Transcript Highlights:

• This leads to preventable mistakes, missed refunds, and a drop in overall compliance, which ironically
• preventable mistakes missed refunds and preventable mistakes missed refunds and a<01:01:41.680> drop
• > in<01:01:42.559> overall<01:01:43.000> compliance<01:01:44.000> which a drop
• in overall compliance which a drop in overall compliance which ironically<01:01:45.559> May<01
• <01:36:46.679> by uh a state taxes are going to drop by uh a state taxes are going to drop

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2437, the governor’s proposed tax bill, and first adopted the A25-Z42 amendment to put the bill in the desired shape. Commissioner Paul Marquardt of the Department of Revenue then presented the bill as part of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan’s budget, describing it as a response to budget pressures that would make the tax system more fair and stable while supporting economic development and jobs. Marquardt walked through the bill’s major provisions. These included sustainable aviation fuel policy, repeal of K-12 education credit assignment, elimination of the political contribution refund, expansion of the research and development credit, short-line railroad infrastructure modernization, changes to the state airport fund levy, replacement of attachments and appearances with distribution systems, a narrow personal property tax exception for low-income housing tenants, reduced aquatic invasive species aid, and a 34% reduction in PILT payments. He then focused on the sales tax article, saying it would lower the statewide rate by 0.75% while expanding the base to selected professional services such as accounting, banking, brokerage, and legal services, with business-to-business transactions exempt. He said the proposal would be effective for sales and purchases after September 30, 2025, and estimated a first-year rate-cut impact of about $99 million versus $215 million from the service expansion, while arguing that most households would see a net tax cut. He also noted other changes such as landlord penalty adjustments, a 30% reduction in sustainable aviation fuel incentive payments, repeal of local government cannabis aid, and repeal of the tax filing modernization account. Public testimony began with Kyle Playford of the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota, who strongly opposed the proposed sales tax on professional services, especially financial planning. He argued that financial planning is an essential service for retirement, investment, and long-term financial security, and said the tax would raise costs for consumers, reduce access for middle-class families, small business owners, and retirees, and put Minnesota firms at a competitive disadvantage. The chair then indicated that additional public testimony would continue before member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Its value has dropped significantly over the last six years.
• challenges its value has dropped challenges its value has dropped significantly<00:13:42.480>
• that process done, because you're putting a TIF, you're giving a tax break on a property that is dropping
• So in a mixed-income building, you're looking at basically the tax capacity dropping to half of what
• <01:14:36.199> to basically the tax capacity dropping to basically the tax capacity dropping

Bills: HF1746, HF2585, HF1159, HF2574, HF2839, HF157, HF158, HF160, HF338, HF512

Keywords: Oakdale, tax increment financing, local government, funding, urban development, tax increment, St. Paul, redevelopment, housing authority, housing trust fund, low-income housing, property taxation, Minnesota statutes, vacant property, housing, commercial to residential conversion, Minneapolis, urban redevelopment, public parks, tax capacity

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:49.320> off<00:13:49.480> a year and then it just dropping off a year and then
• it just dropping off a cliff<00:13:50.560> after<00:13:50.959> the<00:13:51.720> um
• <00:14:41.639> off<00:14:42.440> that's kind of high and then drops off that's kind
• of high and then drops off that's the<00:14:42.839> number<00:14:43.160> of the number
• I lived in overcrowded homes where it was difficult to focus and study, eventually leading me to drop

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, he was within 10 feet of a drop-off that was 25 feet deep.
• I'm sure he had no idea that he was that close to a drop-off.
• Joe had no idea that he was that close to a drop-off.
• Besides the medical part of it, it teaches you if you need to drop your weights in an emergency.
• Besides the medical part of it, it teaches you if you need to drop your weights in an emergency.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this would just bring it back up to that million so that we don't, um, drop off that cliff in 2026-27
• um and it would drop to 500,000 and<00:37:25.359> so<00:37:25.680> with<00:37:25.920><
• <00:37:30.760> off million so that we don't um drop off million so that we don't um drop off
• In 2024 our grant was approximately half of what it was in 2022, and we've also seen a precipitous drop
• > precipitous 2022 and we've also seen a precipitous 2022 and we've also seen a precipitous drop

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But as written, he said it would have the MPCA drop any permits being worked on to finish the permit
• He gave an example: if permit A is missing the goal, the agency would have to drop permit B to work on
• permit A; then if permit B misses the goal, it would have to drop permit C to work on permit B.
• is missing the goal uh we have to drop is missing the goal uh we have to drop permit<00:53:53.799
• B misses the goal and we have to drop B misses the goal and we have to drop permit<00:54:01.760>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, in the rare occasion—and it does happen—where the consumer drops the claim, so let's say they
• /c><00:50:56.680> the<00:50:56.799> claim<00:50:57.599> so where the consumer drops
• the claim so where the consumer drops the claim so let's<00:50:57.920> say<00:50:58.079> they
• Oh no, it's the same as we always say: the drop a dime.
• a dime you need you always say the drop a dime you need you know<01:42:17.560> the<01:42:17.679

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 733-FN, a bill concerning third-party litigation financing (TPLF). Representative Cole, the prime sponsor, described TPLF as outside investors funding lawsuits in which they have no personal stake, arguing that the practice is largely unregulated, can involve foreign entities, increases litigation abuse, and contributes to higher insurance and consumer costs. He said the bill is modeled on an NCOIL proposal and would require disclosure of TPLF agreements, with guardrails and reporting requirements on specified pages of the bill. He also noted a couple of drafting fixes, including adding the word “knowingly” and incorporating a missing section later. Members raised questions about the bill’s foreign-entity language, especially the provision allowing a governor or the Department of Safety to designate a country as a threat to critical infrastructure. Representative Cole said he would have lawyers review that issue. Another member asked whether the bill would prohibit a party from obtaining outside funding for a lawsuit; Cole clarified that the bill is intended as a reporting measure, not a ban, and that disclosure would be required. He also said the bill is aimed at American citizens rather than foreign-backed financing, and that some states had considered caps on such arrangements, though this bill does not. Brandon Gratz of the Attorney General’s office testified that the enforcement language appears too limited, because it would allow only civil penalties and not broader Consumer Protection Act remedies such as injunctions or restitution. He suggested the Attorney General may not have meaningful authority under the bill as written and raised possible insurance-law issues. Commissioner D.J. Benton-Court of the Insurance Department said the disclosure could help insurers better assess risk and potentially soften the hard insurance market by improving transparency, competition, underwriting, innovation, and claims management. He also said the bill likely needs further work on jurisdiction and enforcement, and that the committee may need to coordinate with the Attorney General, Insurance Department, and possibly banking regulators. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:51:35.839> the<00:51:36.040> staff<00:51:36.559> they<00:51:36.720> drop
• <00:51:36.920> them<00:51:37.040> off don't have the staff they drop them off don't
• have the staff they drop them off at<00:51:37.280> the<00:51:37.400> hospital<00:51:37.720
• as we heard operating margins dropping as we heard today<01:30:37.280> what<01:30:37.480>
• Our vacancy rates in nursing has dropped. I think we're now at 12%.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Health Finance and Policy Committee heard testimony from the Minnesota Hospital Association and several hospital leaders about the financial strain facing hospitals across Minnesota. The association’s CEO said hospitals are essential 24/7 safety-net providers, but rising labor, supply, technology, and drug costs are outpacing reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. He warned that many not-for-profit hospitals are struggling, that workforce shortages remain significant, and that the committee should consider help on Medicaid rates, discharge/boarding problems, mental health services, workforce development, protecting the 340B drug discount program, and avoiding new mandates that add costs. Relle Schultz of Winona Health described a community hospital with a 49-bed facility and long-term care services that has faced years of losses, including a $17 million loss in 2023 and $12 million in losses the following year. She said government payers now make up about 65% of the hospital’s mix, and each 1% increase in that mix costs about $1 million. She highlighted the difficulty of sustaining services such as dialysis, which was nearly closed until a local donor provided $3 million to keep it open for three years, and she emphasized the importance of 340B savings and the need for higher Medicaid payments. Carrie Mulski of Riverview Health in Crookston said critical access hospitals are also under pressure despite their federal designation. She explained that federal support has eroded, that Medicaid and other public programs do not cover full costs, and that her hospital’s 340B savings help keep the doors open. She said Riverview opened a new hospital in 2020 but was hit by the pandemic and inflation, leading to annual losses of $5 million to $6 million and a negative operating margin of 9% to 10%. She also described bond covenant problems, low cash on hand, the prior closure of the nursing home, and the need for rapid state action to stabilize rural hospitals and preserve access to care.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, going on down here, I'm trying to find out where I dropped off here, uh, something that I have not
• off here uh find out where I dropped off here uh something<00:42:26.839> that<00:42:27.559>
• Um, yes, we've had several situations like that where weapons have dropped out onto the floor, not just
• out onto the floor weapons have dropped out onto the floor not<00:57:10.200> just<00:57:10.359
• 2023 the state had seen about a 22% drop 2023 the state had seen about a 22% drop in<01:47:20.960

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was the first session of a newly created House Education Funding Committee, which also handles career technical education and higher education legislation. The chair explained that the committee was split off from the larger education committee because of the high volume of bills in the prior biennium, and said its focus would be on education funding policy and related fiscal issues. He noted that the committee had already reviewed major topics with the Department of Education, including the foundation formula, building aid, career technical education, special education aid, catastrophic aid, and higher education funding, and that chancellors from the university and community college systems were scheduled to appear later that morning. The bulk of the meeting was an orientation on committee procedures and decorum. The chair reviewed attendance and replacement rules, hearing procedures, time limits for testimony, and how the committee would handle crowded hearings, early bills, and fiscal notes. He emphasized that hearings are not debates, that sponsors and co-sponsors may present but should not use their position to dominate questioning, and that the chair controls whether additional technical questions are asked of witnesses. He also stressed neutrality, saying members should not display buttons or placards or engage in running debates with testifiers, and that the committee should treat all testimony respectfully regardless of party or viewpoint. Additional housekeeping guidance covered security procedures, use of cell phones and computers during hearings, breaks and hydration in the dry hearing rooms, and courtesy toward the clerk and other staff. The chair also asked members to notify leadership in advance of absences and explained that some bills may require larger rooms or overflow arrangements. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• like, arrest babies and pull seniors out of their homes in their underwear, drive them around, and drop
• It is completely unacceptable. underwear, drive them around and drop underwear, drive them around and
• drop them<00:28:21.640> off.
• And while I know it's not extremely relevant, I just want to drop it into the conversation that over
• And while I know it's not extremely relevant, I just want to drop it into the conversation that over

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Each day after that, that drops 2%.
• They have dropped it to 30 days. that exists.
• Each day after that, that drops 2%.
• They have dropped it to 30 days. ...further in this bill. They have dropped it to 30 days.

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1414 by Sen. Polsky on congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) education. The bill would require the Department of Health, working with medical experts, to create and distribute CMV educational materials to expectant and new parents or caregivers through hospitals, birth centers, and OB/GYN practices. An amendment removed a section that would have required instruction for medical professionals, and the amended bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee then took up a block of confirmations. Appointees on tabs 2 through 7 were recommended favorably in one vote, and Chavon Harris was separately confirmed as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after extensive questioning. Senators praised her leadership and experience, while others raised concerns about Medicaid redeterminations, the state’s CORE modernization project, Hope Florida, and a DCF anti-marijuana ad campaign; Harris said she would follow up on some issues and defended the agency’s work on transparency, managed care oversight, and access to care. Her confirmation was recommended favorably, with Sen. Berman noting opposition. Several health-related bills were then heard and advanced. SB 186 by Sen. Garcia expanded epilepsy training requirements for school personnel, including charter school bus drivers, and was reported favorably. SB 902 by Sen. Garcia, after amendments narrowing dental workforce provisions and allowing certain seizure rescue medication delegation to family home health aides, was reported favorably; testimony focused on medical marijuana regulation, practitioner accountability, and concerns about park and child-care proximity restrictions. SB 196 by Sen. Sharif created a uterine fibroid research database with privacy protections and was reported favorably after emotional testimony from a patient and supporters. SB 688 by Sen. Rodriguez would reestablish licensure of naturopathic doctors; it drew both support and skepticism about diagnosis and treatment boundaries, but was reported favorably. SB 1574, Maddie’s Law, would add biliary atresia screening to newborn screening and was strongly supported by parents describing a delayed diagnosis; it was reported favorably. SB 878 on clinical laboratory personnel, SB 1092 on podiatric medicine and certain cellular/tissue-based products, and SB 1032 on medical marijuana registry timelines and veteran fee waivers were also reported favorably, while SB 1032 drew debate over longer renewal/supply periods. The committee then began SB 1760 on Medicaid oversight and program transparency, with the sponsor describing the bill’s creation of a joint legislative oversight committee and a legislative actuary.

Transcript Highlights:

• Each day after that, that drops 2%.
• They have dropped it to 30 days. The solve for this terrible disease is simple and cost neutral.
• Each day after that, that drops 2%.
• They have dropped it to 30 days. fourth in this bill. They have dropped it to 30 days.

Bills: S0688, S1414, S0186, S0902, S0196, S1574, S0878, S1092, S1032, S1684, S1686, S1760

Keywords: cytomegalovirus, education, maternal health, newborn care, infectious diseases, student health, epilepsy, seizure disorders, school safety, training requirements, medical marijuana, low-THC cannabis, neurofibromatosis, healthcare, state regulations, child care facilities, public safety, grant program, uterine fibroids, health database

Summary: The committee took up several health-related bills and confirmations. It first heard SB 1414 on congenital cytomegalovirus education, which would require the Department of Health to develop and distribute educational materials to expectant and new parents through maternity, prenatal, newborn, and OB-GYN settings; an amendment removed a section on required instruction for medical professionals, and the bill was reported favorably as a committee substitute. The committee then approved a block of appointees on tabs 2 through 7 and separately confirmed Chavon Harris as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration after her testimony on Medicaid accountability, transparency, managed care oversight, rural health, behavioral health, and the state’s technology modernization efforts. Senators asked Harris about Hope Florida, Medicaid redeterminations, the CORE project, an anti-marijuana ad campaign at DCF, and compliance with a federal Medicaid-related court order; she said she would follow up on some issues. The confirmation was recommended favorably, with Senator Berman voting no. The committee next passed SB 186 on student health and safety, which expands epilepsy and seizure-disorder training requirements to more school personnel, including bus drivers and charter school staff, and requires seizure-first-aid posters and updated Department of Health education efforts. It also approved SB 902 on Department of Health issues after amendments narrowed the bill’s scope and added provisions on medical marijuana regulation, early childhood intervention, practitioner accountability, and autism workforce development; one speaker raised concerns about marijuana dispensary location restrictions and low-THC ratios. SB 196 creating a uterine fibroid research database was also reported favorably after an amendment protecting patient privacy; the bill drew emotional testimony from a patient describing severe symptoms and the need for more research. SB 688 on naturopathic medicine was approved after committee discussion about scope of practice, referral obligations, and whether naturopathic care should be adjunctive to conventional medicine; supporters described complementary care and access issues, while opponents worried about delayed treatment for serious disease. Later, the committee passed SB 1574, “Maddie’s Law,” to add biliary atresia screening to newborn screening using the same blood specimen already collected at birth and to launch an education campaign; parents of a child affected by the disease testified that earlier screening could have prevented severe harm. SB 878 on clinical laboratory personnel was reported favorably to address staffing shortages by allowing Florida to rely more directly on federal CLIA standards for qualified lab workers. SB 1092 on podiatric medicine was approved after an amendment narrowed it to cellular/tissue-based products and podiatrists’ use of certain therapies; the bill also addresses continuing education, informed consent, and advertising disclosures. SB 1032 on medical marijuana was amended and passed, aligning physician certification and card renewal timelines, setting 70-day and 35-day supply limits, and reducing the fee for honorably discharged veterans while preserving funding for FAMU; Senator Harrell opposed it, saying the longer timeframes were too much of an expansion. The committee also heard SB 1760 on Medicaid coverage transparency from Senator Brodeur, who said the bill focuses on accountability and fiscal responsibility, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are in the middle of a renewal period, so we dropped some during then, but we're right at a thousand
• They recommended dropping the instructor hour requirement from 1,000 to 600.
• They<00:28:28.320> recommended<00:28:28.880> dropping<00:28:29.520> the<00:28:30.000
• > instructor They recommended dropping the instructor They recommended dropping the instructor

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 5 February, 2026; 8:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Board of Registration for Foresters, which said it is self-funded through applications and renewals and receives no general fund support. The board requested a budget increase from $62,755 to $77,035, mainly for technology upgrades to its database and website, a social media presence, and about $3,000 more for board travel. Members asked about contractual expenses, staffing, renewals, reserves, and office location; the witness said most renewals are now online, the board has a reserve but he did not know the exact amount, and the board is leased space in the Robert E. Lee Building. No vote was taken, and the chair moved on to the next agency. The Mississippi Board of Examiners for Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists then presented its budget and operational needs. The board described its 10-member structure, three employees, and oversight of about 4,450 social workers and 210 marriage and family therapists. It explained that a prior $50,000 deficit appropriation was approved too late to spend, and asked to include that amount in the current budget for technology upgrades and equipment. The board also requested salary increases, additional travel funds, money for out-of-state compact participation, more contractual funds for database enhancements and digitizing records, and one additional computer. Members questioned the board about its large cash balance, staffing, office location, and the social work compact; the board said it has about $1 million in cash, is in leased space at Old River Place, and needs database changes to support the compact. No action or vote was taken. Finally, the Cosmetology and Barbering Board discussed major licensing and regulatory changes and its budget request. The board said it had already adopted a passing score for the licensure exam, ended the practical exam, extended testing approval periods, removed barriers to temporary work permits, and opened a path for apprenticeships, mobile establishments, and online licensing software. It also described recommendations in SB 2566, including a low-income first-license fee waiver, sanitation warnings, reduced education and instructor-hour requirements, and removal of some display requirements. The board said these changes had already led to new applications and test signups. On the budget side, it said it was withdrawing a prior request for $6,340 for practical-exam contractors because that exam was eliminated, but still sought $120,000 for certified mail, $49,000 for recruitment and retention salaries, and continued flexibility for possible live-streaming requirements under pending legislation. Senators asked whether the practical exam had been eliminated and whether the board could still ensure competency and inspections; the board said skills are still assessed through program completion and theory testing, and it asked to retain inspector positions because it oversees roughly 6,000 to 6,500 licensed shops and salons with only two inspectors.

Transcript Highlights:

• want to establish a commercial kitchen within that sauna, along with high-speed Wi-Fi and student drop-in
• However, they made deliberate decisions not only to let the fire continue to burn but also to drop accelerants
• Anecdotally, we heard that the men in the helicopter the men and women in the helicopter dropping those
• There's one in Taos through the Good Neighbor program that works, but it's a drop in the bucket, right
• It'll be a drop-in center, so if anyone needs to use Wi-Fi, they'd be able to come to our center and

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the water table is estimated to be dropping 2 ft a year.
• it's great that we're giving a little bit of money to clean up some sites, but that is, you know, a drop
• He actually takes those casks and blows them up, and they drop things, and they take them up 100 ft in
• the air and they drop them, and they put them on a rail, and they smash them with trains and semis crash
• Um, So You know, when the price of oil drops significantly because of market factors related to trade

Transcript Highlights:

• Under SP330, this would drop to just two out of the eight members. Correct.
• It was dropped two weeks ago.
• Have senators forgotten how to drop bills in... senators forgotten how to drop bills in a timely manner
• And, you know, up until the bill was dropped, people have called me since then, but I still haven't talked

Bills: HB 1520, HB 1545, HJR 110, HJR 203, HB 245, HB 1465, HB 1482, HB 294, HB 793, HB 809, HB 3928, HB 334, HB 2037, HB 1973, HB 285, HB 4341, HB 4264, HB 1043, HB 837, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 1194, HB 1646, HB 1729, HB 2498, HB 1314, HB 2295, HB 1353, HB 1531, HB 1988, HB 5398, HB 3960, HB 3923, HB 1407, HB 1764, HB 2221, HB 2214, HB 2517, HB 2518, HB 2213, HB 5008, HB 5092, HB 3421, HB 3663, HB 3748, HB 3800, HB 3756, HB 2613, HB 3782, HB 5246, HB 4344, HB 4044, HB 4066, HB 2702, HB 2807, HB 2869, HB 2898, HB 3181, HB 3250, HB 4153, HB 2091, HB 2115, HB 2542, HB 2768, HB 3349, HB 3352, HB 4406, HB 1593, HB 1899, HB 3133, HB 4432, HB 4960, HB 3214, HB 3915, HB 3508, HB 2145, SB 304, SB 608, SB 2312, SB 494, SB 530, HB 45, HB 2520, HB 35, HB 47, HB 318, HB 349, HB 554, HB 1359, HB 1373, HB 2254, HB 2259, HB 2853, HB 3073, HB 3088, HB 353, HB 355, HB 786, HB 762, HB 705, HB 932, HB 849, HB 1119, HB 3041, HB 713, HB 3104, HB 3970, HB 4042, HB 4490, HB 1731, HB 2607, HB 3689, HB 1788, HB 1612, HB 138, HB 15, HB 1971, HB 1338, HB 2989, HB 267, HB 1201, HB 2954, HB 5265, HB 1804, HB 5061, HB 1520, HB 1545, HJR 110, HJR 203, HB 1887, HB 1914, HB 2402, HB 2306, HB 1809, HB 2350, HB 3000, HB 3237, HB 3326, HB 3211, HB 1056, HB 2081, HB 2187, HB 3092, HB 3308, HB 3526, HB 3750, HB 3527, HB 4219, HB 4230, HB 4290, HB 5238, HB 4804, HB 4749, HB 245, HB 1465, HB 1482, HB 294, HB 793, HB 809, HB 3928, HB 334, HB 2037, HB 1973, HB 285, HB 4341, HB 4264, HB 1043, HB 837, HB 1234, HB 1193, HB 1194, HB 1646, HB 1729, HB 2498, HB 1314, HB 2295, HB 1353, HB 1531, HB 1988, HB 5398, HB 3960, HB 3923, HB 1407, HB 1764, HB 2221, HB 2214, HB 2517, HB 2518, HB 2213, HB 5008, HB 5092, HB 3421, HB 3663, HB 3748, HB 3800, HB 3756, HB 2613, HB 3782, HB 5246, HB 4344, HB 4044, HB 4066, HB 2702, HB 2807, HB 2869, HB 2898, HB 3181, HB 3250, HB 4153, HB 2091, HB 2115, HB 2542, HB 2768, HB 3349, HB 3352, HB 4406, HB 1593, HB 1899, HB 3133, HB 4432, HB 4960, HB 3214, HB 3915, HB 3508, HB 2145, HCR 6, HCR 12, HCR 34, HCR 50, HCR 55, HCR 58, HCR 70, HCR 71, HCR 72, HCR 74, HCR 75, HCR 78, HCR 80, HCR 93, HCR 100, HCR 107, HCR 116, HCR 117, HCR 90

Keywords: Angelina and Neches River Authority, river authority, Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Sunset Act, Special District Local Laws Code, local government, natural resources, board of directors, director training, board governance, public testimony, open meetings, public information, conflict of interest, ethics, complaint system, general manager, board president, staggered terms, removal of director

Transcript Highlights:

• found that six months after individuals were placed into permanent housing, their health care costs dropped
• This will provide 1,500 housing units for the homeless. dropped 76% and that drop was from about dropped
• 76% and that drop was from about $8,000<00:29:52.880> a<00:29:53.039> month<00:29:53.440

Keywords: House Agenda:, 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2005, Tennessee dropped nearly 200,000 people from TennCare, which is its Medicaid offering, and by
• And you saw the overall cost of Medicaid substantially drop by cutting out that fraud, waste, and abuse
• But it was costing us so much, I dropped it and she moved back to Medicare because she got better care
• As an example, our tablet actually takes a picture of the person who's dropping off the child.
• The state of Texas dropped the ball.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, so SAF is a drop-in fuel, but the current standard is that for SAF it would require up to a 50%
• c> so<00:46:57.240> saf<00:46:57.640> is<00:46:57.960> a<00:46:58.640> drop
• in fuel but the yeah so saf is a drop in fuel but the current<00:47:00.480> uh<00:47:00.680><
• 00:50:30.040> in<00:50:30.200> replacement<00:50:30.680> fuel was that it's a drop
• in replacement fuel was that it's a drop in replacement fuel up<00:50:31.839> to<00:50:32.040

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1077, a governor’s administration bill to increase transient accommodations tax revenue and split it between two new special funds: a climate mitigation and resiliency special fund and an economic development and revitalization special fund for tourism/resort areas. Supporters, including the Governor’s Office, recovery and resilience staff, climate and conservation groups, and several state agencies, said the bill would create a dedicated, more reliable funding stream for wildfire mitigation, coastal resilience, land clearing, infrastructure, and community-led projects. Some supporters also urged changes to the bill, including moving the fund to DLNR, adding DHHL and OHA representation, clarifying community grants, and ensuring the fund can support both state-led and community-led resilience work. The Attorney General’s office flagged a drafting issue, noting that the bill references fees deposited into the new fund even though the new chapter does not authorize fee collection, and recommended deleting that language or adding fee authority. The Climate Advisory Team representative also suggested adding DHHL to the decision-making body and requiring at-large members to have climate, resilience, conservation, or infrastructure expertise. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Kohala Coast Resort Association opposed the measure, arguing that the special fund structure does not meet statutory criteria, that the bill functions as a tax increase, and that the transient accommodations tax is not being collected equitably across all lodging types before any increase is imposed. Other opponents, including tourism and lodging interests, warned that hotels and timeshares already bear most of the tax burden and that raising the TAT could hurt an already struggling visitor industry and drive tourists away. Supporters countered that current funding is far short of what is needed and that a dedicated revenue stream is necessary to address climate impacts now. Committee members questioned why the Legislature should cede spending decisions to a separate executive-branch process, and the administration responded that the bill is intended to create a transparent, recurring mechanism for funding priorities that can be adjusted over time. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:38.560> in population, the impact of the drop in population, the impact of the drop
• 00:31:39.519> certain insur's RBC drops below certain insur's RBC drops below certain thresholds
• As of the beginning of this year, all of those folks were then dropped off of coverage.
• As of the beginning of this year, all of those folks were then dropped off of coverage.
• I'm just going dropped off of coverage.