Transcript Highlights:

• You're a very brave young lady, and you did a great job. So thanks for being here.
• They are trained to do the jobs that they were built for.
• The dog, the attention that dog gets is incredible, but it's because that's his job.
• The chairman did a great job laying the ground.
• You've done an amazing job representing these specialty crop folks.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You've helped create jobs.
• Anyway, I just want to congratulate you for a job well done.
• She's very competent in her job. She does an outstanding job.
• So she does a fantastic job here.
• I think she voted for me, so I must have done a good enough job.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5831 , SB6244 , SB6044 , SB5109 , SB5877 , SB6258

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, state regulation, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives, best practices, community protection, voluntary measures, mortgage modification

Transcript Highlights:

• The agency does a good job defending the taxpayer against APS and SRP.
• to be here, but not doing their job.
• So asking Congress to consider looking at the science and asking Congress, because this is their job,
• Sawyer did a great job of explaining the details.
• had to leave, but Emily's here, and I think you're going to do a much better job than Russell.

Committee: Senate Senate Natural Resources Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from February 27 and March 3, 2026, then heard House Bill 2013, which would require ADEQ to submit an exceptional event demonstration to EPA when a wildfire on federally managed land affects Arizona air quality. The sponsor said the bill would help Arizona’s ozone/nonattainment situation by ensuring wildfire-related exceedances are excluded from official counts. Sierra Club opposed the mandate as duplicative and costly, and ADEQ said it was neutral but concerned about requiring submissions that may not meet EPA’s regulatory-significance standard and could take about 200 staff hours each. HB 2013 received a do-pass recommendation by a 5-3 vote. The committee also approved House Bill 2156, appropriating $250,000 to the Livestock Compensation Fund, after testimony from opponents raising transparency, conflict-of-interest, and funding concerns; supporters argued ranchers need help with depredation losses. HB 2156 passed 5-3. House Bill 2113, which would require RUCO to intervene in utility rate cases when a proposed residential rate increase is 100% or more, drew testimony from the sponsor about rural customers facing large increases and from RUCO saying it lacked the staff and budget to take on the added workload. The chair and sponsor discussed adding an appropriation or lowering the threshold, but no amendment was ready. Opponents argued the bill would divert RUCO from larger cases, while supporters emphasized protecting rural ratepayers. The committee gave HB 2113 a do-pass recommendation, 6-2. House Concurrent Memorial 2011, urging Congress to delist the Mexican gray wolf and return management to states and local authorities, was supported by the sponsor and ranching-focused testimony citing livestock losses, while opponents said the species remains endangered and recovery should stay science-based. HCM 2011 passed 5-3. The committee then considered House Bill 2026, which would let ADWR evaluate water availability for certain developments by looking only at the proposed source or sources, even if water is commingled in a delivery system. ADWR was neutral but warned that commingled systems make it difficult to track actual water use and could weaken groundwater safeguards; opponents said the bill could enable double counting or more pumping. HB 2026 received a do-pass recommendation, 5-3. House Bill 2056, which appropriates $100,000 for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites, was supported by the sponsor as a way to explore additional water supplies; ADWR was neutral but said the study would be new for the agency and that brackish water is still regulated as groundwater. HB 2056 passed 5-3. House Bill 2098, modernizing Pinal County Water Augmentation Authority bonding and financing authority, drew support from Pinal County representatives and passed unanimously, 8-0. Finally, House Concurrent Resolution 2057, supporting a geothermal permitting roadmap and coordination among agencies, was backed by industry advocates as a way to unlock Arizona’s geothermal potential and also passed unanimously, 8-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Hovis did a wonderful job of explaining how this bill here today.
• And that weight of the opinions is necessarily a job for the jury.
• And that is a job of the jury that's being taken away with this language.
• The judges do a fair job of gatekeeping. There are hearings already in place.
• But that's a job. That's, you know, I remember I had a job as a PJ and I had a judge.

Committee: House Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence

Summary: The Judiciary Committee first heard House Bill 2255, sponsored by Rep. Barry Hovis, which would update Missouri’s expert witness statute to align with the amended federal Rule 702 and the Daubert reliability framework. Supporters, including defense lawyers, the Missouri Hospital Association, business groups, insurers, and a sterilization company, argued the bill would clarify judges’ gatekeeping role, require expert testimony to be shown reliable by a preponderance of the evidence, and reduce inconsistent rulings and costly retrials. Opponents, including the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, a public advocate, and a justice reform group, argued the bill was unnecessary, would shift too much discretion from juries to judges, and could increase pretrial litigation and costs, especially for plaintiffs. No vote was taken on HB 2255 during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 3155, sponsored by Rep. Benny Cook, on sentencing and parole eligibility changes. Cook and supporters, including prosecutors and some public safety advocates, said the bill would improve transparency in sentencing, make parole timing clearer, and help address repeat serious offenders by setting firmer service percentages. Opponents, including justice reform and anti-poverty advocates, argued it would increase incarceration costs, especially for lower-level and drug offenses, without improving public safety, and would reduce incentives for rehabilitation. Some members questioned whether the bill could lead to longer time served, while supporters said it would apply evenly and clarify existing sentencing practices. At the end of the hearing, the committee took up an executive session on House Bill 2637 and House Bill 3155 together under a House Committee Substitute. The substitute was adopted, and the combined committee substitute for HB 2637 and HB 3155 was voted do pass by an 8-3 roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no job requirements. You do have to take a training program.
• When the sheriff is incapacitated, absent, or not able to fulfill their job, this is the one elected
• of the county expect a sheriff, which is elected, to be seen an appointed official taking over the job
• That's an elected job if this bill passes. That would not be the case.
• As it happened in Yakima, something happens to them, they're not able to perform their job functions

Summary: The House Local Government Committee heard public testimony on HB 2588, which would let county ferry districts exercise broader authority over ferries rather than being limited to passenger-only ferries. The sponsor and county officials from Whatcom, Pierce, and Skagit described rising operating and capital costs for county-run vehicle ferries and said the bill would give local governments a needed funding tool. Opponents argued it would create another tax burden and that county councils do not directly represent voters on such decisions. The hearing on HB 2588 was later reopened for additional testimony, but no vote was taken in the hearing portion. The committee also heard HB 2094, which would require non-charter counties to appoint coroners rather than elect them, unless they use appointed medical examiners. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address accountability and staffing problems, citing Yakima County as an example and arguing that coroner positions are technical and should be filled through hiring rather than partisan elections. Supporters said appointment would reduce ballot complexity and allow for professional management, while opponents, including elected coroners and the Washington Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, argued that elected coroners provide independence, public accountability, and the ability to order inquests without political pressure. The public hearing on HB 2094 was closed without committee action during the hearing. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. HB 2451 on local tax increment financing passed with three adopted amendments and a 7-0 vote. HB 2298 on county title protection programs also passed with one adopted amendment and a 7-0 vote. HB 2566 on local government procurement passed 7-0 without amendment. HB 2267 on urban forest management ordinances passed 4-3 after a substitute was adopted, with some members expressing concern about state guidance becoming too regulatory. HB 2530 on public facilities districts for regional aquatics and sports facilities passed 7-0 after removing the deadline for forming such districts, and HB 2388 on siting distributed energy generation on agricultural lands passed 7-0 after an amendment narrowing the bill’s scope. The committee then returned to public testimony on HB 2094 and HB 2588 before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, having access to those things is part of my job as well.
• And so I'm very concerned about the... ...is part of my job as well.
• That is the job of government.
• They have to have special job requirements. The... ...to fill.
• They have to have special job requirements. The pay is low, and so it's hard maybe.

Bills: HB2086 , HB2248 , HB2688

Committee: House Regulatory Oversight

Keywords: vaccination mandates, mask requirements, public health, government entities, COVID-19, medical freedom, healthcare mandates, employment requirements, government regulation, vacant positions, state budget, government efficiency, employment, full-time equivalent positions, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There are three of us, three coordinators, so essentially, our job is to connect the public to the farm
• However, a big part of my job has actually been just breaking down that stigma of drinking and alcohol
• So, part of my job has been really pushing craft beverage as an addition to the experience of life, right
• or 4,000 jobs, but in a small community, 10 to 15 jobs at a processing facility that then supports those
• So, thank you all for your diligence in your job and for your patience in working with me.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• achieving equitable funding throughout the state and the funding that's necessary for us to do our job
• Our jobs are in-person jobs.
• You know, it’s not always a very happy job, but certainly reuniting families is something that we’re
• Scott said, they work as long as it needs to do the job. But no overtime. I’m sorry.
• Without the professional staff that we have, it's impossible for us to do our jobs.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice

Summary: The committee met for an interim appropriations presentation hearing focused on justice administration agencies. Members heard budget requests from the State Attorney’s Office, Public Defenders, the Justice Administrative Commission, Regional Conflict Counsel, Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, and the Guardian ad Litem Office, followed by a presentation from the Department of Juvenile Justice and a brief public comment from a nonprofit advocate. The chair noted that presentations from the Department of Law Enforcement and the Commission on Offender Review would be moved to a later meeting. The state attorney requested funding to true up underfunded circuits under the existing formula, staff 14 new criminal judgeships, replace declining VOCA victim-services funding with general revenue, and cover a projected due process shortfall. The public defender asked for a higher starting salary for assistant public defenders, funding to restore balance in circuits where public defenders lag behind state attorneys, and staffing for new criminal judgeships. Regional conflict counsel and capital collateral regional counsel also sought salary adjustments, additional attorneys and case costs, and competitive area differential funding to address recruitment and retention issues. The Justice Administrative Commission requested funding for Florida PALM readiness and implementation and for IT hardware and software replacement; it also relayed a clerks’ request for reimbursement related to injunctions for protection, Baker Act, Marchman Act, and sexually violent predator cases. The Guardian ad Litem Office said it now has a guardian ad litem for every child in Florida and requested salary increases for senior and managing attorneys to reduce turnover. The Department of Juvenile Justice presented a much larger budget request to expand residential and detention capacity, increase per diem rates, renovate and replace aging facilities, fund the Broward detention center rebuild, improve cybersecurity and the juvenile information system, and cover rising lease costs. Members asked questions about staffing, compensation, detention and residential treatment needs, mental health and substance-use services, and the Broward project timeline. A nonprofit advocate then asked for better data collection on protection orders and related court actions to support funding for domestic violence and recovery services. The committee adjourned without taking any formal votes on the budget requests.

Transcript Highlights:

• How many of you know whether or not your children's teachers liked their jobs?
• And by the way, most of them go to lower-paying jobs when they leave.
• In this school, educators were like, it makes my job miserable.
• Do I want to keep doing this job? So there's a sense of immediacy to it.
• You're doing a good job. I don't know if I am. No, you are. Okay.

Committee: House Education

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The meeting began with a student performance from Horizon Middle School Show Choir, including songs from an eighth grade concert and the show choir piece “The Body Electric.” After the performance, Deputy Superintendent Donna Fishbeck spoke on behalf of State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler in support of music education, emphasizing its benefits for creativity, collaboration, school climate, and student development, and noting the department’s support for music grants and professional development. She also highlighted the North Dakota Music Educators Association’s role in expanding access and quality in music education. The committee then heard a presentation from Vital Network, introduced as a DPI-funded effort focused on teacher retention. Nate Eklund and Dr. Aaron Rob described the organization’s work with schools and districts to reduce educator burnout by improving workplace conditions, especially around time management, voice in decision-making, and care/support. They said the program uses surveys, dashboards, advisory support, and facilitated school and district processes to identify local friction points and help educators and leaders solve them, with examples ranging from simplifying material requests to improving PLC time and communication. They stressed that retention is driven more by workplace conditions than pay alone, and that solutions must be local rather than one-size-fits-all. Members asked about rural teacher overload, sustainability after grant funding ends, and whether the model could inform broader policy or continuing education reforms. Vital representatives said the work is designed to be embedded in district systems and strategic plans so it can continue beyond their direct involvement, and that the approach aligns with the state’s teacher retention and recruitment task force recommendations. They reported serving about half of North Dakota educators across roughly 50 districts, with partnerships through regional education associations to reach rural areas. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's time to step out of the way and allow industry and utilities to simply do the job of reaching the
• Now, there are over 200 families that rely on us for their jobs and income.
• We are growing our jobs. We are growing jobs within our company.
• Please don't eliminate these jobs. Please vote against this bill. Thank you for your time.
• It's the legislators' job to say we are going to decide who must pay.

Bills: HF2103 , HF2793

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: energy, renewable energy, ammonia, hydrogen, certificate tracking, funding, environment, community solar, energy policy, sustainability, solar garden program, regulation sunset

Transcript Highlights:

• Awesome job. Gracias. The chair recognizes Ms. Collier for a recognition. Thank you Mr.
• It means more highly qualified people will stay in the job for longer. That's true of any job.
• But I won't deny that there are a few judges who may not be working as hard as the job demands.
• use the power the Constitution gives us to make the 2% find another job.
• And the Supreme Court's job is to give it life, to decide for us when its meaning is to change.

Transcript Highlights:

• HOW DO WE KNOW WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB?
• I HAVE SERVED EVERY JOB IN THE DISTRICT LIKE MANY OF MY OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS.
• THE ONLY JOB I'VE NEVER HAD IS LUNCH SERVICES.
• FROM THE STANDPOINT OF UNION COUNTY WE COULD NOT DO OUR DAILY JOB WITHOUT THEM.
• DOCTOR BURNS WAS ALLUDING TO THE BSI AND THE GREAT JOB THEY DO. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN IT?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> doing the same job? doing the same job?
• . job. job.
• Am I losing my job?
• Am I losing my job?
• Am I losing my job?

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• being employed in sports media or whatever job comes my way.
• They're working, often multiple jobs. They cannot afford to lose wages or risk job security.
• They're working, often multiple jobs. They cannot afford to lose wages or risk job security.
• I want her to hold a job one day.
• It's our job to take care of them and to support them.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She's been doing an excellent job. She's been with us for a couple of months now.
• But I think you've done a really good job, to you and your team.
• , but I think you've done a really good job to you and your team.
• And he said, good job, but do more. We need to get to a different number.
• And they do a great job with what they have, but they certainly weren't built.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first approved the December 10 minutes and then received a DEQ base budget summary and agency overview. DEQ staff explained that the agency is largely federally and special funded, with major ongoing costs in salaries, operating expenses, grants, and continuing appropriations. Director Dave Glatt and accounting director Beth Jacobson highlighted core programs, the move to a new chemistry laboratory, the new state fuel inspection program, wastewater-related funding from HB 1577, and implementation of SB 2267 for on-site wastewater rules. They also noted the agency’s spending patterns, possible federal EPA cuts, and the likelihood of some fee adjustments or program changes if federal support declines. Members asked about DEQ’s travel, field offices, future staffing, and how the agency would respond to reduced federal regulation. DEQ said most staff are based in Bismarck, with field offices in Fargo, Sawyer, and Gwinner, and that travel is driven by inspections and spill response. Glatt said the agency would continue to rely on science and law, and that any future federal retrenchment could mean more state responsibility but likely not a wholesale increase in FTEs. The committee also discussed a feedlot enforcement case in the Minot area, with DEQ explaining its role in ensuring compliance, permitting, and animal-waste management standards. The Department of Health and Human Services then presented on FTE block grant reporting, TANF balances, child care transfers, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Donna Ockland explained that no line-item transfers had occurred yet for the new rural health work, but about 33 positions were planned and some current staff time could be reimbursed through approved cost allocation. HHS also reviewed TANF’s frozen eligibility and block grant structure, the transfer of up to 30% of TANF funds to child care, and recent program changes that increased benefits and raised the income limit. Staff said the department is using TANF more strategically to support child care and other allowable uses, while still carrying over unused funds as many states do. Finally, Pat and HHS staff gave an update on the Rural Health Transformation Program, saying the first funding opportunity was being posted and that the state is on track to obligate the federal funds within the required timeline. They described priorities such as workforce retention, preceptor development, technical assistance for critical access hospitals, community wellness projects, and ambulance upgrades. Members asked about rural versus urban eligibility, immigrant recruitment, evaluation of year-two funding, and how the program would address varied local workforce needs. The meeting then shifted to an Office of Management and Budget update on the new State Hospital project, where Lindsay Ashley reported continued construction progress, updated cost information, and selected alternates, with photos and details showing work underway in multiple building sections.

Transcript Highlights:

• In this modern day, sometimes the sheriffs have done a better job of policing the parties' rights, and
• And let's say that they lost their job maybe for the second time or they had medical issues in their
• </c> some additional programming around jobs some additional programming around jobs um<00:31:05.639>
• Sorry if you went over this, but what sort of job training do you guys offer in your program? Mr.
• So we are doing really the pre-employment work, the sort of preparing people to even job search.

Bills: HF1027 , HF101 , HF1021

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: mortgage foreclosure, redemption, foreclosure surplus, sheriff's sale, junior lienholder, mortgagor, homeowner protections, loss mitigation, dual tracking, foreclosure redemption period, certificate of redemption, certificate of sale, sheriff, county recorder, registrar of titles, homeownership center, lien priority, real property, foreclosure by advertisement, surplus funds

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not my job to be in the courtroom while they're doing their case.
• It is not my job to be in the courtroom while they're doing their case.
• It is not my job to be in the courtroom while they're doing their case.
• Most of us, I think, do a very good job and we try very hard.
• Most of us, I think, do a very good job and we try very hard.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The subcommittee on the Children and Family Law Committee met organizationally to continue work on family court issues, building on a prior special committee’s report and taking a collaborative approach with the Judiciary. The chair said the group would focus on solutions rather than rehashing public complaints, and identified three main topics for early study: specialization and training of family court judges, the extent to which judges should be bound by the rules of evidence, and whether mediation in family cases should be mandatory or voluntary and what qualifications mediators should have. A fourth concern was also raised about overlap between superior court domestic violence cases and family court custody/support matters, and whether one judge should hear both. Members discussed whether to divide into smaller subcommittees, but the prevailing view was to work as a committee of the whole at first. Most members agreed that additional public testimony was unlikely to add much, though recent concerns could still be emailed to the committee. The committee then heard from Attorney Erin Krian, general counsel for the judicial branch, and Judge Michael Mace. Krian said the judicial branch could provide additional witnesses on mediation and judicial training, including Judge Kissinger, and noted the branch was preparing materials on how other states handle the issues. Mace described the history of the Family Division and said he had reviewed older reports going back to the 1990s. He also outlined current judicial branch efforts, including expanded shadowing for new judges, monthly family-law trainings, and a year-long focus on family law topics. He reported that court rules had been updated to clarify notice requirements for minor guardianship changes, and that the branch had received positive feedback on the family access motion, which provides a statutory timeline and listed remedies for parenting-time disputes. Members also discussed prior committee work on rules of evidence and family court procedures. One member recalled recommending quiet review of any judges who appeared to apply evidence rules inconsistently, and Krian said the administrative judge can review complaints even if they come from a single person. The committee also received a status update on prior initiatives, including a federal grant for guardian ad litem services for indigent litigants in four locations, testing of redesigned court forms, and continued training improvements. The chair scheduled the next subcommittee meeting for April 1 and the full Children and Family Law Committee for April 8, with further documents from committee research and NCSL to be circulated.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:26:09.600><c> and</c> college or into those tech jobs and college or into those tech jobs and
• If they work with children in another setting, they risk losing their job.
• If they work with children in another setting, they risk losing their job.
• If they work with children in another setting, they risk losing their job.
• If they work with children in another setting, they risk losing their job.

Bills: HF2362 , HF2136 , HF1316 , HF2009 , HF1918 , HF1614

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Keywords: youth intervention, funding, mental health, education, community programs, HF1316, child support, new hire reporting, centralized work reporting system, independent contractors, payors, employers, payor of funds, withholding orders, income withholding, child support enforcement, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, gig economy, rideshare drivers, delivery drivers

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I must be doing a better job or a worse job, but okay.
• Well, I must be doing a better job or a worse job, but okay.
• Let them do their job.
• Let them do their job.
• Let them do their job. way of the feds. Let them do their job.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think mandating to our cities and towns how they run themselves is not our job in conquered.
• Our job in conquered is to make sure we're taking care of our constituents' most core needs, which at
• </c> job in conquered.
• Our job in conquered job in conquered.
• </c> my colleague has done a great job my colleague has done a great job raising<00:21:15.120><c> the

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all