Transcript Highlights:

• We're a very close family. I love my wife. She's my best friend. I love my daughter.
• We're a very close family. I love my wife. She's my best friend. I love my daughter.
• Yeah, it's April 17th is already a statewide election for the closed party primary Bessie election.
• Yeah, April 17th is already a statewide election for the closed party primary election.
• We'd like to close on your bill? We'd like to close on your bill. Looks like we got the first.

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The House and Governmental Affairs Committee met on Senate Bill 123, a proposed constitutional amendment to create a legislative process for removing judges for cause. Senator Morris said the bill was needed because of uncertainty in the current Constitution about whether impeachment applies to judges, given the Judiciary Commission’s role in judicial discipline. He argued the measure would provide a clearer, higher-threshold accountability mechanism, and the committee adopted a technical amendment renumbering provisions and later clarified that the bill uses a majority vote in the House and two-thirds in the Senate, consistent with impeachment-style thresholds. Much of the hearing centered on testimony from Anna Carter and her family, who supported the bill after the murder of Jacob Carter in New Orleans. They described his death and other cases they said showed judges releasing dangerous offenders despite repeated violations, missed electronic-monitoring check-ins, and other warning signs. They argued the bill would create a last-resort accountability tool when judicial decisions or supervision failures lead to preventable harm. Several committee members expressed sympathy and said the testimony highlighted serious problems in the justice system, though some also suggested the bill should address district attorneys, electronic-monitoring oversight, or broader systemic issues. Opposition came from members who warned the proposal was overly broad, could become a political tool, and might conflict with existing constitutional provisions governing impeachment and judicial discipline. They argued the Judiciary Commission and Supreme Court already provide a disciplinary framework and that the bill could chill judicial independence or create due-process concerns. The ACLU’s Sarah Whittington also opposed the bill, noting technical inconsistencies in the draft, questioning why impeachment had not been tried first, and arguing the measure singled out judicial discretion while leaving other elected officials’ discretion untouched. The committee took no final vote on the bill during the hearing, but did adopt the technical amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Closing the Water's Edge loophole is projected to bring in three...
• Closing the Water's Edge loophole is projected to bring in $3 billion to our state.
• Closing this loophole will ensure our system works for everyone, and we look forward to working with
• And I think if we can close this tax loophole, increase the funding, And just another reason to come
• Closing a loophole in tax from corporations like Water's Edge and investing it in teachers' pay would

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Did I say your name even close to right? Mr. Kelly? Oh, okay. Was I close? Yeah, yeah. Okay.
• I'll take any questions and reserve my right to close. close thank you okay the chair calls Ms.
• Right to close. Thank you. Members, any questions? All right, we'll reserve you right to close.
• It's close.
• I don't know, and since we closed registration, we're not able to open it back up. We close it.

Bills: HB17 , HB34 , HB41 , HB 118 , HB 119 , HB 127 , HB 128 , HB 129 , HB 130 , HB132 , HB133 , HB17 , HB41 , HB118 , HB119 , HB127 , HB128 , HB129 , HB130 , HB132 , HB133

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: foreign ownership, real estate, national security, designated countries, Texas property law, lobbying, foreign adversaries, compensation prohibition, transparency, civil penalties, higher education, foreign adversary, research security, trade secrets, academic partnerships, HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy

Transcript Highlights:

• As primary sponsor, I move to withdraw Senate floor amendment two and Senate floor amendment three.
• As primary sponsor, I move to withdraw Senate floor amendment two and Senate floor amendment three.
• </c> Upon the motion, and you are the primary Upon the motion, and you are the primary sponsor,<00:16
• Uh, with permission of the primary sponsor, I move to be added as co-sponsor of Senate Bill 80.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Uh with permission of the primary &gt;&gt; Uh with permission of the primary sponsor,<01

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We will now close that hearing on 1206.
• And I will close Representative Sher.
• </c> I'm closing the hearing on House Bill 1404.
• </c><04:01:26.080><c> the</c> relax a little bit before I close the relax a little bit before I close
• ><c> the</c><05:48:02.798><c> hearing</c> therefore, I will close the hearing therefore, I will close

Committee: House Children and Family Law

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we closely watch the direction from the FCC.
• So we do track our numbers closely. The trends...
• I certainly can answer questions about I'll close with.
• And here's why I'll tell you, because this issue is close to me and close to a whole lot of other sheriffs
• I'll close with slide eight.

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had close to 600 applicants for these positions this summer.
• I think it's not just the savings in closing the facility.
• We work very closely together. It is a very cohesive team.
• So this is a concerning issue and something we're looking at closely and will continue to look at closely
• We've got close. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> with that repres of tapy any closing with that repres of tapy any closing comments<00:15:07.279>
• Representative Bang, any closing comments? No closing comments.
• Just closing comment.
• <00:30:29.640><c> comment</c> closing comment closing comment um<00:30:32.200><c> I</c><00:30:32.480>
• </c><00:37:26.480><c> together</c> know we've worked very closely together know we've worked very closely

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We have seen programs close.
• We have seen programs close.
• We have seen programs close.
• We all know that when programs in rural Minnesota close, it creates an added burden for people to try
• </c><01:25:53.960><c> in</c> meaning more programs have closed in meaning more programs have closed in

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I know I'm interested to read the bill closely.
• For anyone who's looking at the bill, it seems rather long for simply closing a loophole.
• So, Gordon Hartman, who created Morgan's Wonderland, is a close friend, and we've worked closely together
• Can you just talk about what you saw as the primary differences?
• Hearing and seeing none, public testimony is now closed.

Bills: SB750 , SB2995 , SB1716 , SB2430 , SB203 , SB1679 , SB2683 , SB1414

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, public institutions, laboratory fees, education code, financial aid, education, student support, scholarships, nontraditional education, student enrollment, financial assistance, Texas students, foreign adversaries, trade secrets, research integrity, security measures, international agreements, student privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, you can pull it over there as close to you as you can get. It moves.
• Pull that mic over as close as you can get it. Yes, sir.
• Public testimony is closed. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator Schwartner.
• If it's not, it's very, very close to that, and the property is in the ETJ.
• Hearing none, public testimony is closed. Chair, please. I'm going to have L.T.

Bills: SB243 , SB1586 , SB1891 , SB1959 , SB2159 , SB2568

Committee: Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Keywords: migrant labor housing, migrant housing, farmworker housing, migrant agricultural worker, agricultural labor, farm labor contractor, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, TDHCA, civil penalty, housing code enforcement, sanitation, occupancy standards, retaliation, worker complaint, language access, Spanish-language outreach, H-2A visa, temporary agricultural workers, unlicensed housing, rural housing

Transcript Highlights:

• Ramos to close. I close. Do you or do you? All right, Ms. Rodriguez Ramos sends up an amendment.
• Rodriguez, we're almost close. I close. Did she call you? Ms.
• Gerdes to closing the bill. Close on move passage.
• Vassu to close on his bill passage.
• Tepper to close. Move passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• And with that, I'll turn it back to you to close.
• And you have an opportunity to close at this time. Sure.
• And you have an opportunity to close at this time. Sure.
• Working closely with both CHP and Caltrans.
• Would you like to close?

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, we'll give you two minutes before the senator closes. Mr.
• Seeing none, Senator, would you like to close? Yes.
• Senator, would you like to close? Yes, thank you.
• We work really closely with the environmental community, and we work very closely with advocates in Colorado
• Assembly, would you like to close on behalf of the Senator?

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with SB 1350 by Senator McNerney presented first. The measure would expand California’s use of renewable hydrogen in the power sector by allowing renewable portfolio standard credit for power plants using green hydrogen, with supporters emphasizing grid reliability, clean-energy goals, in-state investment, and construction jobs. Support came from labor, clean-energy, municipal utility, and local government representatives; NRDC Action Fund withdrew opposition after amendments, while a few groups remained opposed or neutral. The committee later took a roll call and SB 1350 passed out on a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard SB 1180 by Senator Allen, which would set operational rules for the Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund created under SB 54, including clearer eligible uses, transparency, technical assistance, and access for tribes and smaller community groups. Environmental justice, ocean, conservation, and local government groups strongly supported the bill, saying it would ensure the fund addresses plastic pollution’s public health and environmental harms. Industry and manufacturing groups opposed unless amended, arguing the bill should stay tightly tied to plastic waste reduction and not broaden into source-reduction policy. After quorum was established, the committee approved SB 1180 on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations. SB 1326 by Senator Wahab was then heard to strengthen tribal consultation and tribal cultural resource protections under CEQA by recognizing tribal registers and requiring feasible avoidance or mitigation measures when tribes identify resources. Tribal representatives and supporters said the bill would better protect sacred sites and tribal knowledge, while cities, counties, utilities, builders, and rural county groups opposed unless amended, citing implementation concerns, possible litigation, and uncertainty for infrastructure and housing projects. The committee voted the bill out on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations. Finally, SB 954 by Senator Blakespear was presented as a cleanup of last year’s SB 131 advanced-manufacturing CEQA exemption, narrowing eligible projects and adding guardrails such as setbacks, air-quality limits, tribal consultation, labor standards, and habitat protections. Environmental and labor groups supported the bill as a needed correction to an overly broad exemption, while business, manufacturing, housing, and local-government groups opposed, warning it could make the exemption unusable and slow investment. Members debated the balance between environmental protection and manufacturing competitiveness, and the committee voted SB 954 out on a due pass recommendation to the Labor and Employment Committee; the transcript then moved on to SB 1031 on compostable plastics, which was introduced but not acted on in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, those are my closing comments.
• So, those are my closing comments.
• So, those are my closing comments.
• So, those are my closing comments.
• /c><01:14:36.080><c> then</c> want to close it close us up and then want to close it close us up and

Bills: HF1048 , HF1049 , HF745 , HF2210

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: charter schools, education funding, revenue calculation, general education revenue, special education, school library aid, education finance, school districts, funding eligibility, compensatory revenue, task force, free meals, school funding, education equity, HF2210, school unemployment aid, Minnesota Department of Education, general fund appropriation, unemployment insurance, unemployment claims

Transcript Highlights:

• Our primary role is to help government serve Minnesotans everywhere.
• Our primary role is to help government serve Minnesotans everywhere.
• closed or eliminated at Stassen building.
• </c><01:08:59.279><c> has</c><01:08:59.520><c> been</c><01:09:00.199><c> closed</c><01:09:00.839><c>
• eliminated</c> office space has been closed eliminated office space has been closed eliminated uh<01:

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator closing comments. thank you. Senator closing comments.
• We have three primary structure.
• Um anyways, any closing<02:06:50.920><c> comments?</c> closing comments? closing comments?
• Closing<02:41:20.120><c> comments.</c> Closing comments. Closing comments.
• ><c> comments,</c> with that, any closing comments, with that, any closing comments, Senator?

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I work closely with Dr.
• I work closely with Dr. the data. I work closely with Dr.
• Our primary charge is to advise the General Court and the governor on policy and planning related to
• Our<00:57:50.079><c> primary</c><00:57:50.559><c> charge</c><00:57:50.960><c> is</c><00:57:51.200><c>
• to</c><00:57:51.440><c> advise</c><00:57:51.920><c> the</c> Our primary charge is to advise the Our

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, approving the prior meeting minutes with one abstention from a member who had been absent. It then received an update from DHHS Commissioner Lori Weaver on the department’s rural health transformation grant submission. Weaver said the grant was submitted ahead of the deadline, reflected input from communities and providers statewide, and would now enter a CMS review and negotiation phase. She explained that the governor’s office will oversee the grant with DHHS, that some proposals may be limited by federal parameters, and that the department may need to hire some staff to administer the grant, within the grant’s administrative cap. Members also discussed DHHS budget pressures and staffing. The department’s CFO, Nathan White, reviewed the agency’s budget mix, noting that DHHS accounts for a large share of the state’s operating and general fund budgets, and explained projected general fund lapse estimates, which he said are currently just under $20 million for the department. He also described why lapse projections are difficult to predict in DHHS because many costs are driven by utilization and because some funds are statutorily non-lapsing. White reported that vacancy rates have risen, citing about 400 unfunded positions in the current biennium and the department’s hiring freeze, while emphasizing that direct-care positions are being prioritized. Committee members raised concerns that back-of-the-budget cuts and weak revenue collections could affect the department’s ability to manage lapse projections. The committee then heard from Division of Public Health Director Ian Watt on vaccine policy and federal changes. Watt said New Hampshire continues to support access to safe and effective vaccines, including through the universal purchase program and seasonal respiratory virus guidance. He explained a recent CDC change regarding the MMRV vaccine, which now discourages the combined shot for the first dose in children under four because of febrile seizure risk, while still allowing it for the second dose. Watt said New Hampshire’s school and child care vaccine mandates remain stable, with nine vaccines required for schoolchildren and 10 for child care, and that the state continues to review federal recommendations cautiously. He also said there have been no supply or funding disruptions affecting vaccine access, and that childhood vaccine funding through commercial insurers remains intact. Finally, the Permanent Subcommittee on Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Related Dementias presented its annual report. The subcommittee said it met about six times, heard presentations on state services, silver alerts, brain health awareness, and palliative/hospice care, and began work on updating the state’s Alzheimer’s plan, which had last been updated in 2015-2016. To gather more direct input, the subcommittee formed a needs-assessment work group to develop a survey for people living with dementia, caregivers, and service providers. It recommended integrating Alzheimer’s and dementia materials into chronic disease, aging, and public health outreach; embedding cognitive health into systems of care and the state health improvement plan; adding cognitive health measures to BRFSS; and continuing partnerships with aging and advocacy organizations. Members praised the report and suggested it should clearly identify the subcommittee and include page numbers in future versions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So my bill just closes that loophole and says you still can bypass local determination if your industry
• So, my bill just closes that loophole and says you still can bypass local determination if your industry
• So my bill just closes that landfill.
• So my bill just closes that loophole<00:12:46.320><c> and</c><00:12:46.480><c> says</c><00:12:46.720>
• It's not their primary source of income.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:05 Roll Call 00:00:12 Discussion of Legislative Measures 00:03:12 Discussion of Housing and Land Use 00:21:58 Discussion of Short Term Rental Policies 01:03:17 Adjournment 01:15:38, 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from its June 4, 2025 meeting and then heard a series of presentations focused largely on housing and land-use policy. Senator Robbie Mills and Representative Josh Bray discussed two 2025 housing measures: Senate Bill 50, which would create residential infrastructure development districts to help local governments finance infrastructure for new housing developments through special assessments and local debt, and House Bill 7, which would let local governments identify development areas and rebate new property tax revenue to developers as an incentive for housing growth. They said Kentucky faces a statewide housing shortage of roughly 210,000 units, projected to grow if building patterns do not change, and argued that regulatory relief and financing tools are needed to increase supply. Representative Rebecca Rymer presented House Bill 371, which would require local permitting when an industry’s residual waste landfill is located in a different county from the industry itself. She said current law lets such landfills bypass local review, leaving host counties with no say despite road impacts and other local burdens. She said the bill would preserve the existing exemption when the landfill and industry are co-located, and noted support from KLC and KO. Representative Steve Doan also described House Bill 806, a statewide backyard chicken bill that would allow domesticated hens, prohibit roosters, set a minimum of six hens that local governments could not go below, and preserve local authority over setbacks, sanitation, maintenance standards, and egg sales. He said it would override outright local bans but not HOA restrictions, and cited a current Northern Kentucky dispute and ADA litigation as reasons for the proposal. The committee then heard a broader discussion on housing and land use from Charlie Gardner of the Mercatus Center and Nolan Gray of California YIMBY and the Bluegrass Institute. They outlined categories of land-use regulation, described the recent growth of state-level housing reforms nationwide, and cited examples such as ADU legalization, smaller lot sizes, reduced parking minimums, streamlined permitting, and single-stair or other building-code reforms. They argued that housing shortages are a statewide concern, that localities often have incentives to block growth, and that state intervention can reduce costs and uncertainty without compromising health and safety. Members asked about the housing shortage estimate, the effect of red tape on safety and local authority, and how state reforms could be phased in; the presenters said reforms often include lead time, can be targeted to larger jurisdictions, and should focus on reducing time and cost while maintaining basic standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• Give the opportunity to close. Yeah.
• All right, you have to hear your close. All right, give you an opportunity to close.
• Pontine may close.
• Pontine may close. All right, we have a motion and a second. Ms. Pontine may close. Thank you.
• Chair, please close.

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Keywords: 988, house, all