Transcript Highlights:

• Out-of-state consumers are accustomed to visiting tap rooms in their own states where they can walk in
• consumer, uh, creating more hospitable tasting experience and a better experience for their entire visit
• tap rooms in their own states visiting tap rooms in their own states where<01:39:21.760><c> they</c>
• </c> better experience for their entire visit better experience for their entire visit to<01:39:44.320
• Well, we'll be sure to visit both. Are there any questions for Mr. Alman? All right.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have<01:09:18.480><c> a</c><01:09:18.560><c> visit</c><01:09:19.000><c> a</c><01:09:19.040><c> Senator
• </c><01:09:19.400><c> visiting</c><01:09:19.880><c> from</c> have a visit a Senator visiting from have
• a visit a Senator visiting from afar<01:09:21.040><c> um</c><01:09:21.080><c> so</c><01:09:21.400><c
• /c><01:09:25.200><c> the</c> committee so we'll we'll move the committee so we'll we'll move the visiting
• </c> visiting Senator up. visiting Senator up.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But at any rate, after visiting with uh with Cody's mom, um we determined to bring this bill for your
• But at any rate, after visiting with uh with Cody's mom, um we determined to bring this bill for your
• I have not personally gone to visit it myself.
• I have not personally gone to visit it myself.
• I have not personally gone to visit it myself.

Bills: HB0103 , HB0070 , HB0091

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: First Amendment, free speech, lawsuits, immunity, public participation, strategic lawsuits, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws, civil actions, speech protection, legal jurisdiction, joint liability, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• We invite you to not only visit us at Capital Modern, but also invite us to the things that you guys
• Um, that doesn't mean that out of those visits that the committee that we formulate will come out with
• art that's recommended. 99.9% of the time there are works of art that are recommended out of those visits
• Um, that doesn't mean that out of<01:03:03.680><c> those</c><01:03:04.079><c> visits</c><01:03:04.480
• And there is constant checking happening, and then also site visits and things like that.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Culture and the Arts held an informational briefing on May 22 with the Hawaii Arts Alliance, the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA), and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission. Chair Capella said the purpose was to better understand the organizations’ work and strengthen relationships ahead of the interim and next session. The Hawaii Arts Alliance, led by Executive Director Gay Humphrey, described its mission to enrich Hawaii’s cultural fabric through arts education, advocacy, and community engagement, and highlighted its history tied to Alfred Price, including the creation of Hawaii’s 1% for art law and the alliance’s 45 years of service. The alliance outlined its current work, including administering SFCA-funded statewide programs such as Artist in the Schools and the new folk and traditional arts program, with 34 teaching partners serving more than 100 public and charter schools and Kumu Hawaii as the single grantee for traditional weaving instruction. It also discussed Arts First Partners, the incubation of Arts at Mark’s Garage, expanded advocacy efforts supported by Creative West grants, and new multi-year philanthropic support from the Hawaii Community Foundation and Atherton Family Foundation. The alliance said it is launching statewide listening sessions and an arts advocacy training program, and noted that most SFCA funds pass through the alliance to program partners, with the organization retaining 10 to 14 percent for administration. SFCA Executive Director Karen Ewald then described the agency’s role as the state arts agency, its strategic planning process, and its main programs, including Art in Public Places, the Capital Modern museum, Artist in the Schools, apprentice mentoring grants, community arts grants, the Hawaii State Poet Laureate program, a statewide cultural extension program, and the Hawaii Open Arts Program. She said SFCA has 21 staff with one vacancy, is awaiting a federal NEA partnership agreement, and is considering new revenue streams such as a cultural trust. She also noted that the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission was recently attached to SFCA, which has improved coordination and allows SFCA to provide funding for conservation and upkeep of the King Kamehameha statues statewide. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational only, with questions deferred until after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The brilliant SEA brought her five corgis to school for a visit with my son.
• I visit MPS schools, Head Starts, and daycares daily to promote student independence, foster inclusion
• She says on a day like today, with a school group coming to visit, the bus driver is essential.
• me and I'm like group coming to visit me and I'm like terrified<01:25:39.199><c> of</c><01:25:39.360
• Um, during that time, she made home visits, found clothing and jackets for students in need, and, um,

Bills: HF1388

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• Though their focus is local content and advertising, they may collect user data through site visits,
• But then my concern is, well, what about the people visiting Minnesota?
• So now if someone's on a social media platform as they go through the airport or they're visiting the
• Uh we have people visiting Minnesota?
• </c><01:11:30.000><c> the</c> airport or they they're visiting the airport or they they're visiting the

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will also say for a DHS grant, it's very well-managed, and they do great site visits and they give
• I will also say for a DHS grant, it's very well-managed, and they do great site visits and they give
• they<00:50:52.960><c> do</c><00:50:53.200><c> great</c><00:50:53.520><c> site</c><00:50:53.839><c> visits
• ><00:50:54.240><c> and</c><00:50:54.400><c> they</c><00:50:54.640><c> give</c> they do great site visits
• and they give they do great site visits and they give you<00:50:54.880><c> a</c><00:50:55.040><c> report

Bills: HF2115 , HF2276 , HF1644 , HF99 , HF2068 , HF2707 , HF2704 , HF2406 , HF1674 , HF1579

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: human services, aging services, disability services, behavioral health, long-term care, nursing home, nursing facility, assisted living, waiver services, medical assistance, Medicaid, case mix reimbursement, PDPM, RUG, direct care and treatment, developmental disabilities, day services, positive support, guardian, conservator

Transcript Highlights:

• Of all the women who visit these pregnancy resource centers, 97% of those patients reported having a
• Of all the women who visit<00:08:49.680><c> these</c><00:08:49.920><c> pregnancy</c><00:08:50.480><c>
• resource</c><00:08:50.880><c> centers,</c> visit these pregnancy resource centers, visit these pregnancy
• Um, in 2024, in the space of about 10 days, a team of five of us, four women and myself, visited eight
• They haven't actually visited a pregnancy center.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I quizzed in committee how many employees they visited with.
• </c> how many employees they visited with. how many employees they visited with.
• </c><00:48:36.800><c> executive</c> Did they visit with the executive Did they visit with the executive
• Anyone want to visit? 323 is closed.
• </c> &gt;&gt; thank you 323 323 anyone want to visit &gt;&gt; thank you 323 323 anyone want to visit

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to the I or the 1A welldeserved visit to the I or the 1A state<01:43:44.800><c> championship</c><01:
• It's a broken leg, but I don't have $5,000 for the emergency room visit and all the care and whatnot.
• It's a broken leg, but I don't have $5,000 for the emergency room visit and all the care and whatnot.
• and all the for the emergency room visit and all the care<03:25:32.880><c> and</c><03:25:33.120><c>
• one of their campuses a couple to visit one of their campuses a couple months<04:00:59.760><c> ago,<

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, December 12, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Every day, our Molae Drugs staff saves patients trips to the emergency room and doctor's visits when
• Sometimes patients can't get a doctor's visit, and they don't want to go to the ER because they might
• Sometimes patients can't get a doctor's visit, and they don't want to go to the ER because they might
• Sometimes patients can't get a doctor's visit, and they don't want to go to the ER because they might
• Mainland money by preventing these expensive doctors and ER visits from minor health ailments.

Committee: House Health

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1494 on hearing aids. Testimony was generally supportive of expanding hearing-aid coverage, with the Insurance Division raising concern about possible federal defrayment issues, SHPDA supporting the goal of hearing augmentation, DCAB strongly supporting the bill as an important access issue, and health plans and insurers asking for amendments. Kaiser Permanente and the Hawaii Association of Health Plans requested changes to add a medical-necessity standard and clarify annual notice language, while HMSA suggested the proposal should be studied by the auditor. The chair noted concerns about federal preemption and the lack of an audit, and deferred the bill in favor of a related resolution calling for a study. The committee then heard SB 1448, an emergency appropriation for the Hawaii State Hospital. DAGS and the Department of Health supported the measure, with the hospital administrator saying the funding would improve the environment of care, support cleaning, and allow a third-party review of the building. Committee members questioned the size of the request and the status of litigation against the design-builder. Administration witnesses said they were pursuing a comprehensive study involving destructive testing, had made a demand on the design-builder to fund the study, and were using different processes than before. They also said the roof work would be handled through a separate CIP request. No final action was taken in the portion provided. The committee next heard SB 1432, relating to the future responsibilities of the Department of Health and land issues at Kalaupapa after the last patient dies. DOH supported the bill in part but said its long-term role would be limited mainly to environmental cleanup, with operations expected to continue under the National Park Service and land-use decisions left to DHHL and beneficiary consultation. DHHL asked that the measure reflect that any land-use or zoning changes on homeland lands require commission approval and beneficiary consultation. Testifiers from Kalaupapa and Maui County, including Degra Vanderbilt-Papa and Council Member Keani Rollins-Fernandez, supported deferring the bill, saying there had been no meaningful community discussion about provisions affecting Kalaupapa’s future management and possible transfer of responsibilities to Maui County. The committee also read into the record written testimony from Gloria Marks emphasizing that Kalaupapa stakeholders must be included in future discussions. Finally, the committee heard SB 955 on fitness-to-proceed examinations. The Judiciary and the Public Defender’s Office both supported raising pay and standardizing expectations for private examiners, but opposed reducing felony fitness evaluations from three examiners to one and opposed expanding use of expedited reports. They argued that a single examiner would reduce reliability, create a more adversarial process, and likely increase costs and contested hearings, while expedited reports do not contain enough information for a proper fitness determination. The Department of Health also supported the bill’s intent but asked to preserve a three-examiner framework and said the goal was to reduce the number of people sent to the State Hospital, where admissions have reportedly risen about 20% year over year since Act 26. The bill remained under discussion in the excerpt, with no final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The length of effective treatment I heard, 20 visits, is an average?
• The length of effective treatment I heard, 20 visits, is an average?
• So there were fewer inpatient psychiatric visits from the acupuncture group.
• So there were fewer inpatient psychiatric visits from the acupuncture group.
• So there were fewer inpatient psychiatric visits from the acupuncture group.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• support telehealth, when we're looking at what health insurance plans are paying for in the telehealth visit
• Insurance plans are paying for in the telehealth visit.
• I truly think that there is more value to an in-person visit, oftentimes more time and the ability to
• This isn't our first time visiting this, but I appreciate your testimony and we'll definitely consider
• This isn't our first time visiting this, but I appreciate your testimony and we'll definitely consider

Keywords: 1146, all

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met on June 28, 2026 and considered a long list of budget and policy bills, reporting many of them out of committee, often with amendments. Early measures included AB 2550 on continued dependent health coverage for certain adults with disabilities, AB 4794 allowing tax data sharing with the New Jersey Innovation Authority and Secure Choice Savings Board, and AB 3381/SB 1493 updating occupational therapy licensure requirements. The committee also advanced AB 4014, creating a social media research center at a public four-year institution, though one member opposed it as unnecessary spending given existing research on social media harms. Another bill, AB 5048/SB 1281, would ban certain apparel and diaper products with intentionally added PFAS; some members opposed it over safety and cost concerns, especially for firefighter gear, but it was reported. The committee also moved AB 383, which promotes volunteerism to help FamilyCare and SNAP recipients meet eligibility requirements, and AB 4357, extending telehealth pay parity, though one member objected to parity between telehealth and in-person care. The committee then took up several energy, environmental, and housing-related bills. AB 5188, the Advanced Grid Technologies Act, was released despite opposition from some members and labor interests. AB 2524 would let dual-use solar projects participate in community solar, and AB 5236 would strengthen pediatric psychiatry and behavioral health services; both were reported. AB 5348, allowing temporary use of open-space and related funds for certain municipalities, drew sharp criticism as a diversion of preservation money to fill budget holes, but passed. AB 5280 returned unexpended county appropriations to Hudson County and authorized supplemental operating aid; it also passed despite objections about prior bidding violations. AB 5347 provided certain motor vehicle-related funding to municipalities and was reported, as was AB 5334/SB 4423, appropriating Green Acres and CBT revenues for local open space and park projects. A major portion of the meeting focused on tax and business-related bills. AB 5329 increased the child tax credit for 2026-2028, with testimony urging that the expansion be made permanent; it was reported. AB 3899, the General Contractor Licensing Act, also passed. AB 5310/SB 4406 clarified sentencing under certain circumstances and was reported. AB 5330, allowing temporary transfers in the pension system, drew testimony from NJEA warning that the State Health Benefits Program was in crisis and asking for a longer repayment period to avoid rate spikes; the bill was still reported. AB 1326 created a higher education governance and funding task force and was amended to add a Talmudic institution or theological seminary representative. Later, AB 5333/SB 4424 appropriated additional Green Acres and CBT funds for recreation and conservation projects and was reported. The committee also advanced several business and alcohol-related measures, including AB 5235 establishing the School-Based Partnership for Access and Resilience for Kids program, AB 5325 reducing business formation fees, AB 4836/SB 2368 on portable solar devices, AB 4881 establishing an advanced nuclear energy procurement program, AB 3974/SB 3183 revising renewable energy incentive and solar interconnection rules, AB 4013 creating a social media research center focused on addictive behavior, AB 5225 making temporary alcohol beverage provisions permanent, and AB 5295 revising alcoholic beverage licensing laws. The most contentious debate came on AB 4085, the Fair Price Protection Act, which would restrict “surveillance pricing” and regulate grocery pricing practices. Consumer advocates supported the bill as a protection against individualized pricing, while retailers and chambers of commerce argued the language was too broad and could undermine loyalty programs, discounts, and electronic shelf labels. Despite those objections, the committee voted to report the bill after amendments. Finally, AB 4530/SB 3739 on EV supply equipment standards was reported, and AB 5322 imposing a temporary cap on net operating loss deductions under the corporate business tax sparked strong opposition from business groups and a policy debate over whether legitimate losses and investment-related deductions should be limited; the bill was still moved out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Site visits are starting to occur in the summer, and we are hoping to finalize contract awards in September
• As I went and visited Jeremy and his crew over there in Newcastle, I just saw that they were just done
• Um, and last week I visited both Afton, um Um, and last week I visited both Afton and the Greys River
• I know you're all planning to visit our lovely Wyoming Life Resource Center after lunch or whenever.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• My child had a doctor's visit that day.
• So much so that the first thing you see when you visit DESE's website is a banner linking DESE's, quote
• Bice committed a crime while visiting family in New York so that he wouldn't have to return to the JRC
• Kennedy, senior visited one in New York, calling it a, quote, snake pit.
• inside that place that you don't even, will never know, because they hide it even when people go to visit

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hybrid hearing on a range of bills affecting children, families, disability rights, homelessness, and social services. Early testimony focused on H.215, which would support children experiencing homelessness by speeding access to child care vouchers and early intervention screenings. Boston officials, Horizons for Homeless Children, Head Start, pediatric and early education advocates, and families described delays in child care and early intervention, the developmental risks of homelessness, and the need for automatic referrals and faster access to services. Testimony also supported H.216, which would improve emergency housing assistance by restoring presumptive eligibility, reducing documentation barriers, extending shelter stays from six to nine months, and creating an ombudsperson; providers and legal advocates said current rules leave families sleeping in cars or outside and create unnecessary administrative hurdles. The committee also heard strong support for H.210, which would repeal the “Learn Fair” school attendance sanction that cuts cash assistance to families when children miss school. Advocates from legal aid, education, and anti-poverty organizations argued the policy is punitive, burdensome, and ineffective, disproportionately affecting low-income, disabled, and Hispanic/Latino families. Several speakers said chronic absenteeism should be addressed through supports such as family outreach, wraparound services, and school engagement rather than benefit cuts. Legislators and school officials from Salem also testified that their districts reduced absenteeism through supportive strategies, not sanctions. Additional testimony addressed children’s vision bills H.202 and H.166, with optometrists and researchers urging better screening, data systems, and treatment access to close achievement gaps caused by untreated vision problems. Senator Lovely also presented S.2714, proposing a study of discrimination in public accommodations for people with service animals. Later, testimony on H.279 supported changing social work licensure rules to remove exam requirements that speakers said disproportionately exclude multilingual candidates and candidates of color. The hearing also included testimony on bills related to the Judge Rotenberg Center and electric shock devices, with disability rights advocates opposing continued use of the devices and urging the committee to reject licensing or authorization for them. No votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• that I'd feel more comfortable navigating care for myself, but instead I'm absolutely terrified to visit
• You’re dedicated to helping other people with visits and protecting people’s rights, and yet the betrayal
• is not true and have fully supported the JSU and have indicated... ...a real interest in coming to visit
• Studies like this one from the Dallas Holocaust Museum show that students who visit Holocaust museums
• After visiting a Holocaust museum, middle and high school students reported that they better understand

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was a special commission hearing on antisemitism held off-site at Kerem Shalom Synagogue in Concord, with commissioners approving prior minutes and noting a quorum, a rescheduled October 27 meeting, and the addition of a new commissioner. The co-chairs and host speakers emphasized the personal and communal significance of holding the hearing in a synagogue and the importance of confronting antisemitism while protecting free speech, academic freedom, and civil discourse. The commission heard from former SJC Justice and current UMass General Counsel David Lowy, who discussed the IHRA definition of antisemitism, said its use as nonbinding guidance does not raise First Amendment concerns, and described UMass’s response to a discriminatory academic conference policy. Commissioners also asked about campus speaker vetting, protest rights, and university practices for addressing antisemitism and protecting students’ access to education. District Attorney Marian Ryan testified about restorative justice as a tool for addressing hate incidents, saying it can help victims be heard, reduce reoffending, and be used in criminal, school, and community settings. She described local programs, online reporting forms, and the need for better statutory tools, including changes to restitution and education requirements in hate-crime cases. Commissioners asked whether restorative justice affects charging decisions, and Ryan said it should not alter whether a hate crime is investigated or charged. She also identified model programs and said the commission’s work aligns with the national strategy it is charged with implementing. Three rabbis then described the rise in antisemitic incidents in schools and communities, the emotional toll on Jewish families, and the need for stronger school responses, clearer language in incident communications, and better training for educators. Rabbi Brad David recounted repeated incidents in Acton-Boxborough and praised the district’s improved partnership and response, while Rabbi Tom Shah described parental anxiety, concerns about classroom materials lacking context, and the need for balanced instruction. The rabbis also discussed synagogue security costs and measures, including volunteer security teams, police support, grants, and physical protections. Commissioners said the testimony would inform forthcoming recommendations, and DESE staff noted they are developing instructional-materials guidance and a rubric for educators. The final witness, Professor Christina Miller, outlined hate-crime prosecution issues in Massachusetts, including mixed-motive cases, the need for clearer statutes and jury instructions, better training for police and clerk magistrates, guidance on sentencing and diversity-awareness programs, and the use of community impact statements.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you are here in person and would like to testify but did not sign up online, please visit the signing
• These visits increase Medicare and MassHealth costs on something that can be avoided very easily.
• Nobody made a home visit to see if it was the appropriate chair for my apartment and the space that I
• been put on hold because, for some reason, they don't have enough technicians that can come out and visit
• I know my three minutes is up, but this is... ...that can come out and visit you.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure opened with logistical remarks about testimony procedures, time limits, accessibility supports, and the large number of witnesses. The first bill discussed was H. 451, which would allow professional license applicants who do not have a Social Security number to use an ITIN instead. Supporters said the bill would help qualified workers, especially immigrants, enter licensed trades and professions without lowering training or testing standards, while addressing workforce shortages. Committee members asked a few questions, and the bill was framed as a uniform statewide licensing reform. The bulk of the hearing focused on S. 210 and H. 1278, two bills aimed at improving wheelchair repair and warranty protections. Supporters included the Attorney General’s Office, disability advocates, wheelchair users, clinicians, and legislators, who described long repair delays, missed work and medical appointments, loss of independence, hospitalizations, pressure injuries, and other harms caused by broken wheelchairs and slow service. They argued for stronger timelines, two-year warranties, required parts availability, loaner chairs, and enforcement mechanisms, with H. 1278 modeled on a Connecticut-style repair deadline and S. 210 focused on warranty protections. Several witnesses emphasized that wheelchairs are essential medical equipment, not ordinary consumer goods. Opposition came from NCart, which said it supports solutions but raised concerns that the bills, as written, could be difficult to implement for complex rehab technology. NCart said some warranty provisions may not fit wear-and-tear components and noted that MassHealth has already taken steps such as preventive maintenance, reduced prior authorization, and transportation support. Other witnesses and advocates countered that the current market is dominated by a few profitable companies and that the legislature needs to impose clear standards because voluntary fixes have not worked. The committee also heard testimony on S. 195, a toxic-free kids bill from Senator Comerford and Representative Hawkins, which would restrict PFAS and other toxic chemicals in children’s products and create disclosure and phase-out requirements. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to start with a recent visit to this building when a legislator told our Israeli American delegation
• I'd like to start with a recent visit to this building when a legislator told our Israeli American delegation
• So it started when I went to Latvia to visit my grandfather's family graves and the Jews of the town.
• They visited Israel when they were young, and they went to Yad Vashem.
• They visited Israel when they were young, and they went to Yad Vashem, and they came back and began asking

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Combating Anti-Semitism opened by approving the minutes from its November 5, 2025 meeting and outlining plans for its next meeting on November 20, when it expects to vote on the draft master report and recommendations. The chair explained that revised drafts would be circulated, changes would be handled by motion, and the final vote would be by roll call. The meeting then moved through several public panels focused on prevention, education, workplace support, and community safety. Parents for Peace testified that anti-Semitism and extremism should be treated as a public health crisis and urged state funding for training in K-12 schools, healthcare, and law enforcement. The panel described its intervention work with radicalized youth and families, argued for early-warning training for educators, and recommended diversion resources for courts and prosecutors so cases can be addressed before they escalate. Commissioners asked about the origins of radicalization, the need for school-based training, and how to connect courts and police to available resources. Project Shema’s Orrin Jacobson argued that effective anti-Semitism education must be nuanced, pluralistic, and grounded in a better understanding of Jewish identity and contemporary anti-Semitism, especially in conversations about Israel and Palestine. He said the group has run dozens of workshops in Massachusetts and emphasized that institutions should adopt content-neutral norms, train staff and administrators, and measure whether trainings lower tensions and increase willingness to intervene. Commissioners asked about handling activists who reject nuance, the role of faculty versus students, and whether classroom norms should limit teachers from advancing personal agendas. A workplace panel from Klaal and Combined Jewish Philanthropies presented survey data showing many Jewish employees feel unsafe being openly Jewish at work and that antisemitism training is the top requested support. They described rapid growth in Jewish employee resource groups, existing programming and stipends for ERG leaders, and recommended mandatory anti-Semitism training, support for Jewish affinity groups in public and private sectors, and broader convenings of major employers. The commission also heard from Truah rabbis and educators, who urged stronger interfaith solidarity, a state office of faith-based and neighborhood partnerships, and explicit attention to democracy and civil rights as part of anti-Semitism strategy. After a recess, the commission heard from Israeli-American, Russian Jewish, and Persian Jewish witnesses who described antisemitism as a lived, personal, and civic issue affecting immigrants and their families. They called for inclusion of diverse Jewish voices in state initiatives, stronger protections for Israeli-American businesses, and recognition that anti-Zionist rhetoric often becomes direct harassment of Jews. The chair said the testimony and suggested edits would be incorporated into the draft report, and the meeting ended with plans for further revisions before the final vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I've talked, and we visited once—I don't know if we brought that up—but I think for the other nine
• We will visit more on some of the suggestions of Senator Sickler, if there's some capability—incorporating
• I think I've met with most of you, or tried in some capacity, or at least visited in the hall.
• Keep visiting in it. Representative Swiontek, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• And I'll work with Alex and visit with you guys, and we'll see if there's variations of Sickler that

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I’ve talked, and we visited once, I don’t know if we brought that up, but I think for the other nine
• We will visit more on some of the suggestions of Senator Sickler, if there's some capability, you know
• I think I've met with most of you or tried in some capacity, or at least visited in the hall.
• This is your chance to give directions to Alex and I keep visiting in it represents Wontek.
• I'll work with Alex and visit with you guys, and we'll see if there are variations of Sickler that can

Committee: Joint Higher Education Funding Review Committee

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Review Committee met to continue work on a draft higher education funding formula and related capital building fund changes. Lisa Johnson of the North Dakota University System updated the committee on the board’s developing policy for low-producing academic programs. She said the board is using a five-year rolling window, with thresholds of fewer than 10 undergraduate graduates or fewer than 5 graduate graduates, and that programs flagged in three consecutive review cycles would go to the board for review. Possible outcomes include continuation, continuation with modifications, inactivation, or termination. Members asked about how the policy would account for enrollment, program costs, workforce need, and programs that serve students outside their major. Johnson said the board would likely use an accompanying procedure to consider those factors. She also reported that about 200 programs could potentially be reviewed under current guidance, with 135 inactivated and 112 terminated, and said the process is intended to support quality and stewardship rather than simply cut programs. Jamie Wilkie then reported on the Capital Building Fund. He reviewed the fund’s history, matching requirements, and use for extraordinary repairs, deferred maintenance, and some legislatively authorized projects. He said about $334 million in state and matching dollars has been invested overall, with roughly 78.7% going to deferred maintenance and extraordinary repairs. Committee members pressed for updated information on how much deferred maintenance has actually been reduced, and several members said they wanted clearer reporting on the return on investment from new buildings versus repairs. NDSU representatives said the tier funding has helped significantly reduce deferred maintenance and allowed demolition and renovation work on campus. The committee also discussed the need for updated five-year facility plans and space-utilization information from the institutions. The committee then began a section-by-section review of a draft bill that would replace the current higher education funding formula with an FTE-based model and restructure the capital building fund. The draft would fund UND and NDSU differently from the other nine institutions, use fall enrollment rather than completed credits, add performance funding for completions in in-demand fields, create research incentives for UND and NDSU, and combine capital building fund tiers while changing matching requirements and eligible uses. Members raised concerns about the treatment of professional students, the use of CIP codes, incentives for waivers, and whether the formula should rely on more current data. The committee did not take final action on the draft during this meeting, but it continued detailed discussion and indicated more review would follow.