Video & Transcript : 'ethical research' :
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OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee Jan 21st, 2026 at 09:00 am
A&B Education Subcommittee
Transcript Highlights:
- The PBS app, the PBS shows are research-based, more research-based, and they actually deal with education
- A lot of information, whatever they want to research. Thank you, John. Did you have a question?
- If you look at what happened, RTL got removed, which is Ready to Learn, the backbone of research for
- The state library team provides reference and research services and curates specialized collections to
- Yes, when a teacher or a librarian directs their students to conduct research in a database such as EBSCO
Committee:
House A&B Education Subcommittee
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I was in the title business for 38 years, so I used my land research. abilities and I did a little research
- Research shows. that bird-friendly habitat increases property values, helps control insects, and generates
- I am against this bill because it will undermine my work and research. search by Texas A&M, Texas State
- Three-fourths vote requirement is an extremely high threshold, and our initial research shows that it's
- Texas Appleseed is a nonpartisan research driven organization working at the intersection of advocacy
Bills:
SB434 , SB844 , SB898 , SB1177 , SB1214 , SB1454 , SB1920 , SB1927 , SB1935 , SB1965 , SB2010 , SB2046 , SB2068 , SB2073 , SB2183 , SB2260 , SB3034 , SB907
Committee:
Senate Local Government
Keywords:
SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- I was in the title business for 38 years, so I use my land research, uh, abilities, and I did a little
- research, property search, who has an interest in this?
- I am against this bill because it will undermine my work and research by Texas A&M, Texas State, and
- So this 3/4 vote requirement is an extremely high threshold, and our initial research shows that it's
- Texas Appleseed is a non-partisan research-driven organization working at the intersection of advocacy
Bills:
SB 434 , SB 844 , SB 898 , SB 1177 , SB 1214 , SB 1454 , SB 1920 , SB 1927 , SB 1935 , SB 1965 , SB 2010 , SB 2046 , SB 2068 , SB 2073 , SB 2183 , SB 2260 , SB 3034 , SB 907
Committee:
Senate Local Government
Keywords:
SB 434, Harris County Hospital District, hospital district police, peace officers, commissioned officers, law enforcement authority, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, public safety, hospital security, county hospital district, local government, Texas criminal procedure, district police, armed security, SB 898, low income housing tax credits, LIHTC, affordable housing, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Special Session - Senate Floor Session - Part 1 - 06/09/25
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This is for final passage. another excellent GOP researcher, and another excellent GOP researcher, and
- Gillis, and our GOP researcher Victor Florurel.
- , Danny Gillis, and our GOP researcher, Danny Gillis, and our GOP researcher<02:59:19.840><c> Victor<
- </c><02:59:21.120><c> and</c><02:59:21.359><c> our</c> researcher Victor Florurel. and our researcher
- I our nonpartisan researchers as well.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
EEP Public Hearing - Tue Feb 4, 2025 @ 9:00 AM HST
Energy & Environmental Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- Actually, conduct the research.
- Actually, conduct the research.
- Actually, conduct the research.
- Actually, conduct the research.
- </c> sometime early next year uh research sometime early next year uh research data<01:07:44.480><c>
Committee:
House Energy & Environmental Protection
Summary:
The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1077, a governor’s administration bill to increase transient accommodations tax revenue and split it between two new special funds: a climate mitigation and resiliency special fund and an economic development and revitalization special fund for tourism/resort areas. Supporters, including the Governor’s Office, recovery and resilience staff, climate and conservation groups, and several state agencies, said the bill would create a dedicated, more reliable funding stream for wildfire mitigation, coastal resilience, land clearing, infrastructure, and community-led projects. Some supporters also urged changes to the bill, including moving the fund to DLNR, adding DHHL and OHA representation, clarifying community grants, and ensuring the fund can support both state-led and community-led resilience work.
The Attorney General’s office flagged a drafting issue, noting that the bill references fees deposited into the new fund even though the new chapter does not authorize fee collection, and recommended deleting that language or adding fee authority. The Climate Advisory Team representative also suggested adding DHHL to the decision-making body and requiring at-large members to have climate, resilience, conservation, or infrastructure expertise. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Kohala Coast Resort Association opposed the measure, arguing that the special fund structure does not meet statutory criteria, that the bill functions as a tax increase, and that the transient accommodations tax is not being collected equitably across all lodging types before any increase is imposed.
Other opponents, including tourism and lodging interests, warned that hotels and timeshares already bear most of the tax burden and that raising the TAT could hurt an already struggling visitor industry and drive tourists away. Supporters countered that current funding is far short of what is needed and that a dedicated revenue stream is necessary to address climate impacts now. Committee members questioned why the Legislature should cede spending decisions to a separate executive-branch process, and the administration responded that the bill is intended to create a transparent, recurring mechanism for funding priorities that can be adjusted over time. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- NASM also indicated that there was little, not too much, research or studies done on exposure to jet
- NASM also indicated that there was little, not too much, research or studies done on exposure to jet
- The military's approach has been really to look at their files first, to do a kind of research of their
- </c><00:05:15.400><c> Uh,</c> kind of a research of their files.
- Uh, kind of a research of their files.
Committee:
Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs
Summary:
The joint hearing of the Committees on Public Safety and Military Affairs and Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs considered two resolutions related to Red Hill and PFAS contamination. HCR 186 urged the U.S. Department of Defense and Defense Health Agency to extend the renewal period for secretarial designee health care authorization for people affected by the Red Hill water contamination crisis and to improve access to care. Testimony from Moira Flanary and Board of Water Supply’s Ernie Lau supported the measure, emphasizing lasting health impacts, the need for continuity of care, and National Academies recommendations for continued eligibility and access to treatment.
The second measure, HCR 200, urged the U.S. Department of Defense to reassess prior determinations and closure decisions under CERCLA in light of evolving scientific understanding of PFAS and recent federal hazardous substance designations. Mr. Lau testified in support, arguing that military investigations should not rely only on old records or AFFF documentation and should instead use current testing methods to identify contamination. He said PFAS is persistent, mobile in groundwater, and likely to require long-term remediation, and he also answered questions about cleanup challenges and the Board of Water Supply’s ongoing litigation against the Navy over Red Hill-related costs.
At the end of the hearing, the committees voted to pass both HCR 186 and HCR 200 unamended. The Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee adopted the chair’s recommendations on both measures. The Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee did not have quorum, so its votes were deferred until April 21 at 2:00 p.m. in Conference Room 225.
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
WV Senate Finance Committee in Session Jan 15th, 2026 at 03:02 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- Mark will dive more into the details on the numbers, but we have a really great team in the research
- I want to show folks there's a research site on the Tax Division website.
- We had bonus depreciation, business interest expensing, and research and experimentation expensing at
- The limitations were narrowed, and we were starting to have to capitalize research and experimentation
- [unclear: “the bubble”] And research experimentation expense.
Summary:
The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present and first approved the minutes from the January 15 morning meeting. The main agenda item was the Department of Revenue’s budget and revenue presentation from Secretary Eric Nelson, Deputy Secretary Peter Shirley, and Deputy Secretary Mark Mucco. Nelson said the state remains double-A rated with a positive outlook, the budget includes a 5% personal income tax reduction, and the 2027 general revenue estimate is $5.493 billion, up $170 million from the prior year. Shirley gave an economic overview, saying West Virginia is forecast to see continued but slowing employment growth, continued wage growth, gains in private education/health services and business services, declines in some sectors, improving labor force participation relative to the nation, and strong recent net in-migration. He also noted continued growth in natural gas production and a modest rebound in coal production, though coal faces longer-term demand pressure.
Mucco reviewed revenue trends and said 2025 collections were about $5.5 billion, below the prior year but above estimate, with personal income tax and sales tax driving the surplus. He explained that the forecast incorporates the 5% PIT cut and annual conformity to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, including changes such as Section 179 expensing, bonus depreciation, R&D expensing, business interest deductions, and a new manufacturing facility expensing provision. He also discussed the effects of tax credits, severance tax volatility, declining tobacco revenues, and health care provider tax changes tied to federal Medicaid rules. He said road fund revenues are largely flat absent policy changes, and county commission revenues are growing faster than state revenues.
Members asked about when new economic development projects like NewCore would appear in the projections, how much 20,000 new jobs would matter, whether the department had a calculator for job-growth impacts, the status of recent tax cuts, road fund growth, tobacco/vape taxation, and whether migration data could be broken down by county. The witnesses said major projects are not yet in the S&P-based forecast but would likely add jobs, wages, and tax revenue over time; they estimated 20,000 jobs would be a significant increase. They also said the state is unlikely to hit the current personal income tax trigger in the near term. No substantive votes were taken beyond approving the minutes, and the committee adjourned after a motion carried by voice vote.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- on this, I when I was doing my research on this, I actually<00:36:59.760><c> asked</c><00:37:00.079>
- I can't remember how far back it goes, but I did have our committee researcher do some research on it
- I can't remember how far back it goes, but I did have our committee researcher do some research on it
- I can't remember how far back it goes, but I did have our committee researcher do some research on it
- I can't remember how far back it goes, but I did have our committee researcher do some research on it
Committee:
Senate Education
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 3/27/25
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Carrie Schneider, and I serve as the research director for the Office of Higher Education.
- Cloud, residency expansion, and then the starting and opening of a rural health research program.
- </c> dollars for the startup of the research dollars for the startup of the research program<01:34:52.840
- to continue covering the research salaries as the program gets stood up.
- </c> then $1.5 million for the research then $1.5 million for the research institute<01:36:09.639><c>
Committee:
House Higher Education Finance and Policy
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Transportation Jan 26th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So getting into the effect of BAC limits specifically, there's a lot of research showing that reducing
- So the international research, which I know we've talked about a couple times before, looked at some
- And in this research, in fact, the researchers expressed some surprise at these outcomes, but they looked
- And the researchers calculated a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4%.
- The most effective research-backed interventions available today.
Summary:
The Senate Transportation Committee held a work session on impaired driving, beginning with data from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and a discussion of a proposed reduction in the legal per se blood alcohol concentration limit from 0.08 to 0.05. Mark McKekney presented crash and fatality data showing that about half of traffic fatalities involve an impaired driver, that alcohol remains the most common substance involved, and that impairment is strongly associated with speeding and higher crash risk. He also summarized a Washington/AAA survey finding support for lowering the limit rose from 54% to 71% after respondents received information about safety impacts, and he said the most persuasive arguments were that the change would save lives and reduce impaired driving. Committee members asked about how much alcohol can produce a 0.05 BAC, enforcement practices, blood testing in fatal crashes, and whether other states or countries use lower limits.
The committee then heard emotional testimony from Joshua Jackman, who described severe injuries and long-term consequences from being struck by a drunk driver in 2007, and said the proposed law could help prevent similar tragedies by encouraging people to plan ahead. A panel followed with testimony from AAA Washington, the Washington State Patrol, and the Department of Transportation. AAA supported a 0.05 standard and cited research and international experience showing fewer fatalities and serious injuries without major effects on arrests or the hospitality industry. The State Patrol said the bill is intended to prevent crashes rather than increase arrests and would not change stop standards or DUI investigative practices. WSDOT described the safety, work-zone, congestion, equipment-damage, and liability costs caused by impaired driving, including recent crashes involving snowplows and road crews. No vote was taken on the impaired-driving discussion.
The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5234, which would raise snowmobile registration fees from $50 to $75 and vintage snowmobile fees from $12 to $18, with additional revenue going to the snowmobile account for grooming, plowing, sanitation, and other State Parks snowmobile programs. State Parks said the program has seen declining registrations and reduced services, while supporters from the snowmobile community said the increase is needed to stabilize the program and keep trails open. Some testimony supported the need for more revenue but opposed the fee increase as the wrong solution, arguing the program needs broader reform and that many snowmobiles remain unregistered. The hearing record noted 3 people signed in pro and 105 con.
Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 6110, which would clarify the definition of e-bikes, exclude vehicles capable of exceeding 20 mph solely on motor power or easily modified to do so, and direct the Department of Licensing to convene a work group to develop recommendations for regulating electric motorcycles. Committee discussion focused on the distinction between legal e-bikes and faster e-motos, with questions about wattage, speed, youth use, and whether the bill should define e-motorcycles more directly. Students, local officials, city representatives, trail advocates, and bicycle groups testified in support, describing safety concerns, injuries, and confusion in enforcement, while also emphasizing that true e-bikes improve mobility and access. Several local government and advocacy witnesses asked for a clearer statutory definition of e-motorcycles and a civil enforcement path for juveniles. No final action was taken on the bills during the hearing.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Environment & Energy Jan 15th, 2026 at 08:00 am
Environment & Energy
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm the vice president of research of the Washington Policy Center.
- I'm the vice president of research of the Washington Policy Center.
- I'm the vice president of research of the Washington Policy Center.
- I'm the vice president of research of the Washington Policy Center.
- Can you share the research and analysis? Sure, I will do so.
Committee:
House Environment & Energy
Keywords:
textile responsibility, recycling, sustainability, environmental impact, consumer protection, waste reduction, environment, retail, bags, pollution, consumer products, plastic, environmental policy, postconsumer waste, microplastics, environmental protection, washing machines, water quality, litter reduction, public health
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Committee to Study Long-Term Managed Care (09/24/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- So, but I understand Texas has, and I still have yet to research the Texas system, but I understand Texas
- So, but I understand Texas has, and I still have yet to research the Texas system, but I understand Texas
- </c><00:13:22.399><c> have</c><00:13:22.639><c> yet</c><00:13:22.880><c> to</c><00:13:23.040><c> research
- </c><00:13:23.360><c> the</c><00:13:23.600><c> Texas</c> I I still have yet to research the Texas I I
- in um looked into a little researched in um looked into a little bit<00:24:47.440><c> was</c><00:24:
Summary:
The Committee to Study Long-Term Managed Care approved the prior meeting minutes as amended after correcting the first paragraph. The chair then outlined the committee’s plan to produce a preliminary report by October 1, with additional meetings to follow, since some questions remain about the federal One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3) and its effects on Medicaid financing and managed care.
The main discussion focused on New Hampshire nursing home funding and how ProShare and MQUIP work. Members reviewed Medicaid rates, supplemental payments, intergovernmental transfers, and the role of federal matching funds. The chair and Mr. Litman concluded that OB3’s phase-down of payments above the Medicare rate likely would not directly eliminate ProShare or MQUIP in New Hampshire, but uncertainty remains about intergovernmental transfers and about how these payments would function if the state moved nursing facilities into managed care. Mr. Litman said managed care would likely require waivers for supplemental payments, and Texas was cited as an example of a state operating under such waivers.
The committee also discussed dual eligibles, DNIP, PACE, and the possibility of carving out HCBS from nursing facility services. DHS said its managed care contract would allow the state to use MCOs for DNIP, with the goal of better coordination between Medicaid and Medicare, while PACE would likely require more study and might be more feasible in populated counties. Members also reviewed OB3’s new presumptive eligibility provisions and a state waiver request modeled on Washington’s approach, plus a separate grant for transitioning people from facilities back to the community. The rural health transformation fund was discussed as a possible source for workforce, telehealth, mobile integrated health, and other support investments, but not for direct construction or major building renovation. County representatives emphasized that any county role in PACE or DNIP would require significant vetting, infrastructure, capital investment, and a realistic timeline. The meeting ended with the chair saying the draft report would outline issues and possible alternatives, but not recommendations yet, and the committee adjourned without taking further action.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Hawaii Ant Lab is right there with them, conducting research and providing control for ants despite their
- Hawaii Ant Lab is right there with them, conducting research and providing control for ants despite their
- Um, so for example, I would amend this resolution to say research statutory language and specificities
- </c><00:02:10.000><c> and</c> with them conducting research and with them conducting research and providing
- um, from a research perspective, this resolution,<00:04:48.240><c> um,</c><00:04:48.560><c> can</c><
Committee:
Senate Agriculture and Environment
Summary:
The joint AEN-HRE hearing focused on HCR 130, HD1, which urges increased and sustained funding for the island invasive species committees and the Hawaii Ant Lab within the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. The Department of Agriculture said it supported the intent and noted that ISC funding flows through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council budget item via DLNR, while also describing ongoing collaboration with DLNR and efforts to support ant control work. Testifiers from CAPS, the University of Hawaii, the Oahu Invasive Species Committee, and CARES all supported the resolution, emphasizing that invasive species work is underfunded, that the island committees and Hawaii Ant Lab do critical control, research, outreach, and eradication work, and that sustained resources are needed to plan effectively and respond to priority pests such as little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, and coqui frog.
A lengthy exchange followed over whether the resolution was meaningful, since it would be urging the state to fund work the Legislature itself controls. Several members argued that a resolution alone has no legal effect and that funding should come through bills and appropriations instead. In response, the Department of Agriculture said its top biosecurity needs are personnel and chemicals, and noted it is building up its plant quarantine and plant pest control divisions with prior funding and HB 427. Oahu Invasive Species Committee representatives said they rely heavily on Hawaii Invasive Species Council grants, have limited soft funding, and need more stable resources; they also pointed to annual reports and prior testimony as documentation of their work.
After a brief recess, the chairs announced they would pass the resolution with amendments to make it more relevant. The amendments changed the title and text to urge the counties, Congress, and other relevant agencies—not the state alone—to provide increased and sustained funding, and added language urging all of those bodies to seek federal grants. The AEN committee then voted to pass HCR 130, HD1, as amended, and the HRE committee also voted to pass it with amendments. The motion was adopted in both committees.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint hearings with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs to examine the legislative presentation of The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and multi VSOs: Paralyzed Veterans of America, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Student Veterans Mar 4th, 2025 at 09:00 am
Senate Veterans' Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- We've also heard directly from VA employees and veterans that the VA has terminated critical researchers
- work for all veterans, which is why the VFW is working with GruntStyle, urging Congress and VA to research
- VA should receive funding to research and develop... deliver those treatments today.
- After much research, Sean learned that the scoring algorithm is weighted so heavily toward those with
- to execute active contracts and research initiatives that are ongoing, that we are hearing. from those
Committee:
Senate Senate Veterans' Affairs
Keywords:
veteran services, Secretary Collins, healthcare provisions, contract cancellations, transparency, accountability, committee meeting, legislation
Summary:
During this committee meeting, various bills were discussed with a specific focus on veteran services and healthcare provisions. Notably, the cancellation of critical contracts under Secretary Collins sparked significant debate, with representatives emphasizing the adverse impact on veteran care. The meeting featured testimonies from veterans and stakeholders who expressed their concerns regarding the potential fallout of these cancellations, demonstrating the urgency of transparency and accountability in management decisions. Discussions also delved into various legislative proposals aimed at improving services for veterans amidst these challenges.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
- At that time, researchers essentially asked the field to determine what it costs to run schools and what
- finally, student mobility, and that's essentially students moving in and out of schools because research
- Research has shown over and over again that high-quality.
- What people may not understand is that those researchers pretty much scour district websites. or what
- What's the goal of the research? And again, I wasn't here when you probably said those sentences.
Committee:
Senate Senate Finance
AZ
Arizona 2026 Regular Session
06/02/2026 - House Republican Caucus Calendar #23
Transcript Highlights:
- passed by the House, House Bill 282 establishes the Childhood Cancer and Rare Childhood Disease Research
- Commission within DHS to award grants to health care providers and research institutions engaged in
- clinical trials relating to research on pediatric cancer or other rare pediatric diseases.
- combination of both, in an amount of at least $5 million for childhood cancer and rare childhood disease research
- We've looked at what other states are doing as far as funding cancer research in this case for pediatric
Summary:
The caucus reviewed several House bills with Senate amendments and conference committee changes. HB 282 would create the Childhood Cancer and Rare Childhood Disease Research Commission and direct DHS to award grants for pediatric cancer and rare disease research; the sponsor said the bill is intended to better use existing funds and federal or donated money, and the Senate amendment shifts grant-awarding authority to the DHS director and requires at least $5 million in funding. HB 2096 would let WIFA assist counties with cesspool remediation, replacement, or closure; the Senate added water-quality compliance language and definitions, and the sponsor said the bill helps smaller counties address illegal cesspools. HB 2749 would reclassify certain non-dangerous felonies as class 1 misdemeanors when criteria are met; the Senate added exclusions for some offenses and a delayed repeal date, and the sponsor’s concurrence was noted. HB 4001 would establish licensing for alternative nicotine product manufacturers and distributors, add enforcement and penalties for sales to minors, and the sponsor emphasized product tracking, stronger enforcement, and protections against youth-targeted marketing.
The committee also discussed conference committee versions of HB 2010, HB 2874, HB 2133, and HB 2003. HB 2010 concerns advertising disclosures for digital goods and prorated refunds; the conference amendment limited refunds to digital goods purchased for $20 or more under specified license terms and increased the annual reduction rate. HB 2874 deals with campaign committee termination statements and penalties for late or missing reports; the conference amendment added public disclosure of committees owing penalties, capped penalties, required termination statements in some cases, and added an emergency clause. HB 2133 requires consent and age verification for publishing sexual material online, including AI-generated material; the conference amendment added exceptions for certain preexisting rated films and TV productions and adjusted definitions. HB 2003 lowers the age for an instruction permit to 15 and extends the permit-holding period for some teen drivers; the conference amendment grandfathered permit holders who are at least 15 and a half years old on November 30, 2026 so they are not subject to the longer waiting period. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the caucus ended after questions and brief explanations from staff and sponsors.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- But when I look and I did research, everything that I've read says that you could harvest 5 to 15% of
- So, in my research, I went And looked at several states on bear populations.
- They have an official wildlife research unit, and they have done two Mark-recapture studies where we
- The researchers will locate the den, go in there, tranquilize the female Count, measure, weigh the cubs
- considerable amount of money, like in the millions of dollars, having Oklahoma State University researchers
Committee:
House Wildlife
Keywords:
wildlife conservation, hunting regulations, mountain lions, black bears, archery season, senior citizens, licensing fees, waterfowl, nonresidents, public lands, farmed cervidae, chronic wasting disease, genetic resistance, wildlife management, agriculture, wildlife tagging, Cervidae family, feral swine, exotic wildlife, conservation
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Committee on the Census Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:30 am
Senate Committee on the Census
Transcript Highlights:
- It’s myself, a research manager, and three research analysts.
- So we review the differences for additional research.
- We review the differences for additional research.
- Buildings without a known address are a priority for research.
- The census relies on this level of data to conduct its own research.
Committee:
Senate Senate Committee on the Census
Summary:
The Senate Committee on the Census held a hearing on September 22, 2025 focused on preparations for the 2030 census, with an emphasis on Massachusetts’ role in building a complete address list and improving local participation in census-related address review programs. Chair Brownsberger and witnesses from the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office, the UMass Donahue Institute, Watertown, and MassGIS described the importance of accurate address data for congressional apportionment, federal funding, and state and local planning. They also discussed the first major upcoming step, the Block Boundary Suggestion Project, and the later Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) process, both of which rely on municipalities reviewing and correcting census geography and address files.
John Rosenberry of the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office said outreach to cities and towns is beginning now, with a likely December start for the block boundary process based on the 2020 cycle. He stressed that local officials, clerks, building inspectors, housing authorities, and GIS staff should be engaged early, especially to capture new development and conversions created under the state’s housing policies. Susan Strait of UMass Donahue explained that LUCA allows local governments to compare their address lists with the Census Bureau’s master address file, and that Massachusetts had very high participation in 2020; she cited examples where local review added hidden or newly built housing units and noted that Boston later corrected a group-quarters undercount of about 6,000 students through a post-census review program. In response to questions, she clarified that those corrections affected annual estimates and funding formulas, but not the 2020 apportionment count.
Watertown City Manager George Proakis described how local address review is complicated by accessory dwelling units, single-family to two-family conversions, and large multifamily projects, and urged continued state support for local governments doing this work. Dan Marrier of MassGIS then outlined the Massachusetts Master Address Database, explaining that it combines multiple sources, including E911, assessor, voter, and municipal data, to create a standardized residential address repository used for census preparation and other state functions. He said the database has helped improve census accuracy, including by updating more than one million Census Bureau address-point locations before 2020, and noted that local municipalities remain the final authority on addresses even as MassGIS standardizes and reconciles variants across the Commonwealth.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Environmental Quality Committee Jun 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Joint Powers Authority, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, California Public Interest Research
- , Pacific Beach Coalition, Sunrise Movement California, Save the Bay, Cal Poly Center for Health Research
- Joint Powers Authority, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, California Public Interest Research
- And, in fact, we are a research... We haven't been limited in our growth.
- We don't yet have the research to know the full damage of vaping with our youth, and rural areas are
Summary:
The committee heard AB 839, which would allow up to three sustainable aviation fuel projects to qualify for expedited CEQA judicial review. The author and airline and airport supporters argued SAF is a key emissions-reduction strategy for aviation and that California needs to signal investment certainty after prior project litigation. Environmental Justice and Earthjustice opposed, saying the bill weakens the public’s ability to challenge polluting projects and that SAF facilities can harm already overburdened communities. The committee later took a roll call on the bill and it was held on call after a 3-0 vote, with the motion being due pass to Judiciary.
Members then took up AB 762, which would ban the sale of disposable nicotine vapes in California. The author and a broad coalition of waste, public health, local government, and environmental groups said the devices create fire hazards, add lithium batteries to the waste stream, and burden local recycling and hazardous waste systems. Opponents, including retailers and business groups, argued the bill would mainly affect a small legal market while the illicit market would continue to supply most disposable vapes, and warned of unintended consequences. After discussion about illicit sales, EPR ideas, and reuse alternatives, the committee voted 2-2 on the motion to pass as amended to Revenue and Taxation, so the bill was kept on call.
The committee also heard AB 907, which would compensate the six local air district representatives who serve on the California Air Resources Board the same as other board members. The author and supporters said the change would improve equity and help ensure local representation on CARB, and no opposition was presented. The chair expressed support, noting similar legislation had passed the committee previously, and the bill was held for a later vote once quorum issues were resolved.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Local Government. (1-28-26)
Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- A lot of the research is online and in fact I've seen the new books come in in boxes and they're just
- </c><00:16:25.120><c> and</c> to pay for online legal research and to pay for online legal research and
- A lot of the research is online and now.
- There's been a lot more research published over the last seven to eight years.
- research published over the last seven to<00:24:00.240><c> eight</c><00:24:00.480><c> years.
Committee:
House Local Government
Keywords:
Meeting Start 00:00:10
Roll Call 00:00:24
HB 108 Discussion 00:03:45
HB 108 Vote 00:05:15
HB 194 Discussion 00:07:13
HB 194 Vote 00:09:45
HB 276 Discussion 00:11:53
HB 276 Vote 00:13:35
HB 290 Discussion 00:15:32
HB 290 Vote 00:18:29
HB 103 Discussion 00:20:31
HB 103 Vote 00:46:59
Adjournment 00:50:36, 958, all