Transcript Highlights:

• accommodate an evolving budget process accommodate an evolving budget process and<00:10:30.519><
• The first step in the process is that, in the form of Mr.
• D, will often bring ideas that he has seen through the executive process.
• That's the process we use.
• What is the process for writing that into a bill?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Finance Committee met for its first 2025 meeting, with co-chairs Senator Marty and Senator Pratt opening the session and members and staff introducing themselves. No bills were heard; the meeting was focused on orientation and on reviewing the committee’s budget rules for the new biennium. Committee members and staff from both caucuses, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), and legislative fiscal offices were introduced before the presentation began. MMB fiscal staff Brian D. and committee fiscal staff explained that budget rules are a nonbinding agreement between MMB and House and Senate fiscal staff that guides how fiscal proposals are tracked and understood. They reviewed the history of the rules, noting that the current document reflects the most substantial update since the rules were first adopted in the early 2000s, and that the 2025 version was reorganized into eight sections after extensive interim work by House, Senate, and MMB staff. The presenters emphasized that the rules are updated annually, are intended to promote consistent fiscal tracking and transparent communication, and are used as guidance for budget bills rather than as law. The presentation highlighted several substantive rule areas: general tracking rules and comparison points for budget documents; appropriation drafting guidance; treatment of transfers, revenues, and inflation; planning estimates and “budget tails”; and rules for extending, canceling, or reappropriating existing appropriations. Staff also described new or revised provisions, including guidance on understanding current-law changes, using Department of Revenue estimates for tax revenue, and treating inflation in the forecast as a general pressure estimate rather than appropriated dollars. The committee was asked to review the updated rules, but no vote or formal action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and this would caregiving process.
• experience with that uh waiver process experience with that uh waiver process in<03:34:39.680>
• say it's also very early in the process. say it's also very early in the process.
• They will lose their coverage due to the reauthorization process to prove employment and to meet the
• <05:25:17.840> The a an application process study. The a an application process study.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is probably partially due to environmental restrictions.
• It's probably partially due to the high cost of property.
• There were reasons behind seeing that price spike, and it was largely due to a global event.
• So I'll defer to CEC on the due dates for the transportation fuels assessment.
• There is an update that is due.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• People should be treated with dignity and respect unless due process goes out the window.
• People should be treated with dignity and respect unless due process goes out the window.
• People should be treated with dignity and respect unless due process goes out the window.
• People should be treated with dignity and respect unless due process goes out the window.
• People should be treated with dignity and respect unless due process goes out the window.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We went through the clemency process with them, as well as the postconviction process, as well as up
• Um as the clemency process with them.
• <00:06:55.759> as well as the postconviction process as well as the postconviction process
• They go directly. >> We can track what is due.
• That's really due to a factor outside of our control.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 15 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The meeting began with a budget presentation from the Office of Capital Post Conviction. Director Chrissy Noble described the office’s work representing death-row clients in state postconviction, federal habeas, clemency, and related matters, and said the Legislature has historically funded the office with enough flexibility to handle unpredictable cases. She highlighted four pending actual-innocence cases, including matters involving false forensics and a shaken-baby syndrome challenge, and noted that such cases often require multiple experts. She also cited a recent example where the office was appointed to a case shortly before an execution date was set, and said flexible spending authority allowed the office to secure experts and file on time. The office asked to retain any remaining special-fund cash balance into FY26 and said it had not requested additional salary funding for FY26 because the increase was already handled through flexibility; members praised the office’s work and no vote was taken. The committee then heard from the Ethics Commission. Staff explained requests for salary realignment, additional funding for a part-time hearing officer who handles public records and open meetings cases, and a small amount for fuel/food that was described as a system-related placeholder. The commission said it had a backlog because complaints have become more numerous and complex, and that more funding would allow the hearing officer to process more cases. Members also discussed a prior $10,000 system request that had lapsed and was later found to have been underestimated; the commission said the earlier figure came from an initial quote and the later $25,000 estimate reflected the actual cost. The chairman and members commended the commission’s work, and no formal action was taken. Finally, the Administrative Office of Courts presented its budget requests. The office outlined a deficit appropriation request tied to county-funded court reporter increases, funding for two newly appointed judges, special-judge appointment costs, and death benefits for a court administrator in Warren County. The discussion then focused on judicial salaries, with the office noting Mississippi ranks near the bottom nationally in trial and Supreme Court judge pay, though a cost-of-living adjustment would place the state around 27th. The office said its request follows State Personnel Board recommendations and that it is also seeking a possible increase in filing fees to support the Judicial Operations Fund, which helps cover salary costs not paid from general funds. Members discussed redistricting, special appointments, and the possibility of using fee revenue rather than general funds to support future increases; no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• And every so often in this process, you get hit like a ton of bricks.
• And every so often in this process, you get hit like a ton of bricks.
• a streamlined public hearing process, allowing for local input and a public negotiation process between
• Yes, as a matter of fact, this has nothing to do with the approval process.
• Senator Rizul, I want to thank you for this, just how the process works.

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we of law and having a fair process.
• , staying home due to fear of<00:10:09.279> raids.
• Farms and food processing of raids.
• stores, we're talking food processing stores, we're talking food processing facilities,<00:12:34.399
• <00:14:17.279> is you know if that if that process is you know if that if that process is

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: State legislators and farm leaders held an impromptu discussion focused on the impact of federal immigration enforcement activity, especially ICE presence in Minnesota, on agriculture and rural communities. Speakers argued that agriculture is central to the state’s economy and said fear of raids is causing legal immigrant and guest workers, including H-2A workers, to stay home, disrupting farms, food processors, restaurants, grocery stores, and other parts of the food supply chain. They also linked the issue to broader federal uncertainty, including USDA funding freezes and cuts, and said the lack of transparency from federal agencies is making it difficult for state officials and producers to plan. Senator Rob Kupec and Minnesota Farmers Union president Gary Wertish said ICE activity in both the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota is creating fear, trauma, and labor shortages, with reports of workers avoiding work, lunch trips, medical appointments, and school. Wertish said the organization supports comprehensive immigration reform and called for an end to the ICE surge, while also emphasizing the need to respect local law enforcement and the rule of law. Deputy Agriculture Commissioner Andrea Vaubel said immigrants are a critical part of Minnesota’s food and agriculture workforce, warned that labor shortages could raise production costs and food prices, and said the state would not have its current food supply without immigrant workers. In response to questions, speakers said they had anecdotal reports from rural areas such as Pelican Rapids, Willmar, and Detroit Lakes, but that the situation is changing quickly and many incidents may not yet be public. They said the lack of coordination with local law enforcement and the use of masks contribute to fear and confusion. Legislators said they have no direct jurisdiction over ICE operations but see their role as documenting what is happening, communicating with constituents, and avoiding state actions that would worsen the problem. They also said the issue is not purely partisan and may be mobilizing concern across political lines, especially among farmers worried about labor availability for planting and other seasonal work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of the committee, the bill will be reported due pass in a minute.
• Received a due pass. Representative More, your bill will be reported as due pass.
• The bill will be reported as due pass.
• Leader, will report your bill as due pass. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, members.
• We will report your bill as due passed. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, members.

Bills: HB3765, HB4324, HB3678, HB4170, HB3495, HB3040, HB3062, HB4140, HB4106, HB4109, HB4104, HB3581

Keywords: property rights, forfeiture, noncitizen, land ownership, felony, public safety, criminal procedure, sentence modification, resentencing, judicial review, postconviction relief, district attorney, prosecutor, victim rights, victim notification, Department of Corrections, inmate rehabilitation, sentencing reform, life without parole, nonviolent offense

Transcript Highlights:

• It is really about process with 24 people planning to speak. Are we planning to speak?
• That is the normal process amounts.
• This was not due to poor business decisions.
• is all due to federal occupation. occupation. occupation.
• <01:34:48.440> of the we are still in the process of the we are still in the process of making

Bills: HF4477

Keywords: Minnesota business recovery loan program, small business loan, zero-interest loan, forgivable loan, business recovery, economic development, small business emergency loan account, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, nonprofit lenders, greater Minnesota, Twin Cities metro, seven-county metropolitan area, immigration enforcement, business interruption, revenue loss, job preservation, business stabilization, state appropriation, forward fund, loan forgiveness

Transcript Highlights:

• bill is really about stripping due bill is really about stripping due process<03:52:17.040> and
• conviction and without any due process? conviction and without any due process?
• Immigration and due process.
• <04:08:53.040> process, like the fact that there's due process, like the fact that there's
• The Democrats clearly aren't interested in due process.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “Traditional regulatory processes.
• I’ve been part of a similar process in the state of Washington.
• This bill is 18 months into the process. We've had three meetings.
• There was a lot of process. This didn't have as much process; that's just a fact.
• There was a lot of process. This didn't have as much process; that's just a fact.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sure that is a fair process, one that makes common sense.
• sure that is a fair process, one that makes common sense.
• sure that is a fair process, one that makes common sense.
• sure that is a fair process, one that makes common sense.
• 2018 um to set up different processes 2018 um to set up different processes for<00:47:23.160>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard a presentation from Department of Children, Youth, and Families Commissioner Tiki Brown on the department’s 2025 budget and transition plans. Brown said the governor’s budget pairs targeted reductions with modest investments, resulting in net general fund savings, while preserving core safety-net programs. Major proposals included funding for program integrity, modernization of the child welfare SSIS system, compliance changes for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), operating adjustments, and a transition account reallocation as the new department continues moving programs from other agencies through July 1, 2025. A large portion of the discussion focused on CCAP fraud prevention and oversight. Brown and Assistant Commissioner Diane Hy explained that the proposed statewide electronic attendance recordkeeping system would replace retroactive paper-based attendance reporting with more timely data, making it harder to falsify attendance and claim payments improperly. Brown also said the department is working with the Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General and other partners on compliance and fraud controls. Senators pressed for more detail on current enforcement, whether payments can be withheld for violations, and whether recent media reports showed gaps in oversight; Brown said payments can be stopped for false attendance records, suspended or revoked licenses, or fraud allegations, but not for health and safety violations alone. The committee also reviewed other budget-neutral policy changes, including expanding permanency support services for relative foster care and tribal equivalents, strengthening tribal child welfare grants, updating TEACH scholarship rules for early childhood educators, and adjusting the Great Start Compensation Support Payment Program to create a special revenue fund and extend a 10% payment increase to tribally licensed programs and programs on tribal reservation land. Brown also described a $1.5 million annual reduction to restorative practices grants, leaving a smaller ongoing base. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• process up to get it done. Thank you. process up to get it done. Thank you.
• due to their location. That's correct. due to their location.
• Is there a process to get that approved? >> I'm not aware of any process.
• Is there a process to what we can see.
• ,<02:10:09.520> I'm there is without an appeals process, I'm there is without an appeals process

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 497, a technical correction to last year’s capital budget. Shannon Reid of the Community College System of New Hampshire explained that the bill removes leftover state-agency boilerplate from a repurposed capital appropriation and replaces it with community college language, without changing any dollar amounts. She also described a requested amendment to rename a respiratory therapy renovation appropriation at Nashua Community College as an allied health instructional center, so the space can be used more flexibly for programs such as phlebotomy, radiologic technology, and LNA training. Terry Poff of the General Court then testified on the second part of the bill, which changes legislative space references to support the move of General Court offices from the second floor to the fourth floor of the annex as part of the legislative office building reconfiguration. Members asked whether the community college changes affected funding, and Reid confirmed the amounts do not change and that the bill simply speeds up a correction that otherwise would have been handled later in the lapse process. Poff said the annex space change is part of a permanent transition, though the work cannot proceed until the General Court has legal control of the space. The committee then entered executive session, adopted Amendment 1031H on a 12-0 vote, and voted ought to pass as amended on SB 497 by a 12-0 vote, with several members absent. The bill was placed on the consent calendar. The committee next opened a hearing on Senate Bill 529FN, which would give preference to lumber sourced in the United States on state-funded building projects. Representative Davis, introducing the bill for Senator Roachford, argued that New Hampshire timber is disadvantaged by grading rules that treat U.S. lumber differently from Canadian SPF lumber, even when the wood is from similar species and climates. He said the bill is intended to support New Hampshire’s timber industry and that architects and engineers would still be able to specify stronger materials when needed. Committee members questioned whether the bill should instead refer specifically to New Hampshire lumber, how it would be enforced, and what the cost impact would be. Davis and later witness Mike Olette said the issue is tied to industry grading standards rather than a government code, that the bill is meant to create a preference rather than a mandate, and that price differences are hard to pin down because lumber is a commodity. Olette, who lives near the border, testified that New Hampshire logs are often sent to Canada for milling and then return under a different grade, which he said puts New Hampshire loggers and mills at an economic disadvantage.

Transcript Highlights:

• through the process.
• There's a little bit of difference, in all due respect.
• Well, it's a legal process. It's called invoking appraisal.
• It would more streamline the process than we have now.
• And once again, it goes back to streamlining the process.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 267, which would change the membership rules for the Louisiana State Board of Home Inspectors by adjusting appointment qualifications, term limits, and nomination procedures. Vice Chair Thomas explained the bill was meant to address the lack of nominations from existing entities and to allow the governor more flexibility, especially in smaller districts. After adopting a technical amendment, the committee reported HB 267 favorably. The committee then considered House Bill 478 on utility overcharge reimbursements. The bill, as amended, requires utilities to clearly label reimbursements on customer bills and sets a deadline for issuing refunds. After discussion with the Public Service Commission and utility representatives, the committee changed the reimbursement timeline from 45 days to 90 days and clarified that the bill would not interfere with larger settlement or regulatory credits. HB 478 was then reported favorably as amended. The longest discussion centered on House Bill 924, a consumer protection measure aimed at contractors who solicit residential property owners after declared disasters. The author said the bill was intended to curb predatory storm-chasing and fraudulent insurance-related practices, while still allowing emergency mitigation work. The committee adopted technical amendments and then a conceptual amendment shortening the catastrophe response period from six months to 30 days. Testimony was split: the Insurance Commissioner and some roofing industry witnesses supported the bill as a way to deter fraud, while other contractors argued it would hurt small businesses, limit legitimate door-to-door work, and not solve enforcement problems. The bill remained under consideration after extensive testimony and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I look at this particular resolution, and it's more on process than anything else.
• want I just don't think from a process want I just don't think from a process perspective<00:25:
• I don't need to know what individual thought process the president went through.
• <00:54:06.799> to family's primary wage earner due to family's primary wage earner due to
• We have just developed a process with the board.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we're continually improving the process to make sure we can promote that.
• Um, we're continually improving the process to make sure we can promote that.
• Um, we're continually improving the process to make sure we can promote that.
• Um, we're continually improving the process to make sure we can promote that.
• of that 512% from late filings, past due of that 512% from late filings, past due payments.<01:46

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Others have due to issues in the past.
• It forgive any kind of past due balance.
• <01:32:51.840> to doesn't want to buy Russian gas due to doesn't want to buy Russian gas due
• It's just processing information.
• But um due to administration is going.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:12 Approval of Minutes 00:02:25 Co-Chair & Member Comments 00:02:48 Discussion of 2025 SB 137 00:06:58 Outdoor Adventure Tourism Opportunities 00:41:56 Public Service Commission Update 01:21:37, 958, all

Summary: The committee meeting began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the prior minutes. Members also observed a moment of reflection for Charlie Kirk and offered condolences to Representative Bobby McCool on the death of his mother. Representative Fugate then made announcements about the ongoing ATV/UTV trail system, including an October 21 opening in Letcher County and an October 2 groundbreaking in Knott County, and staff was asked to circulate the dates to members. The main agenda item was Senate Bill 137, presented by Senator Cassie Chambers Armstrong with testimony from George Ecklan of the Coalition of the Homeless and Wesley Bryant, a flood survivor and Eastern Kentucky resident. The bill would prohibit utility disconnections for non-payment during dangerous weather and emergencies, including extreme cold, excessive heat, and declared natural disasters. Supporters said the measure is narrow, does not forgive past-due balances or change reconnection policies, and is intended to protect vulnerable residents, reduce risks to first responders, and create a minimum statewide standard amid a patchwork of utility policies. They cited weather thresholds and historical examples of extreme weather and disaster declarations in Kentucky. Testimony emphasized the human impact of shutoffs, especially for low-income households, older adults, and families facing illness or disaster recovery. Bryant described experiences with people shivering without heat or struggling to keep children cool when power was cut off, calling electricity a lifeline rather than a luxury. Representative Gu raised concerns that utility bills have become unaffordable due to broader policy and rate issues, argued that some customers may not pay if shutoffs are prohibited, and questioned whether the bill was needed. Senator Chambers Armstrong responded that the proposal is limited to non-payment shutoffs during short periods of dangerous conditions and is meant to keep people safe during emergencies. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• process.
• process.
• Um, the bill creates an due process.
• process risk.
• concerns about the opportunity for due concerns about the opportunity for due process<01:18:47.440

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• process process um<00:37:48.079> if<00:37:48.200> one<00:37:48.319> of<00:37:48.440
• <00:42:24.960> some<00:42:25.280> have some have begun that process some have some
• process.
• <00:43:32.960> for then has to establish a process for then has to establish a process for
• approved we support that exemption due approved we support that exemption due to<00:48:27.280>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But then during due to the interim.
• to their county or tribal processing to their county or tribal processing agency.
• c> all<00:36:27.599> recipients The process of renewing all recipients The process of renewing
• <00:36:48.160> of is currently in the process of is currently in the process of implementing
• And so making it the system process.

Keywords: 1183, house