Transcript Highlights:

• survivor-centered policy.
• Lisa Borgeson, Ella Baker Center, in strong support.
• I'm a blind vendor under the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and I operate the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
• in San Quentin. ...under the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and I operate the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center
• Issa Borgasen, Ella Baker Center, in opposition.

Summary: The committee heard several public safety and criminal justice bills. AB 837 by Assemblymember Davies would add ketamine transportation to existing drug trafficking law; supporters, including district attorneys and peace officer groups, said it would address a growing and dangerous drug trend, while opponents argued increased penalties do not reduce drug supply and can worsen health harms. The bill was approved on a due-pass-as-amended vote and sent to Appropriations. AB 352 by Assemblymember Pacheco would make threats against judges and court commissioners an aggravating factor in sentencing; judicial and law enforcement groups supported it as a response to rising threats, while ACLU and criminal justice advocates said existing law already covers threats and the bill is unnecessary. It also passed to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 938 by Assemblymember Bonta, which expands vacatur and affirmative-defense relief for survivors of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence, including for some violent offenses. Survivors and advocates testified that the bill would allow people coerced into crimes to tell their full stories and seek relief, while district attorneys and sheriffs warned it could sweep too broadly and affect public safety. The chair and several members strongly supported the measure, and it passed as amended to Appropriations. AB 475 by Assemblymember Wilson would make prison work assignments voluntary and is tied to a broader effort to remove involuntary servitude language from the state constitution; supporters framed it as a rehabilitation and dignity issue, while one member objected to the premise and cited the defeat of a related ballot measure. The bill was voted out to Appropriations but left on call pending additional votes. Assemblymember Lowenthal presented AB 704, which would allow people convicted of low-level offenses before age 26 to petition to seal and destroy records after a waiting period. Supporters said the bill addresses the limits of expungement in the digital age and recognizes young adult brain development; prosecutors and police groups raised Brady/disclosure concerns and objected to treating 18- to 25-year-olds like children. The committee debated those issues at length before sending the bill to Appropriations. Lowenthal also presented AB 812, which would expand resentencing opportunities for incarcerated firefighters who serve on conservation fire crews; supporters emphasized rehabilitation, wildfire response, and reduced recidivism, and the hearing continued with support testimony and the start of opposition testimony as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• They include Michael Martinez with Talent Blood Centers in Spokane, Mr.
• She was a champion for our new regional training...
• Senator Lovick: She was a champion for our new regional training police academies.
• Previously, of course, schools, airports, voting centers, government buildings.
• So we included that now to include aquariums, zoos, and transit centers. But, Mr.

Bills: SB5068, SB5109, SB5188, SB5223, SB5280, SB5420, SB5467, SB5581, SB5649, SB5705

Keywords: employment eligibility, firefighters, law enforcement, citizenship, legal authorization, public safety, mortgage lending, fraud, prosecution, financial regulations, consumer protection, broadband, infrastructure, loan assistance, economic development, technology access, criminal offense, fingerprinting, state regulations, SB 5280

Summary: The Senate opened with ceremonial items, approved the previous day’s journal, and referred committee reports and new introductions. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8669 recognizing National Blood Donor Month after remarks emphasizing the life-saving need for blood donations and the work of blood coalition partners. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 8667 honoring Monica Alexander for her long public service with the Washington State Patrol and Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple senators praising her leadership, reforms, and mentorship. The chamber then took up a series of gubernatorial appointments to college boards of trustees, confirming Rosa Peralta to the Seattle College District, Stephen Zimmerman to Wenatchee Valley College, and Tara Lear to Walla Walla Community College, each by roll call vote. After caucus, the Senate returned to third reading and considered several bills, including SB 5068 on law enforcement, corrections, and prosecutors; SB 5252 on property tax exemptions for nonprofit public assembly halls and meeting places; SB 5280 on consumer protections for virtual currency kiosks; SB 5124 on patient access and skilled nursing facility discharge coordination; and SB 5436 on interference with access to places of religious worship. Most of these measures were amended and then passed, with SB 5068 and SB 5436 drawing debate over immigration status and protest activity, respectively. Later, the Senate passed SB 5705, narrowing traffic safety penalties to focus on distracted driving in school zones; ESSB 5594, delaying implementation of biosimilar drug access provisions; SB 5169, expanding out-of-court testimony options for child victims and witnesses; ESSB 5098, expanding weapons restrictions to additional public buildings and outdoor public spaces, despite opposition over firearm preemption and self-defense concerns; SB 5188, allowing rural broadband repair loans; SB 5109, making the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account permanent with a fee increase; SSB 5240, authorizing schools to use available anaphylaxis medication in emergencies; SB 5420, ensuring veterans and uniformed service members access to benefits and opportunities; SB 5467, simplifying surplus property sales by water-sewer districts; SSB 5331, strengthening insurance enforcement and restitution authority; and ESSB 5071, updating child endangerment law to include fentanyl and synthetic opioids, with an amendment adding a parenting-alternative approach for child defendants. The Senate also adopted an amendment to SB 5581 to include public transportation providers in safe-system transportation infrastructure planning and then advanced the bill toward final passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• The review assessed 32 areas of the Fair Plan's operations, financial conditions, and governance.
• The Fair Plan can operate responsibly as the state's insurer of last resort.
• This has been duplicative filings, delays inconsistent practices, and operational challenges.
• It limits the bill to policies issued, amended, or renewed on or after the operative date.
• So there are a few different ways that telematics programs can operate.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires certified nursing... ...surgical center that provides specified services.
• For the last 38 years, I've owned and operated two assisted living facilities in this state.
• , and skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities are not like the other centers and skilled
• Homes and adult daycare centers out of Chapter 400 and created its own statute, Chapter 400.
• Jared Willis, Better Tomorrow Treatment Center, speaking for. Come on up. You are recognized.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up a series of health and human services bills, beginning with CS/SB 1602, which would require hospital emergency departments to have evidence-based pediatric care protocols, staff training, child-sized equipment and medications, a pediatric care coordinator, and participation in a national pediatric readiness assessment. The bill was reported favorably after no public opposition. CS/SB 1224, aligning Florida law with federal requirements for paramedics to administer controlled substances under physician or nurse practitioner direction, also drew supportive testimony from the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and was reported favorably. CS/SB 1182, requiring coverage of continuous glucose monitors under both pharmacy and durable medical equipment benefits, was likewise reported favorably after brief support from AARP. The committee then considered CS/SB 890, the Emily Adkins Family Protection Act, which addresses venous thromboembolism by defining certain conditions as chronic diseases, creating a statewide registry, and requiring screening and training in hospitals, surgical centers, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Family members and blood clot advocates strongly supported the bill, but assisted living representatives objected to being included, arguing the bill would impose unrealistic medical expectations and liability on residential care facilities. Senators also raised concerns about the assisted living provisions, but the bill was reported favorably after the sponsor said more changes were likely later. CS/CS/SB 954, dealing with recovery residences and treatment centers, was amended to reduce the number of active patients from 500 to 300 and then reported favorably after extensive debate over zoning, clustering, neighborhood impacts, and access to recovery housing. CS/SB 1050, which expands the developmental disabilities pilot program and creates an adult pathways waiver option, generated the most extensive testimony. Supporters said it would help reduce the long APD waitlist and expand services, while many families and advocates warned against managed care, citing provider shortages, weak oversight, and the importance of consumer-directed care. Committee members emphasized that participation is voluntary and that people can disenroll, and the bill was reported favorably. CS/SB 614, requiring a public educational webpage about background screening and level-two screening requirements, and CS/SB 1578, expanding breast cancer screening coverage, were both reported favorably with little opposition. CS/SB 1060 created a joint legislative oversight committee for Medicaid financing and operations; after an amendment expanding the committee from three to five members, it was reported favorably. CS/CS/SB 1240, updating DCF substance abuse and mental health procedures including 988, methadone assessment, forensic evaluators, and Baker Act transfer timing, was amended and reported favorably after debate over transfer deadlines and facility responsibilities. Finally, the committee began hearing CS/SB 526, a major nursing education bill aimed at improving Florida’s low NCLEX passage rates by tightening program standards, requiring exit exams and remediation, mandating reporting and inspections, and limiting accreditation extensions. A strike-all amendment was introduced that would also require certain low-performing programs to offer a three-month graduate preceptorship. The transcript cuts off before the bill’s full debate and final action are completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Research and neurosciences at OSC Center for Health Sciences.
• And then some additional hospital operating funds.
• then we We have one in Norman Regional Medical Center.
• That's not how we operate at JD McCarty Center. We really try to be as self-sufficient as possible.
• The operation went off without a hitch.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, right now in a secure spreadsheet.
• </c><00:21:11.120><c> metro</c> high moment of metro operation metro high moment of metro operation metro
• ><c> is</c><00:42:54.720><c> backed</c> This school centered approach is backed This school centered
• </c> nature of the operations. nature of the operations.
• </c> pedigogy and certifications to operate pedigogy and certifications to operate as<01:09:06.560><c

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• My agency is responsible for meeting all air quality standards in the greater capital region to protect
• I'm a scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity.
• This bill is sponsored by the Mid-Peninsula Regional Open Space District and has received bipartisan
• When the region attempted to resolve devastating floods by building a concrete...
• The second amendment we're seeking is that when you heard that if there's a leak that the operators..

Summary: The Assembly Natural Resources Committee met with some initial delay while waiting for quorum, then approved the consent calendar items SB 234, SB 484, and SB 839. The committee heard several bills focused on wildfire mitigation, biomass use, climate resilience, and geologic hazard mapping. Members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized the need to balance climate, air quality, public health, and land management goals, with testimony both supporting and opposing biomass-related proposals. SB 88 (Caballero) would direct state agencies to support beneficial uses of forest and agricultural biomass, including biochar and low-carbon energy. Supporters argued it would reduce open burning, improve air quality, and create rural economic opportunities; opponents, including environmental groups, argued woody biomass energy is costly, polluting, and harmful to forests and communities. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations. SB 653 (Cortese) defining environmentally sensitive vegetation management also passed, with supporters describing it as a voluntary framework to align wildfire fuel reduction with biodiversity and habitat restoration; no opposition was heard, and a member requested to be added as a coauthor. The committee also approved SCR 50 (Stern), which urges state climate agencies to define maladaptation and develop criteria for reviewing climate-related policies and investments, and SB 567 (Limón), a pilot program to study converting idle oil wells into gravity energy storage wells. SB 567 drew support from the sponsor and labor/local government witnesses, while the Water Replenishment District opposed unless amended, citing groundwater protection concerns in key basins and asking for additional safeguards. Finally, SB 831 (Limón) passed, clarifying the scope of geologic hazards to include conditions tied to climate change and natural disasters such as post-fire debris flows, subsidence, and coastal erosion. All measures were reported out of committee, with several absent-member votes later added to complete the roll.

Transcript Highlights:

• Data centers, I mean, I'm sure they have some parishes of concern about data centers.
• “In reference to the data centers, if a data center was to come to Livingston Parish or maybe to Killian
• So we're not operating in a silo. We want to be... Right? So we're not operating in a silo.
• If they come in with a data center, I'll oppose that data center. I'm not going to put anything in.
• If they come in with a data center, I'll oppose that data center. I'm not going to put anything in.

Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• both primary and secondary school premises or school transportation, and including child daycare centers
• Our clients are reporting clinic closures, urgent care centers shutting down, staffing shortages, and
• The United States has the National Crime Information Center, operated by the FBI, a computerized system
• Our major concerns are, number one, crisis relief center capacity.
• We also have concerns around allowing 120-hour stays at 23-hour facility crisis relief centers.

Bills: SB5962, SB6105, SB6203, SB6296

Keywords: spring blade knives, knife legislation, weapon regulation, public safety, law enforcement, medical debt, garnishment, wage garnishment, earnings exemption, exempt wages, debt collection, consumer debt, student loan debt, private student loans, disposable earnings, minimum wage, writ of garnishment, exemption claim, judgment debtor, creditor

Transcript Highlights:

• It also, you know, there is some regional differential in terms of heat impact.
• So, you know, it may also depend on region.
• So I get the regional approach, but I do have some concerns with the impact.
• Especially coming from such diverse regions.
• Ishwaku Vishita with Inner City Law Center. We're also a co-sponsor in strong support.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills and moved most of them forward. SB 655 (Stern) would establish a state policy that residential units should be able to maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature, with supporters citing extreme heat deaths and the need for statewide guidance. Members raised concerns about the lack of a specific temperature standard and possible impacts on the electric grid, but the bill passed the committee 8-0 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 634 (Perez), which would bar state and local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances that punish people or organizations for providing basic survival services to unhoused people. Supporters, including people with lived experience and homelessness advocates, argued that criminalizing food, water, blankets, and outreach prolongs homelessness and harms vulnerable residents; opponents from some cities and counties warned about limits on local control. The bill passed 8-2. SB 772 (Cabaldon) would continue and expand the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program by better supporting walkability, transit, and climate-resilient infrastructure for infill housing; it passed 8-0. The committee also considered SB 838 (Dutraslo/DeRazzo), which would keep the Housing Accountability Act focused on housing by excluding transient lodging from housing streamlining protections. Supporters said some developers have used housing laws to fast-track hotel projects instead of homes, while opponents worried the bill could be too broad and limit mixed-use financing. After discussion about possible clarifying amendments, the bill passed 8-2 to Local Government. Several consent items—SB 484, SB 489, SB 686, and SB 724—also passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill has to do with a tax credit for our prevention resource centers throughout the state.
• Here, if you look, 90% of Planned Parenthood qualifies as a preventative resource center.
• CPO is one of 10 members of DMH's Prevention Resource Center Network.
• Prevention resource centers save the state this money by addressing... Resource Center Network.
• Prevention resource centers save the state this money by address. Tobacco use and abuse.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Lanterman Regional Center and the Golden Gate Regional Center.
• Established in 1966, these pilot regional centers...
• Lanterman Regional Center and the Golden Gate Regional Center to acknowledge the significance of their
• by the Golden Gate Regional Center since 1975.
• Lanterman Regional Center; Mary Marcella, Senator Perez’s constituent, served by the Lanterman Regional

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Castle Medical Center, House, 150,000. Castle Medical Center, 500,000. 500,000. 500,000.
• 57.199><c> 400,000</c> Domestic Violence Action Center 400,000 Domestic Violence Action Center 400,000
• Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, ... Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, $90,000.
• Halo Health Center, $500,000. Kini Medical Center, $1,250,000. Kulani A, $449,600.
• Wiki Community Center, $150,000. Wim Manalo Health Center, $1 million.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing was an informational briefing on Act 310, which set aside $50 million for nonprofit and community organizations facing uncertainty, especially amid federal funding disruptions. Speakers thanked Aloha United Way for handling applications, as well as the governor, lieutenant governor, House and Senate leadership, and legislative staff for helping craft the measure and review more than 200 applications totaling over $150 million in requests. They noted the funding was intended as a safety net for organizations serving at-risk populations and those that had lost federal support, with priority given to healthcare, human services, education, the arts, and food distribution. The co-chair then presented the recommended award list, describing it as aimed at programs with broad reach and high impact. The list included a large number of nonprofits and community providers across the state, such as food banks, health centers, youth and family services, domestic violence and legal aid organizations, cultural and educational groups, and hospitals. Several of the larger awards mentioned included Hui Food Bank, Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island, West Hawaii Community Health Center, The Food Basket, and multiple Maui and Oahu service organizations. After the full list was read, the chair asked for discussion or objections. Hearing none, the committee adopted the list of nonprofit awards as read. The briefing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• of and be out in front of and not wait till they, till it's, it's stripped for us to continue to operate
• bounce from one to the other, being the third such close proximity to keep costs down so you can operate
• The reason I want that, that type of funding, we, we would have contracting sources regionally based,
• Lord, uh, as, as, uh, described by the Representative Tara earlier, the, the casualty Assistance Center
• at other options, you know, we do, uh, have the VIC here in Albuquerque, the Veteran Integration Center

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the workings of the livestock operation, so I feel that background certainly will qualify me for
• Chair and members, Senate Bill 1082 requires operators of petting zoos, animal encounter exhibits, and
• Chair and members, Senate Bill 1082 requires operators of petting zoos, animal encounter exhibits, and
• The Department of Homeland Security lists Shiga toxin as a potential bioterrorist agent.
• Recently, the DWR approved our plan of operation, which is a governing document for the GRD.

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from February 3 and February 10, 2026, then heard two nominations. Jessica Manuel was introduced as a nominee to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission. She described a science-focused background and experience with state and multi-agency work, and members discussed wildlife management, including gray wolves and conservation. The committee voted 8-0 to recommend her confirmation. Stephen Williams was then introduced as a nominee to the Arizona Livestock Loss Board. He emphasized his experience with the State Land Department and livestock operators, and members asked about compensation claims and wolf-related livestock losses. The committee voted unanimously to recommend his confirmation as well. The committee next considered SB 1785, which would codify ADWR’s existing one-mile safe-harbor policy for recovery wells near groundwater storage facilities. Supporters said it would provide certainty and preserve current practice, while ADWR requested clarifying language about the bill’s definitions. Opponents argued it would lock current policy into statute and could reduce flexibility. The bill received a 5-3 do-pass recommendation. SB 1082, which would impose sanitation and handwashing requirements on petting zoos and similar animal encounter exhibits, drew emotional testimony from a parent advocate describing children hospitalized with STEC HUS after a state fair petting zoo exposure, while opponents said the bill was unnecessary and overly burdensome. The committee adopted the sponsor’s amendment but then deadlocked 4-4, so the bill failed. The committee then took up SB 1336, a continuation and reform bill for the Arizona State Land Department that also created a temporary oversight committee and, through a large amendment, added lease, notice, and committee-structure changes. Supporters from mining and agriculture backed the measure as a way to improve predictability and transparency, while some members objected to the amendment’s scope and the committee’s composition. The amendment passed 4-3 and the bill as amended was recommended 6-2. SB 1200, an emergency measure directing ADWR to revisit certain Phoenix AMA assured water supply applications using older groundwater models, was supported by the sponsor but opposed by CAP/GRD and ADWR, who warned it would add replenishment obligations and rely on outdated models; it passed 5-3. SB 1335, requiring the Arizona Water Banking Authority Commission to post its annual report online, passed 7-0-1. SB 1559, creating rural groundwater management work groups in each basin with NRCD involvement and annual reporting to ADWR, drew support from conservation district representatives and opposition from Mohave County interests concerned it would not address overpumping; it passed 5-3. Finally, SB 1761, appropriating $47.7 million to the University of Arizona for its desert agriculture, Cooperative Extension, and experiment station programs, was presented as a land-grant mission funding measure and received broad support from agriculture and several members, with some concerns about budget priorities and the size of the appropriation.

Transcript Highlights:

• sensitive health care to underserved communities for 40 years; the Koreatown Youth and Community Center
• The Korean Town Youth and Community Center has served families for more than 50 years.
• Korean immigrants and Korean Americans to the Central Valley region, shaped by hard work, resilience,
• Jalatan Kim, president of San Francisco Korea Center. Where's your hand? Mija O is here.
• But there, of course, is so much loss, a sense of fear, a deep sense of grief felt all over the region

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and took up Senate Concurrent Resolution 106 by Senator Choi, which designates January 13, 2026 as Korean American Day in California. Senator Choi and many members spoke in support, highlighting the history of Korean immigration, the contributions of Korean Americans in business, public service, culture, education, health care, and civic life, and the significance of Korean American communities across the state. Several members also shared personal and district-specific examples, including Koreatown, the Korean Friendship Bell, Pachappa Camp in Riverside, and Korean American organizations and businesses affected by the recent wildfires. The resolution was adopted on a 38-0 roll call vote. After the vote, Senator Choi introduced Korean American guests visiting the chamber, including the Consul General of Korea in San Francisco and other community leaders. The Senate then returned to motions and committee announcements, including notices that the Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee and the Human Services Committee would meet after adjournment. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas also requested that SB 626 be removed from the inactive file and returned to the Assembly for amendments. The remainder of the session was devoted largely to adjournment memorials. Senator Umberg honored Monica Lynn Martinez-Hays, a longtime legislative staffer and artist. Senators Pérez and Allen jointly memorialized the 19 people who died in the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, describing the devastation, the community’s recovery, and the names and lives of many victims. Senator Menjivar also asked for adjournment in memory of Marine Corps Sergeant Adrian Carrillo, who died in a December traffic collision. The Senate announced its next floor session for Friday, January 16 at 9 a.m. and then recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, she is the Hawaii Child and Youth Services Bennett Youth Center awardee.
• :16.480><c> Services</c><00:18:16.960><c> Bennett</c><00:18:17.360><c> Youth</c><00:18:17.679><c> Center
• </c><00:18:18.640><c> um</c> Youth Services Bennett Youth Center um Youth Services Bennett Youth Center
• </c><00:20:29.120><c> and</c> Miss Thomasro, Director of Operations and Special Programs.
• He's the MEP center director for Innovate Hawaii with HTDC.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Western is known for its personalized, student-centered approach, offering small class sizes and close
• </c><01:49:59.119><c> appropriate</c> sourced eco- regionally appropriate sourced eco- regionally appropriate
• </c> to spend $600 billion on data centers to spend $600 billion on data centers and<02:34:31.520><c>
• ,</c><02:36:38.800><c> which</c> and wage setting systems operate, which and wage setting systems operate
• The rationale behind this is operational efficiency. It's for commercial standards.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> only preserve our operational only preserve our operational capabilities,<00:42:22.400><c> but</
• They want to increase that due to rising costs on their operational costs for that.
• They want to increase that due to rising costs on their operational costs for that.
• They want to increase that due to rising costs on their operational costs for that.
• They want to increase that due to rising costs on their operational costs for that.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee approved the October 15 minutes and observed a moment of silence for the victims of the UPS Worldport plane crash. The main presentation was from Transportation Cabinet Commissioner Bobby Joe Lewis on the Local Assistance Road Program/County Priority Projects Program (LAARP/CPP), which was implemented under House Bill 546 and now requires rehabilitation projects to restore roads to original condition, cap funding at $500,000 per project, use a new scoring matrix, include a local match, and submit one photograph per 300 feet of project length. He reported that the 2026-2027 cycle ran from June 1 to October 1 and drew 1,215 project applications from 107 counties and 106 cities, with total submitted project costs of about $121.1 million and about $102.3 million requested after local match. He also said 30% of submissions scored 10s and 22% scored 9s, and that the list of requests and required photos had been submitted to the General Assembly and LRC. Members asked about how scores change over time, whether roads can move from lower scores to 10s, and whether the new process gives a better picture of local needs. Lewis said scores can change based on weather and road conditions, but the new system provides more information and a more standardized evaluation than before. Several members raised concerns about the volume and size of required photographs, suggesting drone footage or video as an alternative; Lewis said the photo requirement has caused confusion and large file uploads, and he was open to considering easier ways to document conditions. Members also discussed continuity in scoring across districts, and Lewis explained that district staff appointed by chief district engineers use a handbook and scoring matrix, with the scores entered into a computer system so evaluators do not see the final score while scoring. The committee also discussed funding levels and carry-forward balances for the program. Lewis said the program began with $20 million authorized in HR92, noted underruns from completed projects, and reported a carry-forward amount that had grown to $355,432.42 available for reauthorization as of October 13. In response to questions, he said the current process concentrates applications into a short window, with 63% of applications arriving in the last few days and 417 on October 1, which created a heavy workload but was completed on time. The meeting then moved to multimodal funding priorities, with Jennifer Kersner of Kentuckians for Better Transportation introducing herself and offering condolences for the UPS aviation incident before beginning her remarks.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was a significant issue for the region.
• Clearly, Minnesota needs to address if and how we want data centers to be built and operate in the state
• Centers are among the richest in the world.
• So it is right that we use this moment to evaluate how data centers can operate as good neighbors both
• I'm the Midwest Regional Director with Vote Solar.