Transcript Highlights:

• And so that was the reason to try to find some balance with rules that are already doing it and it appears
• Um, you know, we understand that there has to be some flexibility and balance in all of these things,

Transcript Highlights:

• innovation grant fund to the general fund: the Office of Management and Budget shall transfer any balance
• innovation grant fund to the general fund: the Office of Management and Budget shall transfer any balance

Bills: SB2225, HB1619

Keywords: housing, affordable housing, community development, infrastructure improvement, funding grants, long-term care, infrastructure loan, nursing facilities, financial assistance, North Dakota Century Code, 908, all

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met to clear several remaining bills and discussed scheduling around upcoming conference committees. The chair noted that full committee meetings would likely be held after floor session, while Thursday and Friday mornings were being reserved for conference committees. Members also discussed how conference committees would be scheduled and where they would appear on their dashboards. The committee first took up House Bill 1577, relating to wastewater facility grants. Amendments were adopted to create a loan/line-of-credit mechanism through the Bank of North Dakota and the Department of Environmental Quality to keep two canceled federal BRIC-funded projects moving: a lagoon project in Fezenden and a wastewater treatment project in Lincoln. Members emphasized the language was intended to apply only to those projects and to preserve the possibility of federal reimbursement later. The amendment passed 16-0, and the bill as amended received a 15-1 do pass recommendation. The committee then reconsidered House Bill 1009 and adopted an additional amendment transferring the remaining balance in the bioscience innovation grant fund to the general fund, rather than issuing another round of grants. That amendment passed 16-0, and the bill as amended also received a 16-0 do pass recommendation. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 1619, creating a long-term care facility loan fund and adjusting an existing medical facility loan program. After discussion, members amended the bill to reduce the long-term care fund cap to $10 million per project, set the interest rate at 2%, extend repayment to 30 years, and align the medical facility loan program to 2% with a 30-year term. The amendment passed 14-2, and the bill as amended received a 16-0 do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the balance between the penalties or the enforcement action that the bill would give to the utility
• I disagree with the idea that a judge would not order... an injunction on pumping and balance that with

Bills: SB1169, SB1285, SB1583, SB1611, SB1898, SB1976, SB2160, SB2161, SB2658, SB2661, SB2662, SB2692, SB1055, SB1359, SB2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer

Transcript Highlights:

• off a customer, and I know the next bill we're going to talk about begins to address that, but the balance
• I disagree with the idea that a judge would not order an injunction on pumping and balance that with,

Bills: SB 1169, SB 1285, SB 1583, SB 1611, SB 1898, SB 1976, SB 2160, SB 2161, SB 2658, SB 2661, SB 2662, SB 2692, SB 1055, SB 1359, SB 2660

Keywords: water service, sewer service, public utility, joint operation, infrastructure, municipality, compliance, SB 1285, bats, bat protection, wildlife protection, Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, Parks and Wildlife Code Section 63.101, hunting bats, bat possession, bat sales, bat trade, pest control, licensed pest control professional, animal control officer

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a good balance.
• I just don't know how that balances out with your question regarding how we've returned general revenue

Bills: SB2122, SB2050, HB16

Keywords: oil and gas waste, application fees, permit amendments, environmental regulation, Texas natural resources, battery recycling, battery disposal, consumer batteries, energy storage modules, electrochemical devices, lithium-ion battery, household hazardous waste, solid waste, municipal recycling, waste management, battery stewardship, producer responsibility, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, recycling program

Transcript Highlights:

• all share, and may the effects of their decisions ultimately be experienced as your law of love, balancing
• relationships are informed by an understanding of our distinct roles and duties, protected by the checks and balances

Summary: The California Legislature met in joint convention for the annual State of the Judiciary address, with judges and justices from across the state in attendance along with Governor Newsom and other statewide officials. The opening included prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the formal introduction of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero and the California Supreme Court justices. Speakers emphasized the importance of judicial independence, the courts’ role in protecting rights and democracy, and the value of collaboration between the legislative and judicial branches. Chief Justice Guerrero focused on the state of the judicial branch, beginning with budget pressures from prior cuts and noting partial restoration in the governor’s proposed budget, while urging continued stable funding for courts, court-appointed counsel, and judgeships in high-need counties. She highlighted the expansion and benefits of remote proceedings, ongoing judicial vacancies, workload growth, and efforts to improve data collection and case-weighting. She also discussed implementation of the CARE Act, the court interpreter workforce pilot, CASA and kin-first child welfare efforts, courthouse security and facilities projects, and the judiciary’s work on generative AI guardrails. A major portion of the address addressed the recent problems with the California bar exam and broader State Bar oversight. Guerrero said the court would pursue remedies for examinees harmed by the failures and would strengthen admissions oversight, including the role of the Committee of Bar Examiners. She also reiterated support for pro bono legal services and discussed immigration-related courthouse access, citing state laws limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in courthouses. The convention concluded after remarks thanking the judiciary and Legislature, and the joint session adjourned without any recorded votes or formal legislative action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, you know, we're always trying to balance priorities as policy makers for keeping energy affordable
• So we have to balance renewables and conventional or other sources to make sure we can always be in balance
• So, we have to balance ourselves.
• and have the grid operating balance and have the grid operating reliably. reliably. reliably.
• And now the shed load to to balance.

Bills: SCR48, SCR28, SCR74, SCR62, SCR60, SCR89, SCR147, SCR179, SCR182, SCR59, SCR54, SCR180

Keywords: affordable housing, housing credits, perpetual credits, development, Hawaii Housing Finance, Vietnam veterans, commemorative medal, recognition, working group, Hawaii, no-bid contracts, emergency procurement, audit, state agencies, public funds, accountability, emergency response, disability access, 911 systems, life-saving measures

Transcript Highlights:

• Where's that other balance? I don't know how much is that 772? Where'd that go? Building 16.
• Where's that other balance? I don't know how much is that 772? Where'd that go?
• that I don't know how much is balance that I don't know how much is that<00:32:05.440><c> 772?
• c><01:10:39.520><c> balances</c><01:10:40.000><c> are</c> are some balances, but balances are are some
• balances, but balances are important<01:10:41.280><c> because</c><01:10:42.239><c> these</c><01:10:42.560

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, I guess it's a balancing act and I would encourage you to work with the DCA and the chiefs of
• So, um, I guess it's a balancing act and I would encourage you to work with the DCA and the chiefs of
• So, um, I guess it's a balancing act and I would encourage you to work with the DCA and the chiefs of
• So, um, I guess it's a balancing act and I would encourage you to work with the DCA and the chiefs of
• /c><00:47:27.040><c> would</c><00:47:27.359><c> uh</c> balancing act and I would uh balancing act and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:17:07.679><c> assessment</c><00:17:08.160><c> which</c> the smarter balanced assessment which
• the smarter balanced assessment which was<00:17:08.480><c> the</c><00:17:08.720><c> first</c><00:17:
• </c><04:07:00.399><c> exercising</c> find the balance between exercising find the balance between exercising
• </c><04:07:08.800><c> interviews</c><04:07:09.279><c> to</c> balance by allowing these interviews to
• balance by allowing these interviews to occur<04:07:10.479><c> as</c><04:07:10.800><c> long</c><04:07

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on House Bill 1571, which would direct the Department of Education to review and revise statewide academic standards and curriculum and make an appropriation. Representative Kristen Noble, the sponsor, said the bill is intended to update outdated standards, especially in math, and to have the department create a list of high-quality curriculum and materials aligned to the revised standards. She noted she would likely amend the bill to change a requirement that districts “shall” select from the list to “may,” and said a misplaced crossed-out section would need to be restored and moved by amendment. She also said assessments would need to be updated to match any new standards. Testimony from Marie Banfield strongly supported the bill and the move away from a mandate, arguing that current standards are outdated and that Common Core and related standards have not improved student outcomes. She criticized the math standards for emphasizing multiple strategies and written explanations over computation, and said stronger standards would better support students, including those with learning or communication challenges. She also argued that New Hampshire should follow examples such as Massachusetts, which she said used rigorous standards successfully. Nate Green of the Department of Education did not take a position on the bill but explained that the bill would affect statewide academic standards, state assessments, and potentially federal compliance. He distinguished academic standards from minimum standards in statute, said any standards revision would require work with content experts, State Board approval, and then a corresponding assessment update that could take about two years. He estimated assessment development costs could range from about $200,000 to $500,000 for minor revisions and $1 million to $2 million for a wholesale new set of standards. He also said the bill would apply to public and charter public schools, not private or homeschool students, and that the department does not currently provide a statewide list of curriculum materials because curriculum decisions have historically been local.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third is balanced and finding a middle ground.
• third is balanced and finding a middle<00:12:02.160><c> ground.
• 00:13:26.959><c> today</c><00:13:28.079><c> um</c> balancing individual rights today um balancing individual
• And, you know, it is a little bit of a balance.
• Uh each of you were selected by balance.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And one of the things that we do on that is if we look at our admissions, we balance the care that we
• And one of the things that we do on that is if we look at our admissions, we balance the care that we
• </c><01:53:08.080><c> balance</c> at our admissions, we balances balance at our admissions, we balances
• </c><02:02:11.360><c> So</c> have a tier three 401k cash balance.
• So have a tier three 401k cash balance.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:14 Staff Report on the Firefighter Commission Minimum Training Standards and Administrative Spending- 00:02:02 Response from the Kentucky Fire Commission-00:32:06 Judge Testimony on Child Removal-00:42:47 Update on Child Removal and Reunification-01:11:19 Staffing at Kentucky Veteran Centers-01:40:15 Adjournment-02:05:55, 958, all

Summary: The Legislative Oversight and Investigation Committee met without a quorum, so no votes were taken. Staff presented a study of the Kentucky Fire Commission focused on firefighter minimum training standards and administrative spending. The presentation explained that Kentucky’s training standards are built from NFPA guidelines, that the commission currently requires 115 hours for volunteer firefighters and 300 hours for paid firefighters, and that those reduced hours were adopted by removing electives and other non-NFPA content. Staff also said the commission’s IFSAC certification testing for firefighter 1 and firefighter 2 aligns with NFPA standards, but the commission cannot require local departments to train or certify firefighters. Staff recommended that the commission formally promulgate regulations establishing the reduced training hours and work with KCTCS to better separate administrative costs for certain programs so compliance with the statute can be demonstrated. The finance portion of the report said the commission is funded by general fund appropriations for State Fire Rescue Training and by an insurance premium surcharge that supports the Firefighter Foundation Program Fund. Staff reported that the commission stayed within the 5% administrative cap tied to the overall surcharge allotment, but could not confirm compliance with a separate 5% cap for specific programs because KCTCS accounting does not break out those costs in enough detail. Staff suggested the General Assembly may want to clarify what counts as administrative cost in statute. Members asked about investment returns, local fire department funding, and whether training documentation is required; staff said some of those topics were outside the study scope and that IFSAC testing relies on chief certification that a candidate is ready to test. Representatives from the Fire Commission then responded, saying they agreed with the report’s recommendations and would work to clarify the 5% issue with legislators and KCTCS. They explained that the reduction in training hours was intended to remove electives, better align with NFPA standards, and address the difficulty volunteer departments have in getting members to complete lengthy training. Commission officials said training is documented through rosters and annual compliance reviews, and that IFSAC-certified firefighter testing is based on demonstrated skills rather than a required number of training hours. They also said the difficulty in tracking the second 5% cap stems from the way KCTCS’s PeopleSoft system records reimbursements as single transactions, making it hard to isolate administrative costs by program.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's so incredibly difficult to balance that, but you've done an incredible job doing that, and I'm just
• I probably wouldn't have a problem with what you're describing if it was balanced.
• It's what I'm offering because I believe that would be a balance.
• It's what I'm offering because I believe that would be a balance if we are opening it up.
• And then that would be balanced by us putting in the cap on the damages, on the non-economic damages

Summary: The Senate began with opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including interns, Denim Day awareness, and a resolution honoring Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange on the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for former Senator Karen Johnson Gendron. After routine business, the Senate took up several special-order bills. The first major bill, transportation offenses involving death, increased penalties for repeat DUI/BUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide offenses. An amendment added penalties for refusal to submit to breath or urine testing and required law enforcement to notify suspects of those penalties. The bill passed 37-0. The Senate then passed SB 306 on Medicaid providers, requiring broader after-hours and holiday access to care and setting network standards for Medicaid managed care plans, also by a 37-0 vote. The chamber next considered a major condominium and cooperative associations bill responding to post-Surfside safety and financial concerns. Senators described the measure as balancing building safety with financial relief, extending reserve-study deadlines, allowing temporary reserve relief after inspections, tightening oversight of managers and inspectors, and adjusting voting, resale, and reserve rules. After extensive debate and praise from members for the bill’s sponsors and staff, the bill passed 37-0. The longest discussion centered on a constitutional amendments/petition process bill aimed at curbing fraud in citizen initiative petitions. Sponsors argued that the 2024 petition process was plagued by fraud and identity theft and proposed tighter rules for circulators, faster submission deadlines, voter notification, penalties, and limits on petition handling. Senators offered and adopted multiple amendments, including changes to petition-circulator definitions, invalid-signature thresholds, and voter notification procedures. After a substitute amendment was withdrawn, the Senate continued debating the underlying amended bill, with members split between concerns about election integrity and worries that the bill would burden volunteers and make it harder for citizen initiatives to qualify.

Transcript Highlights:

• My amendment is sort of the second half of balancing out the other amendment.
• My amendment is sort of the second half of balancing out the other amendment.
• There seems to be a lack of balance in the vast majority of these bills, and I'll leave it at that and
• </c><01:17:44.199><c> in</c> there seems to be a lack of balance in there seems to be a lack of balance
• You can balance the need for development and preventing it from being scattered and kind of random with

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're working to balance the power dynamic and regulate leases that control these relationships.
• This is why it's critically important that renters have both the law to balance this relationship and
• Landlord-tenant laws need to evolve and look for an always-shifting societal balance between the rights
• </c><00:58:10.000><c> this</c> have both the law to balance this have both the law to balance this relationship
• power in court by the right to balanced power in court by modernizing<01:00:09.079><c> the</c><01:00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So on balance, on a macro level, the job creation engine is running well in Minnesota.
• And that reflects the fact that we're always trying to strike a balance between putting steps and hoops
• And I think, as Commissioner Verc was saying, we try to apply a really carefully balanced approach that
• at the time and and we had fund balance at the time and and we had that<01:52:36.000><c> conversation
• um you know more jobs than ever balance um you know more jobs than ever before<01:53:40.199><c> but<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have open meeting laws, we have data practices laws, and those are meant to balance the public's right
• This is because this method demonstrated an effective balance between providing stable distributions
• This is because this method demonstrated an effective balance between providing stable distributions
• This is because this method demonstrated an effective balance between providing stable distributions
• Vande Lande Lind. an effective balance between providing an effective balance between providing stable

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Your Ways and Means Committee worked to balance supporting opportunity while maintaining consistency
• </c><00:46:35.000><c> supporting</c> Committee worked to balance supporting Committee worked to balance
• of work across the board's balance of work across the board's membership<01:36:00.320><c> and</c><01
• We made an original decision balancing health versus cost.
• </c> balancing health versus cost. balancing health versus cost.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Um, I have to go back and look at the total DERF balance. >> Okay.
• roughly about $100 available balance roughly about $100 million. million. million.
• </c><00:47:58.319><c> Because</c><00:47:58.560><c> you're</c> total derf balance. Okay.
• Because you're total derf balance. Okay.
• And so for DERF, you have about $350 million unencumbered cash balance.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, you know, I think striking the right balance between having enough data so that we can get the
• so you know I think striking<00:04:10.879><c> the</c><00:04:11.120><c> right</c><00:04:11.280><c> balance
• </c><00:04:11.760><c> between</c><00:04:12.879><c> um</c> striking the right balance between um striking
• the right balance between um having<00:04:13.519><c> enough</c><00:04:13.840><c> data</c><00:04:14.159
• </c><00:58:21.680><c> transparency,</c> uh that'll help balance transparency, uh that'll help balance

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.