Transcript Highlights:

• Because especially for the small communities, it's not going to work otherwise, number-wise.
• There is a bit of a shift from smaller, small-cap E&P companies or private-equity-backed companies to
• And I would say with the range of companies that you had from small private companies to, and they're
• really not that small in the state of North Dakota, to the Chevrons and the Exxons and the Conocos that
• the top two, Continental and Cord, with Continental having two projects, and then also Devon has a small

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the thing that I like about this bill is this bill gives the opportunity for small businesses.
• The thing that I like about this bill is this bill gives the opportunity for small businesses to provide
• I've spent a lot of time around the schools, and I found out what small communities, what high school
• I've spent a lot of time around the schools, and I found out what small communities, what high school
• But it's a very small, it's going to be a very small minority of those cases happening.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When small clarifications or tweaks were needed, you made them happen.
• We have a few more small tweaks to make. This bill does not expand eligibility for any benefit.
• The Public Employees Relations Commission, PERC, is a small, independent, quasi-judicial agency with
• I pastor a small ministry in Lake County. I teach ESE, grades six through eight.
• I have two small children that are in public education in Duval County.

Bills: S0332, S0464, S0576, S0830, S0964, S0984, S1096, S1296, S1298, S1612, S1656

Keywords: public records, public meetings, property rights, transcripts, settlement negotiations, Veterans Day, K-12 schools, holiday observance, education, Florida statutes, cybersecurity, local government, grant program, data-sharing, Florida Digital Service, ransomware protection, county administrators, city managers, exemption, privacy

Summary: The committee first heard a committee substitute for SB 332, which creates a narrow public meetings and public records exemption for certain pre-suit settlement communications in Bert Harris claims involving local governments and private property rights. The sponsor said the change is intended to allow confidential legal strategy and negotiation during the 90-day pre-suit period while keeping settlements and outcomes public. The strike-all amendment was adopted, supportive testimony was waived in, and the bill was reported favorably. Members then approved several other measures, including SB 464 requiring K-12 schools to formally observe Veterans Day as a school holiday; SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits and prevention, which was amended to add a statement of important state interest and reported favorably after testimony from firefighters both supporting the bill and urging a longer benefit window; SB 576 on local government cybersecurity, which was amended to route the program through the Florida Digital Service and strengthen state-local coordination; SB 964 clarifying how certain gift and honoraria disclosures are filed with the Commission on Ethics; SB 1612 requiring local governments to accept electronic payments with a delayed effective date; SB 830 creating public records exemptions for certain local government administrators and their families; SB 1096 clarifying the filing deadline for employment discrimination complaints; and SB 1656 designating the SS American Victory as Florida’s official state flagship. All were reported favorably. The committee also considered a slate of appointments, including a separate vote on Jeffrey Aaron to the Public Employees Relations Commission, which was recommended favorably after Senator Polsky objected to the appointment and cited concerns about political ties and prior work. The remaining appointees on tabs 12 through 30 were also recommended favorably. After a recess, the committee took up SB 1296 on the Public Employees Relations Commission, as substituted by a committee PCS. The PCS would change union certification and recertification rules, require stronger showing-of-interest and voting thresholds, limit paid union leave in some cases, require equal access to employer communication spaces, and speed up impasse procedures for state-funded salary increases. The bill drew extensive testimony, with supporters arguing it would improve accountability, transparency, and taxpayer fairness, and opponents—many of them teachers, bus drivers, and other public employees—saying it would weaken collective bargaining, burden workers, and function as union busting. Members raised constitutional concerns about the single-subject rule and collective bargaining protections, and debate was ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some schools are small. Therefore, they have limited staff.
• Most recently, a small entity from Towski Valley petitioned and joined us at the beginning of this year
• Our program support is a small portion, only 1% of our total budget.
• However, they do receive a small amount for acting as the state's Social Security Administrator.
• There's a small difference here. I'll just highlight the main big one.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• upsides up here as well that could drive increased On slide 42, this is our stress testing: lots of small
• The large decrease in the growth in FY26, despite there being some small increases in growth in the out
• They want to see whether or not we are mindful of the point that Chairman Small just made, and that's
• I know this is very small, but on line 17 it says refundable credits, and you can see the forecast for
• We also have a small request for $300,000 to replace a mail inserter in our text processing error area

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Solutions that are going to get small but meaningful improvements on trust solvency.
• It's a very small fund, with about 65 active members paying into that fund, so any extended vacancy or
• This is still a very small team.
• What about our small areas that are looking for jobs?
• Those teams are just too small.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we try to do lots of things with a very small staff.
• If you look at the general fund appropriation, this was a very, very small amount.
• It was a very small program for many, many years. It's been around since 1995.
• Prior to FY21, it was a very small program, typically about a million dollars a year, and this program
• We just had a small fund balance.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you haven't been through Columbus in a while, it's a small, very historic village, but having that
• I want to say is mile marker 32 to 37 on 26 until we get to that small sliver of Sierra County, and then
• Fund, which is for kind of small projects.
• So we're doing a small portion of this berm right at the border on the west side with that money.
• Phase three is the small state land office portion, and that one is It's been funded through federal

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm assuming it's a fairly small number based on the expense.
• That's what I thought, because 30% sounds horrible, but if you're only looking at a very small number
• It's a very, very small percentage. Just finding out.
• Small things, but I think it's important.
• So, some of those small changes.

Bills: HB8

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• City, Baird, and Lordsburg, and they have received requests from Cliff and Gila and lots of really small
• So it's really a small percentage of the services that are provided overall, and none of it is abortions
• The small business premium relief program is pretty straightforward, let me describe it.
• cost sharing for families to get coverage on the exchange, lowering premiums and cost sharing for small
• record enrollment for Native Americans into the exchange, and we have more than 36,000 employees of small

Transcript Highlights:

• the increased workload required of the State Board of Education and authorizes the autonomy over a small
• It's not a large number of staff; it's a very small core group.
• But if you have any small business, someone has to be a manager and in charge, and the last thing—the
• It was a small 1115 grant, and so we utilized it.
• I have small children come up to me when I table with these.

Bills: SB205, SB582, SB625, SB1884, SB1903, SB2600, SB2617, SB2751, SB111, SB3061, SB1908

Keywords: fetal development, health curriculum, public schools, middle school health education, grade 7, grade 8, State Board of Education, school health advisory council, Texas Education Code, pregnancy, reproductive health, infertility, birth defects, prenatal development, unborn child, trimester, medically accurate instruction, age-appropriate instruction, drug and alcohol effects, lead exposure

Transcript Highlights:

• And it connects all those rural small farmers and people that are buying smaller orders to really make
• That would create $275 million of gross revenue for Volt Lithium, so this is no longer a small business
• to recede and remediate and all that... ...that it might be an idea to think about maybe giving a small
• Providers could turn off and make extra electricity available for residential and small commercial customers
• Oh, come on, Santino, does it have to be this small? You need longer arms.

Bills: HB3619, HB3652, HB4572, HB4891, HB4941, HB5103, HB5105, HB5106, HB5224, HB5600

Keywords: surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the tools at the disposal of employers, big and small, far exceed the capabilities of any surveillance
• It does small things to protect worker privacy. We have spoken with the opposition.
• Now, perhaps larger corporations or something might continue, but certainly small, medium-sized businesses
• AB 1136 is a small change with a big impact. AB 1136 is a small change with a big impact.
• AB 1136 makes a small amendment to the definition to clarify that these cross-sector training programs

Summary: The committee heard a series of labor-related bills, with most measures focused on worker training, privacy, wages, and safety. AB 296 would require schools or districts to host apprenticeship fairs at least once a year, with flexibility on how they are run and whether programs outside the county can participate. Supporters said it would help connect students to skilled trades and address workforce shortages; school administrators opposed the bill as an unfunded mandate that could be impractical for elementary schools. The bill was later moved on call, with the committee noting it could not vote until quorum was established. AB 1221 and AB 1331 both addressed workplace surveillance. AB 1221 would restrict invasive monitoring tools, require notice to workers, limit the use and sharing of worker data, and require human review before discipline based on surveillance outputs. Labor groups supported the bill as a response to AI-driven monitoring, while business groups raised concerns about broad definitions, security cameras, investigations, and data-access provisions. AB 1331 focused more narrowly on privacy in off-duty and private spaces, limiting surveillance in places like restrooms, break areas, vehicles, and homes; hospitals and business groups opposed it as too broad and potentially disruptive to safety, cybersecurity, and facility monitoring. Both bills were advanced by committee vote. The committee also heard AB 1181, which would require firefighter turnout gear to be free of cancer-causing chemicals such as PFAS by 2027, and AB 1198, which would require prevailing wage rates on public works to reflect the wage in effect when the work is performed rather than when the project was first advertised. Firefighter representatives strongly supported AB 1181, while the chemical industry asked to continue working on scope and timelines. AB 1198 drew support from labor and contractor groups but opposition from local governments and housing groups concerned about mid-project cost increases; it was passed to Appropriations after a roll-call vote. Other measures approved included AB 1235 on skilled-and-trained workers for CSU construction, AB 1251 on ghost job postings, AB 552 on locating the Agricultural Labor Relations Board office outside Sacramento, AB 1110 on updating Cal/OSHA workplace posters, AB 1136 on expanding high road training partnerships, and AB 1234 on wage claim enforcement. AB 692, which would ban employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or other costs if they leave a job, drew strong support from nurses and labor advocates and opposition from business and health care groups; it was also passed on a roll-call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• A small component of them were there with us back in 2003. and I've got deep appreciation for the culture
• The mass and simultaneity of especially small UAS is one that is concerning to me, both from a. technical
• Can you commit to me to... continue to work with these small businesses that I think deliver readiness
• So we need to foster an ecosystem change that encourages some risk from small businesses so they can
• We've got to have everyone weighing in, small businesses, new entrants, and even the primes.

Keywords: national security, military readiness, Kane nomination, defense budget, China threats, Russia, collaboration, modernization

Summary: The meeting centered on the nomination of retired Lieutenant General Dan Kane for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delving into various security concerns and the strategic environment facing the U.S. today. Testimonies highlighted the growing threats from adversaries such as China and Russia, with discussions around the necessity of maintaining and modernizing military capabilities to address these challenges. The need for agility in military operations and enhancing collaboration among various defense agencies was underscored. Further, concerns were raised regarding the defense budget and the importance of a strong national defense strategy were prevalent throughout the discussions. The committee members collectively emphasized the need for superior readiness and modernization to keep pace with global threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for our teachers in small and rural districts, we're providing an additional parity increase. ...
• Chairman, I just want to mention that first, like a lot of y'all, I have a lot of small school districts
• Follow-up question: I've met recently with a teacher from a small coastal school district, and she was
• And what are your thoughts about the fact that some small school districts are possibly...
• Rio Bravo is a unique community, a small town with a population of under 5,000, spanning less than a

Bills: SB26, SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, SB 26, Texas Property Code, colonia, colonias, Spanish translation, bilingual contract, real estate contract, executory contract, residential property, border county, international border, economically distressed area, consumer protection, language access, translator certified in Spanish

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not a small power that this presiding officer will have.
• That's not a small power that this presiding officer will have.
• That's not a small power that this presiding officer will have.
• That's not a small power that this presiding officer will have.
• <00:10:26.120> power<00:10:26.519> that<00:10:26.720> this that's not a small

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House DFL leaders announced that they had reached a power-sharing agreement with Republicans to organize the Minnesota House and begin the session. They said the deal seats Rep. Brad Tabke, sends election contests to the Ethics Committee, requires 68 votes to create a vacancy, and provides for Republican committee chairs while moving to co-chairs and equal membership once the chamber is tied. They also said the agreement includes limits on the speakership, shared control of rules and conference committees, and a GOP chair for the Oversight Committee; members were to be present in the chamber that day to establish a quorum, with committees starting work Monday. Leaders framed the agreement as protecting the will of voters in Shakopee and statewide, and said Democrats had denied quorum to stop what they described as an attempted Republican power grab. They said the deal was essentially the same as an earlier offer, including conceding the speakership, and thanked negotiators from both parties. In response to questions, they said the breakthrough came after the Minnesota Supreme Court’s quorum ruling and that Republicans had not been ready to seat Tabke or share power before then. During the question-and-answer portion, leaders described the agreement as constraining the speaker’s powers, requiring bipartisan support for bills leaving committee and for floor action, and limiting unilateral procedural control. They said the arrangement would force both sides to be present and negotiate, with no bill reaching the floor without bipartisan cooperation. They also said the House would proceed that afternoon with the election of Speaker Lisa Demuth, followed by implementation of the power-sharing agreement, and that they expected the session to move forward under the new framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll turn it over for the small county challenges with Supervisor Hart.
• So even at the small-county level, you have to make all of these decisions, and the trends, if you look
• I know in Lafayette County we're a little bit different because we're small.
• I know in Lafayette County, we're a little bit different because we're small.
• So anything to add any type of workload, we have to think about, again, the small, medium, and large

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from several county supervisors of elections and the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association on the 2024 election cycle and priorities for the 2025 session. They described very high turnout in the presidential election, major operational planning needs, and the heavy reliance on seasonal workers, list maintenance, ballot-on-demand systems, and secure chain-of-custody procedures. They also discussed the impact of recent legislative changes on voter-roll maintenance, including inactive voter removal, and said Florida’s election administration has improved to what they called a “platinum standard.” The supervisors outlined several legislative requests: allowing more than one non-government “wild card” early voting site to improve access and emergency flexibility; requiring newly naturalized citizens to update driver’s license information so voter records match DHSMV data; exempting home addresses of certain election workers and ballot transporters from public records to improve safety and recruitment; restoring a checkbox on vote-by-mail return envelopes so voters can stay on the vote-by-mail list for the next cycle; aligning base salaries for supervisors, property appraisers, and clerks with other constitutional officers; and reducing ballot length by removing precinct committee races from the ballot. They also said they expect a committee bill to carry some of these proposals. Members questioned the panel about ballot transport security, signature verification, vote-by-mail expiration, public records transparency, and the petition process for constitutional amendments. The supervisors said ballots are transported under detailed county plans with tamper-evident seals, chain-of-custody logs, trained workers, and in some cases two-person transport teams. On petitions, they said the process is labor-intensive and expensive, that fraud has occurred in some cases, and that they favor reforms such as requiring more personal identifying information and having initiative sponsors mail petitions to voters rather than making supervisors handle the mailing. They also said signature mismatches can be cured within 72 hours after Election Day and that voters are notified when possible. After the supervisors’ presentation, the committee also heard brief public testimony from Kathleen Griffiths, who urged adoption of commercial-style risk management standards in election systems and referenced several election-related bills her group supports.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a small business owner, have had the business for over 37 years, with 22 employees.
• I am also a small business owner, along with my partner who owns several businesses on this committee
• I'm a retired lawyer for sure, and And I own small businesses, and I also taught business. at CNM for

Transcript Highlights:

• A CGM uses a small sensor placed just under the skin.
• increased deductibles, or reduced benefits for both families and small businesses.
• <03:15:18.280> to Returning amounts to to too small to Returning amounts to to too small to
• That list is a finite and, frankly, relatively small list.
• <07:25:18.520> farms a few small farms a few small farms versus<07:25:20.240> the<07

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this bill um we uh it had a small um So this bill um we uh it had a small um money<00:44:58.800>
• small 5,000 per<00:46:02.800> year.
• unpopular, except within a very small unpopular, except within a very small community<01:18:44.239
• Um, for instance, in one a small blip.
• small um small boards of these kind of small um small boards that<05:19:48.638> even<05:19:48.958

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first considered House Bill 66, a right-to-know measure that would broaden access from “citizen” to “person,” including out-of-state requesters. Members also adopted an amendment removing the current no-filing-fee provision for appeals of unfavorable right-to-know ombudsman rulings, citing budget concerns. The bill was then reported ought to pass as amended on a 16-9 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 187, which would let a parent or guardian seek a protective order on behalf of a minor alleging abuse by someone outside the family or household, was described as a narrow fix with little fiscal impact. It passed unanimously, 25-0, and was placed on the consent calendar. House Bill 215, requiring landfill permit applicants to submit a report on potential harms and benefits, was retained because its policy had been folded into House Bill 2; the committee voted 25-0 to retain it. House Bill 219, dealing with renewable portfolio standard changes and lower renewable energy certificate values, drew opposition from members who said it would weaken renewable energy development and raise concerns about energy costs, but the motion to retain was adopted 14-11, allowing the bill to be moved into House Bill 2. The committee then retained House Bills 365, 552, 566, 572, 607, 611, and 624, all by unanimous or near-unanimous votes, generally because the relevant policy or funding had been incorporated into House Bill 2 or because the bills were viewed as technical or low-impact. HB 566 was described as a landfill leach-management bill with a fiscal note under $10,000 annually and was sent to consent. HB 572 and HB 607 were retained because their money components were moved into HB 2, though one member objected that HB 607 represented an unfunded mandate for the Hampton Beach Area Commission. House Bill 511, concerning ICE detainers and county detention practices, generated the most debate. Supporters said the amendment clarified how long counties may hold detainees without a federal contract and compared the detention period to existing bail rules; opponents argued the bill could sanction detention of people not charged with crimes and raised due-process concerns. The committee adopted the amendment 14-11 and then reported the bill ought to pass as amended on another 14-11 vote, with a minority report requested. House Bill 639, involving securities and digital currency issues, was also reported ought to pass after members noted unresolved concerns but said the Secretary of State’s Securities Division was willing to continue working on it in the other body; the vote was 16-10.