Transcript Highlights:

• that was originally $531,000 for making progress toward the national recycling goal and food loss and waste
• that was originally 531,000 for making progress toward the national recycling goal and food loss and waste
• This ratification is for the nuclear planning and response program, which was moved in July 2025 to the
• This is a new contract for radiation testing and analysis at Nuclear 1.
• This is a new contract for radiation testing and analysis at Nuclear 1.

Summary: The committee considered and approved several temporary appropriation requests in Section B, including spending authority for the Court of Appeals to pay appointed counsel in criminal appeals, Commerce/Aeronautics airport and aviation grants, and Insurance Department items for workers’ compensation benefits and premium tax refunds. It also approved ARPA-related requests in Section C to return unused federal funds from DHS aging, mental health, substance abuse, and Older Americans Act grants. In Section D, the committee reviewed and approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests, including Agriculture grants for wildfire preparedness and forestry capacity, a large Commerce broadband BEAD request, environmental recycling-related reallocations, and Oil and Gas Commission grants for facility repairs and sample preservation. Members questioned the broadband program’s audit process and performance safeguards; the State Broadband Director said the funds are federal, subject to audits, and payments are released only after engineering certification of completed work. The committee also approved DHS reallocations in Section E, including major transfers within Medical Services from hospital medical appropriations to private and public nursing home lines, as well as transfers for children and family services, developmental disabilities, and youth services. The committee then reviewed cash fund requests, miscellaneous federal grants, pay plan and performance fund transfers, methods of finance, and a large set of contracts. A Northwest Arkansas Community College official explained storm-damage repairs and insurance settlement issues, and DHS explained its hospital medical transfer was moving excess appropriation rather than cash. Members also questioned several UAPB tobacco prevention subgrants, especially arts-based outreach, and asked for more data on effectiveness; the committee later voted to expunge and re-refer the J-2 item for further review at a later ALC meeting. Additional discussion covered a DEQ grant to Free Geek of Arkansas for e-waste recycling, a UAPB tobacco program, and various contracts for universities, DHS services, corrections, and public safety. The meeting ended with reports filed for information and a brief member comment thanking others for concern after a tornado in Stone County; no one was injured.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said that back in 1994 they were talking about nuclear and Prairie Island, storing casks of nuclear
• waste, and all of that.
• <00:42:41.520><c> waste</c><00:42:41.760><c> and</c><00:42:42.000><c> all</c><00:42:42.079><c> of</c>
• waste and all of that and as a nuclear waste and all of that and as a part<00:42:43.280><c> of</c><00
• but another key piece to around nuclear but another key piece to that<00:42:52.000><c> was</c><00:42

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Craft presented House File 2986, as amended with the DE6, and asked that it be laid over for possible inclusion. He described the bill as an affordability measure centered on virtual power plants, explaining that aggregating distributed energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters can help utilities reduce peak demand and avoid costly generation and distribution investments. He said the bill would require utilities to reduce system peak through a virtual power plant program by 5% by the end of 2028 and 10% by the end of 2032, using an independent third-party RFP process, with plans incorporated into integrated resource planning and a savings clause if requirements prove infeasible. Testimony in support came from the Department of Commerce, Vote Solar, Solar United Neighbors, Kite Rocket, and Mincia. Supporters said virtual power plants can function like grid-scale resources, lower spot-market and peak costs, improve reliability and resilience, and make better use of existing distribution infrastructure. Commerce said the approach fits an all-of-the-above strategy and noted consumer protections in the bill, including standards for contracts, disclosures, dispatch frequency, notice, opt-out, and compensation. Several supporters cited estimates of significant savings, including a national DOE estimate of 10% to 20% of peak load by 2030 and a Minnesota-specific estimate from Solar United Neighbors of about $63.5 million in savings if 10% of peak demand were met with VPPs in 2030. Committee members raised questions about how much cheaper VPPs are than peaker plants and whether utilities, especially Xcel Energy, are already implementing similar programs. Representative Baker expressed concern that the bill could move faster than the technology or market would naturally develop and asked about the risk of forcing utilities into a mandate before the economics are fully proven. In response, a Solar United Neighbors witness pointed to a fact sheet and Brattle Group-based analysis comparing VPP costs and benefits in Xcel territory, while an Xcel representative said the company has been discussing the bill with Representative Craft for months. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, and no final vote on the bill itself was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:14:40.000><c> fuels</c> I'm quoting, fossil and nuclear fuels I'm quoting, fossil and nuclear
• be nuclear energy here in Colorado?
• be nuclear energy here in Colorado?
• </c> intentionally do away with with nuclear intentionally do away with with nuclear fuels<03:17:21.600
• </c> to make it very clear that um nuclear to make it very clear that um nuclear fuels<03:18:27.760><

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Global nuclear threats are on the rise and deterrence is paramount.
• weapons on the continent also prevents nuclear proliferation.
• Do you agree with the president's assessment that Iran cannot be allowed to get a nuclear weapon?
• But deterrence doesn't work with a terrorist with a nuclear weapon.
• weapons testing and to burn. pits which dispose of classified waste.

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:

• , but I can say for myself, I would feel fine with a nuclear plant in my community.
• Senator Patton and I and others stood within 20 feet of nuclear fuel rods safely.
• A nuclear facility is a quiet operation.
• A nuclear facility is a quiet operation.
• gas would be flared, that waste gas was burned for Bitcoin operations.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• support for Senate File 21106, authored by Senator Mchuan, to establish a pilot program to capture waste
• </c><00:29:04.480><c> heat</c><00:29:04.640><c> from</c> program to capture waste heat from program to
• capture waste heat from wastewater<00:29:05.279><c> treatment</c><00:29:05.600><c> facilities</c><00
• Right now, the energy is wasted, so it's not used. There is an opportunity to capture it.
• </c><00:47:41.760><c> study,</c> decisions on the advanced nuclear study, decisions on the advanced nuclear

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To frivolously waste resources on someone who is no longer a threat, this is a waste.
• You know, the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel determined that the nuclear waste at Pilgrim
• The advisory panel determined that the nuclear waste at Pilgrim is the biggest threat in the state of
• The spent nuclear fuel in these cans is a significant hazard.
• Well, the steel cans that hold the highest-level nuclear waste, meant to be stored for 10,000 years from

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security focused on several correction-related bills, including visitation reform, elder and medical parole, incarcerated persons’ human rights, and creation of an independent correctional oversight office. Vice Chair Christopher Worrell chaired the hearing in place of Chair Dan Cahill for much of the session and explained that the committee would first hear from incarcerated individuals remotely, then move to public testimony. The committee repeatedly enforced three-minute limits and accepted written testimony as well. Much of the testimony from incarcerated people emphasized that visitation is central to rehabilitation, family stability, and reentry, and that current DOC policies—visitor caps, pre-approval requirements, scheduling rules, dress-code enforcement, and restrictions on contact—have reduced family contact and caused harm. Several speakers argued that elderly and medically frail prisoners should be released through parole because incarceration is costly, ineffective, and inhumane for people who pose little public-safety risk. Others described poor prison conditions, limited programming, inadequate healthcare, segregation-like housing, and the impact of K2 use, suicides, and self-harm. Supporters of the oversight bill said an independent office is needed to address racial disparities, grievance failures, and lack of accountability within the DOC. A number of speakers tied their support to personal experiences, including alleged racial discrimination, denial of programs, and barriers to family visits. Some testified that rehabilitative programming, education, and restorative justice reduce violence and improve outcomes, while others said the DOC spends too little on programming and too much on punishment. Committee members asked a few follow-up questions, including about K2 contraband and how to reduce drugs in facilities, and one member asked about typical visitation lengths. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee heard testimony on the bills and several witnesses urged favorable reports.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you support nuclear? Do y'all support? Nuclear?
• Yeah, but do y'all support nuclear, just yes or no?
• the National Repository for Nuclear Waste from around the country.
• Nuclear... and then one more question.
• It can be that nuclear, which is expensive, but very dependable.

Bills: SB458, SB819, SB1238, SB1642, SB1643, SB1644, SB1791, SB1810, SB1824, SB1825, SB758, SB1455, SB1706

Keywords: insurance appraisal, property insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, residential property, disputed loss, loss valuation, appraisal clause, appraiser, umpire, Texas Department of Insurance, TDI, insurance dispute resolution, claims adjustment, total loss, windstorm insurance, FAIR Plan, surplus lines insurance, policyholder, insurer

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> government and reducing wasteful government and reducing wasteful spending<00:49:05.760><c> that
• </c> based on a mutual commitment to nuclear based on a mutual commitment to nuclear nonproliferation
• </c> information for peaceful nuclear information for peaceful nuclear purposes<05:11:15.680><c> it</
• </c><05:11:53.920><c> nuclear</c> acquiring sensitive nuclear acquiring sensitive nuclear technology<
• </c> treaty on nonproliferation of nuclear treaty on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons<05:12:55.920

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• now since its inception, and the volume of waste that's able to be sent to the Waste Isolation Pilot
• , if not more waste than Idaho, on a volume percentage going.
• It will hold X amount of waste regardless of where that waste comes from.
• room for the waste here in New Mexico, and that's a concern.
• We know across the country and across the globe that most nuclear waste is stored on site.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a day when the leaders of two nuclear powers stood next to each other, and these nuclear power
• </c> two nuclear two nuclear Powers<02:40:05.920><c> stood</c><02:40:06.640><c> next</c><02:40:06.920
• </c><02:40:10.319><c> power</c> other and these nuclear power other and these nuclear power Representatives
• We wasted enormous amounts of water.
• </c> nuclear Iran is to have a a nuclear nuclear Iran is to have a a nuclear Islamic<04:03:06.159><c>

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, February 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And coal and nuclear, well, we still have a couple coal units in Florida, not many, and some nuclear.
• So our nuclear fleet has stayed about constant over this time.
• Recently, we're starting to see a concept called small nuclear reactors, or modular nuclear reactors,
• Small nuclear reactors may be Small nuclear reactors may be 50 to 100 megawatts, somewhere in that range
• So small nuclear reactors are starting to evolve.

Summary: The committee heard introductory remarks from Chair LaMarca and members, then received presentations on electric utility planning, transportation infrastructure, and broadband deployment. Public Service Commission staff explained how Florida’s utilities plan for reliability and cost through 10-year site plans, demand forecasting, and economic dispatch. The presentation emphasized Florida’s residential-heavy load, growing EV demand, expanding solar and battery storage, continued reliance on natural gas combined-cycle plants, and the role of nuclear power. Members asked about energy efficiency, rates, renewable options beyond solar, cybersecurity, grid resilience, data centers, and small modular nuclear reactors; the witness said efficiency programs are reviewed every five years, utilities must balance reliability and affordability, and large new loads like data centers generally must pay for their own infrastructure needs. Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue described FDOT’s five-year work program, decentralized district structure, and funding mix, noting that the agency is predominantly state-funded and prioritizes maintenance and preservation before expansion. He highlighted record investment levels, major congestion-relief projects, toll-road revenues, seaport and airport partnerships, spaceport investments, workforce and equipment needs, and emerging technology such as advanced air mobility. Members asked about project timing, MPO planning, rail and ferry funding, airport governance, winter storm preparedness, and flooding/sea-level rise; Perdue said faster delivery depends on resources, local governments lead transit operations with FDOT as a capital partner, and coastal and drainage projects are designed around storm surge and resiliency. The Office of Broadband reported on six grant programs supporting infrastructure, community facilities, digital connectivity, and future digital capacity and broadband expansion. Director Leo Garcia said the office has awarded hundreds of millions of dollars across most counties, leveraged significant private investment, and focused heavily on rural areas. He noted that broadband efforts are intended to support telehealth, education, workforce development, and economic growth, and said the state has reduced the number of unserved locations from more than 400,000 to a projected 170,000 after current awards are completed. He also said the office needs additional budget authority for the upcoming digital capacity program and that the larger federal/state broadband deployment program will be used to reach remaining unserved and underserved areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Navajo Nation has struggled for many decades, over 80 years, from the legacy of the past nuclear
• industry, which has produced by far the largest volume of low-level waste in the United States, amounting
• This is what we're facing: the waste comes from nuclear energy and defense industries.
• We're working on legislation to ban the storage of high-level nuclear waste in the state.
• It has become increasingly apparent that the human and total impact of the nuclear industry, from the

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Yet, this bill cuts funding for waste Yet, this bill cuts funding for waste and<02:40:56.080><c>
• Now, the grants ... 43% of the federal dollar is wasted in 43% of the federal dollar is wasted in the
• </c> is because they have nuclear weapons. is because they have nuclear weapons.
• </c> nuclear power. nuclear power.
• </c> weaning off nuclear fuel. weaning off nuclear fuel.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, June 4, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Current law already charges the inspector general with identifying fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Governor created the fiscal responsibility program by executive order, which was aimed at eliminating wasteful
• Current law already charges the inspector general with identifying fraud, waste, and abuse.
• What this All already charges the inspector general with identifying fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Governor created the fiscal responsibility program by executive order, which was aimed at eliminating wasteful

Bills: HB1011, SCR11, SB41, SB49, SB107, SB123, SB224, SB292, SB425, SB479

Keywords: tax credits, higher education, workforce development, brain drain, economic incentives, public meeting minutes, transparency, government accountability, publication deadlines, open meetings, SB49, Louisiana elections, party primary, primary elections, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, school board elections, election law, candidate qualification, ballot access

Bills: SR31, SB2060, SB2184, HB1371, HB1411, HB1933, HB2361, HB2398, HB2893, HB3006, HB3044, HB3127, HB3322, HB3147, HB1276, HB3472, HB3522, HB3704, HB4303, HB4319

Keywords: military, children, resilience, Purple Up!, military families, master development district, improvement district, public improvements, infrastructure financing, special assessments, statutory revision, consolidation, law amendment, emergency legislation, legal clarity, oil and gas, mineral rights, proceeds, royalties, escrow account

Bills: SR31, SB2060, SB2184, HB1371, HB1411, HB1933, HB2361, HB2398, HB2893, HB3006, HB3044, HB3127, HB3322, HB3147, HB1276, HB3472, HB3522, HB3704, HB4303, HB4319

Keywords: military, children, resilience, Purple Up!, military families, master development district, improvement district, public improvements, infrastructure financing, special assessments, statutory revision, consolidation, law amendment, emergency legislation, legal clarity, oil and gas, mineral rights, proceeds, royalties, escrow account

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer, and spent much of the day on recognitions and special presentations, including Capitol Cowboy Day honoring Oklahoma State University, the Doctor and Nurse of the Day, Miss Oklahoma Teen Taylor Meeks, military families for Purple Up for Military Kids Day, and several visiting groups in the galleries. During the OSU presentation, university leaders highlighted OSU’s agricultural research and asked for support for an upcoming agronomy research bill, and Coach Eric Morris was welcomed as the new head football coach. The chamber then took up Senate Resolution 31, designating April 15 as Purple Up for Military Kids Day in Oklahoma, which was presented with remarks about the sacrifices of military children and families and the significance of wearing purple. The Senate also advanced and passed several measures, including bills dealing with duplicate statutory sections and statutory interpretation, a negotiated oil and gas bill, the True Grit Trail, nitric oxide sales to minors, foster care and juvenile transition documents, a paraprofessional certification change, an Indian education council sunset extension, veterans’ tax refund donations, a Route 66 specialty license plate, cell phone restrictions in K-12 classrooms, tire pyrolysis funding, ABLE Commission reporting, scholarship-granting organization tax credits, municipal ordinance publication deadlines, and agency rule authority and review. Most bills were advanced without objection and passed by wide margins, with a few closer votes on House Bill 2398, House Bill 3127, House Bill 3704, and House Bill 1276. House Bill 1276, extending the classroom cell phone prohibition, drew the most debate, with supporters citing improved student focus and classroom interaction and one member raising local control concerns before voting yes. House Bill 3704, concerning participation in a federal tax credit for scholarship-granting organizations, prompted questions about double-dipping on tax benefits and state sovereignty, but it ultimately passed 38-8. The Senate then announced a Technology and Telecommunications meeting for the next morning and adjourned until 9:30 a.m. Thursday, April 16.

Transcript Highlights:

• make sure that there's no language in here that would impact that because obviously I don't want to waste
• other question, since I'm just now looking at the language here, what is the difference between human waste
• and poultry waste?
• Well, this technically doesn't have anything to do with human waste or poultry waste.

Bills: SB1346, SB1509, SB1928, SB2028, SB2071, SB2110, SB2117, SB2127, SB2134, SB722, SB3

Keywords: water infrastructure, wastewater, investment program, loans, local government, SB1509, groundwater, water wells, well spacing, water rights, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, OWRB, basin, subbasin, maximum annual yield, aquifer management, water allocation, water permits, temporary permits, irrigation

Transcript Highlights:

• make sure that there's no language in here that would impact that because obviously I don't want to waste
• Sure that there's no language in here that would impact that because obviously I don't want to waste
• since I'm just now kind of looking at the language here, what is the difference in, I guess, human waste
• and poultry waste?
• Well, this technically doesn't have anything to do with human waste or poultry waste.

Bills: SB1346, SB1509, SB1928, SB2028, SB2071, SB2110, SB2117, SB2127, SB2134, SB722, SB3

Keywords: water infrastructure, wastewater, investment program, loans, local government, SB1509, groundwater, water wells, well spacing, water rights, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, OWRB, basin, subbasin, maximum annual yield, aquifer management, water allocation, water permits, temporary permits, irrigation

Summary: The committee began by introducing new member Rep. Dylan Travis, who was elected in a special election and will represent District 35. The first measures taken up focused on water policy. HB 1346, as amended, would create a revolving fund for water and wastewater infrastructure loans through the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, with the amendment removing population-based language so infrastructure needs can be considered more broadly; it passed 9-0. SB 1509 would make well-spacing standards apply uniformly across the state by aquifer rather than waiting on maximum annual yield studies, and OWRB staff explained that domestic wells are not affected and existing rules still protect landowners; it passed 6-3. SB 1928 would establish a five-year flex allocation for groundwater use, allowing producers to shift unused water from one year to another, and it passed 7-2. The committee also considered several agriculture and food-related bills. SB 2028 would authorize the sale of raw milk products without consumer notification or container labeling beyond indicating the product is unpasteurized; it passed 8-0. SB 2071 would align Oklahoma’s Grade A milk regulations with federal standards and increase the dairy inspection fee from 1 cent to 2 cents per hundred pounds, but after concerns from members and testimony from ODAF about the fee burden, the committee adopted an amendment restoring the 1-cent rate; the bill then passed 8-1. SB 2110 would allow sale of ungraded eggs off-farm at farmers’ markets or directly to consumers, including unwashed eggs, and passed 9-0. SB 2117 would clarify that the Department of Agriculture can stop the sale of contaminated grain and direct remediation or destruction in a current contamination event involving sewer leakage into a field; it passed 9-0. Other measures addressed livestock transport, crop protection, hemp, and a proposed reimbursement scheme. SB 2134 would create procedures for wreck services and emergency management to handle livestock involved in transportation accidents, with the Department of Agriculture setting humane handling policies; members discussed whether the bill should explicitly address state or county emergency management and rail incidents, and it passed 8-0. SB 2127 was described as a work in progress to address crop protection and nontraditional producer practices, especially amid difficult conditions for row-crop producers, and it passed 8-1. SB 722, after the committee rescinded a prior referral, was presented as a new section requiring ODAF to reimburse agricultural operations for economic losses caused by agency actions enforcing court-ordered rules from an attorney general suit; after extensive questioning about scope, valuation, and legal effects, the author laid the bill over for further work. Finally, SB 3, on a newly adopted PCS, was reframed from a biosolids bill into a hemp-definition bill intended to align state law with the new federal definition and reduce youth access to marijuana-like hemp products; it passed 8-0. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The investigation wasted taxpayer money and created fear among faith-based humanitarians.

Bills: SB659, SB1585, SB2201, SB2514, SB2569

Keywords: smuggling, human trafficking, criminal penalties, felony offenses, law enforcement, foreign adversary, foreign-owned company, scrutinized company, China, national security, cybersecurity, information technology, communications technology, ICT, critical infrastructure, state contracts, government procurement, vendor certification, debarment, civil penalty