Transcript Highlights:

• So we have, Madam Chair, a 50-year water action plan, and I know I think every legislator A 50-year water
• González acequia for the past two years.
• , including 23 years in New Mexico.
• served in New Mexico well for over 50 years.
• promulgate the rules by the end of the year, this year.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We collect our NHS routes every year and our non-NHS routes every other year.
• That happens every year.
• fiscal year.
• And how, for years and years, we're just skimping by and doing the best we can.
• Also, in years 2022 and 2023, we were given an additional $18 million a year.

Transcript Highlights:

• I won't be here next year.
• Ag land is a mature program at 35 years.
• He's a over 20-year veteran dealing with this program.
• However, that bill was only authorized for one year.
• This would go into effect for the next fiscal year.

Bills: HB371

Keywords: HB371, Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Act, farmland preservation, agricultural lands, agricultural preservation district, Farmland Preservation Advisory Board, county advisory board, Delaware Foundation, Department of Agriculture, DNREC, planning and zoning, growth zone, open space, land use, farmland protection, rural land preservation, agribusiness, active farmers

Summary: The Senate Executive Committee met in hybrid format, approved the minutes from its June 17 and June 18 meetings, and considered several nominations and bills. The committee heard testimony from Michael T. Skeuse for the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission and Jay Eric Fearwald for the University of Delaware Board of Trustees; both nominees described their backgrounds and qualifications, and no objections were raised. The committee then moved to legislation focused largely on property tax reassessment and related school-tax issues, along with a technical constitutional corrections bill, an agricultural lands preservation cleanup bill, and a child-safety/service-letter bill. A major portion of the meeting centered on Senate Bill 350, which would create a third multifamily residential tax classification at 1.2 times the residential rate. Supporters argued apartments are housing and should not be taxed as commercial property, emphasizing relief for renters and fairness after reassessment. Opponents, including county and school officials, warned the bill would reduce local revenues, complicate tax administration, and create unintended consequences for counties, municipalities, school districts, and agriculture. Similar themes carried into House Bill 462, which would make the split-rate school tax structure permanent and lower the nonresidential cap to 1.85, and House Bill 463, which would align New Castle County senior school-tax exemptions with county exemption rules; both bills drew discussion about shifting burdens, fiscal impacts, and timing. The committee also heard House Substitute 1 for House Bill 320, a technical corrections bill to the Delaware Constitution, with one public commenter objecting to charter-related changes being included in a correction bill. House Bill 371, which removes the requirement for county farmland preservation advisory boards under the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Act, was presented as a streamlining measure and had support from the Department of Agriculture and public comment in favor. House Bill 438, expanding service-letter requirements to a broader set of child-serving facilities and requiring reporting when employers fail to respond, was described as a cleanup bill closing a safety loophole. After public comment and committee discussion, the meeting ended with a motion and unanimous adjournment; no recorded votes on the bills were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been a ton of inflation the past four years, let alone the past 40 years.
• <00:14:21.440> and voter per year and voter per year and $255<00:14:23.079> per<00:
• <00:14:37.720> I<00:14:37.839> hope years let alone the past 40 years I hope years
• That process takes years, and that's why it's taken us years to get caught up to where we need to be.
• <00:27:17.679> and do uh that process takes years and do uh that process takes years and that's

Keywords: Consideration of HB 27 00:04:20 Presentation by Secretary of State 00:10:44 Presentation by Karen Sellers and Jason Denny 00:35:56 Consideration of HB 45 00:55:36, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled House Bill 27, which would remove the prohibition on political yard signs in planned communities statewide while still allowing communities to regulate size, placement, and duration. The sponsor said the 2023 Planned Communities Act created an unintended consequence by treating similar homeowners differently based on grandfathering dates, and a legal explanation was offered that the bill would clarify the law and avoid constitutional problems. After discussion, the committee voted 15-0 to pass the bill with favorable expression. The next item was an update from the Secretary of State on the 2024 election and implementation of House Bill 53, which created prompt post-election audits. He said the audits were carried out smoothly, most found no discrepancies, and no election winners changed, though he recommended adding a specific timeline to the law. He also discussed voter-roll maintenance, saying Kentucky has removed more than 440,000 ineligible voters since 2020, and argued that federal law and limited access to federal databases remain the main obstacles to faster cleanup. Members asked about the possibility of improper removals, double voting across states, and how provisional voting works. The Secretary said anyone improperly removed can reregister, that any double-voting abuse is likely marginal but still unacceptable, and that provisional ballots are available when eligibility is in doubt and can be reviewed by the county board of elections. He also urged Congress to modernize the 1993 federal voter-registration law, improve access to death and citizenship data, and create a central interstate information-sharing system for election officials.

Transcript Highlights:

• IT WAS A BUSY YEAR.
• HE WAS ONLY 108 YEARS OLD.
• BECAUSE WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS OR VETERAN HOMELESSNESS IS DOWN 13 PERCENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
• THAT IS A THREE YEAR GRANT.
• WE TARGET FOLKS THAT ARE TWO YEARS BEFORE AND THREE YEARS AFTER LEAVING THE MILITARY.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Over the last two years. Oh, over the last two years.
• Over the last two years. Oh, over the last two years.
• Y'all don't actually do an actual test once a year, or you just do tabletops?
• And this system has been built and tested for a number of years, and it's worked extremely well for us
• years, a thousand years.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I involved in this for 9 years.
• Yes, they do go to school for 8 years. But that's only 4 years of a dental program.
• And 25 to 34 year-olds.
• And in particular, the 18 to 24 year-old bracket is also the And in particular, the 18 to 24 year-old
• many years ago.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also in that year, it can clean 0.09 grams of nitrogen per year.
• And we self-insure for those years.
• And they proved their value during this last year.
• These oysters are ready to go year-round.
• over year so that they don't have to reapply every year.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum present and heard three presentations focused on Florida aquaculture, agricultural nutrient reduction, and land preservation. First, clam farmer Tim Solano of Cedar Key described the economic and environmental importance of the state’s clam industry, noting Florida’s strong national production, the industry’s recovery role after the net ban, and the severe damage caused by recent hurricanes and red tide. He said the Dislocated Workers program helped farmers return to work and asked that existing state programs be written more broadly to include aquaculture. Oyster producer Canaan Greg of Pelican Oyster Company then discussed the growth of off-bottom oyster farming, the losses his industry suffered from Hurricane Michael and the pandemic, and the need for better access to recovery loans, student internships, local seed production, and waterfront protection. Members asked questions about leases, production, predators, and storm resilience, and the presenters emphasized that aquaculture is a sustainable, year-round industry that filters water and supports local economies. The committee next heard from UF/IFAS regional extension agent Dr. Bob Hockmouth on education, research, and extension efforts to reduce nitrogen in the Suwannee Valley Basin Management Action Plan area. He explained that the region’s agricultural load reduction target has increased from about 4.2 million to 5.8 million pounds of nitrogen, and that extension programs are helping farmers adopt practices such as precision fertilizer placement, soil moisture sensors, controlled-release fertilizer, petiole sap testing, and irrigation automation. He highlighted corn and watermelon as major examples, saying on-farm demonstrations and cost-share programs are essential because the equipment and technology are expensive. He reported substantial reductions from participating farms and said growers are generally cooperative when funding is available. Finally, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services presented an update on the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The program acquires development rights through voluntary conservation easements to keep working agricultural lands in production, protect water resources and wildlife habitat, and preserve taxable land without transferring ownership. The presenter said the program has expanded rapidly in the last two years, with more acreage acquired, faster application review, and more properties in the Florida wildlife corridor. He noted new online application and monitoring tools, a shortened review timeline, and stronger partnerships with federal and defense-related programs. Committee members asked about long-term maintenance responsibilities and the Board of Trustees approval process, and the presentation closed with support for continued funding and efficiency improvements before the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• note that this is not our assertion of what the schools should or should not get; it's just simply testing
• :04:05.120> simply should not get but it's just simply should not get but it's just simply testing
• c> criteria<00:04:06.599> that's<00:04:06.760> outlined<00:04:07.159> in testing
• the criteria that's outlined in testing the criteria that's outlined in the<00:04:07.360> bill

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Committee on Primary and Secondary Education and Workforce Development met, approved the minutes from its first meeting, and then received a presentation on the School Facility Assistance Fund audit. State Auditor Allison Ball’s office and its third-party contractor, Blue and Co., explained that the audit followed the scope set in the budget bill: to review each school project’s cost, available local resources, and eligibility criteria for state gap funding, with the Auditor of Public Accounts certifying the final report. The presenters walked through the 20 school projects identified for review and gave the current gap funding amounts found for each. Examples included Adair County at about $7.6 million, Augusta Independent at $5.3 million, B.S. Down Independent at just over $43 million, Fleming County at about $15 million, Garrard County at $14.9 million, Johnson County at $78 million, Somerset Independent at $1.7 million, Walton Verona at $48,000, Williams Town Independent at $7.4 million, and several others. They also noted that some districts were fully funded before the audit or withdrew because they had secured enough local funding, including Breathitt County, Kent County, and Lewis County. Washington County’s project was flagged as failing some House Bill 6 eligibility criteria even though the report calculated a $27.6 million gap. Members asked whether districts that secured funding on their own were being penalized, and the auditors responded that changes in gap amounts reflected several factors, including rising project costs and newly available local funding. They also said the audit did not attempt to determine whether local funds were earmarked for one project versus another, because the budget bill directed them to assess available local funding as provided. The committee requested the presentation slides, and the meeting concluded with no further questions and a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• Premiums went up every year.
• It's in Senate Bill 1508 from last year.
• So for last year we did it for the litigation fund; this year we're looking at gifts and grants.
• I'm not sure with the American Heart Association, but I've been here 20 years every year on a probes.
• I hope to see you next year.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m 13 years old.
• It takes years, even for adults.
• into a 16-year-old.
• into a 16-year-old.
• in the previous years the good news year in the previous years the good news year the<03:57:50.319

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• one, which was last year, as well as year two, which we are in right now. and years three and four.
• revenue calculation in fiscal year 2026.
• a 10% cleanup payment in the subsequent year.
• reimbursement in fiscal years 27 and beyond.
• years.

Bills: HF2430, HF2433

Keywords: education finance, teacher training, Read Act, state aid, school funding, education funding, children with disabilities, transition aid, special education, school district consolidation

Transcript Highlights:

• 64.92 during the following fiscal year 64.92 during the following fiscal year there's<00:04:42.280
• strict scrutiny which is a strict test strict scrutiny which is a strict test with<00:15:36.399>
• many, many years that we have to go back and try to undo a lot of years of damage and try to undo a
• many, many years that we have to go back and try to undo a lot of years of damage and try to undo a
• about eight years as a manager.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Postsecondary Education met to consider House Bill 4, relating to postsecondary education. Before taking up the bill, the committee adopted a committee substitute. The substitute removed language creating a private right of action and immunity provisions, added a definition of “indoctrinate,” revised language tied to the Attorney General, and added a new section directing the Auditor of Public Accounts to review compliance every four years. If an institution is found out of compliance, it would have 180 days to cure the issue or become ineligible for formula funding increases in the following fiscal year, with an opportunity to petition the Attorney General. The substitute also added language barring licensing authorities from requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion training as a condition of initial or renewal licensure. Representative Decker presented the bill as an effort to end what she described as unconstitutional DEI practices in Kentucky’s postsecondary system and to refocus colleges on academic instruction, equal opportunity, and affordability. She argued that DEI offices and initiatives have cost taxpayers heavily and have not improved enrollment outcomes for low-income and underrepresented students. Michael Frasier, testifying in support, framed the bill as an equal-protection measure rather than simply an anti-DEI bill, saying it targets preferential treatment and discrimination while exempting traditional civil-rights compliance offices such as Title IX, disability, and other anti-discrimination functions. He also argued that the bill aligns with recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent and that Kentucky should shift toward socioeconomic-based approaches. Several members raised concerns about the bill’s assumptions and effects. Representative Willner questioned the claim that DEI initiatives caused enrollment declines and asked why the state would not make such programs more inclusive instead of eliminating them. Representative Stalker argued that the bill ignored decades of exclusion in higher education and asked what would replace DEI efforts aimed at closing achievement gaps and preventing brain drain. Supporters responded that the bill addresses unconstitutional preferences and that the state should move toward equal treatment and socioeconomic factors rather than race-based criteria. After discussion, the committee substitute was adopted, and the committee continued consideration of House Bill 4.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't think they put any provisions in their bill this year.
• I don't think they put any provisions in their bill this year.
• in and year out to let the monopoly continue, and is... ...that we continue year in and year out to
• We started last year; we started floating this around. We pushed this bill last year.
• Last year. This is the bottom.

Bills: SB206, SB640, SB667, SB1344, SB1380, SB1423, SB1425, SB1436, SB1484, SB1500, SB1502, SB1503, SB1557, SB1562, SB1572, SB1644, SB1645, SB1794, SB1796, SB1806, SB1849, SB1984, SB2007, SB2074

Keywords: SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health, health care facility, municipality, county, ambulance service district, tribal entity, public entity, contract ambulance service, Oklahoma, 63 O.S. 2021 Section 1-2502, emergency clause

Transcript Highlights:

• So knowingly, we have 60-year-olds who appear much younger, right?
• I've met her a few years ago, and she is pushing 45.
• I met her a few years ago, and she is pushing 45.
• who are unable to draw conclusions with only two years of data.
• , for one to three more years in order... ...for about the last two years, for one to three more years

Bills: SB60, SB85, SB323

Keywords: elderly, vulnerable persons, criminal penalties, theft, civil penalties, criminal justice reform, traffic stops, law enforcement, data recording, public safety, racial profiling, SB323, Nevada, Department of Corrections, offenders, inmates, incarcerated people, prison phone calls, free phone calls, family communication

Transcript Highlights:

• So in one year it’s 1,800; in the next year it’s 1,700 in total.
• So in one year it’s 1,800; in the next year it’s 1,700 in total.
• So in one year it’s 1,800; in the next year it’s 1,700 in total.
• So in one year it’s 1,800; in the next year it’s 1,700 in total.
• it's 1,800 in the next year in one year it's 1,800 in the next year it's<00:26:23.480> 1,700<

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The meeting was an informational walkthrough for the Health Finance and Policy Working Group, focused on committee structure, budget basics, and major health-related accounts and programs. Staff explained the roles of House Research and House Fiscal, then reviewed key funds used by the committee, including the general fund, government special revenue fund, federal funds, the health care access fund, remediation account, and drinking water revolving fund. They also outlined the committee’s main budget areas, noting that medical assistance is the largest general fund item and that the Department of Health is a substantial agency funded by a mix of federal, general fund, and special revenue dollars. A major portion of the presentation covered subsidized health coverage programs. Staff described Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program) as an entitlement for eligible Minnesotans, with no premiums or cost sharing, and explained its managed care and fee-for-service delivery systems. MinnesotaCare was presented as a separate federal-state basic health program for people who are not eligible for MA, with income limits, premiums for adults age 21 and older, and cost-sharing requirements; staff noted that federal premium tax credit changes affect MinnesotaCare premium ranges. The presentation also summarized MNsure’s role in the individual market and in determining eligibility for premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, MinnesotaCare, and MA. The committee also received an overview of health-related licensing boards and occupational regulation. Staff said Minnesota has 16 health-related licensing boards, funded mainly through the state government special revenue fund and subject to legislative appropriation, and explained that health occupations may be regulated by the Department of Health, the Office of Emergency Medical Services, or the boards under chapter 214. Interstate licensure compacts were briefly noted as a way to ease practice across states. No bills were debated and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Leonard Pelletier was in prison for 45 years.
• It is a yes or no answer, and it is your first test.
• off and on for 20 years.
• You spent 10 years in public defending.
• What resources were utilized a year in advance of planning?

Transcript Highlights:

• It's one week a year.
• And if you had said to me last year, 278-year-old little girls are going to be swept away in a flood
• Twice a year. Twice a year.
• Yes, years ago.
• And again, a 15 and 16 year old, 16 year old who can drive is still a minor.

Bills: HB 265, HB25

Keywords: youth camp, safety regulations, advisory committee, child welfare, health standards, summer camp, camp safety, child abuse reporting, child neglect, mandatory reporting, background check, criminal history check, sex offender registry, CPR training, first aid, public health, child protection, camp operator, camp counselor, Health and Safety Code

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you might get a year off next year, but we'll be right back swinging two years from now.
• So, you might get a year off next year, but we'll be right back swinging two years from now.
• swinging two years from now. swinging two years from now.
• It has been 50 years.
• After six years or eight years, whatever the time they served. Okay. Uh, comments, Senator Putnam.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So you're starting to look at almost a year to two years of planning on rig moves.
• So you're starting to look at almost a year to two years of planning on rig moves.
• So this bill just simply almost a year to two years of planning on rig moves.
• But what I can say is that for years and years and years before it became a wildlife management area,
• That was 47 years ago.

Summary: The Senate Natural Resources Committee met on May 21 with a quorum, approved the May 14 minutes, and then took up a series of natural resources, wildlife, flood control, and transportation-related measures. HB 841 on expropriation procedures was amended to strip most of its substantive language and then deferred. The committee also adopted a technical amendment and reported SCR 54 favorably, which memorializes Congress to fully fund the Mississippi River Basin Fishery Commission Act to help address invasive carp and other aquatic invasive species. Several wildlife bills were heard and reported favorably. HB 1248 allows licensed wildlife rehabilitators to possess white-tailed deer for rehabilitation, and HB 1258 codifies a policy for sick, injured, or orphaned wildlife so the department does not automatically euthanize animals that can be rehabilitated or released. HCR 5, which allows limited red drum harvest at certain established rodeos under strict guardrails, drew opposition from a fishing guide concerned about impacts to redfish recovery, but the committee still reported it favorably. HB 688 adds Atlantic tarpon to the definition of saltwater game fish, with support from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and others, and it was also reported favorably. The committee also advanced several infrastructure and flood-related measures. HB 595 requires local governments to respond within 30 days to certain road-use permit requests tied to natural resource development, and it was reported favorably after testimony from oil and gas and industry representatives. HB 802 creates a watershed restoration and conservation fund, narrowed to the Amite River Basin, and was reported favorably with support from conservation and levee interests. SCR 59, urging Congress to ensure FEMA lowers flood insurance rates once the Comite Diversion Canal project reaches 50% completion, was amended and reported favorably, and HCR 62, asking FEMA to review Louisiana flood maps every five years, was also reported favorably. The committee deferred HB 1171, which would have authorized airboats in the Maripaw Swamp Wildlife Management Area, after extensive testimony from supporters and from LDWF officials who raised concerns about habitat sensitivity, migratory birds, user conflicts, and deed restrictions. Finally, HB 1161, transferring certain state property in Lafourche and Jefferson parishes to local governments, HCR 78 supporting the American Seafood Competitive Act, HCR 86 supporting a migratory waterfowl study, and HB 1189 requiring charter boat guides on certain waters to hold U.S. Coast Guard licenses were all reported favorably.