Transcript Highlights:

• In my current role as commissioner of DCI, I oversee our statewide investigative agency, which conducts
• In my current role as commissioner of DCI, I oversee our statewide investigative agency, which conducts
• > extraction, conducts the secure extraction, conducts the secure extraction, analysts,<00:13:
• <00:15:24.160> advanced<00:15:24.560> mobile encryption and conduct advanced mobile
• encryption and conduct advanced mobile device<00:15:25.279> examinations.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:10 Office of the Attorney General 00:00:58 Office of Homeland Security 00:17:39, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government heard presentations on several Attorney General and Homeland Security budget items. Amy Burke of the Department of Child Support Services said the program inherited a structural shortfall of more than $13 million after the transition from CHFS, including about $14 million in federal child support incentive funds that had been used to cover core operating costs and county attorney contracts. She explained that federal law requires incentive funds to supplement, not supplant, baseline services, and said the Attorney General’s budget request seeks general fund support to replace that gap and help balance the program going forward. Members asked for clarification on the misuse of the funds, the size of the shortfall, and whether the requested money would be unrestricted; staff said the intent is to use it as a contract offset for core services. Commissioner Rich Ferretti then presented the Department of Criminal Investigations’ request for additional staffing and a Western Kentucky Digital Forensics Lab. He said DCI wants one additional special victims unit investigator and one digital forensic examiner to handle increasingly digital cases involving child exploitation, sexual assault, human trafficking, and technology-facilitated abuse. He also described plans for a lab in Mayfield, co-located with the new Mayfield Police Department facility, to reduce travel time, speed forensic processing, and improve access for rural communities. Committee members responded positively and asked no substantive questions. Finally, the Office of Homeland Security outlined Kentucky’s Next Generation 911 project. Officials said the current 911 system was built for landlines, while most calls now come from mobile devices, and the upgrade will add precise location routing plus text, photo, and video capability. Shelley Clark described the funding model, including wireless subscriber fees and a dedicated tech fund, and reviewed progress on mapping, vendor selection, and migration to the new platform, with completion expected by July 2027. Members asked about local maintenance costs and the impact on rural areas; officials said maintenance is local but supported in part by collected funds, and implementation will not be delayed for rural localities. The meeting concluded with no votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll follow procedural rules and conduct ourselves in an orderly manner.
• We're going to need to conduct ourselves appropriately.
• We'll follow procedural rules and conduct ourselves in an orderly manner.
• We'll follow procedural rules and conduct ourselves in an orderly manner.
• /c><00:04:21.359> ourselves procedural rules and conduct ourselves procedural rules and conduct

Bills: HB87, HB96, HB28, HB87, HB96, HB28

Keywords: HB87, Marengo County, coroner, deputy coroner, county commission, expense allowance, mileage allowance, travel reimbursement, local act, local legislation, county general fund, public official compensation, county office, Section 45-46-60, Alabama Code, salary increase, allowance increase, National Signing Day, athletic scholarships, military enlistment

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Do you have any thoughts on how DHS is conducting its fraud investigations?
• So, how they are conducting their fraud investigations, I can't answer that for you.
• conducting its fraud investigations? conducting its fraud investigations?
• So, how they are conducting<00:14:14.800> their<00:14:15.040> fraud<00:14:16.000> uh
• conducting their fraud uh conducting their fraud uh investigations,<00:14:17.360> I<00:14

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Republican legislative leaders in Minnesota held a budget-focused press availability after the November forecast, thanking Minnesota Management and Budget staff while arguing the updated numbers show a much worse deficit outlook than expected. They said the state faces a structural spending problem, cited projected gaps in the 2028-29 biennium and over the four-year outlook, and blamed recent deficits on higher spending, tax increases, mandates, and what they described as fraud in state programs. They also criticized Governor Walz for focusing on federal issues and for not doing enough to control spending or address fraud. Speaker Lisa Demuth, House Republican Leader Harry Niska, and Senate Finance lead Eric Pratt all said the forecast underscores the need for spending restraint, pro-growth policies, and stronger fraud prevention. They pointed to health care, long-term care, Medicaid-related programs, and local government mandates as major cost drivers, and said the legislature should examine those areas in the upcoming session. Demuth said the state should not ignore fraud and noted that the legislature had added staff to the Office of the Legislative Auditor and whistleblower protections, but had not passed an independent inspector general office. A substantial portion of the exchange centered on fraud investigations and comments by President Trump about Somali Minnesotans. The Republican leaders said they disagreed with condemning any community as a whole, but also said they shared frustration over fraud and corruption and wanted accountability for those responsible. They said the state’s fraud problem is not about any one community, but about failures in administration and oversight. The lawmakers said they would return to session on February 17 and continue working on budget and fraud-related issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• look at what's going on with the the marketplace UPS in the time period since those changes, we've conducted
• Market conduct exams are extensive and require a lot of time and work there 6 months to a year that are
• I have a question last year the legislature was made aware of a survey that was conducted by the Oir
• And the percentage that was being sent to MTA's managing general agents, we still conduct or you is the
• The Corporation oversees the businesses with regard to solvency and market conduct again to ensure that

Transcript Highlights:

• We are conducting our FAA 5010 inspections, as well as doing specialized training courses for aviators
• We also have a team that conducts inspections and investigations and works towards compliance with not
• We have a contract with their Center of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety, which conducts outreach across
• We also conduct fitting stations; we had 60 of those across the state, where we checked 274 seats.
• We also provide training and certification for child protection services for the installers who conduct

Transcript Highlights:

• By conducting this thousands of times, we hope to create an experimentally driven computational model
• Awareness training, then we do the validation by conducting penetration testing.
• We conduct compliance reviews.
• We conduct threat analysis. We also touched on this this morning.
• They came in and conducted a program review; this is FEMA and CISA.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's even a code of conduct that is not being released at this time, which to me from that day we're
• I would ask that you consider conducting an interim study that actually examines the information now
• In most cases, the data and the reports are used to evaluate the conduct of entire units and the larger
• force or conduct by sector.
• For example, we have Officer Taylor in the city of Austin who was just convicted of deadly conduct for

Bills: SB 15

Keywords: law enforcement, department file, employee records, misconduct, confidentiality, Texas occupations code

Transcript Highlights:

• However, someone could conduct a practice non-medically necessary pelvic exam while you are under for
• That is because in Minnesota there is no law for the students or physicians to lean on if asked to conduct
• However, someone could conduct<00:04:50.560> a<00:04:50.880> practice<00:04:51.600>
• non-medically conduct a practice non-medically conduct a practice non-medically necessary<00:04:52.960
• <00:05:15.360> these lean on if asked to conduct these lean on if asked to conduct these educational

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• primary and secondary schools and the appointment of a telehealth service program task force. to conduct
• Relating to a prohibition or conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility refer
• Davis at Dallas are relating to the suspension of the public public school student for engaging in conduct
• The award of good conduct of certain inmates who referred the committee on corrections HB 2941 by Meza
• HDR 140 by whole proposing amendment regarding the membership of the State Commission on Judiciary conduct

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• With us today, we are actually going to hear from iLab, which has conducted a study on the performance
• Which has conducted a study on the performance, and they have brought forward some recommendations and
• We conducted this assessment over the period of time.
• We conducted the assessment over the last six months working directly with APD and providers.
• We also conducted interviews with providers as well as We also conducted interviews with providers as

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• To better understand emerging impacts on our local child care system, Think Small recently conducted
• The next one, assault, disorderly conduct, and driving under the influence. And the last one, Mr.
• conduct, and obstructing police. police. police.
• >> This This individual is conduct >> This This individual is conduct convicted convicted
• > driving<00:43:03.400> under disorderly conduct, and driving under disorderly conduct,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the study was conducted by the Kentucky Transportation Center, which is a neutral third party
• <00:48:33.680> uh<00:48:33.839> by And so the study was uh conducted uh by And so the
• study was uh conducted uh by the<00:48:34.319> Kentucky<00:48:34.720> Transportation<00
• Another mission set that we conduct are Bambi bucket operations that you can see at the 6:00 position
• part-time personnel that conduct part-time personnel that conduct operations<01:14:52.239> in

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met on November 4, 2025, approved the prior minutes without objection, and then heard a presentation from Amazon on its Kentucky aviation and logistics operations. Amazon described its statewide footprint, including its Boone County air hub at KCVG, its investment of more than $60 billion in Kentucky since 2010, about 20,000 jobs in the state, and its use of Amazon Air as a middle-mile network supported by third-party carriers. The company also highlighted small-business support, community relief efforts, and workforce development through Career Choice, including partnerships with Kentucky schools and aviation maintenance training. Members asked about Amazon’s most in-demand workforce needs, future operational challenges, and whether autonomous vehicles are used on the KCVG ramp. Amazon said it would follow up on workforce-demand details, identified customer-driven innovation and culture as ongoing challenges, and said autonomous vehicles are in testing but are not part of regular KCVG operations. Amazon also emphasized sustainability efforts, including alternative aviation fuel, and said it wants to work with the legislature to expand AAF production and supply in Kentucky. The task force then heard from Secretary Jeff Noel of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development and Matt Wingate on the state’s aviation economic development strategy. They said aviation and aerospace are central to Kentucky’s logistics and economic-development goals, with aerospace identified as the state’s top export and air cargo as a major strength. They discussed outreach to general aviation airports, support for local grant matching, airport funding projects, workforce and education partnerships, and efforts to market Kentucky at aviation trade shows such as Paris Air Show and MRO America. No formal votes or other actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• or knowing or intentional conduct or knowing or intentional<04:07:00.920> conduct<04:07:01.279
• > is<04:07:01.840> commonly intentional conduct is commonly intentional conduct is commonly
• Sexual conduct is the obscenity standard that is used throughout the case law.
• It should be sexual conduct.
• It should be sexual conduct.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 763, an early bill concerning AED access at athletic events and venues. Representative Morris offered amendment 0743H to clarify the bill by removing charter schools from the language and tying AED placement to American Heart Association guidance, emphasizing that AEDs should be readily accessible within a reasonable walking distance rather than mandated on every field. The amendment and then the bill as amended both passed 17-0, and the bill was reported out as Ought to Pass with Amendment. The committee then considered House Bill 781, requiring school districts to adopt cell phone-free education policies, and a related bill, House Bill 131. HB 781 was amended to include charter public school boards, cover other personal electronic communication devices, require at minimum restrictions on student personal cell phones during class instruction, allow superintendent-approved exceptions for medical or language needs, protect students with medical needs or disabilities under Section 504, and set an effective date of July 1, 2025. Some members argued the amendment was too prescriptive and limited local control, while supporters said it still left districts flexibility outside classroom instruction. The amendment passed 16-1, and the bill then passed Ought to Pass as Amended 16-1. HB 131, described as a mirror bill, was then retained by a 17-0 vote. House Bill 398, a title bill requiring Holocaust and genocide studies to include impacts on people with disabilities, was moved to ITL after Representative Selig reported the genocide commission believed the topic was already being covered. That motion passed 17-0. The committee also agreed to hold several bills for later consideration, including HB 754, HB 1221, HB 360, and HB 699, citing the need for more review or missing copies. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 361, prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools. Supporters argued the bill would preserve individual choice while preventing statewide or districtwide mandates in future public health emergencies, and cited a Department of Health and Human Services letter saying masks remain effective but decisions should be based on individual choice and risk assessment. Opponents emphasized local control and the need for districts to respond to different public health conditions. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 361 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• of hearing as much as possible from the public within the limits of our time, we will not permit conduct
• that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of legislative proceedings.
• No engaging in conduct that disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of this hearing

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Local Government Committee met with an author present and began hearing bills before a quorum was established, emphasizing rules for orderly testimony and public comment. The committee first heard SB 1005, which would authorize local governments to adopt rounding to the nearest five cents for cash transactions if pennies are unavailable, in response to a federal penny phase-out. The author and supporters from county treasurers, cities, special districts, counties, and the League of California Cities argued the bill would provide legal clarity and reduce costs; there was no opposition. The committee then heard SB 1036, which would require local jurisdictions to credit prior site uses under the Mitigation Fee Act when redevelopment or adaptive reuse projects occur on sites with similar previous uses. The author and supporters from Spur, the California Association of Realtors, AARP, the California Building Industry Association, and others said the bill would prevent duplicative fees and better align charges with new project impacts; no opposition was presented. The committee also took up a consent calendar including SB 935, SB 1080, SB 1126, SB 1440, SB 1441, SB 1442, and SJR 11, all of which were approved. SB 1005 and SB 1036 were each moved out of committee, and the consent items were also approved, with the roll repeatedly left open for additional members to add on. The hearing concluded after the measures were reported out with unanimous or near-unanimous support as recorded during the add-on votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• us the history on, um, so page 14, lines 6 and 7, it talks about the act if the actual cost of conducting
• 00:02:02.719> of about the act if the actual cost of about the act if the actual cost of conducting
• > the<00:02:03.600> recount<00:02:04.000> exceeds<00:02:04.560> $5,000 conducting
• the recount exceeds $5,000 conducting the recount exceeds $5,000 just<00:02:06.159> the<00:02

Bills: HB0111, HB0112, HB0122

Keywords: capital construction, state funding, Wyoming, major maintenance, community colleges, task force, legislative services, budget appropriation, unexpended funds, sunset clause, healthcare, rural health, transformation program, funding, incentives, training, access, perpetuity fund, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are on tab 8, SB 1750 on criminal sexual conduct by Senator Martin.
• It will be the law enforcement agency themselves... ...that conduct an investigation based on what they
• woman is stopped by a law enforcement officer and alleges inappropriate contact or inappropriate conduct
• , and the employee is... ...findings where an inquiry or an investigation has been conducted and the
• if you're fortunate enough to draft a bill, work on it, get it on the agenda, staff then goes and conducts

Bills: S0600, S0760, S1012, S1326, S1488, S1536, S1544, S1750

Keywords: bail bonds, pretrial release, forfeiture, criminal justice, Florida statutes, bond conditions, surety, violations of release conditions, violent crimes, victim safety, public safety, warrantless arrest, probable cause, pretrial detention, first appearance hearing, law enforcement immunity, domestic violence, stalking, battery, aggravated assault

Summary: The committee took up several criminal justice bills, beginning with SB 760 on violations of pretrial release conditions. A strike-all amendment narrowed the bill to make willful violation of a no-contact order a first-degree misdemeanor, authorize warrantless arrest on probable cause, and require detention until first appearance in certain cases. The amendment and the bill, as amended, were both adopted and reported favorably. The committee then heard SB 1536 on digital voyeurism, which would extend the expectation of privacy to backyards in the surveillance statute; it was reported favorably after brief questions and support from a Florida Smart Justice Alliance witness. Members next considered SB 1012 on inmate services. The bill would expand use of contractor-operated institutions inmate welfare trust funds for reintegration and facility upgrades, and would require reimbursement for inmate emergency and specialty medical services at Medicaid rates, with telehealth and autonomous APRNs included as options. Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida opposed the bill as written, warning that tying Medicaid participation to treatment of inmates could reduce reimbursement and discourage provider participation, while the Department of Corrections and Florida Smart Justice Alliance supported it. Senators discussed costs, aging inmates, and possible future changes, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed CS for SB 600 on bail bond and pretrial release laws after adopting a strike-all that aligned it with the House companion and made technical changes to solicitation, training, and bond reinstatement rules. Public testimony raised concerns about who should receive returned bond money and how clerks would process payments, but the sponsor said the bill would continue to be refined. Later, the committee reconsidered and favorably reported SB 1750 on criminal sexual conduct, which increases penalties and mandatory minimums for serious sex crimes, especially those involving children. It also reconsidered and favorably reported SB 1544 on complaints against law enforcement and correctional officers, a bill requiring complainants to provide sworn complaints to officers before interrogation unless corroborating evidence is present; police chiefs and sexual violence advocates opposed parts of the bill, while supporters argued it would protect officers from unfounded complaints. Finally, SB 1488 on booking officer duties regarding minor children of arrested persons was reported favorably, and SB 1326 on prosecution of defamation was taken up for reconsideration with a delete-all amendment that narrowed the insanity defense, limited mitigation for severe mental illness in serious cases, and extended detention periods for incompetent defendants; opposition testimony from defense, public defender, and mental health advocates warned it would worsen treatment and increase costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so the team will absolutely look at ways in which we may be able to conduct explorations of value
• We'll absolutely look at ways in which we may be able to conduct explorations of value engineering and
• We are conducting some additional drilling because we already have some, but we'd like to understand
• And so what we'll see... ...as they conduct their foundational work.
• To conduct their final design work on these deep foundations that we have at this site.

Summary: The Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee met for a work session and public hearing on the Interstate 5 bridge replacement program. Program staff outlined major milestones, including the recent biological opinion, the Coast Guard’s opening of a public comment period on the Navigation Impact Report, expected decisions in early 2026 on navigational clearance and the final supplemental environmental impact statement, and a possible amended record of decision in 2026. They also discussed the Bridge Investment Program grant amendment deadline, the need for an initial finance plan, and ongoing community outreach and contractor engagement. Greg Johnson announced he was stepping down as program administrator, and Carly Francis introduced herself as interim administrator. A large portion of the meeting focused on design and cost questions. Staff said the program is studying fixed and movable spans, single- and double-deck configurations, and one versus two auxiliary lanes, with final recommendations to be made through the federal environmental process. They said the Coast Guard’s decision is central to what bridge configuration is permittable and to the timing of the updated cost estimate, which has not yet been released. Members pressed for more detail on cost drivers, potential impacts to businesses upriver, and whether the states would need to seek additional funding. Staff said they had reached agreements with four impacted river users, but the underlying evaluation materials are protected and not publicly releasable. The committee also reviewed transit-related questions. Staff explained that light rail remains part of the modified locally preferred alternative and that ridership and operations estimates are being updated using federal modeling methods. They said projected opening-day transit operations and maintenance costs have dropped from an earlier estimate of $21.8 million to about $10.3 million annually because the current model assumes lower frequency, with Oregon and Washington shares split by geography and fare recovery. Members raised concerns about TriMet’s financial stability and the need for a funding plan by fall 2027, ahead of a planned federal transit funding application in fall 2028. During public testimony, several speakers criticized the delay in releasing a new cost estimate and argued the project scope should be reduced if costs continue to rise. Testifiers from City Observatory and the Just Crossing Alliance said the project appears to be avoiding bad news, urged the committee to consider scope reductions, and questioned whether the active transportation and freeway components align with the project’s core purpose. The meeting ended with thanks to Johnson for his service and a transition to public hearing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm going to start by kind of building the context for the research that we conducted at the Brennan
• So I'm going to start by kind of building the context for the research that we conducted at the Brennan
• That was not one that I conducted, but one that we read and we rely on.
• So we conducted a specifically different study, this one, to focus on tribal lands.
• do that is by working and partnering with tribal communities and tribal leaders to ask voters, to conduct

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, I know it's early in the morning, but I want to be clear on what kind of conduct that we're talking
• <00:03:01.680> that<00:03:01.920> we're on what kind of conduct that we're on what
• kind of conduct that we're talking<00:03:02.400> about<00:03:02.640> here.
• This criminal conduct<00:03:19.920> is<00:03:20.239> some<00:03:20.480> of<00:03
• is some of the most uh horrific conduct is some of the most uh horrific imaginable,<00:03:23.120>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:30 Office of the Attorney General 00:01:50 Kentucky River Authority 00:12:50, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government met without a quorum at first, then heard an update on child exploitation enforcement efforts from the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Criminal Investigations. The presenters described the specialized investigation and prosecution unit funded in House Bill 6, saying the added resources allowed them to hire four staff members and expand work on cyber tips, search warrants, arrests, forensic processing, victim advocacy, and training for local law enforcement. They highlighted a recent rescue of a 5-year-old victim from a Discord-related case and said the office had also filed a civil lawsuit against Roblox, alleging the platform lacked adequate age verification and allowed predators access to children. Senators asked about the lawsuit, and the presenters said Kentucky was one of only two states to sue Roblox and that the complaint was based on evidence collected by the office. The committee then received an update from the Kentucky River Authority on lock and dam repairs funded in the 2024-2026 budget. The authority reported progress on three capital projects: upper guide repairs at Locks 2 and 3, design and repair work at Dam 7, and design work to reopen Lock 5 for navigation. Officials explained that river construction is limited by flooding and fish-spawn restrictions, and they described the engineering and safety issues involved in replacing guide walls and repairing Dam 7’s spillway. They also said the authority had demolished three obsolete lockmaster houses and filled a fifth lockmaster position, while continuing to work on pay retention for those employees. Members asked about the transfer of the lock and dam properties from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the permitting process through the Division of Water, and the timeline for reopening navigation. The authority said the Corps had transferred the properties to Kentucky, that permits for river work are handled through the Division of Water and the Army Corps, and that Locks 1 through 4 are open seasonally from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October. Officials said Lock 5 would add 14 miles of navigation if reopened, but that it would still take a few more years before that project is complete.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so under preventing initiation, we're conducting health education.
• We are partnering with the University of New Mexico to conduct surveys and focus groups around youth
• They conduct our program's evaluation, assist with data analysis, and continuous quality improvement
• efforts, as well as adult surveys like the tobacco evaluation survey among adults that they conduct.
• We currently conduct school board presentations and outreach through the Rescue Agency, the Evolvement