Transcript Highlights:

• Although the department asserted to us that it is now transitioning to an enforcement focus away from
• Chair, Senator Cabaldon, who this is his first hearing, and he is following Senator Laird's great service
• I think the more the Legislature can evaluate risk and say, these are things we don't want to live with
• I think the more the Legislature can evaluate risk and say, these are things we don't want to live with

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard an audit on the Department of Cannabis Control’s oversight of cannabis packaging and labeling, focused on products that may be attractive to children. The auditor said the department’s rules are often vague or subjective, leading to inconsistent enforcement, and that the state relies heavily on complaints rather than pre-market review. The audit found disagreements with DCC’s conclusions in 13 of 80 packaging reviews, and noted weaknesses in tracking repeat violators and escalating penalties. The auditor recommended clearer statutory standards, better internal review tools, stronger repeat-offender policies, and consideration of options such as plain packaging or pre-approval systems. Committee members and the audit requester emphasized rising cannabis poison-control calls involving children under five and cited examples of legal products with cartoon imagery, bright colors, candy-like names, and beverage packaging that resembled ordinary drinks. DCC representatives said they had already begun reforms, including a centralized review team, improved databases, enhanced technology tools, and new procedures to track compliance history and apply progressive discipline. They also stressed that illicit cannabis and intoxicating hemp remain major sources of youth exposure and argued that some issues require both regulatory refinement and more legislative clarity. Public health witnesses argued that California has not done enough to protect children and urged plain packaging, limits on flavors and child-appealing design, and a pre-market review process. Industry representatives agreed that cannabis should not be marketed to children but said the current rules are too subjective and inconsistent, and asked for objective, bright-line standards rather than broader bans. Several members said the examples shown were plainly child-appealing and called for stronger statutory guardrails, while also acknowledging the need to keep pressure on the illicit market. No formal vote or action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> for service and ministry. for service and ministry.
• </c> every leader in this room that service every leader in this room that service is<00:01:31.640><c
• </c><00:03:02.720><c> in</c> presence here today and your service in presence here today and your service
• </c><01:03:57.560><c> to</c> and US uh Postal Service to and US uh Postal Service to the<01:03:58.640
• </c><01:23:41.320><c> provider</c> third-party delivery service provider third-party delivery service

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Friday, April 10, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, impact those people's lives in a negative way.
• It is the total of what that service was valued and paid.
• provide for therapy services.
• outside of that, if you live outside of that universe.
• This is what it's like to live without a face for 40 years.

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• And often denials happen services.
• </c><00:15:59.040><c> and</c> Services Office of Youth Services and Services Office of Youth Services
• Uh so we through community service.
• </c> services from Northshore Mental Health. services from Northshore Mental Health.
• </c><01:14:49.600><c> The</c> cuts with Medicaid services. The cuts with Medicaid services.

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee met on March 20, 2025, to hear a series of Human Services and Health resolutions. HCR 146, which asks the Department of Human Services to apply for and implement the Elderly Simplified Application Project, drew strong support from disability, public health, and hunger advocates. Testifiers emphasized that the measure could create a more uniform benefits application, reduce repeated paperwork, extend certification periods from one year to three years, and ease burdens on both applicants and DHS staff. DHS said it stood on its written testimony and was available for questions. The committee also heard that a universal application could help people with disabilities avoid delays and denials caused by complex or duplicative forms. The committee then heard HR 170/HCR 174, which requests review of Aloha-based learning programs for youth in the juvenile legal system. Supporters from Opportunity for Youth Action Hawaii and DebtFree Justice Hawaii said the resolution would help advance restorative justice, community service, and culturally grounded rehabilitation, especially if youth fees and fines are reduced or eliminated. Testimony also supported HR 133/HCR 139, which asks the Office of Wellness and Resilience to report on the developmental needs of children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. Witnesses from the developmental disabilities council, the Office of Wellness and Resilience, the Hawaii Community Foundation, and others said the pandemic’s trauma and behavioral impacts justify a multidisciplinary, evidence-based report, and the office requested more time to complete its findings, suggesting a deadline at the end of 2026. The committee also heard HR 88/HCR 92, proposing a two-year homelessness sanctuary pilot program in Honolulu. One testifier described sleeping in a car and said the pilot could provide a safer option, while the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions said it supported the intent but stressed that a sanctuary is still an unsheltered situation and should lead people toward permanent housing. HCR 180, calling for collaboration among homelessness and law enforcement agencies, received comments that many of the issues are already being addressed locally. HR 103/HCR 107, which would convene a working group to strengthen Title 9 protections, received support from education, women’s, and LGBTQ advocates, who asked for student and queer representation on the working group and said federal Title 9 changes make state action important. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided, and the committee moved from one resolution to the next after testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I say if you don't like the 60%, tell me can you live with 55%? Can you live with 50%?
• So folks that live in Buda are going to be different than folks that live in Cyprus or Hyde Park Dallas
• I mean, I think people's lives, the quality of lives, should be measured in more than the number of hours
• I can't afford to live in Austin anymore.
• It's the most expensive places to live.

Bills: HB21 , HB211 , HB223

Committee: House Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: HB 21, Texas Tax Code, ad valorem tax, property tax, delinquent taxes, tax delinquency, penalty reduction, interest rate, split payment, installment payment, tax relief, county tax collector, taxing unit, property owner, tax collection, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax increase election, supermajority, 60 percent threshold

Transcript Highlights:

• We are not transitioning that into actual boots-on-the-ground jobs.
• So let's make sure that transition from high school to college is as smooth as possible by ensuring a

Bills: SB1477 , SB1480 , SB1593 , SB1633 , SB1670 , SB1725 , SB1726 , SB1735 , SB1632

Committee: House Postsecondary Education

Keywords: education, concurrent enrollment, students, age restrictions, academic access, apprenticeship, career education, youth programs, employment, technology centers, SB1593, OSU Tulsa, Oklahoma State University/Tulsa, Board of Trustees, higher education, university governance, A&M Board, Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, presidential search, board rules

Summary: The Postsecondary Education Committee considered a series of higher education and career-tech bills, with members asking mostly clarifying questions about eligibility, implementation, and alignment with existing law. House Bill 1477, requested by the State Regents, would limit concurrent enrollment to students age 21 or under; it passed 6-0. Senate Bill 1593 updated language on the Oklahoma State University Board of Trustees to reflect current practice and passed 6-0. Senate Bill 1725 addressed expressive activities on public campuses by allowing security fees for students or student groups, but not based on the content of expression, and also directed free speech training through the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee; it passed 7-2. Senate Bill 1670, a State Chamber priority bill, aimed to strengthen startup ecosystems, venture capital, and industry-embedded research to help move university research into private-sector jobs, and it passed 9-0. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 1726, which would establish a baseline training course for graduate student instructors at colleges and universities. Supporters said it would standardize instruction across institutions and help ensure a consistent level of preparation for graduate instructors teaching undergraduates; it passed 7-2. Senate Bill 1633 would align Oklahoma statute with federal law following a consent judgment regarding tuition eligibility for individuals not lawfully present in the United States; members discussed how “lawfully present” would apply to DACA recipients and others with federal immigration status, and the bill passed 6-3. Senate Bill 1735, a cleanup measure shifting certain oversight of technology center career tech schools more directly under the State Board of Career and Technology Education, passed 9-0. Later, the committee approved Senate Bill 1480, a pilot program for paid apprenticeships for 16-year-old students within career tech settings, despite questions about why a pilot was needed when career techs were already prepared to do similar work; it passed 9-0. Finally, an amendment to Senate Bill 1632 changed “shall” to “may” and allowed the State Board of Regents to use workforce assessments such as WorkKeys to award some entry-level college credit for students who score highly, especially those returning to community college or seeking an associate degree; after discussion about the limits of the credit, the amended measure passed 9-0. The meeting concluded with thanks to members as the committee’s final meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I live off business in the state I live I live off business in the state of<00:10:56.079><c> Wyoming
• And there's a lot of stress in terms of leadership transition, uh, cost of living.
• And there's a lot of stress in terms of leadership transition, uh, cost of living.
• There's a lot of stress in terms of leadership transition, uh, cost of living.
• </c> 3001, IT enhanced services. 3001, IT enhanced services.

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to go and support our veterans in this way where their high schooling was interrupted because of service
• </c><00:12:16.000><c> to</c><00:12:16.160><c> our</c> interrupted because of service to our interrupted
• because of service to our country<00:12:16.880><c> I</c><00:12:16.959><c> think</c><00:12:17.120><c>
• We try to talk to the different parts of the DOE School Food Service branch and those types of things
• I'm Jordina Fer here on behalf of the Department of Community Services.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Education heard several Department of Education-related bills and received extensive testimony on school meals and veteran diplomas. HB 628 would restore authority for the Department of Education to issue high school diplomas to veterans whose schooling was interrupted by World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War. The superintendent testified in support, explaining the authority had sunset in 2020 and describing the measure as a way to recognize veterans. No opposition or questions were raised, and the bill was left without further action in the excerpt. The committee also heard HB 1074 and HB 110, both supported by the Department of Education and the School Facilities Authority. HB 1074 was described as a cleanup measure to clarify land-related language and make the statute more consistent across state agencies and DOE. HB 110 concerned benchmarking and the farm-to-school/local food effort; DOE and several supporters, including county councils, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, and the Hawaii Farmers Union, said the bill would help align metrics and support the 30% local food goal by 2030. Members questioned DOE about progress, and DOE said it was working on menus, procurement, and coordination with distributors and farmers. A Farm to School representative said the current bottleneck was poor communication with farmers and the need to bring them into planning earlier; DOE said it was still figuring out the process and that island-based procurement and separate RFPs were being explored. HB 328, relating to school meals and local resource food and plant-based options, drew the most testimony. DOE testified with comments, and the Attorney General’s office suggested revisions to clarify that the bill would apply to both DOE and charter schools, to separate public and private funds if donations or grants are accepted, and to add standards if nonprofit or private entities receive public money. Supporters included HSTA, the Hawaii Public Health Institute/Farm to School Network, Climate Protection Hawaii, the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, and numerous individuals and organizations. Supporters emphasized healthier school meals, student-requested plant-based options, support for local farms, and the 30% by 2030 goal. Some testimony urged more local purchasing and raised concerns about decentralization, while DOE said it was considering island-based procurement and separate contracts to better support local producers. No votes were taken in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate services correctly printed. Senate Bill 1781 179 correctly engrossed.
• </c> with, "I'm afraid of not living with, "I'm afraid of not living because<00:47:40.800><c> I</c><00
• One of those things is customer service.
• We cannot afford living here. People are leaving, exiting this state.
• We cannot afford We cannot afford living<03:48:03.680><c> here.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for the aging and adult services and the behavioral health services that are in this division.
• services.
• services.
• And so we paid for those services through fee-for-service pending that.
• However, Division of Youth Services... ...services, not the other settings.

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard a series of Arkansas Department of Human Services budget presentations and questions, beginning with the Secretary’s Office and then the Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services. Staff described the divisions’ appropriations, funding sources, and major programs, including senior centers, Meals on Wheels, mental health grants, substance abuse treatment, community alcohol safety, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, and crisis stabilization units. Members raised concerns about flat or limited funding for senior services, the use and tracing of federal block grants, the lack of a funding source for the veterans’ mental health grant, and the mechanics of the community alcohol safety and treatment programs. The committee also discussed patient benefits funds at state facilities, transportation for senior center clients, and whether some special-language appropriations or fund balances should be revisited. Executive recommendations were adopted for the divisions considered. The committee then reviewed the Division of Children and Family Services and the Division of County Operations. Questions focused on foster care growth, adoption subsidies, professional fees tied to staff training and onboarding, vacancies, the Children’s Trust Fund, and TANF subgrants. Members asked about the reduction or elimination of TANF funding to child advocacy centers and other subgrantees, and DHS explained that prior reserves had been spent down and that the department was now trying to live within the annual TANF block grant and rebuild reserves. County operations questions also covered summer EBT, SNAP employment and training, the farmers’ market program, and the expected impact of a federal SNAP administrative match change, which DHS estimated would increase state costs by about $24 million annually, with roughly $18 million affecting the current year because the change begins October 1. Executive recommendations were again adopted. Finally, the committee heard from the Division of Developmental Disability Services and the Division of Medical Services. DDS testimony covered vacancies, staffing shortages, human development center construction and repairs, the reopening of the Boonville work training program, and funding for infant infirmary and child/family life programs. Medical Services testimony covered the Medicaid program, the current FMAP rate, the Our Kids B CHIP program, Medicaid payments to schools, nursing home distress funding, and large appropriation lines used to provide flexibility for claims and potential facility closures. Members asked for more detail on school Medicaid payments, reserve balances, and why some appropriations were much larger than actual spending. In each division, the committee moved and adopted Executive REC after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• My parents are in their 70s and they live in West Altadena.
• grow up in this final chapter of their lives.
• And people's homes and their lives have been turned upside down.
• Since time and memorial, indigenous communities have lived and growth.
• on the lands, lived near water, because, duh, you need water.

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not charge for any daycare services or childcare. support services again when we know about it.
• People like young individuals who might have parents who live out of state but live in the state with
• I speak from lived experience.
• their whole lives here.
• I want my state to help them live their lives, deepen their community connections, and learn.

Bills: SB1798 , SB1835 , SB1319 , SB2942 , SB2928 , SB784 , SB1049

Committees: Senate Education , Senate Education K-16

Keywords: higher education, tuition rates, financial support, immigration status, Texas law, SB 1835, resident tuition, nonresident students, scholarship students, public higher education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Education Code Section 54.213, tuition waiver, in-state tuition, out-of-state students, higher education finance, enrollment cap, capacity limit, workforce development area, nonimmigrant visa

Transcript Highlights:

• My parents are in their 70s and they live in West Altadena.
• grow up in this final chapter of their lives.
• People's homes and their lives have been turned upside down.
• Since time and memorial, indigenous communities have lived and growth.
• on the lands, lived near water, because, duh, you need water.

Summary: The committee heard AB 1795, which would create statewide standards for testing, inspection, remediation, and insurance handling of wildfire smoke damage in homes. The author and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said the bill is needed because survivors face inconsistent claims practices and no enforceable standards for determining when homes are safe. Supporters included the City of Los Angeles and a wildfire survivor who described health problems and disputed remediation results; opponents from the insurance industry said the bill could create broad new exposure and worsen affordability, though they continued to negotiate amendments. The committee recommended the bill do pass with urgency, and it passed on a 4-0 vote, with the roll held open for additional votes. The committee also heard AB 1612, which would create a centralized process for law enforcement to transfer seized controlled substances such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin to the Department of Justice for disposal after the state’s last in-state incineration facility closed. The author said the bill would address unsafe storage and inconsistent disposal pathways. There was no opposition in the room, and the committee sent the bill to the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a do pass vote. AB 2322 would standardize the definition of commercial, industrial, or institutional sites for municipal stormwater permits by tying it to assessor land-use codes and excluding residential parcels. Supporters said the bill would reduce patchwork enforcement and improve consistency, while stormwater and city representatives asked to keep working on regional flexibility concerns. The committee approved the bill 4-1 and sent it to Appropriations. The committee then heard AB 2245, a producer responsibility bill for vehicle lubricant products and their containers, intended to expand collection and recycling using existing household hazardous waste and used oil infrastructure. Supporters said it would reduce landfill disposal and align with existing EPR frameworks, while retailers and industry groups raised concerns about overlapping obligations, unclear definitions, and compliance costs. The author said negotiations would continue, and the committee sent the bill to Natural Resources on a do pass vote. The committee also heard AB 1603, which would phase out PFAS-containing pesticides over time and require disclosure and permitting for their use. Supporters argued PFAS pesticides contaminate food and water and pose health risks; agricultural and chemical industry opponents said the bill could remove many products from the market and lead to harmful substitutions. The chair expressed support for reducing PFAS but raised concerns about replacement chemicals, and the bill was sent to Appropriations on a do pass vote. Finally, AB 2034 was introduced to increase transparency around food additives and GRAS ingredients by creating a state database of chemicals that bypass FDA premarket review; supporters said it would close a federal loophole, while consumer brands opposed a duplicative state system and warned of costs and confusion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't live in Long Island.
• And we should do more to support service members and their families, both during their time in service
• People cannot worship freely while living in fear.
• No U.S. taxpayer funds should be used, or U.S. service members' lives put at risk for a U.S. military
• So I'm asking for a vote on an amendment that would provide the funding for these services so that service

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• going to be moving forward to the 2027 session and how things look a little bit different as we transition
• doesn't recognize that, in these very difficult times we're in, in terms of inflation and the cost of living

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Pension Policy

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, we went through a big transition, middle of last month, for a much more robust and user-friendly
• Yeah, you know, I had a lively conversation earlier today about laws and constitutionality.

Bills: HB3015 , HB3114 , HB3411 , HB3567 , HB3568 , HB3749 , HB3891 , HB4229 , HB4237 , HB4253 , HJR1019 , HJR1046 , HJR1084

Committee: House Rules

Keywords: electronic credentials, Service Oklahoma, digital identification, data protection, driver's license, electronic monitoring, criminal justice reform, nonviolent offenders, Department of Corrections, parole, state law, biosolids, PFAS, environmental safety, agriculture, public health, Department of Environmental Quality, testing regulations, soil amendments, HB3567

Summary: The committee first announced that House Bills 3568 and 3891 and H.J.R. 1019 would be laid over and not heard that day. It then took up a series of bills, adopting PCS versions where offered and generally moving them forward with do-pass recommendations. House Bill 3015 would allow Oklahomans to add a driver’s license to a digital wallet and use it as an optional credential; members questioned why legislation was needed now versus the 2019 digital ID effort and whether the state would work directly with Apple and Google rather than a third-party vendor. The bill passed 10-0. Other measures included House Bill 314, which adds a DOC electronic monitoring ineligibility item; House Bill 3567, which increases transparency in campaign fund use and was amended to correct a citation; House Bill 3749, which lets county clerks, county court clerks, and county commissioners retain outside counsel; House Bill 4229, which narrows when schools may declare emergencies for contracts when facilities are unusable; and House Bill 4237, which modernizes collection of criminal court fees, fines, and costs. Each of these bills advanced, with HB 3749 drawing the most discussion over whether it duplicates district attorney services and whether county commissioners would be approving their own outside-counsel contracts. The committee also advanced House Bill 4253, a union-related bill that the author said he was carrying as a vehicle and would substantially revise before final passage; members discussed federal labor-law concerns and the bill passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1046 would exempt homeowners from property tax for a year if a residence is uninhabitable for six months after a disaster; members debated the impact on local tax bases and whether existing ad valorem refund mechanisms should be used instead, and it passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1084, which states that Oklahoma and U.S. constitutional standards govern courtroom matters and no court should enforce incompatible religious law, passed 8-2 after questions about whether it addressed a current problem. Finally, House Bill 3411 on biosolids and PFAS testing would require DEQ testing and disclosure to landowners and authorize treatment protocols; it passed 9-1. The meeting ended with notice that the next rules meeting was moved to Thursday at 11:30 in a different room due to technical difficulties.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> support services, and contract services support services, and contract services from<01:38:57.840>
• </c> transition procedures. transition procedures.
• </c> labor and delivery services. labor and delivery services.
• </c> 49, Department of Family Services. 49, Department of Family Services.
• </c> Family Services. Further discussion? Family Services. Further discussion?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• directed Ecology to develop programmatic environmental impact statements to support the clean energy transition
• directed Ecology to develop programmatic environmental impact statements to support the clean energy transition
• I'm the director for Grant County Development Services.
• I'm in-house counsel with Puget Sound Energy and Director of the Environmental Services Department.
• Wendy Weaker, representing Republic Services. We manage a recycling center in Seattle.

Summary: The committee held a work session on state environmental policy act (SEPA) implementation and carryout bags. Ecology staff Diane Buterak described the Clean Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements (PEISs) completed for utility-scale solar, onshore wind, and green hydrogen, plus a new PEIS underway for sustainable aviation fuel. She explained that PEISs provide broad planning-level analysis to help developers and agencies avoid or mitigate impacts, but do not replace project-level review. Members asked about permitting timelines, greenhouse gas emissions from different hydrogen production methods, water use, agricultural land conversion, battery fire risk, and tribal consultation. Buterak said the PEISs identify potentially significant impacts and mitigation measures, including fire response planning, early tribal outreach, and agrovoltaics as an option for solar projects. EFSEC’s Amy Hofkimer then presented the transmission-facility programmatic EIS required by SB 5165 for 230 kV and higher transmission projects. She said the statewide review covers new lines and certain upgrades/modifications, analyzes impacts to water, cultural and tribal resources, habitat, and other areas, and uses general measures, design considerations, avoidance criteria, and sensitivity maps to guide siting and corridor planning. She said the final document would be issued in early October. Questions focused on reconductoring, tribal lands, scenic areas, and whether the review could affect existing lines crossing tribal lands. A Grant County planning director, Jim Anderson Cook, said Ecology’s PEIS would help with cumulative impacts for clustered solar projects, but noted tight local review timelines and the need for strong pre-application coordination, especially on cultural resource studies and decommissioning plans. Yakama Nation attorney Shona Leverett argued SEPA is only an assessment tool and said tribes face barriers from short comment periods, limited confidential tribal input, weak cumulative impact analysis, and challenges in the FSEC process; she urged better upfront developer diligence and more effective tribal coordination. Puget Sound Energy’s Sarah Leverett said the utility needs efficient and predictable permitting to meet clean energy mandates while maintaining reliable service and aging infrastructure. She described the scale of needed clean energy and transmission buildout, including a 10-year process for the Energize Eastside transmission rebuild, and said more consistent SEPA and PEIS processes could help. Members asked about future generation sources, reliability, and hydropower as a firming resource; she said PSE is pursuing an “all of the above” approach and would welcome more firm, dispatchable clean energy options. The committee then shifted to carryout bags. Staff Jacob Lipson and Tracy Taylor reviewed Washington’s bag law, its preemption of local ordinances, the current 8-cent charge, the scheduled increase to 12 cents, and the 2025 change delaying the 4-mil thickness requirement until 2028 while adding a temporary 4-cent penalty for thicker bags. Ecology’s Peter Lyon said the agency emphasizes education and complaint-based enforcement, has received 872 reports, and has not yet imposed any fines. Commerce’s Kirk Esmond summarized a WSU study finding fewer plastic bags distributed but more plastic by weight, and said Commerce and Ecology support keeping the 2.25-mil standard and not allowing thinner single-use bags again. Retail industry testimony from Brandon Housekeeper said grocers comply with the law but oppose the added 4-cent penalty and thicker-bag requirement, citing higher costs and confusion in the policy changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we are also observing higher costs for services that are paid on a fee-for-service basis.
• that are paid on a fee for services that are paid on a fee for service<00:25:02.400><c> basis.
• </c> plans to cover services for enrolles. plans to cover services for enrolles.
• . services. services.
• . services. services.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Aaron Campbell, State Economist Dr. Tony Becker, and State Budget Director Anna Mingi presented the November 2025 budget and economic forecast. Campbell said the state now projects a nearly $2.5 billion surplus at the end of the 2026-27 biennium, about $575 million better than the end-of-session estimate, but also a projected negative balance of about $2.9 billion in FY 2028-29, reflecting a worsening structural imbalance. He said the budget reserve stands at $3.4 billion, with cash flow and budget reserves totaling $3.8 billion after a $244 million addition, and emphasized that Minnesota’s AAA bond rating and reserve policy remain strengths even as future sessions will need to address the long-term gap. Becker said the national economic outlook has changed only modestly since February, but growth remains below trend through the forecast horizon. He cited slower consumer spending, weak private investment, continued tariff uncertainty, lower projected immigration, and modest inflation that stays near 3% through 2026 before easing. Revenue forecasts for the next biennium were revised up to $66.3 billion, driven mainly by higher individual income tax receipts and other revenue, partly offset by lower sales and corporate tax forecasts. He also noted risks from federal policy changes, the recent shutdown’s effect on data availability, and possible equity market volatility. Mingi said general fund spending is projected to rise sharply, with current biennium spending up $3.4 billion from end-of-session estimates and planning-year spending up $1.9 billion. She attributed much of the increase to carryforward from prior one-time appropriations, discretionary inflation, and especially Medical Assistance. MA costs are projected to be about $2.5 billion higher over 2025-29, largely because managed care rates rose more than expected due to higher utilization and higher-cost services, including pharmacy costs, while long-term care and disability waiver costs also increased. In response to questions, officials said the federal reconciliation bill had only a relatively small effect on the health care changes, and that the carryforward amounts reflect unspent prior appropriations that now show up in later years rather than new spending.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the role that I serve, I work with my APHIS colleagues, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• Upon the initial detection in Mexico, we closed ports of entry for live cattle, bison, and equine.
• It is still in a working, living draft form.
• I know you’re living this every day with the Army Corps.” “Yes, sir.
• And how long do these flies live? I don't... I said, do you want to take a stab at that, Admiral?

Summary: The joint hearing focused on preparedness for the New World screwworm threat and brought together the House Committees on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism and Agriculture and Livestock. USDA officials, Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Texas Animal Health Commission leadership described the pest as a serious risk to livestock, wildlife, rural economies, and beef prices, and emphasized coordination among federal, state, industry, and Mexican partners. Witnesses repeatedly stressed that Texas is currently seeing no confirmed U.S. detections, but that recent confirmed cases in northern Mexico, including Nuevo León, remain a concern because of their proximity to the border. USDA testimony outlined current surveillance and response efforts, including more than 120 screw worm-specific traps along the Texas border and neighboring states, thousands of additional dual-purpose traps, wildlife inspections, weekly coordination with Mexico’s Senasica, and a new USDA New World Screwworm Directorate. Officials said the existing Panama sterile fly facility is maxed out at about 100 million flies per week, while a dispersal facility in Tampico is helping move flies farther north in Mexico. They also described plans for a retrofitted sterile fly facility in Metapa, Mexico, expected to come online in 2026, and a new domestic production facility at Moore Air Base, with phase one targeted for late 2026 or early 2027 and phase two adding substantially more capacity later. Members pressed USDA on timelines, production capacity, the reliability of Mexican reporting, the risk from wildlife, and whether modular or mobile facilities could be deployed faster. USDA said it is also exploring innovative technologies, including a genetically engineered sterile male fly, but that such tools still require EPA review and field validation. Commissioner Miller highlighted Texas biosecurity efforts, five permanent inspection stations, cooperation with FDA and EPA on treatments such as Exzolt, and other pest issues affecting Texas agriculture. He also noted research into fly bait and private-sector efforts to speed sterile fly production. Texas Animal Health Commission officials described extensive state preparedness work, including weekly coordination calls, field response trainings, outreach to producers and veterinarians, and a Texas Screwworm Response Team. They said Texas has trained more than 100 inspectors and other personnel, with additional trainings planned, and that the state is expanding its cattle fever tick rider program. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing; the main action was the exchange of testimony and questions about readiness, surveillance, and facility timelines.