Transcript Highlights:

• State Representative from Pagedale. And first State Representative from Pagedale. Excuse me.
• He marched to this very building to save the only Black hospital in this state that served and trained
• The members will state their point of order. The members will state their point of order.
• And I think about this state as well, and how this state distributes its resources.
• That this state needs to do. We have a balanced budget amendment on our state.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous day’s journal by a 132-0 vote. Members then used personal privilege remarks to recognize Black History Month, honor several Black colleagues and public servants, observe a moment of silence for the late Dr. Steven Leon, and deliver a lengthy tribute to the late Freeman Bosley Sr. The chamber also welcomed numerous guests and school groups, including congressional and local officials, mental health advocates, FFA students, championship volleyball players, elementary and junior high students, and other district visitors. The House then took up several bills on third reading. The most contentious debate was over House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1663, 1607, and 1973, which removed a sunset from Missouri’s restrictions on transgender athletes in school sports. Supporters framed it as protecting fairness and women’s sports; opponents argued it targeted a very small number of students, was discriminatory, and distracted from more pressing issues. After extended debate, the measure passed 98-37. The House also passed House Bill 2682, a school-related First Amendment bill, after debate over whether it would protect hateful student speech; it passed 99-47. Lawmakers next passed House Bill 2274, the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, to make it easier for teachers to transfer credentials across states, especially for military families, by a vote of 133-13. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1883, dealing with sales tax on durable medical goods and certain auction items, passed 98-36 after criticism that it was too broad and would benefit high-end auction sales. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2085, a tobacco preemption bill that also allows localities to enforce a tobacco age of 21, passed 93-43 amid debate over local control and youth tobacco access. House Bill 2145, allowing businesses on two-lane highways to place signs across the road, passed overwhelmingly 142-2. Finally, the House passed House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution 169, which would limit state and local spending growth to prior-year levels plus inflation and population growth, with emergency exceptions. Supporters called it a way to restrain government spending and align with the Hancock Amendment; opponents raised concerns about how it could interact with future tax policy, including the proposed income tax elimination plan. The resolution was discussed at length but ultimately advanced by vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So you have buildings, as I was looking up at Facebook, many of the buildings, the dams, the county buildings
• It's trust-building. It's education. It's training. We need that for the state of California.
• So relationship-building still needs to happen in the state of California.
• I think it would be wrong for the state of California to help build this infrastructure... ...build this
• became a state: the Spanish rule, the Mexican rule, and then the United States, then the state of California

Summary: The Select Committee on Native American Affairs held an informational hearing on the state’s response to the missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP) crisis, with an added focus on foster youth and child welfare. Opening remarks from the chair and members emphasized that California has made some progress through the Feather Alert, DOJ coordination, grant funding, and MMIP summits, but that the crisis remains severe and requires ongoing, not one-time, investment. Members repeatedly noted the need for stronger statewide coordination, better data, and more consistent attention to tribal communities and foster youth. Tribal leaders described the crisis as rooted in jurisdictional gaps, poor data collection, and lack of urgency from law enforcement. Witnesses from Hamul, Chachancey, Tahon, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes shared personal accounts of missing and murdered relatives, criticized inconsistent responses, and called for regional response agreements, direct tribal access to data, sustained funding, and clearer law enforcement protocols in Public Law 280 settings. Several leaders said Feather Alert and state grants have helped build infrastructure and partnerships, but stressed that trust-building, training, and accountability are still uneven across the state. The second panel featured the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Justice’s Office of Native American Affairs, both of which reported on implementation improvements. CHP said it has tightened Feather Alert practices, increased activations, improved outreach and training, appointed a tribal liaison, and expanded human trafficking training. DOJ described work under AB 3099 and AB 1334, including a Public Law 280 advisory council, improved crime reporting and data systems, MMIP outreach, and a tribal police pilot program with the Yurok Tribe. Members also raised the need to better support tribal courts and ensure protection orders are enforced. The final panel focused on foster youth as part of the MMIP crisis. Advocates from Pitt River, the California Tribal Families Coalition, and Coyote Valley said Native children are disproportionately represented in foster care and are at heightened risk of going missing or being exploited. They argued that foster care, trafficking, poverty, housing instability, and historical trauma are all connected to MMIP, and called for stronger ICWA implementation, culturally grounded services, better coordination with social workers and law enforcement, and immediate use of Feather Alert when Native children are missing. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with continued calls for legislative, budgetary, and policy action.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:09.880><c> County</c> meetings with City councils County meetings with City councils County
• </c><00:18:02.640><c> the</c> best interest of both the state the best interest of both the state the
• </c> answering questions from City Council answering questions from City Council Members<00:19:07.480
• </c> the city engineer with the code the city engineer with the code officials<00:19:38.280><c> and</
• </c><00:19:40.320><c> or</c> officials and with the city council or officials and with the city council

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• we could all smile, laugh, and be happy about the wonderful opportunity we have to serve the great state
• I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands
• From the Office of the Governor, January 15, 2026: Dear Legislators, as required by Idaho Code Section
• Counties shall be a member of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council and to make technical
• House State Affairs Committee will meet Monday, January 19th at 9:00 a.m. in Room EW40.

Summary: The House convened with 26 members present, heard prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and approved the House Journal. The chamber also received a gubernatorial transmittal on the Governor’s Emergency Fund, which was filed with the Chief Clerk, and a message regarding enrolled House Concurrent Resolution 20 being signed by the Senate President and referred for delivery to the Secretary of State. During first reading, the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee introduced five bills: HB 489, which would prohibit using a mask or disguise during a criminal offense and add a sentencing enhancement; HB 490, revising reckless driving provisions; HB 491, revising immunity for persons giving emergency first aid; HB 492, adding an Idaho Association of Counties representative to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council; and HB 493, revising the penalty for soliciting commercial sexual activity. All five were referred to the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee for printing. In announcements, members were reminded about parking and House fund payments, the sound system repair was thanked, and Appropriations Committee members were unanimously counted present while in session. Committee schedule notices were read for several standing committees. The House then adopted a motion to adjourn until 11:00 a.m. Monday, January 19, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Look, I've been subpoenaed in states that have a shield law, and I've been subpoenaed in states that
• I've been subpoenaed in states that have a shield law, and I've been subpoenaed in states that don't
• Why would legislation forbid citizens from criticizing the actions of a state, any state?
• If the state passes 1763, it means the state is deciding which of us are the real Jews.
• a Muslim state.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened with procedural guidance for a very large hearing, explaining testimony limits, written testimony procedures, and rules for maintaining order. Members then heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including proposals to define antisemitism using the IHRA definition, regulate facial recognition technology, restrict weaponized robotics and drone use, expand protections for journalists’ confidential sources, address access to decedents’ email accounts, and create or adjust rules around municipal enforcement and animal cruelty fines. Several sponsors and advocates asked for favorable reports, and committee members asked clarifying questions on implementation, costs, and how the bills would interact with existing law. On facial recognition, sponsors and advocates described the technology as a threat to privacy, due process, and civil liberties, and urged adoption of the Special Commission’s recommendations, including warrant requirements, notice to defendants, and limits on untargeted surveillance. Support came from legislators, the ACLU, CDT, EFF, and a UMass professor, while committee members asked about current state law and municipal bans. On robotics, Senator Moore and industry witnesses from MassRobotics, Boston Dynamics, and AUVSI supported a bill prohibiting weaponized robots and requiring warrants for certain law enforcement uses, describing it as a public-safety and trust-building measure. On the shield law bill, newspaper publishers, journalists, NEFAC, and the Reporters Committee argued Massachusetts needs statutory protection for confidential sources, citing costly subpoenas and chilling effects on reporting. The committee also heard testimony on a bill to expand the right of publicity to cover image and voice, with SAG-AFTRA members supporting protections against AI-driven exploitation and some discussion about viral content and consent. Another bill would allow limited access to a decedent’s email accounts, with one witness describing a family’s inability to use a deceased relative’s email to notify friends. The committee then took testimony on psilocybin-related bills: supporters described medical and personal benefits and argued for narrow decriminalization or study, while an opponent warned of public-health risks, impaired driving, and youth exposure; the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society supported limited, safety-based decriminalization. Finally, the committee heard strong support for a “safe reporting” bill for sex workers and trafficking survivors, with advocates saying immunity would encourage victims and witnesses to report crimes without fear of arrest, and members raised questions about how the immunity would work in practice.

Transcript Highlights:

• It aligns local policies to lower costs for state-funded housing programs by directing state dollars
• I would strongly suggest we engage a party that is authorized, with the state and following state labor
• And the State Controller's Office, it says the State Controller's Office administers the property tax
• It's good to have partners outside of the state building, whether it's our county supervisors, our other
• “They are a state-only population.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review heard the 2026-27 budget package, including AB 111 and AB 112 plus 16 trailer bills and two policy bills. Chair Laird described the budget as balanced over two fiscal years, with about $351.7 billion in total spending, $251.5 billion General Fund, and record reserves, while emphasizing investments in child care, homelessness, housing, Medi-Cal, education, courts, and other core programs. The Department of Finance presented each bill, outlining major items such as Medi-Cal adjustments tied to federal H.R. 1, child care and early learning funding, education and higher education investments, human services, developmental services, health, skilled nursing, resources, energy, transportation, housing, labor, state government, courts, taxation, and two policy bills on education governance and ballot measure placement. The LAO said it had no additional comments but was available for questions. The committee later achieved quorum and moved to member questions and comments, with no votes taken in the portion provided. Members largely focused on the budget’s fiscal structure and policy implications. Several senators praised staff and noted the compressed timeline, while Vice Chair Niello criticized the process as overly complex and burdensome. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas supported the budget but raised concerns about Medi-Cal changes for people with unsatisfactory immigration status, asking about access to care, the number affected, and county eligibility support; Finance said about two million people would transition to fee-for-service and that $39 million was included for care coordination, along with additional county eligibility funding. Senator Durazo said the agreement delayed, but did not resolve, cuts to immigrant health coverage, dental, and clinic payments, and argued that the budget did not create a true restoration mechanism. Senator Richardson highlighted hospital funding, public hospital definitions, DMV data protections, and court construction and maintenance needs, while Senator Grove questioned the sustainability of spending, the Medi-Cal savings assumptions, distressed hospital funding, Planned Parenthood transparency, developmental services changes, high-speed rail costs, and the property tax postponement program. Other members emphasized different priorities. Senator Blake Spear praised climate and parks investments, support for HAP homelessness funding with accountability, transit stabilization, and Care Court referral funding, while expressing concern about the lack of wildlife coexistence funding and long-term transit operating support. Senator Weber Pearson raised a technical concern in the health trailer bill regarding menopause language, arguing that the bill should refer to perimenopausal symptoms and should not narrow provider participation through contracting language. Throughout the hearing, Finance repeatedly explained that many of the budget’s savings came from reduced caseloads or delayed implementation of prior proposals, while some new spending was added to mitigate impacts and support administration of the changes. No final committee action or vote was shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> state for hire driver's license or state state for hire driver's license or state transportation
• cryptocurrency in the state. The report cryptocurrency in the state.
• Senate Bill 629 states that it is the policy of the state that email systems and resources for state
• You didn't build it. The parishioners have put a roof on the building.
• You didn't build it. The parishioners have put a roof on the building.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We compared the top 20 behavioral health codes in the state that were used and we compared them to both
• And so, for Utah, in one behavioral health code, you are 3% above what Utah's behavioral health code
• Let's compare it to other states.
• In New Mexico, as many of you know, we are a state of 24 nations, so we have 26 states.
• Three Native American nations in our state, plus United States Americans, the dominant culture.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• builds on this.
• The federal grant we received A state grant that builds on this.
• to bring industry, workforce education, philanthropy, state agencies, you name it, to the table to build
• Trades Council, Fresno EOC, and the Valley Apprenticeship Connections, ...Building Trades Council, Fresno
• Building Trades Council with Fresno EOC and the Valley Apprenticeship Connections and high-speed rail

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of State to publish on their website a list of all sister city and sister state affiliations, along
• I’m the founder of State Armor.
• or the United States.
• or the United States.
• and of the state of Florida.

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard a long agenda of bills, beginning with several probate, civil rights, and claims measures. Senators Burgess’s SB 326 on curators of estates was explained as a modernization of probate law; an amendment narrowing the bill was adopted, and the committee reported the bill favorably 10-0 after limited public testimony, including opposition from Ray Contreras. Burgess’s SB 1096, clarifying filing deadlines under the Florida Civil Rights Act, also passed unanimously 11-0. The committee then approved several claims bills, including SB 28 for Reginald Jackson against the City of Lakeland, SB 6 for a child injured after DCF’s handling of abuse allegations, SB 18 for the estate of McKenzie Navarre against the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, SB 26 for the estate of Mark Legata against FDOT, and SB 2 for the estate of Daniel Maudsley against DHSMV, with votes ranging from 10-1 to 11-0 and mostly no debate or opposition. The committee also took up trust and family-law related bills. Leader Berman’s SB 786 created a nonjudicial process for closing uncontested trusts and discharging trustees; after a technical amendment and testimony from Ray Contreras raising notice concerns, it passed 11-0. President Gates’s SB 50 expanded veterans’ courts statewide, drew broad support from veterans’ groups and advocacy organizations, and was reported favorably 11-0. Senator Simon’s SB 538 standardized extracurricular participation rules for public, private, virtual, and homeschool students; after multiple amendments on homeschool eligibility, fees, and coach compensation, it passed 11-0 with support and opposition from education-related groups. President Gates’s SB 1004, aimed at consumer protections in the sale of dogs and cats, also passed unanimously after testimony from humane organizations. The committee then considered broader policy bills. President Pro Tem Brodeur’s SB 1366 on claims against the government proposed raising sovereign immunity caps and adding CPI adjustments; local government, hospital, and school representatives supported the Senate’s lower-cap approach while warning against the House version, and the bill was reported favorably 11-0. Senator Jones’s SB 178 on athletics in public K-12 schools, as amended, would let head coaches provide limited personal support to student-athletes and require reporting of assistance; it passed 10-0. Senator Grohl’s SB 1178 on foreign influence and foreign countries of concern drew extensive supportive testimony from national security witnesses and was reported favorably 11-0 after a technical amendment and withdrawal of another amendment. Finally, SB 1632 on ideologies inconsistent with American principles prompted substantial debate and public testimony over domestic terrorism designations, Sharia law references, due process, and free speech concerns; the committee had not yet completed final action on that bill when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm mindful of the fact that in the United States you need three-fifths of the states.
• I'm mindful of the fact that in the United States, you need three-fifths of the states.
• code to fund processes related to obtaining or finalizing building permits. ...governments may use money
• from fees and fines under the building code to fund processes related to obtaining or finalizing building
• We do this in state agencies. We do this in state government.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a series of member introductions recognizing interns, pages, volunteers, and the retirement of Pastor Gary Austin from the sergeant’s office. Leadership also announced that budget talks with the House were continuing and that senators would not need to plan on being in next week, suggesting progress toward a budget framework. After routine floor business, the chamber took up a major third-reading measure on citizen initiatives and several education bills, followed later by returning messages from the House on health and school-safety measures. The most extensive debate centered on the citizen initiative bill, which sponsors said was intended to protect the constitutional amendment process from fraud and abuse based on election-crime investigations and a large state report on petition fraud. Supporters argued the bill would add reasonable guardrails, prevent misuse of public funds, and preserve integrity while still allowing grassroots participation. Opponents from both parties argued it would make citizen-led amendments much harder by adding costs, deadlines, criminal penalties, and administrative burdens that would chill participation and favor wealthy or corporate interests. After lengthy debate, the Senate voted 28-10 to pass the bill. The chamber then passed several education measures with little or no opposition, including bills tied to Bright Futures, dual enrollment, Florida ABLE, teacher preparation, and other education policy updates, all by 38-0. Later, the Senate concurred in House amendments on a stem cell therapy bill, an EKG requirement for student athletes, and a cardiac emergency bill, each passing 37-0. The House also sent back a school safety bill with amendments affecting child care facility partnerships with law enforcement, temporary door locks during active assailant incidents, supervision windows, and funding for panic alarm systems; the transcript ends as that bill is being explained.

Transcript Highlights:

• These revenues or rebates include the state sales tax, state hotel occupancy tax, and the state mixed
• And receive rebates of state sales taxes and state hotel occupancy taxes for 10 years.
• sales taxes, state hot taxes, and state mixed beverage taxes for 30 years.
• or nonprofit use buildings prior to 2022.
• And uh and does help restore historic buildings across the state.

Bills: HB249

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: real property, ad valorem tax, tax appraisal, property value limitation, real estate taxation, property ownership

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:37.080><c> if</c><00:08:37.200><c> you</c> Senate council if you Senate council if you would
• </c><00:31:12.760><c> Statute</c> 308 recent revisions to State Statute 308 recent revisions to State
• state park in the state of Minnesota and actually the first in the country.
• Grand Portage actually has the first and only joint state-tribal state park in the state of Minnesota
• States now are embracing them.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We would be able to report those to the state in which they are licensed, and that state is to give,
• that were recently adopted into their state law, and then there's another ...adopted into their state
• code right now.
• and varies across the states.
• So some states have wide-open, full prescriptive authority for pharmacists, and then some states have

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee reviewed four bill drafts for the Rural Health Transformation effort. The first required the presidential physical fitness test in PE classes; members asked about DPI and school support, then moved and approved the draft. The second required physicians to complete one hour of continuing education on nutrition and metabolic health each renewal cycle and included legislative intent encouraging other health boards to consider nutrition-related CE; it was approved after brief discussion. The third bill adopted the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. Members discussed a separate issue involving occupational therapy compact background checks and whether that fix could be added now or would need to wait until later; the committee also discussed Board of Medicine input and the compact’s workforce benefits. The draft was moved forward to the full committee. The fourth bill expanded pharmacists’ prescriptive authority and therapeutic substitution. Legislative Council explained the draft, and Senator Roars proposed substantial amendments to narrow motion sickness, UTI, diabetes supply, and substitution provisions. Members debated whether to vote on amendments now or wait for the special session public hearing; concerns were raised about transparency, stakeholder input, and avoiding premature action. No amendment vote was taken, and the bill was left for later consideration. The committee then recessed until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• the transportation system worthy of our great state.
• Obviously, one of the questions I have is: the state, with the state court temporarily requiring DMV
• We're not the only state that's facing this issue, so...
• The state in the past has done a lot of toll, excuse me, the state has supported a lot of our local partners
• But one of the most significant ones is how is the state...”

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met to consider several governor’s appointments, bill referrals, a rule waiver, and floor acknowledgments. The committee approved multiple appointments not required to appear, including members of the Board of Behavioral Science, the Contractors’ State License Board, and the Medical Board of California, with most votes either 3-2 or 5-0. It also approved a reference of bills to committees, a waiver of SR 55 to allow guests on the Senate floor for an adjourn-in-memory of former President Pro Tempore John Burton, and floor acknowledgments, all by 5-0 votes. The committee then heard testimony on the appointment of Dina El-Tawansy as Director of Caltrans. In her opening remarks, she emphasized her 28 years at the department, and said her priorities would be safety, equity, climate resilience, economic prosperity, workforce development, and a multimodal transportation system. Senators questioned her on a range of transportation issues, including impacts from federal and state disputes over immigrant truck drivers, the Highway 58 truck climbing lane, DBE certification changes, asphalt recycling and waste disposal, climate adaptation on coastal infrastructure, and the future of road funding as electric vehicles reduce gas tax revenue. El-Tawansy said Caltrans is pursuing project prioritization, climate vulnerability assessments, partnerships with local governments, DBE reevaluation guidance, recycling efforts, and research into road user charges. Members also asked about toll lane agreements, homelessness encampments and litter on Caltrans property, and the Los Angeles-San Diego rail corridor and broader transit integration. El-Tawansy said Caltrans is moving toward more consistent statewide toll agreements, has signed or is negotiating delegated maintenance MOUs with local agencies to address encampments and litter, and is expanding rail and transit planning. Public testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with representatives from transportation agencies, contractors, local governments, labor, and technology firms backing the nomination. The committee voted 5-0 to move El-Tawansy’s appointment to the full Senate for confirmation, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is written in what's called COBOL code, which is an obsolete code.
• , which is an what's called Cobalt code, which is an obsolete<00:46:30.720><c> code.
• </c><00:50:02.480><c> offset,</c><00:50:03.200><c> state</c> to that effect or state offset, state to
• </c> is conducted across the United States. is conducted across the United States.
• Canada, hospitals and state and Canada, hospitals and state registries<01:09:45.279><c> utilize.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services met in person, approved the October 15 minutes, and began with a moment of silence following a Louisville UPS plane explosion that was described as a local tragedy affecting many families and first responders. The main presentation was an overview of Kentucky’s Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NMT) program from the Department for Medicaid Services and the Transportation Cabinet. Witnesses explained that NMT is a federally required Medicaid benefit, administered by the Transportation Cabinet under a risk-based capitated model, with eligibility limited to Medicaid members traveling to medically necessary, Medicaid-covered services and who lack access to other transportation. They also described exclusions, including certain KCHIP, QMB, and PACE members, and outlined the brokered regional structure, call center operations, scheduling rules, vehicle and driver oversight, complaint handling, and rider surveys. The presenters reported that NMT handled more than 3.1 million trips in state fiscal year 2024, with over 1.38 million trips already recorded in October, and said customer satisfaction surveys were high. They said the FY 2025-26 contract total is about $360.6 million, with monthly per-member capitation rates set by region through an actuarial process and approved by CMS. They emphasized that payments are tied to monthly Medicaid enrollment and that the state draws down federal funds for the exact amount paid, with no leftover balance. They also said most NMT use comes from adult day centers and rehabilitative care such as dialysis. Members questioned the witnesses about how quality metrics and contract standards are set, whether the state had explored alternatives such as Uber Health or other integrated models, and how utilization was calculated. The witnesses said contract requirements are developed collaboratively by Medicaid Services, the Transportation Cabinet, and other agencies, and that studies of other models generally found higher costs and lower approval ratings, with additional research on a hybrid model expected by the end of the year. They clarified that one figure reflected the share of Medicaid members with registered vehicles, while another reflected actual NMT users, and they defended the capitated structure as shifting financial risk to brokers rather than the state. Representative Fleming also raised concerns about oversight, reporting, and the apparent gap between budgeted and contracted amounts, asking whether any unused funds would return to general funds; the discussion ended before a final answer was given.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the reason I'm asking is the state is in budget constraints.
• level, even though this does not come with state dollars.
• level, even though this does not come with state dollars.
• As a member of the Faculty Senate at Sacramento State... ...State, I have gotten to interact very briefly
• No, no, state agencies have none of them have this requirement.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To reflect the additional State Board of Immigration, 2C updates the composition of the Enforcement Council
• In the FDLE, that's the staff of the Council, they will advise the State Board of Immigration Enforcement
• In-state tuition, which is way better than out-of-state tuition, and it is not cheap.
• And that is that many of these children go to state college and state colleges have open enrollment.
• There is no provision that clearly states, and there is no provision that actually states the Governor's

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If not, let's turn to Senate Bill 3140, which is relating to the state fire council and on behalf of
• ><c> of</c><00:41:24.240><c> Department</c> fire council and on behalf of Department fire council and
• that role is to build bridges between state<00:42:30.800><c> agencies,</c><00:42:31.760><c> the</c><00
• Senate Bill 3140 relating to the state fire council.
• fire council.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 3040, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Supporters, including Moms Demand Action and a crime-victim advocate, argued the office would improve data collection, research, and coordination to help reduce gun violence. Opponents, including several gun-rights advocates, said the proposal was duplicative, lacked oversight, and would exclude the firearms community. The chair noted 41 testimonies in support and 77 in opposition, but no vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. The committee then moved through a series of decision-making items and adopted the chair’s recommendations on several measures. SB 17 on wildfire mitigation passed with amendments from multiple agencies and a report date shifted to the 2028 session. SB 2730 on criminal justice reform passed with a defective effective date amendment, SB 2749 on sentencing passed with a defective effective date, SB 2688 on compassionate release passed with amendments narrowing eligibility and adding notification and funding language, and SB 2798 on law enforcement passed with a defective effective date to make the agricultural enforcement pilot program permanent. SB 2645, a short-form bill, was amended to insert substantive provisions and recommitted to the committee. SB 2383, which would have provided a $15,000 retention bonus for sworn law enforcement officers, was reconsidered and held in committee because it was identified as a duplicate. The committee also passed SB 2575, relating to firearms, with amendments adopting a proposed SD1 that would establish minimum mandatory prison terms for certain class A firearm felonies and add clarifying language. SB 2720, which would create a Hawaii firearm injury restitution fund funded by firearm manufacturer licenses, also passed with amendments clarifying the fund’s scope and eligible injuries. Later, the committee began hearing SB 3107 on parole eligibility. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii Paroling Authority supported language allowing the parole board to waive certain program requirements, while the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission opposed the bill, warning it could keep people incarcerated longer if program access remains limited. The Department of Corrections said it is working on classification changes and a pilot project to move inmates through the system faster.

Transcript Highlights:

• Ben is the out-of-state, which, again—” “...or that part of the discussion of Ben is the out-of-state
• So do we build formulas like that?
• So that we don't then build a model.
• I also want to kind of build on the points from Senator Sickler and Vicki as well about the out-of-state
• All of our advisors are in that building. Our career, you know, is in that building.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Higher Education Funding Committee met to discuss possible changes to North Dakota’s higher education funding formula, with a particular focus on separating the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences MD program from the general formula. Dr. Jenkins outlined several options for the MD program, including a fixed-funding model, a hybrid model, or keeping it in the formula, and emphasized the need to preserve strong support for medical education while making future funding clearer. He also discussed efforts to increase the share of North Dakota students in the MD program through ND85, expanded recruiting, early acceptance pathways, MCAT prep, a four-plus-one program, and the Primary Care Accelerated Track, along with future cost pressures such as AI licensing and residency growth. The committee then reviewed a simplified funding model from the University System Office that would base funding more heavily on student FTE, credentials awarded, and a few incentive factors such as small institution and research adjustments. Members questioned the use of placeholder numbers, the lack of a clear methodology for the small institution and research factors, and whether the model would adequately account for differences among institutions, high-cost programs, and graduate education. Several members raised concerns that arbitrary factors would be hard to defend politically and could distort funding or create competition between schools, while others said the exercise was useful as a starting point for discussion. Alex presented a second alternative that kept the current SIP-code structure but increased CTE weighting, added a progressive economic size factor, and separated out the MD program. His model also added an on-campus face-to-face headcount component and a credentials component, with the intent of rewarding in-person enrollment and completions. Members questioned the use of headcount instead of FTE, how hybrid, online, dual-credit, and off-campus students would be treated, and why face-to-face enrollment was weighted more heavily than completion. No formal votes or final actions were taken; the committee instead continued discussion and asked members to provide direction on which elements, if any, should be developed further.