Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and we have support across the state from you guys, the governor, the public, to manage wildlife
• guys,</c><00:02:55.360><c> the</c> the state um from you guys, the the state um from you guys, the governor
• <c> public</c><00:02:56.560><c> to</c><00:02:56.879><c> manage</c><00:02:57.200><c> wildlife</c> governor
• , the public to manage wildlife governor, the public to manage wildlife for<00:02:57.920><c> future</
• They're really, really powerful.

Bills: SF0025 , SF0027 , SF0043 , SF0066

Committee: Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife & Cultural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• workforce data has shown for years that even after adjusting for cost of living, wages and purchasing power
• Uh, under Governor Linda Lingle, in the early 2000s, around $1 million was allocated to robotics funding
• engineers of our community as well. uh engineers of our community as well. uh under<01:01:22.559><c> Governor
• 23.280><c> Lingal</c><01:01:24.079><c> um</c><01:01:24.400><c> in</c><01:01:24.640><c> the</c> under Governor
• Linda Lingal um in the under Governor Linda Lingal um in the early<01:01:25.040><c> 2000s</c><01:01:

Bills: HB1813 , HB2429 , HB2423 , HB1996 , HB1851 , HB2546 , HB2028 , HB2583 , HB2490 , HB2545 , HB2114 , HB1859 , HB2534 , HB2474 , HB1863 , HB2475

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Summary: The committee opened with HB 1813 on taxation and HB 2429 on tax expenditure evaluation, taking mostly written testimony and limited oral discussion. On HB 2429, the Tax Foundation and Department of Taxation raised privacy and federal-law concerns, warning that the bill could require taxpayers to file duplicative returns and could risk disclosure of federal tax information if released publicly. Members and witnesses discussed using anonymized or summary reporting instead of individual public release, with the department saying summarized data would be preferable and that the state can ask for the information as a policy matter, but individual public release could create problems. The committee then heard HB 2423 HD1 on biodiesel, where Pacific Biodiesel said it can supply all biodiesel needed for B5 in Hawaii without imports and asked to move the implementation date earlier to November 2027 to allow rollout planning. HB 1996 HB1 on hearing aids drew broad support; a disability access representative said earlier insurance-based efforts had run into administrative problems and that this bill would immediately lower costs for consumers. HB 1851 HD1, also related to hearing aids, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, while the Tax Foundation argued the program would be better funded directly rather than through the tax system, citing overhead costs and blank provisions that should be filled in before passage. On HB 2546, the research activities tax credit, HCDC said the credit supports long-term R&D and should be converted from a first-come, first-served system to proration so more applicants receive some benefit; the agency described the credit as helping companies move from idea to commercialization and noted the state is leaving potential jobs and federal dollars on the table. HB 2028 HD1, relating to Labor Day for construction workers, drew support from labor representatives who said it recognizes construction workers and helps offset cost-of-living pressures, while the Tax Foundation opposed it as an industry-specific subsidy and flagged technical issues with undefined terms and blank credit amounts. The committee also heard HB 2583, HB 2490, HB 2545, HB 2114, and HB 1859 HD1. HB 2490, concerning coastal erosion at Mokuhiki Bay, received strong support from a temple representative who described severe shoreline loss, years of temporary emergency work, and the need for a long-term, nature-based solution in coordination with state agencies. HB 2545, involving HCDC and SBIR commercialization, was supported as a way to turn R&D into economic development; HCDC said it had more applications than it could fund and that the bill could help create high-wage jobs. HB 2114, the Hawaii Benefits Hub, received comments from ETS and DHS emphasizing support for the concept but cautioning that operational, policy, cybersecurity, and data-sharing standards must be carefully aligned. HB 1859 HD1 on workforce development drew strong support from workforce and philanthropic groups, who said Hawaii faces a long-term gap between projected living-wage jobs and the number of young people entering the workforce, and argued the bill would create durable infrastructure for coordination and long-term planning. No formal votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And of course, what is a virtual power plant?
• That's very powerful.
• Basically, that's a virtual power plant.
• I was at a panel on virtual power plants.
• The proposed rule basically references virtual power plants.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• as billionaires take more and more power in this country.
• Power as billionaires take more and more power in this country, working people everywhere are coming
• Drivers are already putting in the work every day, and it is time they have a voice and power in the
• Drivers are already putting in the work every day, and it is time they have a voice and power in the
• Drivers are already putting in the work every day, and it is time they have a voice and power in the

Transcript Highlights:

• So, thank you, members of the House, for taking this powerful action.
• There's nothing I can say that's more powerful than these voices.
• There's nothing more powerful than the voices screaming for their dead children.
• There's nothing I can say that's more powerful than these voices.
• There's nothing more powerful than the voices screaming for their dead children.

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor has said that this is a budget discussion, and the governor wants to negotiate with the
• I, along with the current governor and previous governor, view tax cuts as part of budget negotiations
• Hobbs' budget, or Governor Hobbs' department issued.
• But generally, when the Speaker and the Senate President write a letter to the governor, the governor
• I keep hearing people talk about the governor this, the governor that.

Bills: HB2011 , HB2089 , HB2090 , HB2092 , HB2477 , HB2785

Committees: House Ways & Means , House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Keywords: individual income tax, subtraction, Arizona Revised Statutes, retirement benefits, adoption costs, charitable contributions, health insurance, premium payment, Arizona State Retirement System, contingent annuitant, long-term disability, benefits limitations, disability compensation, social security, retirement system, elected officials, ASRS, eligibility waiver, age 65, education savings

Transcript Highlights:

• So, Sherco is the Sherco power Becker.
• power generation, power<00:48:41.760><c> transmission,</c><00:48:43.000><c> and</c><00:48:43.240><c>
• routing</c><00:48:43.920><c> uh</c> power transmission, and routing uh power transmission, and routing
• Finally, with the nuclear power plant just across the river, we definitely support nuclear power.
• </c> climate change without nuclear power." climate change without nuclear power."

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• power purchase agreement.
• <c> negotiated</c><00:06:44.319><c> power</c><00:06:44.639><c> purchase</c> through a negotiated power
• </c><00:07:27.840><c> plant</c><00:07:28.000><c> in</c> heat and power plant in heat and power plant
• As microgrids offer reliable, cost-effective, cleaner power solutions that reshape the future of power
• </c> reliable, cost-effective, cleaner power reliable, cost-effective, cleaner power solutions<00:39:

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• Alongside customer demand for cheap power, explosive load growth is driving the need for new power generation
• We've got to be- able to move the power that we have.
• Jud Messer, Vice President, Advanced Power Alliance.
• They use this facility to power three Toyota Mirai's.
• It's of affordable, clean power generation.

Committee: House Energy Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• opened the first net-zero library in the state of Minnesota, so that means it's generating its own power
• opened the first net-zero library in the state of Minnesota, so that means it's generating its own power
• opened the first net-zero library in the state of Minnesota, so that means it's generating its own power
• opened the first net-zero library in the state of Minnesota, so that means it's generating its own power
• opened the first net-zero library in the state of Minnesota, so that means it's generating its own power

Transcript Highlights:

• East Kentucky Power Cooperative has been a part of our community for several generations, providing power
• </c> Kentucky, East Kentucky Power Kentucky, East Kentucky Power Cooperative<01:45:30.480><c> today</
• </c> power to 16 memberowned distributors. power to 16 memberowned distributors. serving<01:45:36.320
• That East Kentucky Power Cooperative will rise to that challenge, to the challenge of powering Kentucky
• </c> on the same day as East Kentucky Power on the same day as East Kentucky Power was<01:48:06.400><

Transcript Highlights:

• A power plant has a 40-year shelf life.
• We also monitor situations like the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
• Additionally, some of the batteries that are used are part of the power sources.
• Power sources that we need for our systems.
• Or other types of DOE work that we do for the electrical power grids.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And we also want to prevent concentrations of economic power that might harm the markets.
• Monopolization, that provision basically seeks to prevent a firm from acquiring monopoly power through
• anti-competitive means that harms rivals or maintaining monopoly power using, you know, improper means
• And Jack Lewin, who's the head of SHIPDA, is introducing the governor at a different event right now.
• That HMA would not have the same negotiating power or the pricing component in the marketplace.

Transcript Highlights:

• has</c><01:22:06.400><c> that</c><01:22:06.800><c> kind</c><01:22:06.960><c> of</c><01:22:07.199><c> power
• </c><01:22:07.679><c> that</c> somebody has that kind of power that somebody has that kind of power that
• elections, but I've been involved with the election since 1970 and that's with Democrat, Republican governors
• > Republican</c> and that's with um Democrat, Republican and that's with um Democrat, Republican governors
• ,<01:42:41.760><c> Democrat,</c><01:42:42.400><c> Republican</c> governors, Democrat, Republican governors

Transcript Highlights:

• These contracts for these agreements included favorable terms for the funding organizations, like power
• These contracts included favorable terms for the funding organizations, like power to remove for any
• to help to keep power rather than actually working for the people who elected them.
• What the legislature has provided through the powers of the purse can just have any activist group do
• . ...of power that we have in our form of government.

Committee: Senate Senate Special Committee on Oversight of the Department of Justice

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:35.280><c> three</c> appointees by the governor three appointees by the governor three appointed
• </c><00:05:10.520><c> appointed</c> branch govern Governor appointed branch govern Governor appointed
• </c> one year after the incident Governor one year after the incident Governor Mark<00:07:02.599><c>
• Uh, I believe the Democrats are very loyal to the governor.
• </c><00:14:39.360><c> they</c> are very loyal to the governor they are very loyal to the governor they

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> governor, a very generous state. governor, a very generous state.
• Governor Walz wanted that.
• Governor Walz wanted that.
• Governor Walz wanted that.
• </c> the governor or the commissioner. the governor or the commissioner.

Summary: Republican legislative leaders in Minnesota held a budget-focused press availability after the November forecast, thanking Minnesota Management and Budget staff while arguing the updated numbers show a much worse deficit outlook than expected. They said the state faces a structural spending problem, cited projected gaps in the 2028-29 biennium and over the four-year outlook, and blamed recent deficits on higher spending, tax increases, mandates, and what they described as fraud in state programs. They also criticized Governor Walz for focusing on federal issues and for not doing enough to control spending or address fraud. Speaker Lisa Demuth, House Republican Leader Harry Niska, and Senate Finance lead Eric Pratt all said the forecast underscores the need for spending restraint, pro-growth policies, and stronger fraud prevention. They pointed to health care, long-term care, Medicaid-related programs, and local government mandates as major cost drivers, and said the legislature should examine those areas in the upcoming session. Demuth said the state should not ignore fraud and noted that the legislature had added staff to the Office of the Legislative Auditor and whistleblower protections, but had not passed an independent inspector general office. A substantial portion of the exchange centered on fraud investigations and comments by President Trump about Somali Minnesotans. The Republican leaders said they disagreed with condemning any community as a whole, but also said they shared frustration over fraud and corruption and wanted accountability for those responsible. They said the state’s fraud problem is not about any one community, but about failures in administration and oversight. The lawmakers said they would return to session on February 17 and continue working on budget and fraud-related issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Permanently altering the balance of power in that region.
• If confirmed, I would do all in my power to make it so.
• And it seems to be undercutting our power in the world, our soft power. Your thoughts?
• The problem is, you tell us you're going to tell truth to power.
• opening statement, you talked about the power of alliances.

Committee: Senate Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: defense, geopolitical tensions, military readiness, China, Russia, U.S. military, Indo-Pacific, alliance, procurement

Summary: The meeting focused on critical defense and security matters, particularly concerning the ongoing geopolitical tensions involving China and Russia. There were discussions surrounding U.S. military readiness, with significant emphasis on the potential threats posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region. Members expressed concerns about America's military capabilities in relation to the growing Chinese fleet and the importance of maintaining strong alliances with nations like Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Additionally, the notion of prioritizing the defense industrial base was highlighted, emphasizing the need for effective procurement and modernization efforts to counter adversarial threats. Furthermore, notable commentary included a reference to President Zelensky's remarks regarding peace negotiations with Ukraine, expressing a willingness for further cooperation with the U.S.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not warrant power. It is not general criminal activity.
• to get these records. ...authority to find these records with the help of the subpoena power, to get
• Another thing is, are there individuals currently who can bring these powers, the subpoena powers and
• the custody powers?
• But I don't know if that happens now, if this is an expansion of powers of these individuals or not.

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2708, which would increase penalties for bringing or possessing unauthorized electronic communication devices in prisons and jails, raising the offense from a misdemeanor to a Class D felony and clarifying the statutory language. Representative Hovis said the bill is intended to deter contraband cell phones and similar devices that can be used to coordinate criminal activity, threaten victims, or continue gang operations from inside facilities. Department of Corrections staff supported the bill, saying cell phones are dangerous contraband and that current administrative sanctions are not always enough. Members asked about notice to visitors, current DOC discipline, whether the bill applies to inmates, staff, and visitors, and whether the language should be tightened to cover devices “capable of” communication; the sponsor agreed to have House Research review the wording and potentially offer a committee substitute. No opposition testimony was presented. The committee then heard House Bill 3038, which would place the Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Special Investigations into statute and give it limited authority to assist investigations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of eligible adults. Representative Cook said the office already exists and the bill mainly codifies its role, allowing limited subpoena and search warrant authority to speed investigations, especially financial exploitation cases, while preserving local law enforcement and prosecutorial control. DHSS witnesses supported the bill, explaining that their investigators have long worked on vulnerable-adult cases and often need quicker access to records; they said the office has law enforcement experience and coordinates with Adult Protective Services and public safety agencies. Committee members asked about the fiscal note, vacancies, the definition of exploitation, whether the office can investigate public administrators or guardianship cases, and whether investigators have arrest authority; witnesses said the bill is not intended to create a new police force or expand arrest powers, but to formalize existing functions and improve access to records. No witnesses testified in opposition, and the hearing concluded without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I, along with the current. negotiate in tax cuts I along with the current governor and previous governor
• Hobbs' budget, or Governor Hobbs' department issued.
• And the governor, the statement that came out last night wasn't signed by the governor.
• But generally, when the Speaker and the Senate President write a letter to the governor, the governor
• this, the governor that.

Committee: House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 2785, a major Arizona tax conformity measure that would align state law with the Internal Revenue Code as of January 1, 2026 and apply retroactively to tax year 2025. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would make Department of Revenue tax forms legal, provide certainty to taxpayers already filing under those forms, and deliver about $440 million in tax relief through provisions such as no tax on tips and overtime, a larger standard deduction, a $6,000 senior deduction, and changes to deductions and the SALT cap. Opponents argued the bill would significantly reduce state revenue, disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers, and should not move forward without a broader budget plan. After an amendment addressing retroactivity and foreign dividend language was adopted, the committee approved HB 2785 on a 5-4 vote. The committee then heard several Arizona State Retirement System technical cleanup bills. HB 2089, clarifying the health insurance premium benefit subsidy, passed 9-0. HB 2090, changing the disability timeframe for long-term disability benefits, passed 8-1. HB 2092, allowing certain employees over age 65 to waive ASRS participation within 30 days of eligibility, also passed 8-1. These measures were described by staff and the sponsor as simple corrections, with little opposition. Finally, the committee considered HB 2477, which conforms Arizona’s 529 education savings plan to federal law, expands allowable uses, and adds rules for 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers and ABLE transfers. Supporters called it a cleanup bill that would simplify administration for families, while some members raised concerns about the Roth rollover and possible use of funds transferred from ESA accounts. The bill passed 5-3 with one member voting present. The committee then adjourned.