Video & Transcript Research : 'TOPS'

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HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

House Chamber - Tue Mar 25, 2025, 12:00PM HST - Day 39

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • ><00:46:31.920> five,<00:46:32.400> standing At the top of page five, standing At the top
  • On the top of page six, standing 1530.
  • Moving on to the top of page Rep. Okay.
  • Moving on to the top of page eight. Standing Committee Report 1539 and 1540. Top of page nine.
  • Top of page 11. Standing Committee Report 1549 and 1550.
Keywords: 910, house, all
VT

Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Session - 2026-04-01 - 1:00PM

Vermont House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • I love you, Top.
  • Look at Top.
  • Look at top. program. Look at top.
  • Top goes, "I got this." Top goes, "I got this."
  • Top. life. Top.
Keywords: 926, house, all
Summary: The House opened with a devotional and a series of lighthearted remarks, then welcomed Representative Kumulia Case Long of Milton, who had taken the oath of office earlier that morning. The chair announced Long’s seating in seat 114 and appointment to the Committee on Education. The chamber also received and first-read several bills: H. 953 on the Panton town charter amendment, H. 954 on the Stowe town charter amendment, S. 64 on optometrists’ scope of practice, and S. 278 on cannabis. The House also noted favorable committee reports on H. 952 (capital construction/bonding budget adjustment) and S. 218 (reducing chloride contamination in state waters), with referrals made under House Rule 35A. The House adopted JRS. 47, a joint resolution setting weekend adjournment for April 3, 2026, and then read two concurrent resolutions that had already been adopted on the consent calendar: HCR 217 congratulating McNeel and Rei of Rutland on 70 years in business, and HCR 230 recognizing April 2026 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and honoring Prevent Child Abuse Vermont for its 50th anniversary. Members offered remarks celebrating McNeel and Rei’s history and the work of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, including testimony about the organization’s prevention and family-support efforts. The House then took up H. 657, relating to services for unaccompanied homeless youth without parental consent. A Judiciary amendment, supported by Human Services on a 9-2 straw poll, revised immunity language so providers may rely in good faith on certification forms and clarified shelter-provider exceptions in existing law. The amendment was adopted, and the bill passed third reading. The House also passed H. 941, on municipal regulation of agriculture. Finally, the House considered S. 210 on access to autopsy reports; Human Services recommended an amendment shifting decision-making authority to the court, adding a factor on interference with criminal investigations, and allowing refiling if circumstances materially change. The committee reported the bill favorably 10-1, the House agreed to propose the amendment to the Senate, and third reading was ordered.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

AEN-HRE Public Hearing 04-14-2025

Agriculture and Environment

Transcript Highlights:
  • The number top two spot a little bit.
  • So, um, what's at the top of the list statewide?
  • So, um, what's at the top of the list statewide?
  • So, um, what's at the top of the list statewide?
  • So, um, what's at the top of the list statewide?
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The joint AEN-HRE hearing focused on HCR 130, HD1, which urges increased and sustained funding for the island invasive species committees and the Hawaii Ant Lab within the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit. The Department of Agriculture said it supported the intent and noted that ISC funding flows through the Hawaii Invasive Species Council budget item via DLNR, while also describing ongoing collaboration with DLNR and efforts to support ant control work. Testifiers from CAPS, the University of Hawaii, the Oahu Invasive Species Committee, and CARES all supported the resolution, emphasizing that invasive species work is underfunded, that the island committees and Hawaii Ant Lab do critical control, research, outreach, and eradication work, and that sustained resources are needed to plan effectively and respond to priority pests such as little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, and coqui frog. A lengthy exchange followed over whether the resolution was meaningful, since it would be urging the state to fund work the Legislature itself controls. Several members argued that a resolution alone has no legal effect and that funding should come through bills and appropriations instead. In response, the Department of Agriculture said its top biosecurity needs are personnel and chemicals, and noted it is building up its plant quarantine and plant pest control divisions with prior funding and HB 427. Oahu Invasive Species Committee representatives said they rely heavily on Hawaii Invasive Species Council grants, have limited soft funding, and need more stable resources; they also pointed to annual reports and prior testimony as documentation of their work. After a brief recess, the chairs announced they would pass the resolution with amendments to make it more relevant. The amendments changed the title and text to urge the counties, Congress, and other relevant agencies—not the state alone—to provide increased and sustained funding, and added language urging all of those bodies to seek federal grants. The AEN committee then voted to pass HCR 130, HD1, as amended, and the HRE committee also voted to pass it with amendments. The motion was adopted in both committees.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

House Chamber - Mon Apr 20, 2026, 12:00PM HST - Day 47

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • 2184 On the top of page four, 2188, 2189. Representative Garcia: No vote. So ordered.
  • We're at the top of page 10, 2209, 2210. Representative Garcia: No vote. So ordered. 2211, 2212.
  • Moving on to the top of page 11, standing committee report 2213.
  • We're at the top of page 12, 2217, 2218, 2219, 2220. Representative Garcia: No vote. So ordered.
  • On the top of page 15, 2227, 2228, 2229. Representative Iwamoto: I would...
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/11/2026 - House Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • very highly expressed whereas these bottom few metabolites I'm not sure if you can see yeah so these top
  • biomarker, and the reason being is because— I'm not just using one method to identify a top biomarker
  • So, yeah, now the next thing that I did was I used my AI model to identify some top biomarkers.
  • The AI model is doing it, and we have no idea what it's choosing as those top metabolites.
  • And then on top of that, I also made an app that is abhorst. Yeah.”
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The Committee on Science and Technology met to hear a presentation from Ananya Lakaraju, a Hamilton High School junior, on her research project using metabolomics and machine learning to identify potential salivary biomarkers for major depressive disorder. She described using a UCSD saliva metabolomics dataset, statistical methods such as Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U, and PLS-DA, and an ensemble AI model with SHAP and permutation importance to identify metabolites and pathways associated with depression. She said the work suggested several novel biomarkers, with some metabolites and pathways showing stronger associations with depression than others, and noted that her model achieved about 90% accuracy and a 97% AUC in distinguishing depressed from non-depressed samples. Lakaraju also discussed a drug-discovery component of the project, using pathway analysis and molecular docking in UCSF Chimera to identify a target protein and potential compounds that might block a depression-related pathway. She said flupinazine showed the lowest binding energy in her simulations. Members asked questions about what the metabolites were, whether the findings were novel, how the saliva samples were obtained, and how the app she developed would be used. She explained that the data came from an online dataset rather than direct sample collection, that some top-ranked compounds were exogenous and not likely biomarkers, and that the app was intended to supplement AI results with mood and behavioral information because the model is not a doctor and could still be wrong. The committee praised the presentation and discussed the broader implications for AI policy and mental health diagnostics. Lakaraju said she became interested in coding through robotics and later combined that interest with biology, and she emphasized her goal of making mental health assessment more objective and holistic. The meeting ended with members thanking her for the presentation and adjourning without any formal votes or legislative action.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
  • And only those households that have taxable incomes that reach the top of the first tax bracket would
  • So not high enough to hit the top of the first bracket.
  • Chair. second, third, and top brackets. second, third, and top brackets.
  • high enough to hit the top of the first<00:07:24.680> bracket.
  • The benefits of this tax cut disproportionately go to the top income earners in the state.
Keywords: 1183, house
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • At the top of the page, Texas Grants. The recommended funding level is $1.5 billion.
  • As you see, it's about $204 million on the top table.
  • If you're asking for it for a top 25% of students, I would expect the students to be the top 25% of those
  • You don't know of any off the top of your head in terms of the major complaints?
  • Do you know off the top of your head what primary care ranks?
Bills: SB1, SB 1
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Informational interview with Rep. Meg Luger-Nikolai (DFL-St. Paul) Feb 6th, 2026

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Just finally, do you have a top issue or issues that you want to get to work on right away in 2026 here
  • So at the beginning of the campaign in November, my top issues were related to education and labor and
  • Just finally, do you have a top >> Sure.
  • issues were related to November, my top issues were related to education<00:02:36.480> and<00
  • And so it's gone to the top of the list.
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: The interview introduced Meg Luger-Nikolai, a St. Paul resident of more than 20 years who said she grew up in the greater Forest Lake area and has raised her family in Marion Park. She described her path to the House as a quick, competitive process after former Rep. Kaohly Her won the St. Paul mayor’s race, saying the district has many politically engaged voters and that the campaign moved from a primary to the general election on a compressed timeline. Luger-Nikolai said constituents raised a range of concerns, including the environment, public schools and the tax base, St. Paul’s economic competitiveness, and some farming-related issues such as farm-to-table food production. She pointed to her background as a labor lawyer and longtime labor movement worker as preparation for working in a tied House, saying she is used to adversarial settings but also to finding common ground and aligning interests. Asked about priorities, she said her initial focus was education, labor, and workforce issues, but that concerns about ICE activity in St. Paul and Minneapolis had risen to the top. She said she wants to pursue protections for migrants and support neighbors affected by those actions, describing the situation as unsustainable and unacceptable. No votes or formal legislative actions were taken in the interview.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Finance May 27th, 2026

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • funds over the last two or three years in reference to TOPS holistically.
  • last two or three years in reference to TOPS holistically.
  • had to lose their TOPS award.
  • And then on top of that, to go even further... ...from.
  • And then on top of that, actually, we had the Venture Global LNG facility, right?
Summary: The Finance Committee met on May 27, 2026, with six members present and took up a series of House bills, most of them dealing with education funding, criminal justice staffing, transportation, health care access, and economic development. HB 325 was reported favorably after testimony that it would expand TOPS eligibility by allowing dual-enrollment credits to satisfy eligibility criteria and by making part-time students eligible for TOPS Tech, with supporters saying the program has been underused and the change would help working students. HB 719 was amended and reported favorably to increase assistant district attorney positions in various judicial districts; the Louisiana District Attorneys Association said the changes were based on workload data and local input, and members discussed the need to coordinate any expansion with public defender funding. The committee also reported HB 749 favorably, which would move Louisiana’s 529 savings accounts to a more secure online platform after a cyber incident, and HB 1028 favorably, which concerns transportation reimbursement for providers and was described as already subject to appropriation. Several bills focused on food access and local economic development. HB 1222, the Grocery Initiative Act, was reported favorably to let LED use existing grant resources to map food deserts and develop a program, with members noting it could return for funding later if needed. HB 1194 was amended and reported favorably to define food deserts and direct the LSU AgCenter and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to identify and map them, with authors emphasizing it was a study and not a government-run grocery program. HB 755, which would create IDIQ contracting for architects and engineers on smaller state projects, was reported favorably with no fiscal impact. HB 823, a local diversion pilot for Orleans Parish, was also reported favorably after the fiscal note was revised to remove state impact and reflect only local costs. The committee spent substantial time on HB 488, a proposal from Plaquemines Parish to use severance-tax revenue to help buy out a private toll concession on the parish’s bridge. The author and local officials described severe toll burdens, economic harm to local businesses, and what they called an unfair contract, but members noted the bill was not funded and ultimately deferred it without a motion. HB 797, the Bayou Gold/Louisiana Sound Money Act, was amended to make implementation subject to appropriation and then reported favorably. The committee also took up HB 198, which would raise Medicaid reimbursement for ambulatory surgery centers for certain outpatient procedures; after extensive discussion about fiscal notes, access to care, and potential long-term savings, the bill was amended to narrow its scope and make implementation subject to appropriation, then reported favorably as amended. The meeting ended with the chair noting it would be the committee’s last meeting and asking members to spread the word.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Sep 30th, 2025

Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Chair and Representative, it's probably in the top quarter or top half of the list.
  • Madam Chair, I don't remember off the top of my head what year it was.
  • So, I don't know if I have that off the top of my head, but happy to follow up.
  • You can't add the 7% GRT on top of that.
  • of provider taxes, on top of sales tax, on top of income, on top of property to really try to see what
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Taxes Committee 2/12/25

Taxes

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, our wrestling team too is always top of the card.
  • issue and they made it clear this is top issue and they made it clear this is a<01:00:34.039> top
  • We know that we have seen the data, and it's the top, I think it's the top 60% or more of Minnesotans
  • data and it's the top um over the<01:07:16.319> top<01:07:16.520> I<01:07:16.599> think
  • <01:07:18.599> or<01:07:18.799> more the top I think it's the top 60% or more the top
Keywords: 1183, house
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Taxes Committee 3/24/26

Taxes

Transcript Highlights:
  • Whereas at the top end, the top population decile, the top 10% of households, equal the top six, or the
  • Whereas at the top end the top income.
  • um the top six% of um equal the top six um the top six% of uh<00:31:36.240> or<00:31:36.480>
  • You'll see the most extreme concentration we've ever seen, in the top 20%, the top 15%, the top 1%.
  • in the top 20%, the top 15%, the top 1%. in the top 20%, the top 15%, the top 1%.
Bills: HF331, HF916
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • I don't know right now off the top of my head what that is. Okay, I will get back on that one.
  • Department of Education, we see the top three reported teacher shortage areas.
  • Special education was the top area in the 2025 school year, followed by science and math.
  • The top negative factors were workload and salary, with the top positive-impact factors being school
  • The top reasons they were considering staying included retirement and school leadership, and the top-rated
Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a Legislative Audit presentation summarizing Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors said the department distributed about $4.6 billion in grants overall, including $3.2 billion from the Public School Fund, $1.1 billion in federal funds, and $268 million from other state and miscellaneous sources, across 56 Public School Fund programs, 14 other state programs, and 29 federal programs. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; audit staff and Department of Education representatives explained that the report was only a distribution summary and not a recipient-level audit. Members also questioned why many districts showed lower funding, and staff said the decline was largely due to reduced federal and one-time COVID-related funds. Senators and representatives also discussed whether some incentive programs, such as master principal and national board bonuses, were tied to student outcomes, and whether Economics Arkansas was the sole entity named in special language for financial literacy funding; department staff said they would follow up on several details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on consumer price index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, with discussion of CPI-U and core CPI estimates for future fiscal years. Dr. Carlos Silva explained that the forecasts generally trend toward about 2 percent over time and that recent projections may have understated actual inflation because of recent shocks. Members asked about the accuracy of past projections, and he said he would provide more detail later if needed. The bulk of the meeting focused on the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with a statewide student-to-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1, average teaching experience of 11.9 years, and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found that districts with higher poverty and minority concentrations generally had less experienced teachers, and that teacher shortages remained widespread, especially in special education, math, science, and foreign language. Members asked about licensure exceptions, alternative preparation pathways, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and the cost and return on investment of traditional versus alternative routes. Staff said some licensure exceptions are being phased out under Act 304 of 2025 and that they would follow up on several requested details. The report also found that teacher retention averaged 87 percent statewide in 2025, with districts retaining teachers at higher rates than charters, and that 30 percent of surveyed teachers were considering leaving the profession. Principals and teachers identified school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the strongest negative factors. On salaries, BLR reported a statewide average teacher salary of $60,254 in 2025, with districts averaging $60,458 and charters $55,724. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average teacher salary in 2025, though its cost-adjusted ranking improved to 36th; among SREB states it ranked 12th, and among neighboring states it ranked fourth. Members asked about starting salaries, salary compression, district step increases, and whether the report should be shared more broadly with educators and school leaders. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on several questions, and the committee took no formal action beyond receiving the presentations and asking for additional data.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

House Chamber - Wed Feb 18, 2026, 12:00PM HST - Day 17

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • of page 16 397-26 Top of page 16 397-26 398-26 398-26.
  • Top of page 20. 414-26. Top of page 20. 414-26, 415-26, and 416-26. Representative Garcia: No vote.
  • Top of page 24. Report number 429-26.
  • Report number 429-26 >> Top of page 24.
  • >> Top of page 28, report number 445-26. >> Top of page 28, report number 445-26.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

House Chamber - Fri Apr 4, 2025, 12:00PM HST - Day 46

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Moving on to the top of page 1762.
  • We're at the top of page 1766.
  • On the top of page 14, standing 960.
  • On the top of page 15, standing 1964.
  • Senate bill We're at the top of page 18.
Keywords: 910, house, all
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • We're looking through the top here on CPI-U.
  • Yeah, so I do not remember the accuracy off the top of my...
  • Special education was the top area in the 2025 school year, followed by science Was the top area in the
  • The top negative factors were workload and salary, with the top positive impact factors being school
  • Top reasons they were considering staying included retirement and school leadership, and the top-rated
Keywords: 1204, all
Summary: The committee first received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors explained the report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants to school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, with most funding coming from the Public School Fund and federal sources. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance grants. Department of Education staff clarified that the audit report only shows distributions, not how recipients ultimately used the money, and noted that some funding declines reflected the end of one-time federal COVID relief dollars. Senators also asked about the special-language appropriation for Economics Arkansas and the use of public school fund revenues. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, followed by a detailed adequacy-study update on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. The teacher report covered teacher counts, education levels, experience, shortages, preparation pathways, licensure exceptions, survey results, and salary trends. Key findings included about 32,800 teachers statewide in 2025, an average retention rate of 87%, and 30% of surveyed teachers saying they were considering leaving the profession. The report also noted shortages in special education, math, science, and other areas, growth in alternative preparation pathways, and the phaseout of several licensure exceptions under Act 304 of 2025. Members asked extensively about survey methodology, teacher satisfaction, preparation for classroom environment and special education, the cost and return on investment of alternative licensure routes, and whether exit-interview data exists statewide. The presenters said they could follow up on several questions, including details on alternative programs, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and comparisons to other surveys. On salaries, the report said the statewide average teacher salary in 2025 was $60,254, with districts averaging slightly higher than charters. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average salary in 2025, though 36th when adjusted for cost of living, and average district salaries had declined 8% in inflation-adjusted terms since 2016. Members also discussed the LEARNS Act minimum salary floor of $50,000, salary disparities among districts, and whether the state should focus more on retaining experienced teachers as well as raising starting pay.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Senate Legislative Session Day 46 (3-13-26)

Kentucky Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • , top, top, top, top in supplying guns, exporting guns that are used in the commission of crimes.
  • , top, top, top, top in supplying guns, exporting guns that are used in the commission of crimes.
  • , top, top, top, top in supplying guns, exporting guns that are used in the commission of crimes.
  • , top, top, top, top in supplying guns, exporting guns that are used in the commission of crimes.
  • , top, top, top, top in supplying guns, exporting guns that are used in the commission of crimes.
Keywords: 958, all
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • I don't know right now off the top of my head what that is. Okay, I will get back in the queue.
  • Department of Education, we see the top three reported teacher shortage areas.
  • The top negative factors were workload and salary, with the top positive impact factors being school
  • Top reasons they were considering staying included retirement and school leadership, and the top-rated
  • I don't have it off the top of my head.
Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a presentation from Legislative Audit on Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions. Auditors explained that the fiscal year 2025 report summarizes $4.6 billion in grants from state, federal, and miscellaneous sources, across school districts, charter schools, education cooperatives, and other entities, and that the report only shows amounts distributed, not how recipients ultimately used the money. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; department staff clarified that the Economics Arkansas grant is written into special language and that the CDC-related funding supports student surveys used by state agencies. Questions also focused on bonus and incentive programs such as master principal and National Board Certified teacher bonuses, with department staff saying the bonuses are generally tied to completion of the program or certification rather than classroom performance, though they would follow up on details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research update on Consumer Price Index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global. Dr. Carlos Silva explained the difference between CPI-U and core CPI and said the estimates show inflation slowing over the forecast period, with some near-term variation between the two data providers. Members asked about the historical accuracy of prior projections, and he said the forecasts generally tend to move toward about 2 percent over time, though recent shocks have caused earlier estimates to understate actual inflation. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reviewed Arkansas teacher demographics, shortage areas, educator preparation pipelines, licensure exceptions, survey results from teachers and principals, and teacher support programs. They reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with an average of 11.9 years of experience and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found shortages in multiple subject areas, especially special education, math, science, foreign language, and social studies, and identified 65 districts as high-need geographically. Survey results showed school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the biggest negatives; 30 percent of responding teachers said they were considering leaving the profession. The committee also reviewed teacher salary data showing a statewide average salary of $60,254 in 2025, Arkansas ranking 45th nationally by NEA methodology, and a long-term inflation-adjusted decline in district salaries, though LEARNS Act increases improved the trend. Members asked for additional follow-up information on survey methodology, alternative licensure costs, coursework, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, exit data, and how salary comparisons are calculated.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

House Chamber - Fri Mar 14, 2025, 12:00PM HST - Day 32

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The chair then turned to the top of page two and continued with standing committee report number 1215
  • 1245 okay seeing none we're at the top 1245 okay seeing none we're at the top of<00:50:10.599>
  • Okay, members, top of page 12. Standing Committee Report No. 1251. Representative Pck said no vote.
  • Okay, members, top of page 12. Standing Committee Report No. 1251. Representative Pck said no vote.
  • Okay, members, top of page 12. Standing Committee Report No. 1251. Representative Pck said no vote.
Keywords: 910, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Rep. Sandra Feist departing member remarks 5/18/26

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • that I won't miss and the top five things that I will miss.
  • top five things that I<00:00:56.240> will<00:00:56.440> miss.
  • Okay, top 10 things I will miss. My sister's taking pictures. Do I look good?
  • Okay, top 10 things so, that'll be good.
  • Okay, top 10 things I<00:03:43.120> will<00:03:43.440> miss.
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: Representative Feist delivered a farewell retirement speech on the House floor, reflecting on her service and the legacy she hopes to leave. She said she would not miss the internet, being called “honey” by strangers, going viral, wearing blazers, or what she described as a legislative culture that can encourage groupthink, discourage cross-party questioning, and make it harder to see one another’s humanity. She urged leaders to create more structures and incentives for members to truly hear each other and trust one another. She also shared what she will miss: the camaraderie and “family” of the House, the humor and support of colleagues, the process of negotiating bills with people holding different views, and the opportunity to visit a wide range of places and communities through her work. She thanked nonpartisan research staff, House staff, colleagues, her family, and several individuals by name for their support, including help with her campaigns and with balancing public service and family life. The speech was emotional and lighthearted at times, drawing laughter from the chamber. It concluded with Feist saying it had been an honor to represent New Brighton, Columbia Heights, and St. Anthony, and that she would remain outspoken after leaving office. The House responded with applause.