Transcript Highlights:

• . state. state.
• So, not to be rude or the state.
• We have on board Washington Ramsey County, North St. Paul, Oakdale, Washington County.
• Paul, Oakdale, Washington County. Uh St. Paul, Oakdale, Washington County.
• </c><01:32:07.120><c> Washington</c> modern-day interchange. Washington modern-day interchange.

Bills: HF2178 , HF942 , HF2470 , HF1043 , HF1287 , HF1229 , HF1230 , HF424 , HF571 , HF404 , HF910 , HF1055 , HF318 , HF319 , HF401 , HF609 , HF306 , HF1599 , HF1881

Committee: House Capital Investment

Keywords: HF2178, Cohasset, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, public infrastructure, water tower, water infrastructure, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, street reconstruction, municipal infrastructure, Public Facilities Authority, bond proceeds fund, Minnesota bonding, local government aid, utility infrastructure, public works, infrastructure, stormwater

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's not just about taxes, it's not just about energy costs.
• And it's not just about taxes, it's not just about energy costs.
• Like most states in the United States, Massachusetts has a sales tax on a percentage of all sealed prices
• trailing the Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City.
• They were part of the soul of our community, of our state.”

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up Senate House No. 4010, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill funded largely by surplus Fair Share revenues. The Ways and Means chair described the bill as a $1.28 billion package, with major investments in education and transportation, including special education circuit breaker aid, higher education deferred maintenance, career technical education capital grants, school construction relief, high-dosage tutoring, English language learning grants, MBTA reserve replenishment and safety training, commuter rail maintenance, Chapter 90 local road aid, regional transit authority support, ferry and micro-transit funding, and a small World Cup transportation appropriation. Members from both parties generally praised the bill’s one-time, regionally balanced approach while emphasizing fiscal discipline and the limited, surplus-based funding source. The minority leader and others questioned the fund balances and the use of the education and transportation innovation and capital fund, the Student Opportunity Act trust fund, and the transitional escrow account; the chair said the bill would zero out the innovation and capital fund, leave about $430 million in the SOA trust, and about $200 million in the escrow account. Several members highlighted specific priorities. Senator Cronin and Senator Feeney strongly supported the $100 million career technical education investment, arguing it would expand vocational opportunities in comprehensive high schools and help meet workforce needs. Senator Feeney also emphasized MBTA funding, special education, local road repairs, English language learning tied to workforce needs, and World Cup preparations in Foxborough. Senator Comerford praised the bill’s regional equity, higher education maintenance funding, special education support, and transportation investments, while also noting the need for broader future work on Chapter 70 and school finance. Senator Tarr supported the bill but repeatedly stressed that the spending was a unique one-time opportunity and that the Commonwealth should preserve fiscal reserves and continue to address school funding inequities and MBTA finances more broadly. The chamber then considered numerous amendments. Amendment 1 on tariff pricing transparency was withdrawn after brief remarks, and Amendment 14, proposing a DESE study on educational outcomes for young men and boys, was rejected. Amendment 182, funding Worcester Regional Transit Authority capital expenses, was adopted. Amendment 228, adding $500,000 for Free Period to expand access to menstrual products in schools, was adopted. Amendment 257, funding Springfield Public Schools communication and safety systems, was also adopted. Other amendments, including Tarr amendments on supplemental district aid, MBTA reporting, and the Foundation Budget Review Commission, were rejected. Amendment 308 concerning MBTA Communities and Milton was withdrawn, after which Senator Driscoll began a presentation arguing Milton was being misclassified under the MBTA Communities Act and should be treated fairly under the law.

Transcript Highlights:

• overtime usage at the state hospitals.
• For the Washington State Achievement Council and the Workforce Training Board, it is similar to the House
• State.
• State.
• State.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The conference committee on Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5998 received a detailed briefing from House and Senate budget coordinators on the operating budget conference report. They walked through comparison documents showing the Senate-passed budget, House-passed budget, and the conference proposal, including statewide totals, agency-level changes, revenue assumptions, transfers, and outlook impacts. The proposal uses the February 2026 ERFC forecast, includes an $880 million transfer from the Budget Stabilization Account to the general fund, and reflects various revenue-related bills and prior-period adjustment assumptions. The coordinators highlighted major spending and policy changes across several areas, including Working Families Tax Credit expansion, local government fiscal health funding, child care attendance policy changes, behavioral health facility and staffing adjustments, long-term care support for certain non-citizens affected by federal changes, health care and public health responses to H.R. 1, K-12 changes such as free school meals contingent on legislation, Running Start and transportation depreciation adjustments, higher education administrative reductions, corrections staffing and bed changes, and natural resources funding including wildfire response and low-income energy assistance. They said the conference report results in $80.2 billion in near general fund spending for 2025-27, with projected ending fund balances of $231 million in 2025-27 and $563 million in 2027-29, though fiscal year 2028 shows a negative near general fund ending balance. After the briefing, Senator Robinson moved to adopt the conference report and pass the bill, and the motion was seconded. Supporters said the budget reflected a compromise between House and Senate proposals and protected core services, while opponents criticized it as overly reliant on optimistic revenue assumptions, the rainy day fund transfer, and reductions in K-12 and other areas. The committee then voted 4-2 to recommend the conference report to the legislature, with Representatives Gregerson and Ormsby and Senators Robinson and Stanford in support, and Representative Couture and Senator Gildon opposed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to make sure we had good citizens in our state in the United States.
• </c> that is a key priority across the state. that is a key priority across the state.
• state is like, "Oh, yeah."
• </c><01:42:05.040><c> state</c> but a kid in Washington state but a kid in Washington state is<01:42:
• I want us states in the nation.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Becker, and State Budget Director Anna Mingi.
• </c> rates all other areas of the state rates all other areas of the state budget<00:25:52.279><c> are
• </c><00:42:05.240><c> spent</c> the aisle about how the state spent the aisle about how the state spent
• And bloggers chin has a state... he has 22 years of state time that he will do... we have set in the
• </c> does his National profile affect State does his National profile affect State here<01:48:22.480>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the state of Tamaulipas.
• Uh, 49 states lost agriculture market exports. One state, we went up, Mr.
• and, and other states.
• Uh, I just want to give a state of the state for the poultry industry, and the great state of Texas.
• in the state.

Committee: House Agriculture & Livestock

Transcript Highlights:

• The state of Washington has passed the SAF tax credit.
• The state of Washington has passed the SAF tax credit.
• The state of Washington has passed the SAF tax credit.
• The state of Washington has passed the SAF tax credit.
• The state of Washington has passed the SAF tax credit.

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Some states it's less, some states it's more.
• A lot of states did.
• </c> federal state partnership um and states federal state partnership um and states need<01:59:49.520
• more of a state...
• This bill is actually a priority type bill for an office in Washington, D.C., called the Defense State

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also seeing it work in states like Washington.
• So in light of these successful outcomes, 14 states, including Montana, Texas, Washington, California
• </c><01:09:48.159><c> implemented</c> energy codes that have been implemented energy codes that have
• We do building codes that address building across the state. State cities can't do that.
• We do building codes that address building across the state. State cities can't do that.

Bills: HF4319 , HF3295 , HF3589 , HF3587 , HF3588 , HF4295 , HF3571 , HF3895

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: public utilities commission, Lake City, port authority, Red Wing, terms of appointment, local government, elections, open meeting law, transparency, public engagement, social media, government accountability, voter access, polling place, ballot, unexpected needs, election judge, public information, political parties, HF4295

Transcript Highlights:

• The other place where we have seen state interest in building code reform is in expanding what's allowed
• The other place where we have seen state interest in building code reform is in expanding what's allowed
• So some states are looking at expanding the number of units that can be built under the residential code
• Washington does have increased rent controls, and they are other states, Washington does have increased
• Washington does have increased rent controls, and they are other states, Washington does have increased

Summary: The Local Government and Taxation Committee met on January 22, 2026, to hear presentations on housing affordability and supply. Emily Hamilton of the Mercatus Center discussed how zoning and building code reforms in places like Minneapolis, Buffalo, Houston, Montana, and other cities have increased housing supply and moderated rent growth. She emphasized that reducing parking requirements, legalizing accessory dwelling units, allowing smaller lots and more flexible density, and revisiting building code rules such as single-stair apartment limits and residential code thresholds can lower construction costs. She also said ADU reforms tend to have gradual, neighborhood-level impacts and that new housing can be fiscally neutral or beneficial when local costs are properly matched to development. Committee members asked about local government concerns, including infrastructure, parking, neighborhood character, and the fiscal effects of density. Hamilton said permit fees should reflect actual service costs, that parking reform should be paired with street-parking management, and that infill development often shares existing infrastructure efficiently. She also said more housing supply would reduce scarcity that can attract large institutional investors. Members discussed Idaho’s housing shortage, with Hamilton citing a roughly six-to-one ratio of median home price to median income in Idaho, compared with about three-to-one in Houston. Chris Cargill and Maddie Clark of Mountain States Policy Center presented Idaho poll results and housing supply data. They reported strong public concern about affordability, broad support for allowing smaller homes and ADUs, and substantial support for permit “shot clock” deadlines, while support for duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes was more mixed. Clark described housing as an “attainability” problem driven by both limited supply and incomes that have not kept pace, and argued for streamlining regulation, expanding land availability, avoiding policies that favor one housing type over another, and improving demand-side conditions through economic growth. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended after the chair noted that housing proposals would likely come before the committee later in the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• system of state control operations.
• But the other two states, Minnesota and Washington, did that, followed our lead on that.
• State Pipe Trades Council, the California Coalition of Utility Employees, Western States Council of
• But if there's a state prevailing wage, which also applies if there's any state money, the state prevailing
• If there's no state money, if there's state money, then it's the state prevailing wage. Okay. Okay.

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with the chair repeatedly noting the committee was operating without a quorum for much of the meeting. Several measures were heard with no opposition, including AB 2639 on Merced County flood control coordination, AB 1788 on allowing best-value contracting for general law cities and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, AB 2058 on reducing duplicative permitting and inspection costs for factory-built housing, AB 2576 on clarifying historic resource protections in a housing law, AB 2568 on increasing the compensation cap for water district board members, AB 2224 on updating county recorder fees and requiring electronic recording, AB 2469 on water-supply review and cost responsibility for data centers, and AB 2397 on requiring local governments to justify denials of certain housing-finance decisions. Most of these bills were presented as targeted fixes to improve efficiency, reduce delays, or modernize outdated statutes, and the authors generally requested aye votes and noted committee amendments where applicable. The most extended debate centered on AB 1751, which would streamline approval of qualifying townhome projects while setting a $28 hourly minimum wage floor for construction workers on covered private projects. Supporters argued the bill would expand homeownership opportunities, raise wages for largely non-union residential workers, and preserve existing prevailing wage law while adding enforcement tools and developer liability. Opponents, including several building trades and labor organizations, argued it would undercut prevailing wage standards, create a race to the bottom, and potentially affect wage-setting more broadly. Committee members asked detailed questions about land-use barriers, the relationship to prevailing wage, and whether the bill would affect unionized work; the author and supporters responded that it applies narrowly to private for-sale townhome projects and does not alter prevailing wage requirements. AB 2469 also drew a substantive split. Supporters said data centers should be required to provide water-supply assessments before approval, pay for infrastructure they trigger, and account for impacts on overdrafted groundwater basins and local ratepayers. Opponents from the Chamber of Commerce, Data Center Coalition, counties, and tech groups argued existing law already covers water planning, that the bill imposes unique and burdensome requirements on one industry, and that some reporting provisions could raise security concerns. The author responded that the bill is about front-end planning and local accountability, not daily reporting, and emphasized the hyperlocal strain data centers can place on small water systems. No final votes were taken during the hearing because the committee lacked a quorum, though members repeatedly indicated support or intent to vote aye once a quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• These volunteers are from across the state and represent Arizonans for Gun Safety, Giffords, and Moms
• SB 1385, public utilities renewable energy resources as... SB 1386, watershed health survey use.
• SB 1455, appropriation State Route 24 extension.
• SCR 1033, state retirement systems digital assets.
• SB 1419, solar energy inspection contractors — Natural Resources.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then recorded 30 members present and approved the prior journal without objection. Several members used personal privilege to welcome guests, including students from Aliento for an annual education day at the Capitol, a coalition of gun safety advocates, constituents visiting individual senators, and a guest shadowing Senator Gobildone. Senators also recognized a visitor from Tempe and a group from the area agencies on aging. The chamber then moved through second reading of a long list of bills and resolutions covering topics such as solar radiation management, veterinary telemedicine prescriptions, pharmacist prescribing standards, public records and digital media copies, health facility complaints, utilities and renewable energy, water and groundwater management, juvenile and criminal justice, school funding and records, insurance licensing, autonomous vehicle safety data, digital currency, county and municipal governance, behavioral health appropriations, and several election, tax, and constitutional measures. Standing committee reports on the calendar were not read and were entered into the journal. Before recess, Senator Ortiz spoke in support of student walkouts across the Valley protesting immigration enforcement, praising the students’ nonviolent activism and describing it as part of a broader civil rights tradition. After recess, the Senate took up first reading and committee referral of additional bills on public benefits eligibility, workforce reporting, tribal consultations, insurance settlements, missing kidnapped children reporting, small modular reactors, firearm safety instruction in schools, election petition cures, housing and HOA issues, public records fees, water quality testing, groundwater withdrawal fees, and cargo theft. The only recorded vote was on adjournment, which passed by voice vote, and the Senate adjourned until Thursday, January 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands
• Communications and reports from state officers. Motions and resolutions. Senator Gianaris.
• But if it was just me and Senator Parker, we could solve a lot of problems in the state.
• What an amazing energy to bring to the stage and the forefront.
• in the history of the United States, right here in the State of New York.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior Journal, and began with ceremonial recognitions before moving to legislative business. Members honored the Schenectady Belmont Pop Warner football team for winning the Eastern Regional Championship and being a top-ranked national team, with Senators Parker and Tedisco praising the players, coaches, and volunteers. The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 1636, mourning the death of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson and recognizing his lifetime of civil rights, labor, voting rights, and social justice advocacy. Multiple senators spoke in support, reflecting on his influence on politics, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and the message that “I am somebody.” After the resolution, the Senate took up the calendar and passed a series of bills, largely focused on health care, insurance, and public health. These included measures on municipal law, mental hygiene, correction law, executive law, and several insurance and public health bills addressing prescription drug pricing, pharmacy benefit managers, rebates, and anti-competitive drug practices. Senators Myrie, Borrello, Jackson, Fernandez, and others explained votes in support of transparency, patient access, and lowering drug costs; some members noted concerns about pharmacy deserts and corporate consolidation. Most bills passed with broad margins, though a few drew more opposition, including Calendar 304 on anti-competitive drug agreements. On Calendar 289, an amendment concerning domestic violence was ruled non-germane by the chair. Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick appealed, arguing the amendment would create a public registry for persistent domestic violence offenders to help protect potential victims. The Senate voted on the appeal, the ruling of the chair stood, and the bill was then restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed. The Senate then completed the calendar, had no further business, and adjourned until Wednesday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:14.000><c> State</c><00:58:14.319><c> Legislature</c><00:58:15.440><c> expanding</c> Washington
• State Legislature expanding Washington State Legislature expanding Medicaid<00:58:16.400><c> the</c>
• Today, the average price for a gallon of gas in Washington State is over $4, one of the highest in the
• And in my home state of Washington, we've seen green card holders taken.
• And in my home state of Washington,<07:28:30.558><c> we've</c><07:28:30.798><c> seen</c><07:28:31.040

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please proceed. department um in in the state the other department um in in the state the other point
• </c> looked at marijuana use in the states looked at marijuana use in the states that<00:38:14.240><c
• I have a document that you can look at, state by state.
• I have a document that you can look at, state by state.
• </c><01:29:58.560><c> other</c><01:29:58.840><c> states</c> efforts began other states other states efforts

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture and Food Systems heard testimony and began decision-making on HB 1246, which would establish the Hawaii Cannabis and Hemp Office within DCCA to regulate cannabis. Chair Tarnas described the bill as divisive and noted the hearing had received 95 testimonies in support, 135 in opposition, and 11 comments. Members were told the office would be administratively attached to DCCA, and the department emphasized it would not direct day-to-day operations. DCCA also raised concerns about banking access due to federal law, while the Department of Agriculture supported a one-plant, one-agency approach and noted its current authority over cannabis plant importation and movement. Several agencies and advocates supported the bill with cautions or requested amendments. The Department of Health said it appreciated the bill’s public health protections but remained concerned about increased adult-use access, youth mental health, pregnancy-related risks, and effects on developing brains; it requested a 12-month delayed effective date. The Attorney General’s office said legalization should include safeguards, recommended a longer implementation timeline and seed funding, and flagged issues in the bill involving impaired driving, open-container language, and penalties for under-21 possession. The Office of the Public Defender supported the bill but objected to new driving and possession offenses, saying existing law already covers impaired driving. Doctors for Drug Policy Reform supported the measure, citing regulation of intoxicating cannabinoids, testing, childproof packaging, and public education as public-health benefits. Opponents focused on youth access, public safety, and the bill’s broader social effects. The Honolulu Police Department opposed the bill over access and diversion concerns, and the City and County of Honolulu Prosecutor strongly opposed legalization, citing higher-potency cannabis, youth harms, psychiatric risks, and increased poison-center calls. The Hawaiʻi Substance Abuse Coalition argued legalization should wait until prevention programs are in place and funded first, while the Hawaiʻi Family Forum and Hawaiian Republican Women also opposed the measure, citing concerns about youth exposure, added bureaucracy, and taxpayer costs. The Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi questioned the purpose of the proposed cannabis taxes, asking why cannabis should be taxed heavily if legalization is intended. The hearing continued with additional testimony after a brief audio issue for one testifier.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> address that back in Washington. address that back in Washington.
• States are empowered under our constitution to restore and maintain constitutional balance whenever Washington
• the states and between the states and Congress.
• So, we had 34 states 2/3 of the states.
• back to your state.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Code.
• </c> Act 50 United States code 1701 at SEC Act 50 United States code 1701 at SEC the<00:21:04.960><c>
• ><00:21:09.640><c> and</c><00:21:09.840><c> section</c><00:21:10.159><c> 301</c> States code 16001 at
• SEC and section 301 States code 16001 at SEC and section 301 of<00:21:11.080><c> the</c><00:21:11.200
• ><c> code</c><00:21:13.440><c> I</c> of the title 3 United States code I of the title 3 United States

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the good old United States and in the state of Arizona, guess what? Thank you.
• In the good old United States and in the state of Arizona, guess what?
• And indeed, Arizona will become the first state, potentially the only, to fully conform its tax code
• That party-line state budget was a Washington, D.C.
• And those, sorry, 32 states, and those 32 states have 35% fewer teen fatal...

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• onto the state, right?
• growth relative to other states.
• Idaho used to be a state that was far more affordable relative to other states in the country.
• Washington is the only state that's nearly as bad as California, and it has a lot to do with the crop
• So— I teach at Boise State.

Summary: The committee was convened to review Idaho’s economic outlook and general fund revenue projections, with members instructed to complete and submit individual “homework” revenue projections for fiscal years 2026, 2027, and 2028 by noon the next day. Chairmen explained the binder materials, the committee’s constitutional charge, and the plan to compile member projections into an average and median for deliberation and a recommendation to JFAC. They also noted the meeting was being broadcast publicly and thanked staff and presenters. Keith Bybee of Legislative Services Office outlined the state’s general fund budget picture, emphasizing structural imbalance between revenues and expenditures, the impact of statutory spending growth, and the need to decide whether to address the gap through spending cuts, cash balances, or other policy changes. He highlighted major budget drivers such as Medicaid expansion, public defender costs, IT consolidation, public school funding changes, and water resources spending, and discussed available cash reserves, including the budget stabilization fund. Committee members asked about Medicaid’s net cost, the treatment of the $330 million school funding adjustment, the Millennium Fund, and whether rainy-day funds or interest earnings were being used in the governor’s budget. Aaron Phipps of the Division of Financial Management presented the executive revenue forecast and explained changes in reporting for sales tax and the tax relief fund, including how certain transfers would now be treated as accrued general fund revenue. She described a sharp but likely temporary drop in corporate income tax collections tied to federal tax changes and taxpayer behavior, especially the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the SALT workaround, and said the overall income tax forecast remained relatively steady. Robert Spindlove of Zions Bank described national conditions, including lower Fed rates, a re-steepening yield curve, higher tariffs, mixed inflation signals, slowing but not contracting labor markets, and continued consumer spending, and said 2026 looked like a rebuilding year. Sam Wilkenhauer of the Idaho Department of Labor reported that Idaho’s labor market remained strong, with low unemployment, steady job growth, balanced industry expansion, and wage growth moderating from the overheated post-pandemic period; he forecast continued but more sustainable growth over the next two years.

Transcript Highlights:

• Washington State has a very severe housing shortage, unfortunately greater than almost any other state
• In the last 40 years, the manifestation of that is that home prices in Washington State have increased
• I'm here on behalf of the Washington State Association of Counties.
• According to the USDA, take-home pay for Washington State farmers is the lowest of the 50 states.
• According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the suicide rate for farmers in Washington

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several local government bills, with most of the discussion focused on HB 2480, which would require cities and counties planning under the Growth Management Act to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones and limit local requirements for ground-floor retail or mixed-use conditions. The bill sponsor and supporters, including the Lieutenant Governor, Governor’s Office, Commerce, builders, business groups, and housing advocates, argued it would unlock underused commercial land, reduce housing costs, and help address Washington’s housing shortage. Opponents and some cities said the bill could undermine local planning, walkable mixed-use centers, tax base, and neighborhood retail, and asked for more exemptions or narrower application. Several speakers supported the proposed substitute as a compromise, while others urged not to weaken the bill further. No vote was taken. The committee also heard HB 2223, which would create an exception to the conflict-of-interest rules for irrigation district directors whose spouses work for a district contract, modeled on an existing exception for public hospital district commissioners. The sponsor and the Washington State Water Resources Association said the change would help irrigation districts recruit and retain volunteer board members in rural areas while preserving disclosure and recusal requirements. The hearing was brief and no action was taken. HB 2530 would extend the deadline for forming a public facilities district for regional aquatics and sports facilities from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028. Supporters from Olympia and Tumwater said the extension would give local governments more time to collaborate and pursue an aquatic center that has long been a community priority; one testifier said removing the deadline entirely would also be acceptable. The committee then heard HB 2459, which would expand authority to site certain schools outside urban growth areas and extend utilities to serve them. Supporters, especially representatives of the Tahoma School District and related groups, said the bill would let districts use land they already own to relieve overcrowding. Opponents, including Futurewise, argued it would weaken Growth Management Act planning and local multicounty policies and should remain a local process. Finally, HB 2129 on agritourism was briefly heard, with the sponsor describing it as a way to help farms stay viable and preserve rural character; the committee heard supportive comments about farm preservation and openness to a work group or amendments. No votes or final actions were taken on these bills during the hearing.