Transcript Highlights:

• And Jean Mills from the Family Forum is in favor.
• And Gene Mills from the Family Forum is in favor but does not wish to speak.

Committee: Senate Insurance

Summary: The Senate Insurance Committee met on May 13, 2026, adopted the May 6 minutes, and then took up several bills dealing with pharmacy benefit managers, prescription access, behavioral health coverage, and Citizens Property Insurance. HB 938, as amended, was the main PBM reform measure. After the committee adopted a large amendment set that narrowed the bill, members heard extensive testimony in support from Mark Bloom, Justin Joseph of Capital Rx, and Kathy Ue of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, all emphasizing transparency, pass-through pricing, reverse auctions, and patient access. Supporters described savings from reverse auctions and administrative models, while the cancer center testified that PBM-owned specialty pharmacy requirements can delay cancer medications and create financial hardship. The committee reported HB 938 favorably with amendments. The committee also heard HB 1154, which prohibits prior authorization for certain generic medications prescribed by qualified physicians, with a $250 cap discussed as a safeguard against higher-cost generics. The bill was supported by representatives from Ochsner Health and the Louisiana State Medical Society and was reported favorably. HB 909, which requires commercial coverage for behavioral health crisis services, was amended to clarify the insurers covered and then reported favorably with support from the Office of Behavioral Health and several outside groups. Testimony on HB 909 focused on reducing emergency room and law enforcement burdens and expanding crisis response capacity across the state. HB 1187, dealing with excess emergency assessment funds from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, was explained by the Insurance Commissioner as a way to transfer remaining Katrina-era assessment funds to the Fortified Roof Program. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, SB 511 and SB 512 were deferred and converted into a study resolution approach because there was not yet consensus on the underlying issue. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• toward unregulated online or backyard sales, increasing the risk of scams, unhealthy pets, or puppy mill
• Would you believe that there was a puppy mill in my district just this last fall that had been operating

Bills: HB1268 , HB3041 , HB3075 , HB3378 , HB3463 , HB3619 , HB3620 , HB3624 , HB3722 , HB4335

Committee: House Government Oversight

Keywords: retirement, public employees, deferred option plan, service credit, contributions, distributions, credit card transactions, payment methods, service charge, consumer rights, financial regulation, rounding, cash payments, public finance, Oklahoma Common Cents Act, political subdivision, science and technology, research, board appointments, emergency legislation

Transcript Highlights:

• towards unregulated online or backyard sales, increasing the risk of scams, unhealthy pets, or puppy mill
• Would you believe that there was a puppy mill in my district just this last fall that had been operating

Bills: HB1268 , HB3041 , HB3075 , HB3378 , HB3463 , HB3619 , HB3620 , HB3624 , HB3722 , HB4335

Committee: House Government Oversight

Keywords: retirement, public employees, deferred option plan, service credit, contributions, distributions, credit card transactions, payment methods, service charge, consumer rights, financial regulation, rounding, cash payments, public finance, Oklahoma Common Cents Act, political subdivision, science and technology, research, board appointments, emergency legislation

Summary: The Government Oversight committee opened with prayer and then took up a series of bills, many related to census preparation, election administration, municipal oversight, and state/local regulatory policy. Leader Lawson presented three census and mapping measures: HB 3619 updated the state geographic information one-stop initiative and authorized leaf-off aerial surveys to support a single boundary map layer; HB 3620 created the 2030 Complete Census Count Committee; and HB 3624 repealed a statute tied to meandering waterways and county boundary interpretation. All three passed, with HB 3619 and HB 3624 receiving unanimous support and HB 3620 passing 13-2. Chairman Bowles presented HB 3463 to modernize municipal audit procedures for small communities under 2,500 population, emphasizing transparency and accountability; it passed 16-0. Floor Leader West presented HB 3041 on credit-card surcharge rules for retailers. Members debated whether the bill’s cap language was really a cap or a notice threshold, and an amendment to raise the percentage from 2% to 4% was ultimately withdrawn so the language could be fixed later; the bill still passed 19-0. Pro Tem Moore’s HB 4335, aimed at preventing a patchwork of local pet-shop and pet-breeder bans while preserving statewide standards, drew questions about preemption and enforcement but passed 13-6. Representative Hildebrandt’s HB 3075 created a penny-rounding rule for cash transactions by public entities, allowing rounding to the nearest nickel; it passed 18-0. Representative Ranson’s HB 3378 made a temporary change to the Oklahoma Science and Technology Research and Development Board’s terms to address delays in grant timing, and it also passed 18-0. Representative Crosswhite Hader’s HB 3722 would require incomplete voter registration applications to be returned rather than defaulted to “independent/no party,” prompting extended debate with the State Election Board about voter intent and processing; it passed 15-3. Finally, Vice Chair Hays presented HB 1268, which adds a DROP option to the pension system for EMTs, county jailers, and assistant sheriffs with a five-year cap; it passed 13-4. The committee adjourned after announcing a Thursday meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Different logging companies, mills, wood manufacturers, chip trucks, they all contribute to this fund
• Different logging companies, mills, wood manufacturers, and chip trucks all contribute to this fund to

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the previous day’s journal. It received a Senate message returning House Bill 559, reported several newly printed bills, and advanced multiple measures through the calendar. Among the introduced bills were proposals on restroom and changing-room access and privacy, school facilities cooperative funding, tax exemptions, homestead tax exemption, and prior authorization reform in health insurance. On third reading, the House passed House Bill 512 on land surveyors, reinstating an Idaho-law jurisprudence exam; House Bill 502, moving forest products commission rules into statute; Senate Joint Memorial 107, supporting the Delamar Mine Project and urging faster federal permitting; House Bill 494, moving background-check rules into statute; House Bill 531, updating school epinephrine administration rules to cover newer delivery methods; House Bill 542, regulating social media access for minors through age verification and parental consent; House Bill 500, extending traffic protections and duties to electric-assisted bicycles; House Bill 533, eliminating the vehicle registration sticker requirement; and House Bill 555, rewriting the solid waste code to place primary regulatory authority with DEQ while allowing contracts with health districts. House Bill 552 was returned to committee, and remaining third-reading bills were held one legislative day. Debate centered on the social media bill’s private right of action, the background-check bill’s statutory references, and the solid waste rewrite’s regulatory structure and federal-water-law implications. Most measures passed by wide margins, though House Bill 494 drew a closer 36-33 vote and House Bill 542 passed 62-7. The House also approved title corrections where none were offered, transmitted passed bills to the Senate, received the enrolled House Bill 559 back from the Senate, and adjourned until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hi, I'm Mark Sauter from District 1 up in Sandpoint, and we certainly have forestry and mills and lots
• The people who fund them are the timber people: the mills, the processors, the loggers, the ones who

Summary: The Resources and Conservation Committee convened with introductory remarks from Chair Mendive and members, who briefly described their districts and backgrounds. The chair outlined committee procedures, noted the committee would move quickly on RSs, and mentioned that some Fish and Game administrative rules could draw significant public interest and may be handled in a separate Zoom meeting because of their impact on hunting and other issues. The committee then considered three RSs. RS 32850, presented by Rep. Boyle, would move existing Forest Products Commission rules into law; it was introduced after brief questions about timber assessments. RS 32975, also by Rep. Boyle, would memorialize Congress to clarify federal land exchange procedures under FLPMA after a long-running BLM exchange was challenged in court; it was introduced. RS 32883, presented by Rep. Manwaring, would move the Soil and Water Conservation Commission from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Water Resources as part of an efficiency review; members raised concerns about preserving agricultural issues and committee jurisdiction, but the RS was introduced. Rep. Tanner then gave a presentation on budgeting and JFAC, urging members to review whether older laws and associated costs are still functioning as intended and to consider committee input on budget issues, including dedicated funds and agency reserves. Discussion focused on whether cuts to dedicated funds could affect agencies such as Fish and Game or local districts, with members cautioning against undermining locally managed reserves. Tanner said he was not proposing sweeping dedicated funds, but encouraging review of reserves and fees. He also raised concerns about DEQ staffing and permitting capacity in the context of federal primacy and litigation risk. Finally, budget analyst Janet Jessup demonstrated legislative budget tools and publications, including the base budget builder, budget book, fiscal report, fiscal source book, and performance measures, before the committee adjourned after volunteers were secured to proof the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• about, but I've got you'll know— Tramway has just launched a bid to start paving, and New Mexico 116 Mill
• Below it is Interstate 25, having just been... ...milled and inlaid, and this is just on the north side

Transcript Highlights:

• Hard Rock mining mill sites to establish<02:08:01.199><c> the</c><02:08:01.520><c> abandoned</c><02:
• ,</c><02:09:53.440><c> offices,</c> waste rock placement, mills, offices, waste rock placement, mills
• </c> a different type of claim called a mill a different type of claim called a mill site<02:14:49.599
• Developers would be required to pay fees for any mill sites established under this bill.
• sites established under for any mill sites established under this<02:35:05.840><c> bill.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, December 18, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It covers the northern part of Roger Mills County into the far west side of Dewey County, up into Ellis
• So I'm thinking about what some people would refer to as diploma mills, the Corinthian...
• Some people would refer to as diploma mills, the Corinthian College kinds of schools, which really are
• What we're actually asking is, I think it's 15 mills that actually go into the general fund.
• Five mills will go into the building fund, if I'm not mistaken.

Bills: HB4319 , HB4317 , HB1225 , HB3076 , HB3081 , HB4226 , SCR17 , HB4432 , HB3304 , HB3411 , HB3435 , HB4339 , HB4331 , HB4341 , HB4342 , HB1770 , HB1016 , HB4113 , HB2950 , HB4141 , HB3277 , HB2988 , HB3029 , HB3338 , HB1889 , HB3834 , HB3831 , HB2939 , HB3045 , HB3657 , HB1739 , HB3759 , HB3755 , HB4484 , HB4486 , HB4108 , HB1250 , HB2961 , HB1219 , HB3025 , HB1782 , HB1907 , HB3718 , HB4459 , HB2976 , HB3548 , HB3545 , HB2952 , HB2929 , HB2956 , HB2973 , HB3055 , HB3086 , HB3040 , HB3794 , HB4336 , HB3151 , HB1590 , HB3581 , HB3313 , HB3429 , HB3448 , HB1752 , HB2650 , HB3584 , HB4202 , HB3586 , HB4321 , HB4280 , HB3650 , HCR1020 , HB2116 , HB2206 , HB4301 , HB3625 , HB3147 , HB3403 , HB3498 , HB3970 , HB3975 , HB3976 , HB3980 , HB4265 , HB4266 , HB3638 , HB3880 , HB3930 , HB3942 , HB3944 , HB4191 , HB3242 , HB3678

Keywords: administrative procedures, rulemaking authority, specific authority, legislative review, agency rules, accounting, CPA, licensure, educational requirements, reciprocity, professional conduct, vital records, birth certificate, birth registration, biological sex, sex designation, male, female, nonbinary, gender identity

Summary: The House began with a quorum call, then moved into a series of special presentations recognizing guests and champions, including the Talihina state football team, the Hodgson Bulldogs state basketball champions, Sooner Start families and advocates, the Edmond Republican Women’s Club, Leadership Miami, and other visitors in the galleries. Members also adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, honoring the long friendship between Oklahoma and Ireland and welcoming Irish Senator Aubrey McCarthy to the Capitol. The chamber then considered and passed several bills on third reading. Among them were HB 4226, creating a formal recusal/disqualification process for judges with timelines; HB 4432, addressing itemized deductions and gambling-related tax treatment; HB 3304, requiring Service Oklahoma to check the methamphetamine user database before issuing a commercial driver’s license; HB 3411, requiring PFOS testing and related safeguards for biosolids land application; HB 3435, creating a single-subject rule for municipal bonds; HB 4339, updating probate publication requirements for rural Oklahoma; HB 4341 and HB 4342, both CASA-related measures; HB 1770, directing OSU Veterinary Medicine to study the elk population in the northwest zone; HB 1016, setting up trust protections for minors featured in monetized online content; and HB 413, clarifying that people with felony convictions may vote once they have fully completed incarceration, parole, supervision, and probation. The House also passed HB 2950, removing an ACT requirement tied to Oklahoma’s Promise for homeschool students; HB 4141, funding a statewide sexual assault nurse examiner coordinator if money becomes available; HB 3277, cleanup language for VIN inspections on salvage vehicles; HB 2988, expanding the Terry Peach Act; HB 3029, requiring a four-year planning process for the State Department of Education; HB 3338, regulating the pool industry after reports of consumer losses; HB 1889, restoring benefits for a small group of police and fire retirees; HB 3834, authorizing ibogaine clinical trials for PTSD, addiction, and related conditions; HB 3831, seeking state support for Oklahoma Task Force One urban search and rescue; HB 2939, removing fax-machine references from election law; HB 3045, extending response-fee limits to municipal fire departments; HB 3657, modernizing OESC reporting and data sharing; HB 1739, reinstating a half-pay provision for OHP members; HB 3759, setting a June 30 date for temporary school allocations; HB 3755, clarifying juvenile detention medication funding and custody language; HB 4484, allowing certain state vehicles to be used between residences and work sites; HB 4486, creating a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at the Capitol; HB 4108, adding airports to the critical infrastructure trespass list; and HB 1250, creating a revolving fund for public safety technology tied to the Blue Jay app. Most bills passed with broad support, though a few drew significant debate, especially the homeschool/Oklahoma’s Promise bill and the pool regulation bill, which passed with narrower margins.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see the picture to the right is actually a feed mill truck.
• with the Kentucky Department of Transportation to actually construct a temporary road to that feed mill
• If that feed mill goes down, then the closest other feed mill is actually out of state in Tennessee.
• You'll see the picture to the right is actually a feed mill truck.
• If that feed mill goes down, then the closest other feed mill is actually out of state in Tennessee.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met to adopt the minutes of the second meeting by voice vote, then heard an update focused on disaster preparedness, resiliency, response, and coordination among state agencies and partners. The chair emphasized avoiding duplication of resources and highlighted the importance of agriculture-related response issues, including animal evacuation, feed distribution, and the role of extension services during disasters. The Department for Public Health was invited to explain its role in emergency planning and response. Public Health described its Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch as the lead coordinating agency for Emergency Support Function 8, covering health and medical services under Kentucky’s emergency operations framework. Testimony outlined its broad responsibilities, including support for hospitals, morgues, local health departments, behavioral health, crisis counseling, suspicious package testing, disease outbreaks, and coordination with emergency management, EMS, transportation, and nonprofit and private partners. Officials also described the agency’s risk-assessment process, training and exercise programs, and deployed assets such as PPE caches, deployable communications, a federal medical station, a mobile treatment center, and alternate care support used in events like the eastern Kentucky floods and COVID-19. The agency also discussed funding through federal cooperative agreements for public health emergency preparedness and hospital preparedness, noting that these programs have evolved since 9/11 and have been shaped by major disasters and emerging threats. Officials said Kentucky’s funding has declined over time and that current awards are partially funded for the first time in the program’s history. They expressed support for efficiency if federal programs are consolidated, but cautioned that combining programs could risk further funding losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're a trade association representing the large wood-consuming mills in the state.
• We've got leftover material at the mills: sawdust, bark, things like that.
• sawdust bark material at the Mills sawdust bark things<00:57:21.039><c> like</c><00:57:21.280><c> that
• The paper mills burn it to generate heat and electricity at the mill site, which helps make them sustainable
• The paper mills burn it to generate heat and electricity at the mill site, which helps make them sustainable

Bills: HF1126 , HF967 , HF1066 , HF1669 , HF926

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: property tax, Indian Tribe, tax exemption, Minnesota, public charity, property tax exemption, Minnesota statutes, unorganized territory, federally recognized, soil conservation, water conservation, local government aid, environmental funding, Minnesota legislation, tax credits, sustainable aviation fuel, environmental policy, corporate franchise, Minnesota taxation, tobacco

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Mills. Senator Neal. Senator Thomas. Senator Wilson. Senator Wise.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The transcript appears to be a roll call or attendance check for a legislative meeting. Senators Chambers Armstrong, Givens, Mills, Neal, Thomas, Wilson, Wise, and Sivers were listed, along with Representatives Burke, Meade, Miles, Nemes, Reedy, Stevenson, Watkins, and Osborne. Several members responded present during the call, including representatives Burke, Meade, and Miles. The remaining text indicates there was no objection to a procedural matter, and it was ordered, but no bill, motion, testimony, or substantive policy discussion is included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the design components: there is a concrete mill wall.
• When the levee was first designed, there was a flour mill in the south end of Mandan.
• Some of the design components, there is a concrete mill wall.
• When the levee was first designed, there was a flour mill in the south end of Mandan.
• So we'll more than likely be maxing out the four mills as we go, at least from what I can see, 10 to

Committee: Joint Water Topics Overview Committee

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met to review several interim studies and receive updates from the Department of Water Resources. The committee approved the March 26, 2026 minutes, observed a moment of silence for the late Representative Conmy, and welcomed Representative Hansen to the committee. Staff then reported that the watershed management study and the stormwater/wastewater study had both satisfied the presentation requirements in their study directives, with no further required testimony unless members wanted additional information. The department’s main presentation focused on major water projects and agency operations. Reese Haas and staff updated members on the NAWS project, the Southwest Pipeline Project, Devils Lake outlet operations, low-head dam safety work, floodplain management repository implementation, data center water use, and the 2027 Water Development Plan. Members asked detailed questions about NAWS funding sources, remaining project costs, capacity concerns for All Seasons and other users, and whether current construction is being designed for future demand. The department said NAWS remains on track for substantial completion by October, that remaining NAWS funding will come from a mix of federal, state, and local sources, and that current construction is designed for ultimate capacity while some future components will be adjusted for increased demand. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to the department’s cash management, Resources Trust Fund revenues, carryover balances, and the State Water Commission’s cost-share program. The department reported $340.6 million in carryover remaining, explained that much of it is already obligated to long-term projects, and noted that oil price forecasts and stripper-well exemptions will affect future revenues. Members raised concerns about large carryovers, affordability for local sponsors, and whether the state should continue obligating money multiple bienniums ahead. The department said it is working with the commission on a revised prioritization framework, including high/moderate/low project categories and a two-tier pre-construction/construction approach, to better manage obligations and affordability. The committee also reviewed Deloitte’s finalized studies on regional governance/finance and cost-share policy. Deloitte presented options for Southwest, NAWS, and Red River governance, with stakeholders generally favoring keeping NAWS largely as is, using the current Southwest model with improvements, and pursuing a more structured governance option for Red River. On cost share, the department said Deloitte’s recommended package would cover projected needs through the 2030s, but would require policy changes such as lower percentages for some project types, a 25% replacement-project rate with a cap, and possible bonding or delayed reimbursement strategies. No votes were taken on these policy questions, and the chair indicated the committee would continue the discussion at future basin meetings and the September Water Topics meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Short, either a mill levy, something like that.
• Short, uh either<00:41:33.760><c> a</c><00:41:33.920><c> mill</c><00:41:34.160><c> levy,</c> something
• district which you can add from two to district which you can add from two to four<00:42:54.400><c> mills
• </c><00:42:55.839><c> Um,</c><00:42:56.160><c> again,</c><00:42:56.480><c> that's</c> four mills on that
• Um, again, that's four mills on that.

Bills: HB0004

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Keywords: medical assistance, birthing centers, healthcare, Medicaid, Wyoming, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Maiden, Senator Maize Budso, Senator McDaniel, Senator Meredith, >> Senator Meredith, >> Senator Mills
• > Hi. >> Senator Maize Bledsoe. >> Senator McDaniel. >> Hi. >> Senator Meredith. >> Hi. >> Senator Mills
• Higdon, Senator Howell, Senator Maiden, Senator Bledsoe, Senator McDaniel, Senator Meredith, Senator Mills
• &gt;&gt; Senator<01:16:31.679><c> Mills,</c> &gt;&gt; Senator Mills, &gt;&gt; Senator Mills, &gt;&gt;

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Mills, Senator Neimis, present. Senator Rawlings, present.
• > Aye. >> Senator Carol. >> Aye. >> Senator Douglas. >> Aye. >> Senator Herron. >> Aye. >> Senator Mills
• Chairman. >> Senator Herron. >> No. >> Senator Mills. >> Hi. >> Senator Neimus. >> I. >> Senator Rawlings
• Senator<01:08:57.520><c> Mills.</c> Senator Mills. Senator Mills.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled several referred administrative regulations, including a package from the Board of Respiratory Care described as a substantive housekeeping update to its regulations and incorporated materials. There were no questions from members, and the committee also heard from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, which was present in case questions arose but did not require action. Members then took up an amendment to the state health plan for facilities and services, specifically 900 KAR 5:02. Wesley Duke explained that a previously proposed criteria related to mega-voltage requirements, originally suggested by the Kentucky Hospital Association, was now being removed because the association no longer considered it necessary. The committee moved to accept the agency amendment, with a motion and second, and approved it without opposition. The committee next considered Senate Joint Resolution 23, a “food is medicine” resolution sponsored by Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer. Supporters from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Hospital Association described the initiative as a voluntary, statewide effort already adopted by 52 hospitals, aimed at improving patient health while supporting Kentucky farmers and local food systems. Members discussed access to healthy food, grocery-store availability, school nutrition, and the need to reduce barriers to local procurement; the resolution was adopted unanimously after a roll call vote, with one senator briefly explaining a late vote due to weather. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 12, which would allow mid-level practitioners to serve as the leader of a Level IV trauma center under physician direction. The sponsor and witnesses from Appalachian Regional Healthcare argued the change would help address rural trauma-care shortages, align with national standards, and improve access without changing scope of practice or other trauma-center requirements. Several members raised questions and comments about rural access, liability, costs, and the broader health impacts, but no vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are things like your cemetery board and your, uh, school rec mills, those kinds of things.
• :45:50.680><c> rec</c> cemetery board and your uh school rec cemetery board and your uh school rec mills

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They're the mechanics and the mill workers and the secretaries and the custodians and all the people
• They're the mechanics<00:48:46.319><c> and</c><00:48:46.559><c> the</c><00:48:46.720><c> mill</c><00:
• 48:47.040><c> workers</c><00:48:47.680><c> and</c><00:48:47.920><c> the</c> mechanics and the mill workers
• and the mechanics and the mill workers and the secretaries<00:48:48.960><c> and</c><00:48:49.200><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So Burns Mill is within my district, 111. Cody and I have a very good relationship.
• just want to say thank you for coming and testifying and doing your due diligence to help make Burns Mills
• Mills Road safer, Jefferson County safer.
• Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Mills, I will be succinct in my comments, but on behalf of the Kansas City, Missouri

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'll take us back to this last session, which Senator Robby Mills had resolution 112, which is in
• Unfortunately, Senator Mills couldn't be here.
• Unfortunately, Senator Mills couldn't be here.
• I know you've done work with Senator Mills and Senator Douglas.
• </c> know you've done work with Senator Mills know you've done work with Senator Mills and<00:19:17.800

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The meeting was a discussion of fatherhood and a possible response to Senator Robby Mills’ Resolution 112, which had proposed a task force on fatherhood initiatives. After approving the June meeting minutes and confirming a quorum, the committee heard a presentation from Mark Ludwig, executive director of the National Council for Equal Shared Parenting, who argued that fatherhood is often left out of public policy and that stronger father involvement is linked to better outcomes in crime, education, substance abuse, and family stability. He cited Kentucky’s 50/50 shared parenting law as a model and urged fatherhood classes, employment support, mentoring, co-parenting education, and partnerships with community organizations, schools, and social workers rather than relying solely on state spending. He also said fatherhood engagement could save the state money by reducing incarceration and related costs. Members then raised concerns that the presentation did not sufficiently address structural causes of fatherlessness, especially incarceration, racial disparities, gun violence, poverty, housing, transportation, and sentencing policy. Senator Berg and Representative Kulkarni emphasized that Black and brown families are disproportionately affected by incarceration and violence, and questioned whether fatherhood programs alone can solve the problem without broader reforms. Ludwig responded that some fathers are pushed out by the court system or lack legal resources, and said reintegration programs and legal, financial, and community supports are part of the solution, though he had focused mainly on the need for fatherhood programming in this presentation. No bill was voted on and no formal action was taken beyond approving the minutes. The discussion appeared to be an initial policy conversation to gather ideas and perspectives for possible future work on fatherhood-related initiatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• Co-chair Mills here. Co-chair Whitten here. Alrighty.
• Co-chair Mills here. Co-chair Whitten here. Alrighty.
• Co-chair Mills here. Co-chair Whitten here. Alrighty.
• Um, I want to reiterate, and as Senator Mills said, just kind of level set because there are so many
• </c><00:04:57.360><c> said,</c> reiterate and and as Senator Mills said, reiterate and and as Senator

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:15 Roll Call 00:00:45 Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:33 Adjournment 01:17:15, 958, all

Summary: The Housing Task Force 2.0 reconvened with several new members and heard a presentation from Kentucky Housing Corporation Executive Director Winston Miller and Deputy Executive Director Wendy Smith. They framed the task force’s work as a practical effort to address Kentucky’s housing shortage, update members on the current housing landscape, summarize existing state and federal resources, and suggest areas for the task force to focus on over the coming year. KHC said its 2024 housing supply gap analysis found Kentucky is short about 206,000 housing units, split roughly evenly between rental and homeownership, and projected the gap could grow to 287,000 units by 2029 if current trends continue. They emphasized that every county in Kentucky needs more housing, that the 2008 housing crisis and loss of construction capacity remain major causes of the shortage, and that current pressures include high interest rates, rising insurance and tax costs, construction cost inflation, and housing prices and rents growing faster than incomes. KHC also said homelessness has risen in Kentucky, with point-in-time counts showing double-digit increases in recent years. The presenters reviewed existing resources, including federal programs, the Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the rural housing trust fund, KHC mortgage and down payment assistance programs, and the state mortgage interest deduction. They said these resources are important but insufficient to close the gap, and noted that a proposed federal FY2026 budget would cut HUD programs by 44%, potentially removing about $286 million from Kentucky housing resources, though no action has been taken yet. They urged the task force to consider stronger, more flexible tools such as a revolving loan fund, a state affordable housing tax credit, and economic development and employer-assisted housing incentives, and pointed to Indiana’s housing infrastructure and regional development funds as examples. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.