Transcript Highlights:

• referendum in a vote which million Bond referendum in a vote which had<00:20:35.600> more<00:
• We borrow in the terms of airport revenue bonds, so they're not backed by general obligation bonds.
• , so it increases the cost of the bonds that we end up borrowing for.
• We borrow in the terms of airport revenue bonds, so they're not backed by general obligation bonds.
• , so it increases the cost of the bonds that we end up borrowing for.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is our annual 3.2 million bond servicing money coming out of the base.
• We have had two bond rating increases. We'd like to have one more.
• The bond rating people love that.
• It kind of is a cheap way to bond things without bonding.
• , as we take service fees out of the bonds we do as an administrative fee.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we secured $1.2 billion in our infrastructure with our bonding bill, the capital investments
• bonding bill, the capital investments. bonding bill, the capital investments.
• What you saw in the bonding bill and others were projects that had been looked at by our bonding team
• <00:23:18.840> They our bonding team on their tours.
• They our bonding team on their tours.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders in Minnesota gave a post-session recap focused on what they described as major accomplishments in a tied legislature. They highlighted passage of the Office of Inspector General bill to combat fraud, along with tax and fee relief measures including $125 million in property tax relief and $250 million in car tab reductions. They also pointed to funding for hospitals and uncompensated care, county IT modernization, school safety and mental health programs, public official safety at the Capitol and judicial branch, and a $1.2 billion bonding bill for infrastructure. Leaders repeatedly contrasted this session with the prior Democratic trifecta, arguing Republicans blocked new tax increases and helped make government more accountable and affordable. They said the OIG bill had been a top priority, had previously been blocked in the House, and was now signed into law. On health care, they said the final package included support for hospitals and denied that discussions about 340B involved pharmaceutical companies, saying offers on that issue were rejected by House Democrats. In response to questions, leaders said the tie forced public negotiation and that Minnesotans were the real winners because lawmakers worked together. They also defended the lack of final floor votes on gun-related proposals, saying those measures had been voted on multiple times in committee and on the floor but did not have the votes to pass. On transparency, they said the process was as open as possible and that bonding projects had been heard in committee and reviewed by the bonding team before inclusion.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> The clerk will read the bond initiatives and the committee assignment. >> Introductory House Bond
• Introductory House Bond Initiatives number 61, March 6th, 2026, referred to Appropriations.
• <00:02:49.400> initiatives >> The clerk will read the bond initiatives >> The
• >> Introductory House Bond Initiatives >> Introductory House Bond Initiatives number
• Introductory House Bond Appropriations.

Keywords: House streaming session for Friday, March 6, 2026, 957, house, all

Summary: The House met on February 24, 2026, with 110 members initially present and later 126 present after additional quorum calls. The chamber handled routine introductions and referrals, including House bills 1629-1631 and Introductory House Bond Initiatives 60 and 61, and received Senate Bill 9 and Supplemental Budget Number One, both of which were read and referred to the appropriate committees. The supplemental budget was submitted as an amendment to the fiscal 2027 budget and referred to Appropriations. The House then took up third reading and final passage on several bills. House Bills 311 (public schools, individuals with disabilities, accessibility, and emergency planning), 359 (property tax credit for urban agricultural property alterations), 396 (residential child care programs and training), 430 (family child care providers and reserve component members), 735 (earned income tax credit assistance program implementation delay and study), and 851 (Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council legal status) all passed, with HB 396 receiving four negative votes and the others passing overwhelmingly or unanimously. House Bill 805, the Building Homes Act, also passed after brief floor questions about whether the tax credit would apply to nonprofits and what safeguards existed; the sponsor explained it was an enabling bill and that local governments could set their own requirements. The floor session included several personal and guest recognitions, including visitors in the gallery, a doctor of the day, a birthday recognition, Women in Construction Week, African Advocacy Day, District 16 night, and a foster youth shadow day announcement. Members also discussed the addition of children’s books in the lounge and thanked the pages for their work. Committee and subcommittee announcements followed, and the House recessed until Monday, March 9, at 8:00 p.m. legislative day February 25.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...specifically levied for the purpose of capitalizing the Reclamation Fund or increased bonding to
• Representative Murphy, we're going to be hearing a road bonding bill coming up.
• I personally don’t believe this is in lieu of bonding.
• And I think we need strong bonding requirements in place because if there’s a significant downturn in
• I personally don’t believe this is in lieu of bonding.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of these other bond bonding agencies are footing the bill on that and I'm pretty sure they're not
• money when we go out for bonds.
• One of the great things that I think are debt management division and the bonds oversight division.
• lettings, I guess you'd say, when we are kind of the debt management bond oversight agency.
• That's every year, just for the support of the museum bond itself.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and the Fidelity Bond Program coverage limit is $300,000 per occurrence.
• Payment by the bond trust fund is also indicated when applicable.
• was paid in full, and two were governmental entities that are not covered by the bond program.
• On the bond trust fund, it's been used a number of times. Who pays for that trust fund?
• It's the bond trust fund that is a fidelity bond to help ensure if there's theft by employees of those

Summary: The committee first adopted prior minutes and then heard several standing committee audit reports. The executive committee report noted audit and special reports scheduled for the month, one outstanding committee-requested report, and a request to gather information on a possible special report for February. The city/county/local report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, including reinstatement of turn-back funds for 17 entities, 59 of 64 delinquent 2023 entities filing reports, and action on the town of Daisy requiring repayment of misused street funds. The education report filed three higher education audit reports and deferred one Northwest Arkansas Community College report. The state agencies report filed four reports and deferred audits of the Department of Human Services and the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism for more information on corrective actions. The committee then received a special audit review of the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at UA Little Rock. Auditors said the program received $10 million in desegregation funding and a $50,000 grant, awarded $1.87 million in scholarships to 379 students, and saw 116 students graduate. The review found many scholarship eligibility exceptions, including awards above the maximum and to students who did not meet GPA, enrollment-hour, or full-time requirements, and numerous disbursement documentation and authorization problems. Committee members sharply questioned the program’s oversight, the role of former staff, the use of funds for travel and cultural activities, and whether any improper spending should be referred for criminal review. UALR representatives said the program was overseen as a sponsored program, that some controls were later strengthened, and that Philander Smith only verified enrollment rather than eligibility. The committee voted to table the report until the next meeting and asked staff to gather the federal court order and additional information. Finally, the committee reviewed the annual report on matters referred to prosecutors and the Attorney General for 2024. Staff said 164 matters were referred, with 28 criminal charges filed, 39 still under review, 3 dismissed, 5 pending in court, and 96 not charged; convictions in 20 cases led to fines, restitution, audit costs, and some bond trust fund payments. Prosecutor representatives explained that many referrals do not become criminal cases because of intent, timing, or other legal limits, and said they generally seek restitution even when charges are not filed. Members asked for more standardized reporting, including whether restitution was recovered and why cases were not prosecuted, and discussed possible training and a checklist for future reports. The committee then voted to file the report and adjourned, with the next meeting set for February 12-13.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> I think you focus on that that bond process and the performance on process, sometimes we see.
• But bonds, which by the very nature I structured procurement, would serve the same purpose.
• You know, when you when you have the big bonds and things that put it at a certain level performance,
• You know, when you talk about the risk associated with performance bonds and and and the big bond process
• approaching appropriate bonding amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it has, uh, powers of, um, bond. It has powers of road and water.
• Muds never issue bonds to put in infrastructure.
• So all bonds are sold in reimbursement of what the developer has put in.
• Hayes County voters last year approved a $440 million road bond.
• In 2016, we had a $130 million road bond.

Transcript Highlights:

• And our first panel is the Climate Bond, Proposition 4 Expenditure Plan.
• Of this amount, Chapter 9 of the bond specified 850 million would be dedicated.
• And we reserve an allocation of 375,000 for statewide bond costs.
• Across all Proposition 4 bond allocations, a portion of statewide bond costs were reserved.
• Issue number one: DGS and the climate bond.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is reflected in the bond sale each year.
• So you can see there, and we talked about... ...in the bond sale each year.
• that bond sale, right?
• We spend money, and then the portion that is spent, we sell bonds, but guess what?
• You have to pay off the bonds to which it’s obligated.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held an informational hearing on the state capital outlay process, with Roger Husser and Matt Baker of the Division of Administration’s Office of Facilities Planning and Control (FPNC) presenting a detailed review of House Bill 2 and proposed improvements. They said FPNC administers about 54% of the bill, while other agencies administer the rest, and emphasized that the capital outlay program has improved significantly over the last few years, with project expenditures more than doubling due to better cash-flow management, staffing changes, and more efficient project administration. They also explained how the bill is structured by priorities, how the priority-one cash line of credit is capped and adjusted for construction inflation, and how the bill has grown into a much larger, longer-range plan than a true five-year program, especially on the non-state side. A major theme was that the bill contains too many dormant, legacy, and low-priority projects, which creates false expectations and ties up funding. Committee members pressed the presenters on culture change, third-party project management, staffing shortages, and the use of technology and statutory interpretation to speed projects without sacrificing compliance. Husser and Baker said they had reduced internal bureaucracy, used staff augmentation because of hiring difficulties, delegated smaller projects to agencies when appropriate, and improved cash-flow analysis so projects can move forward with less money up front. They also discussed overappropriations, dormant projects, and the need to reappropriate unused funds to projects that can actually spend them. The presenters offered several recommendations and considerations: limit the number and size of new projects, reduce scope creep, require more regular endorsement of long-running projects, consider caps on priority-five funding, impose time limits and reporting requirements on non-state grant projects, and possibly require non-state entities to escrow or otherwise demonstrate their match earlier. They also suggested bundling related projects together, expanding that approach beyond the current pilot, and improving transparency by showing full project funding history and the first year each project appeared in the bill. No votes were taken, and the meeting remained informational, with members generally supportive of the efficiency reforms while also raising concerns about false hope, dormant projects, and the need for clearer expectations and accountability.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um there's a number of tax bonds.
• Sections 66 through 68 set out the authority for the Metropolitan Council to issue bonds. Mr.
• of the bonds. the the bonds<00:54:23.040> are<00:54:23.200> backed<00:54:23.599> by
• We're not able to do the regional transit capital bonds. I'm just kidding. I think I misread that.
• We're not able to do the regional transit capital bonds. I'm just kidding. I think I misread that.

Bills: HF2438

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• So now is a little bit more as bonds.
• So, looking at maybe some bond sales to get into the infrastructure financing.
• <01:32:02.639> sales looking at maybe uh some uh bond sales looking at maybe uh some uh bond
• So, I'm saying, well, use your bond authorization. So, we're trying to get them to use their bonds.
• the existing bonds looking at some of the existing bonds out<01:33:24.320> there<01:33:25.199

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Act 279 working group met for an informational briefing with DHHL on its use of the $600 million appropriation and progress on the department’s implementation plan. The chair reviewed the working group’s oversight role, noting that it was created to monitor expenditures, project development, and progress toward reducing the Hawaiian Homes waitlist, and that the group must submit a progress report before the 2026 session and a final report before the 2027 session. DHHL said it had provided an updated booklet reflecting the Hawaiian Homes Commission’s February 2024 recommendations and a detailed accounting of encumbrances and project progress across the islands. DHHL highlighted several implementation themes: innovative financing and construction methods, land acquisitions and exchanges, technology, beneficiary services, and partnerships with counties and private entities. The department described a “project lease” model that gives beneficiaries access to a project rather than a specific lot, with options such as turnkey homes, owner-builder, self-help, or rent-to-purchase arrangements depending on financial qualification. Officials said this approach is intended to serve lower-income beneficiaries, expand access for people on the waitlist, and allow beneficiaries to receive support services such as financial literacy and down payment assistance. The department reported that roughly $511 million had been encumbered for infrastructure, about $152.8 million for acquisitions, financing, and beneficiary services, and about $36 million in other covered costs, with about $588.9 million encumbered as of December 31 and about $120 million expected to be spent by that date. Officials said the original implementation plan covered about 2,722 units, while the updated plan projects roughly 6,000 to 7,000 leases and 2,472 lots to be occupied. They also described phase-two needs for additional funding, including projects on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Oʻahu, and said they would need continued legislative support, including possible bonding and private activity bond set-asides, to complete remaining projects. Members discussed the distinction between encumbered and spent funds, and DHHL explained that encumbrances reserve money for specific contracts while construction spending occurs over time through progress payments. The department also showcased examples of innovative projects, including a high-rise project in urban Honolulu financed through a mix of private activity bonds, tax credits, and state funds, and an acquisition-based project in Kapaʻa, Kauaʻi using multiple funding sources. DHHL emphasized partnerships with the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County, and said it is still assessing future projects to keep infrastructure costs manageable and ensure homes are safe and affordable for beneficiaries.

Transcript Highlights:

• Phase two is part of the initiative that was in the bonding capacity.
• The estimate that is in the bonding bill is 155 million. These numbers. Mr.
• So this is for the bonding, not for the budget, or is it? Mr.
• Chair, Representative, no, this is not for the bonding.
• Projects that are identified for the bonding bill—is that in here? Mr.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, they were editing the bonding bill like as they went.
• On bonding at least, you know, we get the public hearings on all of the different projects, but we have
• >> I mean, they were editing the bonding >> I mean, they were editing the bonding bill
• <00:14:10.520> packages when you look at those bonding packages when you look at those bonding
• at least, you know, we get >> On bonding at least, you know, we get the<00:14:48.520> public

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House DFL leaders reflected on the end of session, saying the legislature accomplished major priorities despite a narrow partisan split and a tense political environment. They highlighted passage of a $705 million package to stabilize HCMC, anti-fraud measures, IT upgrades, property tax cuts, tab fee cuts, and a housing bill that included $40 million for rental assistance. They also said the session was unusually orderly and productive compared with recent years, and credited the power-sharing arrangement with reducing prolonged floor fights and encouraging more individual bills and conference committee work. At the same time, they emphasized several disappointments, especially the failure to pass meaningful gun violence prevention measures and legislation to curb ICE abuses or respond to Operation Metro Surge. Leaders argued Republicans blocked even modest gun safety proposals, including enhanced extreme risk protection orders, and said they would take those issues to voters in the next election. They also said the campaign message would focus on affordability, health care costs, hospital stability, gas and energy prices, and school safety. In response to questions, leaders defended the transparency of the session’s negotiations, saying the underlying ideas had been debated publicly for months even if final packages were released late. They also said the $40 million rental assistance funding was intended to help people affected by Operation Metro Surge, and argued that maintaining Minnesota’s road network requires adequate long-term funding even if the distribution of costs changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got some bond initiatives. Clerk will read the bond initiatives.
• Majority move so we consider the reading of the bond initiatives.
• Let's go with bond initiatives calendar 32.
• Senate Bill 448, Carroll County Senators: Carroll County Public Facilities Bond, favorable.
• The date of maturity of these bonds cannot exceed 30 years.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, February 27, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Friday, February 27, with an invocation by Reverend Howard Travers and several guest introductions, including family members, defense organization leaders, a South Asian Herald editor, Eagleton Institute fellows, and physicians from Johns Hopkins. The chamber journalized the prayer, confirmed a quorum, and then moved into bill introductions, House messages, and committee reports. Several measures were advanced without objection, including Senate Bill 338 to extend a work group report deadline on transfer of retirement system member services, Senate Bill 448 authorizing Carroll County public facilities bonds up to $27 million, Senate Bill 453 clarifying that the Arabian horse race associated with Preakness can be run at Laurel Park, Senate Bill 614 allowing Dorchester County detention officers to join the correctional officers retirement system if the county opts in, and Senate Bill 724 making a technical emergency adjustment to cost-of-living calculations for retirees because October CPI data was unavailable during a government shutdown. Each of those bills received favorable committee reports and was ordered printed for third reading after no objections or amendments were offered. Two bills were postponed for later consideration: Senate Bill 538 on Baltimore City raffles tied to organizations affiliated with professional baseball and football teams was special ordered to Wednesday of the following week, and Senate Bill 108 on water resources and wetlands enforcement was special ordered to March 3 while members worked on possible amendments. Senate Bill 56 on the Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center and third-party data sharing was also special ordered to the following Wednesday because committee discussion was ongoing. House Bill 6 and House Bill 372 were received and referred to the appropriate standing committees. The Senate also took up Executive Nominations Committee Report No. 3 and, after no nominations were separated out, confirmed the executive nominations by a vote of 41 in the affirmative. Later, the chamber heard a personal privilege statement from a Montgomery County senator about Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald schools in Maryland, highlighting preservation efforts and an upcoming Scrabble tournament fundraiser at a Rosenwald school. The Senate then confirmed a quorum, and the Majority Leader moved that the Senate stand in recess until Monday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have $480-some million in bonding, almost a half a billion dollars.
• The bonding is a big deal, and I have kind of covered that.
• So I'm kind of making up a scenario why sometimes bond release happens slowly.
• Otherwise, every time they add another acre, they'd have to redo their bond.
• But at the end of the day we do have some bonding.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bonds were the other because you could have a community...
• The bonding, those are decisions made by the boards.
• The bonding, those are decisions made by the boards.
• The bonding, those are decisions made by the boards.
• The bonding, those are decisions made by the boards.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, it's kind of bonding authority.
• allows our local agencies and bonding allows our local agencies and bonding recipients<00:45:22.120
• I believe it's 26.4 million um for our bonding bill request.
• We did receive uh bonding bill request.
• obligation bonds obligation bonds as<01:27:13.440> well<01:27:13.640> as<01:27:13.760

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• obligation bonds we can take on. obligation bonds we can take on.
• uh on the state bonding? uh on the state bonding?
• so dependent on our bonded dollars. so dependent on our bonded dollars.
• are bonding for 50 million a year. are bonding for 50 million a year.
• usually 20-year bonds. usually 20-year bonds.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Representative Tiffany Lumley focused on lessons from horses and horsemanship, using the imagery to encourage legislators to lead, listen, stay patient, and remain attentive to constituents outside the chamber. The chamber then welcomed newly appointed Representative Kevin Scully of Burlington, who was sworn in and assigned to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. Members took up several procedural items and resolutions. Senate Bill 239, relating to a child abuse and neglect reporting working group and carrying an appropriation, was referred to Appropriations, and Senate Bill 157, relating to recovery residence certification and affecting state revenue, was referred to Ways and Means after a favorable report with amendment from Human Services. The House also read and adopted concurrent resolutions honoring the federal TRIO programs in Vermont, recognizing tourism economy day and the importance of the visitor economy, and honoring former Representative John Killacky of South Burlington for his artistic and legislative contributions. Multiple members offered personal remarks about John Killacky/Colacci, his arts career, activism, and service in the House, and guests connected to the resolutions were welcomed from the gallery. The House then concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment to House Bill 237, which would allow certain doctoral-level psychologists to prescribe medications. The committee explained the Senate’s changes, including revised training and rotation requirements, a later effective date, and a future OPR report, and said the bill was intended as one tool to address mental health provider shortages; the House agreed by voice vote. The chamber next began second reading of House Bill 955, a major education reform bill titled “next steps in transforming Vermont’s education system,” with the Education Committee describing mandatory cooperative education service areas, merger study committees, and related changes intended to improve efficiency, support local voice, and strengthen public education. No final action on H.955 was taken in the portion provided.