Transcript Highlights:

• </c> rate of pay goes up three and a half%. rate of pay goes up three and a half%.
• </c><01:18:37.600><c> through</c> would be a supplemental pay through would be a supplemental pay through
• </c> &gt;&gt; Oh, how much a student have to pay? &gt;&gt; Oh, how much a student have to pay?
• Are you guys putting scholarship money—because a lot of colleges now are paying, I mean schools are paying
• </c><02:21:37.200><c> model</c> um it changed from a pay-per-view model um it changed from a pay-per-view

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I am getting ready to pay for the rest of my life. I am paying for my car, my insurance.
• I am getting ready my parents pay rent.
• I am to pay uh for the rest of my life.
• And so paying for my car, my insurance.
• </c> pay the workers at least minimum wage. pay the workers at least minimum wage.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the state's paying, the state and/or the feds are paying for it.
• half if you pay half.
• Family will use this donated money to pay half if you pay half. So, like I said, we would not know.
• But every year, they pay it back.
• But every year, they pay it back.

Summary: The committee convened, approved the prior meeting minutes, and received a memo summarizing major audit items. The State Auditor’s office and outside auditors then presented a series of audits, many of which were clean with unmodified opinions and no findings, including the Bank of North Dakota, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program, the Office of the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Quality, Lake Region State College, and the Office of the Governor. The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association audit was also clean overall, but it repeated findings about limited segregation of duties and auditor assistance in preparing financial statements, which the auditor said were expected to continue because of the organization’s small size. Committee members asked about out-of-state board addresses, and the association explained those members were North Dakota residents using South Dakota mailing addresses. Several audits did include findings. The Council on the Arts audit identified two issues: payroll charged to federal awards without supporting time records, and $12,825 in Cultural Endowment Fund spending that was not allowable under state law, including staff training, retreats, and executive director candidate travel. The Department of Public Instruction audit found unsupported scholarship applications in the paraprofessional-to-teacher program, but additional testing confirmed the funds were credited properly and students completed required school district work, so no improper payments were identified. The University of North Dakota audit found a lack of documentation and transparency in School of Law admissions decisions; the auditor said the law school used a holistic process but did not keep notes or evaluation tools to show why applicants were admitted, waitlisted, or denied. UND leadership said the school is in good standing with the American Bar Association and agreed better documentation is needed, and the auditor said the issue was the missing documentation, not ABA accreditation itself. The most extensive discussion centered on the North Dakota Racing Commission audit, which found four findings: overspending the promotion fund’s 25% operating cap, grant conditions not being met, improper breeder fund awards, and improper procurement. The auditor said promotion fund spending exceeded the cap by $327,447 and the fund balance dropped sharply over the audit period. Racing Commission director Bruce Johnson said the agency had become complacent, that grant requests were treated as routine, and that controls and documentation need to be tightened. He also explained that the breeder fund overpayments involved two horses whose ownership transfers were not properly documented before racing, and that the procurement issue stemmed from an advertising contract that proceeded without proper written procurement procedures after a misunderstanding with the State Procurement Office. The auditor said the Racing Commission will now be audited every two years because of the findings. The committee also received updates on Dakota College at Bottineau’s bank reconciliations, which Minot State University said had been brought current after an 18-month backlog, with only one account still needing cleanup; members asked for a written report on the corrective actions. The North Dakota Fair Foundation was reported to have dissolved, with remaining funds transferred to another nonprofit account for continued support of the state fair. Finally, the Department of Public Instruction provided an update on school meal debt, revising the earlier estimate to about $1.1 million based on incomplete district survey responses, and said the Anti-Lunch Shaming law likely increased meal debt because schools must feed students regardless of account balance. Members discussed the need for a more accurate year-end debt figure and possible future reporting at a later committee meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, and here, I just wanted to do a screenshot of where should folks be paying attention?
• So just again, wanting to orient folks to this, this is where you should be paying attention.
• So hopefully that eases some of the administrative burden on folks paying attention to this.
• front to do chronic care management, then you're going to pay less through urgent care.
• The next generation 9-1-1, you'd mention... ...they'll pay for it and it goes on. Okay.

Summary: The Rural Health Transformation Committee approved the May 28 minutes and received a status update from DHW Director Juliet Sharon on the Rural Health Transformation Program. Sharon reviewed the committee’s expedited review process for solicitations and subgrants, explained where funding opportunities are posted, and noted a new email subscription feature for stakeholders. She said the department has focused first on administrative and contractor awards, with provider-oriented subgrants coming soon, and said the committee will receive information on applicants, scoring, and awards. Members raised concerns about process complexity, outreach, and whether smaller rural providers may be disadvantaged; Sharon said DHW is working to simplify applications and expand outreach. The committee also discussed the first maternal and child health solicitation, with Sharon saying she would follow up on the applicant pool and would bring any need to pivot back to the committee. The committee then heard from the Idaho Military Division on its rural health priorities. Bureau Chief Wayne Denny said the division is partnering with DHW on modernizing the 911/emergency communications system, including next-generation 911 work with counties, relocating the backup state communications center, and coordinating exercises. He also described rural health extenders, including community health workers and community health EMS, and said the goal is to place at least one paid full-time EMS provider in every county and use prevention and chronic-care management to reduce emergency room use. Members asked about how the extenders would function, how the 911 work would be funded and implemented county by county, and how sustainability would work after the five-year grant period. Jennifer White of the State Board of Education outlined higher education and workforce proposals, including mobile simulation training, shared statewide clinical infrastructure, learn-in-place programs, and targeted equipment and facilities for nursing and allied health. She said the board is also working on graduate medical education, with about $5 million of ready-to-launch projects and roughly $3 million still available, and proposed a strategic rural GME incubator and a rural training site network. A lengthy discussion followed about whether remaining funds should support GME, broader medical education, or undergraduate medical education, including a proposed University of Idaho/University of Utah partnership and possible satellite campus. Some members supported using funds to build Idaho’s medical pipeline and noted existing policy for UME expansion, while others warned against creating long-term state obligations without legislative approval. The committee also discussed outreach, the first federal progress report due at the end of August, and plans to create a governor-appointed rural health transformation task force with legislative and stakeholder representation. The meeting ended with plans for an additional committee meeting on August 18 and a later meeting in late September, with adjournment following.

Transcript Highlights:

• So ratepayers pay for safe and reliable service, and not a penny more.
• We just You use, put it on your bill, and you pay for it.
• Many return to teaching for higher pay, benefits, and a better work-life balance.
• And the students are the ones who end up paying for our mistakes.
• And that last tuition payment, my mom and dad did not pay, at least not initially.

Summary: The House convened, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved several journals, and welcomed a number of guests, including Irish dignitaries, scholarship winners, interns, student pages, and members of Omega Psi Phi. After confirming a quorum, the chamber received committee reports and referred new bills and resolutions, then recessed for caucuses and committee meetings before returning to floor action. In the afternoon session, the House considered several bills and amendments. It approved amendments to House Bills 426, 1127, 2551, and Senate Bill 146, while rejecting an amendment to HB 1127 that would have tightened background-check requirements for out-of-state dentists. The chamber also agreed to HB 2234, which creates a spent grain donation tax credit and updates the malt beverage tax credit, and HB 2551, which limits text-message notices by the Turnpike Commission and other agencies about unpaid fines, fees, or tolls. Senate Bill 146, creating the Veterans Trust Fund Board, was amended to add audit-related changes and then agreed to. The House then took final passage votes on several bills. HB 133, allowing a process to petition for reinstatement of parental rights, passed 191-11; HB 138, barring parental incarceration as the sole basis for termination of parental rights, passed 200-2; HB 2207, on capital development loans, passed 202-0; and HB 2224, dealing with utility rate and tax-related changes, passed 202-0 after extensive debate over affordability, consumer protections, and tax relief. HB 2473, repealing the Flood Insurance Education Information Act of 1996, also passed unanimously, and HB 2544, addressing school administrator rights and compensation disputes, passed 141-61. The most extensive debate centered on HB 2632, which reallocates educational tax credit caps and replaces the EITC and OSTC programs with a new options tax credit framework beginning in 2027-28. Supporters said it would improve transparency, accountability, and access for the poorest students, while opponents argued it would reduce scholarship opportunities, add burdens, and harm families and schools that rely on the current programs. After lengthy debate, the House passed HB 2632 by a vote of 105-97. The chamber then announced a Finance Committee voting meeting, recommitted several bills to Appropriations, and adjourned until June 23, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're certainly paying attention to that and staying in communication with those. Great.
• That is one of the alternatives that we've created, kind of like pay for performance.
• That is one of the alternatives that we've created is kind of like pay for performance.
• So I'm a big advocate of pay for performance. But here's the other thing.
• And Medicaid ends up taking it, but it's a shift, and then you do pay for outcomes.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we pay the doctors that sit on the panels? I'm sorry?
• So, you know, the board can't pay the physicians.
• And also we get experts to pay to work for us.
• We are paying; we have trouble finding them, but we are paying $500 an hour for experts and we can find
• There's no funding to pay for it.

Summary: The House Committee on Health and Welfare met on April 23 and first disposed of several items without hearing them, including HB 1093 and HB 1145, and voluntarily deferring HB 946. The committee then quickly reported HB 1095 favorably without objection. That bill would require nursing facilities to have fuel or another alternative power generation source to maintain power, and supporters said it preserves existing backup-power safety requirements while giving facilities more flexibility as technology changes. The committee then took up HB 926, which concerns vaccination status and admission to public buildings and seeks to prohibit medical mandates. After adopting an amendment set and additional changes clarifying exclusions for licensed health care providers and facilities, medical masks, and child welfare/school-related provisions, the committee heard testimony both for and against the bill. Supporters framed it as a civil-liberties measure limiting vaccine-card requirements for public buildings, while opponents warned it could interfere with public health measures, school immunization rules, and the ability of health care facilities to protect patients. The bill was reported favorably on an 8-4 vote. HB 1220, a cleanup bill for the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, was then reported favorably after a technical amendment set. HB 1227, which would require complaints involving medical judgment to be reviewed by a three-physician panel before formal disciplinary action, drew extensive testimony from a physician sponsor, a doctor describing his disciplinary experience, and the board’s executive director, who said the board already uses practicing physicians, nurses, and experts in its process and warned the proposed panel system could be impractical because physicians are difficult to recruit for such reviews. At the sponsor’s request, the committee voluntarily deferred HB 1227 for further work. Finally, the committee reported HB 1217 favorably with amendments to a pharmacy benefit manager transparency bill, after supporters said it would expose hidden pricing and rebate practices and opponents argued some provisions were duplicative or unnecessary. HB 1028, setting minimum Medicaid reimbursement rates for non-emergency medical transportation, was reported favorably and referred to Appropriations after supporters described the need for higher rates and members discussed funding. The committee also reported HB 1185 favorably, with amendments preserving the existing Rural Hospital Preservation Act while extending similar protections to additional rural-lookalike hospitals, and adopted HCR 76 to continue the Health Inequities and Disparities in Rural Areas Task Force for another year.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we pay the doctors that sit on the panels? I'm sorry?
• So, you know, the board can't pay the physicians.
• And also we get experts to pay to work for us.
• We are paying, we have trouble finding, but we are paying $500 an hour for experts and we can find them
• There's no funding to pay for it.

Bills: HB689, HB742, HB926, HB946, HB948, HB1028, HB1095, HB1114, HB1121, HB1155, HB1185, HB1217, HB1220, HB1227, HCR76

Keywords: public assistance, child welfare, benefit adjustment, DCFS, LDH, fraud detection, household reporting, Medicaid, immunization, healthcare eligibility, Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program, health policy, vaccination requirements, vaccination status, vaccine mandate, medical freedom, medical autonomy, public buildings, public access, government services

Transcript Highlights:

• These are pay plan appropriation requests.
• What under that is in the pay plan? That just looks like grants disbursement, not pay plan.
• They'll use existing salary savings to pay for these. Okay.
• You have pay plan.
• We're paying them to manage the portfolio.

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of appropriation, transfer, contract, and other review items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests in Sections B through F, including funding for prosecuting attorneys, education-related adjustments, school operating needs, labor licensing divisions, ARPA fund returns from Workforce Services, IIJA grants for state police CDL implementation and a forestry-related county grant, reserve fund transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic development, and a Commerce reallocation tied to organizational realignment. Cash fund requests in Section G and budget classification transfers in Section H were also reviewed, along with pay plan requests in Section I, overtime requests in Section J, and multiple methods of finance in Section K. The committee also reviewed discretionary grants in Section L, including agriculture promotion board grants and DHS aging/adult behavioral health grants, plus RFQs, construction contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and out-of-state contracts in Sections M1 through M5. Several items drew questions from members. Workforce Services explained that $225,000 in TANF-related funds would be returned to the federal government because the two-year hold period for uncashed or moved checks had expired. Commerce officials described the $25 million site infrastructure grant program, saying it supports site development, due diligence, and infrastructure build-out at eligible sites of 30 acres or more, including rural communities, with grant agreements and matching requirements providing accountability. DHS and Education officials answered questions about the Care Solace mental health referral contract, saying it is a statewide concierge/referral service that helps schools connect students to Arkansas providers and follow up so students do not fall through the cracks; members asked for more information on provider selection, school-day scheduling, and Arkansas vendor participation. The committee held one item over: the DHS discretionary grant item for the RSVP retired senior volunteer program in L2, after concerns were raised about whether state general revenue was being used effectively and how much administrative overhead the providers retain. Members also questioned several contracts, including a DHS sole-source contract with EMSLink for document management software and a DHS bridge contract with Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care for Medicaid inspections of care reviews; in both cases, agency staff explained the need to avoid service disruption and said follow-up information would be provided. A Department of Corrections reentry center contract was discussed for its recidivism results, and ARDOT retirement-system investment contracts were briefly explained. The meeting ended after a lengthy discussion of the Medicaid Trust Fund balance, with DFA and DHS officials saying the state is expected to finish the fiscal year without exhausting the fund, that a restricted reserve of $100 million is available as a backstop, and that the larger question is what minimum balance should be maintained going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not going to pay for a dog catcher.
• Dog catchers are important, but we're not going to pay for it with that.
• We're not going to pay for a dog catcher.
• Dog catchers are important, but we're not going to pay for it with that.
• To pay it back. I mean, people understand that it is what we need to do.

Bills: HB156, HB474, HB602, HB633, HB852

Keywords: severance tax, parish revenue, constitutional amendment, natural resources, local government funding, HB 474, Act 400, Louisiana income tax, tax refund checkoff, refund donation, alumni association, Grambling University National Alumni Association, Louisiana Tech University Alumni Association, Department of Revenue, Title 47, voluntary contribution, tax return designation, state tax refund, nonprofit donation, higher education

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe they will be paying a preferential rate because right now they're exempt.
• the same B&O rate that every other wholesaler is paying in the state.
• Those pharmacies today pay the 0.461% retailing rate, and they will now pay a 0.25% preferential rate
• What do you pay? Much of this is academic in the legislature, but what's the prices out there?
• They profit, and we all pay now and later.

Summary: House Finance held public hearings on three Senate bills. SB 6129 would raise cigarette taxes, replace current nicotine/vapor product taxes with a 95% tax on nicotine products, and adjust revenue distributions to the Andy Hill Cancer Research account, the Foundational Public Health Services account, and a youth prevention account; staff and supporters said it would correct an unintended loss of public health funding and reduce youth nicotine use, while opponents argued it would be highly regressive, harm retailers and wholesalers, and push sales into illicit markets. SB 6231 would repeal the data center sales tax exemption for refurbishment and end replacement server equipment eligibility; the sponsor and staff said it would raise roughly $200 million and remove an obsolete preference, while labor, port, business, and data center representatives opposed it, citing lost jobs, reduced investment, and concerns about upsetting existing contracts and rural economic development. SB 6228 would repeal the preferential B&O rate for warehousing and reselling prescription drugs and create a lower preferential rate for critical access pharmacies; the sponsor said it would restore horizontal equity in the tax code and offset impacts on rural pharmacies, but pharmacy groups, wholesalers, retailers, and business organizations warned it would raise medication costs, worsen pharmacy closures, and be passed through to patients. The committee heard extensive public testimony on all three bills. Supporters of SB 6129 included public health, cancer, pediatric, and emergency medicine advocates who emphasized youth prevention, cessation funding, and long-term health savings; opponents included tobacco, vape, retail, and business groups who said the bill would increase black-market activity and burden small businesses. SB 6231 drew opposition from construction trades, ports, local governments, chambers, and data center interests, who argued the tax preference supports ongoing construction, permanent jobs, and local tax bases, while committee questions focused on whether the bill would affect existing refurbishment contracts. SB 6228 was opposed by pharmacy associations, independent pharmacists, wholesalers, grocery retailers, and AWB, who said the tax increase would be passed through and could accelerate pharmacy desert conditions; the sponsor and supporters framed the bill as a correction to an outdated preference and a way to protect critical access pharmacies. No votes were taken; each hearing was closed, and the chair announced amendment requests were due Thursday at 5 p.m. and amendments posted by Friday at 5 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• He believed paying the debt back was critical to the survival of a brand new nation.
• We had a $2.7 billion debt, and immediately after we started paying it off.
• After World War II, we again began paying the debt down based on...
• Before it pays anything for our veterans, before it pays anything for Social Security, Medicaid, or anything
• else, it pays its interest.

Summary: The Senate met with all 35 members present, heard prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the corrected journal. Several guests and school groups were recognized throughout the day, and the chamber later paused for an Idaho Day celebration featuring historical remarks, music, and presentations on Idaho history and agriculture. In floor action, the Senate adopted House Concurrent Resolution 24 honoring fallen firefighters Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison, Jr., and recognizing the recovery of Engineer David Tisdell. It also adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 120 encouraging advancement of used nuclear fuel reprocessing in Idaho and supporting the state’s role at the Idaho National Laboratory, and Senate Joint Memorial 112 urging Congress to pursue a balanced budget amendment and fiscal discipline. The Senate then introduced several new bills, including measures on appropriations, administrative rules, elections, pharmacy benefit managers, utilities, abortion trafficking, educator disclosure, and whistleblower protections. The Senate passed Senate Bill 1241, as amended, which protects working animals and clarifies its applicability; supporters described it as preserving Idaho’s agricultural and Western heritage while preserving local authority over health, safety, and animal care. The Committee of the Whole later considered Senate Bills 1224, 1326, and 1340, adopted amendments to each, and reported them back without recommendation, while several other bills were held in place or reported as progressing. The Senate adopted the committee report and then adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when we move to a base of paying by attendance, it makes it extremely hard on the small business
• It offers services regardless of patients’ ability to pay.
• As a consequence, we have minimal pay raises and zero retention.
• As a consequence, we have minimal pay raises and zero retention.
• So, consequence, we have minimum pay raise, zero retention.

Bills: HB2689, SB5832, SB5922, SB5944, SB5988, SB6151

Keywords: Working Connections Child Care, child care subsidy, subsidized child care, Washington DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, low-income families, child care providers, licensed child care centers, family child care, market rate survey, subsidy rates, income eligibility, state median income, SNAP, Basic Food, collective bargaining, provider reimbursement, daily payment, half-day care, partial-day care

Transcript Highlights:

• They want to pay their way. They're willing to write the checks.
• They want to pay their way. They're willing to write the checks.
• They want to pay their way. They're willing to write the checks.
• They want to pay their way. They're willing to write the checks.
• And so pay for it are the residents.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:38 HB 576 discussion: 01:56 HB 576 voting: 06:54 HB 593 discussion: 08:25 HB 593 voting: 21:58, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who will pay for it is the number one question.
• Immigrants pay taxes.
• paying into the system in the billions of dollars.
• They want to know why they're having to pay more.
• It drives up uncompensated care costs that taxpayers ultimately pay for.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, a roll call showing 27 present, and approval of the prior journal. Members then introduced guests, including representatives of the Arizona Fair Association, Mohave County fair staff, a constituent guest, a physician candidate shadowing a senator, Father David Myers, and the Doctor of the Day. The chamber also received messages and read a long list of bills placed on second reading. The Committee of the Whole considered three measures. SB 1268, a veterans property tax exemption cleanup bill, was explained as clarifying that the exemption applies to a veteran’s primary residence and, if jointly owned, still counts as 100 percent; it received a do pass recommendation. SB 1051, requiring hospitals to collect and report patient immigration-status information for accounting purposes, drew extensive debate. Supporters said it would improve accountability for hospital spending and taxpayer costs, while opponents argued it would intimidate patients, discourage care, burden hospitals, and target immigrants unfairly. Despite repeated points of order and appeals over germaneness and remarks, the bill advanced on a 16-13 vote. SB 1316, creating a rural health transformation fund process with public hearings and JLBC involvement, was presented as a transparency measure for roughly $167 million in federal rural health funds; supporters favored legislative input, while opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay care. It advanced 17-13. The Committee of the Whole reported all three bills do pass, and the Senate adopted the report. HB 2792 was substituted for SB 1268 as an identical measure and passed with the emergency clause by a 29-1 vote. SB 1123 and SB 1145 also passed, and SB 1125, dealing with child safety and communication with tribal nations regarding group homes, passed unanimously 30-0. SB 1316 passed 17-13, and SB 1051 passed 17-13 after a lengthy floor debate in which supporters framed it as a fiscal/accountability measure and opponents called it harmful, anti-immigrant, and likely to deter medical care. The Senate then announced committee meetings for the next day and adjourned until Wednesday, February 11, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need more money printed to pay that interest payment.
• They pay 12. So we had a memorial that passed that says we want 40%.
• going to pay 40% of the amount of the cost of that program.
• They pay 12. So we had a memorial that passed that says we want 40%.
• Increasing our taxes to 80, 90 percent of our income so they can pay the bills.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and received committee reports advancing several bills to second reading. Those reports included measures on public records, collective bargaining, foreign laws, Capitol Mall regulations, sex offender registration, taxation, transportation, solid waste, cottage food operations, and a concurrent resolution on second reading. The House also introduced and referred House Bills 600 through 605, covering topics such as public records complaints, taxpayer funding of government unions, foreign laws, Capitol Mall camping and property rules, sex offender registration, and tax subtractions for tips and overtime. The main floor debate centered on House Concurrent Resolution 25, which calls on Congress to propose a balanced budget amendment through an Article V convention process. Supporters argued the federal debt is unsustainable, that states must act to pressure Congress, and that Idaho should use its constitutional authority to force fiscal discipline. Opponents warned that an Article V convention could become a runaway convention, expose the Constitution to broader changes, and create risks from lobbyists, Congress controlling the process, and unclear delegate rules. Several members also raised concerns about the lack of sideboards and the possibility that ratification procedures could be altered. After extensive debate, the House passed HCR 25 by a vote of 36-34 and sent it to the Senate. The chamber then held remaining third-reading bills at their current place until Monday, February 9, 2026, took several personal privilege and announcement items, and adjourned until 11 a.m. that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think that's important for us to do that while getting the federal government to pay us back.
• us back but this gives us ability to bridge that gap and pay us pay us back so they can keep those people
• , which I agree with you, they ought to be paying this back.
• This bill would take $20 million from Arizona's general fund to pay for border fencing and walls.
• And the 15-year study... ...federal fund to pay for border fencing and walls.

Summary: The Military Affairs and Border Security Committee met for its second meeting, opened with a lengthy reminder about Senate decorum rules and the consequences for disruption, then approved the January 26, 2026 minutes. The committee first heard SB 1268, an emergency measure clarifying that a veteran with a 100% service-connected disability receives a full property tax exemption on a primary residence, including when the home is jointly owned with a spouse. County assessors said the bill was a needed cleanup to prior legislation and urged quick passage so applications could be processed before tax deadlines. The bill passed 7-0 with a do pass recommendation; one senator supported it in committee but objected to the emergency clause on the floor because it limits referendum rights. The committee then considered SB 1152, which would make people with pending asylum applications eligible for state or local public benefits until an immigration judge grants asylum. Supporters argued it would prevent state funds from going to people whose status is not yet verified and emphasized taxpayer responsibility; opponents said existing law already covers the issue, warned it could encourage racial profiling, and cited the economic contributions of refugees and asylum seekers. After debate, the bill passed 4-3. Next, SB 1156 appropriated $20 million to DPS to reimburse cities, towns, and counties for short-term detention costs for unauthorized persons. Supporters said local governments were bearing an unfair burden and needed backfill funding; opponents argued the money was unnecessary, not requested by DPS, and should not be spent on detention. The bill passed 4-3. SB 1157, which would appropriate $20 million for reimbursement of local border fencing or walls in high-crossing areas, drew the most extended and contentious testimony. Supporters framed it as a response to border gaps, cartel activity, and local security needs, while opponents said it would worsen fear, harm wildlife and communities, and divert funds from education and other priorities. The meeting briefly became disorderly during public testimony, prompting a rules clarification from the committee attorney about audience decorum and the chair’s authority. After debate, SB 1157 also passed 4-3. Finally, the committee heard SB 1213, as amended, which makes unlawfully present persons convicted of state or local offenses ineligible for probation and requires ICE notification; the amendment removed CBP from the notification provisions. The sponsor tied the bill to a recent child sexual assault case and said it would ensure convicted noncitizens are not placed on probation at taxpayer expense. Opponents raised due process and equal protection concerns and said the bill would profile noncitizens. The amended bill passed 4-3, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what I'm saying is when they're worried about people not paying their personal property tax, when
• So, you know, you couldn't go in and pay and then just go straight to the...
• Go in, pay one fee. Boom. I've got a permanent tag on their farm vehicles.
• Pay for it over the phone, whatever. You can go back that night. What if it fails?
• Pay for it over the phone, whatever. You can go back that night. What if it fails?

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not paying insurance at all. And then they run the lights.
• It was the little bit further in about not having to pay the $200 fee to Modot.
• I pay the fee.
• Because I don't think the business owner would object at all to paying that fee.
• Good, because his testimony was they're not objecting to paying the 200.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a head start by denying disaster aid all over this country, leaving families with no choice but to pay
• What I can tell you is that when you do that, insurers will pay attention. All right, let's go in.
• Who do you think should pay for the mitigation and how should we pay for it?
• We all have an obligation to pay for mitigation that falls on individuals, on homeowners and families
• I'll actually pay you cash. This is kind of the same thing. Exactly the same concept.

Keywords: homeowners insurance, natural disasters, insurance costs, climate change, disaster preparedness, federal policies, bipartisan solutions

Summary: The meeting reviewed critical issues surrounding the rising costs and accessibility of homeowners insurance across the United States, particularly in light of increasing natural disasters linked to climate change. Members engaged in extensive discussions regarding the implications for families and the economy, citing significant increases in premiums and decreasing availability of policies in high-risk areas. Supervisor Peysko highlighted the direct impact of federal policies on local communities, emphasizing the growing burden on homeowners as they face skyrocketing insurance costs amidst a backdrop of environmental challenges and regulatory constraints. The committee expressed a unified call to action for bipartisan solutions, focusing on improving building codes and enhancing disaster preparedness measures.