Transcript Highlights:

• I serve as the General Counsel of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.
• But this is a phenomenal piece of language that really does, all it does is lower the financial threshold
• But after a lot of work, and I did a lot of work with them, a lot of documentation, and a lot of visits
• Thirty percent of cases came out of the St.
• He's the head of the VA, of course, and he did mention that they have thrown tens of billions of dollars

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a beacon of hope for the state of Texas in terms of economic development.
• HB 2850 by Perez of El Paso. to financial incentives for public school teachers who commit to teach a
• of federal laws restricting the acquisition, manufacturing, or possession. of ammunition, and the statement
• a motor vehicle of liability insurance for financial responsibility of motor vehicle or recover damages
• of a portion of the U.S.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> pleasure of touring one of the pleasure of touring one of the non-public<00:41:10.079><c> schools
• </c> of service. of service.
• So, be of the state of us. Okay.
• So, be of the state of us. Okay.
• </c> of the big things that's not in front of of the big things that's not in front of us<01:54:44.480

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• state's economy, and the livelihoods of thousands of Texans.
• The agreement is also an economic engine for the state of Texas, creating tens of thousands of jobs and
• The City of Pharr owns and runs the Pharr International Bridge, one of 28 ports of entry along the Texas-Mexico
• upwards of 120,000 truckloads of produce every year, it's important to highlight some of the economic
• significance of this.

Bills: HCR108 , HCR127

Committee: House S/C on International Relations

Keywords: Tomato Suspension Agreement, trade, Mexico, Texas economy, agriculture, import tariffs, job preservation, Taiwan, U.S. relations, economic cooperation, sister-state

Transcript Highlights:

• of stuff.
• That's the level of things that are kind of out of whack with this amendment.
• portion of the damages as punishment of the company.
• Here’s a statement from one of their safety experts: "The theory of multiple causation says that there
• And, in fact, I find it very interesting that many of the people who have come here to testify before

Bills: SB39 , SB2129 , SB2141 , SB2246 , SB2323 , SB2439 , SB2722 , SB 39

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• I had a ton of statistics and information available for today, but I thought, in the interest of time
• a punitive system of interest accumulation.
• a punitive system of interest accumulation.
• my generation, barely able to keep up with principal payments on top of a punitive system of interest
• The financial burden of operating these systems is always increasing.

Bills: HF1359 , HF1829 , HF290 , HF1933 , HF926

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Ron, one of the members of, I'm Ron, one of the members of the credit station.
• It is just a matter of the timing of when it's available and when the kind of the different slices of
• a culmination of overlapping financial shocks that are all going to come to roost here pretty soon.
• But they alone by themselves will not solve the existing financial crisis or the rising cost of health
• indicate a lack of interest.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the interesting states that we've seen kind of develop a community engagement approach, and I
• state in common interest for the benefit of the people of the state and managed by the Department of
• Community interests and acceptance of potential energy projects requires a combination of using multiple
• What's interesting about these early reports that came out of...
• How did you become interested in nuclear, and what would you like to do in the area of nuclear?

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Summary: The committee met to review advanced nuclear energy issues in North Dakota, beginning with approval of the April 21, 2022 minutes. Nucleon presented an overview of the advanced reactor landscape, distinguishing light-water SMRs, advanced Gen 4 reactors, and microreactors. The presentation emphasized that light-water SMRs are the most near-term deployable and use familiar low-enriched uranium fuel, while many Gen 4 designs may require high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALU), which is not yet supported by a mature U.S. supply chain. Nucleon also noted that advanced reactors are being developed primarily for industrial heat applications, while microreactors are niche, higher-cost systems for remote or mission-critical uses. Committee members asked about fuel availability, safety, recycling, and whether large reactors such as AP-1000s were evaluated; the presenter said fuel development is proceeding in parallel but remains a bottleneck, and that siting and grid capacity often make SMRs more practical than gigawatt-scale plants in North Dakota. Representatives from the National Association of State Energy Officials described how other states are supporting advanced nuclear through task forces, roadmaps, regional coordination, grants, tax incentives, workforce and supply-chain efforts, and pilot programs. They highlighted the Advanced Nuclear First Mover Initiative and said states are focusing on multi-state coordination, demand aggregation, regulatory coordination, waste management, workforce readiness, and community engagement. They also discussed affordability tools such as construction work in progress (CWIP), financing incentives, and consumer protections, citing examples from Kentucky, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, Tennessee, and others. In response to questions, they explained that pilot programs often involve site-readiness and feasibility studies, and that the federal Nuclear Innovation Campus process is moving forward with multiple submissions while broader waste and recycling policy may require congressional action. The Public Service Commission said it would likely have a major role in any North Dakota nuclear project through certificate-of-public-convenience-and-necessity review, siting, and rate regulation, but noted gaps in current law for small reactors, co-located facilities, NRC coordination, and long-term site stewardship. The commissioner said the commission has no authority over a private, self-contained reactor not connected to the grid. The Department of Environmental Quality explained that the state regulates radioactive materials under its agreement-state authority, but NRC retains primacy over fission reactors; DEQ would likely assist with emergency planning and could have a larger role if fusion reactors emerge. The Department of Emergency Services said it would serve as the lead off-site preparedness agency, requiring a dedicated radiological emergency preparedness program, training, drills, public outreach, and likely additional funding and staffing, with industry expected to bear much of the cost. The Department of Water Resources said North Dakota’s water laws and prior-appropriation system are adequate for nuclear siting, that the Missouri River is the best likely source, and that no statutory or budget changes are currently needed from a water perspective. The committee recessed for lunch after these agency presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• It balances all of the interests of the stakeholders, the constitutional interests and concerns, and
• It balances all of the interests<00:30:22.480><c> of</c><00:30:22.640><c> the</c><00:30:22.799><c> stakeholders
• ,</c><00:30:23.360><c> the</c> interests of the stakeholders, the interests of the stakeholders, the
• , sale, or financial speculation of securities or commodities on the outcome or future contingent events
• We echo the statements of HGA.

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. HB 1957, relating to safe entryways, would create enforcement procedures in large cities to prevent personal property from blocking private doorways or entrances. The Department of the Attorney General supported the concept but recommended moving the offense to the criminal code, adding clearer definitions to avoid vagueness, and including notice, inventory, storage, and property-disposition procedures to address constitutional concerns. No other testimony was offered and no questions were raised. HB 25003/HB 253, relating to fireworks, would expand civil asset forfeiture for certain fireworks offenses, revise the definition of aerial device, and clarify air-delivery offenses. The Attorney General supported the bill but suggested removing the 25-pound weight threshold to avoid unequal treatment of similar offenses. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported the measure, saying it would improve clarity for evolving fireworks investigations and prosecutions. The committee took no action during testimony. HB 2137, relating to artificial intelligence, would prohibit certain harmful uses of realistic AI-generated digital imitations, require disclosures, and create civil remedies and fines. The Commission on the Status of Women supported the bill, while the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women opposed it on First Amendment grounds. The Motion Picture Association, Recording Industry Association of America, and SAG-AFTRA also opposed the bill but said they preferred a different framework, the federal “No Fakes” model, and were willing to work with the committee on amendments. The Attorney General had suggested constitutional amendments, which the chair said would be considered later. The committee also heard HB 2198 on prediction markets, with the Honolulu prosecutor strongly supporting inclusion of prediction markets in the gambling definition because of concerns about speculative betting on events and national security-related outcomes. HB 1511 on consumer protection drew support from the Office of Consumer Protection and the Insurance Division, with OCP proposing clearer disclosure for license and registration renewal solicitations. HB 1897 on condominium alternative dispute resolution received supportive comments from the Real Estate Commission and CI. HB 1642 on crypto kiosks drew strong support from OCP and AARP Hawaii for a ban on kiosks accepting U.S. currency, but opposition from Hill Ventures, which argued for regulation and guardrails instead of a ban. HB 1753 on social media account deletion received supportive comments from DCCA on clarifying deletion of unique identifiers and inferences. HB 1654 on anonymous complaints against public employees drew strong opposition from the Attorney General over implementation and due process concerns, while the Government Employees Association supported it as a way to screen baseless complaints; the committee then moved on to HB 1659 on collective bargaining, with testimony beginning as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• All of that equipment, thousands, hundreds, you know, tens and hundreds of thousands of gallons of petrol
• advisory company Stifel back in October, and it was really interesting, Chair, that this type of value
• </c> interest of the public. interest of the public.
• So So as of and head out of state.
• So this I think part of emitter of that.

Committee: Senate Public Safety and Military Affairs

Summary: The committees first took up SB 3322 relating to law enforcement. Chairs recommended adopting amendments from the Department of Law Enforcement that would exempt plainclothes officers from identification requirements, limit conspicuous agency markings to vehicles used in immigration enforcement operations, and allow a plainclothes officer to wear a mask when within eyesight of an unmasked officer from the same agency while performing official duties. Although there was an initial quorum issue, both committees ultimately voted to adopt the chair’s recommendation and advance the bill as amended. The next major item was SB 3333 relating to property tax treatment for certain housing. Testimony was strongly supportive, including from a Maui County real property tax board member and a representative of Nali Maui, who described homeowners in affordable housing being taxed at much higher rates when exemptions were missed or when resale restrictions kept values below market. The committees recommended passing the bill with amendments, including a deferred effective date of April 19, 2042, and the recommendation was adopted. The committees also heard SB 2422 on a pro housing score program for counties, SB 2981 on eliminating minimum off-street parking requirements in urban districts, SB 2007 on county land use boundary amendments, SB 3028 on restructuring the conveyance tax to a marginal rate system, SB 3033 on public petitions for review of beach structures, and SB 2434 on electric vehicle infrastructure. SB 2422 drew support with a request for flexibility and an appeals process for counties facing extraordinary circumstances; the chair’s recommendation was to pass it with amendments and note a $200,000 implementation study request, which was adopted. SB 2981 received strong support from housing and transportation advocates and was advanced unamended, while SB 2007 drew opposition from the Sierra Club and discussion about the Land Use Commission’s limited enforcement tools and the number of approved but unbuilt units. SB 3028 received mixed testimony, with support for the marginal-rate change but concerns about earmarking and blanks in the bill, and SB 3033 was supported as an early-warning mechanism for erosion-threatened coastal structures, though OPSD said it should not be the regulatory decision-maker. SB 2434 prompted concern about whether utility capacity can support EV infrastructure goals, with the chair citing a recent report suggesting transmission and distribution constraints.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> favor of this. favor of this.
• Nathan White, chief financial officer with the Department of Health and Human Services.
• </c><01:12:26.000><c> Y</c> Uh I was aware of some of it. Yeah. Y Uh I was aware of some of it.
• It's giving them the financial benefit of the proposed changes earlier than if that was 2013 instead
• The financial, you know, at the end I will get one more year probably of money at the new rate.

Summary: The committee of conference on HB 1 and HB 2 met to review revenue estimates and begin working through a side-by-side of the budget. New Hampshire Lottery Director Charlie McIntyre testified that lottery revenues are outperforming prior estimates, projecting a $27 million return to the state this year, up $7 million, and $200 million per year in the next biennium, up $6.5 million per year. He attributed the increase to stronger scratch ticket sales, no negative impact from Massachusetts sports betting, and overall better performance. Members questioned the assumptions behind the higher numbers, including the proposed $50 scratch tickets, the effect of inflation, and whether the projections were conservative enough. McIntyre said the $50 ticket could produce modest growth and that the estimates were intentionally cautious. The discussion also covered gaming revenue assumptions for historical horse racing and video lottery terminals, with McIntyre saying the state market is not yet saturated and that future conversions from HHR to VLTs should be net positive for the state. Members also discussed differences between House and Senate revenue numbers for gaming, including machine counts, daily revenue assumptions, and the tax split. The Senate version used higher machine counts and a 31.25% tax rate, with a quarter-point reserved for responsible gaming and the remainder split between charities and the state. The House had used a 30% rate with a different distribution. McIntyre and committee members also reviewed House Bill 2 items affecting Kino hours and local option games of chance, with McIntyre explaining that the bill would expand playing hours and shift towns to an opt-out model. No votes were taken during the lottery discussion, but the committee indicated it would continue refining the revenue model and circulate the spreadsheet used for the estimates. The committee then moved through the HB 1 detail change sheet, accepting several Senate positions and holding others for later. It agreed to a zero-cost realignment in the Department of Safety moving the international fuel tax agreement function from administration to motor vehicles, and it restored eight passenger motor vehicle inspection positions for later discussion in HB 2. The Department of Corrections reorganization was set aside for a later, more detailed discussion. The committee also accepted no-change positions for the Department of Employment Security and agreed to a technical footnote fix in the Judicial Council section. It discussed a new HB 2 item moving contract counsel for involuntary mental health admissions from the judicial branch to the Judicial Council, funded at $100,000 per year, and noted that the public defender funding issue would be revisited when the overall budget picture is clearer. The meeting ended with the committee continuing its review of the remaining pages of the detail change sheet.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the presence a lot of acknowledgement of the presence of<00:09:16.160><c> a</c><00:09:16.480><c>
• </c> interests, the towns of New Hampshire. interests, the towns of New Hampshire.
• It's just financially out of reach for the business to do that.
• I'm a senior financial analyst at the Department of Revenue Administration.
• /c><02:02:19.679><c> USPS</c> received as of the date of the USPS received as of the date of the USPS

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• of them.
• Of the parishes? Of the parishes, yes. Of the parishes? Of the parishes? Yes.
• And this is my best attempt to make sure that the Senate's interests, or members of the minority party
• the road that I was kind of thinking of.
• with some of us, maybe not all of us.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 20 minutes and then advanced HCR 95, which would create a more uniform tax base for future state and local tax exemptions and credits, requiring a two-thirds vote of both chambers to deviate from that uniformity. HB 648 was deferred by the author. HB 1049, dealing with public meeting procedures and notice requirements, was amended after discussion with the Police Jury Association, school boards, and local government groups; the amendments removed a requirement for a lawyer at every meeting and clarified notice and posting language, and the bill was reported with amendments despite opposition from local government associations and the City of Baker. The committee then heard HB 615, which would expand livestreaming and two-year archiving requirements to more public bodies, including non-elected boards and commissions with taxing or rulemaking authority. Supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while local government and association witnesses argued it would impose an unfunded mandate, especially on small volunteer boards, and raised concerns about costs, staffing, record retention, and reliance on social media platforms. The bill was not advanced. HB 1201, as amended, would provide legislators reimbursement for travel and limited out-of-session expenses, including housing and mileage, beginning with the next term; members discussed the need to make public service more financially feasible and to broaden who can afford to serve. The committee reported HB 1201 with amendments. The committee also considered two constitutional convention-related bills. HB 244 would set guardrails for any future convention by capping delegates at 144, specifying delegate selection, requiring a two-thirds delegate vote to send proposals to voters, and requiring both a majority of voters and approval by three-fourths of the parishes for ratification; after debate over whether the parish threshold was too high, the bill was reported favorably on a roll call vote. HB 4, as amended, was narrowed to require the Senate and House Governmental Affairs committees to meet in the off-season to discuss the mechanics of a possible convention, but members viewed it as more of a study resolution than binding legislation, and the committee voted to keep it in committee. The meeting then moved to confirmation hearings. Courtney Myers, nominated for Deputy Secretary for the Office of Juvenile Justice, and Ernest Jacob Reade Jr., nominated as Assistant Secretary, testified about their backgrounds and priorities, emphasizing juvenile rehabilitation, education and vocational programming, mental health services, credible messengers, family contact, and better communication with legislators and families. Nathan McBride, nominated as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, testified about his engineering and government affairs background and said he would focus on legislative work, waste tire management, permitting modernization, and constituent service.

Transcript Highlights:

• And after working with the pension system and some of the interested parties in this, we found out that
• However, because of that kind of synergistic relationship between the State Department of Education and
• of all four million Oklahomans. ...on a lot of pieces of legislation, but I think it's an obligation
• of the second half of the 60th legislature.
• of the second half of the 60th legislature.

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of appropriations and budget bills, with most of the early action focused on retirement cost-of-living adjustments. Senate Bills 1144, 1145, 1146, 1148, and 1149 all advanced, covering COLAs for retired teachers, public employees, police, judges, and a special “tweener” group of police and fire retirees. Members questioned the actuarial impacts, funded ratios, and timing of the apportionment changes, and the author explained that the retirement bills were based on TRS or system actuarial estimates and that the 2036 apportionment cutoff could be revisited by future legislatures. SB 1149 was described as a one-time $25,000 payment for a limited group of older retirees, with estimated costs of $3.5 million for police and $5.8 million for fire. Most of these retirement measures passed on votes of 23-24 ayes with one nay. The committee also considered House Bill 4071, creating the Oklahoma Dream Accounts Investment Program to match the federal “Trump accounts” with up to $250 per eligible child, capped at $12.5 million. Democrats criticized it as a poor use of funds and objected to the federal program’s uncertainty and the emergency clause; the bill passed 17-8. House Bill 4072 created a taxpayer endowment trust fund by moving $200 million from the Revenue Stabilization Fund and redirecting a portion of future gross production tax overages into the new fund until it reaches $1 billion, after which it would generate future revenue streams. Members raised concerns about investment risk, oversight, and whether the fund was a “shell game,” but it passed 18-6. Several agency budget and limit bills were also approved, including HB 4057 for $25 million to expand the Bureau of Narcotics headquarters, SB 1158 for $252,000 to fund medication for minors in custody, SB 1164 for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse with $1.2 million in new appropriations plus $5.97 million for the 988 revolving fund, and HB 4040 for the Department of Health rural health transformation cash-flow needs tied to federal reimbursement. The committee also passed HB 4051 on FMAP preservation, SB 1161 for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, SB 1162 for the State Department of Health, and SB 1163 for DHS, where the largest discussion centered on avoiding an Advantage waiver waitlist, SNAP administrative costs, and child abuse multidisciplinary care centers. Most of these bills passed with little or no debate, though some drew questions about federal matching dollars and reporting requirements. Education-related items were also approved, including HB 4030, the State Department of Education budget limits bill, which maintained prior-year funding for textbooks, early intervention, literacy coaching, school security, and other line items; HB 4044 for OEQA’s growth-based teacher compensation and NBCT stipends; HB 4065 for school security funding at the School of Science and Math; HB 4067 for the School for the Blind and School for the Deaf; and HB 4038 directing $5 million of ODOT FY27 appropriations to the eight-year work plan. The committee also advanced HB 4046, which directs funding to the Military Readiness, Innovation, Education, Aviation Revolving Fund for projects including McAlester, Fort Sill, Altus, and Enid, with members questioning why additional money was needed so soon after prior appropriations. Throughout the meeting, most measures were reported as passed by wide margins, with a few dissenting votes on bills viewed as controversial or as reallocating funds away from other priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the interesting states that we've seen kind of develop a community engagement approach, and I
• state in common interest for the benefit of the people of the state and managed by the Department of
• interests and acceptance of potential energy projects requires a combination of using multiple tools
• What's interesting about these early reports that came out of...
• How did you become interested in nuclear, and what would you like to do in the area of nuclear?

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• interest, insider trading types of problems.
• interest, insider trading types of problems.
• interest, insider trading types of problems.
• interest, insider-trading types of problems.
• interest, insider-trading types of problems.

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, really, I just find the design of this bill very interesting.
• Um, really, I just find the design of this bill very interesting.
• I will just be really brief in the interest of time.
• Thank you, Senator McQuade. the interest of time. Um, I am certainly the interest of time.
• </c> financial resources to address all of financial resources to address all of these<02:20:09.760><

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• of them.
• I just think it's, you know, it's kind of a lot of hassle to keep track of all of the mileage, especially
• Of the parishes? Of the parishes, yes. and Of the parishes? Of the parishes? Yes.
• And this is my best attempt to make sure that the Senate's interests, or members of the minority party
• Madam Pro Tem, I was kind of going down the road that I was kind of thinking of.

Bills: HCR95 , HB4 , HB244 , HB615 , HB648 , HB1049 , HB1201

Committee: Senate Senate & Governmental Affairs

Keywords: sales tax, exemptions, credits, rebates, uniformity, legislative rules, fiscal report, constitutional convention, Louisiana constitution, electoral process, government structure, delegate elections, delegates, state election, ratification, Louisiana, public meetings, broadcast, transparency, government accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• Those of us on the veterans subcommittee, people who are interested in it, expect an email from me later
• Those of us on the veterans subcommittee, people who are interested in it, expect an email from me later
• </c> received an overwhelming amount of received an overwhelming amount of interest<00:57:11.319><c>
• I like to think of this soil health financial assistance grant as a missing piece of the puzzle, bringing
• I like to think of this soil health financial assistance grant as a missing piece of the puzzle, bringing

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• federal</c><00:16:19.280><c> agents</c> of fear of encountering federal agents of fear of encountering
• </c> chair of the Minnesota Hmong Chamber of chair of the Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce.<00:17:
• </c><00:59:22.480><c> our</c> state of Minnesota, in several of our state of Minnesota, in several of
• </c> behalf of ICE. behalf of ICE.
• With today's interest rates on lines of credit at 6% or higher, it does not take long to erase margin

Committee: Senate State and Local Government