices across schools. Two public testifiers also supported the report and said it highlighted effective practices that could be expanded across charter and traditional public schools.