Transcript Highlights:

• There have been 67 ayes and zero nays. The bill is passed and its title agreed to.
• There being 65 ayes and zero nays, the amendment, the A-25 amendment, is adopted.
• </c> Seeing that there's 67 eyes and zero Seeing that there's 67 eyes and zero nays,<00:46:36.000><c>
• There being 67 ayes and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to.
• There being 67 ayes and zero nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> 15 to zero. The resolution passes and it will go to the House.
• He noted that line 84 showed zero support, zero opposed, and zero neutral, and that the sign-up sheet
• </c> Line<01:17:16.880><c> 84,</c><01:17:17.600><c> support,</c><01:17:18.480><c> zero</c><01:17:18.880
• ><c> opposed,</c><01:17:19.920><c> zero</c> Line 84, support, zero opposed, zero Line 84, support, zero
• opposed, zero neutral.<01:17:21.679><c> Uh,</c><01:17:22.000><c> and</c><01:17:22.159><c> then</c><01

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When every menopausal woman got estrogen and they found out the problems, now zero women get estrogen
• </c><00:09:31.120><c> women</c><00:09:31.600><c> get</c> the problems now zero women get the problems
• now zero women get estrogen<00:09:34.600><c> there's</c><00:09:34.839><c> the</c><00:09:35.040><c> issue
• </c><02:11:16.559><c> motion</c> vot is 18 to zero motion vot is 18 to zero motion passes<02:11:18.960
• </c><02:24:08.680><c> motion</c> vot is 18 to zero motion vot is 18 to zero motion passes<02:24:10.560

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of a kind in that they try and uh accommodate women who have small children, so any child between zero
• one of a kind in that they try and accommodate women who have small children, so any child between zero
• They try and accommodate women who have small children, so any child between zero and 5 years old has
• over time, and that's not necessarily how you would build a house if you were starting from ground zero
• </c> Ground Zero Ground Zero um<00:37:28.440><c> it</c><00:37:28.599><c> might</c><00:37:28.880><c> it

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, you could convince me that we'll get two; you could convince me that we'll get zero.
• /c><01:33:45.800><c> that</c><01:33:45.920><c> we'll</c><01:33:46.119><c> get</c><01:33:46.360><c> zero
• </c><01:33:47.360><c> um</c><01:33:47.800><c> and</c> convince me that we'll get zero um and convince
• me that we'll get zero um and the<01:33:49.040><c> I</c><01:33:49.199><c> really</c><01:33:49.480><c
• pandemic, but that's largely gone away, and you see that the Big Island and Maui are essentially at zero

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• simulation of a woman’s body, but it will never function like a woman’s body, and his dating pool is near zero

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, as you all said, four-year-olds, uh, well, zero to four, or, um, right after birth to four are the
• 39.679><c> four-year-olds,</c><00:30:40.720><c> uh,</c><00:30:40.880><c> well,</c><00:30:41.120><c> zero
• </c> all said, four-year-olds, uh, well, zero all said, four-year-olds, uh, well, zero to<00:30:41.600
• the reason we need to specifically look the reason we need to specifically look at<00:31:06.080><c> zero
• Um so I will at zero to four year olds.

Committee: Joint Families & Children

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um and you know, right now, we are very likely going to be having zero targets and we do not have any
• </c><00:09:02.040><c> targets</c> likely going to be having zero targets likely going to be having zero
• I originally told Chair Nash that we would not move this bill today until we had that zero fiscal note
• That office was able to save roughly 1.25 billion in 2 years at zero cost to the state of Virginia.
• That office was able to save roughly 1.25 billion in 2 years at zero cost to the state of Virginia.

Bills: SF856 , HF4482 , HF3672 , HF1234 , HF4591 , HF3554 , HF936

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: Inspector General, fraud prevention, state audit, public funds, misuse, transparency, government accountability, HF4482, Minnesota Historical Society, state historic sites, historic site management, historic preservation, county historical society, local historical society, municipality, county government, admission fees, grants-in-aid, site operations, site maintenance

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll go down that a different zero.
• A representative from Commerce said the amount of production of natural gas in Minnesota is zero and
• it will remain zero.
• A representative from Commerce said the amount of production of natural gas in Minnesota is zero and
• it will remain zero.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:07:48.520><c> to</c><00:07:49.080><c> not</c><00:07:49.280><c> zero</c> plants which have uh
• zero to not zero plants which have uh zero to not zero but<00:07:49.759><c> one</c><00:07:49.960><c>
• The vote is 15 to zero. The motion passes. Any objection to putting it on consent?
• The vote is 15 to zero. Motion passes. Okay, do I hear a motion for OTPA?
• The vote is 15 to zero. Motion passes. Any objection to putting it on consent?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing on HR 18, a resolution urging New Hampshire’s congressional delegation to seek federal changes that would let very small slaughter plants use custom-exempt inspection criteria with a third-party inspector present, so beef, pork, lamb, and goat could be sold as individual cuts directly to consumers. Representative Judy Aron said the resolution was drafted in lieu of state legislation because the issue is governed by USDA rules, and she noted she was also working on an amendment to ensure the measure covered federal “very small” plants. Representative Miner asked for clarification about custom slaughter versus retail sales, and Representative Scully supported the resolution while suggesting language to make clear it applied only to local end consumers. Joyce Brady of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau testified in support, saying the state’s four USDA slaughterhouses and the bottleneck in custom cutting made the issue important. After no further testimony, the chair closed the hearing. The committee then moved into a work session on several bills. For HB 616, members discussed an amendment that had been revised after public comments and Commissioner Jasper’s feedback; Representative Guber said it balanced the competing positions, and Representative Penza and Representative Ger said the language now addressed concerns about animal suffering by allowing euthanasia if a treating veterinarian determines the animal is in extreme suffering. The committee then discussed HB 77, with Representative Penza describing changes to landfill-related standards, including replacing aquifer references with drinking water wells, removing a penalty section, changing discretionary language to mandatory language for the department, and adjusting an in situ soils standard. Members praised the compromise, though Representative Scully raised concerns about the 1,500-foot setback and suggested engineering controls such as berms; Penza responded that current rules do not include such controls and that the setback was intended to address surface spills. Several members said the bill reflected a hard-fought balance and should not be rewritten at the last minute. For HB 505, the freeze-dried food bill, Representative Aron explained that the amendment replaced a simple exemption with a requirement that homestead food operations selling freeze-dried foods from a farm stand, farmers market, or retail food store obtain a homestead food license under RSA 143-A:4. She said the amendment defines freeze-dried foods as fruits, vegetables, and commercially prepared dairy products, and delays the effective date 120 days to allow rulemaking. Members generally supported the approach as a light-touch oversight mechanism for potentially hazardous foods, though Representative Ktoa asked for clarification about how the amendment interacts with existing licensing and inspection exemptions, and Aron clarified that these products would not be exempt from licensing under the relevant law. The committee then turned to HB 250, concerning local authority over dog muzzling, where members broadly supported the amendment as a simple solution, while Representative Ktoa asked about the underlying definition of a vicious dog and whether all listed behaviors would warrant muzzling. The discussion noted that the amendment would allow towns to require muzzling for dogs meeting the statutory definition, while excluding hunting, working, herding, and similar dogs.

Transcript Highlights:

• being in some of these private meetings, I've heard threats from representatives saying they will zero
• being in some of these private meetings, I've heard threats from representatives saying they will zero
• I've heard threats from representatives saying they will zero out SFCA's budget, and that it's so hard
• That's just with respect to the section that the bill touches, adding in zero-emissions buses and contracts
• The bill touches adding in zero-emissions buses and contracts down the road, which have been found to

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees first heard House Bill 229, which would establish a statewide speed restriction for motor vehicles under certain circumstances. Testimony on the bill was limited and came in support from the City and County of Honolulu’s transportation services, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization. No one testified in opposition, and there were no questions. The committees then took up House Bill 860, which would grant immunity from liability to the state or counties when they repair or maintain a street whose ownership or jurisdiction is disputed between them. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted written testimony, and the Hawaii State Association of Counties, Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee, Hawaii County Council member Heather Kimble, and the Iolani Homestead Community Association for Justice testified in support. The Ho Association for Justice opposed the bill, arguing the immunity was too broad and that the issue had already been addressed by prior legislation. In discussion, members raised concerns about liability and asked whether a different approach, such as extending the 2017 law transferring Oahu roads in limbo to the counties, would be acceptable; county representatives said that path could be considered if immunity were removed. House Bill 1161, which would authorize counties to use a road usage charge mechanism similar to the state’s, drew support from the Department of Transportation, the Energy Office, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, several county and city offices, and the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization. Rental car companies and industry groups supported the concept but asked for amendments, including a flat fee instead of a per-mile charge, relief for plug-in hybrid vehicles, and a delayed implementation date. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii also supported relief for hybrids. Members questioned the rental car representatives about the flat-fee proposal, and they said a per-mile charge would be difficult to calculate and pass on to customers. At the end of the joint agenda, the committees deferred decision-making on HB 1161 to Tuesday, March 18 at 3:00 p.m., and the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs committee also deferred the three measures to that date and time. The Transportation and Culture and the Arts committee then began hearing House Bill 925, which would create a Performing Arts Special Fund, and House Bill 1378, which would establish a Performing Arts Grants Program and Special Fund and revise the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ responsibilities and funding sources. HB 925 received support from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and written support or comments from DBEDT, the Hawaii Arts Alliance, and others. HB 1378 drew extensive testimony and discussion focused on preserving arts funding while addressing concerns about the use of Works of Art Special Fund dollars for positions and programming. The Governor’s office said it supported the intent but had concerns; the Attorney General warned that the bill’s cap and transfer provisions were unclear and could affect the tax-exempt status of bond-funded dollars; and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts opposed the measure, urging an audit, tracking of deposits, and a shift of positions and programs to general funds instead of changing the law. The chair explained that the bill was intended to protect arts funding while tightening the legal guardrails around bond-financed dollars and preserving federal support, and asked testimony to focus on new points as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Heat pumps are a highly efficient, zero-pollution option for HVAC systems and water heaters that make
• That measure is seven, zero. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. The measure is seven, zero.
• The bill is out of zero. Thank you. Congratulations. Thank you.
• The state still needs hundreds of thousands of EV stations for us to achieve our 2025 zero-emission goals
• One-zero, yeah, one-zero. Thank you. One-zero. Yeah, one-zero.

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this proposal proposes that we spend 13.8 million dollars to buy down income-sensitized households to zero
• fair, more targeted, and more fiscally responsible use of our tax dollars to buy down the rates to zero
• fair, more targeted, and more fiscally responsible use of our tax dollars to buy down the rates to zero
• fair, more targeted, and more fiscally responsible use of our tax dollars to buy down the rates to zero
• fair, more targeted, and more fiscally responsible use of our tax dollars to buy down the rates to zero

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• further, I want to announce publicly that I sold my engineering consulting business in 2022 and I have zero
• further, I want to announce publicly that I sold my engineering consulting business in 2022 and I have zero
• consulting business in 2022 and<01:25:59.440><c> I</c><01:25:59.520><c> have</c><01:25:59.680><c> zero
• interest</c><01:26:00.480><c> in</c><01:26:00.600><c> this</c><01:26:01.320><c> other</c> and I have zero
• interest in this other and I have zero interest in this other than than than it's<01:26:03.320><c> really

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Members wishing to vote or change their vote, the chair is prepared to close. 91 aye, zero nay.
• Cost is zero dollars to the state. Move for adoption and yield two questions.
• Clear the vote: 92 aye, zero nay.
• The vote: 90 aye, zero nay. A majority vote is elected in and constitutes the House.
• Close the vote. 94 aye, zero nay.

Bills: HB4420 , HB3974 , HB3016 , HB3062 , HB3021 , HB3145 , HB4128 , HB3131 , HB3015 , HB3472 , HB3453 , HB1638 , HB4126 , HB2696 , HB2710 , HB3552 , HB3031 , HB3544 , HB3521 , HB4490 , HB4488 , HB1746 , HJR1069 , HB4428 , HB4429 , HB1170 , HB3538 , HB4124 , HB3904 , HB4106 , HB2999 , HB3982 , HJR1077 , HB3464 , HB2588 , HB3462 , HB4440 , HB3674 , HB3345 , HJR1067 , HB4326 , HB4331 , HB4337 , HB4338 , HB4359 , HB4392 , HB3557 , HJR1076 , HB4003 , HB3495 , HB3497 , HB3501 , HB3505 , HB3749 , HB3011 , HB4336 , HB4346 , HJR1087 , HB3240 , HB3647 , HB3796 , HB3969 , HB3972 , HB3983 , HB3984 , HB3989 , HB3383 , HB3130 , HB4358 , HB3327 , HJR1055 , HB3386 , HJR1089 , HB3087 , HB2970 , HB3314 , HB4129 , HB4199

Keywords: reading, intervention, literacy, education, third grade retention, teacher training, funding, Strong Readers Act, tort claims, inmate housing, government immunity, public trust, private prison, emergency legislation, vision screening, binocular vision, kindergarten, elementary education, health, firearm rights

Summary: The House considered and passed a series of bills focused on public finance, securities, pharmacy regulation, criminal penalties, energy, housing associations, and Medicaid. Early votes included House Bill 4428, which requires public retirement systems to base proxy voting and related engagement on fiduciary, pecuniary factors, and House Bill 4429, which adds disclosure requirements for proxy advisors and excludes charitable organizations from the definition; both passed. House Bill 1170, also dealing with public finance and aligning definitions with the earlier retirement-system bill, passed the House, but its emergency clause failed. The chamber also adopted a motion to suspend House Rule 4.4J to allow food on the floor for the rest of the legislative day. Members then passed House Bill 3538, a negotiated pharmacy benefits manager measure that establishes a mandatory minimum dispensing fee for pharmacies and was described as intended to help independent pharmacies; it passed unanimously. House Bill 4124, allowing pharmacies to sell human ivermectin over the counter, also passed after extended debate. House Bill 3904, which changes Oklahoma Medicaid maternity payments to separate prenatal, delivery, and postpartum reimbursements, passed with broad support. House Bill 4106, lowering the felony threshold for repeated petty larceny from $1,000 to $900 and tying it to multiple offenses within 180 days, passed after amendment. The House also approved House Bill 2999, which would prohibit requiring public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements under certain conditions, and House Bill 3982, addressing temporary tags for new and used dealerships and commercial vehicles. House Bill 3464, an energy bill adding landowner protections, notice, decommissioning, and permitting reforms for wind, solar, and battery storage facilities, passed unanimously and its emergency clause also passed. House Bill 2588, requiring HOA board members to own property and physically reside in the association, passed as well. A major debate centered on House Joint Resolution 1077, a constitutional amendment to restructure how tobacco settlement funds are used: it would move TSET legacy functions to the Health Department, direct more funding toward Oklahoma’s Promise/OLAP and related education opportunities, and preserve the corpus while redirecting distributions. Supporters framed it as a long-term investment in education and workforce opportunities; opponents argued it would undermine public health funding and repurpose a voter-created trust. The resolution passed the House, and the special-election referral required for the constitutional amendment also received the necessary two-thirds vote. Later, House Bill 4440, which would move Medicaid expansion from the Constitution into statute and separate expansion from traditional Medicaid, also passed after substantial debate over health care access, provider rates, and the role of voters. Finally, House Bill 3462 on plumbing licensing was laid over after amendments were discussed, including changes to apprenticeship and out-of-state reciprocity.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their reconciliation was not properly completed to a zero-dollar difference.
• then, while reviewing what they did have of any bank recons, that they were incomplete and not to zero
• Going back, we found that the last time that the bank reconciliations were completed to zero to match
• Travis, would it be feasible to have all the universities report their reconciliation to zero to you
• So when a university does a monthly reconciliation to zero...

Summary: The committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with the statewide Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and OMB reported a clean, unmodified opinion for the state, with strong financial results including a $40.6 billion net position, $30.99 billion in assets, $1.81 billion in liabilities, and continued Legacy Fund growth. OMB also explained the new GASB 101 compensated-absences reporting change and discussed pension-liability fluctuations tied to discount-rate assumptions and investment performance. Members asked about how the state compares to others and about the effect of short-term commodity price swings, and OMB said the report reflects actual fiscal-year results rather than forecasts. The committee then heard the University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund revenue, insufficient monitoring of service organizations at CTS, NDSU, and UND, improper bank reconciliations at Dakota College of Bottineau, Dickinson State, and Williston State, and investment/cash reconciliation problems at Bismarck State College related to bond proceeds. University officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations. Members raised questions about NDSU’s use of certificates of deposit, and university staff explained that CDs are used to earn interest on funds being accumulated for future projects. Several other audits were presented, most with clean opinions and no findings, including the State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Notable exceptions included a State Fair Association audit with an adverse opinion on the foundation component unit because its financial statements were not available for audit, and a Securities Department performance audit finding that performance-based pay increases and bonuses were issued without required evaluations. The committee also discussed the State Auditor’s future needs, including more staff capacity, data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, possible subpoena authority, independent legal counsel, and whether some audits—such as the Ethics Commission and State Fair—should be handled by independent third parties or under different statutory arrangements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Great, 18 to zero, motion passes. Okay, Representative McGrath, do you have another motion?
• Great. 18 to<00:22:03.520><c> zero,</c><00:22:03.840><c> motion</c><00:22:04.200><c> passes.
• That is 18 to zero, and the motion passes. Is there any objection to consent? Okay, seeing none.
• </c> to zero, and the motion passes. to zero, and the motion passes.
• </c> It's 18 to zero, and the motion passes. It's 18 to zero, and the motion passes.

Committee: House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The morning roll call is 30 present, zero absent, five excused, and zero vacant. We have a quorum.
• > vote</c><00:47:58.880><c> of</c><00:47:59.280><c> 33</c><00:47:59.920><c> I</c><00:48:00.319><c> zero
• </c><00:48:00.640><c> no</c><00:48:00.960><c> zero</c><00:48:01.359><c> absent</c> With a vote of 33-
• </c><02:22:49.120><c> absent</c> with a vote of 20 eyes 12 no zero absent with a vote of 20 eyes 12 no
• zero absent three<02:22:49.600><c> excuses</c><02:22:49.920><c> committ</c><02:22:50.479><c> report<

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If we had started at 15, it would have been 15 to zero and then you’d be in a spot where you need to
• If we had started at 15, it would have been 15 to zero and then you’d be in a spot where you need to
• If we had started at 15, it would have been 15 to zero and then you’d be in a spot where you need to
• If we had started at 15, it would have been 15 to zero and then you’d be in a spot where you need to
• If we had started at 15, it would have been 15 to zero and then you’d be in a spot where you need to

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, if you're asking for a zero increase from the general and you can be creative enough to do a
• Whatever we do to fix this, I don't want them starting at zero before any adjustments are made.
• And I know there are a lot of requests that have a lot of zeros behind them that are brand new programs
• We re-reverted exactly zero, not one penny. Did we overspend? Not one penny.
• Exactly zero, not one penny. Did we overspend? Not one penny.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The committee first heard an Aging and Long-Term Services Department budget presentation comparing the LFC and executive recommendations. The main differences were in the Aging Network, Adult Protective Services, Program Support, and Long-Term Care Division, especially the executive’s proposed $10 million infusion into the Kiki Savadra Senior Dignity Fund and $6.2 million for expanding New Mexico Care. LFC staff explained that the committee recommendation was lower in general fund and fund-balance use, while the executive emphasized rising senior population needs, meal and transportation costs, and the cost savings of keeping older adults at home. The secretary also reviewed the department’s special requests, including the conference on aging, outreach, emergency preparedness, and the Kiki fund, and described New Mexico Care’s growth, its evaluation results, and the department’s plan to separate Kiki into its own accounting fund. Members largely focused on senior services, rural meal delivery, transportation, caregiver support, and the Kiki fund. Several members urged stronger support for non-metro aging providers and for New Mexico Care, citing its role in keeping seniors out of nursing homes and the program’s reported savings and outcomes. Questions also covered eligibility, background checks for caregivers, respite care, dementia and Alzheimer’s screening, and whether Kiki funds can support home modifications such as ramps. The committee then voted to adopt the LFC recommendation with one executive language change: adding the executive’s page 14 language allowing an additional 12.5% distribution for initial payments to aging network providers at the start of FY27. Representative Dow opposed the motion. The committee then moved to the Attorney General’s budget. LFC staff explained that the office’s budget relies heavily on the Consumer Settlement Fund, with both recommendations reducing general fund revenue while increasing settlement-fund use, and that performance measures were in consensus. The Attorney General said the office was not seeking more general fund, but wanted greater ability to use funds it recovers. He highlighted major consumer and public safety work, including litigation against major social media and AI platforms, a case involving Snapchat and child exploitation/extortion, the statewide crime gun intelligence center, efforts to address oilfield theft, work on missing and murdered Indigenous persons, and efforts to protect federal funds coming into New Mexico.