Transcript Highlights:

• to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and spoke with Jason if there was anything we could do to improve
• to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and spoke with Jason if there was anything we could do to improve
• and bridges sponsored by roads and bridges sponsored by representative representative representative
• You know, road naming is an honor to get to honor these folks that have given so much to our state and
• There's always changes coming and new things that need to be improved.

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved prior meeting minutes, and then took up several transportation-related measures. House Bill 664, concerning work zone safety, was amended by the committee to clarify that a peace officer may issue a citation based on images from an automated speed enforcement device. Representative John Blanton said the bill was prompted by the 2019 death of Jared Lee Helton in a work zone and is intended to slow drivers, protect workers, and improve safety. The bill would allow automated devices to transmit speed and rear license plate images to an officer, require active worker presence and warning signage with flashing lights, keep the $500 fine, and direct fines to the work zone safety fund. After questions about whether citations would be mailed and whether a worker must be present, the committee adopted the amendment and reported HB 664 favorably with expressions of opinion that it should pass. House Bill 682, sponsored by Representative Ken Upchurch, was also amended by a committee substitute and reported favorably. The bill gives cable operators and broadband providers the same reimbursement treatment as other public utilities when their facilities must be relocated for construction projects. House Bill 493, sponsored by Representative Steve Pollock, was taken up next and, after a committee substitute was adopted, was reported favorably. Pollock described the bill as a transparency measure for towing and storage, creating a certification process through the Transportation Cabinet, requiring public rate sheets, and setting rates to be reasonable and customary in Kentucky. The substitute removed an initial $1,500 cap, extended notice timing to up to five days in some cases, and clarified fees related to investigations and fatalities. Senators asked about regional differences in towing rates, and Pollock said the cabinet would consider different situations and that posted rates would govern. House Joint Resolution 5, designating honorary road and bridge names, was amended by both a committee substitute and committee amendment and then reported favorably. Representative Josh Branscum said the resolution honors various Kentuckians and is especially in memory of Russell County Deputy Joshua Fipps, who was killed in the line of duty in September 2024. The committee approved the resolution and a title amendment. Later in the meeting, Senator Armstrong asked to be recorded as voting aye on HB 664, HB 682, and HB 493. The committee also received an update from Transportation Cabinet IT Director Heather Stout on the CAVIS system, including improved performance, upcoming integration with KY ELT, centralized lien management, online boat renewals, permanent fleet plates, rolling replating changes, temporary tag printing, insurance modernization, and an electronic sheriff’s inspection system expected to reduce fraud and streamline transfers. No vote was taken on the CAVIS update, and the committee also began consideration of a referred administrative regulation on hazardous materials endorsement requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the road won't be there for the bridge, so there'll be a nice bridge, but there won't be a road to
• </c><00:55:52.599><c> study</c> on the accessibility Improvement study on the accessibility Improvement
• </c> 10-year Transportation Improvement 10-year Transportation Improvement budget<00:57:13.920><c> um
• </c><01:05:58.279><c> Wastewater</c> on our existing hard roads Wastewater on our existing hard roads
• </c> shape the grant is for new improvements shape the grant is for new improvements to<01:37:43.880>

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> could focus on what's the improvements could focus on what's the improvements for<00:22:16.880><
• Um, so these safety improvements are going to help us as a society.
• are the city's roads are so bad.
• </c> whole new set of tires because our roads whole new set of tires because our roads are<01:53:00.159
• </c> are the city's roads are so bad. Yeah. are the city's roads are so bad.

Summary: The joint informational briefing focused on the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s work under the Navah settlement, which was described as a first-of-its-kind climate agreement tied to the state’s constitutional public trust and clean-environment obligations. Speakers said the settlement was intended to accelerate progress toward Hawaii’s 2030 and 2045 clean energy goals, especially by addressing transportation, the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. They emphasized that the agreement formalizes milestones, reduces dependence on changing administrations, and includes a role for the legislature alongside the courts and executive branch. DOT and Earthjustice representatives outlined the main settlement deliverables: creation of a new Office of Energy Security and Community Outreach, formation of a youth council, and development of an emissions reduction plan that will be updated over time. They also highlighted a new project-level greenhouse gas/VMT scoring tool, described as the first of its kind in the nation for DOT-wide use, to evaluate the climate impact of transportation projects. The presentation tied these efforts to prior legislative actions, including the state’s climate emergency declaration, net-zero/net-negative targets, and Act 131’s requirements for multimodal network planning and emissions reporting. A substantial portion of the briefing was devoted to the youth council, which reported 20 members selected from 83 applicants, representation from across the islands, and work on bylaws, committees, and outreach. Youth members described feedback they gave on the energy security plan, a student leadership summit presentation, and future plans to meet with legislators and participate in the Climate Future Forum. DOT also said the settlement’s transportation strategies include clean fuels, electrification, aviation sustainable aviation fuel, marine shore power, and carbon sequestration, including expanded native tree planting and fire mitigation work. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the briefing. Members discussed implementation challenges, including cost and supply constraints for aviation and marine decarbonization, but DOT said industry stakeholders were not rejecting the goals, only raising affordability and timing concerns. Officials also noted that a GIS map for network gaps was in development and that the settlement’s pedestrian, bike, and transit connectivity requirement would compress roughly 15 years of work into five years, with an estimated annual commitment of $40 million to $50 million.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we moved down this little road to May.
• This process of continual improvement and innovation is consistent with our mission.
• But just know, there are a lot of things coming down the road that we're focused on.
• And hopefully improves the trust with clients, partners, and staff.
• So May is kind of the next rock in the road for folks not in King County.

Bills: SB5966

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: healthcare, nutrition, medically tailored meals, dietary support, food security, chronic illness

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, go to page 14, road improvements.
• Overpass and the one above that that said road improvement, we're doing the Senate position because those
• Clarendon Road, Senate position. 0.05, Clarendon Road, third one down. Senate position. O.A., I-70.
• Do you mind, can we go back to Clarendon Road? A little more clarity here. Clarendon Road.
• road.

Committee: House Conference Committee on Budget

Summary: The conference committee spent most of the meeting working through House Bill 2, the education budget, with repeated debate over how to close the remaining gap in the foundation formula. Members discussed fund swaps involving the blind pension fund, capital commission fund, lottery proceeds, state school money, and classroom trust funds, with several senators arguing the committee should fully fund the formula if possible and warning against leaving schools with a shortfall. The committee also reviewed child care subsidies, Parents as Teachers language, school safety and assessment-related items, Title I reallocation language, and a compromise on flexibility percentages for certain education lines. Several members raised concerns about language restricting virtual Parents as Teachers visits and about child care subsidy language tied to enrollment-based payment and prospective payment, while others defended the compromise as a way to balance provider concerns and budget limits. House Bill 3, covering higher education, was also reviewed. The committee largely accepted Senate positions on appropriations, with a compromise on the St. Louis Community College nursing program and a new proposal directing the Department of Higher Education to develop a new funding model by December 1, 2026. That language drew concern from some members, who said the timeline was too aggressive and asked for more flexibility, but supporters said prior work on performance funding justified the deadline. The committee then moved through House Bill 2004, transportation, agreeing to a mix of Senate positions and compromises on items such as safety operations, low-volume roads, port funding, and road improvements, including a larger-than-expected appropriation for Clarendon Road tied to a State Fair relocation plan. House Bill 5, general administration and IT, generated the most controversy over new language directing a plan for state IT modernization and cloud migration; several members objected that it was too prescriptive, resembled a resolution, and could favor a specific vendor, but the chair said the goal was accountability and oversight. The committee left some House Bill 5 items open for further negotiation, then later returned to finalize several dollar amounts and a shorter conference proposal on the IT language. The committee also worked through House Bills 7, 8, and 9, mostly adopting Senate positions with a few compromises. House Bill 7 covered economic development and tourism items, including Main Street, Missouri One Start, broadband, Juneteenth, and the Great American State Fair, with some items set aside for later or moved to other bills. House Bill 8 focused on public safety and veterans’ funding, including school safety apps, fentanyl testing, crime lab workload, DNA testing, veterans’ programs, and Highway Patrol fleet and fuel items; members debated whether to keep fleet and fuel funding separated or rolled together, and several items were set at compromise levels. House Bill 9, covering mental health and corrections, was handled more briefly, with most items following Senate positions and a few compromises, including probation and parole funding and a reduction on one appropriation. The committee then recessed and later resumed with House Bill 2010, beginning work on another budget bill with a mix of Senate, House, and compromise positions on early line items, but the transcript cuts off before that bill is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• a $50 billion federal program designed to provide annual funding over five years through 2030 to improve
• Implementing provider training and remote care technologies to expand access, improve local capacity,
• Through that, we will be building a platform that integrates our siloed data sources to improve rural
• Page 27, line 291, $14 million for improvements to athletic facilities at UNM.
• So a lot of different sources for local roads. Oh, Mr.

Bills: SB193 , SB132 , SB35 , SB145

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• They improve stakeholders as champions.
• </c> 26 on page three under state road 26 on page three under state road construction<01:06:50.640><c
• </c> the state uh transportation improvement the state uh transportation improvement program.
• or</c><01:31:01.280><c> other</c><01:31:01.520><c> road</c> road uh road construction or other road
• road uh road construction or other road projects.<01:31:02.560><c> Um</c><01:31:02.880><c> the</c><01

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• of the back of a truck, so you have 35 feet behind the truck when towing a travel trailer down the road
• rather than relying on measurements that do not reflect how these vehicles actually operate on the road
• This structural design improves stability, reduces sway, and allows for a tighter and more predictable
• allows Washington RV dealers to sell the same fifth-wheel models available elsewhere without changing road
• state in the country not currently measuring or allowing fifth-wheel trailers of this length on the road

Bills: HB2467 , HB2495 , HB2552

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: HB 2467, fifth-wheel travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, travel trailer, RV, recreational vehicle, trailer length, vehicle length limits, oversize vehicle, truck and trailer, tractor-semitrailer, semi-trailer, kingpin, Washington RCW, Department of Transportation, WSDOT, highway safety, commercial trucking, towing, motor home

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 3572 is a timely and thoughtful improvement to the local government code.
• Well, a lot of the improvements in the... One, the cities already have that ability, and so...
• In short, this bill improves. ...improves efficiency and prevents cost-shifting onto residents who do
• not stand to benefit from the improvements.
• and water infrastructure projects, and maintain and improve facilities within its jurisdiction.

Bills: HB407 , HB871 , HB882 , HB2011 , HB3572 , HB3578 , HB4038 , HB4866 , HB4897 , HB4978 , HB5380 , HB5555 , HB5668 , HB5670 , HB5674 , HB5676 , HB5679 , HB5688 , SB673

Committee: House Land & Resource Management

Transcript Highlights:

• We have done some infrastructure improvements in particular.
• And early on, you know, we consider the local government our partner for the road... of coordinating
• on, you know, we considered the local government our partner for the road to recovery because, again
• The one road in, one road out, which is extremely well known in Hawaii, but I'm seeing it pretty much
• The one road in, one road out, which is extremely well known in Hawaii, but I'm seeing it pretty much

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:08.920><c> Insurance</c> recommendations to improve Insurance recommendations to improve Insurance
• </c><00:26:26.120><c> from</c> the that sounds like improvement from the that sounds like improvement
• </c><00:47:03.480><c> it</c> working on it and improving it working on it and improving it drastically
• Reducing the number of uninsured drivers on the road is good for everybody.
• it creates safer roads for for everybody it creates safer roads for all<01:28:55.960><c> drivers</c>

Bills: HF2228 , HF46 , HF856 , HF2149 , HF2215

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> language down the road. language down the road.
• And I live at 178 Pineh Hill Road, Hollis. So Pineh Hill Road being the street.
• And I live at 178 Pineh Hill Road, Hollis. So Pineh Hill Road being the street.
• And I live at 178 Pineh Hill Road, Hollis. So Pineh Hill Road being the street.
• So Pineh Hill Road being Road, Hollis. So Pineh Hill Road being the<01:56:23.920><c> street.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Typically, the road authority is responsible for the installation of the signals and things, and then
• , utility extensions, road extensions, etc., to basically support development.
• </c><01:05:17.960><c> that</c> other infrastructure improvements that other infrastructure improvements
• </c><01:05:20.440><c> the</c> are necessary uh to improve the are necessary uh to improve the transportation
• </c> essentially to um uh the connecting road essentially to um uh the connecting road that<01:05:55.680

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, reducing the number of uninsured drivers on the road is good for all Minnesotans.
• It creates safer roads and fewer tickets for uninsured driving, reduces the burden on police, the court
• Finally, reducing the number of uninsured drivers on the road is good for all Minnesotans.
• It creates safer roads and fewer tickets for uninsured driving, reduces the burden on police, the court
• making this one-time appropriation to the self-sustaining program would not only make Minnesota's roads

Transcript Highlights:

• The program must include proposed road and bridge construction work and other transportation facilities
• The work of the council is intended to identify ways to improve the transportation system and identify
• Ports adopt a harbor improvement plan and, as part of that plan, a freight development plan.
• These projects, the roads I'm talking about, don't meet the strategic corridor requirements.
• They are surface roads in communities. All right, all right. Um, I don't have any further...

Committee: House Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• neighborhoods and helping to improving neighborhoods and helping to improve<00:13:10.000><c> health<
• people driving on local roads.
• </c> experience for example in improving experience for example in improving septic<01:23:20.280><c>
• Class Five roads are better.
• Class Five roads are better.

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> To this day, if there's a vehicle that looks like a police vehicle and I'm on the road, I'm taking
• bridges and roads can prevent accidents and help communities respond to emergencies.
• And everywhere we went, it was water and sewer infrastructure and road infrastructure.
• </c><00:03:31.280><c> public</c> When it comes to improving public When it comes to improving public
• </c> sewer infrastructure and road sewer infrastructure and road infrastructure.<00:04:33.040><c> Um,

Transcript Highlights:

• Bill 2284 is about results and accountability, using the dollars people already pay to get cleaner roads
• WPPA strongly supports improving air quality, and Washington ports have demonstrated leadership.
• Overall, we'd argue that the bill doesn't do a ton to improve air quality and is an end run around to
• Tires on the road, the actual contact and friction between tires and the road, is what is the most significant
• Tires on the road, the actual like contact and friction between tires and the road is what is the most

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three main bills. House Bill 2284 on reducing litter would remove a scheduled increase in plastic bag thickness, preserve the existing penalty on thicker bags, and create a litter solutions task force to use existing data and recommend further actions. Supporters from business, retail, agriculture, food industry, and the Department of Ecology said the bill takes a data-driven approach and could help reduce litter without imposing a full bag ban, while Ecology noted it already has a statewide litter study underway and raised cost and membership concerns. Opponents and other commenters generally favored the bill’s direction but emphasized the need for more study and careful implementation. No vote was taken. House Bill 1652 would require certain ocean-going vessels in Washington waters to use fuel with no more than 0.1% sulfur, with recordkeeping, Ecology oversight, penalties, and a substitute clarifying vessel coverage and exemptions. The prime sponsor and environmental and public health advocates said the bill would reduce air and water pollution from scrubbers and protect the Salish Sea, orcas, salmon, and nearby communities. Ports, shipping interests, and industry groups raised concerns that the bill could effectively discourage scrubbers, create burdens for irregular callers and cargo traffic, and affect port competitiveness, while some said the bill should be narrowed or further stakeholdered. The hearing also included discussion of a proposed substitute and possible impacts on vessels and port operations. House Bill 2367 would end special coal-related exemptions by limiting the cap-and-invest exemption to pre-2026 emissions, removing limits on additional greenhouse gas regulation for the coal plant, and repealing coal sales and use tax exemptions. Supporters said the bill would align state law with the planned closure of the Centralia coal plant, reinforce Washington’s climate policies, and remove outdated carve-outs. Business and petroleum representatives warned that if the plant were brought back into the cap-and-invest program, the allowance market could be affected and Ecology might need flexibility to adjust the program. The committee heard extensive testimony on all three bills but took no recorded votes or final action in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The plans can always be improving.
• </c> The status of improvement was unknown. The status of improvement was unknown.
• And again, we don't care if it's state road, county roads, or private land. We're going to do it.
• Yeah, you mentioned maybe even shutting down some roads or contraflowing some road patterns.
• </c> contraflowing some some road patterns. contraflowing some some road patterns.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Safety held an informational briefing on hazard mitigation planning and recent tsunami and wildfire threats. Chair Dela Buladi opened by framing the meeting around the need for iterative disaster planning and lessons learned from events such as the Lahaina wildfires, the Puna Coast earthquake/tsunami, and recent wildfire activity. The committee heard first from Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Tomage Magno, who explained the federal and local hazard mitigation planning process, including the requirement for an active five-year mitigation plan to qualify for federal disaster funds. He described the plan as a living document built from prior plans, public and agency outreach, risk and capability assessments, and ongoing updates, with county departments, state agencies, and subject matter experts participating in the process. Magno outlined several FEMA-related mitigation funding programs, including flood mitigation assistance, post-fire assistance, pre-disaster mitigation, revolving loan funds, and dam safety grants. He emphasized that the Hawaii County plan was recently approved by FEMA, that the county council approves the plan, and that the county reviews it annually with a formal revision process beginning in the fourth year. Members asked about how the plan tracks project status, how priorities and funding changes are handled, and whether federal funding programs might be affected by HR1; Magno said the county is proceeding on the assumption that funding will remain available and noted some sources have been reestablished. He also said the county encourages council participation in meetings and planning. Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen then addressed the committee on DOT’s response to a recent tsunami threat, saying the agency had about four hours to prepare before the first wave arrival and was focused on its own operational response rather than the broader statewide planning process. In response to questions, he stated that FHWA funds cannot be used for evacuation routes, which is why prior legislative funding was important. Members also discussed specific mitigation projects such as fire breaks, bridge retrofits, and the Singing Bridge, with DOT noting that work is underway and that a replacement bridge upstream is being planned to carry traffic during repairs. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know in the road plan, you know, it may not be apples to apples, but in a road project, sometimes it'll
• take them a year and a half, two years just to get the design finished on a road. >> Right?
• >> So in the road project, sometimes we'll ask for, like Representative Bowling was saying, just give
• back home, it apples, but in in a road back home, it takes<00:20:49.760><c> you</c><00:20:49.840><c>
• ,</c> design finished on a on a road, design finished on a on a road, &gt;&gt; right?

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee heard testimony from the Energy and Environment Cabinet on the state-owned dam repair program and Kentucky’s electric grid resilience program. On dams, Commissioner Tony Hatton explained the legal definition and hazard classifications for Kentucky dams, noting there are 975 regulated dams statewide, including 76 state-owned dams, and that hazard ratings are based on potential loss of life or property damage if a dam fails. He described the cabinet’s screening criteria, including inundation mapping, engineering condition, and compliance status, and said the cabinet uses a design-bid-build procurement process to manage public funds responsibly. Hatton outlined current and planned dam projects funded from the prior biennium, including Willisburg Lake in Washington County, where work will address hydraulic capacity, unstable downstream slopes, and likely require a coffer dam, flood wall, auxiliary spillway, and raw water line replacement. He also said Big Bone Lake State Park Dam will be decommissioned, Clemens Lake Dam at Morehead State University is in design for a major rehabilitation, and additional projects include Marion County Sportsman’s Dam, Chenoa Lake Creek/Canning Creek Dam, and a rehabilitation study for the Mud River at Lake Malone. The cabinet also requested $500,000 for routine repairs and maintenance. Members questioned cost estimates, inflation, and whether it would be better to fund design separately; cabinet officials said estimates are current best engineering estimates, costs have generally stayed within about 10%, and the current funding flow requires all funds to be available before bidding. The committee then received a status update on the electric grid resilience program, a five-year federal formula grant under Section 40101(d) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Officials said Kentucky has received years one through three of funding, which has been allocated to state park facilities and municipal electric utilities, while years four and five have not yet been received and would go to distribution cooperatives and remaining municipal utilities. Projects discussed included upgrades at Ken Lake State Park and Kentucky Dam Village, plus municipal projects in Owensboro, Princeton, Williamstown, and Hopkinsville. The cabinet said the selected projects focus on hardening infrastructure, replacing poles, wires, conductors, and transformers, improving vegetation management, and adding or upgrading outage management systems. Officials reported that all projects are under contract and moving into subcontracting and construction, while the Department of Parks is finalizing an agreement with Western Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative for the park-related work.