Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of people who have jobs there that allow them, that provide a living wage to them.
• 80 to 120% AMI range The 80 to 120% AMI range for the exemption is basically equivalent to the prevailing
• the owner of that complex could actually raise rents by as much as $300, so it would be above the prevailing

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on April 16, 2025, with one agenda item: PCB WMC-2502, the committee’s tax package. Chair Duggan presented the bill as a broad tax measure covering sales tax, tourist development taxes, ad valorem/VAB procedures, affordable housing property tax changes, tangible personal property, special assessments, fuel taxes, communication services taxes, corporate income tax updates, pari-mutuel/card room taxes, local incentives, and a redistribution of horse industry trust fund money. He also noted emergency rulemaking authority for the Department of Revenue and estimated a recurring state impact of $34.6 million in FY 2025-26. Members questioned several provisions, including the aviation fuel tax repeal, the delay of the natural gas fuel tax, the extension of the local communication services tax freeze, the charitable trust corporate income tax clarification, the reduction in card room taxes, and the affordable housing changes tied to the Live Local Act. Public testimony included support from airlines, UPS, child care management, and others, while the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association opposed the lifeguard/TDT change, the Florida Association of Counties and Florida League of Cities opposed the missing-middle exemption changes, and local government representatives raised concerns about revenue impacts and the loss of local opt-out authority. The committee also adopted Amendment 1 by Representative Rizzo, which limits certain special assessments on RV parks when based on square footage. During debate, members split on some provisions but generally supported the package, with comments focused on aviation competitiveness, preschool assessment relief, lifeguard funding, affordable housing, and the horse industry funding shift. Representative Duggan closed by emphasizing that the bill was only the beginning of the process and would continue through conference and floor consideration. The committee then voted 16-1 to report PCB WMC-2502 favorably, with Representative Alvarez voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um people who are, you know, lower-wage workers just have really immense challenges.
• Um people who are, you know, lower-wage workers just have really immense challenges.
• Um people who are, you know, lower-wage workers just have really immense challenges.
• Um people who are, you know, lower-wage workers just have really immense challenges.
• Motion prevails. Thank you, Representative Engen. Thank you to your testifiers.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 18 was taken up in committee, with the chair noting a preference to hear testimony from people who had traveled farther before hearing from lobbyists or other local witnesses. Representative Engan presented the bill as a family-support measure that would exempt certain infant care items from sales tax, arguing that the cost of raising children has risen sharply and that the bill would provide immediate relief to parents. He cited examples of potential savings on cribs, mattresses, strollers, and baby bottles, and said he was open to expanding the list of covered items. Chair Gomez offered a DE1 amendment that would replace the blanket sales tax exemption with an expansion of Minnesota’s child tax credit, arguing that the child-rearing cost burden is better addressed through targeted assistance rather than a broad exemption that could also benefit higher-income purchasers. After discussing the policy differences and the fiscal impact, Gomez withdrew the amendment. Members then asked questions about the bill’s scope, whether luxury items should be excluded, and why the exemption was limited to baby items rather than older children’s needs. Engan said he would be open to excluding luxury items and to discussing broader expansions, including school supplies. The committee then heard testimony in support from Sarah Gangelhoff of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, who said the bill would help families facing high housing, food, and child care costs and would especially benefit women and single-mother households. Maggie Hanggi of the Minnesota Catholic Conference also supported the bill, saying the tax relief could help families afford essential infant items and reduce fear for prospective parents. Members raised concerns about whether tax exemptions effectively reach the families most in need, with one member noting that low-income families may not even be in a position to shop for these items; Engan responded that the savings would still be real for those who do purchase them. No final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails. The chair lays out on third reading and final passage SB 647.
• The motion to table prevails. We are now to close on the bill.
• Ayes, 57; nays, the motion to table prevails.
• There being 87 ayes, 55 nays, the motion to table prevails.
• The motion to table prevails. Following amendment. Clerk, please excuse Mr.

Bills: SB31, SB33, SB20, SB217, SB264, SB269, SB650, SB681, SB528, SB502, SB740, SB916, SB995, SB10, SB2581, SB2570, SB3031, SB24, SB379, SB1171, SB1121, SB1120, SB1061, SB1036, SB1019, SB890, SB11, SB868, SB1188, SB1254, SB2778, SB2543, SB2443, SB1333, SB1259, SB1401, SB1404, SB2139, SB2165, SB2237, SB2268, SB1202, SB1198, SB1212, SB1451, SB1470, SB1498, SB965, SB1547, SB1667, SB1818, SB1902, SB2129, SB2078, SB2069, SB1737, SB1589, SB1318, SB387, SB1150, SB1574, SB2127, SB3034, SB860, SB1278, SCR5, SCR32, SB4, SB23, SB1762, SB34, SB60, SB706, SB1814, SB1220, SB523, SB565, SB1253, SB840, SB764, SB2383, SB2155, SB1535, SB1423, SB1566, SB1804, SB1728, SB1816, SB1952, SB75, SB2068, SB1455, SB213, SB627, SB2037, SB670, SB896, SB917, SB1184, SB971, SB1255, SB1261, SB1283, SB991, SB1733, SB21, SB231, SB739, SB1252, SB1371, SB646, SB3, SCR27, SB552, SB1405, SB1948, SB243, SJR1, SB31, SB33, SB20, SB217, SB264, SB269, SB650, SB681, SB528, SB502, SB740, SB916, SB995, SB10, SB2581, SB2570, SB3031, SB24, SB379, SB1171, SB1121, SB1120, SB1061, SB1036, SB1019, SB890, SB11, SB868, SB1188, SB1254, SB2778, SB2543, SB2443, SB1333, SB1259, SB1401, SB1404, SB2139, SB2165, SB2237, SB2268, SB1202, SB1198, SB1212, SB1451, SB1470, SB1498, SB965, SB1547, SB1667, SB1818, SB1902, SB2129, SB2078, SB2069, SB1737, SB1589, SB1318, SB387, SB1150, SB1574, SB2127, SB3034, SB860, SB1278, SCR5, SCR32, SB546, SB647, SB648, SB1493, SB1709, SB2001, HB5669, HB3115, HB5655, HB5675, HB5689, HB5690, HB5653, HB3228, HB2802, HB45, HB1318, HB5560, HB2894, HB4344, HB2775, HB33, HB 12, HB148

Keywords: SB 31, Life of the Mother Act, Texas abortion law, medical emergency, reasonable medical judgment, pregnancy complications, maternal health, life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, miscarriage, unborn child, abortion exception, abortion ban, physician liability, health care liability claim, aiding and abetting, Texas Medical Board, State Bar of Texas, continuing medical education

Transcript Highlights:

• And I have no complaints about that because I think people need to be paid fair and livable wages, but
• Because I think people need to be paid fair and livable wages, uh, but I just wanna know, uh, how this
• We could do better in terms of paying people fair and livable wages, sorry. Thank you.
• We could 572 do better in terms of paying people fair and livable wages, sorry. Thank you.
• The motion prevails. The committee stands in recess. You're good.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• time, you're doing these modernization projects, $700 million, and that's going to be a lot of prevailing
• wage jobs, by the way.

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2998, with Representative Riggs explaining that most of the bill would be removed in committee substitute and that the remaining provisions would focus on an Upper Mississippi River Basin feasibility study and creating a stand-alone rural development office within DED. Riggs argued the study could explore hydropower, run-of-river technology, and a longer navigation season on the Mississippi, while the rural office would better serve Missouri’s roughly 2 million rural residents and provide a more permanent focus than current staffing arrangements. Committee members asked about why the river has not been used for power before, the cost and timeline of the study, the feasibility of retrofitting old locks and dams, and how the rural office would improve coordination and funding for rural development. Testimony in favor included Lisa Pennett, who urged keeping the coal-related language and said Missouri should protect its remaining coal plants amid growing electricity demand; Mike Sutherland of Missouri Electric Cooperatives, who supported the rural development office and described co-ops’ role in broadband, workforce, housing, and community development across rural Missouri; and MoDOT’s Pamela Harlan, who said the agency would need to coordinate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the river study, estimated the study cost at about $3 million, and said it would likely take about three years. Informational testimony from Missouri Policy Initiative provided data on hydropower nationally, noting that only a small share of U.S. dams generate electricity, many retrofit projects are not viable, and a Mississippi River lock-and-dam project in Missouri and Illinois had recently received a federal permit to study feasibility. The hearing ended with the chair noting the bill would be narrowed in a substitute and then adjourning the committee; no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• But pet owners are desperate for help, and their voice has prevailed.
• amount of committees that I sit in where we talk about making sure that people have a job, a living wage

Transcript Highlights:

• you'll see some of the job titles that have, um, turnover rates of up to 40% and 70% because their wages
• Hearing none, the motion prevails. This committee stands in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• you'll see some of the job titles that have Turnover rates of up to 40 and 70 percent because their wages
• Hearing none the motion prevails.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• are things that teachers are struggling with so again as I said You know, being paid an appropriate wage
• and we and we as legislators leaders should stop ignoring the problem and pay them a professional wage
• This data points to a prevailing reluctance among school administrators to apply disciplinary intervention

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• homeowners association can bring a claim against a board for a violation of the act, and if they prevail
• a homeowners association can bring a claim against a board for a violation of the act and if they prevail
• They can take a board to court, and if they prevail, they get attorney's fees.
• Homeowners get attorney's fees when they prevail for violations of an association, not vice versa.
• Homeowners get attorney's fees when they prevail for violations of an association, not vice versa.

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related bills. AB 2002 would clarify and extend the REAP 1.0 regional housing planning grant program, with the author and regional planning groups arguing it provides needed technical assistance for housing elements and RHNA compliance; the California Building Industry Association opposed unless amended over concerns about local constraints. The committee discussed accepted amendments on regulations, suballocation to subregions, and spending deadlines, and then passed the bill on a do pass as amended motion to Senate Appropriations. AB 1684 would prohibit HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace cooling systems, with supporters citing heat safety and opponents focusing on building integrity, electrical capacity, permits, and common-area placement; the committee adopted amendments on licensed electrical contractors, disclosure, and permit requirements, and passed the bill to Senate Judiciary. AB 1710 would extend SB 330-style vesting protections to state and regional agencies so housing projects are not subject to later regulatory changes, with supporters emphasizing predictability and opponents warning it could conflict with later state, regional, and federal requirements, especially for water and environmental rules; the bill was passed as amended to Senate Local Government. The committee also heard AB 2263, which would authorize the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to provide employee housing on its land with a preference for VTA workers while keeping units open to the public and compliant with fair housing law. VTA said the bill would help employees facing long commutes and high housing costs, and the committee discussed financing through transit-oriented development partnerships and existing land holdings; the bill was passed as amended to Senate Appropriations. AB 2270 would require the state tax credit committee to account for rural realities when scoring farmworker housing projects for low-income housing tax credits; supporters said current amenity-based scoring disadvantages rural farmworker developments, and the bill was passed as amended to Senate Appropriations. Later, AB 2118 would refine AB 2011 by limiting local objective standards that can block mixed-use and affordable housing projects, with supporters saying cities still use loopholes to delay projects; the committee discussed possible state mandate reimbursement issues and passed the bill to Local Government. Finally, AB 2050 would require HOA reserve funding based on reserve studies, add notice and safeguards for reserve transfers, and phase in funding over six years; supporters argued it would prevent large special assessments and protect homeowners, while opponents said enforcement remains weak and the bill could still burden owners. The committee did not take a final recorded vote on AB 2050 in the portion provided, but members discussed the need for stronger enforcement and the balance between reserve funding and affordability.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hearing no objection, the motions prevail.
• It means fighting against worker disclassification and wage theft.
• </c> There being 70 yays and 63 nays, the motion does not prevail. Announcements.
• The motion does not prevail. The House remains in session. Any further announcements? Division. Mr.
• The motion prevails. The House stands in recess. recess to the call of the speaker.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is what we see: with those intern wages being paid by the employers, hundreds of thousands of
• So this is what we see: with those intern wages being paid by the employers, hundreds of thousands of
• So this is what we see: with those intern wages being paid by the employers, hundreds of thousands of
• So this is what we see: with those intern wages being paid by the employers, hundreds of thousands of
• Usually the employer will pay the wage of the student, and I could be wrong because I was a Step Up intern

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails and the DE1 amendment is adopted. Okay. All right.
• &gt;&gt; The<00:28:49.000><c> motion</c><00:28:49.320><c> prevails</c><00:28:49.760><c> and</c><00:28
• prevails and the DE1 amendment<00:28:51.320><c> is</c><00:28:51.680><c> adopted.
• There are so many barriers in being able to pay for child care or to be able to make a living wage at
• at a child be able to make a living wage at a child care<00:30:21.040><c> center.

Bills: HF3415

Keywords: child care, day care, licensed child care center, license-exempt child care, immigration enforcement, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, CBP, USCIS, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, judicial warrant, facility access, sensitive locations, immigrant families, Minnesota Statutes chapter 142B, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Motion prevail.
• </c><00:07:39.599><c> Motion</c> prevail.<00:07:45.360><c> And</c> prevail. And prevail.
• Motion does not prevail. Nay. Nay. Okay. Motion does not prevail. Okay.
• Motion does not prevail. prevail. prevail. Any<01:14:05.440><c> amendment?</c><01:14:06.000><c> Mr.
• Motion prevail. prevail. prevail.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The motion prevails and the A1 is adopted.
• The motion prevails and opposed say nay.
• The motion prevails, and the A2-1 amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
• The motion prevails and the say nay.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:31:51.440><c> All</c> prevails. The amendment is adopted. All prevails.
• </c><01:36:00.639><c> The</c> the motion does not prevail. The the motion does not prevail.
• The motion does not prevail.
• The &gt;&gt; The motion does not prevail.
• It does not prevail. next uh committee. It does not prevail.

Bills: HF3553, HF3513, HF3576

Keywords: vehicle platooning, transportation, public safety, pilot project, Wilkin County, Grant County, autonomous vehicles, transportation regulations, driverless cars, safety standards, first responder interaction, school bus, third-party testing, driver certification, transportation regulation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I would say the prevailing issue when it comes to comparing destinations for hosting an event of any
• In addition to that, the city brings in almost $400 million in tax and wage revenue that goes to our
• of that $26.2 billion in Philadelphia's nighttime economy economic engine this year, $9 billion of wages
• In addition to that, the city brings in almost $400 million in tax and wage revenue that goes to our
• In addition to that, the city brings in almost $400 million in tax and wage revenue that goes to our

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The prevailing headwinds on the national level are clear.
• Wage disparities persist.
• It's a critical step toward ending persistent wage disparities and delivering real pay equity for women
• And when employers don't report, the state really can't identify where those wage disparities lie.
• that we work with at Power California Action, entering the workforce that already has significant wage

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If they prevail, they are entitled to triple damages, a minimum recovery of $5,000, full reimbursement
• If they prevail,<00:58:23.280><c> they</c><00:58:23.520><c> are</c><00:58:23.680><c> entitled</c><00:
• 58:24.240><c> to</c><00:58:24.720><c> the</c><00:58:24.960><c> triple</c> prevail, they are entitled
• to the triple prevail, they are entitled to the triple amount<00:58:25.599><c> of</c><00:58:25.839><c
• wage law, for<01:05:09.359><c> example,</c><01:05:09.839><c> would</c><01:05:10.079><c> apply</c><01

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is how we ensure education keeps pace with technology and public sector wages keep reasonable pace
• This is how we ensure education keeps pace with technology and public sector wages keep reasonable pace
• There being seven ayes and six nays, the motion prevails. That concludes our agenda for today.
• </c><01:31:24.320><c> uh</c><01:31:24.480><c> that</c><01:31:24.639><c> concludes</c> the motion prevails
• uh that concludes the motion prevails uh that concludes our<01:31:25.199><c> agenda</c><01:31:25.520

Keywords: 1183, house