Transcript Highlights:

• The question was total number of farms, not just dairy farms, but the trend in total farms.
• and to operate the farm.
• and to operate the farm.
• It's a family farm.
• It's a family farm.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on several bills and announced at the outset that no votes would be taken because the measures would go to divisions later. The first major bill, HB 197, would require the state to pay 7.5% of political subdivision employer pension contributions for teachers, police officers, and firefighters. Representative Mike Edgar, the prime sponsor, argued the state had repeatedly reduced and then eliminated its promised share of retirement costs, shifting the burden to municipalities and property taxpayers. He said the bill would partially restore that commitment and provide relief to local governments, businesses, and taxpayers. Several witnesses testified in support of HB 197, including Representative John Cluder, Bradford selectman Marlene Fryer, the New Hampshire Municipal Association’s Margaret Burns, and Epping representative Mark Fone. Supporters said the bill would help with property tax pressure, school budgets, and municipal hiring, and they emphasized that much of the retirement cost reflects unfunded liability decisions made at the state level rather than by local governments. Committee members questioned whether the bill would change local incentives to control costs and how it would affect hiring and compensation. Burns said the state contribution would function as property tax relief because it offsets existing municipal expenses, and she noted the state is already on a long-term schedule to pay down the retirement system’s unfunded liability. After closing the hearing on HB 197, the committee opened a hearing on HB 97, introduced by Representative Tom Buco. He said the bill would continue funding for delayed and deferred wastewater projects and help municipalities finance expensive wastewater infrastructure, which he tied to housing development and local debt planning. No action or votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Farm Bureau is a federation of New Hampshire's 10 county farm organizations, consisting of about 2,500
• family farm members and supporters.
• State Farm is happy to and does offer discounts if it makes sense for State Farm and for the customers
• Probably not true for State Farm.
• then the insurance car I mean State Farm then the insurance car I mean State Farm they<05:41:39.440

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• make citrus great again in Florida, which includes 125 million for the acquisition and planting of trees
• Senate Bill 700 is a comprehensive Florida farm bill. It is the fact agency package.
• These drones can be very disruptive to farm operations.
• We will treat farms like other critical infrastructure in Florida.
• And I Q so I would ask that you favorably keep this part in the farm bill.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a small farm that we are... an 8-acre farm that is one of the last annexations.
• There is a small farm that we are... an 8-acre farm that is one of the last annexations.
• I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees.
• I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees.
• For the trees I speak for the trees.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > in<00:19:55.039> a<00:19:55.200> in<00:19:55.440> a<00:19:55.600> farm
• ><00:19:55.919> field<00:19:56.480> uh<00:19:56.640> or small child in a in a farm
• field uh or small child in a in a farm field uh or was<00:19:57.280> talked<00:19:57.520>
• Or you save the life of a passenger in that vehicle when they hit a tree.
• Or you save the life of a passenger in that vehicle when they hit a tree.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Money does not just grow on trees.
• Kinsey Westwood, Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
• In fact, most producers have an off-farm or town job, as we call it, to allow them to continue to farm
• Oklahoma Farm Bureau.
• In fact, most producers have an off-farm or town job as we call it, to allow them to continue to farm

Summary: The committee held a study on the potential effects of living wage or minimum wage laws in Oklahoma, with the chair emphasizing that the discussion was not intended to advocate for or against State Question 832. The first panel focused on economic and workforce impacts. An Oklahoma Department of Commerce representative argued that living wage calculations vary by region and household type, that Oklahoma’s average wages are already near or above many living-wage estimates, and that higher mandated wages could lead employers to cut hours, reduce hiring, automate, or avoid expansion, especially in rural areas where childcare, healthcare, broadband, and infrastructure constraints also affect labor participation. Committee members asked about wage distributions, rural cost differences, training pathways, and whether higher wages might draw workers or businesses out of state; the witness said many low-wage workers move up over time and that Oklahoma has seen net in-migration. A State Chamber Research Foundation witness then testified that a $15 statewide wage floor would raise payroll costs substantially, especially for small rural employers, and cited examples from California and Seattle to argue that higher wages can reduce hours, jobs, and benefits while increasing consumer prices. She suggested alternatives such as expanding the state earned income tax credit and promoting upskilling through existing education and training programs. A Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry representative described Missouri’s recent voter-approved minimum wage increase to $13.75, rising to $15, along with paid sick leave provisions. She said the chamber opposed the measure because it would raise business costs, hurt rural communities and youth employment, and force some employers to cut hours, reduce hiring, or close. She cited examples from Missouri businesses facing significant added costs and warned that a future ballot initiative could create a patchwork of local minimum wages. In response to questions, she said Missouri’s law did not distinguish by age or industry, that businesses had raised concerns about union contracts and compliance, and that the chamber viewed the measure as harmful to competitiveness. Peter Hansen of NFIB presented the final major testimony, summarizing an NFIB study projecting that a higher Oklahoma minimum wage would produce some short-term GDP gains but longer-term losses, with GDP turning negative by the early 2030s and job losses growing over time. He said businesses respond to higher wage mandates by raising prices, trimming jobs, converting full-time positions to part-time, reducing benefits, and shifting investment toward automation or other capital. He argued that the burden falls most heavily on vulnerable workers such as young or marginal employees, who are less likely to be hired when labor costs rise. In questioning, he acknowledged that higher wages can improve pay for some workers and may have some short-term positive effects, but maintained that the long-term employment and investment effects are negative. No votes or formal actions were taken in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you've got that many trees, if it's stuck to the side of that tree a little bit and you don't go
• but you have thick stands of trees.
• but you have thick stands of trees.
• They've got a lot of trees.
• People are not running over cypress trees and tupelo gum trees in airboats.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We kill a lot of trees and I'm guilty of that because I have to mock things up.
• We kill a lot of trees and I'm guilty of that because I have to mock things up.
• We kill a lot of trees and I'm guilty of that because I have to mock things up.
• We kill a lot of trees and I'm guilty of that because I have to mock things up.
• We kill a lot of trees and I'm guilty of that because I have to mock things up.

Bills: SB115, SB131, SB93, HB319, HB163, HB268, SB115, SB131, SB93, HB319, HB163, HB268, HB181, HB153, SB132, SB26, SB189, SB196, HB140, SB197, HB117

Keywords: SB115, Alabama, impersonating a peace officer, peace officer, law enforcement impersonation, police impersonation, unauthorized police officer, fake cop, certification revoked, certification suspended, Alabama Peace Officers' Standards and Training Commission, APOSTC, Class C felony, law enforcement hiring, appointment of officers, federal law enforcement, arrest authority, public order, criminal offenses, Judiciary Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Back in 2009, we had an incident on Mount Cube, at the Tom Thompson tree farm, where a contractor working
• That was wanted to do was grow trees. That was it. it. it.
• This would have unfairly taxed open lands like those in current use and farms.
• have more acres to grow more trees on. have more acres to grow more trees on.
• I could have more acres to grow more trees on.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I started our farm in the spring of 2021.
• As the farm grew and we needed more than our off-farm income alone could afford, we looked at the life
• cycle of the farm.
• So, my farm might pass this year, but if I get a different CO to inspect my farm next year, he may say
• It should be noted that among whitetail deer farms, there are only 10 farms that are not currently in

Transcript Highlights:

• So when I look at what's going on, um, Leif Svalbard said that the trees in northern Minnesota are going
• the the trees in northern Minnesota<01:20:36.280> are<01:20:36.360> going<01:20:36.480
• and everything has changed and trees and everything has changed and we've<01:21:17.000> just<
• As a producer, it's our job to have a longevity plan for our farming operations in order to be able to
• have a longevity plan for our farming have a longevity plan for our farming operations<01:31:29.800

Bills: HF4470, HF2418, HF3417, HF3365, HF3463

Keywords: HF4470, Melissa Hortman, memorial, statue, memorial garden, State Office Building, Capitol Mall Design Framework, capital investment, appropriation, Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board, Department of Administration, public art, commemorative monument, landscaping, artist selection, family consultation, Minnesota legislature, state building site, capital appropriation, political subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• Just picked off a tree? Yes, that's whole produce.
• Just picked off a tree? Yes, that's whole produce.
• addition to what can be sold at Farm addition to what can be sold at Farm stands<04:45:04.638>
• on family farms.
• uh if you've raised them on your farm uh if you've raised them on your farm 20,000<05:32:30.400>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee opened by noting member absences and then reviewed the governor’s HB 2 trailer bill language creating a solid waste site evaluation committee. The chair explained that Finance would want the committee’s input on the proposal and also announced a temporary change to the committee’s schedule, with additional Wednesday meetings planned around school vacation. The committee then moved into a work session on several bills. On HB 150, Representative Ktoa offered a simple amendment changing food-processing language from “washed and rinsed” to “cleaned and sanitized” in the processing area. Members agreed the change better matched food safety practice, and the committee indicated support for advancing the bill. On HB 307, dealing with homestead food production areas, members discussed proposed amendment language that would add clearer sanitary requirements, including handwashing access, sanitary storage, sanitizable food-contact surfaces, and pest exclusion. The committee also discussed whether to replace “potentially hazardous food” with “time temperature control safe food,” but several members favored keeping the existing term because it is already well defined in food safety law. The bill was held for further amendment work rather than being executed immediately. The committee spent substantial time on solid waste legislation. For HB 479, members recalled a prior plan for a letter to the solid waste working group and agreed to proceed with the bill in executive session, with an offer of drafting help from Representative Bixby. For HB 77, which would require DES to establish site-specific setback distances for proposed new landfills, Representative Penza said his amendment was not ready yet but was close, and the bill was left for further discussion. The most detailed discussion was on HB 2115, which would require landfill permit applicants to submit a report on the project’s harms and benefits. Representative Germana explained an amendment that would replace section one, expand the list of benefits to include economic potential and infrastructure improvements, and set up a third-party review process in which the applicant submits a list of reviewers, DES screens the list, and the commissioner selects a reviewer if no agreement is reached within 60 days. Members asked about who could serve as contractors, whether they had to be local, and how DES would judge qualifications; the response was that environmental engineering and similar firms could be used, local or outside the community, and that the process would remain somewhat flexible. Representative H. Haskins asked whether the legislature or subcommittee would be formally notified of preliminary review problems, and the chair said no additional notification process would be built in beyond existing practice. The committee planned to continue work on the bills in upcoming executive sessions, including after school break.

Transcript Highlights:

• THANK YOU FOR ADVOCATING FOR OUR LEGACY FARM FAMILIES. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.
• FLORIDA CITRUS IS MAKING A COMEBACK ONE TREE AT A TIME. THIS FLORIDA LEGACY WILL LIVE ON.
• SERVICES AND MODERNIZE COMMERCE IN ADDITION TO AN INVESTMENT IN FARM TO MARKET ROADS TO SUPPORT THE AGRICULTURAL

Bills: SJR3, SB5, SJR36, SJR3, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842, SB971, SB790, SB767, SB480, SB1066, SR44, SR135, SR171, SR180, SR185, SR187, SR188, SR191, SR197, SR198, SR199, SR200

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you for your advocacy for our legacy farm families. It means the world to me.
• Florida citrus is making a comeback one tree at a time. This Florida legacy will live on.
• education and increase healthcare services and modernize commerce, in addition to an investment in farm-to-market

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is a bill we heard previously relating to the Texas Farm Bureau and Ranch Lands Conservation
• Newton County is home to over... how many trees can you imagine? Anybody? Anyone?
• 70. million trees, and Newton County is this tiny little speck way over next to Louisiana.
• I do agree, it's a lot of trees; you need some lights, you need some street lights.

Bills: HB1397, HB1886, HB3088, HB4187, HB4229, HB4230, HB5032, HCR6, HCR34, HCR50, HCR55, HCR58, HCR70, HCR71, HCR72, HCR74, HCR75, HCR80, HCR86, HCR93, HCR100, HCR107, HCR116, HCR117, HCR6

Keywords: Texas Constitution, Declaration of Independence, victory or death letter, display, historic preservation, lifeguard requirements, public beaches, municipalities, county regulations, exemptions, Parks and Wildlife, procurement, goods and services, revenue generation, Texas legislature, historical preservation, Texas Historical Commission, fees, nonprofit organizations, fundraising

Transcript Highlights:

• Farming is the riskiest business there is.
• You're certainly a tireless advocate for. the farm community and for rural America.
• And I look forward to the boon that will come to our family farms when we get to that point.
• We lost 150,000 farms in the last four years. Our trade deficit has gone awful.
• You see, my family has a family farm and we grew it to a great big farm, but with all that being said

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, where we actually recognize deer farming in subdivision 5 and subdivision 4, raising farm survey
• I have a very large farm.
• So my farm might pass this year.
• I have a very large farm.
• So my farm might pass this year.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 40, authored by Representative Burkel, was heard and laid over. The bill would remove the statutory requirement that farmed deer/elk facilities maintain a physical barrier preventing contact with wild deer, and it would also strike language allowing revocation of registration and seizure/destruction of animals for fencing or escape violations. Burkel argued the current law is unfair to deer farmers, treats them differently than other livestock producers, and amounts to a regulatory taking of a legal agricultural enterprise. Supporters from the Minnesota Elk Breeders Association and Minnesota Deer Farmers Association said the 2023 secondary-fence requirement is expensive, difficult to implement on long-established properties, and has pushed some breeders out of the industry. They described costs ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, said the DNR’s guidance is case-by-case and unclear, and argued that the penalty structure is too harsh for what they view as minor or unavoidable escape incidents. One testifier said the industry is being driven out of business and that the state should help pay for the fencing if it remains required. The DNR opposed the bill. Its enforcement representative said the physical-contact barrier is intended to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease transmission and that removing penalties would leave little incentive for compliance. He said the agency continues to work with the roughly 10 noncompliant whitetail farms and that the DNR provides case-by-case review because farm topography varies. In committee questions, members discussed whether wild deer commonly travel along fence lines, whether ear-tagged deer have been found, and whether there is a standard approved fence design; the DNR said there is no single standard fence, only suggestions and review. Representative Burkel closed by reiterating his support for the bill and the committee then laid it over.

Transcript Highlights:

• has been a critical resource for millions of Californians, serving as a key water resource for our farming
• What happens to our farms? What happens to the best agriculture in the entire world that we have?
• What happens to our farms? What happens to the best agriculture in the entire world that we have?
• It sits on top of a beautifully lined, tree-lined community. It's very suburban. It's very rural.
• We're not going in cutting down large trees for fuel reduction.

Summary: The committee heard several climate, environmental, and housing bills. AB 1425, dealing with pit dewatering near the San Joaquin River Parkway, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued the bill was needed to protect the river, groundwater, floodplain conditions, tribal and cultural resources, and public access from a proposed mining project near the river. Opponents, including Cemex, labor representatives, and industry groups, said the bill would bypass the CEQA process before it was complete, threaten jobs, and create uncertainty for an existing operation. Members questioned both sides about hydrology, blasting, dewatering, and the adequacy of the ongoing environmental review. The bill was moved, but several members expressed concern about preempting CEQA and some did not vote or voted no. AB 881, which would allow California to move forward with carbon capture and sequestration pipelines, was presented as a way to advance state climate goals and capture federal funding. Supporters, including SMUD, labor, and industry groups, said the bill would help deploy carbon capture safely and preserve jobs. Environmental justice opponents supported stronger safety direction and warned that CO2 pipelines pose serious risks and that the state should not move ahead without clearer standards. The bill received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1207, on the cap-and-trade allowance price ceiling and the social cost of carbon, was presented as a science-based update to California’s climate policy. The author and EDF said the bill would keep the program aligned with current economic and climate data and protect it from federal political interference. It received broad support and a due-pass recommendation. AB 1106, creating a coordinated network of air quality incident response centers, was also approved after testimony about wildfire smoke, toxic emissions, and the need for better real-time monitoring during disasters. AB 28, the Landfill Fire Safety Act, focused on the Chiquita Canyon landfill fire and related health impacts in Castaic and Val Verde; residents described serious illnesses and contamination concerns, while landfill and county representatives warned about costs and asked for more study. The committee nonetheless advanced the bill with a due-pass recommendation. The committee also heard AB 357, which would speed Coastal Commission review of student and faculty housing projects, with supporters citing student homelessness and opponents urging caution but acknowledging the need for more housing; the bill was presented and discussed, with the committee emphasizing the need to balance housing production and coastal oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• figure out what to do with it because some courts have said that it’s illegal based on the federal farm
• It looks like a Christmas tree bill, but as it relates to the cannabis-infused beverage taxation, do
• It looks like a Christmas tree bill, but as it relates to the cannabis-infused beverage taxation, do
• bill looks like a annual Christmas tree bill looks like a annual Christmas tree bill<00:46:43.359
• We modify programs and systems and decision trees to accommodate that.

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:12 SB 28 Discussion 00:01:33 SB 28 Vote 00:04:05 SJR 26 Discussion 00:05:32 SJR 26 Vote 00:07:10 HB 741 Discussion 00:08:30 HB 741 Vote 00:14:00 HB 544 Discussion 00:15:40 HB 544 Vote 00:28:15 HB 775 Discussion 00:31:20 HB 775 Vote 00:56:00 HJR 33 Discussion 01:00:25 HJR 33 Vote 01:01:40, 958, all

Summary: The committee met on March 11, 2025, with a quorum present and first adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 28. The bill would create a framework for using $5 million previously set aside for agricultural economic development through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, including loan and grant programs. Members asked about changes in the substitute, and the sponsor explained that it revised the board composition to include members with more experience in finance, lending, and economic development. SB 28 was approved 20-0 and reported favorably. The committee then approved Senate Joint Resolution 26, which directs the Department for Medicaid Services to provide the Legislative Research Commission a report on pharmacist pay parity and the cost of allowing independent pharmacists and pharmacies to be reimbursed by Medicaid for services within their scope of practice. The sponsor and Kentucky Pharmacists Association representative described it as a request for information rather than a policy change. The resolution passed 20-0 and was reported favorably. House Bill 741, relating to public water and wastewater systems, was next. The sponsor said the substitute incorporated Kentucky Infrastructure Authority recommendations, clarified best management practices, and allowed storm water inflow and groundwater infiltration reduction projects to be scored more fairly alongside water projects. Members discussed how the bill narrows eligibility to systems most in need and refines the scoring process for the program created last session. HB 741 passed 20-0, was reported favorably, and received a title amendment. The committee also considered House Bill 544, a branch budget bill amendment creating a new SAFE fund for the most recent Eastern Kentucky flood disaster, indexed to the relevant presidential disaster declaration. The bill would allow state money and other funds to support local governments, utilities, school districts, and other eligible recipients for recovery costs, planning, and short-term liquidity, with reimbursement provisions if FEMA or other sources later pay. Members discussed the amount of available funding, the use of prior SAFE fund balances, and the emergency clause. HB 544 passed 20-0, was reported favorably, and a title amendment was adopted. The committee then began House Bill 775, relating to development areas, and adopted PHS 2 and a committee amendment; the sponsor started explaining the bill’s provisions on development areas, tax increment financing, brewers’ electronic filing, distilled spirits property tax language, income tax reduction conditions, tourism development incentives, and other tax-related sections, but the transcript cuts off before final action on the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the registered lobbyist for the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau.
• It's in relation with the Farm Act.
• I, as a farmer, when I started farming, I had a job to make my farm work, and it's hard and it's a tough
• I was born on a farm, delivered by a midwife, have lived on farms and ranches my whole life.
• developers could buy land, decide not to farm, and then get an ag status.

Keywords: 996, all