Transcript Highlights:

• cleanest in the United States, and that we're one of only a handful of states that meets all clean air standards
• So things like the Clean Air Act standards, they kind of have numbers that are kind of all the time for
• standpoint, water quality and waste management issues appear to be minimal as long as proper care and standards
• Do not these generators have to operate under emission standards like our tractors or trucks and everything
• We're part of the University of North Dakota, a non-teaching unit.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• cleanest in the United States, and that we're one of only a handful of states that meets all clean air standards
• So things like the Clean Air Act standards, they kind of have numbers that are kind of all the time for
• standpoint, water quality and waste management issues appear to be minimal as long as proper care and standards
• Do not these generators have to operate under emission standards like our tractors or trucks and everything
• We're part of the University of North Dakota, a non-teaching unit.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are grateful to Thee for teaching us the things that are of most importance in our lives as we're
• Robins, Robertson, Ross, Sellers, Cell, Shaver, Shaw, Shyrie, Simpson, Smith, Soros, Stoddhagen, Standard
• , Shaver, Shaw, Shyrie, Simpson, Smith, Soros,<00:07:58.639><c> Stoddhagen,</c><00:07:59.919><c> Standard
• ,</c><00:08:00.479><c> Star,</c> Soros, Stoddhagen, Standard, Star, Soros, Stoddhagen, Standard, Star

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This will allow us to have some standardization and visibility on the things that are going on and just
• And have them teach a class through this program, right? I can do that ad hoc.
• services more accessible, we actually launched an online version of our written test that follows best standards
• So, they are really the gold standard when it comes to system of records for driver’s licenses.
• is actual or this is projected because, as you know When you sample correctly in accordance with standards

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Three, standardized protocols and policies developed in advance so providers and families know what to
• Clearer, consistent messaging should be to people, standardized education, disaster preparedness, continued
• Cleaner, consistent messaging should be to people, standardized the education, disaster preparedness,
• When parents take their children out to take care out of fear, the children we love and teach suddenly
• We do know that the current reimbursement rates are either 85% of the 2018 market survey, the standard

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Look, you can go back to my UC Davis days where I started the film club there, where I was teaching people
• way that this is framed is that you're asking that this program be something that has to meet a standard
• Is it, is there any, is there any industry that would actually meet the standard that you're sort of
• So with that, I guess I wanted to sort of ask what kind of standard... do you think we should be setting
• identity, it would be viewed as a downsliding of the state of California and a reduction in our standard

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Home educated students are civically engaged, are well socialized, and score above average on standardized
• Home educated students are civically engaged, are well socialized, and score above average on standardized
• for a fifth and sixth year while being concurrently enrolled in postsecondary education to get a teaching
• </c> teach students at a university level. teach students at a university level.
• </c> Take it back to federal standards. It won't be approved.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Program, the Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program, and the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching
• Program, the Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program, and the Pathways to Bilingual Teaching
• bachelor's degree programs to more students to meet state workforce needs in areas like nursing, teaching
• bachelor's degree programs to more students to meet state workforce needs in areas like nursing, teaching
• bachelor's degree programs to more students to meet state workforce needs in areas like nursing, teaching

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also about a second part of that mission, which really focuses on teaching and learning, which is
• So we do a teaching mission.
• We also deliver knowledge, transfer knowledge through teaching.
• They have folks in their communities that are teaching those 4-H members about everything from... ...
• folks in their communities that are teaching those 4-H members about everything from how to manage their

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and opening remarks from NDSU President David Stewart, who emphasized NDSU’s land-grant mission of statewide service through teaching, research, and extension. He highlighted the university’s role in agriculture, water, soil health, and community outreach, and pointed to examples of research commercialization such as Lilac Agriculture’s work on nitrogen-fixing microbes for crops. He also said he is still early in his tenure and intends to spend time listening and learning across the state. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study estimated that North Dakota could develop about 1.3 million additional irrigated acres, with major potential in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau. Testimony stressed the economic benefits of irrigation for crop yields, value-added processing, dairy, and potato production, while members also discussed water availability, aquifers, downstream water use, and the need for more flexible permitting. The drainage portion of the study found significant economic benefits from legal drains, and staff explained that the impacts were calculated through increased productivity and related input purchases. Greg Lardy then gave NDSU’s required agriculture update, saying agriculture accounts for more than $41 billion in annual economic activity, one in five jobs, and about 25 percent of state GDP. He reviewed the role of SBAR, the statewide research-extension network, new crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI and weather-network tools, and Extension’s county partnerships and youth programs. He also outlined NDSU’s priorities for the next session: restoring proposed budget cuts, increasing operating support, and addressing deferred maintenance. Members asked about storage shed construction, NDSU’s relationship with Grand Farm, and whether NDSU could help with water-related research tied to drainage and aquifers. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor on water and data centers, who described graduate fellowships, a water workforce certificate program, and research on data center cooling, water use, and “Legendary Harvest” concepts that would reuse waste heat for greenhouse or aquaculture production. Questions focused on whether the cooling systems were closed-loop, who would own any related production facilities, and whether the project was still only a feasibility study. Finally, North Dakota AgTech described its NSF-funded “engine” project, saying it has brought millions in federal investment to the state, supported startups and on-farm trials, and is focused on commercialization, workforce development, and helping producers lower input costs and improve profitability.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when you think about the ways that you teach kids, like, it has to be in a variety of ways.
• And you're trying to teach them parliamentary procedure and you're trying to... ...computer training
• and all the different things, and you're trying to teach them parliamentary procedure and you're trying
• session during organizational session because some of the basic things we take for granted we need to teach

Summary: The Legislative Arrangements and Procedure Committee met with a quorum, approved the prior minutes, and then took up several follow-up items related to legislative security, public records, and the impacts of term limits. The Secretary of State’s office presented draft language to make legislators’ and candidates’ residential addresses confidential in public records, with discussion of who would be covered, how the protection would work, and whether it should expire when a candidate’s term ends. Members raised concerns about unintended consequences, transparency, and whether the public should still be able to see enough information to evaluate residency requirements. Rather than act immediately, the committee set the draft aside for a future meeting and asked for an amendment reflecting the Secretary of State’s suggested changes. The committee also reviewed a security best-practices memo and NCSL materials on capitol security. The memo encouraged legislators to be aware of their surroundings, avoid real-time vacation posting, vary routines, report threats, and follow security alerts. Members discussed a recent incident and the need to improve alert distribution and update contact information so legislators and staff receive notices consistently. The Secretary of State and committee members noted that the alert system may need refinement, including a separate legislative notification channel. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to Garrity Consulting’s final report on how to mitigate the effects of legislative term limits. The consultants summarized interviews, surveys, and focus groups with legislators, the public, and stakeholders, identifying major themes such as loss of institutional knowledge, leadership turnover, staffing pressures, and the need for stronger onboarding and training. Recommendations included considering annual sessions or shifting biennial sessions to even-numbered years, restructuring organizational session, making interim committees more consistent with regular committees, adding office hours, formalizing mentorship and leadership succession planning, expanding staff and professional development resources, creating public-facing educational tools, and improving communication and virtual testimony options. Members generally appreciated the report and its phased implementation roadmap, while also debating the practicality of some recommendations and the tension between making service more demanding and keeping the legislature accessible to new candidates.

Transcript Highlights:

• they'd be able to speak better to this, but traditionally they are paid a nine-month salary for their teaching
• they are paid a 9-month salary<00:25:34.960><c> for</c><00:25:35.159><c> their</c><00:25:35.360><c> teaching
• </c><00:25:35.919><c> obligations</c> salary for their teaching obligations salary for their teaching

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They've begun to teach us... ...to teach us about de-escalation and having more empathy for individuals
• we go out to search for them, not to come in, like, in full gear and just come in hard, they're teaching

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The question I have, I think, goes along with Representative Karnney's: a teacher teaching health or
• Representative Karnney's. um Representative Karnney's. um a<00:08:12.240><c> teacher</c><00:08:12.639><c> teaching
• c> uh</c><00:08:13.440><c> health</c><00:08:13.759><c> or</c><00:08:14.080><c> sex</c> A teacher teaching

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• takes existing money and lets the regional EMS council find somebody to be an instructor and come teach
• I'm trying to understand the people. >> Yeah, they have to have the appropriate certifications to teach
• appropriate have to be have the appropriate certifications<00:13:20.880><c> to</c><00:13:21.120><c> teach

Bills: HB3, HB116, HB165, HB178, HB3, HB116, HB165, HB178

Keywords: illegal alien, enhanced sentencing, criminal offenses, minor victims, felonies, Alabama legislature, HB116, Alabama Sunset Law, sunset bill, sunset review, Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board, bail bonding, bail bonds, bail bond industry, professional bail bondsman, licensing board, state agency continuation, agency reauthorization, regulatory board, criminal justice

Transcript Highlights:

• continue to serve it in this way is that I've spent a lifetime 40 years or so in higher education, teaching
• American politics, teaching the history of political ideas, what we used to call playdoh to NATO.
• experience of higher education and more particularly I have spent the last 40 years or so of my career teaching

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want great outcomes for our kids, you need to ensure support for the people who are teaching them
• If you want great outcomes for our kids, you need to ensure support for the people who are teaching them
• If you want great outcomes for our kids, you need to ensure support for the people who are teaching them

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We're very involved with the young community, with universities to teach about logistics, about the importance
• different supply chains, they all need to use different ports, and that's part of our effort, trying to teach
• They're going to be teaching that to help our farmers. That's great for us.

Summary: The Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee held a panel discussion focused on Florida seaports and their role in the state economy. Florida Ports Council CEO Mike Rubin opened with statewide figures from a 2023 economic impact study, saying Florida seaports support about 1.2 million jobs, generate roughly $195 billion in economic value, and produce about $7.4 billion in state and local taxes. He emphasized that ports are critical for fuel, food, medical supplies, construction materials, and hurricane response, and argued that continued state and federal investment is needed to expand capacity and move projects forward faster. PortMiami Director Heidi Webb described Miami’s cruise and cargo operations, noting the port generated about $61 billion in economic impact and 334,000 jobs. She highlighted record cruise activity, major private investment by cruise lines, the launch of shore power at cruise terminals to reduce emissions, and ongoing capital projects including a new Royal Caribbean terminal, berth reconstruction, and an inland port concept to reduce congestion. Members asked about security, hurricane procedures, AI use, infrastructure planning, collaboration among ports, and smuggling prevention; Webb said the port uses layered security with local law enforcement, CBP, Coast Guard, and radiation monitors, and that hurricane planning is coordinated in advance with county and federal partners. Port Tampa Bay’s Raul Alfonso said Tampa is the state’s largest port by land area and a major energy hub for Central Florida, with an estimated $34.5 billion economic impact. He discussed diversification into containers, food distribution, fertilizer, and construction materials, along with major needs such as a deep-dredge project and more warehouse space. He also addressed resilience and fuel distribution during hurricanes, and said the port is preparing for future LNG and alternative-fuel demand through partnerships, land planning, and education. Jaxport’s Nick Primrose then described Jacksonville’s container, auto, breakbulk, aggregate, military, and LNG businesses, including 1.3 million TEUs last year, major state-funded crane purchases, harbor deepening, auto-processing expansion, and its role as a strategic military port. He said Jaxport is a leader in marine LNG and has trained all employees on human trafficking awareness. The discussion ended with Port Panama City being introduced as a smaller but important Panhandle economic engine, with Rubin noting its cargo, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects and its continued need for state and federal support.

Transcript Highlights:

• We talked about the federal aspect in adopting those types of standards here in the state, but we also
• We talked about adopting federal standards.
• We talked about adopting federal standards.
• All of these, again, have to meet the federal and state standards and requirements for their Medi-Cal
• Healing for Native communities should include ceremony, elders, traditional teachings, language, and

Summary: The joint Assembly Health and Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an oversight hearing on AB 988, California’s 988 crisis line and mobile crisis response system, followed by a discussion of suicide prevention and intervention in California Indian communities. Members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized that AB 988 was intended to create a true alternative to 911 for behavioral health crises, with “someone to call, someone to come, and somewhere to go,” and that Native communities continue to face disproportionately high suicide rates and barriers to culturally responsive care. The first panel of call center and stakeholder witnesses largely argued that implementation is falling short of the law’s intent. They said 988 call centers are underfunded, text/chat answer rates remain far below call answer rates, staffing is strained, and the system still lacks meaningful statewide interoperability between 988 and 911. Several witnesses said mobile crisis teams are not being dispatched through 988 as envisioned, and that funding formulas and governance are too opaque. San Joaquin County was presented as a local success story, with integrated 988, access lines, and mobile crisis handoffs that have reduced reliance on emergency departments and involuntary holds. Witnesses also discussed the need for better tribal outreach, the role of CCBHCs, and the importance of culturally competent services. State officials from CalHHS and DHCS described the five-year 988 implementation plan, the current governance structure across multiple agencies, and efforts to support training, public awareness, and referral tools. They reported growth in 988 contacts, ongoing training with the Trevor Project, a statewide resource directory, and a tribal awareness campaign. DHCS also outlined proposed trailer bill language that would create a formal designation process for 988 centers, set statewide standards, and require existing centers to obtain designation by 2029. Officials said current funding includes SAMHSA grants, block grant dollars, and an expected $67.3 million from the 988 fund in the next budget year, with a large share earmarked for Medi-Cal mobile crisis services. No formal vote or committee action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that we have the highest environmental standards.
• I'm very proud of our high labor standards that we have in this state, but it's important to also know
• And they've evaluated Farm to School as a very valuable program, but it doesn't meet the standard of
• “I'm proud of our environmental standards, because it is something that I think sets us apart.
• This has been more the standard rather than the exception in terms of IT implementation.

Summary: The meeting began with a lengthy opening discussion with Secretary Karen Ross of the Department of Food and Agriculture, who reviewed the department’s proposed budget, emphasized California agriculture’s record output, and highlighted major priorities including climate-smart agriculture, groundwater management, local food systems, farm-to-school, food hubs, invasive pest prevention, bird flu response, and food safety. She also warned about federal budget cuts, especially at USDA and FDA, and discussed market access challenges abroad, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the need for automation and workforce training. Members raised questions about the future of Farm to School, the California Nutrition Incentive Program/Market Match, local food procurement, and how to better connect farmers to schools, food banks, and food hubs; Ross said the department had strong evidence the program benefits small farms and Title I schools and noted continued interest in building out local food infrastructure. The committee then took up item one on eliminating vacant positions at the Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and Food and Agriculture. The Legislative Analyst’s Office explained that the Governor proposed eliminating 6,000 vacant positions statewide, with the Joint Legislative Budget Committee previously rejecting 650 of them, including 174 in these three departments. LAO and Finance said the vacancies represented a source of budget flexibility, but warned that eliminating them could create program impacts; LAO recommended retaining the special-funded positions at Fish and Wildlife and Food and Agriculture, while weighing the General Fund positions against other priorities. Finance argued the reductions were part of a broader budget-resiliency exercise and that departments could reclassify or shift vacancies to higher priorities. Members focused heavily on the practical impacts of the cuts. Assemblymember Petrie-Norris argued that Fish and Wildlife staffing shortages were already slowing permits needed for housing, clean energy, water, and transportation projects, and questioned the value of saving relatively small amounts of money. Fish and Wildlife officials said the department had prioritized mission-critical work and could still meet permitting obligations, but acknowledged limited-term staffing constraints. State Parks said the proposed ranger and maintenance cuts would not have immediate effects but could slow maintenance and eventually worsen deferred maintenance. Food and Agriculture said some of the eliminated positions supported early pest detection and eradication, but that the department believed it could still meet its mandate and reclassify positions if needed. The chair and several members signaled concern about the Fish and Wildlife and Parks cuts, while also noting the broader need for budget reductions. The committee then moved to item six, hearing an overview from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Staff described the office’s role in CEQA implementation and said the budget requests were baseline funding to maintain existing functions, including IT services and administrative/legislative support, rather than new programs. The chair asked the presenters to move quickly through background material so the committee could get to questions, and the item began with no votes taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Once they get into the eligibility system, we use standard processes which have built into them sort
• So that's the first kind of backstop that we have built into how we standardize these processes.
• It takes dedicated intention, time, and resources, and we need to make it a standard board practice.
• standardized process to support consistent statewide implementation of the program.
• And so we had to teach a lot about the procedures of the 4731.

Keywords: 988, house, all