Transcript Highlights:

• As we live in a fast-changing society, technology can sometimes frustrate people into just giving up.
• As we live in a fast-changing society, technology can sometimes frustrate people into just giving up.
• The goal here is that, understand, and then technology, right? Some of us are great with it.
• And it does that because we've had to back-engineer 21st-century technology into the 1980s technology
• The one thing that we're looking at is the future is mobile technology.

Bills: HB220 , HB259 , HB463 , HB536 , HB750 , HB830 , HB950

Committee: House Commerce

Keywords: child exploitation, online reporting, platforms, cyber crime, PROTECT Act, excavation, demolition, infrastructure repair, BEAD Program, utility damage, construction coordination, contact point, emergency services, telephone charge, wireless service, reporting requirements, communications district, wireless communication, school safety, community permits

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, the bill did add AI and other emerging technologies.
• :54.959><c> emerging</c> bill did add AI and other emerging bill did add AI and other emerging technologies
• . um we had that input and technologies. um we had that input and um<00:03:59.280><c> we</c><00:03:59.599
• You've also got ENT funds that they can choose to spend on technology and things like that.
• </c> they can choose to spend on technology they can choose to spend on technology and<00:11:50.800><

Bills: HB329 , SB5 , HB329 , SB5 , HB43 , HB75 , HB396 , HB43 , HB75 , HB396

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: military installations, tall structures, local government, construction approval, wind energy facilities, archives, history, board of trustees, vacancies, government control, computer science, education reform, digital literacy, high school graduation, teacher training, education, public schools, constitution amendment, national anthem, weekly broadcast

Transcript Highlights:

• It also is calling for limits... of instructional technology during the school day.
• shall consider and document research on best practices and literacy instruction, instructional technology
• And that will be 12 to 5. of instructional technology during the school day.
• districts, our charter school issued devices, or school district are charter school educational technology
• shall consider and document research on best practices and literacy instruction, instructional technology

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 3239, which would make the Missouri Workforce Diploma Program permanent and move it into the MoCAP framework. Representative Hurlbert and supporters said the program has helped about 1,200 adults earn diplomas, mostly women with children, and that it improves employment and health coverage outcomes. Members raised concerns about funding, the use of the foundation formula, and how the program differs from existing adult education options. Supporters said it is tuition-free, pay-for-performance, and intended for adults with a short path to graduation; no vote was taken on the bill. The committee then took up House Bills 2335 and 2230/2978 in executive session. HB 2335, dealing with teacher training, was amended and then given a do pass recommendation by a 19-0 vote. HB 2230 and 2978, as amended, were also approved do pass by an 18-1 vote after extensive discussion of the Student Screen Time Standards Act, including limits on screen time, a new advisory council, and a related cursive-writing amendment. Members generally supported the direction of the substitute, while some raised questions about local control, implementation, and the role of experts. Later, Representatives Irwin and Steinhoff presented House Bills 2913 and 3228, which would provide legal protection for teachers who intervene in violent situations to protect students or themselves. Supporters said the bills would reduce fear of liability and encourage reasonable intervention, while committee members and witnesses discussed possible limits, training, whether the protection should extend to other school staff, and how the proposal interacts with existing discipline and restraint rules. Public testimony was largely supportive, with school and teacher groups asking for clearer definitions and coordination with federal law; no vote was taken. The committee also heard House Bill 2304, which would require parental consent before major changes to a child’s special education placement or services. The sponsor and advocates said it strengthens parent involvement and collaboration, while members questioned delays, due process, safety exceptions, and the effect on school operations. Testimony from advocates and parents supported the bill, and the hearing concluded without action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Fraud has evolved into organized, technology-driven schemes that target seniors, small businesses, and
• They are constantly deploying new technology. They spend a lot of that money in technology.
• They are constantly deploying new technology. They spend a lot of that money in technology.
• Paul, you muted yourself or some kind of technological mess-up?
• “One of the advances of technology and how it’s helping serve and reach customers safer and easier.

Summary: A joint House-Senate Insurance and Commerce meeting focused on the growing threat of financial fraud in Arkansas, with members hearing from bankers, regulators, law enforcement, AARP, and mortgage and insurance industry representatives. Witnesses described a wide range of scams, including spoofed bank calls and texts, fake websites and social media impersonation, romance and investment scams, business email compromise, gift card fraud, check fraud, wire fraud, reverse mortgage scams, and crypto kiosk schemes. Several speakers emphasized that fraud is increasingly organized, technology-driven, and amplified by artificial intelligence, and that seniors are disproportionately targeted and often suffer the largest losses. Testimony highlighted both prevention and recovery efforts. Bankers said institutions spend heavily on training, customer education, and fraud detection, but often cannot stop losses once customers have been convinced to authorize transfers. The Attorney General’s office described its Consumer Protection Division, a new Financial Fraud Task Force, and examples of recovering funds quickly from crypto kiosk and wire fraud cases. The State Bank Department and Securities Department said Arkansas’s 2025 crypto ATM legislation and related education requirements have helped, and they urged continued public education. The Insurance Department reported major insurance-fraud trends, including fake insurance cards, forged policies, premium-finance schemes, and staged auto accidents, and said it prosecutes these cases aggressively. Members asked about reporting scams, the security of tap payments, how fraud losses are tracked, the role of crypto kiosks, and whether Arkansas should pursue model legislation or stronger action against telecom and social media companies. Witnesses said tap payments are generally safer than chip or swipe, that crypto transfers are often unrecoverable, and that spoofed caller ID and impersonation ads remain major problems. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association urged state and federal action against telecom and social media platforms and supported national scam legislation. No new bills were voted on at the meeting, but members approved the November 3, 2025 minutes and several witnesses offered to share model legislation, consumer education materials, and state-by-state fraud data with the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• And with the increase in blockchain tracing technology, that percentage of fraudulent transactions should
• that combines an aircraft as an advanced aviation surveillance technology that combines an aircraft
• I'm personally boycotting any aircraft that is using, or any airport using, this technology for landing
• Our debate is not landing fees; it's using this technology to collect them.
• And this technology is being such a game changer that we are now taking air traffic that used to fit

Summary: The committee first took up SB 1236, which would condition state economic development incentives on employers at subsidized companies using secret-ballot union elections and prohibiting neutrality agreements. The sponsor said the bill is meant to protect workers and taxpayer dollars, and he noted he would amend the Attorney General enforcement language to allow appeals. Supporters argued it protects secret ballots and transparency, while opponents said it is a form of union-busting, could conflict with federal labor law, and would burden contractors and workers. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably on a roll call vote, with Senators Bracey Davis, Smith, and Errington voting no and the remaining recorded votes in favor. The committee then heard CS/SB 198, which regulates cryptocurrency kiosks to combat fraud, especially against seniors. The bill requires kiosk registration, fraud warnings, blockchain analytics, transaction limits, receipts, and refund protections for certain first-time transactions involving non-U.S. wallets. Supporters from consumer and senior advocacy groups said the bill would help stop widespread scams, while one industry witness praised the bill’s fraud protections but suggested narrowing the daily limits and new-customer period. The committee reported the bill favorably by roll call vote. Next, the committee considered CS/SB 1356 on dog breeding, pet sales, and breeder registration. The sponsor described it as a work in progress aimed at ending inhumane breeding conditions, improving consumer disclosures, and creating breeder standards and penalties; an amendment removed state oversight of local animal shelters. Pet store representatives supported many animal welfare provisions but objected to the three-day financing waiting period, shelter-space requirements, expanded reimbursement, and litigation exposure. Animal welfare supporters backed the bill, and the committee reported it favorably. The committee also heard SB 1722 on app stores and minors’ access to apps. The bill requires age verification, parental consent for minors, notice of app changes, and enforcement by the Department of Legal Affairs. Supporters said it would better protect children online and help enforce existing age-based restrictions, while opponents warned it could require overcollection of personal data, create privacy and constitutional problems, and duplicate tools parents already have. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, the committee took up CS/SB 422, which would bar use of ADS-B aviation data to calculate or collect certain airport fees, with an amendment adding departures to the covered activities. A pilot supported the bill as a safety and privacy measure, while airport advocates opposed it, saying it would undermine airport finances and force less efficient fee collection methods. The transcript ends during testimony on this bill, before final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here with TSA, our Technology Student Association.
• And we are focused in areas of marketing, finance, technology, and information technology.
• As new technologies come around, we definitely employ them.
• That's all in new techniques and new technology. Okay. So, Mr.
• So I want to know if technology is helping us out.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Insurance fraud is sort of supercharged now by technology.
• The insurance fraud is sort of supercharged now by technology, all sorts of technology-driven schemes
• The insurance fraud is sort of supercharged now by technology.
• The insurance fraud is sort of supercharged now by technology, all sorts of technology driven schemes
• My name is Robert Thoms with Lumen Technologies, home of your Super Bowl-having Seahawks.

Bills: HB2361 , HB2542 , HB2629 , HB2394 , HB2274 , HB1078 , HB2294

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Keywords: small loans, consumer protection, financial regulation, lending limits, credit access, animal testing, alternatives, ethical research, animal welfare, scientific methods, infrastructure, protection, safety, security, state regulations, public safety, insurance fraud, law enforcement, crime, penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• Our obsession has been patient care and advancing novel catheter-based technologies, publishing high-level
• We have the technology to address this.
• We have the technology to address this.
• If we were to do a complex valve replacement technology, then the team would actually double in size
• so they can use computers and technology for paying bills, managing all of their home business needs

Bills: SB1001 , SB1011 , SB1016 , SB1052 , SB1072 , SB1100 , SB1112 , SB1113 , SB1116 , SB1118 , SB1120 , SB1121 , SB1122 , SB1123 , SB1124 , SB1125

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: appropriation, economic security, blind individuals, older adults, state funding, medical examiners, sudden infant death, autopsy protocols, forensic pathology, public health, religious exemption, employment practices, COVID-19 vaccination, accommodation, discrimination, assisted living, health care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physician orders, informed consent

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we would also look at some technology upgrades throughout our building.
• Some of our technology upgrades, we had some access controls we were trying to put in.
• By using the funds to obtain improved training helmets, we can buy gunshot boxtech technology.
• So, and then the technology upgrades, there's a little more on that that I spoke of earlier for technology
• So, we're really excited about that technology to help us address that problem.

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the meantime, uh, technology has evolved, um, and some of the terms used in the policy are glaringly
• In the meantime,<00:14:11.440><c> uh</c><00:14:11.600><c> technology</c><00:14:12.240><c> has</c><00:
• 14:12.480><c> evolved</c><00:14:13.680><c> um</c> meantime, uh technology has evolved um meantime, uh
• technology has evolved um and<00:14:14.079><c> some</c><00:14:14.320><c> of</c><00:14:14.399><c> the
• kind of funny to look at, some of the older stuff, but, uh, the goal was to change it to modern technology

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration met virtually on January 6, 2026, and took up four administrative policy items. Darren Hoff, Senate Human Resources Director, presented updates to the Legislative Coordinating Commission benefit book, including insurance changes tied to SEGIP, mental health and substance use office visit cost sharing, dental plan updates, dependent eligibility clarifications, a new voluntary legal services benefit, a 17% increase in Medicare premiums, and multiple leave-policy revisions to conform with the new paid leave law and other employment rules. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the benefit book with the LCC’s November 10, 2025 changes and staff technical corrections, and the motion passed. Secretary Tom Bern described a proposed Senate Policy 1.56 allowing written rules of conduct for visitors in Senate spaces, aimed at setting clear expectations for behavior such as not blocking hallways or using shouting and profanity, while being developed with consultation to address First Amendment concerns. Senator Marty moved adoption, and the committee approved the policy. Council Lexi Stangle then presented a change to Senate Policy 2.47 on severe weather emergencies that would allow employees who work remotely on severe weather days to accrue compensatory time with supervisor approval; Senator Johnson moved adoption, and the motion passed. The committee also considered a modernization of the Senate information systems policy. Secretary Bern and staff explained that the policy had not been substantially updated in about 20 years and was being condensed and updated to reflect current technology and practices. The revisions reduced the policy from 29 pages to 10, removed obsolete references, added a purpose statement, clarified email inspection and hardware/software procedures, updated website rules and accessibility guidance, and removed the secondary member page option. Senator Coleman moved adoption of the Senate information systems update, and it was approved. After the Rules Committee adjourned, the Subcommittee on Committees met and approved two appointments: one public member to the Legislative Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources through December 31, 2030, and Senator Gustafson to the Financial Crimes Advisory Board Task Force. Members asked about the task force’s scope and the public appointee’s background; staff explained the task force advises on identity theft and financial crimes, and identified the public appointee as Sha Lang of Preston, Minnesota. Senator Pappas moved adoption of the appointment list, and the subcommittee approved it before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if we figure out a technology that might work better, probably won't be perfect, is what I'm hearing
• Further, the NIOSH Personal Protective Technology Laboratories—this is like the folks who might design
• So we have dozens and dozens of these types of technology initiatives that we're doing within existing
• We are still looking at those options, but we know that there's technology involved in that.
• And then what are some good technology options?

Summary: The committee heard a report on the Underground Economy Task Force in Washington’s construction industry. Labor and Industries said the task force, created by a 2024 budget proviso, met 11 times and developed consensus recommendations to improve enforcement against worker misclassification, unregistered contractors, and unpaid taxes and premiums. Consensus items included defining and regulating construction labor providers, improving interagency data sharing, increasing penalties for repeat offenders, expanding L&I authority over successor accountability, reviewing agency penalty rules, and exploring tracking of cash payments. Majority-but-not-consensus ideas included posting subcontractor notices at job sites, setting an independent-contractor threshold that would trigger L&I review, holding direct contractors liable for unpaid wages owed by subcontractors, and reviewing reporting requirements. Testifiers from labor, business, and the Attorney General’s Office generally supported stronger enforcement and transparency, while business representatives cautioned against overregulation and said any new rules should avoid burdening legitimate contractors or restricting lawful cash payments and independent contracting. L&I said the final report would be distributed by December 31 and the task force work group would be reconvened. The committee then reviewed the wage recovery work group report. L&I explained current wage complaint procedures and said the work group, made up of labor and business representatives, reached five consensus recommendations: allow L&I to prioritize wage complaints strategically, permit aggregation of related complaints, raise the minimum penalty under the Wage Payment Act from $1,000 to $1,500 and create a penalty matrix, improve employer awareness with materials for new hires, and establish a wage recovery fund. The fund would be seeded by penalties, would not require new employer assessments, and would allow limited early payments to eligible workers facing hardship, with a proposed cap of $2,500 and a later review of the program. Business and labor representatives both supported the overall framework, though business raised concerns about fraud safeguards and recovery of funds if a claim is later found invalid. Members also received an overview of Washington’s apprenticeship system. L&I described the state’s apprenticeship agency structure, the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council, and the difference between Washington’s state apprenticeship standards and the federal Office of Apprenticeship system. The presentation highlighted current participation levels, program approval and objection processes, and strong post-completion outcomes, including median annual earnings above $100,000 and an estimated $7.80 return for every public dollar invested. Committee members asked about how apprentices apply, how sponsors work with L&I, and whether recurring objections could be addressed earlier in the process. Finally, the committee heard updates on wildland firefighter respiratory protection, federal cuts to NIOSH, and economic and federal policy impacts on unemployment insurance and workforce services. L&I said wildland firefighters face significant smoke exposure and cancer risk, but current rules do not require respiratory protection for that work because of technical and operational challenges; the agency is watching efforts in other jurisdictions and at the federal level. On NIOSH, L&I warned that federal staffing and grant cuts could weaken occupational safety research, training pipelines, and programs affecting Washington workers, including firefighter cancer tracking and Hanford exposure assessments. ESD reported rising UI claims, a stable unemployment rate, and pressure on the trust fund, while also describing technology and process changes that have improved claims handling. ESD also said HR1 will significantly increase demand on WorkSource services through new work-search requirements for SNAP and Medicaid recipients, creating an unfunded mandate that the agency is preparing to implement with partner agencies.

Transcript Highlights:

• The total cost, including acquisition, construction, technology, and other expenses, was about $16.1
• This group is adjacent to technology; they're not the IT system, but they are the people that We work
• We've provided, over the last five years, a significant amount of new technology investment, both for
• I highly suspect that our Chief Technology Officer, Paul Romero, has.
• He's provided the technology there.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• 2021 is a bill for an act making an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the Information Technology
• Bill, 2021 is a bill for an act by appropriation for deferring the expenses of the Information Technology
• Speaker, members of the Assembly, Senate Bill 2021 is the budget for the Information Technology Department
• the best government experience and strive to be a trusted business partner through frictionless technology
• inefficient, and costly, and it takes way too long to get new employees set up and to turn off technology

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, pledge, and roll call, establishing a quorum. It then took up a series of appropriations and policy bills, with the most extensive debate centered on Senate Bill 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs budget. The House approved amendments that shifted governance of the department and veterans’ home from ACOVA to the governor, citing concerns about ACOVA’s salary-setting actions and broader appropriation oversight. Members opposed to the change argued ACOVA had studied compensation and acted within its role. The amended bill passed 57-34, and the final bill passed 69-22 with the emergency clause carrying. The House also passed Senate Bill 2001, the legislative branch budget, which funds the 2027 session, legislative staff, chamber upgrades, IT improvements, and salary adjustments for legislative leaders; the bill passed 62-29, but the emergency clause failed. Senate Bill 2019, the Career and Technical Education budget, passed 82-10 with emergency clause. Senate Bill 2021, the Information Technology Department budget, passed 75-17 after discussion of data center migration, service automation, mainframe transition, ERP study, and DPI’s move from PowerSchool to Infinite Campus. Other measures passed included Senate Bill 2228 for rural grocery store sustainability grants, Senate Bill 2390 creating a rural catalyst community grant program, Senate Bill 2188 adjusting the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, and Senate Bill 2265 authorizing a veterans national cemetery grant and line of credit with added reporting safeguards. Several House bills returned from the Senate were concurred in and then passed, including House Bill 1361 on mandatory minimum sentences for human trafficking offenders, House Bill 1017 for the Game and Fish Department, House Bill 1588 on firearms and dangerous weapons provisions, House Bill 1429 on harassment and stalking involving robots, House Bill 1591 on county fair resiliency grants, House Bill 1537 on service agreement protection for water projects, House Bill 1203 on edible medical marijuana products, and House Bill 1027 transferring administration of the State Fire and Tornado Fund from the Insurance Commissioner to OMB. The House also rejected a motion to reconsider Senate Bill 2307, which dealt with library materials and obscenity-related restrictions, by a vote of 48-51. In addition, the chamber appointed conference committees on several House and Senate measures where concurrence had failed, and laid over Senate Bill 2340 for two legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am really getting tripped up with technology.
• It requires technology, and then it requires the people who know how to run the technology.
• Our top four majors include nursing, radiological technology, cybersecurity, and information technology
• Increase creative uses of simulation technology and expand the application to mobile settings, such as
• And then we had some, the AI technology from the UNF area. And so it's just line grant funding.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to focus on nursing education funding, workforce supply, and Florida’s low NCLEX pass rates. The chair emphasized that Florida ranks last nationally in nursing exam pass rates and said the committee wants to use budget decisions and a forthcoming nursing bill to improve outcomes. The Florida Center for Nursing at USF presented preliminary workforce and education data showing RN supply is moving toward equilibrium with demand through 2037, while LPN shortages are projected to worsen, especially in some regions. The center also reported on enrollment, retention, faculty vacancies, and NCLEX trends, noting Florida still underperforms the national average but has shown some recent improvement, including higher RN pass rates in 2024 despite fewer test takers. The center highlighted that students who test sooner after graduation tend to pass at higher rates. A panel of nursing education leaders from public universities, state colleges, technical colleges, and private institutions described how prior state pipeline and line-item funding helped expand enrollment, simulation labs, faculty hiring, student support services, and partnerships with hospitals. UNF, Galen College, College of Central Florida, Keiser University, and Lorenzo Walker Technical College each reported strategies such as expanded simulation, mental health and social work support, test-prep and remediation, and efforts to grow faculty pipelines. Several speakers said faculty recruitment and retention remain major barriers because of salary competition with hospitals, faculty debt, and aging faculty. Technical college representatives also stressed the need to strengthen LPN pathways, English-language support, and LPN-to-RN bridge programs. Members asked for ideas to improve NCLEX outcomes and discussed possible policy options, including student loan forgiveness, critical shortage supplements for faculty, incentives for students to test soon after graduation, and possible changes to timing or regulation around NCLEX eligibility. Several witnesses supported more flexible or recurring funding, while noting that one-time line funding has been useful for simulation, scholarships, and faculty support but is harder to sustain. The committee adjourned after the discussion, with the chair saying the ideas would be considered in future funding and policy decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• As vehicles become more technologically advanced, the amount of data that they generate, from speed and
• They shouldn't be allowed to sell you an app or some kind of technology that they tout can help you be
• If you get an old enough car, you're not going to have the technology in it, number one.
• You provide your own devices in case the vehicle in question doesn't have some tracking technology on
• You provide your own devices in case the vehicle in question doesn't have some tracking technology on

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for replacement of IT equipment, which includes 306 computers, core routers, and various other technology
• So the new voting machines are going to be, you know, technologically advanced, plus you're going to
• You'll be able to use the modern technology like you're used to.
• So we'll still have the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of technology.
• There's a voter technology fund, and it currently has $74,621,750.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee heard a budget presentation for the Department of State. House Fiscal Division said the FY27 recommended budget is $128.6 million and 367 positions, with elections making up the largest share. Secretary of State Nancy Landry said the office is implementing Louisiana’s first closed party primary, continuing voter education efforts, and moving toward procurement of a new voting system that would produce a voter-verifiable paper ballot and support risk-limiting audits. Members asked about polling place confusion, machine replacement costs, election commissioner pay, and the cost of educating voters about the new primary system. Landry said polling places are not changing because of the new primary law, the new system is expected to cost about $100 million total, and a bill this session would raise election commissioner pay by $100 per day. Fiscal staff also estimated the closed primary law will add about $31.5 million in costs over five years, mostly from converting local elections to statewide elections and voter outreach. The committee then reviewed the Department of Veterans Affairs budget, which was presented at about $105.2 million with a mix of federal, state, self-generated, and interagency funds. The department said most costs are tied to personnel and veterans’ homes, and that the homes are funded largely by federal dollars plus self-generated revenue. Members focused heavily on delays in processing National Guard disability claims and payments to veterans. Representatives said constituents had waited about a year for claims to be resolved, while the department said it had increased staffing and was processing a backlog of more than 400 claims, but still had about $950,000 in approved claims awaiting funding. The department said the payout program is governed by statute and that additional supplemental funding has been requested. Members also discussed veterans’ home care, including how service-connected disability status affects eligibility and costs, and whether chronic wound care and related complications could increase long-term costs. The department said veterans with higher service-connected ratings receive care with federal support, while others pay fees. Several members urged the department to provide clearer timelines and better communication to claimants, and one member suggested a separate oversight hearing to address the disability claim process and any needed statutory changes. The committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• for replacement of IT equipment, which includes 306 computers, core routers, and various other technology
• So the new voting machines are going to be, you know, technologically advanced, plus you're going to
• You'll be able to use the modern technology like you're used to.
• So we'll still have the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of technology.
• So there's a voter technology fund, and it currently has 74,621,750.

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Technologies for harmful algal blooms: $15 million; coral reef protection and restoration: $15 million
• And last but not least, Chair McFarland, you are recognized to present the information technology portion
• Having none, are there any questions for Chair McFarland on the information technology portion of the
• My name is Marquesas Blyams and I work in assistive technology.
• I'm an assistive technology specialist and I serve people with disabilities across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• You will walk through the technology.
• <00:10:28.240><c> through</c><00:10:28.959><c> uh</c><00:10:29.040><c> the</c><00:10:29.360><c> technology
• </c><00:10:29.839><c> on</c><00:10:30.079><c> this</c> walk through uh the technology on this walk through
• uh the technology on this equipment<00:10:30.640><c> when</c><00:10:30.800><c> we</c><00:10:30.959><
• </c><00:10:37.519><c> um</c> through and the advanced technology um through and the advanced technology

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson and State Patrol Colonel Christina Bogey announced that weapon screening will begin Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol at the start of the 2026 legislative session. They said the change is based on an independent security assessment and the Axtell report’s top recommendation, and framed it as an added layer of protection rather than a weapons ban or a change in state law. Both emphasized that the Capitol will remain open, accessible, and welcoming while reducing preventable risks, citing heightened threats to public officials and the recent murders and shootings involving Minnesota lawmakers and their families. Bogey outlined the screening plan: visitors will use four public access points, with the south ground-level entrance as the primary entry, while other exterior doors will not be open for public entry. She said the process should take only seconds for most people, with bags going through separate scanners and additional screening only if needed. The Capitol will close to the general public at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, though accommodations will be made when hearings or floor sessions run later. She also said the entrances and screening areas are ADA accessible and that staff will be available to help guide visitors. In questions, officials said prohibited items are defined by statute and administrative rules and referred reporters to the State Patrol website for the full list. They confirmed that lawful permit-to-carry holders may still bring firearms, but must declare the permit, show government ID, and go through screening; elected officials are exempt, while staff are not. They also said the State Patrol will fund the rollout from its own budget, with costs to be evaluated over time, and that tunnel key-card access will be restricted to everyone. The briefing ended with a plan to demonstrate the screening equipment upstairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The technology ensures that access to clean energy is not limited by housing status.
• to access otherwise would not be able to access solar.<00:04:04.159><c> The</c><00:04:04.400><c> technology
• The technology ensures that solar.
• The technology ensures that access<00:04:05.760><c> to</c><00:04:05.920><c> clean</c><00:04:06.239><c
• We want to ensure technologies.

Bills: SB2671 , SB2902

Committee: Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: permit processing, permitting reform, county permits, development permits, building permits, land use, construction delays, housing development, infrastructure development, county workforce, differential pay, salary incentive, performance bonus, recruitment and retention, expedited hiring, vacancy rates, permit backlog, government modernization, county mayor, county council

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs heard two measures. SB 2671, relating to essential permitting positions, drew no oral testimony beyond written comments from the Department of the Attorney General and the Office of Planning. The chair said the bill was intended to make government more efficient and reduce red tape in the permitting process. SB 2902, relating to renewable energy, received testimony from the Division of Consumer Advocacy, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, the Public Utilities Commission, Kauai Island Cooperative, Bright Saver, and 350 Hawaii. Supporters described the bill as a way to expand access to plug-in or balcony solar, lower electricity bills, improve resilience, and broaden access for renters and apartment residents. Several testifiers urged amendments to avoid limiting the measure to condominiums, to remove condominium board approval language, and to eliminate utility or PUC registration requirements. The PUC said registration could help with safety, linemen protection, and circuit hosting-capacity concerns, and noted that improper installation or oversizing could create problems. After a brief recess, the committee voted to recommend both bills for passage with amendments and deferred each to April 19, 2042. The recommendations were adopted without objection.