Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud, from St. Cloud to Duluth, from Duluth to Fergus Falls to Alexandria.
• Cloud, regional center, from mano to St. Cloud, from<00:59:55.359> St.
• <00:59:55.599> Cloud<00:59:55.920> to from St. Cloud to from St.
• Cloud is getting some funding for a needed repair on 32nd Street.
• <02:05:48.800> Cloud<02:05:49.520> is Rogers. Uh the city of St. Cloud is Rogers.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Where there is vision, may we plant seeds of understanding.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:11:43.360> uh uh that has records stored on a cloud uh uh that has records stored on a
• Customer demand for cloud computing and AI continues to increase significantly, and we are investing
• of any cloud provider and many<00:27:30.120> sectors<00:27:30.520> across<00:27:30.840
• <00:27:43.320> computing<00:27:43.919> and customer demand for cloud computing and
• customer demand for cloud computing and AI<00:27:44.640> continues<00:27:45.039> to<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There was no real overhead cost for the prior system, and this system now, being cloud-based, requires
• The new system is D365, Microsoft cloud-based, and there's expenses that are incurred along with that
• requires um more maintenance cloud-based requires um more maintenance and<01:14:33.600> support
• <01:14:57.199> and<01:14:57.360> there's Microsoft cloud-based and there's Microsoft
• cloud-based and there's expenses<01:14:58.560> that<01:14:58.679> are<01:14:59.120>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first reviewed House Bill 1, focusing on the legislative branch budget, especially the Senate and House lines. Members discussed that the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 adjusted authorized amount was higher than 2024 actual spending, largely due to personnel, benefits, and travel, and one member proposed a $500,000 annual cut. Staff explained that any reduction would need to be allocated across specific line items such as personnel, benefits, and travel, and noted that the Senate budget is entirely General Funds. After discussion of how the adjusted authorized figures were calculated and why the branch no longer staffs some joint committees as it once did, the committee moved on without taking a vote on that section. The committee then heard a detailed presentation from the New Hampshire Retirement System. NHRS officials described their statutory administrative budget, which is funded through the retirement trust rather than the General Fund, and said the FY 2026-2027 increase is driven by IT modernization, cybersecurity, a new strategic plan, and additional staff positions. They also reviewed the system’s funding progress, clean audit opinions, investment performance, and changes to asset allocation, while noting that several recent pension-related laws required major database changes. Members questioned the large increase in salaries and benefits, the need for new employees versus contractors, the purpose of training costs, and the source of the Group Two benefit funding. NHRS said the governor’s budget includes General Funds for Group Two benefit changes, with $5 million in FY 2026 and $27.9 million in FY 2027, and that the figures reflect the governor’s recommendation and related HB 2 provisions. Committee members also asked about employer and employee contribution rates for Group Two police and fire members, which NHRS said were not included in the budget document but were about 31.2% for police and 30.35% for fire, with employee shares around 11.55% and 11.8%. The committee did not make a decision on the NHRS budget during this exchange and indicated it would review the details further before returning to it later. The committee then heard from the Community Development Finance Authority on the State Treasury Department budget line for the required state match to administer the federal Community Development Block Grant program. CDFA explained that its $280,000 annual request for FY 2026 and FY 2027, totaling $560,000, supports administration, technical assistance, contracting, and monitoring of roughly $19 million in annual federal CDBG funds. Members asked about the leverage of the state match, oversight of projects, staffing, and grant prioritization. CDFA said it has 18 employees, uses public hearings and a scoring system to prioritize awards, and conducts both desk and on-site monitoring, with annual audits to ensure compliance. No vote was taken on the CDFA item in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Flipping over to page five, you'll see line 192, which is $150,000 for the Minnesota Turf Seed Council
• 00:10:05.360> the<00:10:05.440> Minnesota<00:10:05.839> Turf<00:10:06.120> seed
• $150,000 for the Minnesota Turf seed $150,000 for the Minnesota Turf seed Council<00:10:07.920><
• The product and microbes he works with go on the seed at planting and are gene-edited to fix nitrogen

Bills: HF1704

Keywords: Minnesota agriculture budget, Department of Agriculture appropriation, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, farm bill, rural development, agricultural grants, soil health, livestock compensation, crop damage, meat inspection, poultry inspection, county agricultural inspectors, biofertilizer, nitrogen management, commercial nitrogen fertilizer, water quality, farm down payment assistance, beginning farmers

Transcript Highlights:

• NYSOM had to totally rebuild its process because we, you know, we've been hearing for years how cloud
• We build its process because we, you know, we've been hearing for years how cloud the interconnection
• Meanwhile, this whole topic has really gotten clouded with misinformation.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications met under Chair Senator Kevin Parker and considered several bills related to clean energy, transmission, storage, schools, and microgrids. Bill 1456, which would require certain watercraft, aircraft, and trains to be zero-emissions and direct NYSERDA studies and incentives, was discussed as technology-neutral and advanced with one no vote to the Finance Committee. Bill 286, increasing statewide energy storage capacity, drew concerns about battery safety, fire risk, and volunteer fire department training, but was advanced to the floor with two no votes. Bill 2482, the Go Green Schools Act, would let schools convert to renewable energy and keep savings for school operations; it advanced to the floor despite concerns about siting solar on school grounds. Bill 2485 on expanding electric transmission lines and Bill 5510 directing NYSERDA to develop microgrid recommendations were both advanced to the Finance Committee, each with one no vote. The committee then heard testimony from Marguerite Wells, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York. She argued that wind, solar, storage, and transmission have made New York a leader in clean energy and said renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive, with much of recent bill increases driven by grid upgrades and gas prices rather than renewables. She also said clean energy helps hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices, pointed to community solar and offshore wind as savings and reliability tools, and said the state’s permitting and interconnection processes have improved. Members questioned Wells about farmland use, decommissioning, recycling of solar and wind equipment, battery storage safety, local control, and misinformation. Wells said utility-scale projects require decommissioning plans and financial assurances, farmland must be restored under agricultural guidelines, and recycling capacity is developing. On battery storage, she said New York has rigorous codes and monitoring requirements, that not all storage is lithium-ion, and that state-level permitting is appropriate for large facilities. Several senators raised concerns about fires, contamination, winter performance, and siting projects in densely populated areas or on farmland, while others emphasized farmland protections and the value of renewable projects to host communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• At Doolin Middle School in Tucson, you'll see students planting seeds before school, measuring growth
• At Doolin Middle School in Tucson, you'll see students planting seeds before school, measuring growth

Bills: SB1074, SB1327, SB1475, SB1582, SB1583, SB1598

Keywords: student discipline, classroom management, temporary removal, administrative action, education policy, foreign relations, university governance, research security, international agreements, Arizona Board of Regents, interscholastic activities, student eligibility, criminal offenses, school district, youth sports, academic participation, conduct, planned communities, homeowners association, HOA

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard a presentation from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne focused on school safety, academic improvement, career and technical education, ESA oversight, and teacher pay. Horne argued that students cannot learn without safe schools and urged more funding for school police officers, citing threats and violent incidents. He also highlighted Project Momentum, tutoring, attendance, classroom phone restrictions, the Student Industry Partnership, expanded ESA participation, and his call to use Proposition 123 land trust funds for direct teacher raises. In response to a question, he said the department is using AI tools, residency checks, and investigators to reduce ESA fraud and abuse. The committee then considered SB 1074, which would require written certification from a principal or administrator before a student removed for discipline could return to class. Horne and the sponsor said the bill would support teachers and hold administrators accountable, while opponents from the Arizona Education Association argued it was redundant, could undermine administrator judgment and FERPA-protected information, and would not address the root causes of classroom disruption. The bill passed 4-3. The committee also heard SB 1327, as amended by a strike-everything amendment requiring Arizona public universities to adopt and report on research security policies to protect against foreign adversary threats and preserve federal funding eligibility. Support came from the sponsor, State Armor, and the Arizona Board of Regents, and the amended bill passed 5-2. Members next approved SB 1475, which bars students convicted of, or admitting to, certain serious offenses from participating in school-sponsored interscholastic activities, with some discussion about rehabilitation, school discretion, and whether a readmittance process should exist. Supporters said the measure was needed for accountability and uniformity after a particularly egregious case; opponents warned it could remove an important rehabilitative outlet. The bill passed 4-3. The committee then advanced SB 1582 and SB 1583, both related to school safety interoperability funding and technical corrections; SB 1582 passed 4-2, and SB 1583, as amended, passed 4-2. Finally, SB 1598, which appropriates $500,000 for school and community gardens, passed unanimously 5-0 after testimony that gardens serve as hands-on learning spaces and supportive environments for students.

Transcript Highlights:

• PROVIDING EXTERNAL GRANTEES AND THE CONTRACTED SERVICES CATEGORY IN THE AMOUNT OF 300,000 TO COVER ANNUAL CLOUD
• COSTS FOR THE SERVICES HOSTED WITHIN A PRIVATE CLOUD SOLUTION.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes a $120.7 million one-time deferred maintenance grant, $41 million for the Common Cloud
• This includes credit for prior learning, Common Cloud, deferred maintenance, dual enrollment, and the
• It's our understanding that there are only three other agencies in the state that have a cloud-based
• The cloud-based version was then recommended. Okay.
• So the cloud-based version, that recommendation is to protect that with a redundant server?

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the May Revision’s Proposition 98 changes for K-12 and community colleges. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee rises by $6.4 billion over the Governor’s Budget across the three-year window, with higher guarantees in each year, full payment of the prior settle-up, and larger deposits into the school rainy-day fund. The LAO said the revenue and LCFF updates were reasonable, but urged caution about the settle-up approach and recommended using more of the available funding to protect ongoing programs and build budget resilience. Members focused heavily on the size of the proposed $3.9 billion settle-up, the $10.3 billion reserve deposit, declining K-12 enrollment, and how much of the new funding should be ongoing versus one-time. The committee then reviewed the community colleges portion of the budget. Finance described the May Revision’s higher SCFF COLA, additional funding for enrollment growth, a student support block grant, apprenticeship adjustments, and continued funding for deferred maintenance, Calbright, Common Cloud, and credit for prior learning. The Chancellor’s Office supported the core investments but asked for more funding for enrollment growth, changes to the growth formula, and a COLA for Student Equity and Achievement. The LAO recommended prioritizing the statutory COLA increase, noted that more than half of districts are already above current-year growth targets, and said the new adult learner demonstration project should be rejected because districts already have tools to support similar services. Members also discussed a $52 million current-year apportionment shortfall, which Finance said was discovered too late for the May Revision and would need to be addressed later. Finally, the committee took up the proposed implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance proposed one-time funding for the California Student Aid Commission and Cradle to Career to build eligibility and data systems, along with trailer bill changes to set up state approval processes. CSAC said the program is promising but highly complex, that California lacks the needed infrastructure, and that the state will need emergency regulations, data linkages, and ongoing funding beyond the one-time proposal. The LAO agreed that some initial funding is needed but warned that the amounts and ongoing costs remain uncertain and that the Legislature should carefully draft the trailer bill language. Members asked about timing, other states’ actions, and how the state would ensure the program is ready for students and institutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud State. They were turned down at St. Cloud State and they matriculated at St.
• academically<00:32:57.279> qualified<00:32:57.880> for<00:32:58.000> St<00:32:58.200> Cloud
• academically qualified for St Cloud academically qualified for St Cloud State<00:32:58.960> they
• turned<00:32:59.720> down<00:33:00.039> at<00:33:00.159> St<00:33:00.360> Cloud
• State they were turned down at St Cloud State they were turned down at St Cloud State<00:33:00.880

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Cloud. Here. Senator Boudreaux. Here. Senator Edmonds. Here. Senator Fesi. Here.
• Senator Cloud makes a motion to adjourn. Thank you all.

Bills: HB1, HB2, HB3, HB312, HB313, HB314, HB383, HB983, HB1126, HCR3

Keywords: state budget, appropriations, education funding, public health, social services, government operations, state institutions, capital outlay, budget, infrastructure, appropriation, general obligation bonds, bond authorization, capital improvement, financial management, state treasury, funding, state general fund, local government, fiscal year

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Cloud. Here. Senator Boudreaux. Here. Senator Edmonds. Here. Senator Fesi. Here.
• Senator Cloud makes a motion to adjourn. Thank you all.

Summary: Senate Finance met on May 21, 2026, with nine members present. The committee first recognized Mother Pearl Porter during a personal privilege presentation by Senator Boudreaux. It then took up the major budget measures for fiscal year 2026-27, beginning with HB 1, the general appropriation bill. The committee heard that the state budget was about $46.6 billion and that recent Revenue Estimating Conference revisions required reductions in recurring spending. Amendments removed new funding for GATOR and increased MFP amounts, while also directing Revenue Stabilization Fund dollars toward infrastructure, economic development, and local government needs. The committee adopted amendment set 4238 and reported HB 1 as amended, with authority for technical changes. The committee next considered HB 312, the supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. Members were told the amendments balanced the budget to the May REC forecast through a net reduction in state general fund spending, including savings in Medicaid and other agencies, while covering updated costs such as medical vendor administration, DCFS operations, DOC offender medical expenses, and disaster-related costs. Amendment set 4239 was adopted, and HB 312 was reported favorably as amended. HB 2, the capital outlay/infrastructure bill, was then amended with set 4230 and reported as amended. HB 3, the omnibus bond act authorizing bond usage for HB 2, had no amendments and was reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 313, the funds bill, which includes the constitutionally required deposit of $144.3 million of FY 2025 surplus into the Budget Stabilization Fund and various transfers and fund adjustments. Amendments expanded or created several funds and mechanisms, including infrastructure and economic development-related funds, and HB 313 was reported favorably as amended. HB 314, the revenue sharing bill distributing the constitutionally mandated $90 million to local governments, was reported favorably without amendment. HB 383, the ancillary appropriations bill for fee-supported agencies, received amendment 3138 and was reported favorably as amended. HB 983, funding the judiciary, was amended to remove judicial pay adjustments and instead fund a possible transfer of the integrated criminal justice information system to the Supreme Court if SB 141 becomes law; it was reported favorably as amended. HB 1126, the legislative branch appropriations bill, was amended and reported favorably as amended. Finally, HCR 3, the hospital stabilization resolution used to support Medicaid hospital reimbursements, was amended to give LDH more flexibility on the timing of directed payments and preprint submissions, then reported as amended. The committee adjourned after a motion to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud out to the South Dakota border. Big area.
• Cloud out to the South Dakota border. Big area.
• Cloud out to the South Dakota border. Big area.
• <00:04:24.600> St Central Minnesota kind of west of St Central Minnesota kind of west of St Cloud
• out to the South Dakota border uh Cloud out to the South Dakota border uh big<00:04:28.759> a

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Committee on Energy Finance and Policy met for an informational session and quorum was present, but the chair stated no action would be taken. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Chris Swedzinski outlined the committee’s broad goals of improving Minnesota’s energy system for families and businesses, with an emphasis on affordability, reliability, and development. Several members echoed those priorities, especially concerns about electric reliability, base-load generation, and the needs of rural communities, co-ops, munis, farms, and small businesses. House fiscal analyst Ashley presented a budget overview for the committee’s jurisdiction. She reviewed spending and base amounts for the Energy Resources Division, the Renewable Development Fund, the Petroleum Tank Release Cleanup Fund, and the Public Utilities Commission, and explained that the committee also oversees special revenue and other accounts. She noted that the Renewable Development Fund is supported by utility payments for spent nuclear fuel storage, the cleanup fund by a petroleum distribution fee, and that the Commerce Department receives significant federal LIHEAP and weatherization funds. Members asked about the large increase in the Climate and Economic Development Fund and the status of recent appropriations; staff explained that the 2023 session set a larger target, that about $79 million had been spent from the relevant budget, and that some funds may carry forward. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on community solar gardens. Representative Dave Baker asked for an update on the program, and staff explained that Minnesota has about 1,600 megawatts of solar, with more than 900 megawatts in community solar. Staff said 2023 legislative changes capped annual additions and created new incentives for low- and middle-income participation. Members also discussed concerns about program cost, local siting opposition, and a large interconnection queue; staff said there is a backlog of projects, including a reported 56 gigawatts in the MISO queue, and that utilities need distribution upgrades to handle new capacity. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• market conditions and federal policy uncertainty on trade and tariffs add uncertainty that continues to cloud
• The missing data due to the shutdown clouds our picture of economic growth, corporate profits, inflation
• due<00:18:12.520> to<00:18:12.600> the<00:18:12.680> shutdown<00:18:13.200> clouds
• <00:18:13.600> our<00:18:13.720> picture due to the shutdown clouds our picture due
• to the shutdown clouds our picture of<00:18:14.240> economic<00:18:14.720> growth,<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Smiling seems like such a simple thing, but the smile can be the seed to not only friendship, but love

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud.
• <00:14:56.399> Cloud.<00:14:56.800> For Falls, Alexandria, and St. Cloud.
• Cloud.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It reflects poorly on all of us and it does cast a cloud of suspicion over this chamber and the other
• it<00:50:18.559> does<00:50:19.119> cast<00:50:19.440> a<00:50:19.680> cloud
• <00:50:20.559> of<00:50:20.800> suspicion us and it does cast a cloud of suspicion
• us and it does cast a cloud of suspicion over<00:50:22.640> this over this over this chamber<00

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From an archival standpoint, it makes me a tish nervous because that's going to be stored in the cloud
• , but to only have one copy in the cloud, which is why we're very interested in exploring with Library
• From an archival standpoint, it makes me a tish nervous because that's going to be stored in the cloud
• , but to only have one copy in the cloud, which is why we're very interested in exploring with Library

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first discussed security and member contact procedures, with several members emphasizing the need for formal security training at the start of each session and clearer procedures for knowing where legislators are staying during session for welfare checks and emergency contact. Members also raised concerns about the disclosure of home addresses in other public records and forms, and Legislative Council was asked to prepare a background memo on possible training, best practices, and related legislative or rule changes. The committee then took up a bill draft to reduce the number of paper copies of state publications sent to the State Library from eight to two. Legislative Council explained the cost savings and the move toward digital distribution, but the State Librarian testified that the library still needs paper copies for circulation, archives, and depository libraries, and requested a minimum of three copies. After discussion, the committee amended the draft to require three copies instead of two and passed the motion. The committee also approved a related House and Senate Rules amendment reducing the number of bound journals distributed, and a separate rule change removing the requirement that legislators’ home addresses be printed in the rule book and allowing a lower print run based on request and need. The committee next reviewed data on bill pre-filing and legislative workload. After hearing testimony that agency bills tend to arrive in a late-year rush and that staff workload is especially heavy around organizational session and the holidays, the committee voted to move the agency pre-filing deadline to the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It also amended the deadline for constitutional amendments and study resolutions, moving them earlier so they would occur before crossover, and adjusted the reporting deadline accordingly. Members discussed whether these changes should be handled in special session or organizational session, and staff explained that the agency deadline change could be made effective for the next regular session through a permanent rules change. Finally, the committee reviewed proposed special session rules. Staff explained that the special session would use joint appropriations and joint policy committees, with expedited bill processing, limited bill introduction routes, and remote participation allowed for members and public testimony with approval. The committee also resolved a House appropriations membership issue by keeping the House side at 23 members and giving the House majority leader authority to appoint a replacement for the vacant seat, while increasing the Senate dollar threshold to match the House. Members then discussed the upcoming rural health special session process, including how the interim rural health group would differ from the actual special session committees, the timing of committee work and the governor’s address, and whether remote participation would be permitted in the special session.

Transcript Highlights:

• local government and education partners to enhance cyber defenses for all Minnesotans, accelerating cloud
• cyber defenses for all<00:26:35.320> motans,<00:26:36.320> accelerating<00:26:37.120> cloud
• all motans, accelerating cloud all motans, accelerating cloud modernization<00:26:38.320> to<

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Cloud, from St. Cloud to Duluth, from Duluth to Fergus Falls, to Alexandria.
• Cloud is getting some funding for a needed repair on 322nd Street.
• Cloud Medical School.