Transcript Highlights:

• Metropolitan Council. Metropolitan Council.
• Thank you. council. You're not elected. You're council. You're not elected.
• staff, the chair, and the council staff, the chair, and the council members?
• Council into compliance? Council into compliance?
• . council. council.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• safety advisory council. safety advisory council.
• counties to the metropolitan council. counties to the metropolitan council.
• <00:52:14.880> This information to the council. This information to the council.
• current Met Council plan.
• proposed to go to the Met Council BRT. proposed to go to the Met Council BRT.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• advisory committee The Advisory Council advisory committee The Advisory Council and<00:09:11.920
• the behavior analysis advisory Council the behavior analysis advisory Council<00:09:42.959> the
• Cannabis advisory Council Council the Cannabis advisory Council the<00:09:45.600> Cannabis<00
• the community Solutions advisory Council the community Solutions advisory<00:10:21.760> Council
• on 2024; the governor’s Council on inclusion and equity; the governor’s Council on the Martin Luther

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm I'm the CEO of the Wyoming Business Council.
• I’ll defer to either the Business Council or Mr.
• Business Council or is this one that the Business Council recommended as well? >> Mr.
• I'm the CEO of the Wyoming Business Council.
• Because it does affect the business council generally by adding liaisons to the entire council.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Council. I flew here from Mokai because Council.
• This is a with our burial council.
• This is supporting the bar council nominations for the council member who will come up on the next.
• Mahalanui for the this Council.
• area council is kulana I take seriously. area council is kulana I take seriously.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Hawaiian Affairs heard multiple gubernatorial nominations to island burial councils, with testimony focused on the importance of filling vacancies so the councils can reach quorum and fulfill their kuleana to protect iwi kūpuna and burial sites. For GM 674, Kavuna Khalipi was introduced as OHA’s nominee for the Molokaʻi burial council, with OHA, SHPD, and several community members testifying in support and describing her cultural grounding, community service, and experience in mālama ʻāina. Testifiers also stressed that burial councils are essential for protecting ancestral remains and that prolonged vacancies have left sacred sites vulnerable. Khalipi herself said she was honored to serve but expressed concern about accepting the appointment without quorum, saying she did not want to waste a term if the council could not function effectively. The chair explained the Senate advice-and-consent process and the consequences of inaction, and after discussion Khalipi asked to pull her nomination from the committee. The chair then deferred decision-making on GM 674 until April 10 at 1 p.m. to clarify the process and avoid unintended rejection. The committee then heard testimony on GM 676, Dane Maxwell for the Maui and Lānaʻi burial council, GM 677, Noani Parisa, GM 678, Caroline Hartman, and GM 679, Benedict Duman. Supporters, including SHPD and OHA, highlighted each nominee’s cultural knowledge, preservation work, genealogy, and experience with burial or historic preservation matters. Testimony repeatedly linked the nominations to the need for functioning burial councils, especially in light of the 2023 Maui fires and long-standing vacancies. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided; the chair indicated votes would be taken at the end of the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• council to the energy authority. council to the energy authority.
• Council. I I don't see that in there. Council. I I don't see that in there.
• council reorganization. council reorganization.
• business council in the budget bill. business council in the budget bill.
• business council. business council. >> Okay,<02:26:40.240> great.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• John McComas, uh, well he... language access advisory council and we language access advisory council
• So he's sitting on our highest council, the State Health Coordinating Council.
• So he's sitting on our highest council, the State Health Coordinating Council.
• So he's sitting on our highest council, the State Health Coordinating Council.
• Health Coordinating Council.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services met on April 15 to consider several gubernatorial nominations, with the chair reminding the public that written testimony had been reviewed and testimony time would be limited. The first nominee, James Landgraf (GM 528) for the Board of Certification of Public Water System Operators, was supported by the Department of Health and testified that his water-system experience would help ensure certification standards protect safe drinking water, including on Maui and the other islands. Committee members asked about his background and Maui water issues, and the chair later recommended advise and consent. The committee also heard GM 552 for Pina Lemosu to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, but Lemosu was absent due to illness. Daintry Bartoldus of the council testified in strong support, citing Lemosu’s lived experience, critical thinking, and advocacy on disability and employment issues. The committee deferred decision-making on this nomination until the next day. For GM 717, Annabelle Stone for the Language Access Advisory Council, testimony from Waipahu Safe Haven Immigrant Migrant Resource Center and Aloha Care emphasized her interpreter background, bilingual skills, and commitment to equitable access for limited-English-proficient residents. Stone said her public health and community experience would help the council, and the chair recommended advise and consent. The final nomination, GM 782, was John McComas for the Statewide Health Coordinating Council. Supporters including Jack Lewin and Aloha Care highlighted McComas’s long career in health care, including leadership at Aloha Care and work on expanding community health resources. McComas said he wanted to continue contributing to health care access statewide after retirement. The committee took no objections on the nominations it voted on and adopted the chair’s recommendations to advise and consent for GM 528, GM 717, and GM 782, while GM 552 was deferred.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll call this meeting of the Legislative council to order.
• Welcome to Legislative Council, congratulations.
• Um, we've announced legislative council.
• So per Legislative Council Policy 27 Legislative District offices, uh, Legislative Council Service is
• Any other questions or comments from council members?

Transcript Highlights:

• The Council would be administrative... The Council would be administrative.
• I hope that this Council supports that effort and does not create... I hope this Council works.
• that they would be tasked with doing. this new Council.
• The Governor has included funding for this Council in her junior bill monies that, funding for this Council
• With this council, Mr. Chairman, grid reliability. With this council, Mr.

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: During the legislative meeting, House Bill 287 was discussed, which proposes the establishment of a permanent Health and Human Services Committee to oversee the state's $14.4 billion expenditure in this area. An amendment to the bill was adopted, which clarified funding and operational details. Public comments were solicited, but no one spoke in opposition. The committee ultimately voted, with some members expressing concerns about budget implications, but the motion to pass the bill as amended was made and seconded, with several members opposing it. House Bill 371 was also addressed, which focuses on creating an Acequia Infrastructure Fund to support land grant and Acequia communities. The bill aims to provide a financial mechanism for these communities to access funds for infrastructure projects without relying on capital outlay requests. The committee discussed the bill's implications, potential funding sources, and the need for further amendments regarding representation and oversight. A motion to pass the bill was made, with some opposition noted, particularly regarding the lack of specificity in the bill's provisions. Lastly, Senate Bill 143 was presented, which seeks to raise the caps on inspection fees under the Egg Grading Act, among other agricultural regulations. Supportive testimony was provided by representatives from agricultural organizations, emphasizing the need for updated fee structures. The committee engaged in discussions about the bill's implications for consumers and the agricultural sector, ultimately moving towards a vote to pass the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 18 voting members of the New England Council.
• Regional council membership, Mr.
• Regional council membership, Mr.
• One, when does the council take a formal position?
• But when does the council?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Massachusetts sea scallop fishery, especially the economic importance of the industry, federal scallop management, and two policy questions: reopening the Northern Edge area on Georges Bank and allowing permit stacking/permit consolidation. Chairing senators emphasized their interest in hearing both sides, their frustration with federal bureaucracy, and their view that the issue should be guided by science while protecting the long-term resource and local communities. Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council and Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the Magnuson-Stevens framework, annual catch limits, rotational area management, and the role of industry-funded surveys and the research set-aside program. They said scallops remain the most lucrative council-managed commercial fishery on the East Coast, but recent changes include more small scallops, lower biomass in some areas, higher natural mortality, and shifting abundance toward Georges Bank. On the Northern Edge, they explained that the council previously considered opening the area through a framework/joint action with habitat management, but discontinued the action in 2024 because of conflicting objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and other species. They said the issue could be revisited through future council priority-setting. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund argued that the fishery needs modernization to remain economically viable. They supported reopening the Northern Edge and strongly backed permit stacking, saying it would allow two permits on one vessel while keeping ownership caps in place, reducing costs, improving safety, and helping family-owned fleets avoid financial distress and outside investment. Port of New Bedford representative John Regan stressed the port’s central role in the state economy, the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure, and the importance of any permit changes preserving local ownership and participation. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members asked that the witnesses keep the committee informed as the council and federal agencies consider next steps.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 18 voting members of the New England Council.
• Regional council membership, Regional council membership, Mr.
• Regional council membership, Mr.
• One, when does the council take a formal position?
• But when does the council?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint hearing focused on the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, with particular attention to Massachusetts ports, federal scallop management, the proposed reopening of the Northern Edge on Georges Bank, and permit stacking/consolidation. The chair opened by noting the hearing would take written and oral testimony, that time was limited, and that the discussion was intended to inform legislative engagement with federal regulators rather than decide the issue directly. Dan McCarron of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and Dr. Kate O’Keefe of the New England Fishery Management Council outlined the federal management structure under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the role of annual catch limits and rotational closures, and the economic importance of scallops to New Bedford, Gloucester, and other Massachusetts ports. O’Keefe said the council’s current scallop framework is based on annual management, research surveys, and public input, and that recent environmental changes and uncertainty are affecting catch advice and biomass. Dr. O’Keefe and later Dr. Kevin Stokesbury of UMass Dartmouth described the fishery’s recent condition: abundance has increased in some areas, but biomass has fallen because many scallops are still too small to harvest, and changing ocean conditions and natural mortality are affecting the stock. They said the Northern Edge action was considered as a joint scallop/habitat framework but was discontinued in 2024 because the council could not reconcile competing objectives involving scallop yield, habitat protection, and impacts on other species such as cod, lobster, and herring. Stokesbury emphasized the long-running collaborative survey work with industry, said the fishery remains highly productive, and argued that the science supports careful rotational management and that the Northern Edge could be highly productive for scallops, though he acknowledged habitat tradeoffs. Committee members pressed both witnesses on why the issue had remained unresolved for so long and whether the council could revisit it through a future framework. Representatives of the Sustainable Scalloping Fund, including attorney Drew Kavage, John Lees, Sam Blasley, and Tony Alvernes, urged support for reopening the Northern Edge and for permit stacking, which would allow more than one scallop permit on a vessel while keeping ownership caps in place. They argued the fishery is a major economic driver, that industry-funded research has supported sustainable management, and that stacking would help family-owned operators reduce costs, improve safety, and avoid financial distress. They also stressed the need to protect working waterfront infrastructure in New Bedford and other ports. The chair said he was not opposed to stacking in principle but wanted to avoid a slippery slope toward excessive consolidation or private equity control; he noted that any stacking change would require an amendment to the fishery management plan or federal action. No votes were taken, and the hearing concluded with an invitation for continued engagement and future updates on the council process.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is a legislative council function on the size of council-created committees.
• Ledge Council, right?
• And the council service, right?
• council.
• Whereas the council-created committee, theoretically, gets recreated every interim, so the council could

Transcript Highlights:

• president of the Florida Regional Council Association.
• They address regional planning councils.
• The regional planning councils help us with those.
• This includes from the regional council.
• Council to form the task force.

Summary: The Commerce and Tourism Committee heard and favorably reported several bills. SB 1672 removed duplicative state provisions related to labor pools; CS/SB 940 prohibited third-party sale of restaurant reservations without the restaurant’s consent; and CS/SB 1820 made changes to motor vehicle manufacturer and dealer franchise law, including disclosure of performance measures, anti-retaliation protections, and limits on franchise termination or nonrenewal. The committee also approved CS/SB 324, creating a revolving loan program to help small businesses affected by prolonged public works construction, and SB 936, which creates a recurring three-year study of the effects of AI, robotics, and automation on Florida’s workforce and economy. SB 1322, the Florida Rural Jobs Act, was amended and reported favorably to encourage private investment in rural small businesses through a state tax credit program. The committee also reported favorably on CS/SB 910, which regulates for-profit veterans’ benefit assistance services, and CS/SB 656, which extends protections from extraordinary collection actions to all bill-of-care payment actions by hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. The committee spent substantial time on CS/SB 1264, a broad Department of Commerce agency bill. The strike-all amendment added or revised provisions on Secure Florida, the RISE venture capital tax credit program, data center tax exemptions, business development classifications, military land transfers, and other economic development matters, while also repealing regional planning councils from statute. That repeal drew extensive opposition from local officials and regional council representatives, who argued the councils are important for emergency management, grant writing, planning, and support for small and rural communities. Supporters of the amendment said the councils could continue locally without state statutory involvement. After debate, the amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably, though Senators Davis and Smith voted no. The committee also considered CS/SB 1238, which would tighten reemployment assistance rules by disqualifying claimants who fail to meet job-search requirements or refuse work, and by adding verification and reporting requirements. Supporters framed it as adding guardrails and preventing fraud, while opponents argued Florida’s unemployment system is already difficult to access and that the bill would add unnecessary barriers and costs. Despite opposition from labor and advocacy groups, the bill was reported favorably, with Senators Smith and Arrington voting no. Finally, the committee unanimously recommended confirmation of Alexis Yarborough and John Gilbert to the Board of Supervisors of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, back up just a little bit about the town council: the majority of the town council are women,
• We having council meetings. Nobody. Nobody shows up for those council meetings.
• This council isn't a cooperative council.
• I am also a former council member.
• I asked them on the council.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on April 8, 2025, and first took up several local bills that were presented briefly and then approved without public opposition. HB 4035 would merge the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District and the Lee County Mosquito Control District, contingent on approval by voters in both districts at the 2026 election; it passed 15-0. HB 307 would extend to county property appraisers the same authority tax collectors already have to use salary savings for employee bonuses or incentives, and it passed 17-0 after testimony from property appraisers and their associations in support. HB 4047 and HB 4049 would adjust assessment caps for the Fort Pierce Farms Water Control District and the North St. Lucie River Water Control District, respectively, with inflation indexing, annual increase limits, and referendum approval requirements; both passed unanimously. The committee also adopted an amendment to the committee substitute for HB 1169, a broader water management district bill covering quorum and meeting rules, lobbying restrictions, ad valorem taxing authority for certain capital projects by referendum, budget reporting, bidding preferences, and additional oversight and funding information; the amended bill passed 16-0 and was reported favorably with committee substitute. The final and most heavily debated item was HB 4079, which would dissolve the Town of White Springs and return it to unincorporated Hamilton County. The sponsor argued the town had a pattern of mismanagement, including financial problems, audit findings, canceled elections, and public safety concerns, and said dissolution would lower taxes and preserve services through the county. Committee members asked about the town’s finances, audits, law enforcement, fire protection, debt, and whether the county could absorb services and liabilities. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters of dissolution cited audit findings, alleged illegal gambling operations, double taxation for law enforcement, high administrative costs, and intimidation at meetings. Opponents, including current and former town officials and residents, said the town had made progress, had corrected audit issues, maintained reserves, and was working to restore services and governance; they asked for more time and pointed to an upcoming election. No vote was taken on HB 4079 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• School Capitol Outlay Council to order.
• School Capitol Outlay Council to order.
• Chair, members of the Council.
• Chair, members of the Council.
• More as a council with the.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:03:42.959> And Wyoming Business Council uh has. And Wyoming Business Council uh has.
• benchmarks that what business council benchmarks that what business council could<00:51:47.359><
• <00:52:27.680> have of where can business council have of where can business council have
• they really wanted the business council they really wanted the business council to<01:03:15.359>
• business council has three divisions. business council has three divisions.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The TAB is an advisory board to the council. The council is the MPO.
• the council. The council is the MOO. the council. The council is the MOO.
• council is providing their services? council is providing their services?
• Met Council. Met Council.
• Uh 12.8% is allocated by council policy. Uh 12.8% is allocated by council policy.

Bills: HF4693

Keywords: transportation, license plates, validation stickers, replacement fees, government fees, 1183, house

Summary: The Transportation Finance and Policy Committee approved the April 13, 2026 minutes and then heard a presentation from Charles Carlson of Metropolitan Transportation Services on regional transit governance and finance in the Twin Cities area. Carlson reviewed the history of transit governance from private streetcars and buses to public control, including the creation of the Met Council and Metropolitan Transit Commission in 1967, later fragmentation through suburban opt-outs and the Regional Transit Board, and the 1994 consolidation that made Metro Transit part of the Met Council. He also explained the role of the Transportation Advisory Board as a state-created advisory body to the council’s federally designated MPO function, and noted that any major structural change to the Met Council could trigger federal redesignation requirements. The presentation then focused on funding changes over time. Carlson said transit was long supported by fares, property taxes, and federal aid, but that property taxes for operations were prohibited in 2001, federal operating assistance ended, and the state shifted to general fund support and then motor vehicle sales tax revenue. He described the 2006 constitutional dedication of motor vehicle sales tax, the volatility of that revenue during the Great Recession, and the use of one-time state appropriations and later federal COVID relief to cover operating gaps. He said the 2023 legislature created the regional 3/4-cent transportation sales tax to stabilize transit operations, reduced the state’s rail operating obligation, and moved Metro Mobility/Metro Move into a state forecast-based program effective in 2025. Members asked several questions about the structure of suburban “opt-out” providers, including Maple Grove and Plymouth, and how they can contract with Metro Transit or private providers while still retaining control of their allocated funds. Carlson explained that replacement service municipalities receive statutory and formula allocations and choose how to use them. He also described Metro Move as a waiver-based service begun in 2024 that uses human services and Medicaid funds to reduce pressure on the state general fund. Later discussion covered ridership and service shares, with Metro Council providing the vast majority of regional transit service and suburban providers accounting for a small share. No votes or bill actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes; the chair indicated a bill would be taken up later in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm from the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils.
• I'm Joseph Hill at the Alliance of Health Councils.
• Health councils meet people where they are.
• So when the legislature created this council, So when the legislature created this council, is there
• But that didn't stop the councils from organizing.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finding one: Town council elections.
• Do we know how many of the town council members who were still on the council voted for that, or do you
• There's one individual who was on council At this time, the council has totally changed.
• And we did have council members who previously served on the council that I know were some of the ones
• And we did have council members who previously served on the council that I know were some of the ones

Summary: The committee first took up a long-running audit finding involving the City of Daytona Beach’s unexpended building permit fund balance, which has exceeded the statutory cap for several years and was reported at $10.8 million in the latest audit. Mayor Derek Henry and city staff said the city had analyzed the fund, adopted a corrective action plan, waived more than $5.5 million in permit and inspection fees, used some excess funds for a training facility rehabilitation, and is pursuing a $9.4 million City Hall expansion that they say is allowed under a November 2024 Attorney General opinion permitting construction of a building to house the building code enforcement function. Committee members repeatedly questioned whether the city was simply trying to spend down the money, whether the proposed uses were truly lawful, why the balance kept growing despite fee waivers, and where the interest earnings were going. The mayor and deputy city manager said the city’s growth and staffing needs justified the plan, but several members expressed frustration and skepticism. A public commenter also urged accountability and raised concerns about the city’s spending plans and the size of the remaining balance. The committee then received an Auditor General presentation on the Town of Greenville, which found 31 operational audit findings and described pervasive control failures, possible fraud, waste, and abuse. The findings included election paperwork problems that left a council seat vacant, conflicts of interest, late financial disclosure filings, related-party transactions, inadequate meeting notices and minutes, quorum and voting documentation problems, council members’ involvement in day-to-day operations, missing ethics training, budget adoption and monitoring deficiencies, inaccurate accounting records and bank reconciliations, utility billing and rate issues, grant compliance problems tied to an unfinished grocery store project, weak personnel and contracting controls, improper severance and compensation issues, late vendor payments, weak procurement and P-card controls, vehicle-use and property-control weaknesses, poor public records access, and IT access and fraud-policy gaps. Greenville’s mayor and staff said the audit largely reflected the prior administration and that the current council and staff are taking corrective action. They said the town terminated the former manager, adopted seven new policies since the audit began, and is working with the Auditor General to improve procurement, financial controls, inventory management, grant oversight, and ethics compliance. The town attorney said he had alerted federal authorities earlier about concerns, and committee members noted that FDLE has received a criminal referral and is investigating. Several members praised the new leadership’s cooperation but also suggested the town consider consolidation or dissolution if problems persist.

Transcript Highlights:

• creates what is an inter agency council creates what is an inter agency council on<00:04:23.840>
• agency council addressing homelessness. agency council addressing homelessness.
• This council will create consistency.
• The council should also ensure that youth outside the NYC are able to contribute and advise the council
• We will now move to member questions. >> Nice job. council, if used to highlight youth council, if used

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3585, as amended, which would create an interagency council on student attendance and re-refer the bill to education finance. Representative Keeler moved the bill and an A1 amendment that corrected the council’s placement from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families to the Department of Education; the amendment was adopted. Keeler and Representative Bakeberg described the bill as the product of several years of bipartisan work on chronic absenteeism and truancy, emphasizing that attendance problems involve multiple systems and require ongoing coordination rather than a single-agency response. Testimony was strongly supportive. Matt Shaver of Allies cited statewide chronic absenteeism data and argued that schools cannot solve the problem alone because root causes such as housing, transportation, health, and economic instability lie outside school control. Assistant Commissioner Angela Mansfield of MDE said the task force and pilot districts showed coordination gaps and supported the council, while also noting MDE’s Compass staff would need permanent funding to carry out the work. Ashley High Totower of Hennepin County’s BEET program said attendance is a public health, child welfare, transportation, housing, and economic issue, and Kenneth Avon of the Minneapolis Foundation said absenteeism is an ecological problem requiring cross-sector coordination. Student witnesses also supported the bill but urged stronger youth representation. Henry Brick of Catalyst for Systems Change said students understand the causes of absenteeism best and proposed expanding student seats on the council from one to five. Ava Northrup of the Minnesota Youth Council said youth voices should be more than symbolic and suggested two youth representatives, one from the metro and one from greater Minnesota, plus additional youth task forces or panels. In member discussion, Representative Lawrence questioned whether the council duplicated existing MDE work, asked who would coordinate the group, and raised the lack of a sunset; Keeler and Bakeberg said the Department of Education would coordinate and that a sunset could be considered later. Other members asked about fiscal impact, and the chair said a fiscal note had been requested and the bill would move on to education finance.