Transcript Highlights:

• Children are our most precious commodity and deserve quality people that receive commensurate pay.
• They have to do so many hours in the classroom, which in turn requires us to pay them more.
• They have to do so many hours in the classroom, which in turn requires us to pay them more.
• That's concerning to me because I believe that we need to be paying childcare workers more.
• </c><00:20:53.720><c> folks</c> affordable because we will pay folks affordable because we will pay folks

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise to students in high paying.
• And if you pay it off work it out.
• Pay attention, Social Security. Pay attention, Americans. You earn these benefits.
• Pay attention, confusion in their wake. Pay attention, Social<04:46:39.600><c> Security.
• Pay attention, Social Security.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :34.559><c> the</c><01:02:34.720><c> state,</c> that he pays to the state, that he pays to the state,
• </c><01:18:38.159><c> Paul</c> now we're robbing Peter to pay Paul now we're robbing Peter to pay Paul
• </c> to pay to pay for<02:19:04.719><c> the</c><02:19:04.880><c> things</c><02:19:05.599><c> we</c><02
• How do you think we are going to pay this bill if we don't pay for it on a credit card?
• </c> paying for. paying for.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, they were not allowed to pay providers maybe even the going rate.
• And DHS told me that that was too much to expect an NEMT driver to have to pay.
• </c> pay you $25 a day." pay you $25 a day."
• for it and overseeing it we are paying for it and overseeing it and<01:05:12.760><c> doing</c><01:05
• </c> begging us to stop ignoring it and pay begging us to stop ignoring it and pay attention,<01:44:31.000

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And who pays it is us. I pay it. You pay it. My neighbor pays it.
• Everybody at my school district meeting last night pays it. We all pay it.
• You pay it. My neighbor pays it. You pay it. My neighbor pays it.
• </c><03:50:00.640><c> And</c> last night pays it. We all pay it. And last night pays it.
• We all pay it.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> they're using that $10 difference to pay they're using that $10 difference to pay for<02:00:04.560
• </c> lease so why should the taxpayers pay lease so why should the taxpayers pay $1.4<02:02:43.079><c
• The reason being, um, you can pay it off early.
• </c> increased savings and efficiency and pay increased savings and efficiency and pay these<02:12:40.239
• We wouldn't want to pay any interest rates.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Municipal and County Government Committee held public hearings on House Bill 471 and House Bill 373. HB 471 would create a temporary commission to study growth, traffic, planning, and land use issues in a group of southern New Hampshire towns, with possible recommendations on regional planning commission boundaries or coordination. Representative Perez said the bill was requested by Londonderry residents and local officials, and Eric Power of Brookline testified in support, saying the towns share corridor and development issues that cross regional planning commission lines. Several members questioned whether existing law already allows towns to form regional planning commissions under RSA 364:6, whether the bill should be broader, and whether the town list should include additional communities. The hearing closed with testimony counts reported as two in support and three opposed on remote sign-in, plus one opposed and one in support on the blue sheet. HB 373, sponsored by Representative Diane Powers, would revise RSA 41:11-a on town property leases. Powers said current law is too restrictive because leases over five years require repeated town votes, which she argued is impractical for long-term arrangements. She cited examples from Hampton and Brookline, including long-term road and property leases, and said she had found multiple similar cases. The bill would keep select board authority for leases under one year, allow a legislative body to authorize a specific longer lease by a three-fifths ballot vote, and preserve the existing five-year blanket leasing authority with a three-fifths vote, while keeping existing leases valid if authority is later rescinded. Eric Power testified in support, describing recurring lease renewals in Brookline and saying longer terms are needed for projects such as housing, cell towers, and solar arrays. Members asked about the change from a simple town vote to a three-fifths threshold and whether the bill duplicates existing mechanisms; Powers said the higher threshold was intended because the leases involve long-term commitments. No votes were taken during the hearing portion described.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, we're supposed to pay a claimant when due.
• And so, we're supposed to pay a claimant when due.
• And so, we're supposed to pay a claimant when due.
• And so, we're supposed to pay a claimant when due.
• . pay. pay.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2455, HD2, relating to employment practices. Testimony was limited, with support from the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women and UPW; the committee noted nine support, zero opposition, and zero comments. No vote was taken on this bill during the portion provided. The committee then took up House Bill 2165, HD2, relating to the Hawaii Employment Security Law. DLIR supported the measure but requested an amendment moving language in Section 2 from subsection A to subsection C to preserve the legal structure. Members questioned DLIR about a January 8 U.S. Department of Labor letter and whether the bill would keep Hawaii in conformity with federal unemployment insurance requirements. DLIR said the federal guidance requires the state to remove the carve-out for labor-dispute claimants, though unions with hiring halls and members in good standing could still be exempt from work-search requirements under an authorized list. UNITE HERE Local 5 opposed the bill and said the current law already gives the department discretion to exempt striking workers. The committee recessed the bill before any final action was taken in the portion shown. In the joint hearing with Commerce and Consumer Protection, the committees heard House Bill 1509, HD2, relating to workers’ compensation. DLIR supported the bill, DHER offered comments and requested an amendment, UPW supported it, and one Zoom testifier described personal experience with delayed care and urged faster decisions. After testimony, the committees voted to pass the bill with amendments. The adopted amendments restored the 7-day treatment-plan deadline from 10 days, changed the effective date to January 1, 2077, and struck the proposed $500 fine for employers who fail to respond within 10 days. Back in the Labor and Technology agenda, the committee heard House Bill 1515, HD2, also relating to workers’ compensation, with testimony noting seven in support, one in opposition, and one comment, but no action was taken in the excerpt. The committee also heard House Bill 1514, HD2, relating to workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation plans. A Zoom testifier opposed the bill, arguing the 120-day timeline was unrealistic for complex cases. DLIR said the bill would give the director discretion to extend the vocational rehabilitation plan timeline beyond 120 days with no cap on extensions, and the committee noted five support, four opposition, and zero comments. Finally, the committee began House Bill 2458, HD3, relating to surveillance pricing. OCP said it stood on written testimony, while supporters argued the bill would prevent corporations from using personal data to set prices, especially for groceries. Retail and grocery interests opposed the measure, saying it was too broad and could restrict loyalty programs, promotions, and discounts; one witness asked that a loyalty-program exemption be restored.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's someone's got to pay this bill, whether it's local Representative Tabke.
• There's someone's got to pay this bill, whether it's local Representative Tabke.
• There's someone's got to pay this bill, whether it's local Representative Tabke.
• There's someone's got to pay this bill, whether it's local Representative Tabke.
• There's someone's got to pay this bill, whether it's local Representative Tabke.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• that most farmers can't pay, that you can't afford to pay it, especially with grain prices now.
• Well, this is all taxpayers’ money paying for this. So it’s not, you know, I’m a part of it.
• So they're paying $6,000 per megawatt total, period.
• So they're paying $6,000 per megawatt total period.
• to pay the fair share, not a cut rate down to the 12% that's been proposed.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When you did the pay study and you brought your employees up to the rate, did you go above the pay bands
• that the pay study showed?
• This may or may not be correct, but did people get above the pay bands?
• The pay bands have since changed, right? But did you go above the pay bands in the pay study?
• I do not believe we went above the pay bands.

Summary: The committee first recognized Mark Roper of the Economic Development Department for his long service and retirement, with members and the secretary praising his work on economic development across the state. Secretary Rob Black then presented EDD’s budget and special appropriation requests, describing strong recent job and income growth and outlining the department’s strategy around science and technology, site readiness, workforce development, foreign direct investment, and rural/community programs. He highlighted wins in advanced energy, quantum, space and defense, and biosciences, and asked for funding for quantum/DARPA matching funds, additional site readiness work, LIDA closing funds, JTIP training support, New Mexico Partnership, and healthy foods and other community programs. Members asked detailed questions about the quantum proposal, site readiness, the new mapping tool for industrial sites, workforce participation, trade missions, foreign investment, tariffs, water and produced water, tribal site evaluation, and public engagement on major projects. Black said the quantum request was intended to match federal dollars and build a workforce pipeline, that the site-readiness software would be a set enterprise license, and that the department was working with tribes and local partners on future site evaluations. He also said tariffs have created uncertainty but New Mexico’s infrastructure and foreign trade zones could help attract manufacturing, and he acknowledged concerns about transparency and community input while noting that some projects, such as Pacific Fusion, had gone through extensive public processes. The committee also discussed specific projects and funding balances, including Mantis Space’s move to Albuquerque, the status of Virgin Galactic’s spaceport lease, and the current LIDA fund balance and encumbrances. Black and Deputy Secretary Isaac Romero said the department was trying to use State Investment Council-backed venture funds to attract companies and that the new investments were already producing deals and jobs. Members generally supported the department’s direction but pressed for more targeted expertise, faster deployment, and stronger community involvement in future economic development decisions. Later, Secretary de Blassie of the Department of Health presented the department’s budget request and progress report. He said DOH had improved revenue cycle management, reduced old Medicaid-pending cases, increased census at facilities, improved budget and contract timeliness, and responded effectively to the measles outbreak. The department requested additional base funding for epidemiology and response, the DOH helpline, the Vital Records Virtual Vault, state labs, and the veterans home, along with special requests for respiratory vaccinations and marketing and lab equipment replacement. He also noted progress on MOUD and the medical psilocybin program, and said the department was not seeking to launch new programs given the limited time left in the administration.

Transcript Highlights:

• This model ensures Texas pays for readiness. performance, not idle overhead.
• a known daily rate for readiness and only pays flight time when aircraft fly.
• That's above My pay grade, that's something to do with the state's inner workings.
• You're guaranteed to pay the daily availability rate, what you're not guaranteed to pay is the flight
• Who's going to pay this bill?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For example: who is paying?
• So the actual cash prices people pay, whether direct pay or co-pay, they quite often don't find out until
• , and then what they agreed to pay once they go into agreement.
• Court costs, I mean, I guess so is free because we pay for it. But we pay for it.
• themselves more than they pay other pharmacies for dispensing the same drugs.

Bills: SB331, SB883, SB926, SB1137, SB1138, SB1144, SB1151, SB1236, SB1270, SB1522, SB1869, SB2207, SB2422

Keywords: healthcare, cost disclosure, transparency, administrative penalties, health facility compliance, COVID-19, off-label use, prescription drugs, patient access, medical standards, insurance, physician ranking, incentives, fiduciary duty, health plan issuers, SB 1137, group home, assisted living, residential care, board and care

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 883, which would protect physicians’ ability to prescribe off-label medications and treatments, framed by the author as a “Right to Treat” measure tied to COVID-19 care. Supporters, including physicians and patient-choice advocates, said the bill would safeguard the doctor-patient relationship and prevent interference by boards, pharmacies, or hospitals. Several witnesses described using hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, budesonide, antibiotics, steroids, and monoclonal antibodies during the pandemic, and said they faced complaints, board scrutiny, or pharmacy refusals for those prescriptions. The bill was left pending after public testimony closed. The committee then took up Senate Bill 331, which would extend hospital price-transparency requirements to additional health care facilities such as freestanding ERs, urgent care and retail clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, outpatient clinics, and birthing centers. Proponents argued that broader disclosure of prices for shoppable services would help consumers compare costs and reduce surprise billing, while opponents from ambulatory surgery centers said the bill would impose costly compliance burdens on small providers and that insurers or the state already have much of the needed data. The bill was also left pending. Senate Bill 2422 would expunge Texas Medical Board records and impose reparations for disciplinary actions tied to COVID-era treatment decisions, including references to ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, budesonide, and masks. The author and supporters argued that doctors were unfairly targeted for trying to save patients and should be made whole; the Texas Medical Board representative said most pandemic complaints were dismissed, that actions generally involved broader issues such as privileges, documentation, or informed consent, and that no physician was disciplined solely for prescribing off-label COVID medications. The bill was left pending. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2207, which would loosen Texas Medical Board rules on physicians advertising themselves as board certified, especially by reducing barriers tied to maintenance of certification requirements. Supporters said the current rule is overly restrictive, inconsistent, and costly, and that it drives physicians out of practice; they also said Texas is one of only a few states with such a rule. Witnesses described hospitals using the rule against physicians and said the change would improve transparency and competition. The bill remained pending after testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's probably a good deal more than they are currently paying, but let's find out.
• ,</c><00:26:53.920><c> but</c> than they are currently paying, but than they are currently paying, but
• All the local lodging tax is paid on what a consumer pays for the room.
• We would pay more tax to the city of Bloomington than we pay to the state for sales tax on our service
• We would pay more tax to the city of Bloomington than we pay to the state for sales tax on our service

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• the cost of this program without pay the cost of this program without trying<00:15:47.399><c> to</c>
• Yeah, and I want to reiterate, I think it's really important that the bad guys pay the costs of their
• Uh, we can pay for it ourselves if we can just access the money that we take in.
• We can pay for it ourselves if we can just access the money that we take in.
• </c> an elderly gentleman who couldn't pay an elderly gentleman who couldn't pay his<00:20:34.600><c>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:19 Auditor of Public Accounts 00:01:07 Office of Secretary of State 00:10:22 Kentucky State Treasury 00:17:51 Office of Attorney General 00:28:50, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met for its first meeting and heard budget-related presentations from the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Secretary of State, with the Treasurer beginning a presentation at the end of the transcript. Auditor Allison Ball reviewed her office’s 2024 and early 2025 work, including hundreds of county and state audits, several special examinations, and ongoing reviews such as the kinship care funding issue, the Kentucky Department of Education audit, and the Jefferson County Public Schools audit. She said her office is focused on waste, fraud, abuse, and legal compliance, and asked the committee to consider future budget changes, including aligning her appropriation with restricted funding and restoring a stronger performance-audit function. She also highlighted audits that exposed serious problems, including the Department of Juvenile Justice review, and said those reports are intended to serve as models for other entities to avoid similar failures. Secretary of State Michael Adams said his office is self-sustaining through fees and does not need tax dollars, but asked for greater access to its own revenues and more flexibility in using them. He highlighted the Safe at Home address confidentiality program, saying recent changes expanded protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and that the program has grown rapidly while remaining funded by offender fines. Adams also urged lawmakers to again adjust county election funding for inflation, noting the current per-voter and per-precinct amounts were set decades ago. In questioning, Representative Hart asked whether the Safe at Home program was self-funding; Adams replied that it covers only about 10% of its operating cost and said the best solution would be to let the office use more of the revenue it already collects rather than rely on tax dollars. Treasurer Martin Medcafe, introduced with staff member Russell Weber, praised the General Assembly’s fiscal discipline and described the Treasury’s work in managing state funds. He reported strong results from the Unclaimed Property Fund, saying the office returned $35.5 million to Kentuckians in its first year and $3.8 million in the first month of the current year, and said the State Investments Commission generated $682 million in returns last year. He also highlighted financial literacy efforts through the Kentucky Financial Empowerment Commission and said the Treasury is helping manage opioid settlement funds, which are now earning up to $200,000 per month through investment. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you've got to pay attention, keep up with what's happening, and vote as we go forward.
• It decreases the amount of money that you have to pay for vehicle registration for anybody who wants
• Instead of having to pay a high registration fee, you're putting in much lower fees to make sure you
• Not paying more at the gas pump and ensuring that they have things to provide food on the table, more
• I don't want to pay an extra $3 for a bag of chips.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that could serve as... ...pay into the fund created by the bill.
• So how cheap is that food if you're paying for it twice?
• Every company offering seeds for sale must pay $40 to CDFA.
• Every company offering seeds for sale must pay $40 to CDFA.
• Since the initial fee was created, for sale must pay $40 to CDFA.

Summary: The Committee on Agriculture met and heard a full agenda of bills, beginning with AB 1674, which would create a Food Desert Elimination Grant Program and require grocery-store capacity to be preserved or mitigated in certain housing developments. The author and local residents from Sunnyvale testified in support, describing the loss of neighborhood grocery stores and the impact on seniors and low-income families. Business and building groups opposed or opposed unless amended, arguing the bill could add costs and create housing barriers, especially in Section 3. The committee discussed rural and urban food-access differences, and the bill passed the committee 5-0 and was re-referred to Housing and Community Development, with members noting continued work on amendments. The committee then approved several consent items and heard AB 2264, which would allow district agricultural associations to use fairgrounds property for affordable housing by extending lease terms from 55 to 99 years. Supporters said it would unlock underused public land without displacing neighborhoods, and the bill passed to Housing and Community Development. AB 269, the “Fair Act,” would provide a targeted sales and use tax exemption to spur development projects on fairgrounds; it drew broad support from members and fair association testimony and passed to Revenue and Taxation. AB 2143, which would prohibit online marketplaces from accepting payment for noxious weeds shipped into California, received strong support from academic and agricultural witnesses and passed to Privacy and Consumer Protection. The committee also heard AB 1731, creating the California Healthy Food Procurement Fund and an approved-vendor program to connect schools with California farmers. School nutrition, farm, and food-policy advocates supported the bill as a way to reduce procurement barriers and expand local food in school meals; it passed to Appropriations. Finally, AB 1848 would raise seed-law fees to fund inspection and enforcement of California’s seed regulations; the California Seed Association supported the increase, and the bill passed to Appropriations. The meeting concluded with roll calls on absent members and adjournment at 2:53 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or whomever, then society needs to pay for it, and they need to purchase it.
• And then Kansas can give them credit for the tax that they pay in Missouri.
• And we're giving you dealer plates so you don't pay sales tax.
• I understand that we need to collect and that it's not an excuse to not pay.
• Really, you're paying a lot for the bottle and the marketing.

Summary: The Commerce Committee met with quorum and first took up several bills in executive session. It adopted a House committee substitute for House Bill 2080 and then voted the substitute do pass on a 6-2 roll call. The committee also voted House Bill 1745 do pass by 6-2 and House Bill 3230 do pass unanimously, 8-0. HB 2080 was described as a proposal related to state investment in cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, other crypto and stablecoins, with a trigger tied to constitutional changes and language allowing staking of assets. In public hearing, House Bill 3490, sponsored by Rep. Mike Jones, would modify Missouri’s Local Historic Preservation Act so that in certain large cities, property owned by public or private colleges and universities could not be designated as historic landmarks by local commissions. Supporters argued the bill would protect property rights and allow universities to develop campus property, while opponents and some members said it appeared aimed at a specific Kansas City dispute and could be overbroad or an overreach into local historic preservation. No one testified in formal support or opposition, and the hearing closed without action. The committee then heard House Bill 3316, a Department of Revenue cleanup bill sponsored by Rep. Jeff Knight. The department said it would simplify vehicle registration and titling, including flat registration fees instead of horsepower-based fees, changes to alternative fuel decals, disabled placards, Real ID document retention, out-of-state vehicle tax collection, legal-name titling, higher late-registration penalties, and ending even-odd year registration. Members asked about water-damaged titles, dealer plate thresholds, emissions inspections, and temporary tags; the department and sponsor said they were open to amendments on some points. Copart testified in informational support, asking that resale exemptions remain intact. The committee then heard House Bill 3027, also by Rep. Knight, which would create tax incentives for companies producing critical minerals, materials, and certain pharmaceuticals in Missouri. The sponsor and supporters said the bill was aimed at reducing dependence on foreign supply chains and encouraging mining and processing in-state; a chemical manufacturer suggested tightening the bill by making credits nontransferable and tying them to actual production and profitability, and the Missouri Chamber supported the concept. After the hearings, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I know that we want to make sure that the city and county is paying for this.
• And I know that we want to make sure that the city and county is paying for this.
• And so you can actually put a lien on one parcel to pay for another.
• We saw the pay phones.
• They don't know nothing about the pay phones.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Missouri House met with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for March 3, 2026 by a 122-0 roll call vote. The chamber also spent a long portion of the morning recognizing special guests, including Special Olympics athletes, occupational therapy and social work students and professionals, teachers, civic leaders, and other visitors in the gallery. On legislation, the House perfected and printed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2974, which would codify telehealth access within Missouri’s licensed reciprocity law. Supporters said it would help seniors and rural residents access care and ensure reciprocity licensees can provide telehealth services. The House also perfected and printed House Bill 2934, a bipartisan St. Louis convention-center governance bill that would merge existing entities, create a new board with city, county, and state appointments, and clarify funding and tax authority for the convention district. An amendment narrowing governor appointments to two city, two county, and one at-large member was adopted before final approval. The House likewise perfected and printed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2057, a technical fix allowing Osage Beach to create an entertainment district; supporters said it would promote tourism and economic development and align the city with similar districts elsewhere in Missouri. The most contentious debate was on House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1839, 2921, and 3515, which require age verification for pornographic websites. Supporters framed the measure as child protection and cited the Supreme Court’s Texas decision and the Attorney General’s enforcement rule; opponents raised privacy concerns, questioned effectiveness, and argued it could push users toward less scrupulous sites. A proposed amendment to extend the bill to firearms and ammunition websites was ruled not germane, the previous question was ordered 92-44, and the substitute was adopted. The combined bill package was then perfected and printed by a 104-16 vote with 20 present, and the House recessed until 2 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I think that's the real point here: who pays for this at the end is the taxpayers.
• This is how much we're paying for public safety. What are areas around us paying for public safety?
• And they also changed our pay structure.
• And they also changed our pay structure and the pay scale with that as well in July.
• We realize they don't have the money to pay like at Wentzville or St.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bills 2161, 1830, and 1728 together. Those bills would revise the appointment structure for the St. Charles City-County Library Board so that the four most populous cities in St. Charles County, based on the most recent census, would each appoint one trustee, while the county governing body would continue appointing five members. Sponsors said the change simply codifies an existing informal practice and does not change the board’s total size. St. Charles County supported the measure, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee then heard House Bills 3283 and 3306, which were described as identical bills creating timelines and procedures for collective bargaining between public employers and labor organizations. The bills would require bargaining to begin within set timeframes, move unresolved disputes to mediation after 180 days, then to arbitration if mediation fails, and make arbitration decisions binding. Supporters, including labor representatives, firefighters, police, and some local officials, said the bills would curb delay tactics, reduce litigation costs, improve morale and retention, and provide clear rules when contracts expire. Several witnesses described long-running disputes in places such as Cape Girardeau, Robertson Fire Protection District, Richmond Heights, and Brentwood as examples of why deadlines and enforceable procedures are needed. Opponents, led by the Missouri Municipal League, argued that binding arbitration would shift final fiscal authority away from locally elected officials and could limit cities’ ability to respond to budget stress or emergencies. They said the timeline provisions had merit but wanted alternatives to arbitration that would preserve local control and taxpayer accountability. Committee members questioned how good-faith bargaining would be enforced, how arbitrators would weigh municipal budgets, and whether the bills could affect police, fire, and other public employees. No votes were taken, and both public hearings were completed before the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't have to pay our state income tax.
• And you won't be paying the same.
• That you're going to go back and pay three years' worth of things.
• And you won't be paying the $75 fine.
• You're only paying the $75 fine if you're not registering your car timely.

Keywords: 989, all