Transcript Highlights:

• Adams retired as president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in 2024, where he has served
• Counties are California's operational backbone. We know that.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, should a taxpayer pay a wealth tax on their business's assets in a year where they operate
• a<00:31:19.600><c> year</c><00:31:19.800><c> where</c><00:31:19.920><c> they</c><00:31:20.080><c> operate
• at a loss and a year where they operate at a loss and there's<00:31:21.440><c> no</c><00:31:21.560><
• They're just going to use their money to buy expensive artwork and, like, put it in warehouses, right
• </c><01:29:01.760><c> That's</c> you know, warehouses, right? That's you know, warehouses, right?

Bills: HF4621 , HF4123 , HF4616 , HF1183

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: child tax credit, financial assistance, low-income families, state revenue, tax policy, net investment income, taxation, business income, self-employment, tax increase, wealth tax, fairness, public services, high-income earners, economic equity, Internal Revenue Code, employee classification, federal law, Minnesota statutes

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh this one and the other operations.
• So I was using their EPM data warehouse.
• MDE operations in 2024-25 state-funded operating expenditures average about $42 million per year.
• operations um in 2425 MDE state funded<00:46:53.520><c> operating</c><00:46:54.000><c> expenditures</
• </c> due to last session's operating due to last session's operating adjustment<00:47:01.760><c> and<

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 171 boards operating in all 120 counties.
• ><c> cameras,</c> operating with security cameras, operating with security cameras, monitors,<00:23:39.919
• 171 boards operating in all 120 counties. counties. counties.
• ,</c><00:27:21.919><c> reaching</c><00:27:22.400><c> more</c> operate in 17 counties, reaching more operate
• operating the program and they're going operating the program and they're going to<01:46:48.159><c> be

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on the Judiciary met on November 6, 2025, approved the minutes, and welcomed guests including Kentucky Specialty Courts manager Elizabeth Nichols and Boyle/Mercer Family Court Judge Bruce Petri. The committee then heard the Chief Justice of Kentucky, Deborah Lambert, deliver her state of the judiciary address, focused largely on judicial branch funding, facilities, technology, and specialty court programs. Chief Justice Lambert said the branch is facing a projected $14.3 million shortfall for fiscal year 2026 and asked lawmakers for supplemental support, access to reserve funds, and higher base appropriations to cover inflation and nondiscretionary costs. She also requested a 15% across-the-board pay increase for judicial branch employees, citing salary gaps with other state workers and declining judicial compensation relative to national averages. She emphasized that the branch has received a clean FY 2025 audit and said the requests were intended to sustain current operations rather than expand them. A major portion of her remarks covered court technology and facilities. She described the move to Chamberlain during Capitol renovations, the purchase of that building as a cost-saving measure, and the need to fund courtroom audio/video systems and a new statewide case management system. She also discussed courthouse maintenance, flood damage, mold issues, security system upgrades, and the $47 million asset preservation fund created last session, while asking for additional local facilities funding and one-time disaster-related support. Lambert highlighted specialty court and statewide program results, including foster care review boards, family recovery courts, court designated worker programs, drug and mental health courts, and the Judicial Commission on Mental Health. She thanked legislators for prior bills and support, including House Bill 1, Senate Bill 26, and the CES law, and said 2026 recommendations will focus on civil commitment reforms under KRS 202C. During questions, Senator Wheeler asked whether some courthouses are being overbuilt; Lambert said most facilities are inadequate, though some may be larger than needed, and that future needs and population changes must be considered. She also noted that virtual hearings and technology have improved efficiency. No votes or formal committee actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• The government and how we operate is open for democracy, but nobody outside of you gets to decide what
• The government and how we operate is open for democracy, but nobody outside of you gets to decide what
• The government and how we operate is open for democracy, but nobody outside of you gets to decide what
• The government and how we operate is open for democracy, but nobody outside of you gets to decide what
• I gave my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 24 in a warehouse without reading a lick of the Bible, and

Transcript Highlights:

• many years now, planned to develop that land into revenue-generating commercial space, including warehouses
• many years now, planned to develop that land into revenue-generating commercial space, including warehouses
• I don’t think we should be using land for warehouses that could be used for desperately needed housing
• Land for warehouses that could be used for desperately needed housing near our rail stations.
• DLNR’s proposal is more than just warehouses; it is planning to build affordable housing there.

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard confirmation nominations for several DLNR-related boards and commissions, including GM 530 for Karen Ono to the Board of Land and Natural Resources, GM 582 for Jay Kenan to the Natural Area Reserves System Commission, and GM 584 for Adrien Trulock to the Hawaii Historic Places Review Board. The chair repeatedly noted the volunteer nature of these positions and said the committee would take up decision-making after hearing all nominees. Testimony and comments for each nominee were generally supportive, with agency representatives praising their preparation, experience, and willingness to serve. For Karen Ono, DLNR and several supporters from Kauai testified in favor, describing her as highly prepared and effective on the board. Senators questioned her about DLNR land use, especially state lands near rail stations and whether they should be used for affordable housing rather than commercial development. Ono said she had not taken a board position on those specific proposals because they had not yet come before the board, but she acknowledged the importance of housing and infrastructure. She also responded to questions about DLNR’s management of transferred agricultural lands, saying concerns about the department’s ability to manage such lands had been raised before and remain relevant. One senator expressed strong reservations about the nomination based on the land-use answers. For Jay Kenan, the NARS Commission testimony focused on the commission’s role in advising on land management and conservation policy. Kenan said he hoped to continue helping evaluate properties and policies, and he identified funding and staffing as the main challenge. DLNR staff explained that the position supporting NARS had been abolished and that the department had limited capacity to restore it because other priorities, such as fire-related positions, were taking precedence. The committee also discussed a separate bill affecting Legacy Lands funding through conveyance tax revenues, with members and agency staff expressing concern that the measure could reduce support for land संरक्षण efforts. For Adrien Trulock, SHPD and DLNR staff strongly supported the nomination, citing her preservation background and experience with historic properties. Members discussed the importance of her expertise for reviewing nominations and appeals and for helping with preservation planning. The committee also raised broader concerns about delays in historic-place designations and the difference between state and federal review processes; SHPD explained that board approval places a property on the state register, while federal National Register review can still require revisions and cause delays. No final votes or confirmations were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, the AVs are, if they're operating on the freeways, or that is their operational design domain,
• And so, you all operate, CHP operates inspection facilities and weigh stations across our state.
• And so you all operate, CHP operates inspection facilities and way stations across our state.
• We also partner with tow operators in all the places where we operate.
• We represent bus operators and school bus operators.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard an informational hearing on California’s newly finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with DMV and CHP officials describing the updated framework and committee members pressing them on safety, enforcement, and first-responder impacts. DMV said the rules, effective April 28, 2026, expand reporting, create a phased permitting system from testing to deployment, add requirements for safety cases, remote operations, and first-responder coordination, and open a path for heavy-duty AV testing and deployment while still prohibiting oversized loads and hazardous materials. CHP said it worked with DMV on enforcement tools, first-responder interaction plans, and training local agencies on the new notice of noncompliance process. Members asked about crash data, immobilizations, freeway and construction-zone safety, weigh-station enforcement, and whether foreign licenses can qualify for remote assistants or drivers; DMV and CHP said the rules are intended to keep AVs accountable and that heavy-duty AVs will be held to the same roadway standards as human-driven commercial vehicles. A second panel focused on data collection and enforcement. Consumer attorneys argued the prior rules were too limited because DMV stopped collecting meaningful data once AVs moved from testing to deployment, making it difficult for the public and litigants to understand incidents; they supported the new regulations but urged that the collected information be made public. The industry association said California now has the nation’s most robust AV oversight, with monthly or quarterly reporting of collisions, system failures, immobilizations, harsh braking, vehicle miles traveled, and notices of noncompliance, plus broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. In response to questions, the industry said it generally supports the new framework, believes the regulations are clear, and does not favor full federal preemption of state AV rules, though it wants federal standards for design, construction, and performance. A third panel addressed first-responder interaction and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described repeated AV interference with emergency scenes and said AVs have generated hundreds of “sleeper calls,” where passengers fall asleep and trigger 911 responses; the department said these incidents consume significant staff time and it wants better protocols to reduce unnecessary dispatches. Waymo said it has trained thousands of public-safety personnel, maintains a 24/7 emergency line, uses geofencing/avoid-the-area messages, and can allow first responders to manually override or move vehicles when needed. Committee members asked about sleeper-call prevention, remote assistant licensing and drug testing, communication redundancies during outages, and how manual overrides work for vehicles without traditional controls; Waymo said it is collaborating with responders and that its vehicles are designed to reach a safe stop if connectivity is lost. The final panel began with testimony on heavy-duty autonomous vehicles. A transportation researcher said freight is essential to California’s economy and that heavy-duty AVs pose distinct safety risks because of their weight, stopping distance, and the potentially severe consequences of crashes or immobilizations on highways. He said the new regulations are important because they create a regulated pathway for heavy-duty AV deployment, require a safety case, set mileage thresholds, and add reporting categories that can serve as leading safety indicators. The hearing was still in progress when the transcript ended, with additional testimony expected from labor and industry witnesses on heavy-duty AV deployment.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Business Council of Alabama has a legislative reception from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Warehouse at

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:02.720><c> And</c> out during Operation Metro Surge.
• And out during Operation Metro Surge.
• Because we operate in a legal and governmental system in which the attestation of individuals acting
• There are signals about how the system operates.
• . operates. operates.

Transcript Highlights:

• IN FEBRUARY 2024 FLORIDA COMMUNITY CARE WAS SELF-SELECTED TO OPERATE BY THE PROGRAM AND REGIONS THE I
• THE BILL DIRECTED SPECIFIC CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION OPERATION AND BRIAN DID A GREAT JOB GOING THROUGH
• YOU BROUGHT IT INTO THE SYSTEM, AND THAT MADE A LOT OF SENSE FLORIDA OPERATES A STATEWIDE MEDICAID MANIC
• CERTAIN COMPONENTS OF THE IMPLEMENT IT INCLUDING THE ENTERPRISE DATA WAREHOUSE.
• TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, ONCE THAT SYSTEM IS OPERATIONAL THE INTENTION IS THAT THAT WILL TAKE OVER THESE

Transcript Highlights:

• um I I do want to note it's operation um I I do want to note it's it's<00:16:45.759><c> important</c
• system and that is our data warehouse system and that should<00:17:33.840><c> be</c><00:17:34.080><c
• This is a recommendation that covers a portion of the growing costs related to maintaining operations
• As we know, Minnesota is facing unprecedented challenges with a ... government operations government
• </c><00:41:34.960><c> and</c><00:41:35.079><c> I</c><00:41:35.160><c> would</c> government operations

Bills: HF10

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: undocumented immigrants, state funding, MinnesotaCare, scholarship ineligibility, state assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• Participation in Operation Midnight Hammer demonstrated the professionalism and Operation Midnight Hammer
• They have an operating fund that sustains all of their operating approach, so part of that.
• They have an operating fund that sustains all of their operating approach, so part of that.
• The department operates six CSCs.
• The department operates six CSCs.

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• Participation in Operation Midnight Hammer demonstrated the professionalism... ...and Operation Midnight
• They have an operating fund that sustains all of their operating approach, so part of that.
• They have an operating fund that sustains all of their operating approach, so part of that.
• So I know that ERDCC has a big operational budget.
• The department operates six CSCs.

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee first heard the Missouri National Guard’s FY 2027 budget request in House Bill 2008. Brigadier General Bob Payne outlined the Guard’s dual state and federal mission, recent deployments and state activations, counter-drug work, and the need to maintain readiness and aging armory infrastructure. Members questioned several items, including a proposed internal auditor position required by statute, a World Cup-related NDI, the use of general revenue versus other funds, and a federal match for base operations support at Rosecrans Airport. The presentation then shifted into executive session, where the committee reviewed a House committee substitute and several amendments. One amendment to fund the Missouri State Fair’s Great American State Fair participation with ag and tourism funds was rejected, while an amendment reducing $50,000 in House and Senate legal contingency funding was adopted. Another amendment directing budget information to all committee members rather than only chairs was rejected. The committee then adopted the substitute and voted House Bill 2014 do pass by a 24-0-1 vote. The committee next took up the Department of Corrections FY 2027 budget in House Bill 2009. DOC described a new CERT stipend increase, a reduction in the Office of Director’s Staff, and several core items including professional standards, federal funds, community treatment programming, education grants, population growth pool, restitution payments, human services staff, telecommunications, general services, fuel and utilities, food purchases, food service, staff training, employee health and safety, overtime, adult institution staff, institution E&E, wage and discharge, and individual institutions. Members asked about the CERT stipend, PREA allegations, education funding, restitution payments, the population growth pool, the working capital revolving fund, food service costs, overtime, retention, warden turnover, the prison nursery, and the use of inmate canteen funds. DOC said CERT members are full-time employees who volunteer for additional duty, that staffing has improved but remains a challenge, that the food service increase reflects the end of inventory credits and inflation, and that the department generally spends non-GR funds first when possible. Discussion also turned to whether DOC facilities could be repurposed for pretrial or mental health populations; DOC said it is legally limited to post-sentence inmates and that staffing and labor-market constraints make reopening closed facilities difficult.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have, Two full-time drivers, a program manager, and a warehouse manager.
• We have ranches using this on cow-calf operations throughout the state.
• in that area, but I want to talk about water utility operators.
• There are simply not enough water utility operators, wastewater utility operators in the field to do
• As the crow flies, we're a cow calf operator.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• operations.
• I am Beth Wyatt, operations manager for Sonoma County Animal Services.
• Jim Brim with Farmers Warehouse Company.
• Will operate because it goes back to the locals.
• A way for us to see whether there's legitimate operations.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I'll also note briefly that data center operators do pay their full electricity costs under rate structures
• customers, and many other concerns about water use and noise don't match how the facilities actually operate
• information certainly were to be public as to a specific location where Amazon wants to locate that warehouse
• We hired staff for the warehouse in Jacksonville, which is a huge million-square-foot facility now.
• if there's an HR director, if there's a procurement manager, if there's somebody else that's not operating

Bills: S0484 , S0698 , S0706 , S0968 , S1118 , S1122 , S1134 , S1320 , S1342 , S1548 , S1614

Committee: Senate Community Affairs

Summary: The committee heard several housing, local government, utility, and transparency bills. SB 1342 on transportation infrastructure and land development regulations, by Sen. Rouson, was presented as a housing-affordability measure modeled on the Live Local Act for transit corridors. After adopting an amendment that removed the bill’s compelling-governmental-interest language in enforcement provisions, the committee heard testimony from local-government and housing interests both supporting and opposing the bill’s zoning preemption approach. The bill was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably CS/SB 1614, by Sen. Leek, which was amended to remove stormwater and code-enforcement spending provisions and to tighten restrictions on local governments seeking state appropriations after audits or without required affirmations. SB 1548, the next Live Local Act iteration by Sen. Claddie Ude, was also reported favorably; it expands where Live Local projects may be located and adds fair-housing protections. SB 968 on home backup power systems, by Sen. McLean, was reported favorably after testimony from builders and energy-related stakeholders, with the sponsor noting he was still working on amendments to refine permit provisions. The committee then approved CS/SB 698, by Sen. Martin, which allows building permits for single-family homes to be issued before septic permits are finalized if application has been made, while still requiring septic approval before occupancy. Builders testified that septic permit delays were causing lengthy project delays and contract cancellations. The committee also reported favorably SB 1320, by Sen. Martin, requiring county tax-increase referenda to include a Department of Financial Services spending analysis if available; the sponsor said the goal was to give voters more standardized fiscal information, while opponents argued existing law already provides similar transparency. SB 484, by Sen. Avila, on data centers, was reported favorably after an amendment adding a knowledge requirement to the foreign-country-of-concern service prohibition; the bill addresses local planning authority, nondisclosure agreements, utility tariff requirements, and water-use limits for large data centers. The committee also reported favorably SB 1118, by Sen. Avila, creating a one-year public-records exemption for data-center location and proprietary information, with testimony split between economic-development supporters and transparency concerns. Finally, the committee took up SB 706, by Sen. Mayfield, preempting naming of major commercial service airports to the state and designating Palm Beach International Airport as Donald J. Trump International Airport subject to federal and trademark conditions; it was reported favorably after questions about local input and airport naming. The committee then heard extensive public testimony on SB 1134, by Sen. Yarbrough, which would prohibit counties and municipalities from funding, promoting, or taking official actions related to DEI and would create penalties and a private right of action for residents. The sponsor argued the bill was aimed at preventing taxpayer-funded DEI programs and cited examples from Jacksonville and other jurisdictions; opponents said the bill was vague, overbroad, and would chill local programs, public education, and civil-rights-related activities. The transcript ends during continued public testimony on SB 1134, with no final committee action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Retailers are constantly seeking operational efficiencies to mitigate these growing costs.
• </c><00:40:47.480><c> serving</c> regional and national operators serving regional and national operators
• , warehouse clubs, online delivery,<00:45:36.960><c> and</c><00:45:37.040><c> markets.
• </c> business operations. business operations.
• Many of them are owned and operated by members of the Epstein class.

Bills: HF3794 , HF3408

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• appropriate to the Oklahoma Task Force One, our specialized multi-agency search and rescue team that operates
• the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to expand the Forensic Science Center and construct new warehouse
• Bill 1165 directs the Department of Public Safety to expend $2,350,000 from funds appropriated for operation
• But essentially what this piece of legislation does is we were able to figure out what, now with OPERS
• It'll be administered and operated by the Oklahoma Board of Investors, or the Board of Investors, which

Bills: HB4030 , HB4031 , HB4032 , HB4033 , HB4034 , HB4035 , HB4036 , HB4037 , HB4038 , HB4039 , HB4040 , HB4041 , HB4042 , HB4043 , HB4044 , HB4045 , HB4046 , HB4047 , HB4048 , HB4049 , HB4050 , HB4051 , HB4052 , HB4053 , HB4054 , HB4056 , HB4057 , HB4065 , HB4067 , HB4071 , HB4072 , SB1144 , SB1145 , SB1146 , SB1147 , SB1148 , SB1149 , SB1156 , SB1157 , SB1158 , SB1159 , SB1161 , SB1162 , SB1163 , SB1164 , SB1165 , SB1166 , SB1167 , SB1174 , SB1175 , SB1176 , HB4030 , HB4031 , HB4032 , HB4033 , HB4034 , HB4035 , HB4036 , HB4037 , HB4038 , HB4039 , HB4040 , HB4041 , HB4042 , HB4043 , HB4044 , HB4045 , HB4046 , HB4047 , HB4048 , HB4049 , HB4050 , HB4051 , HB4052 , HB4053 , HB4054 , HB4056 , HB4057 , HB4065 , HB4067 , HB4071 , HB4072 , SB1144 , SB1145 , SB1146 , SB1147 , SB1148 , SB1149 , SB1156 , SB1157 , SB1158 , SB1159 , SB1161 , SB1162 , SB1163 , SB1164 , SB1165 , SB1166 , SB1167 , SB1174 , SB1175 , SB1176

Committee: House Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget

Keywords: education funding, budget appropriations, public schools, teachers' retirement, early childhood education, aeronautics, infrastructure, funding, sustainability, Oklahoma, mining, operator fees, coal production, noncoal mining, department of mines, revenue, state budget, budgetary reform, financial legislation, fiscal accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also in the fourth generation of the family that runs and operates Everglades. Sorry. Sorry.
• I'm also in the fourth generation of the family that runs and operates Everglades. Sorry. Sorry.
• That runs and operates Everglades. Sorry.
• OEM, from original equipment manufacturers, it would put dealers and other parts businesses out of operation
• They would be stocked in a corporate warehouse somewhere far away from that farmer who's trying to access

Summary: The Agriculture Committee took up SB 806, the consumer and agricultural equipment right-to-repair bill by Senator Trumbull. Trumbull said the measure would expand repair options for portable wireless devices and farm equipment while protecting trade secrets. The committee adopted two amendments: one clarifying the bill does not apply to motor vehicles, and a technical staff amendment. Testimony was mixed: an Everglades Equipment representative opposed the bill, warning it could weaken local dealer support, reduce parts inventory, and increase downtime for farmers; the Consumer Technology Association also opposed the bill in its current form, citing concerns about a patchwork of state repair laws, private lawsuits, and inconsistent standards. The bill was reported favorably as CS for SB 806 by a roll call vote of 4-0, with Senator Rouson not voting. The committee then heard a presentation from Florida 4-H state officers Timmy Hawes, Summer Wayne, and Taylor Thigpin. They described 4-H as a youth development organization focused on citizenship and leadership, agriculture, STEM, and healthy living, serving more than 216,000 youth statewide. They highlighted personal stories about how 4-H built confidence, leadership, and entrepreneurship skills, and they outlined goals to grow participation to 300,000 youth and to invest in 4-H camps, especially Camp Cherry Lake and Camp Timpoochee, as year-round learning sites. Senators praised the program and asked questions about how youth get involved and what drives participation. Florida FFA state officers Hope Storder and Isabel Jenkins then presented on agricultural education and FFA. They explained FFA’s three-part model of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and leadership development, and noted that Florida now has more than 65,000 FFA members and that state funding has allowed all agricultural education students to participate at no cost. They emphasized agriculture’s role in feeding a growing population and discussed how technology, innovation, and urban agriculture can help meet future production needs. Senators commended the organization’s work and its role in preparing future leaders and agricultural professionals. At the end of the meeting, Senator Burton requested a group photo with the students, and the committee agreed.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also in the fourth generation of the family that runs and operates Everglades. Sorry. Sorry.
• I'm also in the fourth generation of the family that runs and operates Everglades. Sorry. Sorry.
• That runs and operates Everglades. Sorry.
• OEM, from original equipment manufacturers, it would put dealers and other parts businesses out of operation
• They would be stocked in a corporate warehouse somewhere far away from that farmer who's trying to access

Bills: S0806

Committee: Senate Agriculture

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture took up SB 806, a consumer and agricultural equipment right-to-repair bill sponsored by Senator Truenow. The bill was described as expanding repair options for portable wireless devices and farm equipment while protecting trade secrets. Two amendments were adopted: one clarified that portable devices do not include motor vehicles, and another was a technical staff amendment. Testimony included support for the general goal of repair access, but opposition from a John Deere dealership representative, who warned the bill could weaken local dealer support, reduce parts inventory, increase downtime, and create emissions-compliance risks. The Consumer Technology Association also opposed the bill in its current form, citing concerns about a patchwork of state laws, a private right of action against manufacturers, and inconsistencies with other states’ repair laws. After closing remarks from Senator Truenow, the committee voted to report CS for SB 806 favorably. The committee then heard a presentation from Florida 4-H state officers and alumni, who highlighted 4-H’s role in youth development, leadership, agriculture, STEM, and healthy living. They described statewide participation of more than 216,000 youth, the impact of camps and hands-on programs, and efforts to raise funds for facility improvements, including Camp Cherry Lake and Camp Timpoochee. Members asked about how youth discover 4-H, what drives participation, and the organization’s growth goals, including reaching 300,000 youth. Next, Florida FFA state officers presented on agricultural education and FFA’s role in preparing students for careers in agriculture and related fields. They emphasized the three-part model of classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience, and FFA leadership activities, and noted Florida’s membership growth to more than 65,000 students, supported by state funding that allows all agricultural education students to participate at no cost. Members discussed the need for technology and AI to help meet future food-production demands, and the presenters stressed innovation, urban agriculture, and efficiency as key to feeding a growing population. The meeting concluded with general comments of support and a request for a group photo with the students.