Transcript Highlights:

• Senator<00:05:18.960> Pratt. Senator Pratt. Senator Pratt. I. I. I.
• Senator<00:09:12.840> Pratt. Senator Pratt. Senator Pratt.
• you Senator Pha. you Senator Pha.
• Senator<00:59:15.560> Pratt. Senator Pratt. Senator Pratt.
• <01:12:16.080> Senator >> Madam Chair, Senator Draheim, Senator >> Madam Chair, Senator

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Senator<00:15:32.639> Long. >> Senator Long. >> Senator Long.
• <01:09:35.120> Senator, know that. Senator, know that.
• >> Senator Bzo. >> Senator Bzo.
• Thank you, Senator Avar. >> Okay. Thank you, Senator Avar.
• . rules. rules.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Altschiller. some of the rule making is just overhead some of the rule making is just overhead
• Senator<00:38:33.599> Alula. Senator Alula. Senator Alula.
• Senator Re. testimony. Any questions? Senator Re.
• Did you have a question, Senator? Senator? Senator?
• Thank you, senators. senators. senators.

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Transcript Highlights:

• >> Will the Senate please come to order?
• committed to Senate Finance.
• committed to Senate finance. committed to Senate finance.
• >> Senator from Rutland. >> Senator from Rutland.
• >> Senator from Windham. >> Senator from Windham.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I impose a call of the Senate. >> The Senate is under call.
• The following members intend to vote from a remote location under rule 40.7: Senator Carlson, Fate, Pappas
• Senator Dames, Senator providing.
• Senator Fattah votes I. >> Senator Fattah votes I. >> Senator Pappas votes I. >> Senator Pappas votes
• Senate file 3622, Senator Kroon. Senate file 3622, Senator Kroon.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened under call, established a quorum, and heard a prayer and pledge. The main legislative business was House amendments to Senate File 2511, the liquor bill authorizing various municipalities to issue liquor licenses. Senators described it as a bipartisan “one-off” liquor bill with local provisions, including a St. Louis Park food hall license, Minneapolis food hall licenses, a Rochester Chateau Theater provision, expanded University of Minnesota liquor licensing flexibility, Brainerd’s Northern Pacific Center license, seasonal resort licensing, and a care-facility “granny happy hour” provision. Senator Wesenberg asked about a proposed 17-year-old server provision, and Senator Klein said it had been dropped and was never part of the Senate language. The Senate concurred in the House amendments to SF 2511, advanced it to third reading, and passed it on final passage by a vote of 56 ayes to 10 nays. The chamber also adopted committee reports, took up a confirmation calendar item, and unanimously confirmed Joseph Sullivan to another six-year term on the Public Utilities Commission after Senator Frentz reported unanimous committee support and cited broad stakeholder backing. On special orders, the Senate passed House File 3741, which modernizes educational assistance for children and spouses of prisoners of war and deceased veterans by moving coverage under the Minnesota GI Bill and increasing the benefit to $750; it passed 66-0. The Senate also passed Senate File 3622, a 97-page technical and conforming update to the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act. Senator Kroon highlighted changes for small common-interest communities, insurance responsibility in mixed-use buildings, buyer disclosure, court-rule alignment, and lien priority definitions. An A2 amendment delayed the effective date of a separate 308C cooperative housing rewrite for one year to allow more consumer-protection work; after discussion involving Senators Kroon, Dibble, and Westrom, the amendment was adopted, and SF 3622 then passed 67-0. The Senate later adjourned until the following Wednesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate File 4464. Senate File 4464.
• Um Senator Hal, we Well done, Senator.
• Chair, Senator Pappas, Senator Mr.
• <01:29:03.160> Senator Johnson. Senator Sieberger. Senator Johnson. Senator Sieberger.
• > Sieberger Senator Rasmusson and Senator Sieberger Senator Rasmusson and Senator Sieberger that<

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement met on April 14, 2026, adopted the April 7 minutes, and then took up Senate File 4464, which the chair said would be laid over after hearing testimony. The bill would restore continued health insurance coverage for police officers and firefighters in the PERA Police and Fire Fund who suffer documented physical duty-related injuries, addressing the current 5-year cap and the loss of coverage at normal retirement eligibility. Senator Hal Hoffman and Senator Hoffman’s testimony emphasized that the bill is a narrow fix for injured public safety workers and not a broader restructuring of retirement benefits. Supporters, including Mike Ladue of Law Enforcement Labor Services, several injured officers, Sheriff Ryan Kruger, and Amber Waldner, described the personal and family impacts of severe line-of-duty injuries and argued that coverage should continue to age 65 so families are not left with uncertainty if injuries worsen or force medical retirement. They said the bill would honor the promise made to public safety workers and provide stability for long-term care needs. One witness, Officer Albert, said the 2025 changes significantly reduced the protection he believed he and his family would have if his injury forced retirement. Anne Finn of the League of Minnesota Cities opposed the bill as drafted, warning that restoring coverage to age 65 for all physical injuries would be fiscally unsustainable without additional state funding. She said the 2025 pension changes were part of a negotiated package, noted that duty disability retirements are common, and argued the employer cost could reach about $500,000 per employee and create significant property tax pressure, especially for smaller communities. She urged the committee to work on a broader solution and said revisiting only one part of the 2025 law would create imbalance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Eagler. Um Thank you. Senator Eagler.
• > that<00:33:53.120> Senate Senator Kupec's motion um that Senate Senator Kupec's motion
• Senator<01:36:16.960> Uecker. Senator Uecker. Senator Uecker.
• Senator Uecker. Um, and um helpful. Senator Uecker.
• Senator<01:46:15.400> Mann. Senator Mann. Senator Mann.

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Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Ihara is excused. Senator Moriwaki: Aye. Senator Fevella: Aye.
• Thank you, Senator.
• Senator Moriwaki. is excused. Senator Moriwaki.
• Senator Favela. Aye. Chair, your >> Aye. Senator Favela. Aye.
• Senator Moriwaki. Hi any questions? Senator Moriwaki.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard and acted on several gubernatorial nominations to the Hawaii Workforce Development Council and one nomination to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board. For GM 779, Mark Fong Su Wat said he would bring his experience as an electrician and labor community member to workforce development, and he committed to serving if confirmed. Testimony was unanimously supportive, with 10 in support and none opposed, and the committee voted to recommend advise and consent; the recommendation was adopted. For GM 792, Sheryl Cross sought a second term on the Workforce Development Council and described her work on employer engagement, military veteran affairs, and military spouse employment. In response to questions, she emphasized the need to better connect military spouses, underrepresented workers, and students pursuing trades or non-college pathways to jobs, including through school academies and online hiring initiatives. The item was held for later decision-making. For GM 793, Ashley Lohua, also nominated to the Workforce Development Council, said her focus would be helping people stay in Hawaii by improving job retention, listening to community concerns, and building pathways between sectors. Support testimony highlighted her work with marginalized communities and her empathy and leadership. She told the committee she would use her nonprofit and HR experience to help address vacancies and workforce barriers; the item was also held for later decision-making. For GM 774, Douglas Thomas Moore, nominated to the Labor and Industrial Relations Appeals Board, said his first priority would be reducing the backlog. He proposed using informal conferences and mediation to speed workers’ compensation appeals and suggested recruiting more practitioners, especially younger ones, into the field. The committee noted 11 supportive testimonies and no opposition; no vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• making won't be until the end of calendar and also when we receive quorum, which is just one other senator
• consent noting the presence of you, and consent noting the presence of you, myself,<00:32:35.679> Senator
• <00:32:36.960> All myself, Senator Kuha and Favlla. All myself, Senator Kuha and Favlla.
• 44.559> there<00:32:44.720> any<00:32:45.039> All<00:32:45.279> others Senator
• Are there any All others Senator Kuha. Are there any All others being<00:32:45.840> excused?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Health and Human Services Committee heard a series of gubernatorial nominations, primarily to the State Rehabilitation Council, the Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs (PABEA), the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, and the Center for Nursing Advisory Board. Nominees included Patrick Gartside, Judith Daniels, James Montgomery (not present), Christine Park, Tammy Napoleon, Scott Spelina, Roy Katsuda, and Dr. Sylvia Rom. Each nominee described their background and why they wanted to serve, with recurring themes of disability advocacy, vocational rehabilitation, nursing workforce development, elder issues, and LGBTQ+ health and community support. Department of Human Services and Executive Office on Aging representatives generally testified in strong support of the nominees and emphasized their qualifications and relevance to the boards’ missions. Members and agency witnesses also discussed substantive policy issues during the nominations. For PABEA nominee Scott Spelina, the committee asked about a bill involving strict liability and elder abuse-related criminal penalties; Spelina supported the approach, saying it would be easier to enforce and better protect seniors. For other nominees, testimony highlighted the need for stronger rehabilitation services, qualified vocational rehabilitation counselors, adult education partnerships, and nursing recruitment and retention, especially on Kauaʻi. Dr. Sylvia Rom’s nomination drew broad support from commission members and community supporters, with testimony focusing on LGBTQ+ health, gender-expansive youth, and intersectional advocacy. No final votes were taken during the hearing. The chair repeatedly stated that decision-making would be deferred until later in the calendar, and in some cases until the nominee was present or quorum was available. One nomination, James Montgomery, was skipped because he was not present on Zoom, and Kevin Nakamura’s nomination was also deferred to a later date. The committee accepted written and oral testimony and generally moved through the nominations without questions from members.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Her: Um, we can by rule.
• Senator Duckworth. Oh, uh Senator Okay. Senator Duckworth.
• Where, Senator Pappas, instead of doing these rules, why aren't we looking at the source of those impediments
• Uh Senator Senator the Senate file.
• Senator Kupec moved that Senate Okay.

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Transcript Highlights:

• Today, we're going to hear two bills, Senator Kupec's Senate File 5025 and Senator Sieberger's Senate
• Senator Rarick. Senator Rarick.
• Senator Senator Senator Representative<00:57:43.600> Senator<00:57:43.880> Murrow<00:57
• Senator<01:04:20.040> Eric. Senator Eric. Senator Eric.
• Uh Senator McQuade, then Senator Lang. Uh Senator McQuade, then Senator Lang.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Weber, Senate File 4938. Thank you so much.
• And Senator<00:06:42.800> Miller. Senator Miller. Senator Miller.
• uh, Senator Pappas. Go ahead. uh, Senator Pappas. Go ahead.
• Senate<00:11:47.080> file Senator Pappas, you have Senate file Senator Pappas, you have
• Senator Rasmusson. Senator Rasmusson.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• any other Senator Dibble? any other Senator Dibble?
• beginning with with Senator beginning with with Senator Senator<00:46:25.440> Dibble.
• Senator Dibble. Senator Dibble.
• Senator Weber. I'm sorry, Senator Nelson first and then Senator Weber. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Senator<01:43:17.160> Weber. Senator Weber. Senator Weber.

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Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Marty, I. Senator Franzen. Senator Pratt, no. Senator Champion, I. Senator Draheim, no.
• Senator Howe. Senator Dziedzic, no. Senator Johnson, no. Senator Mohamed, I. Senator Murphy, I.
• Senator Pappas, I. Senator Wiklund. Senator Franzen. Senator Howe. Senator Wiklund.
• Senator Pratt and Senator Johnson. Senator Pratt and Senator Johnson.
• I would move that Senate File 3593, as amended, be recommended to pass and sent to the Committee on Rules

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Transcript Highlights:

• Second by Senator Canon. >> Okay. Senator Abbas. >> Okay.
• Um moved by Senator Abbott, seconded by Senator Ganon.
• >> So moved. >> Moved by Senator Opel, seconded by Senator Reen.
• Go ahead, Senator Abvis. Go ahead, Senator Abvis.
• >> Denied<04:16:18.720> Senator. >> Denied Senator. >> Denied Senator.

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Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate committee rules encourages people to talk to us and not read to us because, you know, you
• The Senate committee rules encourages people to talk to us and not read to us because, you know, you
• >> second lang senator. >> second lang senator.
• Senator B. Senator B.
• And I'll take any questions. >> Questions from senators? Senator L.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Senator Berthel, Senator Chairmen, Senator Berthel, Senator Ricardi,<00:23:01.480> and<00:23
• Uh yes, Senator Finn. Uh thank Question. Uh yes, Senator Finn.
• by the Senate President. by the Senate President. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• We have a motion for consent from Senator Fenton, seconded by Senator Murphy.
• Senator Murphy... And that's Senator Fenton. I think you may have it.

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Transcript Highlights:

• on behalf of Senator Rashardi.
• Senator and start working right away.
• And taking it out was Senator<00:09:29.519> Rashardi. Senator Rashardi. Senator Rashardi.
• Thank you, Senator McConkey.
• Thank you, senators.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• then Senator Rosenwald. then Senator Rosenwald.
• Senator<00:54:02.000> Waters. Senator Waters. Senator Waters.
• Senator<01:27:51.520> Waters. Senator Waters. Senator Waters.
• Senate. Senate.
• , and when we compare our rules to the rules of states around us and to the rules that are in place in

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First on our agenda today is Senate File 5060, the governor's supplemental budget proposal.
• Senate File 5060 is laid over. Now I will hand the gavel to Sen. Boldon.
• Senate File 203, the D1 amendment, as Chair Port mentioned.
• Please talk to your legislators and senators and your reps...
• I will talk about that if the Senate, they have to share the money, and I'm...

Keywords: 1187, senate, all