Transcript Highlights:

• And we have two members from the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here.
• Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers here, Michael Abramson and Claudia Maldonado.
• Also here representing Arizona's community health centers are Valle del Sol, Terros, Circle the City,
• There is no real way to limit a convention, and it is because of that, and the... A convention.
• And if the convention cannot be so limited, indeed, it could be aggregated.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, once in convention, any proposed amendment outside the scope of the convention will be subject
• Convention, not a convention of states.
• convention.
• After a convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the convention if we don't like its agenda
• The Convention of States folks make the claim that if an Article V Convention were convened, it can all

Bills: HB246 , HB796 , HB 1056 , HB1544 , HB1846 , HB2001 , HB2618 , HB2625 , HB2869 , HB2898 , HB3069 , HB3114 , HB3157 , HB3228 , HJR98 , HB246

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: federal directives, state authority, Tenth Amendment, government enforcement, local governance, gold standard, legal tender, currency, transactional currency, financial transactions, electronic payment systems, state finance, regulatory compliance, electric trucks, charging infrastructure, advisory council, transportation, sustainability, criminal penalties, official information

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:34:14.320><c> center</c> special funds for convention center special funds for convention center
• at the convention center and and<02:05:34.000><c> elsewhere.
• I could not tell that you were in the convention center.
• About the convention center.
• And I convention center since 2022.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So speaking specifically about data centers, what are we seeing for data centers in North Dakota?
• So speaking specifically about data centers, what are we seeing for data centers in North Dakota?
• Let's look for the thirstiest data center on record, the worst data center we can possibly find from
• on the center.
• , center of the north-south...

Committee: Joint Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• So speaking specifically about data centers, what are we seeing for data centers in North Dakota?
• So speaking specifically about data centers, what are we seeing for data centers in North Dakota?
• Let's look for the thirstiest data center on record, the worst data center we can possibly find from
• on the center.
• Also, what's not shown here is a pipeline running from Antelope Valley up through the center of the conventional

Committee: Joint Energy Development and Transmission Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you live and die by conventions, you live and die by conventions.
• Our convention center attendance is up, but spending is also down for convention attendees.
• We do have good business on the books at our convention center.
• On average, we have about 55 primary events at our Convention Center.
• Many convention centers lure with incentives, discounted space, or discounted services, which makes it

Committee: House Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think a lot of what was discussed centers around the fact that we want to make sure we're protecting
• County Convention instead of County delegation.
• County delegation is not defined in the RSA's; County Convention is the term we use every day.
• Lines 4, 13, 18, and 22, it says County delegation; there should say County Convention.
• ><c> is</c><01:00:54.400><c> the</c> Convention okay the motion is the Convention okay the motion is

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Center, as the largest and most prominent convention venue in the state.
• The Hawaii Convention Center plays a vital role in attracting domestic and international business.
• Center, as the largest and most prominent convention venue in the state.
• The Hawaii Convention Center plays a vital role in attracting domestic and international business.
• The Hawaii Convention Center plays a vital role in attracting domestic and international business.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , but it's not limited only to the Marana data center situation.
• We know that the people behind the Beale Data Center project want to build a data center in an area where
• It is about doing the bidding of data centers.
• Do you know how much water these data centers will use?
• and data center developers to move forward because money speaks, and data centers have money, and the

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you live and die by conventions, you live and die by conventions.
• Our convention center attendance is up, but spending is also down for convention attendees.
• For 2026, we do... ...have good business on the books at our convention center.
• On average, we have about 55 primary events into our convention center.
• Many convention centers lure with incentives, or discounted space or discounted services.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism held an informational hearing on the state of California tourism amid declining international visitation and broader economic and political headwinds. Visit California CEO Caroline Betetta said the industry remains a major economic driver, with 2024 visitor spending of $157 billion, 1.2 million jobs supported, and $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue, but warned that 2025 forecasts show the first post-pandemic decline in visitation, driven largely by a projected 9.2% drop in international travel. She cited concerns about the strong dollar, visa wait times, border and immigration rhetoric, and a proposed federal visa integrity fee, while emphasizing Visit California’s marketing campaigns and the importance of upcoming mega-events like the World Cup and 2028 Olympics. A second panel of destination leaders described local impacts and strategies. Visit Sacramento’s Mike Testa said the city has diversified beyond conventions into music festivals, sports, and food events, but noted that international apprehension is affecting events like Terra Madre Americas and that California should do more to incentivize major festivals to stay in-state. Santa Monica Travel and Tourism’s Lauren Salisbury said the city is seeing lower international visitation, especially from Canada, Australia, and Europe, and that wildfire coverage and later federal troop presence in Los Angeles hurt local sentiment and caused cancellations. Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau’s Rhonda Salisbury reported steep drops in international visitation to the gateway region, ongoing concerns about wildfire, reservations, insurance costs, and park access, and praised a new federal requirement for quarterly meetings between national parks and gateway communities. San Diego Tourism Authority COO Carrie Verbeck-Cappich said tourism is the region’s second-largest sector, but 2025 is softer than 2024, with spending down despite modest visitation growth. She pointed to weaker Canadian and Asian travel, government-related meeting cancellations, and the need for more support to bid on and host major events; she also highlighted border-crossing delays, insufficient federal staffing at ports of entry, and the Tijuana River sewage crisis as major regional issues. Committee members discussed the effects of federal rhetoric, infrastructure, and cross-border conditions on tourism, and several witnesses urged continued support for Visit California, Brand USA, event incentives, and efforts to present California as welcoming and open. Public comment then opened, beginning with testimony from the California Attractions and Parks Association.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I think some folks conflate constitutional conventions with amendment conventions.
• Because I think some folks conflate constitutional conventions with amendment conventions.
• The convention will take away our powers, the convention will take away our rights, or we're going to
• But if the convention, let's say there's an amendment convention and it runs from Monday to Thursday,
• It's the Article 5 Convention.

Committee: House Judiciary, Rules and Administration

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• as Zane Swanson, Deputy Director and Fellow of the Global Food and Water Security Program at the Center
• Meeting this demand with conventional meat alone will not be sustainable, efficient, or safe.
• Among these, the production of conventional animal foods has an outsized footprint.
• And it's often been in the conventional industries. And so I'll just end there.
• And it's often been in the conventional industries. And so I'll just end there.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its first informational hearing to examine the state of alternative protein research, industry growth, and policy needs in California. The chair opened by noting California’s $5 million public investment in UC research in 2022 and framed the hearing around three panels: the climate, environmental, and security potential of alternative proteins; industry scaling and commercialization; and university-led research and workforce development. Members emphasized that the committee will continue with site visits and additional hearings across the state. The first panel focused on the case for alternative proteins as a climate, land, water, biodiversity, and food-security solution. Shana Fertig of the Good Food Institute argued that plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water use while helping California meet its climate and conservation goals. Zane Swanson of CSIS added that alternative proteins could reduce risks tied to zoonotic disease, antimicrobial resistance, supply-chain disruption, and broader national security concerns. In questions, members discussed the role of pharmaceuticals in animal agriculture and how alternative proteins might complement, rather than replace, traditional farming by creating new markets for California crops and helping farmers diversify. The second panel featured industry leaders Ethan Brown of Beyond Meat, Myra Passick of Upside Foods, and Arye Elfenbein of Wildtype. Brown highlighted plant-based meat’s health and climate benefits, criticized misinformation campaigns against the sector, and urged better labeling, reduced subsidies for factory farming, and more plant-based food in public institutions. Passick described cultivated meat as a scalable food-production technology, said Upside Foods has already produced millions of pounds annually at its Emeryville facility, and asked for grants, low-interest loans, and possible participation in cap-and-trade or similar revenue programs. Elfenbein described cultivated seafood as a way to address overfishing, contamination, traceability problems, and the heavy import dependence of the U.S. seafood supply, while also noting conservation benefits and the need for California to remain a hub for the industry. The final panel centered on research and workforce development. UCLA’s Amy Rowat described state-funded work on technical bottlenecks such as growing fat cells and creating edible scaffolds, along with a Future Food Fellows program that trains students across science, engineering, law, and policy. UC Santa Cruz economist Galina Hale argued that alternative proteins are necessary to meet future protein demand while reducing food-system emissions, and said California must support the sector through grants, loans, procurement, and research centers to avoid losing leadership to other states and countries. The hearing ended with the chair thanking the witnesses, noting that all materials would be posted online, and saying the committee would continue building policy and budget proposals to support the sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• and trade center or a performing arts center.
• We can probably make the math work on expanding our conference center.
• We do not have a convention center here, and thus we have begun with our TPA funds to begin working on
• We do not have a convention center here, and thus we have begun with our TPA funds to begin working on
• We do not have a convention center here, and thus we have begun with our TPA funds to begin working on

Summary: House Finance heard testimony on several tax and local government bills. HB 2278 would remove the July 1, 2027 expiration on the additional $3-per-room-night tourism promotion area lodging charge; supporters from destination marketing organizations said the revenue has produced strong returns for tourism and events, while questions were raised about how the local ordinances would continue. HB 2583 would lower the population threshold for cities to impose a higher lodging tax and expand authority for public facilities districts; the sponsor and Vancouver supporters said it would help fund a proposed performing arts center and other tourism investments, while hospitality, short-term rental, and some local advocates raised concerns about stakeholder input, equity, and whether the bill was too broad. HB 2224 would change how a city forming a single-city fire protection district handles levy reductions and would exempt part of one levy from the local tax limit; city and firefighter groups supported it as a needed tool for fire and EMS funding, while hospital districts and tax opponents warned about prorationing, governance, and higher taxes. HB 2325 would create a statewide tourism self-supported assessment program funded by participating tourism businesses; supporters from tourism, hospitality, wine, and brewing groups said it would provide a competitive, industry-driven statewide marketing program, while members questioned impacts on specific communities and the need for broader local benefits. HB 2431 would expand from 15 to 50 days the amount of fundraising activity allowed in nonprofit public assembly halls and meeting places, and the Grange supported it as a practical way to keep community halls open. After public testimony, the committee moved into executive session and advanced three bills. HB 2584, a sales and use tax exemption for qualifying farm equipment sold to eligible farmers, passed 14-0 with one excused. HB 2610, which modifies the property tax exemption for nonprofit homeownership development, also passed 14-0 with one excused. HB 2615, which codifies the voluntary disclosure tax program and authorizes temporary tax amnesty, likewise passed 14-0 with one excused. The chair also announced a deadline for amendments on items to be acted on the following day.

Transcript Highlights:

• old ways of doing things, where we had a set of people who came in from nine to five into our city centers
• To come for conventions and want to come stay in our hotels and want to spend money in our restaurants
• I'll just tee up one other question in terms of when you're looking at what convention centers are dealing
• And I think they've since recommitted to sticking around, and it's a San Diego-grown convention.
• And they could even be a community center from Monday to Wednesday.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• center will be time since the convention center will be closed<01:14:16.920><c> uh</c><01:14:17.080>
• </c> now uh working with the convention now uh working with the convention center<01:17:18.159><c> management
• </c><01:19:10.760><c> the</c> convention center because it in the convention center because it in the
• They don't manage the convention center either, and that, you know, without HTA, we need to make sure
• </c><02:04:45.960><c> do</c><02:04:46.239><c> the</c> convention center and then they do the convention

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• visitors that come to the convention center.
• visitors that come to the convention center.
• visitors that come to the convention center.
• ><c> and</c> convention center marketing contract and convention center marketing contract and why<00
• </c><00:47:56.319><c> center</c> and the convention center and the convention center overall<00:47:57.880

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Tourism met on April 1 to consider GM 510, the confirmation of Todd Aio to the board of directors of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center Authority. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from HTA representatives and numerous individuals. Supporters described Aio as a strong leader with experience in tourism, development, nonprofit work, and public service, including his time on the city council and work with Disney’s Aulani, Ward Village, and the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation. In his remarks, Aio said he would bring legal, development, and corporate governance experience to the board. He emphasized the need for the authority to better define its role, oversee contractors, and help guide the relationship between destination management and branding/marketing contractors. He also said community engagement and cultural considerations should be central to tourism planning, and that the board should work to stabilize the agency during its transition. Members questioned him about board conflicts, the lack of a permanent HTA CEO, and how to measure the success of cultural and branding campaigns such as mālama and kuleana messaging. Aio said conflicts are inevitable when board members come from industry backgrounds, but they must separate their “work hats” from their board duties. He supported replacing the interim leadership with a permanent CEO once compensation legislation is finalized, and said success should be measured through better data, including possible exit surveys and other technology-based tools. He also said he would oppose replacing Hawaiian protocol with another cultural protocol, while supporting inclusion of other cultures alongside a Hawaiian sense of place.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the convention center. the convention center. &gt;&gt; Yes. &gt;&gt; Yes. &gt;&gt; Yes.
• I'm saying we the state convention I'm saying we the state convention center<02:57:44.479><c> thinks<
• </c> you know, I met with the convention you know, I met with the convention center.<03:01:09.359><c>
• 03:02:51.279><c> just</c><03:02:51.439><c> hope</c> convention center, but I I just hope convention center
• <03:14:59.680><c> standard</c> convention center up to the standard convention center up to the standard

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from a convention.
• I am a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• I am a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• I am a policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• Features like lane centering and adaptive cruise control.

Summary: The committee met as a subcommittee without quorum at first, then later established quorum and continued hearing several bills. SB 27, the annual CARE Court cleanup bill, would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, allow limited data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and expand eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said it would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people receive treatment; opponents argued it would expand CARE Court too broadly, strain county resources, and divert attention from housing and voluntary services. The bill passed to the Health Committee on a roll call vote and was placed on call. SB 82, dealing with so-called “infinite arbitration clauses,” would limit consumer contract arbitration provisions to disputes arising from the product or service actually purchased. The author and supporters said the bill would stop companies from forcing arbitration in unrelated claims and would not ban arbitration itself. Opponents from business and banking groups argued the language was too restrictive, could create litigation over related transactions, and should be clarified as prospective only. The committee approved the bill and placed it on call after a roll call vote. The committee then heard two reparations-related bills. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop a genealogical methodology and framework for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with oversight, reporting, and guardrails tied to recently allocated state funding. Supporters said the bill would create a fair, evidence-based process; opponents, including professional genealogists and reparations advocates, argued the work is already well understood, the bill is unnecessary, and it could delay action. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs. Supporters framed it as needed infrastructure to implement reparations recommendations; opponents objected to locating it in the Department of Justice, warned about data privacy and law enforcement control, and criticized the inclusion of broader communities. Both bills were moved to Appropriations and placed on call. The committee also heard SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithms to collude on and artificially inflate rental prices; the author and supporters described it as a response to AI-assisted rent fixing in California’s housing market.

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, all a convention can do is propose. A convention cannot change the Constitution.
• . convention cannot change do is propose. convention cannot change the<00:14:25.680><c> constitution.
• for convention of the states?
• Um you can't take and convention.
• </c> be counted at the convention? be counted at the convention?

Keywords: Concurrent meeting of the House Standing Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs and the House Standing Committee on State Government. Title of video has been shortened due to YouTube length restrictions. Discussion of HCR 45: 00:04:14, 958, all

Summary: The joint meeting of the House Elections, Constitutional Amendments and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and the House State Government Committee was called to consider House Concurrent Resolution 45, sponsored by Representative Jason Petri. The resolution would support calling for a federal balanced budget amendment through the Article V process. Petri argued that Kentucky’s own constitutional balanced-budget requirement shows the value of fiscal restraint, and he said decades of federal deficit spending and rising debt make a constitutional amendment necessary. Governor Ron DeSantis and Lauren Ends of the National Campaign for a Balanced Budget Amendment also testified in support, emphasizing the growth of federal debt, the risk of a future debt crisis, and the view that Congress is unlikely to solve the problem on its own. Members asked about the mechanics and risks of an Article V convention, including whether the convention’s “sole purpose” language would be enforceable and whether a convention could become a “runaway” process. DeSantis and Ends said states can impose guardrails on delegates, including criminal penalties and delegate-limitation laws, and noted that any proposed amendment would still require ratification by 38 states. They also said that if Congress chose to draft the amendment itself in response to state pressure, that would be acceptable. One witness said 18 states have passed faithful-delegate or delegate-limitation laws. Representative Callaway asked what would happen if the debt issue is not addressed. Witnesses responded that continued borrowing could lead to economic dislocation, higher interest costs, and a debt crisis that would crowd out other federal spending. They said the current debt burden is already more than $100,000 per U.S. citizen and roughly $300,000 per taxpayer, and that a balanced budget amendment would be a first step toward stopping the growth of debt before any long-term paydown could occur. The transcript provided does not show a final vote or other committee action on the resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:19:42.280><c> center</c> um foliage around the convention center um foliage around the convention
• of</c><00:20:57.600><c> room</c> Convention Center there's lots of room Convention Center there's lots
• It did happen at the convention center, and then there was an individual from a group that went over
• center and then at the convention center and then immediate<00:46:02.359><c> marketing</c><00:46:02.880
• </c><01:16:46.239><c> Center</c> District and Hawaii Convention Center District and Hawaii Convention

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint Senate hearing covered Senate Bill 1536 and Senate Bill 1571. SB 1536 concerned the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s CEO position and whether the exemption from retirement benefits should be changed. Testimony and committee discussion focused on the estimated cost, the current budgeted amount, whether the change would make the position more competitive, and whether alternatives such as a portable retirement plan had been considered. The witness said the proposal came from HTA’s legislative committee and that the position’s salary and benefits would still likely fit within the budgeted amount. No vote was taken on SB 1536 during the excerpted discussion. The hearing then moved to SB 1571, relating to tourism. Debed and HTA representatives said they supported the bill in written testimony, but HTA’s witness said the measure had not been discussed or voted on by the full board and recommended deferring action until the board could clarify its position. Several members of the public testified both in support and opposition. Opponents raised concerns about changing “Hawaiian sense of place” to “Hawaii sense of place,” warning it could weaken protections for Hawaiian culture and invite broader interpretations that might affect places like the Hawaii Convention Center. Others opposed a provision removing a two-year waiting period for HBCB board members before serving on the HTA board, citing conflict-of-interest concerns. Committee discussion centered on the meaning and practical effect of the bill’s language, especially the distinction between “Hawaiian” and “Hawaii,” the scope of HTA’s tourism and destination-management role, and whether translation and language policy were being applied too broadly or too narrowly. Some members argued the bill could help preserve Hawaiian culture and place, while others worried about exclusionary interpretations, costs, and whether resources would be better spent on programs rather than expanded translation. The hearing ended with the chair announcing a short break and moving toward decision-making, but no final action on the bill was shown in the excerpt.