Transcript Highlights:

• need if they need large uh interconnects need if they need large uh interconnects for<00:27:18.840
• there where there there was a process there where there there was a process<01:17:01.840> but
• That is the process now.
• <01:29:53.639> I is for you Carri DS will not process I is for you Carri DS will not process
• Yeah, our—so, we have two processes right now.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee first took up an amendment to a bill dealing with digital assets, zoning, utilities, and noise. Members discussed removing the “private key” language, clarifying that the bill would prohibit state or local governments from treating digital asset mining differently from other industrial uses, and narrowing several provisions based on feedback from the Municipal Association. There was also discussion about electricity use, rate schedules, and whether the bill would allow payment of electric bills in Bitcoin; members clarified that bills would still be paid in dollars and that discriminatory rates were not allowed. The amendment was approved on a straw vote, and the committee then voted 7-1 to adopt the amended bill. The committee then considered a separate bill related to a paint stewardship program. The sponsor explained that the amendment would remove references to a fee structure that had troubled him in public hearing, while still preserving the plan and oversight by the Department of Environmental Services. Members discussed whether the bill’s liability and disclosure language affected antitrust concerns, and a representative from the American Coatings Association testified that the program’s environmental management practices and liability provisions were intended to ensure responsible handling and cleanup. The committee ultimately voted 7-1 to adopt the amended bill. Later, the subcommittee moved to liquor-related business. It first voted unanimously, 7-0, to retain a cannabis-related item. It then discussed a tavern license bill that would create a 21-plus tavern category, with the Liquor Enforcement Division explaining that the restriction was tied to alcohol-only venues and the potential for late-night entertainment and nightclub-style operations. Members raised concerns about local control and public safety, and the discussion referenced existing cocktail lounge rules and the possibility of towns opting into such a license. The transcript cuts off before a final vote on that item is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 3587 improves the processes, procedures, and protections for the implementation of court-ordered
• So this is, I misspoke earlier, this is someone who's going through the criminal justice process Senator
• House Bill 4226 refines the process by which parties to litigation can seek disqualification of the judge

Bills: HB1082, HB1638, HB3040, HB3269, HB3278, HB3298, HB3587, HB3996, HB4113, HB4140, HB4226, HB4236, HB4301, HB4324, HB4339, HB4342, HB4352, SB1082

Keywords: child custody, joint custody, best interest of the child, guardian ad litem, domestic violence, substance abuse, Governmental Tort Claims Act, definitions, torts, political subdivisions, governmental immunity, medical providers, sex offenders, safety zones, minors protection, loitering restrictions, criminal penalties, arrest warrant, criminal procedure, telephonic communication

Transcript Highlights:

• I also see this bill as being part of helping that process because I know that there are many schools
• <00:16:14.399> because<00:16:14.720> I part of helping that process because I part
• of helping that process because I know<00:16:15.040> that<00:16:15.199> there<00:16:15.360
• 25:36.880> appropriations decisions through appropriations decisions through appropriations process
• . process. process.

Bills: HB178, HB124, HB96, HB250, SB289, SB317, HB359, HB178, HB124, HB96, HB250, SB289, SB317, HB359

Keywords: HB178, Ten Commandments, public schools, K-12 education, Alabama, school display, religious display, Bible, Judeo-Christian, Establishment Clause, church-state separation, religion in schools, founding documents, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Northwest Ordinance, social studies, civics, history curriculum

Transcript Highlights:

• limit for which they were to be established as a 501(c)(3) before they could participate in this process

Bills: HB342, HB342, HB168, HB220, SB187, SB270, SB265, SB220, SB242, SB277

Keywords: religious instruction, elective credit, released time, public education, school policy, tax credit, scholarship, education funding, financial aid, federal participation, HB168, Alabama, emergency management, local emergency management organization, mutual aid, mutual aid agreement, disaster response, public safety, public health, state emergency management plan

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2067 will update as Other states have already done the process of a state law so that financial

Bills: SB1303, SB1343, SB1435, SB1438, SB1444, SB1641, SB1765, SB1916, SB2067

Keywords: workers' compensation, workers comp, Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission, Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, self-insurance guaranty fund, multiple injury trust fund, physician advisory committee, advisory council on workers' compensation, workers' compensation court, insurance, employer liability, self-insured employer, fund transfer, records transfer, agency reorganization, statutory cleanup, technical corrections, Title 85A, SB1343, Vision Plan Contractual Requirements Act

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, okay, okay, and I'm still processing the substitute in the original bill, Senator...
• I'm still thinking, processing, and studying the bill, and I appreciate your responses.
• Evidence and procedures within Chapter 41, the deliberative process.
• The victim ends up a victim twice because of the whole process we've got, and if there's some way we
• People processing trauma or not processing their trauma.

Bills: SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753, HB45

Keywords: election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, public safety, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list, county requirements, election integrity, computer services contracts, mental health

Transcript Highlights:

• in turn has caused people to lose trust in our election process.
• I do agree that this could simplify the process.
• Nothing in Senate Bill 2487 changes the civil commitment process in any way.
• Not only that, they had subsidized rental at the end of that process.
• This bill will protect archers by ensuring due process of law.

Bills: HB45, SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753

Keywords: flooding, disaster response, emergency preparedness, state guidance, public safety, election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list

Transcript Highlights:

• The process will basically be totally transparent to them.
• So it simplifies the process. Yes, sir.
• So it simplifies the process. Yes, sir.
• And I do agree that this could simplify the process.
• No judge, no hearing, no due process.

Bills: SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753

Keywords: election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, public safety, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list, county requirements, election integrity, computer services contracts, mental health

Summary: The committee first adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 30 and then voted to report the substituted bill favorably to the full Senate; the roll call showed six ayes and one nay, with later unanimous-consent corrections noted for additional aye votes. The committee also reported Senate Bill 801 favorably to the full Senate by an eight-to-one vote. Both bills were left with no further action in the meeting after the votes. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2595 by Senator Middleton and Senate Bill 2876 by Chairman Hughes, both aimed at addressing masked harassment and riot-related conduct. Supporters said the bills would deter intimidation, protect public order, and respond to recent protests and anti-Semitic incidents, while opponents from civil rights, disability, and advocacy groups argued the measures were overly broad, could chill peaceful protest, and would burden people who wear masks for religious, medical, or disability-related reasons. Public testimony was taken on both bills, and both were left pending after testimony closed. Senate Bill 2753, by Senator Hall, proposed consolidating early voting and election day into a single continuous in-person voting period with common procedures and equipment, while preserving countywide voting and mail voting. The Secretary of State’s office said the bill could improve ballot secrecy and simplify administration, though witnesses raised concerns about ballot privacy, logistics, and access for disabled voters; some county election officials were neutral or supportive of the concept, while others opposed it as confusing or potentially burdensome. The bill was left pending after extensive testimony. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2225 on allowing spirit-based ready-to-drink beverages to be sold in grocery and convenience stores, with supporters arguing the law should focus on alcohol content rather than the source of the alcohol and that the bill would modernize an outdated code. Later, Senate Bill 1540, which would add election officials and related workers to confidentiality protections, drew support from county election officials who described threats and harassment, though one witness suggested the bill’s language may need technical adjustment to better match its intent. Finally, Senate Bill 2382, concerning statewide voter registration systems and offline counties, drew opposition from county election administrators and vendors who warned about capacity, cybersecurity, and single-point-of-failure risks, while others suggested a phased approach or API-based integration; the transcript ends with testimony still open on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm still processing the substitute and the original bill, and, Senator, I still have concerns about
• I'm still thinking and processing and studying the bill, and I appreciate you answer my questions.
• The deliberative process does not have any caps or thresholds.
• Well, my concern is you seem like the victim ends up a victim twice because of the whole process we've
• People processing trauma or not processing their trauma, that may not be visible, and that concerns me

Bills: SB1540, SB2225, SB2284, SB2382, SB2487, SB2514, SB2595, SB2876, SB2877, SB3031, SB2753

Keywords: election officials, confidentiality, personal information, government transparency, public safety, spirit beverages, alcoholic beverages, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, distribution, taxation, firearms, local regulation, archery equipment, weapons, voter registration, statewide list, county requirements, election integrity, computer services contracts, mental health

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard Senate Bill 3031, which would expand aggravated assault to cover certain road-rage shootings involving a person in or traveling to or from a motor vehicle, when a firearm is discharged and causes injury, property damage, or fear of serious bodily injury. Senator Schwertner laid out the bill for the author, described it as closing a gap in the law, and there was no public testimony; the bill was left pending. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2514, a measure by Chairman Hughes aimed at creating a DPS unit to identify, investigate, and monitor hostile foreign influence operations and to require ethics training for state employees. Supportive invited testimony from Dr. Jacqueline Deal, Ambassador Kelly Curry, and Michael Lucci emphasized threats from the Chinese Communist Party, transnational repression, cyber intrusion, and state-level influence efforts, and argued Texas should take a leading role. Public testimony included opposition from speakers who raised concerns about free speech, privacy, and potential overbreadth. The bill was left pending after testimony closed. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 30 as pending business and discussed a committee substitute. Senator Schwertner explained that the substitute would limit admissible medical expense evidence to amounts paid or up to 300% of Medicare, clarify treatment of provider testimony and attorney-referred providers, remove a requirement that plaintiffs use available health insurance to mitigate damages, strike a unanimous-verdict requirement for non-economic damages, and delete a remittitur provision. Senators questioned the impact on sexual assault and child abuse survivors, the use of Medicare as a benchmark, and whether the bill would still allow fair compensation. After discussion, SB 30 was left pending and the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2065 would clarify the process for participating departments to make benefit enhancements

Bills: SB868, SB1337, SB1371, SB1377, SB1426, SB1620, SB2064, SB2065, SJR4, SJR 4

Keywords: SB 868, rural volunteer fire department assistance program, volunteer fire department assistance fund, Texas Government Code, wildfire, wildland fire, high-risk wildfire area, fire suppression, rural fire departments, volunteer firefighters, emergency response, public safety, grant allocation, appropriations, disaster preparedness, tax penalties, interest calculation, overpayment, tax law, refund process

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:08:15.759> getting it's the certification process getting it's the certification process
• specialist to help support that process specialist to help support that process really<00:33:09.799
• as quickly as we do our very best to make certain. our process down a bit I mean I guess our process
• relative to the pering process relative to the pering process consolidation<04:01:54.000> they're
• We have a small public water interconnection program.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee reviewed the Department of Corrections budget, with the chair initially noting that the overall numbers looked close to fiscal year 2024 spending, except for federal funds. Department officials explained that prior ARPA expenditures and delayed revenue recognition had distorted the comparison, and that the corrected general fund spend was about $169.7 million. Members then focused on whether the budget’s staffing assumptions were realistic, especially the shift from overtime to full-time lines and the use of vacant positions to offset overtime costs. The department said it is leaning on vacancy savings, but would return for additional appropriations if unforeseen staffing problems arise. A major portion of the discussion centered on recruitment, retention, and staffing levels. Officials reported a 42% vacancy rate in enforcement ranks, down from 51% in January 2023, with 28 new officers headed to the next academy and 33 new hires already tracked. They said overtime is more expensive than regular staffing because of benefits and that it takes about 11 months for a new hire to break even. Members also asked about the split between incarcerated and supervised populations; the department said it oversees about 1,970 inmates in facilities and just over 4,000 people in the community, with 77 positions supervising the community population and the inmate population remaining the most expensive area. The committee also discussed how sentencing and statutory changes affect incarceration levels, including misdemeanor/felony thresholds and theft thresholds, with the department agreeing that such changes can significantly affect prison and jail populations. Members asked about education and recidivism, and the department said base education is the most important foundation, followed by vocational training, while noting that many incarcerated men lack a high school diploma. The department also described a $1.3 million reduction in contracted forensic evaluation services, explaining that these evaluations are court-ordered competency assessments and are not statutorily required to be provided by DOC. Finally, members reviewed victim services funding and staffing, including VOCA-supported positions, and the department explained that a new victim witness specialist would help support survivors at parole hearings and safety planning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we want this process to go smoothly, stay close to the microphone. We'll do.
• Okay, from there, I was just going to go through our homeownership process again.
• So all of our applications go through a process where we require certain threshold items, and we rank
• And we're in the process of hiring a...
• So I just hope that's continuing as part of the review process. Is there any other questions?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs. Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session. The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets. The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes the overall process more unpredictable and less effective at funding some of these critical
• We're all so interconnected. But there's an amazing amount of work—parks and trails.
• millions, without a careful process. millions, without a careful process.
• <01:04:29.359> Uh<01:04:29.599> but competitive process and so on.
• Uh but competitive process and so on.

Bills: HF2563

Keywords: HF2563, legacy finance bill, Legacy Amendment, outdoor heritage fund, clean water fund, parks and trails fund, arts and cultural heritage fund, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Clean Water Council, Minnesota legacy funds, habitat conservation, prairie restoration, wetland restoration, forest conservation, riparian buffers, water quality, groundwater protection, drinking water, septic systems, watershed planning

Transcript Highlights:

• This process and thank you, Mr. Chairman, members. Do you have any questions?
• You'll have an hour to process.
• HV 23 expedites the development process by providing HB 23 expedites the development process by providing
• Like, ...the potential rescission of the third-party permit far down the process.
• This is the removal process matching the...

Bills: SB2784, HB23, HB247, HB1533, HB2011, HB2013, HB2273, HB2421, HB2464, HB3120, HB3424, HB3575, HB3788, HB4370, HB4809, HB5057, HB5084, HB5534, HB5668, HJR34

Keywords: Somervell County, hospital district, board of directors, elections, local governance, staggered terms, third-party review, property development, local government, permits, construction inspection, regulatory authority, land development, liability, occupancy certificate, border security, tax exemption, ad valorem, real property, infrastructure

Summary: The committee heard and left pending several local government, property tax, development, and public safety measures before later voting some of them out. Senator Birdwell explained SB 2784 for the Somerville County Hospital District, which would move the board to staggered four-year terms after a transition and was requested to be held pending until the House companion could be acted on; no public testimony was offered. HB 5084 would allow local approval for fireworks sales tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, with testimony from Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin emphasizing local fire risk and the need for county discretion. HB 5534 would let county commissioners post agendas electronically instead of on a physical bulletin board. HB 4370 would expand permissible projects for certain special districts to include geothermal water conveyance systems, and HB 312 would require residential child detention facilities to enter local MOUs, report health and safety information, and conduct background checks for state-funded facilities; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 5057 would give displaced solid waste providers time to wind down after a city grants an exclusive franchise, and HB 2421 would extend the life of the Save Historic Muni District to continue work on preserving Lions Municipal Golf Course; both were left pending after supportive testimony. HB 2011 would let former owners repurchase property taken by eminent domain if the acquiring entity fails to pay property taxes for two years, and the committee substitute to SB 3065 was also laid out and left pending after a technical correction to eminent-domain language. The committee then took up additional bills on development, appraisal, and local regulation, including HB 3575, HB 4809, HB 2273, HB 247/HJR 34, HB 2464, HB 3424, HB 2013, HB 5668, HB 3788, HB 1533, and HB 23, with testimony ranging from support to opposition on issues such as appraisal procedures, historic property valuation, Galveston emergency governance, border-security tax treatment, home-based businesses, chicken covenants in HOAs, municipal utility district authority, hospital authorities’ use of assets, and third-party building review. HB 23 drew the most extensive testimony, with builders, engineers, counties, and cities split over third-party plan review and inspection authority, liability, licensing, and local code enforcement; many witnesses said the House amendments created problems and the bill was left pending. In the end, the committee voted SB 2784, SB 3065, HB 5686, HB 247, HJR 34, and HB 2011 out of committee, with the first several receiving local and uncontested calendar recommendations where applicable.

Transcript Highlights:

• Victims and their families would continue to have a voice in the process, and the parole board would
• For this challenging process, we provide in Senate Bill 1400...
• The families will be given a voice in the decision-making process.
• After the process plays out, after trial, evidence is closed on both sides.
• And what that means to every aspect of our lives and how it's interconnected.

Keywords: Scheduler, 972, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Interconnected systems framework identifies inefficiencies of co-located systems of social-emotional
• It just helps them with a year-long process of looking at what that pathway is.
• Um, we're in the process of receiving responses to those.
• Um, we are working on strategies to assist with that process.
• We have a rigorous reporting performance data process where we take.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let's get curious and identify the specific process connected to that value and improve that process.
• mirrored really from our LCAP process.
• The processes and systems are there.
• I think it's the process.
• Engaging with the community, you know, to have more of that collective process, decision-making process

Summary: The joint hearing focused on coherence in California’s education planning and reporting systems, especially the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and related grant plans. Committee chairs and members described widespread frustration with duplicative, lengthy, and sometimes conflicting reporting requirements, while emphasizing that the goal was not to reduce accountability but to make planning more useful, stable, and student-centered. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond also previewed the Governor’s education budget priorities, including expanded learning, community schools, universal transitional kindergarten, literacy supports, and concerns about the proposed Prop. 98 deferral. Panelists from the State Board of Education, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the LCAP was intended to balance local flexibility with statewide transparency, but has become overloaded by repeated revisions and additional requirements. They argued for fewer core reporting elements, more stability over time, better alignment of planning cycles, and integrated systems that reduce duplication. Fresno County staff described a multi-year calendar and support tools that help districts manage timelines, but said these tools only ease the burden rather than solve the underlying problem. The LAO noted that some newer plans, such as expanded learning and transportation plans, are narrative-heavy and often less informative than separate reporting requirements. Local district leaders and county officials described the practical effects of the current system: staff time diverted from instruction, multiple portals and forms, audit risk aversion, and planning documents that can exceed 100 pages. Several superintendents said coherent systems work best when districts have clear priorities, stable governance, and aligned budgets, and when state requirements are predictable and tied to outcomes like literacy, attendance, and student achievement. The California Federation of Teachers added that coherence also depends on meaningful collaboration with educators, classified staff, parents, and communities. Committee members repeatedly asked whether the state should streamline reporting, create a uniform portal, or develop a more unified grant-reporting structure, and Thurmond said the department was piloting a simplified common form and was willing to work with the Legislature and districts on broader solutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our border patrol partners are back online and not bogged down with processing.
• tool that allows you to process illegal immigrants.
• process is that you, like, like you said, there, Texas has a massive law enforcement industry.
• They're, they're not going to interconnect really, uh, at, at all.
• And we're just concerned that there's no due process for those officers to redeem themselves.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:21:10.480> And this is about a four-year process.
• And this is about a four-year process.
• The first one is in the process of being licensed, a freestanding birth center.
• processes and maintain safety and grid protection standards.
• <03:04:47.760> processes systems from interconnection processes systems from interconnection

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• studies, and interconnection requirements.
• So we're not processing them. We work with the tribe. The tribe gives us a buffalo to process.
• We process buffalo for sun dances. We process buffalo for buffalo to process.
• We process buffalo for our sun dances. We process buffalo for the gamut fish.
• that process as well.

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock and heard extensive comments from tribal council members, state legislators, and tribal program leaders about ongoing state-tribal coordination issues. Early discussion focused on the committee’s purpose, the need for better communication, and frustration that the meeting agenda and time allotted did not include enough state department heads or program experts to address child welfare, ICWA, Medicaid, and other human services concerns. Tribal leaders emphasized that Standing Rock wants more direct, regular communication and more practical follow-through from prior meetings. A major theme was health and human services, including concerns that the state’s rural health transformation efforts and human service zone structure do not fit tribal needs, especially for a direct-service tribe that relies on federal funding and Indian Health Service. Members also raised foster care delays, housing shortages that force children off-reservation, substance abuse treatment capacity, and the need for cultural competency in child welfare and education. Other issues included missing and murdered Indigenous people, law enforcement cooperation, extradition and banishment ordinances, cross-deputization, roads, water and sewer infrastructure, census accuracy, and the need for updated lists of tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes. Economic development and sovereignty issues were also discussed. Standing Rock leaders raised concerns about e-pull-tabs and charitable gaming, saying state regulation has reduced tribal gaming revenue and that e-tabs should be treated as Class III gaming. They also objected to county-issued fireworks and liquor permits that affect reservation communities, arguing that state and county authority often conflicts with tribal sovereignty. In response, legislators said e-tabs and charitable gaming were likely to return as legislative issues and suggested possible solutions such as restricting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also discussed the need for more information on tribal-related bills and for legislators to receive cultural and treaty training. Several tribal projects and programs were presented. Joseph McNeil described Sage Development Authority’s 235-megawatt wind project, which is paused because of federal permitting delays, and asked for state support to move it forward. Dave Arshambo described Wojou’s land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, youth, and wellness programs. Later, Cheryl Carey of Sacred Pipe Resource Center introduced the needs of the urban Native population in Bismarck-Mandan and statewide, noting that many Native people live off-reservation and often fall through the cracks in state-tribal discussions. The committee adjourned for lunch and planned to continue with additional presentations afterward.