Transcript Highlights:

• Here are the details on the collection system piping and sewer lift station repairs and upgrades to various
• piping<00:12:48.240> and<00:12:48.399> sewer the collection system piping and sewer
• the collection system piping and sewer lift<00:12:49.360> station<00:12:49.600> repairs
• Uh we have more of our system.
• life of these systems.

Keywords: 00:02 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:44 Approval of Minutes 01:56 Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet 54:59 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy received an update from Kentucky State Parks and the Finance Cabinet on the status of major capital projects funded through recent legislative appropriations. Commissioner Mark Keelin, Deputy Commissioner Chris Perry, and Finance Cabinet/DECA representatives described progress on campground upgrades, utility and broadband improvements, building systems repairs, life-safety work, accommodations and hospitality renovations, pool and beach projects, playgrounds, golf course improvements, marina work, and wastewater upgrades across the state park system. They emphasized that Kentucky has 44 state parks and that the funding has supported completed work and projects still under construction or in design. The presentation highlighted funding tied to House Joint Resolution 76, House Joint Resolution 56, and House Bill 6. Parks reported roughly $72 million invested to date, with 66 projects completed and 17 under construction, including campground renovations at sites such as My Old Kentucky Home, Kin Lake, Carter Caves, Cumberland Falls, and others; broadband projects at several campgrounds; electrical grid resilience work at parks including Kentucky Dam Village and Kin Lake; and completed life-safety upgrades such as lock systems. Officials also noted pool and beach work, ADA improvements, lodge and guest room renovations, marina replacements, and wastewater plant upgrades. DECA said it currently manages 1,335 active capital projects statewide, including 149 for Parks, and credited additional project management capacity and regular coordination meetings for accelerating delivery. Committee members asked for a copy of the presentation and pressed the department for more detailed accounting of House Joint Resolution 56, including how much money remains, which projects are complete, and whether current appropriations are sufficient to finish the listed work. The department also requested a larger maintenance pool appropriation of $40 million for the next budget, arguing that routine and emergency maintenance needs across 44 parks exceed current resources and that preventative maintenance would reduce long-term costs. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This would make the notification system a true one call system.
• SAWs Locate System is modeled.
• . system.
• It is a system, right?
• So it's a system. Right?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we need a trail system? Do we need housing? Do we need child care?
• And I'm doing a development right now and putting in the sanitary sewer, all the storm sewer, all the
• , the sanitary sewer, all the storm sewer, the sanitary sewer, all the storm sewer, all<01:07:01.839
• , they have a sewer hookup, whatever it might be.
• c><01:13:08.480> hookup, system, they have a sewer hookup, system, they have a sewer hookup, whatever

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:15 Roll Call 00:00:45 Discussion of Pro-Growth Housing Policies 00:02:33 Adjournment 01:17:15, 958, all

Summary: The Housing Task Force 2.0 reconvened with several new members and heard a presentation from Kentucky Housing Corporation Executive Director Winston Miller and Deputy Executive Director Wendy Smith. They framed the task force’s work as a practical effort to address Kentucky’s housing shortage, update members on the current housing landscape, summarize existing state and federal resources, and suggest areas for the task force to focus on over the coming year. KHC said its 2024 housing supply gap analysis found Kentucky is short about 206,000 housing units, split roughly evenly between rental and homeownership, and projected the gap could grow to 287,000 units by 2029 if current trends continue. They emphasized that every county in Kentucky needs more housing, that the 2008 housing crisis and loss of construction capacity remain major causes of the shortage, and that current pressures include high interest rates, rising insurance and tax costs, construction cost inflation, and housing prices and rents growing faster than incomes. KHC also said homelessness has risen in Kentucky, with point-in-time counts showing double-digit increases in recent years. The presenters reviewed existing resources, including federal programs, the Kentucky Affordable Housing Trust Fund, the rural housing trust fund, KHC mortgage and down payment assistance programs, and the state mortgage interest deduction. They said these resources are important but insufficient to close the gap, and noted that a proposed federal FY2026 budget would cut HUD programs by 44%, potentially removing about $286 million from Kentucky housing resources, though no action has been taken yet. They urged the task force to consider stronger, more flexible tools such as a revolving loan fund, a state affordable housing tax credit, and economic development and employer-assisted housing incentives, and pointed to Indiana’s housing infrastructure and regional development funds as examples. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and storm sewer, which amounts to capital construction costs of $3 million, $859,900 per lot.
• , and storm sewer, which amounts to capital construction costs of $3 million, $859,900 per lot.
• , and storm sewer.
• , and storm sewer.
• including roadway water sanitary sewer storm<00:35:31.160> sewer<00:35:31.720> which<00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• primary driver for water and sewer primary driver for water and sewer rates,<00:20:28.559> but
• VA Healthcare System.
• transportation system. Next slide. transportation system. Next slide.
• Capital improvements may include highway culvert and storm sewer system rehabs, flood resiliency... from
• <00:55:08.559> system highway culvert and storm sewer system highway culvert and storm sewer

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee first approved the March 5 minutes, then heard a presentation from Balig Engineering on cost drivers for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in small Minnesota communities. The testifier said most Minnesota communities are small, and that limited local staff, complex funding requirements, and the need to combine multiple funding sources make projects expensive and labor-intensive. He cited examples of aging infrastructure, including a Tracy street collapse and failing water mains, and said federal funding can help but often requires extensive reports that can cost tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of staff hours. He also pointed to inflation, supply-chain disruptions, colder climate requirements, higher material and labor costs, limited competition among contractors and suppliers, and newer treatment requirements such as PFAS removal and cybersecurity controls as major cost drivers. Members asked whether reduced bonding or less frequent state funding would lower prices, whether annual bonding bills provide market certainty, how regionalization could be encouraged, and whether tightening specifications adds costs. The testifier said stopping work would likely drive contractors out of the market and reduce competition, which could raise prices later, and that consistent funding helps keep contractors in Minnesota. He said regional water systems such as Red Rock Rural Water and Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water are already helping lower costs and that legislators could encourage more regionalization through incentives. He also said some specifications and federal requirements, especially around treatment plant controls and cybersecurity, increase costs, though some standards like deeper water-main burial are necessary. The committee then moved on to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, where John Kelly began presenting the governor’s 2026 capital budget recommendations and described the department’s mission, statewide network of veterans homes and cemeteries, and service to nearly 300,000 veterans and dependents.

Transcript Highlights:

• under Chapter 13 of the Texas Water Code, which governs the... site of utilities providing water and sewer
• This section also promotes... ...the regionalization of water and sewer services by requiring the PUC
• This is a bill to implement aquifer storage. ...and recovery system into Medina County.
• Water and Sewer Utilities and the Public Utility Commission.
• Moreover, judges are understandably hesitant to order these water systems to shut down water production

Bills: HB143, HB4530, HB4931, HB5559, HB5560

Keywords: election, bonds, authorization, financial governance, public funding, HB 143, bond election, debt authorization, November uniform election date, Texas Election Code, emergency election, voter approval, municipal bonds, local government finance, public debt, school bonds, special election, uniform election date, bond issuance, water rights

Transcript Highlights:

• small towns that have the potential to grow, but can't build housing because they don't have enough sewer
• This project put roughly 200 of our members to work, from the HVAC systems in the laboratories to the
• I don't care what kind of job it is, a building, a sewer, a road, and I will show you where that money
• I don't care what kind of job it is, a building, a sewer, a road, and I will show you where that money
• I don't care what kind of job it is, a building, a sewer, a road, and I will show you where that money

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate leaders and supporters held a press availability focused on passing a state capital investment, or bonding, bill this session. Chair Sandy Pappas said the state has received more than $7 billion in project requests and is pushing for a $1.4 billion bonding package to address infrastructure needs such as clean water, state parks and trails, college and university repairs, sewer capacity for housing growth, and other public facilities. She and other speakers stressed that delaying projects raises costs and that they do not expect a special session, making action before adjournment especially important. Testimony from labor and legislative leaders emphasized the economic benefits of bonding. Anthony Wilkie of SMART Local 10 said public bonding projects create work hours for skilled trades and cited Fraser Hall at the University of Minnesota as an example of a project that employed union members. Senator Nick Frentz argued that bonding supports jobs, especially in greater Minnesota, and highlighted water infrastructure needs, including communities facing manganese contamination and high water rates if they must finance treatment plants alone. Senator Ann Johnson Stewart pointed to PFAS-related water treatment costs in Minnetonka Beach and said she would support higher education and water projects. Majority Leader Erin Murphy said the Senate is working toward the $1.4 billion target, noting the state’s AAA bond rating and the need to keep borrowing costs low. She also said the recent Metro Surge period led to about 4,000 lost construction jobs, strengthening the case for a bill this year. In response to questions, Pappas said negotiations with Senator Housley and House leaders were underway but still early, with no final target set yet; she said staff are preparing project lists and language, and that some items, such as HCMC, may move separately. No formal vote was taken in the exchange, but the speakers expressed optimism about reaching a bipartisan agreement before session end.

Transcript Highlights:

• The largest recent grants and loans have been for Recent grants and loans have been for water and sewer
• But you can see in that table that the additional purposes include emergency responses, HVAC system,
• And I'm talking about a project in Evansville, where, with water, sewer, and street infrastructure...
• Let's get together and say, "Hey, you know, if we could just fix your sewer problems, we really could
• Sewer and water projects is left. Roads... Sewer and water projects is left.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Update on the delinquent water and sewer private water and sewer reports for the year ended December
• Continuing with deferred reports on pages three and four, we have seven private reports for water and sewer
• In addition, over $3,900 in charges were misclassified per the county financial management system manual
• In addition, over $3,900 in charges were misclassified per the county financial management system manual
• Water and sewer fund for '23, a private report that we have yet to receive proper responses from.

Summary: The committee first approved a motion by voice vote, then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. For the 2012 reports, staff said five additional 2024 reports had been received since the December meeting, bringing the total to 17 with escrow funds released and 26 still escrowed. For the 2023 delinquent reports, two more had come in, leaving five outstanding; both reports were filed without objection. The committee then focused on Act 709 repayment issues for the town of Daisy. Audit staff said Daisy had made unauthorized payments to a nonprofit and had used restricted street funds for fire-related expenses, and that the town had not yet adopted the required repayment ordinance. Mayor Lisa Cogburn said the council had not approved repayment because members disputed the amount, though she said the town had funds to pay. After discussion about the audit calculations and statutory repayment requirements, the committee adopted a motion requiring 10% repayment of the street fund under the statute and providing that failure to comply would result in withholding turnback funds. The Daisy report was then filed. The committee reviewed numerous additional audit findings from cities, counties, and water departments. Several local officials appeared and described corrective steps, including reconciliation work in Harrison and Carroll County, revenue-code corrections in Izard County, monthly bond-pending reviews in Alexander, fixed-asset documentation and receipt procedures in the town of 56, and bookkeeping/receipt improvements in Ozan and Lee County. Some matters were deferred, including several private water and sewer reports and Green Forest, while others were filed. Reports involving more serious issues were referred to the prosecuting attorney and Attorney General, including Bull Shoals, Lone Oak County, Beaver, Central City, Gravette, Ralston Water Department, Thornton Waterworks, and others. The committee also filed 19 reports with resolved findings and 53 reports with no findings, and adjourned with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• systems.
• Road expansion projects, transit improvements, water and sewer system projects, utility upgrades, flood
• systems.
• He said, this is the system that was designed to fail.
• Yet this bill assumes that unemployed Floridians are gaming the system, when in reality our system is

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee heard and favorably reported several bills. SB 1672 removed duplicative state provisions related to labor pools; CS/SB 940 prohibited third-party sale of restaurant reservations without the restaurant’s consent; and CS/SB 1820 made changes to motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer franchise law, including disclosure of performance measures, anti-retaliation protections, and limits on franchise termination or nonrenewal. The committee also approved CS/SB 324, creating a revolving loan program to help small businesses affected by prolonged public works construction, and SB 936, which creates a recurring three-year study of the effects of AI, robotics, and automation on Florida’s workforce and economy. SB 1322, the Florida Rural Jobs Act, was amended and reported favorably to encourage private investment in rural small businesses through a state tax credit program. The committee also reported favorably on CS/SB 910, which regulates for-profit veterans’ benefit assistance services, and CS/SB 656, which extends protections from extraordinary collection actions to all bill-of-care payment actions by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 1264, a broad Department of Commerce agency bill. The strike-all amendment added or revised provisions on Secure Florida, the RISE venture capital tax credit program, data center tax exemptions, business development classifications, military land transfers, and other economic development matters, while also repealing regional planning councils from statute. That repeal drew extensive opposition from local officials and regional council representatives, who argued the councils are important for emergency management, grant writing, planning, and support for small and rural communities. Supporters of the amendment said the councils could continue locally without state statutory involvement. After debate, the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably, though Senators Davis and Smith voted no. The committee also considered CS/SB 1238, which would tighten reemployment assistance rules by disqualifying claimants who fail to meet job-search requirements or refuse work, and by adding verification and reporting requirements. Supporters framed it as adding guardrails and preventing fraud, while opponents argued Florida’s unemployment system is already difficult to access and that the bill would add unnecessary barriers and costs. Despite opposition from labor and advocacy groups, the bill was reported favorably, with Senators Smith and Arrington voting no. Finally, the committee unanimously recommended confirmation of Alexis Yarborough and John Gilbert to the Board of Supervisors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thanks to MNSEFA, the district geothermal system mentioned by Representative Lee is under construction
• implications for our communities and all partners in our housing system.
• We are here to serve Minnesotans, but the system is not working as intended.
• It's about protecting what we have already built and making the system work better for everyone.
• If we are serious about dismantling systemic barriers, then we must be just as serious about investing

Bills: HF1143, HF1548, HF1340, HF2549, HF2559, HF1673, HF2740, HF2507, HF2461, HF2381, HF2695

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI

Transcript Highlights:

• focused on targeting water quality improvements, including wastewater treatment upgrades, septic-to-sewer
• So we talked about the $13.9 million, the 1,000 in the system, the ARPA funds.
• There is a criminal process that goes through the court system.
• So there is restoration that could be assessed by the court system itself.
• But as far as getting money back into the system from that, that's totally up to the court system where

Summary: The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee met to organize for the session, confirm a quorum, and hear introductory remarks from members about their districts and interests. Chair Esposito outlined the committee’s jurisdiction and budget overview, noting a total budget of about $7.2 billion, with major funding tied to the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Citrus. She also described major cost drivers such as Everglades restoration, water quality, resiliency, land acquisition, and rural family lands, and asked members to review agency requests in small groups later in the process. Agency leaders then presented budget and program updates. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson emphasized department efficiency efforts, including IT modernization, staff reorganization, rural and family lands conservation, best management practices, Fresh From Florida marketing, hurricane recovery loans for farmers, and completion of the Connor Complex headquarters. DEP Secretary Alexis Lambert highlighted record investments in Everglades restoration, water quality projects, resilience grants, land acquisition, state parks, and enforcement. FWC Executive Director Roger Young discussed conservation research, fisheries and wildlife management, law enforcement, disaster response, and pressures from growth, boating, invasive species, and derelict vessels. Department of Citrus Executive Director Shannon Shep reviewed the industry’s decline due to hurricanes and citrus greening, current research and marketing efforts, and e-commerce campaigns to support Florida citrus sales. Members asked questions about citrus production declines, future replanting and therapies, rural family lands, PFOS cleanup, mangrove restoration, flooding and pump infrastructure, agricultural theft, and derelict vessel removal. Officials generally responded with updates, emphasized science-based management and enforcement, and in several cases said they would follow up with more detailed information later. No formal votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair directing members to provide feedback on agencies for further budget review and then adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the way I understand this is if you want to put a sewer system in an entire area and a property owner
• doesn't want the sewer, they want to remain on septic, they would be forced onto the sewer system?
• So would the same apply to a water system?
• Records retention in the prison system is muddled. It's federal.
• It goes into the Medicaid system and also on the federal side.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very complex system, like I said, and we offer an online orientation.
• Birdie’s Nest was created to meet this long-standing gap in our early learning systems.
• such as water, sewer, and stormwater.
• The sewer and water standards were also developed in 2008.
• detention systems on their property.

Summary: The committee held a work session on form-based codes, child care facility siting, and street standards/frontage improvements. On form-based codes, Commerce’s Dave Anderson explained that these codes emphasize building form, orientation, and the public realm more than traditional use and density tables, and that they are typically applied in specific districts rather than citywide or statewide. Lacey’s Vanessa Dolby described the city’s Woodland District code, developed through community charrettes, fiscal and market analysis, and subdistrict-specific standards to create a walkable downtown. She said the approach has helped produce a more desirable built environment and more flexibility in permitted uses, but also noted it can be less user-friendly for applicants and still requires some use restrictions; both presenters said a hybrid approach is often best. The committee then heard from DCYF and multiple providers about barriers to opening child care facilities. DCYF officials said Washington has more than 6,500 licensed providers and that a new pre-licensing support team is helping applicants navigate licensing, but local zoning, building, fire, parking, utility, and occupancy requirements still create delays and confusion. Testifiers described long permitting timelines, inconsistent local interpretations, costly upgrades, and utility hookup delays; one Yakima provider said county requirements, a floodplain-related elevation certificate, and a private well issue stopped her in-home child care proposal, while others described traffic impact fees, parking mandates, and zoning barriers that made projects infeasible. Enterprise Community Partners highlighted examples of successful local reforms, including fee waivers, expedited permitting, and zoning changes in several cities, and DCYF said it is working toward a 2026 action plan and a resource guide for providers. In the final section, planners and developers discussed how street standards and frontage improvement requirements can undermine infill and middle housing. Poulsbo’s planning manager said current standards were designed for greenfield subdivisions and often force costly curb, gutter, sidewalk, stormwater, and utility upgrades on small infill sites, sometimes adding tens of thousands of dollars and causing projects to be abandoned. A Seattle-based developer made similar points about small middle-housing projects being burdened by frontage work, curb ramps, buried standards, and EV-ready parking requirements that can trigger expensive undergrounding. Committee members asked about possible state-level changes, including whether child care should be treated as an essential public facility and whether parking requirements had already been reduced; one senator noted that minimum parking requirements for child care facilities were eliminated in prior legislation, with implementation phased in over the next few years.

Transcript Highlights:

• think about a homeowner going into the department every couple of years and renewing a permit for a system
• It mandates septic systems be allowed in certain circumstances And outstanding Florida springs areas.
• Monroe County has been in central sewer for decades, but we travel all the roads, we Cesspit the sewer
• , anaerobic systems have improved which makes sense you don't have to get them inspected once a year,
• then it doesn't get in the aquifer so to call some of the nerves down, I promise you the aerobic system

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, our second request is for $18.8 million for the water and sewer system replacement on the lower campus
• Uh, the water and sewer systems were constructed in the 1950s, and they have far outlived their life
• <01:47:53.679> system for the water and sewer system for the water and sewer system replacement
• Uh the water and sewer systems bid out.
• Uh the water and sewer systems were<01:48:12.719> constructed<01:48:13.199> in<01:48:13.440

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The decreases were in the teacher retirement system and the state highway employee retirement system.
• that is separate from DHS's eligibility system.
• So it wasn't every system.
• management system.
• alerting system.

Summary: The committee met to adopt prior minutes and reports from its executive and standing committees, including counties and municipalities, educational institutions, and state agencies. Those reports covered routine audit activity, delinquent private water and sewer audits, municipal accounting compliance issues, education audit findings, and several state agency audit items. The committee also reviewed and adopted the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report for fiscal year 2025 and the related single audit report, both presented by Legislative Audit staff. The state financial report showed unmodified opinions on the state’s financial statements and described total assets of about $41.9 billion and liabilities of about $11.1 billion, along with retirement system assets of $39.9 billion and a net pension liability of $9 billion. Two material weaknesses were identified: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and a Division of Workforce Services methodology change for unemployment-related estimates that was not properly documented or approved. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed; it resulted in 33 findings, 14 with questioned costs totaling $16.6 million, and qualified opinions for the Summer EBT program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster. Members questioned agency officials in detail about the Summer EBT questioned costs, DHS unresolved findings, broadband grant documentation, cyber security controls, workers’ compensation liabilities, and child care funding and reporting. DHS explained that the Summer EBT issue involved drawing federal funds in advance rather than as benefits were redeemed, and said the process has been corrected. Broadband officials said the questioned $6.6 million reflected documentation-detail disagreements across many invoices rather than missing payments. OST officials described new logging, endpoint detection, and phishing-training efforts, and DFA and Education officials addressed specific audit findings and corrective actions. The committee ultimately moved to hold the two large statewide reports over until the August meeting for further review, with discussion continuing on whether to release some agency staff in the meantime.

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding will help establish sewer and water services, build streets, and manage storm water.
• the only location in the county, rather, that does have water and sewer.
• the only location in the county, rather, that does have water and sewer.
• the southern hardwood systems. the southern hardwood systems.
• entirety of the of the forest systems entirety of the of the forest systems and<00:31:51.320>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a family-friendly city with extensive park systems, cultural institutions, and recreational amenities
• several years at the Baylor College of Medicine as an assistant professor. serving the Harris Health System
• Joe Lopez, General Manager of the Green Electric Utility Systems, or JUICE, Alicia Hooks, and President
• That is incredible and that is leadership in our public education system.
• well as adding University of Houston Pearland Campus in 2010, so that's a great addition to y'all's system

Bills: SJR3, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB703, SB764, SB790, SJR36, SJR3, SJR34, SJR18, SCR9, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB5, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB372, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB764, SB842, SB971, SB790, SB767, SB480, SB1066, SB929, SB765, SB523, SB62, SB19, SB18, SB666, SB688, SB707, SB888, SB687, SB706, SB847, SB869, SB890, SB992, SB1145, SB494, SB290, SB766, SB11, SB10, SB13, SB263, SJR3, SB5, SR172, SR176, SR177, SR190, SR193, SR194, SR202, SR203, SR208

Keywords: dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, research funding, state budget, prevention, healthcare, medical research, Dementia Prevention and Research Institute, research institute, funding, grants, state health initiatives, cryptocurrency, bitcoin, investment reserve, economic resilience, financial security, vehicle rental, damage waiver

Transcript Highlights:

• if if I've clarified the >> So the system if if I've clarified the system<01:07:04.640> is<
• And you just don't system is working.
• <02:40:54.160> and accessible to services like sewer and accessible to services like sewer
• sewer.
• houses would be using uh septic systems houses would be using uh septic systems or<04:28:45.199>

Keywords: 1189, house, all