Transcript Highlights:

• In rural Minnesota, particularly northeastern Minnesota, local businesses depend on trail tourism.

Bills: HF2439

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: environmental protection, pollution reduction, waste management, climate change, funding allocations

Transcript Highlights:

• And, again, this depends on county size, employees, and records kept.

Bills: HF2300

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• it, it's taking the data that they have and giving us a recommendation which we can then act on it depends

Bills: HB138

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: voter registration, application rejection, transparency, election integrity, state law

Transcript Highlights:

• I really don't know how to specify how much we need going forward; I think it really depends on the other

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have a category of offenses referred to as wobblers, in which the prosecutor is able to, depending

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, heard a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, and then moved through routine procedural business, including dispensing with the reading of the prior journal, re-referring several bills, and approving committee scheduling requests. There was also a point of order from Assemblymember DeMaio asking about a possible Governor’s message regarding Medi-Cal, but the chair said no formal message had been received at the desk. The main floor debate centered on AB 321 by Assemblymember Schultz, the Better Informed Decisions Act, which would allow courts to consider reducing certain “wobbler” offenses from felonies to misdemeanors later in the criminal process if new evidence emerges. Supporters argued it would improve fairness, transparency, and efficiency by letting judges make better-informed decisions; opponents said it would weaken felony accountability and conflict with voter intent on public safety. The bill passed on a 46-5 vote. The Assembly also adopted ACR 47 by Assemblymember Chen, declaring March 16–22 as National Surveyors Week, with 63 co-authors added and the resolution adopted by voice vote. AB 387 by Assemblymember Alanis, which expands jury duty exemptions to include probation officers, passed 64-0. On the consent calendar, ACR 46, HR 9, HR 22, and SCR 17 were adopted with unanimous votes, and the Assembly adjourned until Monday, March 17 at 1 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is county, a special districts dependent and independent and municipal manage on aggregate it

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• RATHER THAN PERPETUATE DEPENDENCE ON A GREAT SOCIETY STYLE BUREAUCRACY HOPE FLORIDA SEEKS TO USE GOVERNMENT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Rather than perpetuate dependence on a Great Society style bureaucracy, Hope Florida seeks to use government

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION FOR SURE AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR VARIABLES WE LOOK AT DEPEND

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, depending upon how many pink cards I get for any bill, um, I... is going to move into um public
• </c><00:37:35.040><c> And</c><00:37:35.280><c> then</c><00:37:35.599><c> depending</c><00:37:36.000><
• And then depending upon how time that.
• And then depending upon how many<00:37:36.880><c> pink</c><00:37:37.200><c> cards</c><00:37:37.680><c
• Um, and again, it depends on the bill.

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of<03:18:47.760><c> care</c><03:18:48.080><c> is</c><03:18:48.319><c> needed</c><03:18:48.880><c> depending
• </c><03:18:49.319><c> on</c><03:18:49.600><c> the</c> of care is needed depending on the of care is needed
• depending on the individual<03:18:51.239><c> a</c><03:18:51.520><c> person</c><03:18:52.359><c> with
• <c> on</c><03:58:20.680><c> what</c><03:58:20.880><c> the</c><03:58:21.040><c> the</c> I think it depends
• on what the the I think it depends on what the the question<03:58:21.399><c> is</c><03:58:21.520><c>

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs heard testimony on House Bill 606, as amended, a bill aimed at preventing physicians from denying medically necessary sterilizing or fertility-affecting treatment based on a patient’s age, number of children, marital status, or a doctor’s speculation about future reproductive intentions. Representative Ellen Reed, the sponsor, described the bill as a response to her own long experience with PCOS, heavy bleeding, and repeated refusals by doctors to perform a hysterectomy despite her clear wishes. She said the amendment narrows the bill to medically necessary care, adds definitions for “medical condition” and “appropriate reproductive care,” and removes earlier provisions about voluntary sterilization referrals. She also said the bill does not target religious objections, and that doctors could still refuse for medical, payment, or existing religious reasons not addressed by the bill. Committee members asked about religious freedom, informed consent versus waivers, and the scope of the new definitions. Reed responded that religion was not added to the list of prohibited reasons for denial, and that the amendment is intended to protect doctors when patients sign informed consent or waivers. She explained that “appropriate reproductive care” includes procedures such as hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, salpingectomy, and endometrial ablation, and that the bill now focuses on medically necessary treatment rather than elective sterilization. She said the change was intended to make the proposal narrower and more tailored after earlier concerns. Several witnesses supported the bill with personal accounts of being denied hysterectomies or other procedures despite serious symptoms. Representative Lauren Selig described a decade-long effort to obtain a hysterectomy after years of cycle problems and migraines, saying doctors dismissed her concerns and treated her symptoms as normal. Jade Flad also testified in support, saying she had long been told to simply endure her cycle problems and noted that her husband was offered a vasectomy without similar barriers. The sponsor said online support was strong and that there was little or no written opposition testimony. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• TRANSFER MECHANISM AS YOU MENTIONED IS A WAY TO HAVE AN AUTOMATIC TRANSFER OF SOME SURPLUS FUNDING DEPENDING
• passing out this money is that it's a bipartisan group, but it could be structured as a partisan group depending
• ITS A BIPARTISAN GROUP BUT IT COULD BE STRUCTURED AS A PARTISAN GROUP DEPENDING ON WHO IS IN CHARGE AND
• citizens: people with disabilities, families already struggling to access care, and individuals who depend
• PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, FAMILIES ALREADY STRUGGLING TO ACCESS CARE AND INDIVIDUALS WHO DEPEND UPON

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our farms, factories, energy producers, and retailers depend on the freight network that works safely
• It depends on where it's at, and in some of the broader cities it's local folks, and in some of the desert
• for second-degree robbery, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting injury on an elderly dependent
• consider the security of the public and to maintain the security of workers and communities that depend
• So if they interfere and then they punch first in the face, that would be an assault and, depending on

Committee: Senate Public Safety

Summary: The committee met without a quorum and operated as a subcommittee while hearing several bills on public safety, parole, criminal justice oversight, Proposition 36 implementation, behavioral health, gang database reform, cargo theft, and nonconsensual intimate images. The chair explained hearing procedures and noted that SB 906 was pulled from the agenda. Several measures were heard but not voted on because quorum was lacking. SB 1446, a committee bill, would expand discretion in en banc parole review, make en banc votes public record, and allow CDCR referrals for sexually violent predator evaluation of certain incarcerated people serving determinate or indeterminate terms. Support came from the California District Attorneys Association; opposition came from the Ella Baker Center, Uncommon Law, public defenders, and others who argued it would add confusion, litigation risk, and unnecessary duplication. The author said the bill was intended to clarify review standards and improve transparency. SB 1278 would exclude certain sex offenses and habitual/one-strike offenders from elderly parole eligibility. The San Diego District Attorney’s Office and California District Attorneys Association supported it, citing cases such as Gregory Vogelsang and David Funston; opponents from Uncommon Law, the Ella Baker Center, and others argued elderly parole is already highly restrictive, evidence-based, and cost-effective. Vice Chair Seyarto strongly supported SB 1278, emphasizing victim justice and public safety. SB 1354 would bar out-of-state military personnel not operating under Title 10 from entering California to perform military or law enforcement functions without the governor’s permission; a committee amendment removed a criminal penalty and left enforcement to the Attorney General. SB 926 would provide funding for Proposition 36 implementation, with committee amendments deleting a specific appropriation and shifting funding decisions to the budget process; supporters said counties need resources for treatment, probation, and administration, while opponents criticized the bill as fiscally reckless and duplicative. SB 874 would require background checks and clearer statewide standards for Medi-Cal behavioral health treatment services, especially ABA services for children; supporters said it would improve patient safety and program integrity. SB 1210 would extend CalGang-style oversight, notice, appeal, and DOJ regulation to all gang databases, not just shared ones; supporters described harms from inaccurate, unregulated local databases, while police chiefs opposed applying the CalGang framework to all local investigative files. The committee also heard SB 1019, which would create a DOJ cargo theft task force and add reporting requirements; supporters from BNSF, trucking, shipping, ports, and law enforcement said organized cargo theft is harming supply chains and worker safety, and no opposition was presented. Finally, SB 1217 would create a DOJ clearinghouse to help victims remove nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, from covered platforms; amendments narrowed the bill’s scope and clarified law enforcement’s role. The author and survivor witnesses described ongoing trauma from repeated reposting of exploitative images and argued the bill would provide a centralized removal process. The transcript ends during testimony on SB 1217, with no final votes taken on the measures heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're depending on a tip from somebody that something is happening. That's correct. We are. Yeah.
• You're you're<00:55:17.760><c> depending</c><00:55:18.079><c> on</c><00:55:18.240><c> a</c><00:55:18.400
• ><c> tip</c><00:55:18.640><c> from</c><00:55:18.960><c> somebody</c> you're depending on a tip from somebody
• you're depending on a tip from somebody that<00:55:19.599><c> something</c><00:55:20.160><c> is</c><
• >> So, it just depends.

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The commissioner replied that it is a very philosophical question and that the answer depends on how
• <00:16:00.079><c> the</c><00:16:00.399><c> answer</c><00:16:00.639><c> would</c><00:16:00.880><c> depend
• </c> question and and the answer would depend question and and the answer would depend on<00:16:01.519
• Representative Schultz, we all could get a half an hour back depending on what you say here.

Bills: HF4598 , HF4884 , HF3732

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: workers' compensation, Minnesota workers' compensation, Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, reinsurance association, Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association, WCRA, occupational disease, presumption, first responders, firefighter cancer, PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, police officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician, correctional officer, security counselor, public safety dispatcher, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability

Transcript Highlights:

• number of different kinds of surveys from different groups, and you can see different results, and it depends
• different of these kinds of surveys from different groups and you can see different results and it depends
• I think it will depend.
• And it also depends on whether it's a total business office takeover, which I will also...
• It depends also if it's a total business office takeover, which I will also transition then to the question

Summary: The committee met on the Minot State campus for a presentation from President Shirley and several university leaders on enrollment, academics, workforce initiatives, and partnerships. Shirley reviewed the university’s financial audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings in recent years, and highlighted Minot State’s major programs, specialized accreditations, and ties to Minot Air Force Base and NCAA Division II athletics. Members asked about education workforce shortages, athletic tuition waivers, dual credit incentives, and the university’s in-state tuition policy for all students. Shirley also discussed the university’s recruitment efforts, including the Hometown Pride and Academic Excellence scholarships, campus visit growth, and the Emerging Scholars dual-credit reimbursement program. A major focus was workforce development and new academic offerings supported by legislative Workforce Education Innovation Funds. Shirley described the new Innovation Engineering program, which was developed with industry input to train broadly skilled engineers for western North Dakota, and said it had already drawn more applicants than expected. Dr. Crystal St. Peter presented a new master’s program in counseling that integrates mental health and addiction counseling to address statewide provider shortages, with a hybrid format to reach rural students. Members asked about licensure requirements, internship hours, and job placement for graduates. Shirley also outlined a new nursing simulation center and health sciences space in downtown Minot, made possible by state support and the purchase of the former Trinity Health Center West building. The committee also heard about Minot State’s efforts to build pipelines into education and special education, including the Aspire program for rural high school students and an online paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Shirley said these programs, along with new articulation agreements and a large Bush Foundation grant, are intended to address teacher shortages and keep students in North Dakota. No formal committee votes or actions were taken during the presentation; the session consisted of informational updates and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• at a number of different surveys from different groups, and you can see different results, and it depends
• different of these kinds of surveys from different groups and you can see different results and it depends
• I think it will depend.
• And it depends also if it's a total business office takeover, which I will also...
• It depends also if it's a total business office takeover, which I will also transition then to the question

Summary: The Higher Education Institutions Committee met on the Minot State University campus for presentations on campus operations, enrollment, and new academic initiatives. President Shirley reviewed recent audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings, and highlighted MSU’s broad academic offerings, specialized accreditations, athletics, and partnerships with Minot Air Force Base and the MSU Development Foundation. Members asked about declining interest in teacher education, tuition waivers for athletes, dual credit incentives, and how MSU decides when to launch new programs and avoid duplication within the university system. Shirley also discussed several workforce-focused initiatives supported by the Legislature’s Workforce Education Innovation Funds, including the purchase of the Trinity Health Center West building for a downtown health sciences hub, a new daycare/preschool partnership near campus, the Aspire program to recruit rural students into teaching, and a paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Enrollment data showed overall headcount was flat at just under 2,750, but full-time equivalent enrollment rose slightly and new student numbers increased, including the largest freshman class in 15 years. The committee also discussed Minot State’s in-state tuition rate for all students, its dual credit “Emerging Scholars” scholarship, and concerns about the share of high school graduates who do not immediately pursue postsecondary education. Faculty then presented two new programs funded in part by WEAF: an Innovation Engineering degree and a master’s program in counseling with an integrated addiction studies focus. The engineering program was described as industry-driven, designed with broad early coursework, hands-on learning, and local employer input to prepare students for western North Dakota workforce needs; officials said it had already drawn more applicants than expected and would use renovated library space and donated or grant-funded equipment. The counseling program will be mostly face-to-face with hybrid options, aims to address shortages in mental health and substance use providers, and is structured to help students meet licensure requirements. Committee members asked about startup costs, licensure supervision hours, and whether the programs would be on campus rather than online, and presenters said both programs had recently received required approvals and were moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hate loses the silent tolerance it depends on to persist.
• They scale depending on the level of compliance of the business.
• Today, procedures can vary depending on where the person lives.
• It risks erasing the legal foundation we depend on.
• California, including the county workers who administer the CalWORKs programs and the families who depend

Summary: The committee heard several bills, with testimony largely focused on transparency, public health, labor enforcement, health privacy, high-speed rail oversight, and antitrust policy. AB 1544, by Assemblymember Crowell, would strengthen transparency and access to courthouses; the author said it was aimed at protecting press and public access, and the bill was pulled pending quorum. AB 1604, by Assemblymember Stephanie, would ban BPA and other bisphenols in thermal receipt paper by 2027-2028; supporters from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners, Californians Against Waste, and a broad coalition argued receipts are a major source of toxic exposure and recycling contamination, while the author said she would continue working with opposition. AB 1859, by Assemblymember Jackson, would let Joint Labor Management Committees visit public works sites to help identify wage and safety violations; labor groups supported it as a low-cost enforcement tool amid a large wage-theft backlog, while contractors and local government groups opposed it as creating private enforcement, liability, and safety concerns. The committee later took up AB 1930, by Assemblymember Burr and sponsored by Attorney General Bonta and Equality California, which would require notice to the Attorney General before certain entities respond to subpoenas or inquiries involving legally protected reproductive or gender-affirming care; supporters framed it as a patient privacy and anti-intimidation measure, while opponents said it would shield providers from scrutiny and interfere with lawful investigations. The bill was approved on a 6-2 vote and placed on call. The consent calendar, including several unrelated bills, was also approved. The committee also heard AB 1584, by Assemblymember Jackson, which would create an Office of Civil Rights within the California Air Resources Board to provide training, language access, and compliance oversight. Supporters said CARB needs a stronger legal framework and dedicated office to enforce civil rights commitments, while an opponent argued CARB already has a civil rights office and should expand existing structures instead of creating a new one. The bill was moved to Appropriations after a roll call vote. AB 1608, by Assemblymember Wilson, would expand the powers and staffing tools of the High-Speed Rail Office of the Inspector General, including public reporting requirements and authority over classifications and purchasing; supporters said stronger independent oversight is needed for the costly project, while opponents criticized the project itself and raised concerns about confidentiality and who should receive reports. The bill was also passed to Appropriations after extended discussion. Finally, AB 1776, by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, would revise California antitrust law to address single-firm conduct under the Cartwright Act. Supporters, including small business and labor advocates, argued dominant firms can harm competition and that the bill would protect small businesses and workers; opponents from business, biotech, retail, housing, and other sectors warned it would create legal uncertainty, expand litigation, and chill investment. The transcript ended during that bill’s testimony and debate, before a final vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hate loses the silent tolerance it depends on to persist.
• They scale depending on the level of compliance of the business.
• Today, procedures can vary depending on where the person lives.
• It risks erasing the legal foundation we depend on.
• California, including the county workers who administer the CalWORKs programs and the families who depend

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He said many times this requires a residential placement, or a homebound or hospital placement, depending
• </c><00:13:16.160><c> Depends</c><00:13:16.399><c> upon</c><00:13:16.720><c> the</c> hospital placement
• Depends upon the hospital placement.
• Depends upon the degree.<00:13:17.600><c> We</c><00:13:17.839><c> have</c><00:13:18.000><c> students<
• There is a possibility, depending on the timing of the signing of the bill and the expiration of those

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all