Transcript Highlights:

• would not hire otherwise qualified would not hire otherwise qualified people.<00:21:01.760> And
• <00:39:49.599> qualified<00:39:50.160> immunity,<00:39:50.560> which qualified qualified
• immunity, which qualified qualified immunity, which would<00:39:51.040> be<00:39:51.119> a
• <01:29:19.120> in projects in particular just projects in projects in particular just projects
• <01:29:29.360> Uh storage projects I would say. Uh storage projects I would say.

Bills: HB0130, HB0095, HB0096, HB0097, SF0101, SF0106, SF0067, SF0123

Keywords: Second Amendment, firearms, state rights, federal regulation, law enforcement, civil penalties, government liability, concealed carry, public colleges, university facilities, weapons legislation, self-defense, campus safety, weapons, age requirement, permits, HB0097, Wyoming firearms privacy, merchant category code, MCC

Transcript Highlights:

• a 300-unit project.
• <00:08:31.919> do area of $150,000 a unit per project do area of $150,000 a unit per project
• concern we don't see these projects concern we don't see these projects really<00:13:00.680>
• developer who's doing a lot of projects developer who's doing a lot of projects some<00:13:37.680
• priorities and preferences for projects priorities and preferences for projects utilizing<00:19:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a series of housing measures focused on streamlining approvals, reshaping financing programs, and expanding affordability requirements. SB 27 would exempt state-financed housing developments from County Council approval; SB 38 would bar county legislative bodies from changing housing proposals in ways that increase project costs; SB 25 would let counties reduce housing capacity in one area only if they offset it elsewhere with no net loss; and SB 379 would require perpetual affordability covenants for HHFDC projects and prohibit affordable housing in special flood hazard areas. SB 378 would create an HHFDC working group to identify mixed-use Maui properties for possible acquisition, SB 414 would authorize condemnation proceedings for a new Lānaʻi access road tied to disaster recovery, and SB 13 would eliminate the state income tax mortgage interest deduction for second homes. Testimony was mixed across the bills, with state agencies and housing advocates generally supporting faster permitting and more production, while county planners, NAIOP, Catholic Charities, and others raised concerns about local control, marketability, financing feasibility, and long-term affordability enforcement. A major portion of the hearing centered on the rental housing revolving fund. SB 70 would limit eligible applicants to government agencies or organizations that reinvest all surplus into additional housing; HHFDC said most developers would not object in principle but questioned how the surplus requirement would be enforced, while NAIOP and Catholic Charities opposed it as too restrictive and difficult to monitor. SB 71 would amend the fund’s preference criteria and eligibility rules, and SB 163 would require HHFDC to prioritize projects with the shortest repayment terms and highest unit production per dollar per year. HHFDC and some advocates supported the goal of faster recycling of funds, but NAIOP and Catholic Charities warned that shorter loan terms and narrowed preferences could burden developers and disincentivize projects, especially for lower-income tenants. The chair indicated SB 163 would be deferred and its concerns folded into amendments to SB 71. In decision-making, the committee voted to pass SB 27, SB 38, SB 70, and SB 71 with amendments, and SB 25 unamended. The chair said SB 27 would be amended to include projects with a state financing commitment and a report note that such projects still undergo 21-38 review; SB 38 would receive technical changes and language preventing county bodies from imposing cost-increasing conditions; SB 70 would add language addressing enforcement of the surplus requirement and a preamble citing the need to recycle taxpayer-financed housing value; and SB 71 would be amended to incorporate concerns raised in SB 163, including a broader preamble and revised priority criteria. SB 163 was deferred, while the other measures on the agenda were heard but no final action was described in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Since the program started, approximately 70% of the total completed projects are commercial projects.
• As I stated earlier, the majority of Renaissance Zone projects are commercial projects, and data collected
• Are the number of projects from the beginning of time, or is there a time frame that those projects are
• I will also note it does depend on how they fund projects. So if a project is being funded with...
• Projects.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to continue its tax reform and relief study agenda, approved the December 3, 2025 minutes, and announced a new subcommittee to examine property tax statement issues with counties, auditors, and the tax office. Representative Headland was named chair, Senator Rummel vice chair, and Representatives Dressler and Dr. Dr. and Senator Patton were also assigned. The chair noted the group may need an additional meeting and thanked staff and attendees. A major portion of the meeting focused on economic development incentives. The Department of Commerce presented on the Renaissance Zone program and TIF districts, describing Renaissance Zones as locally tailored tools that combine local property tax relief with state income tax incentives. Commerce said the program has supported thousands of projects since 1999 and cited examples from Beach and Mandan showing increases in property and taxable value, business retention, housing, and downtown revitalization. Committee members raised concerns that smaller rural communities often lack the staff and expertise to apply, and Commerce said it provides outreach through conferences, office hours, and one-on-one assistance. League of Cities and local officials from Bismarck and Ellendale echoed the capacity issue, discussed how the programs have worked in their communities, and suggested possible reforms or more targeted support for small towns. Ellendale’s mayor also described two TIF districts, one for industrial infrastructure in Oaks and one for housing infrastructure tied to a data center project in Ellendale. The committee then turned to stripper oil taxation. The Tax Department gave a comparison of oil and gas tax structures in selected states, noting that most have some form of stripper or marginal well provision, while Alaska does not appear to have a specific stripper-well exemption. Members asked for more detail on definitions and North Dakota’s annual adjusted rate. The Department of Mineral Resources followed with a detailed presentation on North Dakota stripper wells, explaining the statutory thresholds, the 12-consecutive-month production test, and the fact that once a well qualifies it remains on stripper status even if production later rises. DMR said about 11,332 stripper wells are active, representing roughly 54% of wells and about 16% of state production, and emphasized that stripper status can extend well life, preserve tax revenue, and reduce orphaned wells. Committee members and industry witnesses discussed refracs, the economics of keeping marginal wells active, and the competitive disadvantage created by North Dakota’s oil price discount. No votes were taken on these informational items.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 1751 allows for ministerial approval of qualifying townhome projects that make clear objective standards
• AB 1751 allows for ministerial approval of qualifying townhome projects that make clear objective standards
• The One Beverly Hills Project is probably one of the largest single-site construction projects happening
• Projects and lot splitting.
• That efficiency can make project financing more certain and project delivery faster, all to the benefit

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:35:43.680> we<00:35:43.800> are project, the project for which we are project,
• <00:41:47.080> of uh city project or the MnDOT project of uh city project or the MnDOT project
• the project and the bill before us. the project and the bill before us.
• this project slightly.
• A qualifying a qualifying taxpayer.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, there is a project which has a similar structure.
• Um, there is a project which has a similar structure.
• within the state um for a qualified within the state um for a qualified local<00:41:25.240> employer
• We note that most HHFDC projects do not displace residents.
• <01:18:38.159> or offered a unit in the new project or offered a unit in the new project or

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Housing held a public hearing and moved quickly through a long agenda, beginning with HB 606 on the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. DHHL and several community testifiers strongly supported the bill, describing it as a way to fulfill long-standing promises to Native Hawaiians, reduce the DHHL waitlist, keep families in Hawaii, and support housing production and the broader economy. Testifiers emphasized the cultural and economic importance of stable housing and noted the large number of people still waiting for DHHL homes. The committee then heard HB 1086, also relating to DHHL, which would allow the department to use a $75 million appropriation from the dwelling unit revolving fund as collateral for loans. DHHL, HHFDC, and other supporters said the measure would help DHHL obtain better loan terms and preserve trust funds for other uses. Members asked detailed questions about how the collateral would work, whether other agencies use similar structures, and what would happen if the collateral were drawn upon; staff explained that the funds would be encumbered for the loan and that a similar model had been used for a HUD-backed project. The committee also heard HB 739, which would create the COM homes program to fund counties to buy voluntary deed restrictions from eligible homeowners or buyers. Supporters said the program could help keep local workers in Hawaii by using existing housing stock and cited examples from places like Aspen and Vail. The Attorney General’s office recommended amendments to remove duration requirements to avoid right-to-travel concerns, and the Tax Foundation suggested clarifying the conveyance tax exemption so it also covers the instrument imposing the restriction. Members asked whether tax dollars would be used to buy homes, who would be eligible, and how enforcement would work; supporters said the program is voluntary and income-blind, with restrictions tied to living and working in the state. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ultimately, many of them didn't qualify for business interruption insurance, for example, because the
• Is there a minimum length of time that the business has to be in business in order to qualify for this
• First, would that scenario qualify for a low-interest loan under our bill?
• You don't necessarily have to have your storefront 100% obstructed in order to qualify.
• But I would also add that those hindrances, at some point in the future when the public works project

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met to consider a full agenda of bills, beginning with CS/CS/SB 1662, the Department of Transportation agency bill. Senator Collins presented a strike-all amendment that retained creation of the Florida Transportation Academy, clarified the Florida Transportation Research Institute, restored legislative budget commission review for certain work program amendments, adjusted small-business and supply-chain grant provisions, added airport and seaport accountability measures, and allowed special blanket permits for oversized cranes to travel at night under FDOT safety protocols. The committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill favorably. The committee also favorably reported SB 574, allowing Florida Purple Heart license plate holders to pass tolls free, and CS/SB 824, creating a specialty plate supporting Florida Highway Patrol troopers and scholarships. The committee then took up CS/SB 324, which creates a revolving low-interest loan program at the Department of Commerce for small businesses harmed by significant public works construction. Senator Smith described a local example involving prolonged sewer work in Orlando that hurt businesses in the Lake Ivanhoe district. Members raised concerns about fiscal impact, eligibility standards, proof of loss, business age, and whether financial records should be protected from public disclosure. The bill was amended to remove a hotline, add a webpage, and refine liability language, and the committee reported it favorably. The committee also favorably reported CS/SB 1714, requiring local housing assistance plans to include support for mobile home owners, including lot-rent assistance; CS/SB 766, revising registration requirements for agents and organizations tied to foreign countries of concern; and CS/SB 1024, creating specialty plates for the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. Additional measures approved included CS/SB 1246, authorizing a Save Coastal Wildlife specialty plate with proceeds going to the Zoo Miami Foundation; CS/SB 1644, expanding warning light use for volunteer firefighters, medical staff, and organ transport vehicles, with discussion focused on Hatzalah emergency services; SB 1152, increasing the Florida Wildflower specialty plate fee to support conservation, research, and native seed industry development; and CS/SB 532, exempting 100% disabled veterans from tolls. An amendment to SB 532 also added Purple Heart recipients to the toll exemption. Several members requested to be recorded voting in the affirmative on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned after all bills were reported favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Road projects.
• projects for $257 million.
• On those two projects.
• I do project that many of these districts that did qualify will continue to qualify into Mill authority
• I do project that many of these districts that did qualify will continue to qualify into the future.

Summary: The Budget Section approved the March 18 minutes and received an OMB update showing the general fund is still ahead of the budgeted starting point, but revenues through May are now about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls. OMB also reported the budget stabilization fund is above its cap, meaning a transfer to the general fund is expected, and reviewed oil price/production assumptions, noting continued volatility. Members asked about the income tax netting process, the sales tax decline, oil price discounts/premiums, natural gas taxation, and when the executive branch would present its revenue forecast. The committee then acted on several Emergency Commission requests. It approved, as a group, requests for federal mine reclamation funds for the Public Service Commission, an additional criminal investigator FTE and funding for the Attorney General’s office, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. It separately approved DPI request 2164 for $500,000 to support the food vendor program after debate over whether the program’s savings were known and whether the money was simply a pass-through. OMB also reported on federal grants, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, FTE pool usage, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting the settlement funds had been deposited and that a deficiency appropriation may be needed later to cover remaining accrued interest. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus presented on the primary residence credit program, saying participation has grown sharply and that the current biennium will likely need about $431 million, roughly $22 million above the appropriation. He explained how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran benefits, how the 3% property tax cap works, and why county valuations and mill rates vary. The committee also received a Legacy Fund/Budget Stabilization Fund report showing strong returns, and DOT Director Ron Henke received approval for two Flex Fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. Henke also explained remaining Highway 85 funding and said the department is exploring uses for leftover state dollars. Finally, the Department of Mineral Resources reported on abandoned well plugging and site restoration, noting North Dakota remains in relatively strong shape compared with other states, and DPI began a presentation on gap funding tied to the 3% levy cap, reporting 24 districts received $1.8 million in the first year and projecting higher future needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• We want projects to, I think to what John and Melissa have mentioned, is like we want these projects
• The bottom blue line is the baseline projected supply.
• LVNs is projected to outpace supply in 2034.
• If you look at what we're projecting out to be that projected supply versus that projected demand in
• Projected supply versus that projected demand in order to meet it, that is where you get all the way

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're already pre-qualified and vetted by MDA.
• , contracts, bids, um, for each project, contracts, bids, um, for each project, whether<00:09:45.200
• Um the ESCO projects is what this does.
• Um it construction projects whatsoever.
• So, those projects that they need to do.

Keywords: Universities and Colleges - Room 216, 3 March, 2026; 11:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first considered a strike-all related to the Mississippi Upskill Grant Program and a K-12 bridge bill tied to CTE and special purpose schools. Members discussed the alignment of workforce and career-technical education from pre-K through higher education. Senator Hopson moved to add a reverse repealer, which was adopted, and the strike-all was then passed as amended and forwarded to appropriations. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1488, which would authorize the University of Southern Mississippi to sell or enter into a long-term lease for university property in Hattiesburg. Senator Johnson explained that the roughly 600-acre tract, gifted in the 1920s and formerly used as a golf course, has a master plan for redevelopment; the bill would streamline the sale process while preserving requirements such as two appraisals and IHL approval. After questions about the acreage and safeguards, the bill was passed as amended and sent to appropriations. Members also approved a strike-all addressing financial literacy requirements for colleges and universities, including added content on mortgages and real estate, and then passed House Bill 1495, a companion to Senate Bill 2238, allowing Mississippi State University and the Oktibbeha County school district to co-mingle funds by mutual agreement for their partnership school/high school project. Finally, House Bill 1582 on community college energy performance contracts was discussed at length; the chair said it needed further vetting by the public property committee, so the committee added a reverse repealer and passed the bill as amended. The meeting ended with a rise and report.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a jobs ratio, and so we take the qualified rate wages that a project says that they want, that
• This includes qualified wages, non-qualified non-wages, non-qualified spend.
• And I was looking through all the projects and many of these projects have less than one percent.
• Projects that I was much more excited about, projects that would have been much better for my overall
• Projection is not being done at the studios.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, VA approval of the project is the trigger. That's it. of the project is the trigger.
• But in the past, on a project, we had a little flood control project in my area that was funded, but
• So what it is is if there's a project of $100,000, the total project costs that we come in for, the state
• Would that be a qualifying area?
• Would that be a qualifying area?

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2265, which would provide the Fargo National Cemetery with up to a $3 million line of credit to help fund improvements such as indoor bathrooms, parking, a family gathering area, an office, a hearse garage, and a veterans gallery. Supporters said the cemetery has expanded rapidly since 2019, has already conducted about 1,000 burials, and needs better facilities for families and the Honor Guard; they also said the project would be subject to federal VA approval and, once completed, would be taken over by the VA. Members raised questions about the project’s cost, timing, funding sources, whether the bill should be a grant instead of a line of credit, and whether a chapel should be specifically included. No vote was taken on SB 2265 during the excerpt. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2230, which would have the Secretary of State mail active voters a guide on ballot measures at least 45 days before an election, with objective summaries, fiscal impacts, and arguments for and against each measure. Secretary of State Michael Howe said the office already receives many questions about ballot measures and would post the same information online and at polling places, while emphasizing the need to keep the material objective and consistent with election-law restrictions. Members generally supported the idea as a voter-education tool, and the committee adopted a due pass motion on SB 2230 by a 19-0 vote. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2256, which would provide one-time state support for the NDSU Research and Technology Park in Fargo to expand its role in commercialization, robotics, precision agriculture, and defense-related technology. Park CEO Brenda Weiland explained that the park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit spun out of NDSU, governed by a board with both university and industry representation, and that the new model is intended to bridge the gap between research and market-ready products without competing directly with private industry. Members asked about ownership, intellectual property, the planned partnership with Carnegie Mellon’s robotics center, and how the park would use the funding; the discussion focused on contracts, licensing, and the park’s intent to build technical capacity and attract companies. The excerpt ends before any vote on SB 2256.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's and water resource projects.
• Another way we can use data is for regional projects. What's a regional project?
• Regional project is a big project that treats for over a lot over a large area.
• We will look at projects.
• And that a lot of these projects are large projects, typically, you know, fairly expensive.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I’m not seeing how moving that into this on a case-by-case, project-by-project mitigation or impact
• projects, typically.
• They built the projects.
• Here are the projects.
• So it's not a forward-facing project. It's a project that's already been allocated.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How will a qualified entity know about how to apply for these types of projects? Mr.
• So, it kind of depends on the project. So, Mr.
• These are local government-owned projects.
• So, adding this project, the Local Solar Access Fund, to the slate of projects that they're already working
• of project managers.

Transcript Highlights:

• nonprofit. ...before they can transfer the title to a qualified nonprofit to manage the initial sale
• nonprofit providers of homeownership can purchase and then qualify homeowners.
• AB 1439, Garcia, development project investments, do pass as amended to require a study to determine
• AB 1113, Mark Gonzalez, federally qualified health centers, do pass to Rules Committee, with author's
• AB 375, Nguyen, qualified autism service paraprofessionals, do pass out on an A roll call.

Summary: The Assembly Appropriations Committee met on January 22, 2026, for its regular order hearing and suspense-file hearing. In regular order, the committee approved consent-calendar bills AB 683, AB 763, AB 1126, and AB 1278 on unanimous due-pass motions, and AB 34 and AB 442 on a second unanimous due-pass motion. The committee then heard and advanced several bills, including AB 35, which would create an APA exemption for Proposition 4-funded programs to speed implementation of water, wildfire, energy-storage, and grid-support projects; AB 748, establishing pre-approved housing programs for local agencies; AB 939, allowing immediate transfer of certain affordable homeownership units to qualified nonprofit housing organizations; AB 643, adding a narrow organic-waste-derived agricultural fertilizer product to SB 1383 procurement options; and AB 96, removing the high school diploma requirement for certified Medi-Cal peer support specialists. Testimony on these bills was largely supportive, with sponsors and coalition representatives emphasizing reduced delays, lower costs, and improved housing, environmental, or behavioral-health outcomes. The Department of Finance offered general budget comments but no bill-specific positions. The committee voted the bills out, with AB 643 and AB 96 receiving no recorded opposition in the transcript and AB 939 passing with some members noting support and interest in coauthoring. The committee also received a presentation-only discussion of AB 1091, a proposal to authorize eight-letter specialty license plates, which the author said could generate revenue for rural programs such as the Williamson Act; the bill was not acted on at that time. After public comment, the committee moved to the suspense-file hearing on 53 bills. Using a substituted motion for due-pass and due-pass-with-amendments items, the committee held some bills and advanced many others, often with amendments that narrowed scope, deleted provisions, or required reports or studies. Bills held in committee included AB 405, AB 298, AB 333, AB 296, AB 1091, AB 1241, and AB 577, among others. The committee reported moving 43 bills to the Assembly floor, with several on A roll calls and others on B roll calls or with amendments, and noted that amendment language would be posted later online.

Transcript Highlights:

• or every year it's an ongoing project or every year it's an ongoing project that<00:31:38.880>
• Master planning Pro process uh project Master planning Pro process uh project and<00:52:19.400><
• flexibility to initiate new projects flexibility to initiate new projects when<00:52:49.920>
• don't know the true cost of a project don't know the true cost of a project until<00:53:25.040><
• um who are three and four would qualify um who are three and four would qualify for<02:21:55.520

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• projects but does not affect projects projects but does not affect projects that<00:35:08.880>
• wind projects the Gulf of main project wind projects the Gulf of main project that<01:10:07.480>
• because there is a there is a project because there is a there is a project where<01:20:16.600><
• project you know from the hydro project project you know from the hydro project from<01:27:29.080
• thorough permitting review if projects thorough permitting review if projects are<01:32:00.320><

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're also adding a qualifying project of music albums, so we have a lot...
• Of course, they would still be able to qualify for that at that point too.
• We're going to increase the maximum spend on a single qualifying film project to 25 million, which was
• Oh, no, I’m sorry for the qualifying... Oh no, I’m sorry.
• For qualifying projects for film, they have a minimum spend of 500,000, and I think we've increased it

Bills: SB45, SB73, SB169, HB243, SB177

Keywords: driver licenses, validation, identity, state laws, regulations, K-12 education, athletic associations, student-athlete eligibility, Alabama Administrative Procedure Act, governance, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, motor vehicle crimes, restitution, law enforcement, HB243, Devinee Rooney and John Wesley Safe Streets Act, DUI, drunk driving, impaired driving

Transcript Highlights:

• So they can get their $300,000 because they qualify.
• You know, same way with a county project or a city project. They would.
• Mill to qualify for those grants. Mr. Chairman.
• Statewide projects. He forgot to put an arrow. 49.9.9.9.9 on statewide projects.
• Speaker, I just want to make sure that the statewide projects also fund the projects that would be asked

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House Appropriations Government Operations section reconvened and first took up an amendment for the Industrial Commission related to a proposed west-to-east natural gas pipeline. Members discussed increasing the state’s capacity commitment from $60 million to $120 million so the project could move forward and support a future FERC permit, with supporters citing growing demand from data centers, agricultural users, and oilfield gas capture needs. The committee also discussed a separate motion to exempt the mill and elevator from the vacant FTE pool; that motion failed on a roll call vote. The committee then reviewed other Industrial Commission items, including housing authority funding, the abandoned well fund, Bank of North Dakota-related changes, and a decision not to add more to litigation funding. The discussion then shifted to the Department of Transportation budget and a major transportation funding framework. Speaker Weiss explained a proposal to consolidate and rework transportation funding into fewer buckets, including moving Prairie Dog-style funding into the flexible transportation fund, adding $370 million to that fund, and providing $171.3 million for federal match needs. The plan also included $50 million for statewide discretionary projects, $50 million for bridges, and grant flexibility for cities, counties, and townships, with some debate over eligibility thresholds and how much discretion DOT should have in awarding grants. Members also discussed whether small communities could realistically apply for grants and how the new structure would coordinate statewide transportation investments. Additional DOT topics included a proposed gas tax increase, changes to distribution percentages among DOT, cities/counties, townships, and transit, and the treatment of electric vehicle registration fees. The committee noted that transit funding would rise under the formula and that EV registration fees would continue to flow into the highway distribution fund. No final action was taken on the broader DOT package during this portion of the meeting, but members agreed to continue work on the amendment and revisit the issue the next day, with a suggestion to brief the caucus before floor action.