Transcript Highlights:

• Paul, Mayor Her, and the Minnesota Wild.
• Wild. Um the sales tax distribution is Wild.
• This is the first a deal with the wild.
• </c><00:30:48.480><c> And</c> wild. They did not have one before. And wild.
• So, and in the wild, I'm sorry.

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, members, what farmed white-tail and wild white-tail are genetically identical.
• </c> members, what farmed white-tail and wild members, what farmed white-tail and wild white-tail<00:
• So, there's even an argument to say that the wild herd is more of a threat to the domestic herd than
• </c><00:43:46.720><c> So,</c> in the DNR monitor wild herds. So, in the DNR monitor wild herds.
• herd is more of a threat to the wild herd is more of a threat to the domestic<00:43:50.680><c> herd<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Up to a billion birds die each year from nighttime collisions with brightly lit buildings.
• In one night in 2023, nearly a thousand birds died striking a single building in Chicago.
• Massachusetts is on an avian superhighway for bird migration along the Atlantic coast, making light pollution
• Imagine those birds on the streets of Boston. It's also a matter of cultural preservation.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing focused on a broad set of energy efficiency, building decarbonization, school modernization, and lighting bills. Testimony generally came from municipal leaders, labor unions, environmental groups, and advocates who supported measures such as H. 3529/S. 2294 on building energy and decarbonization, H. 3577/S. 2286 on a zero-carbon renovation fund, H. 3476/S. 2275 on healthy and sustainable schools, H. 3565 on Mass Save zero-carbon assessments, H. 3477 on clean lighting and appliance efficiency standards, and the Dark Sky bills on outdoor lighting. Supporters argued these bills would cut emissions, lower utility bills, improve indoor air quality and school conditions, and direct resources to environmental justice, gateway, and low-income communities. Witnesses emphasized that Massachusetts’ older building stock and school facilities need major upgrades, and that state funding and financing tools are needed to close gaps left by declining federal support. Mayors, labor leaders, and environmental advocates said the proposals would create local jobs, expand apprenticeships, and help municipalities and schools undertake retrofits, ventilation improvements, heat pump installations, and other decarbonization work. Several speakers also defended Mass Save as highly cost-effective while urging new funding sources beyond ratepayer bills for larger-scale building upgrades. One representative asked about the difference between current Mass Save audits and proposed zero-carbon assessments, and the sponsor explained the new assessments would include heat pumps, solar, storage, wiring upgrades, and rate-structure guidance. There was also testimony on the Dark Sky bill, with astronomers and museum representatives arguing that better-shielded, downward-facing lighting would reduce energy waste, protect wildlife and human health, and preserve night skies without compromising safety. Committee members raised concerns about pedestrian safety and whether education might be enough instead of legislation; supporters responded that the bill follows established lighting standards and targets only unnecessary glare and skyward light. On the school bill, an open-shop contractor group opposed the measure, arguing its PLA and apprenticeship requirements would restrict bidding and reduce competition, while labor organizations strongly supported the workforce standards and prevailing wage provisions. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee heard extensive testimony and several members asked clarifying questions, but the transcript does not show any final action or disposition on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure that Senator Birds will be here in a moment.
• <00:25:15.279><c> sure</c><00:25:15.520><c> that</c><00:25:15.679><c> Senator</c><00:25:16.000><c> Birds
• </c> I'm sure I'm sure that Senator Birds I'm sure I'm sure that Senator Birds will<00:25:16.720><c>

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been a factor of someone that works with our works with Jimmy and I he has some yard birds and so
• if you've got a contract with a grocery store or somebody in that regard, you've got multi-age of birds
• them. a week, you're trying to fall under that three thousand of FDA so you don't have to test your birds
• We know this bird flu You know, there's there's a lot of things out there that have been really harmful

Bills: SB500 , SB719 , SB912 , SB1232 , SB1467 , SB1777 , SB1864 , SB2023 , SB2119 , SB2458

Committee: Senate Health & Human Services

Keywords: SB 500, Texas adoption law, Family Code, DFPS, Department of Family and Protective Services, child-placing agency, prospective adoptive parents, adoption records, confidential information, nondisclosure agreement, child history report, health history, social history, educational history, genetic history, termination of parental rights, permanency plan, single source continuum contractor, privacy, redaction

Transcript Highlights:

• How would it be if we could no longer have coconut trees or native bird species?
• Thank you. coconut trees or native bird species? A coconut trees or native bird species?
• I figured two birds for one, but, you know, then you've been around the block, and what I like about

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard multiple gubernatorial confirmation nominations, beginning with GM509 for Jay Stone to the Environmental Advisory Council. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and other supporters praised Stone’s more than 30 years of engineering experience and said he would help balance environmental protection with economic development. Stone said he wanted to contribute to environmental health and sustainability, and identified sea level rise and PFAS in drinking water as key concerns. The committee then moved to GM531 and GM532, nominations of Judson Leair and Nicholas Ta to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Farm Bureau supported both nominees. Leair emphasized his farming background and said pesticide policy should be more comprehensive, selective, and threshold-based rather than relying on broad-spectrum use; Ta said he would focus on integrated pest management, label compliance, education, and using the least amount of pesticide necessary, including non-chemical alternatives such as exclusion and behavior changes. The committee next considered GM533, Janet Ashman’s nomination to the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. The Department of Agriculture, the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau all supported her, citing her experience, responsiveness, and prior service. Ashman said she wanted to help make pesticide regulations more understandable and stressed targeted pest control, scouting, and more precise products. Members asked about the complexity of pesticide regulations and the shift away from broad-based pesticide use; Ashman explained that regulations are complicated for both farmers and homeowners and that newer, more targeted products are needed as pests develop resistance. The committee then heard GM57 for Don Hegger Nordl to the Environmental Advisory Council. Supporters said she has environmental planning experience and knowledge of Chapter 343 and related rules. Nordl said she could bring state, county, and federal experience to the council and identified the need for more volunteers and broader professional representation as the council’s biggest challenge. Finally, the committee took up GM697, Dean Matsukawa’s nomination as deputy director of the Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and several other testifiers strongly supported him, highlighting his 30 years with the department, his family farming background, and his understanding of farmers’ needs, especially access to capital and biosecurity challenges. Testifiers said he is calm, logical, experienced, and already familiar with the department’s work. Matsukawa was described as a reluctant nominee who was sought out for the role. The transcript does not show any final votes or committee action on the nominations during the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• created at those facilities, but you're talking hundreds of farmers that are supplying those poultry birds
• > of farmers that are supplying those of farmers that are supplying those poultry<00:05:17.880><c> birds
• those</c><00:05:18.720><c> facilities</c><00:05:19.240><c> to</c><00:05:19.320><c> be</c> poultry birds
• to those facilities to be poultry birds to those facilities to be processed,<00:05:20.400><c> and</c

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore full meeting, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture met with a quorum and adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 28, which would create a framework for the $5 million in agricultural economic development funding included in the 2024 budget. Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell testified that the bill is intended to support agriculture-focused economic development, especially processing and further processing projects, by giving the Department of Agriculture tools to identify opportunities, convene partners, and offer incentives. He emphasized the role of the new economic development division in the department and said the effort is meant to complement, not replace, the work of the state Economic Development Cabinet. Shell and several senators described the bill as a rural development tool aimed at helping smaller communities attract projects that fit their scale. He cited examples such as poultry processing, grain and elevator operations, milling, and specialty crop ventures, arguing that local processing can create jobs, strengthen markets for farmers, and keep more value in Kentucky. Senators discussed the need for return-on-investment metrics and clawback provisions for unsuccessful projects, and Shell said the framework includes those concepts. He also said the department is working on opportunities in sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels, and other markets that could bring more acres into production. Members also raised questions about small-farm innovation, raw milk, and direct-to-consumer opportunities. Shell said raw milk testing and related consumer protection issues are more closely tied to the University of Kentucky and the department’s consumer/environmental protection functions than to the bill’s economic development focus, but he said the department can help expand small-farm programs such as Kentucky Proud, Buy Local, KOAP, CAP, food-as-medicine efforts, LFPA, and farm-to-school initiatives. The discussion also turned to beef processing and feedlot development, with Shell saying Kentucky wants a beef processor but first needs to prove it can feed cattle at scale; he said changing conditions in western states could create an opening for Kentucky if it can build the necessary supply chain.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB2069 prohibits the taking of migratory birds through baiting.

Bills: SB330 , SB2069 , SB2095

Committee: House Wildlife

Keywords: elk population, wildlife management, Oklahoma State University, veterinary medicine, ecosystem health, habitat assessment, advanced nuclear energy, nuclear power, small modular reactor, SMR, microreactor, generation III+, generation IV, nuclear reactor, nuclear permitting, nuclear licensing, Oklahoma Corporation Commission, OCC, Oklahoma Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, Oklahoma Advanced Nuclear Development Revolving Fund

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's wild. And maybe we can discuss this at a later time. and possibly be homeless.
• <00:08:28.960><c> And</c><00:08:29.199><c> that's</c><00:08:29.759><c> that's</c><00:08:30.599><c> wild
• And that's that's wild. And maybe right? And that's that's wild.

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Housing heard two resolutions. STR 48 SD 1 called for a comprehensive strategy to adopt updated building codes, with testimony listed from several groups but no one appeared to testify. The committee later deferred the measure, noting it was very similar to House Concurrent Resolution 67 House Draft 1. The committee then took up STR 6D1, which urges the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to develop a plan to produce enough housing to meet state demand. HHFDC testified that the resolution misstated the scope of low-income housing tax credit units and emphasized that the state’s housing need is much larger than previously cited, with a recent study showing about 33,000 units needed for households at or below 60% AMI statewide. HHFDC supported planning but said any plan must be realistic and account for private land constraints. A member raised concerns about rising leasehold costs and affordability for homeowners, and HHFDC responded that rental affordability can be maintained more readily than for-sale housing. The committee adopted HHFDC’s proposed amendments to STR 6D1, including deleting a clause about overbuilding, revising the shortage figures, and adding language referencing Senate Bill 26 and the affordable housing land inventory task force. The committee also amended the resolution to focus on density and timing of development for projects identified by that task force. The measure passed with amendments, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• down Fort Weaver Road, one of the considerations we're using right at the corner across from Buffalo Wild
• down Fort Weaver Road, one of the considerations we're using right at the corner across from Buffalo Wild
• down Fort Weaver Road, one of the considerations we're using right at the corner across from Buffalo Wild
• down Fort Weaver Road, one of the considerations we're using right at the corner across from Buffalo Wild

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One would take an early bird shift at work, Brother and I.
• One would take an early bird shift at work, while the other would take the night shift, so that one could

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> I'm next going to call on Senator Birds. >> Thank you, Madam President. Marie, you're first.
• &gt;&gt; I'm next going to call on Senator Birds. &gt;&gt; I'm next going to call on Senator Birds.
• That's a wild committee. Get the corner right here. We all got good things to say.
• "Trevor on Education, another wild committee. Awesome job. Nothing but good things to say.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• summer vacations, host family reunions and picnics, school trips, weddings, and meetups for hiking, bird
• </c><00:34:33.359><c> watching</c><00:34:33.879><c> winter</c> meetups for hiking bird watching winter
• meetups for hiking bird watching winter activities<00:34:35.200><c> and</c><00:34:35.359><c> the</c>
• native Prairie that supports<00:34:46.760><c> peasants</c><00:34:47.359><c> song</c><00:34:47.720><c> birds
• </c><00:34:48.040><c> and</c> supports peasants song birds and supports peasants song birds and pollinators

Committee: Senate Capital Investment

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hunters State Archery Association, the California Deer Association, the California Chapter of the Wild
• There are tools and there are methods that we can use to live alongside wildness, but it's a decision
• I think it makes us more human to have wildness in our lives.
• Do we want to be integrated in with our wildlife, our wild lands, and our wildlife?
• And we have now seen fire spread from forests and wild lands into urban conflagrations exacerbated by

Summary: The committee first heard SB 872, which would direct $300 million annually for 20 years to repair subsidence damage in the State Water Project and to fund Delta levee repairs. The author and supporters said the bill is needed to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians, prevent major infrastructure and flood risks, and address long-term threats to California’s water supply. Support came from a broad coalition of water agencies, local governments, environmental groups, and business interests; there was no opposition testimony. Members discussed the scale of the funding, the beneficiary-pays issue, and whether the bill should more clearly address risk and identify likely project areas. The committee adopted amendments, and SB 872 passed 5-0 to Appropriations and was placed on call. The committee then took up SB 1305, a study bill on the feasibility of reintroducing the California grizzly bear. The author, tribal sponsors, and conservation supporters framed the bill as a science-based roadmap that would examine habitat, impacts, and implementation, while recognizing the grizzly’s cultural significance to tribes and its ecological role. Opponents, including sheriffs, cattle groups, county representatives, and a former Fish and Wildlife law enforcement official, argued that California lacks the staffing, funding, and public-safety capacity to manage another apex predator and that the state is already struggling with wolves and mountain lions. Members raised questions about the scope of the feasibility study, local control, and whether the bill should address conflict risk earlier in the process. The author agreed to work on additional amendments, and the bill passed 4-1 to Appropriations and remained on call. SB 1079, creating a Cal Fire Fire Innovation Unit to speed the testing and deployment of wildfire technologies, was heard next. The author and supporters said California has strong wildfire innovation but lacks a formal pipeline to move promising tools from pilot projects into statewide use. Supporters included Megafire Action, Fireworks, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the California Association of Realtors, which sought amendments related to nonprofit administration of grants. There was no opposition testimony. The bill passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 997, which would give the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency lien authority to collect fines and fees tied to its groundwater sustainability plan. Supporters said the change would allow more efficient enforcement and avoid lengthy civil litigation; no opposition appeared. Members asked whether the authority should be extended more broadly to other statutory GSAs, and the author said discussions were ongoing. SB 997 passed 2-0 to Judiciary and was placed on call. The committee later caught up on votes for the earlier bills and then moved to SB 894, a wildfire resilience loan program modeled on Go Green to help homeowners finance home-hardening measures; it passed 5-0 to Emergency Management and was placed on call. Finally, SB 1229 was introduced by Senator Allen to strengthen coastal protections for rebuilding after disasters, beginning with the Palisades fire context, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full hearing concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hunters State Archery Association, the California Deer Association, the California Chapter of the Wild
• There are tools and there are methods that we can use to live alongside wildness, but it’s a decision
• I think it makes us more human to have wildness in our lives.
• Do we want to be integrated in with our wildlife, our wild lands, and our wildlife?
• And we have now seen fire spread from forests and wild lands into urban conflagrations exacerbated by

Committee: Senate Natural Resources and Water

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• think the impact could be, let's just talk on your ranch to the wildlife population, birds, everything
• The bird flu, I guess, yes, I'm sorry.
• and that it is a resource we can use time and time and time again and so we need to not act like The Wild
• We can't have Wild West laws on the books, we have to have laws on the books that work for now.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Interparliamentary Group; Congressional-Executive Commission on the People's Republic of China; Migratory Bird

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 26, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, for example, in the tables, wild carrot is prohibited because it's a contaminant.
• For example, in the tables, wild carrot is prohibited because it's a contaminant of carrot seed.
• Purity and wild oats are restricted in certain types of weed seeds, or in certain types of vegetable
• outreach and education with folks, and as we go through this, not to say they aren't out there in the wild
• Not to say they aren't out there in the wild, but it becomes an education opportunity as we work with

Committee: Senate Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the feasibility of hunters buying upland game bird
• the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the feasibility of hunters buying upland game bird
• the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study the feasibility of hunters buying upland game bird

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate met on March 11, 2026, with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest and page introductions, including school groups, prayer caucus visitors, and advocates for Home Family Education Day and Women in Blue Day. The chamber then took up committee reports and a large number of House bills, most of them on third reading, along with several resolutions and referrals. Senate Resolution 62, designating March 12, 2026, as West Virginia Athletic Trainers Day, was adopted after remarks emphasizing the value of athletic trainers in preventing injuries and tragedies in school sports. Several other resolutions and concurrent resolutions were referred to the Committee on Rules or laid over under the rules. The Senate passed a wide range of bills addressing economic development, public safety, health, licensing, and state administration. Measures approved included bills on the West Virginia Collaboratory at Marshall University, the Business Ready Sites program, volunteer fire company spending authority, the Load Forecast Accountability Act, funeral service licensure, work zone fines, biennial business reporting, correctional officer retirement law, the Right to Try Act, quick claim deed tax exemptions, an ibogaine drug-development grant program, aggravated vehicular homicide sentencing, 529 savings plan definitions, opportunity zones, barber apprenticeship, municipal and county hotel occupancy fund uses, criminal-record licensing standards, intimate image disclosure remedies, executor training materials, contempt penalties, PEIA treatment flexibility, PANS/PANDAS information, the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, capitation rate review expansions, convention and visitors bureau board membership, peer support services, cosmetology licensure compacts, natural resource police retirement, DNR fee indexing, ALS care services, the Neighborhood Investment Program, oil and gas well plugging and carbon capture-related provisions, DUI technical changes, abuse intervention program terminology, and a youth summer employment and career readiness program. Most bills passed overwhelmingly, with a few closer votes, including the Load Forecast Accountability Act and the DNR fee-indexing bill. Several bills were amended on the floor, including title amendments and strike-and-insert changes. The Senate also debated the work zone penalty bill, with supporters citing worker safety and fatalities and opponents arguing the bill increased fines too much without requiring removal of outdated work-zone signs. On the energy-related load forecast bill, senators discussed the inclusion of provisions from Senate Bill 420 and concerns about coal plant utilization and utility impacts. After debate, the Senate adopted amendments and passed the bill. In most cases, after passage the Senate ordered the bills communicated to the House, and for a few measures it also adopted title amendments or made bills effective from passage or on a specified date.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department is so concerned about the spread of avian flu that it recommends that all Texans remove all bird
• feeders and bird baths from their homes.
• This will, however, welcome not just songbirds to flit in and out, but birds to live permanently in close

Bills: SB2784 , HB23 , HB247 , HB1533 , HB2011 , HB2013 , HB2273 , HB2421 , HB2464 , HB3120 , HB3424 , HB3575 , HB3788 , HB4370 , HB4809 , HB5057 , HB5084 , HB5534 , HB5668 , HJR34

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: Somervell County, hospital district, board of directors, elections, local governance, staggered terms, third-party review, property development, local government, permits, construction inspection, regulatory authority, land development, liability, occupancy certificate, border security, tax exemption, ad valorem, real property, infrastructure

Summary: The committee heard and left pending several local government, property tax, development, and public safety measures before later voting some of them out. Senator Birdwell explained SB 2784 for the Somerville County Hospital District, which would move the board to staggered four-year terms after a transition and was requested to be held pending until the House companion could be acted on; no public testimony was offered. HB 5084 would allow local approval for fireworks sales tied to Lunar New Year celebrations, with testimony from Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin emphasizing local fire risk and the need for county discretion. HB 5534 would let county commissioners post agendas electronically instead of on a physical bulletin board. HB 4370 would expand permissible projects for certain special districts to include geothermal water conveyance systems, and HB 312 would require residential child detention facilities to enter local MOUs, report health and safety information, and conduct background checks for state-funded facilities; both drew supportive testimony and were left pending. HB 5057 would give displaced solid waste providers time to wind down after a city grants an exclusive franchise, and HB 2421 would extend the life of the Save Historic Muni District to continue work on preserving Lions Municipal Golf Course; both were left pending after supportive testimony. HB 2011 would let former owners repurchase property taken by eminent domain if the acquiring entity fails to pay property taxes for two years, and the committee substitute to SB 3065 was also laid out and left pending after a technical correction to eminent-domain language. The committee then took up additional bills on development, appraisal, and local regulation, including HB 3575, HB 4809, HB 2273, HB 247/HJR 34, HB 2464, HB 3424, HB 2013, HB 5668, HB 3788, HB 1533, and HB 23, with testimony ranging from support to opposition on issues such as appraisal procedures, historic property valuation, Galveston emergency governance, border-security tax treatment, home-based businesses, chicken covenants in HOAs, municipal utility district authority, hospital authorities’ use of assets, and third-party building review. HB 23 drew the most extensive testimony, with builders, engineers, counties, and cities split over third-party plan review and inspection authority, liability, licensing, and local code enforcement; many witnesses said the House amendments created problems and the bill was left pending. In the end, the committee voted SB 2784, SB 3065, HB 5686, HB 247, HJR 34, and HB 2011 out of committee, with the first several receiving local and uncontested calendar recommendations where applicable.