Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also a member of the Minnesota Forest Resource Council, which represents all the forest stewardship
• </c><00:15:10.959><c> Please</c> Minnesota Forest Industries. Please Minnesota Forest Industries.
• Resource</c><00:15:27.279><c> Council</c> the Minnesota Forest Resource Council the Minnesota Forest
• That's 7% of our forested land.
• That's 7% of our forested land.

Bills: HF1669 , HF4709 , HF3531 , HF4048

Committee: House Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• And best they can do is to help prevent forest fires, and all working together as a group.
• I wanted to introduce a couple of those foresters up there from Copiah County, but I see they've since
• <00:08:26.960><c> couple</c><00:08:27.280><c> of</c><00:08:27.320><c> those</c><00:08:27.560><c> foresters
• </c><00:08:28.160><c> up</c> introduce a couple of those foresters up introduce a couple of those foresters
• an inquiry, without an investigation, without a white paper, somebody in Michigan, Newfoundland, California

Transcript Highlights:

• Mike Wiseman: Additionally, we support TDEM and the Texas A&M Forest Service during disaster responses
• I myself was in California for a week recently.
• We could have our own version of California.
• We could have our own version of California for a different reason.
• We could have our own version of California for a different reason.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The committee heard a Legislative Budget Board presentation and then testimony from the Department of Public Safety on the Article 5 public safety budget. LBB said DPS’s 2026-27 recommendation totals $3.7 billion, down from the prior base, while FTEs rise by 856.7. Major items included increased funding for driver license services and customer support, new trooper funding and recruit schools, crime lab operations, border security, and reductions tied to one-time facility, vehicle, and aircraft spending. The committee also discussed new riders, including one to lapse unused trooper funds and require reporting after recruit schools. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, questioning why prior staffing increases and a prior efficiency study had not solved long wait times, high call abandonment, and appointment delays. DPS and LBB said the agency receives about 22,000 calls per day, answers only about 9 percent, and is seeking more staff plus technology upgrades such as automation, kiosks, and better online processing. Senators also raised concerns about rural access, REAL ID document requirements, and whether the department should rethink its processes rather than simply add employees. DPS leadership then described needs for the Williamson County training academy, additional troopers, Capitol and Alamo security, border operations, aircraft and vehicle replacement, and regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio. Members asked about Operation Lone Star costs, overtime, pursuit safety, border crime, oilfield theft, and sexual assault kit and toxicology backlogs. DPS said border deployments remain focused on criminal threats, that overtime is partly driven by deployments and staffing shortages, and that the sexual assault kit backlog is down to 118 cases with a goal of zero by April. The committee later recessed and began the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission budget presentation, where LBB outlined a $115.1 million recommendation and noted ongoing costs for the AIMS technology project.

Transcript Highlights:

• We think protection of farmland, protection of forest land, protection and restoration of salmon habitat
• program, which is really about preserving these, you know, forests that are blend kind of— course WWRP
• side of what we do right now but in addition to that we of course have programs like the community forest
• program which is really about preserving of these you know forests that are blend kind of The community
• forest program is really about preserving these forests that blend public access with working forests

Committee: House Capital Budget

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee met on December 4 and heard presentations from the Department of Commerce, the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), and a consultant on the School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) study. Commerce described its $5 million pilot under SB 5200 to reduce barriers for historically excluded community organizations and local governments, using trusted community messengers and technical assistance; officials said 18 organizations received readiness funding and 79 smaller projects were also supported. Commerce emphasized persistent barriers such as match requirements, reimbursement-based payments, site-control rules, insurance and audit costs, and extensive contracting requirements, and said it is responding with more outreach, digital modernization, internal process improvements, and planned innovation centers. Members asked about small business support, housing program placement, outreach in Eastern Washington, and tribal engagement, and Commerce said it would share contact and demographic information and continue follow-up. RCO reported on its equity work and implementation of a 2021-23 proviso directing it to reduce barriers and improve equitable delivery of grants. The agency said it had already made changes before the proviso, including a small-communities carve-out in youth athletic facilities, stipends for advisory committee members, and match reductions in some programs. Its equity review recommended prioritizing high-need areas, changing scoring criteria, improving applicant capacity, and funding projects that address broader community challenges. RCO said it has since updated grant criteria, added objective measures, aligned application questions, expanded technical assistance, and launched the Planning for Recreation Access program, which funded 54 projects in 34 counties. It also described the Community Outdoor Athletic Facilities program, which did not require match and drew broad interest, with about $200 million in applications across COAF and youth athletic facilities. Members raised concerns about access to information and application complexity, and RCO said it is expanding outreach, advisory committee diversity, and support for outdoor learning programs. The final presentation summarized the SCAP planning study and proposed nine policy changes to address school facility funding challenges. The report found that construction costs have risen faster than SCAP support, many districts have limited debt capacity, and local bond/levy approvals have become harder to secure. Proposed solutions included stronger planning support, a new minor modernization category, use of unused biennial SCAP funds for faster deployment, an education-specification prototype, a SCAP enhancement program for low-capacity districts, acceptance of all non-SCAP local funding, phased modernization, streamlined D-form and reimbursement processes, and revisions to the SCAP formula to better reflect grade-band differences, enrollment projections, and regional cost variation. Committee members said some recommendations could be implemented by OSPI in the near term and asked for supporting documentation on the application and funding formulas. The committee took no formal vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The article focuses on a California teacher who was fired by a Northern California school district after
• This bill allows students at the University of California, California State University, and California
• As a formerly undocumented immigrant, I have benefited from AB 540, the California Dream Act, a California
• Everyone in California is beautiful regardless.
• We believe California can do better.

Summary: The committee began without a quorum and first heard AB 302, which would prohibit schools from requiring students to use addictive social media feeds as a condition of participating in extracurricular activities and would require schools to offer a non-social-media way to communicate with students and families. The author and a student witness argued the bill protects minors from being forced onto addictive platforms, while senators asked how coaches and clubs would communicate; the author said email, built-in messaging, and other direct methods would still be allowed. The bill was held on call for absent members. The committee then took up AB 2504, creating a pilot program to train creative-industry workers for AI-related changes through partnerships among community colleges, employers, unions, and tech companies. Supporters from WME and the Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office said the program would help workers adapt to rapid industry change, while senators discussed the pilot’s size, geographic diversity, and sunset date. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 1534 followed, adding state guardrails for federal Workforce Pell short-term training programs, including limits on tuition, restrictions on certain financing products, and transparency rules for partnerships with unaccredited entities. Support came from TICAS, EdTrust-West, and the Campaign for College Opportunity; senators questioned the scope of state authority and why private institutions were not clearly included, and the author said the broader approval framework was being handled in trailer bill language. The bill passed on a due-pass motion to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The committee also heard AB 1381, a gut-and-amend proposal to strengthen screening for school teachers with histories of egregious misconduct while balancing due process and privacy concerns. Supporters and opponents both emphasized student safety and the need for reliable information-sharing, and members noted the bill was similar to a previously held measure; the author said amendments were still being worked out. The bill passed to the Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection Committee. AB 2202, which would create a Closing the Achievement Gap Commission to coordinate statewide efforts, drew broad support from school board and education groups but also concern that it could duplicate existing work and add bureaucracy; after extended debate about whether the commission would identify causes or solutions, it passed to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Finally, AB 1547, requiring a UC feasibility study for a branch medical school in Kern County, drew local support but opposition from a senator who argued the Legislature cannot direct UC’s internal operations under the state Constitution; the chair said the Legislature can make recommendations and the bill remained under discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• The article focuses on a California teacher who was fired by a Northern California school district after
• This bill allows students at the University of California, California State University, and California
• As a formerly undocumented immigrant, I have benefited from AB 540, the California Dream Act, California
• Everyone in California is beautiful, regardless.
• We believe California can do better.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Appropriations, Forestry and Conservation Program, Wildland Fire Module, an act relating to the state forester
• or wait until we can bring those resources in from some other... sometimes they come as far as California
• or wait until we can bring those resources in from some other... sometimes they come as far as California
• </c><02:13:08.639><c> revision</c><02:13:09.360><c> plans,</c> plans, the forest revision plans, plans
• , the forest revision plans, water<02:13:11.520><c> issues,</c><02:13:12.400><c> all</c><02:13:12.639

Transcript Highlights:

• The primary purposes for two national forests are being designated for clear-cut logging for that single
• Yesterday, we just learned that the ramifications of the Trump-Musk chainsaw cuts to the Forest Service
• and USDA caused the closure of two of the busiest Forest Service offices and issue permits in Ely and
• service in USDA that caused the forest service in USDA that caused the closure<00:06:49.199><c> of</
• </c> closure of two of the busiest forest closure of two of the busiest forest service<00:06:50.720><

Transcript Highlights:

• struck the language about not timbering, not harvesting timber in our the White Mountain National Forest
• </c><00:22:00.720><c> because</c> M White Mountain National Forest because M White Mountain National
• Forest because of<00:22:01.120><c> the</c><00:22:01.360><c> contentious</c><00:22:01.840><c> lawsuit<
• </c><00:22:22.640><c> Thanks</c><00:22:22.880><c> very</c> forests in New Hampshire.
• Thanks very forests in New Hampshire. Thanks very much. much. much.

Committee: House Resources, Recreation and Development

Transcript Highlights:

• California is a bit behind here.
• Lizzie Kutsona here on behalf of the California Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the California
• , Rural County Representatives of California, and the California State Association of Counties.
• Marks Divers of the California Housing Partnership, and also today on behalf of Housing California, in
• Housing Los Angeles, SPUR, and California YIMBY.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 41 by Senator Wiener, which would regulate pharmacy benefit managers by increasing transparency, banning patient steering and spread pricing, and requiring full pass-through of rebates. Supporters, including independent pharmacists and health advocates, said PBM practices are driving up drug costs and closing neighborhood pharmacies. Opponents from PBM and health plan groups argued the bill overlaps with recently enacted licensing and reporting requirements, would not lower consumer prices, and may be preempted by ERISA. Members discussed confidentiality issues, consumer savings, and the relationship between SB 41 and the new budget trailer bill; the author asked for an aye vote. The committee then took up SB 378, also by Senator Wiener, aimed at online marketplaces that advertise illegal intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Supporters from labor, public health, and the licensed cannabis industry said online sales are undermining regulated businesses and exposing children to unsafe products. Opponents from tech and hemp industry groups warned the bill is overbroad, could sweep in general-purpose platforms and lawful hemp wellness products, and raises Dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment concerns. The author said he would narrow the bill, remove industrial hemp references, and address strict liability and standing issues; members largely focused on how to target illegal products without capturing lawful marketplaces. SB 243 by Senator Padilla addressed AI companion chatbots, with supporters including Common Sense Media and transparency advocates warning that these systems can be addictive, manipulative, and dangerous for minors and vulnerable users, citing studies and the death of a Florida teenager. The bill would require disclosures, anti-addiction design limits, self-harm protocols, audits, reporting, and a private right of action. Tech and business groups opposed the measure as overly broad and said its definitions could sweep in general-purpose AI tools; several members supported the goal but questioned the breadth of the definitions and the private right of action. Finally, SB 522 by Senator Wahab would extend just-cause eviction protections to rental units that were previously covered by the Tenant Protection Act but were destroyed in disasters and later rebuilt. Supporters, including Los Angeles city officials and tenant advocates, said the bill would help keep displaced renters housed after wildfires and other disasters. Apartment and realtor groups opposed it, arguing it would remove a key exemption needed to finance rebuilding and could discourage post-disaster reconstruction. Members expressed support for tenant protections in disaster areas, and the author asked for an aye vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent small forest landowners across the state.
• Madam Chair, members of the committee, I'm Matt Domit with the Washington Forest Protection Association
• For example, a new water quality rule adopted for forest practices was established on a standard based
• Washington already has some of the strongest environmental protections in the world through the Forest
• Practices Act and the state's landmark forest and fish law, and the regulatory system is layered on

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• Forest Service approved the EIS and began construction in 1981, and the first molybdenum production was
• There have been four separate environmental assessments done with the Forest Service and the BLM during
• Ultimately, the site was then reclaimed under bond that was released to the Forest Service.
• Forest Service. We entered into a partnership with the College of Western Idaho.
• The rest of the mine site is Forest Service land.

Committee: Senate Resources and Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• It's only... but these are lands that's considered forest though. It's a state-owned forest.
• It's only... but these are lands that's considered forest though. It's a state-owned forest.
• It's only... but these are lands that's considered forest though. It's a state-owned forest.
• It's only... but these are lands that's considered forest though. It's a state-owned forest.
• though it's a state owned Forest it's though it's a state owned Forest it's Forest<01:19:33.639><c> it's

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several water, land, and conservation measures. HB 86, which would fund a permanent DLNR Makai Watch coordinator position, drew strong support from DLNR and community advocates. Testifiers said the coordinator is needed to connect community-based nearshore monitoring groups with government, support training and reporting, and provide stable civil-service funding instead of relying on grants and philanthropy. The committee discussed the position’s duties and cost, estimated at about $110,000 with fringe benefits, and noted broad support from organizations including Kuaʻulu, The Nature Conservancy, OHA, and others. HB 36, relating to state water code penalties, was also supported in principle by DLNR, but the agency proposed amendments to create two tiers of violations, distinguish first-time/non-harmful violations from repeat or harmful ones, and give the commission discretion on whether each day counts as a continuing violation. DLNR said the bill is intended to address egregious cases such as Red Hill while avoiding undue impact on small farmers and others without malicious intent. Testifiers from the Board of Water Supply, Lono Initiative, and others supported stronger penalties and transparency, while Earthjustice raised concerns about broader structural issues and the risk of penalties being applied unfairly. The committee then heard HB 316, which appropriates funds to continue the Green Jobs Youth Corps program. DLNR, the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, Kōkua, The Nature Conservancy, and other groups testified in support, describing the program as a workforce pipeline that places young professionals in communities, builds trust, and helps recruit future state employees. Supporters said the program has expanded capacity in watershed and reef management and has drawn extensive public backing. Finally, HB 506, funding equipment for the Oʻahu branch of DOCARE, received support from DLNR and others. DOCARE said recent recruit classes are moving through training, that the new positions will expand patrol capacity, including nighttime enforcement, and that the Oʻahu-specific funding is tied to priorities such as the Māʻili Bay herbivore rules. The committee also began hearing HB 510 on water shortage and emergency declarations. DLNR proposed limiting shortage declarations to 90 days unless extended, capping groundwater reductions at 20% for lower-priority permits, removing climate-crisis language as a standalone criterion, and moving the process into rulemaking for more public input. The Board of Water Supply supported the bill and the proposed changes, while Earthjustice urged deferral absent broader Water Commission reforms. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided; the chair indicated the committee would be decision-making after the hearing on items on the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's our forest, our streams, our rivers, and our valleys.
• on that next year, but right now, in doing so, they protect, restore, and enhance our rivers, our forests
• ><00:04:04.440><c> our</c><00:04:04.720><c> rivers,</c><00:04:05.520><c> our</c><00:04:05.680><c> forests
• ,</c><00:04:06.680><c> and</c> and enhance our rivers, our forests, and and enhance our rivers, our forests

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Matt Domit with Washington Forest Protection Association, representing Washington's private forest
• WFPA supports a healthy overall forest products industry, which includes DNR's timber sale program, which
• Yes, Heath Heichler here on behalf of the American Forest Resource Council.
• Heath Heichler, speaking on behalf of the American Forest Resource Council, said the bill is important

Bills: SB5930 , SB6075 , SB6216 , SB6233

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: irrigation districts, director contracts, beneficial interests, transparency, governance, mitigation, habitat conservation, property rights, landowner compensation, fairness in mitigation, critical habitat, species preservation, riparian protection, salmon recovery, watershed planning, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Ecology, habitat conservation account, conservation easement, noxious weed control

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, what's the SB 22 just extends the sunset date out for the state board of registration of foresters
• Representative Moore said SB 22 extends the sunset date for the State Board of Registration of Foresters
• c><00:04:55.199><c> of</c> the state board of registration of the state board of registration of foresters
• 56.960><c> October</c><00:04:57.520><c> 1st,</c><00:04:58.560><c> 2020</c><00:04:59.280><c> 2030,</c> foresters
• out to October 1st, 2020 2030, foresters out to October 1st, 2020 2030, excuse<00:05:01.280><c> me,<

Bills: SB100 , SB122 , SB127 , HB182 , HB275 , SB100 , SB122 , SB127 , HB182 , HB275

Committee: House Boards, Agencies and Commissions

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, real property assessment, assessment cap, county-wide reappraisal, CPI-U, Consumer Price Index, tax assessor, Class II property, Class III property, local government revenue, property tax relief, reappraisal, tax increment district, retroactive tax law, Alabama Code 40-7-2.2, appropriation, education funding, Southern Preparatory Academy, fiscal responsibility

Transcript Highlights:

• um uh where these credits are California um uh where these credits are being<04:46:22.718><c> sold</
• And a large percentage of New Hampshire is forested, and the timber industry is an important industry
• And a large percentage of New Hampshire is forested, and the timber industry is an important industry
• And a large percentage of New Hampshire is forested, and the timber industry is an important industry
• And a large percentage of New Hampshire is forested, and the timber industry is an important industry

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Summary: The Municipal and County Government Committee held public hearings on House Bill 471 and House Bill 373. HB 471 would create a temporary commission to study growth, traffic, planning, and land use issues in a group of southern New Hampshire towns, with possible recommendations on regional planning commission boundaries or coordination. Representative Perez said the bill was requested by Londonderry residents and local officials, and Eric Power of Brookline testified in support, saying the towns share corridor and development issues that cross regional planning commission lines. Several members questioned whether existing law already allows towns to form regional planning commissions under RSA 364:6, whether the bill should be broader, and whether the town list should include additional communities. The hearing closed with testimony counts reported as two in support and three opposed on remote sign-in, plus one opposed and one in support on the blue sheet. HB 373, sponsored by Representative Diane Powers, would revise RSA 41:11-a on town property leases. Powers said current law is too restrictive because leases over five years require repeated town votes, which she argued is impractical for long-term arrangements. She cited examples from Hampton and Brookline, including long-term road and property leases, and said she had found multiple similar cases. The bill would keep select board authority for leases under one year, allow a legislative body to authorize a specific longer lease by a three-fifths ballot vote, and preserve the existing five-year blanket leasing authority with a three-fifths vote, while keeping existing leases valid if authority is later rescinded. Eric Power testified in support, describing recurring lease renewals in Brookline and saying longer terms are needed for projects such as housing, cell towers, and solar arrays. Members asked about the change from a simple town vote to a three-fifths threshold and whether the bill duplicates existing mechanisms; Powers said the higher threshold was intended because the leases involve long-term commitments. No votes were taken during the hearing portion described.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next is Darcia Forester for in support.
• Next is Darcia Forester for the<00:21:20.960><c> office</c><00:21:21.120><c> of</c><00:21:21.200><c>
• So, known as the jungle primary that California has used this for a long time.
• We think it's very interesting, and we note that California has had much success with it.
• 01:08:51.520><c> Feinstein</c> uh, California Senator Diane Feinstein uh, California Senator Diane Feinstein

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2246, which would expand public financial disclosure requirements. The State Ethics Commission strongly supported the bill, saying broader disclosure could help restore public trust and potentially deter corruption, and it offered a clarifying amendment to make clear the requirement applies to board and commission members rather than all employees of listed agencies. Several organizations and individuals also testified in support. A committee member asked about the amendment, and the commission explained it was intended as a clarification rather than a substantive change. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2250, which would add homeless facilities to the locations covered by the drug-free-zone offense for promoting controlled substances. The Public Defender opposed the measure, arguing that many homeless facilities are unmarked and not easily identifiable, creating notice, fairness, and due process concerns and risking arbitrary enforcement. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office and Honolulu Police Department supported the bill, saying it targets distributors rather than users, that notice can be proven through evidence, and that the law is aimed at protecting vulnerable people in shelters and similar facilities. In questioning, senators asked how homeless facilities would be identified and whether the bill would cover all shelter models; the prosecutor said the definition is cross-referenced in statute and must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and other groups testified in opposition, while several service and advocacy groups testified in support. Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 2325, which would allow courts to review and potentially reduce sentences for certain juvenile offenders after 15 years if the person is not a danger to the community. Judiciary staff said the court supports the bill’s intent but noted Hawaii’s indeterminate sentencing structure leaves no alternative sentence for a court to reduce to, suggesting the measure may need structural sentencing changes or could instead be directed to the Hawaii Paroling Authority. Public defender representatives and youth-justice advocates supported the bill, emphasizing rehabilitation, adolescent brain development, trauma, and the need for a meaningful opportunity for release. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:33:28.400><c> is</c> wildlife or the Solana State Forest is wildlife or the Solana State Forest
• </c> going into that Solana State Forest going into that Solana State Forest entrance entrance entrance
• In the Great Lakes region, studies find that wolves benefit forest regeneration and the forest industry
• In the Great Lakes region, studies find that wolves benefit forest regeneration and the forest industry
• regeneration and the benefit forest regeneration and the forest<00:40:25.320><c> industry</c><00:40:

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:

• By way of background, the timber tax, also known as forest tax, is an excise tax on any timber harvested
• I am Matt Domit with the Washington Forest Protection Association, representing Washington's private
• One example is a recent rulemaking by the Washington Forest Practices Board that will take an additional
• Committee members, Heath Heigla here on behalf of the American Forest Resource Council.
• We work closely with the folks over at the Washington Forest Protection Association but represent the

Bills: SB5872 , SB5879 , SB6047 , SB5988 , SB5923 , SB5832 , SB5970 , SB5994 , SB5949

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: preK promise account, early childhood education, child care, preschool, pre-kindergarten, DCYF, Department of Children, Youth, and Families, state treasury, trust fund, investment earnings, gift grants donations, dedicated account, general fund, nonreverting balance, appropriation, treasurer, Washington early learning, school readiness, education assistance program, legislative audit