Video & Transcript Research : 'small producers'

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FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

House in Session Apr 3rd, 2025

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The bill itself, which is bigger than the small amendment, provides a requirement that anybody out there
  • Not the small business owners in Ocala who rallied behind the tax relief amendments.
Bills: HB 9, HB 22, HB 908, HB 1392
TX

Texas 89th Regular

89th Legislative Session Apr 3rd, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Small businesses, vibrant communities, and deep connections to the community.
  • Whether it's students excelling in our public schools, families opening new small businesses, or neighbors
Bills: HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Revenue and Fiscal Affairs May 11th, 2026

Revenue & Fiscal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • additional piece that it does give the department is some discretion in lowering or waiving fees for a small
  • onerous, there creates a mechanism to be able to have some discretion in that regard to protect our small
  • And we collect a small service fee. It is allowed up to $4.50 in most parishes in the state.
  • Okay, I guess we could take a small break and see if Representative Mina is on his way.
  • We'll take a small break and try to locate these two representatives to see what they want to do with
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee 3/25/26

Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • some small business issues that we have. some small business issues that we have.
  • pressures for these small businesses. pressures for these small businesses.
  • small company. Thank you, Michelle Flor. small company. Thank you, Michelle Flor.
  • small business, you're you're included. small business, you're you're included.
  • give the exemption for small business. give the exemption for small business.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • We produce hygienically clean textiles for reuse in a cleaner, environmentally friendly environment.
  • The definition includes traditional wastewater, recycled or produced water, as well as brine water from
  • If you actually look at some public data from a couple of the top five producers that we have in the
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

ECD Public Hearing - Fri Feb 13, 2026 @ 8:30 AM HST

Economic Development & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • F., how many other companies in Hawaii produce biodiesel?
  • produce ethanol? produce ethanol? >> Uh<00:22:47.039> biodeiesel.
  • <01:20:14.480> in Hawaii and these wonderful producers in Hawaii and these wonderful producers
  • <01:34:21.520> business economy by supporting small business economy by supporting small business
  • This bill helps diversify Hawaii's economy by supporting small business innovation.
Summary: The committee opened with HB 1813 on taxation and HB 2429 on tax expenditure evaluation, taking mostly written testimony and limited oral discussion. On HB 2429, the Tax Foundation and Department of Taxation raised privacy and federal-law concerns, warning that the bill could require taxpayers to file duplicative returns and could risk disclosure of federal tax information if released publicly. Members and witnesses discussed using anonymized or summary reporting instead of individual public release, with the department saying summarized data would be preferable and that the state can ask for the information as a policy matter, but individual public release could create problems. The committee then heard HB 2423 HD1 on biodiesel, where Pacific Biodiesel said it can supply all biodiesel needed for B5 in Hawaii without imports and asked to move the implementation date earlier to November 2027 to allow rollout planning. HB 1996 HB1 on hearing aids drew broad support; a disability access representative said earlier insurance-based efforts had run into administrative problems and that this bill would immediately lower costs for consumers. HB 1851 HD1, also related to hearing aids, received support from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, while the Tax Foundation argued the program would be better funded directly rather than through the tax system, citing overhead costs and blank provisions that should be filled in before passage. On HB 2546, the research activities tax credit, HCDC said the credit supports long-term R&D and should be converted from a first-come, first-served system to proration so more applicants receive some benefit; the agency described the credit as helping companies move from idea to commercialization and noted the state is leaving potential jobs and federal dollars on the table. HB 2028 HD1, relating to Labor Day for construction workers, drew support from labor representatives who said it recognizes construction workers and helps offset cost-of-living pressures, while the Tax Foundation opposed it as an industry-specific subsidy and flagged technical issues with undefined terms and blank credit amounts. The committee also heard HB 2583, HB 2490, HB 2545, HB 2114, and HB 1859 HD1. HB 2490, concerning coastal erosion at Mokuhiki Bay, received strong support from a temple representative who described severe shoreline loss, years of temporary emergency work, and the need for a long-term, nature-based solution in coordination with state agencies. HB 2545, involving HCDC and SBIR commercialization, was supported as a way to turn R&D into economic development; HCDC said it had more applications than it could fund and that the bill could help create high-wage jobs. HB 2114, the Hawaii Benefits Hub, received comments from ETS and DHS emphasizing support for the concept but cautioning that operational, policy, cybersecurity, and data-sharing standards must be carefully aligned. HB 1859 HD1 on workforce development drew strong support from workforce and philanthropic groups, who said Hawaii faces a long-term gap between projected living-wage jobs and the number of young people entering the workforce, and argued the bill would create durable infrastructure for coordination and long-term planning. No formal votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations and Budget Natural Resources Subcommittee Apr 6th, 2026 at 10:30 am

A&B Natural Resources Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Basically, we're trying to set up a revolving fund to help get Local producers to be at their foods to
  • These are very targeted assets that we currently have that are not producing that could be of benefit
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 3/24/25

Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:21:48.760> as of many products that are produced as of many products that are produced
  • <00:23:21.799> a creates more problems for producing a creates more problems for producing
  • <00:26:26.640> healthy and make it Thrive and produce healthy and make it Thrive and produce
  • Us as producers, we put up our fence to keep our animal confined, just like a hog producer, cattle producer
  • other hog producer cattle producer any other hog producer cattle producer any other animal<01
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee 3/23/26

Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Every<00:48:43.680> single<00:48:44.000> small<00:48:44.319> town<00:48:44.480><
  • town in America has a Every single small town in America has a downtown<00:48:46.240> district
  • We have adopted small lot single-family zoning and ordinances to support two-family and medium-density
  • These have resulted in the development of over 200 new small-lot or attached single-family homes over
  • communities like ours uh to be small communities like ours uh to be able<01:18:45.920> to<01:
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Taxes Committee 3/17/26

Taxes

Transcript Highlights:
  • Kingsland is a small district in rural southeast Minnesota.
  • high risk due to being such a small high risk due to being such a small pool.<00:34:10.639> Our
  • So this report is a very small step but a good first step. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
  • So this report is a very small step but a good first step. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
  • So this report is a very small step but a good first step. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/09/2026 - Senate Finance

Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • We don't have to guess if this would help small businesses.
  • And then just the general large-group versus small-group plans: in 2025, employees at small firms faced
  • significantly lower for large group compared to small group.
  • Steve Kaiser with the Arizona Small Business Association, in support of the bill.
  • You would be creating thousands of new small businesses across Arizona by passing this law.
Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to consider several bills and two Arizona State Retirement System nominees. It first passed House Bill 2173, which allows taxpayers and tax officers to communicate electronically about proposed property tax corrections or claims, with an acknowledgement required when responses are sent electronically. The committee then recommended confirmation of Thomas J. Connolly and Charles Essex to the ASRS Board, both receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support after brief introductions and no substantive opposition. The committee next approved several ASRS-related bills: House Bill 2089 clarifies that the ASRS health insurance premium subsidy applies only when coverage is not already subsidized; House Bill 2090 changes the disability definition tied to long-term disability benefits by removing the requirement that the 24 months occur within a five-year period; and House Bill 2092 shifts the 30-day waiver window for certain members age 65 or older from the date of hire to the date they become eligible to participate. All three passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes. The committee also passed House Bill 2120, with a technical amendment, allowing Social Security Administration disability determination letters to be used to certify eligibility for the property tax exemption for persons with disabilities. House Bill 2693 drew the most debate. It revises Arizona’s bona fide association health plan and multiple employer welfare arrangement provisions to align with ERISA rather than the rescinded 2018 federal AHP rule, and an amendment added a feasibility study by the Arizona Department of Administration on state employee and school district health plans. Supporters argued the bill would expand affordable, voluntary coverage options for small businesses and increase buying power; opponents raised concerns about consumer protections, preexisting conditions, and the history of association health plans. The committee ultimately passed the bill as amended on a 5-1 vote. Later, the committee passed House Bill 2138, which clarifies that workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters traveling directly to or from work applies to state, municipal, fire district, and fire authority firefighters. It also passed House Bill 2273, a one-time $300 income tax rebate for certain Pinal County residents funded from remaining escrowed transportation-related monies; members discussed whether the remaining funds should instead be directed to roads, but the bill advanced on a 3-2 vote. Finally, House Bill 2786 passed unanimously, exempting rental income from required college textbooks from transaction privilege tax under the personal property rental classification.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee 3/5/26

Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • actually applies to a relatively small actually applies to a relatively small part<00:15:29.519>
  • <00:21:38.640> parts uh parts of the market, the small parts uh parts of the market, the small
  • I'm a I'm a small employer and I employ I'm a I'm a small employer and I employ people.<00:25:10.000>
  • And um it is a huge strain on small And um it is a huge strain on small businesses<00:25:41.440>
  • ><00:26:14.240> businesses, people cannot afford, small businesses, people cannot afford, small
Bills: HF3388, HF400
Summary: The committee approved the minutes from the prior day and then heard House File 400, a bill described as a defrayal measure for health insurance mandates. Representative Perryman said the bill would not block future mandates, but would require the state to pay the added costs of any new mandated benefits so those costs would not be shifted to premium payers. She and supporters framed the bill as a way to protect affordability for Minnesota employers, workers, and families, especially in the fully insured market. Testimony in support came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Minnesota Council of Health Plans. They argued that Minnesota has a high number of mandated benefits, that each new mandate adds cost to premiums, and that businesses—especially small and midsize employers—are already struggling with rising health insurance costs. The health plans representative said the bill would use the existing Commerce defrayal process to reimburse plans for eligible mandate-related claims, allowing those costs to be removed from premium rates. Several members echoed support, saying the bill would improve transparency by showing the fiscal impact of proposed mandates and help prevent people from being priced out of coverage. Members also explored how mandates apply in the market and how premiums are set. Deputy Commissioner Julia Dryer explained that, unless otherwise specified, mandates generally apply to the individual, small group, and fully insured large group markets, while self-insured ERISA plans and other markets are generally outside that scope. Representative Elkins noted that the affected market is relatively small and said small businesses are increasingly moving to self-insured plans because of cost. He and others raised concerns about affordability, while Representative Smith argued that mandates often ensure needed care and that the bill shifts costs to taxpayers rather than insurers. Representative Bacham added a personal example from tribal self-insurance, saying preventive physicals had saved lives and asking whether other factors besides mandates are driving insurer costs. No amendments were offered, and the bill was laid over for possible future consideration.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

S/C on Workforce Apr 29th, 2025

S/C on Workforce

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, House Bill 875 seeks to provide a reasonable exception to these requirements for truly small...
  • Instead, it simply recognizes us is that these requirements can be unnecessarily burdensome on small
  • towns and a lot of small vendors.
  • And they honestly prevent, like for a small business.
  • I had a woman who worked for a small consulting company that had less than 50 employees, but this was
AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

02/11/2026 - House Appropriations

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • prohibits the use of public monies to pay for genetic sequencing procedures using devices that are produced
  • really curious, and the reason I’m asking some of these questions is because I’ve been part of the small
  • And we have to produce new units that have restricted rents that are going to be affordable to people
  • And this is one small opportunity to fix so many budget wrongs that have occurred over the last four
  • But it's a safe assumption that it's a very small amount. It's a small percentage. Perfect.
Summary: The committee first heard HB 2584, which would prohibit public funds from being used for genetic sequencing equipment made by companies owned or controlled by entities domiciled in a foreign adversary. The sponsor said the bill is intended to prevent sensitive genetic data from being sold or used against the United States. There was little public testimony, and the committee approved the bill on a 13-5 vote for a do pass recommendation. Members then considered HB 2804, a rural development and housing tax credit bill that would let the Department of Housing allocate up to $2 million per year in credits for qualifying rural affordable housing projects, with the program set to expire in 2037. Supporters, including the sponsor, the mayor of Flagstaff, and housing investors and developers, said the credit would leverage federal LIHTC dollars, attract private capital, and help finance affordable housing for seniors, veterans, and low-income residents in rural Arizona. Opponents from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club argued state LIHTC programs are inefficient, costly, and hard to oversee. The committee passed the bill 13-4. The committee also heard HB 2388, as amended, which appropriates $100,000 to the Arizona Commerce Authority to study the economic benefits of small modular reactors and data centers, with a report due by June 30, 2027. Supporters said the study could help Arizona plan for future energy and data-center growth, while opponents argued the agency already has other funding sources and should not receive additional money for the study. The amended bill passed 10-7. After a presentation from Auditor General Lindsay Perry on county treasurer procedural reviews and the Santa Cruz County embezzlement case, the committee approved HB 2352, which provides $2,385,900 in FY 2029 for the Auditor General to continue county treasurer reviews, on an 11-7 vote. The committee then unanimously approved HB 2418, as amended, which directs $600,000 to be evenly distributed among five major incident task force counties and codifies the longstanding distribution practice. Finally, the committee took up HB 2499, the first of two ESA administration bills, which would appropriate $2.6 million and 12 FTEs to the Department of Education for ESA administration and oversight beginning in FY 2027; the bill drew extended debate about ESA growth, accountability, testing, and spending oversight, but the transcript cuts off before the final vote.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Insurance Mar 19th, 2025

Insurance

Transcript Highlights:
  • One is that the small group market is in freefall.
  • Average premiums for small businesses have skyrocketed.
  • Most of your businesses, you know, the small businesses.
  • Most small businesses, they pay about 50% of.
  • I knew the answer to I'm a small business owner. I pay half.
Bills: HB138, HB335, HB388, HB138
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee 3/6/25

Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • I think there's a small typo, but, uh, Representative Mekeland, uh, thank you, Mr. Chair.
  • Representative Egb has the bill, the full bill, but it is also relatively small to allow funding for
  • in one of her first jobs in our small in one of her first jobs in our small town<00:26:57.440>
  • The speaker said NDC also works with incubators and small businesses throughout the state.
  • > business uh small businesses and small business uh small businesses and small business incubators