Transcript Highlights:

• And economists have well documented that the vast majority of driving-related damages, what economists
• Let me say I own an EV in Vermont and I drive to Massachusetts every day.
• And so trying to encourage people to drive less is an important policy objective.
• These issues drive up costs and add regulatory uncertainty.
• Tariffs are driving up prices on essential agricultural inputs.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from the co-chairs explaining committee procedures, testimony limits, submission instructions, and the new deadlines for acting on House and Senate bills. The committee then heard testimony on several bills related to agriculture, land use, environment, housing, transportation, and taxation, with legislators often taken out of turn. No votes were taken during the hearing. The first major topic was H. 3206, a bill to allow fossil fuel-free 529 college savings plans to qualify for the state tax deduction if MEFA does not offer a comparable option. Representative Steve Owens said the bill would not force MEFA or Fidelity to change existing plans, but would create a definition for fossil fuel-free funds and extend the deduction to qualifying out-of-state plans. The committee also heard strong local testimony on a Belmont home-rule petition, H. 3970, to change tax treatment for the Belmont Country Club under Chapter 61B. Belmont residents and officials argued the private golf course receives an unfair tax break that shifts costs to other taxpayers, while Senator Brownsberger and Representative Rogers supported the measure as a way to help the town recover revenue. Committee members asked about town meeting support, the club’s lack of payment in lieu of taxes, and the size of the tax savings. The committee next heard testimony on a vehicle miles traveled tax proposal, S. 1925, from Senator Barrett and economists Gilbert Metcalf and Christopher Knittel. They argued that declining gas-tax revenue and rising fuel efficiency, especially with electric vehicles, require a more stable transportation funding source; they also said a VMT tax could be designed to be revenue-neutral and mildly progressive, though members raised concerns about administration, fairness, EV disincentives, and the possibility of annual tax shocks. The largest block of testimony focused on the Ahead Act, H. 3194/S. 1973, which would double the deed excise fee and dedicate the new revenue to affordable housing and climate adaptation. Supporters from MACDC, MAPC, FICC, Boston Climate Action Network, CLF, 350 Mass, CHAPA, and a tenant advocate said the bill could generate about $300 million annually for housing production, vouchers, weatherization, resilience, and environmental justice communities, and that it links two urgent crises with a stable funding stream. The committee also heard testimony on the Conservation Land Tax Credit bills, H. 3147/S. 2083, which would raise the annual cap on the credit from $2 million to $5 million for three years and then sunset back down. Conservation groups and a landowner said the program has conserved thousands of acres and that the higher cap would reduce delays and help meet state conservation goals. Finally, the committee took testimony on the Fairness for Farm Workers bills, S. 2011/H. 3107 and S. 2012, which would extend overtime, minimum wage, breaks, and paid time off protections to farm workers and include a refundable tax credit to help farmers offset overtime costs. Senator Gomez and advocates described the bills as overdue civil rights and public health measures, citing low wages, long hours, dangerous conditions, and the racial history behind farm labor exclusions. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3240, a bill to give municipalities a local option vacancy tax on chronically vacant shopping malls, with the sponsor arguing it would help towns address blight, encourage redevelopment, and potentially create housing and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• in Blue Earth. 1.85 million for Frazee North River Drive, 2.755 million for Forest Lake.
• ><c> River</c><00:09:11.120><c> Drive.
• </c><00:09:11.640><c> 2.755</c><00:09:13.000><c> million</c> Frazee North River Drive. 2.755 million
• Frazee North River Drive. 2.755 million for<00:09:14.600><c> uh</c><00:09:14.760><c> Forest</c><00:09
• </c> the job and and make it so that driving the job and and make it so that driving is<00:41:11.920>

Summary: The committee took up a large bonding bill and reviewed the final spreadsheet of capital investments. Chairs and members repeatedly thanked staff, House and Senate negotiators, and the Governor’s team for a collaborative process. The bill was described as a statewide package rather than a partisan one, with major funding for higher education asset preservation, DNR projects, public safety, transportation, the Met Council, veterans facilities, corrections, DEED/local projects, and a large water infrastructure section. House Fiscal staff and Senate fiscal staff walked through the bill line by line. Highlights included University of Minnesota and Minnesota State asset preservation, education and language immersion school funding, DNR trail and flood mitigation projects, public safety facilities, local road and bridge grants, Met Council parks and I/I grants, veterans home and armory funding, corrections projects including the Faribault vocational expansion, and many local economic development and public facility projects across Greater Minnesota and the metro. The bill also included Public Facilities Authority water and wastewater grants, housing rehabilitation funding, historical society grants, a Minnesota Zoo operating transfer, airport appropriations, and several cancellations of prior appropriations to help finance the package. Members generally praised the bill and the bipartisan work behind it. Some Republicans emphasized the one-time license fee reduction and affordability, while also saying DEED’s business development infrastructure funding was too low. Senator Nelson highlighted long-awaited transportation projects such as Highway 14 and township roads. Senator Dibble supported the transportation investments but criticized the bill for having no transit funding, calling that a major omission. No vote was recorded in the excerpt, but the discussion centered on final review and support for moving the bonding bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• They've got to drive an hour to even bring the notice.
• So you said some parishes or some entities have to drive it? They don't have email access?
• I find it hard to believe that somebody has to drive a notice an hour in 2026.
• I find it hard to believe that somebody has to drive a notice an hour in 2026.
• Somebody said they had to drive 30 minutes to put something in the newspaper.

Bills: HB248 , HB249 , HB997 , HB1052 , HB1193 , SB1 , SB161 , SB218 , SB220 , SB289 , SB435

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Keywords: Compensation Commission, elected officials, salary evaluation, government accountability, Louisiana legislature, compensation, independent commission, salary adjustment, consumer price index, official journal, public notices, government transparency, local government, municipal website, school board notices, parish council, police jury, special districts, levee district, drainage district

Transcript Highlights:

• I live on New York Drive, 1,009 New York Drive.
• I live on New York Drive, 1009 New York Drive. Bustamante.
• I live on New York Drive, 1,009 New York Drive.
• We lived down on LaVorna Drive in Marquez-Nolls.
• That house burned up on Poppyfield's Drive. That was my wife's whole life.

Committee: House Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• When you drive through Fremont, you don't necessarily see manufacturing, right?
• And when you drive through Fremont, you don't necessarily see manufacturing, right?
• And it drives innovation as you go from a controlled lab environment to full-scale production.
• AI data centers, electrification, and renewable integration are driving unprecedented load growth.
• California already drives enormous demand for batteries through ZEVs and grid-scale energy storage.

Transcript Highlights:

• If this man's 100% medically disabled, he shouldn't be driving.
• I think every time this conversation comes up, I feel the need to remind everybody that driving is a
• And so whenever we do drive on the road, it’s important for us to recognize the rules of the road.
• but maybe to stop this this type driving but maybe to at<00:29:24.240><c> least</c><00:29:24.480><c>
• is a a remind everybody that driving is a a privilege<00:32:03.840><c> it's</c><00:32:04.000><c> not

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum, approved the March 4 minutes, and then took up several Senate measures. Senate Bill 36, dealing with cleanup language for CAVIS and electronic submission of liens and satisfactions, was amended by committee substitute to require lien holders to begin using electronic title and registration systems starting July 1, 2026. After questions from members and testimony from county clerk Jason Denny and title-industry representative Tom Underwood, the committee adopted the substitute and reported the bill favorably with the substitute attached. The committee then considered Senate Bill 43, which updates the medical review board process under KRS 186.444. Senator Donald Douglas and Senator Jimmy Higdon described the bill as a response to complaints about fairness and transparency in medical review cases, including a constituent example involving a disabled veteran whose VA medical clearance was rejected. The bill changes who may serve on the board, adds flexibility and transparency, shifts reimbursement language to allow the Transportation Cabinet to set costs by regulation, and includes provisions aimed at broadening participation by qualified health care providers. Members discussed the role of school resource officers, the use of family affidavits in reporting, and the need to keep costs down; the committee adopted the substitute, approved a title amendment, and reported the bill favorably. Senate Bill 38, concerning stop-arm violations on school buses and the use of cameras and enforcement procedures, also received a committee substitute and was reported favorably. Senator Greg Elkins and supporters said the bill is intended to address widespread illegal passing of stopped school buses and to help fund stop-arm cameras, while critics raised concerns about automated enforcement and the role of a live officer. Members cited survey data and personal stories about school-bus safety, and the sponsor explained that school resource officers would work with local law enforcement on citations, which are contemplated as civil penalties. The committee also heard discussion-only testimony on Senate Joint Resolution 66, which would create a task force on aviation, aerospace, and logistics economic development; no vote was taken on the resolution because it had just passed the Senate and had not yet been formally received by the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• , the infrastructure and lower-income individuals that have these types of jobs where they have to drive
• They create jobs, drive innovation, and serve as economic anchors in communities throughout our state
• A drive-through option removes that barrier, allowing patients and consumers to access what they need
• A drive-through model addresses this gap in a controlled, compliant manner.
• No jurisdiction is required to allow drive-through operations unless locally approved.

Committee: Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• We're driving for that.
• The millions of homes The market that can drive the investment.
• The millions of homes we need is the market that can drive the investment.
• You've heard of the term drive to you qualify. To climate change.
• You've heard of the term “drive to qualify.” We were talking about a two-hour drive.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is not where they came and looked at our driving.
• The Everly Life Road Safety Index said that we were the most dangerous state to drive in.
• If you drive down these country roads, we have sand piles that are as high as this ceiling.
• I believe there is a fine for use of, if someone's caught using a cell phone while driving, Mr.
• And so distracted driving is one of those things.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our priority roadway projects are Futurity Drive. It's the Entertainment Corridor.
• Racetrack Drive is on the east end of the casino, and it continues west onto Derby Road.
• The intersection of McNutt and Sunland Park Drive. One of the legs to the right is an upper road.
• We broke our hearts driving through Texas to get to Sunland Park. That's a great question, Mr.
• This directly impacts us, driving the majority of the revenue at the casino. Thank you for that.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those cases involved disputes as to whether the car was in park or not, did it stay and drive
• It's one thing when someone speeds off at a very high rate of speed... ...but stay and drive.
• Let me be very clear: If I cannot legally drive while drunk, I cannot legally give consent while drunk
• Texas already recognizes that intoxication impairs judgment when it comes to driving.
• His killer had previously been deported following the commission of a drunk-driving offense, clearly

Bills: HB75 , HB108

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee heard a series of criminal justice and public safety bills, with most measures focused on tougher penalties, victim protections, and procedural changes. Bills discussed included HB 75, requiring magistrates to make written findings when denying probable cause despite believing an arrestee committed an offense; HB 413, limiting pretrial detention so it cannot exceed the maximum jail term for the charged offense, with competency-related exceptions; HB 1422, expanding sexual assault survivor protections and increasing penalties for certain sexual offenses and voyeurism; HB 2073, increasing penalties for violating protective orders or bond conditions while armed; HB 2593, raising indecent assault penalties against elderly or disabled victims; HB 108, enhancing punishment when body armor is used during violent crimes; HB 3816, expanding cruelty-to-livestock offenses to include unlawful controlled-substance administration; HB 2854, requiring parole officers to notify hospitals or law enforcement when violent parolees visit hospital premises; HB 1871, increasing punishment for attempted capital murder of a peace officer and making such offenders ineligible for parole; HB 3463, clarifying notice methods in theft-of-service cases; HB 2348, allowing video-recorded depositions of elderly or disabled witnesses; HB 2594, expanding venue options for cybercrime and digital theft prosecutions; HB 2761, clarifying that children cannot be deemed to consent to prostitution-related offenses; HB 3185, authorizing administrative subpoenas in cybercrime investigations; HB 2017, increasing penalties for certain intoxication manslaughter cases involving undocumented immigrants with prior DWI convictions; HB 2306, making certain trafficking offenses ineligible for parole; HB 1607, allowing a rear-only license plate when a vehicle lacks a front bracket; HB 1828, creating a legislative leave pool for TDCJ correctional officers; and HB 3664, requiring prospective grand jurors to complete training and proposing additional changes to grand jury procedure in a future substitute. The committee also took up HB 3073, the Summer Willis Act, which would clarify consent in sexual assault law and address intoxication-related incapacity; the committee substitute narrowed the language to situations where the perpetrator knows the other person cannot consent because of intoxication or impairment, while removing withdrawal-of-consent and “reasonably should know” language from the House version. Several bills were laid out with committee substitutes adopted, including HB 3463, HB 2594, HB 3073, and HB 3073’s substitute, and most bills were left pending after no invited or public testimony or after hearing testimony. Public testimony was especially extensive on HB 3073, with survivors, advocates, and prosecutors supporting broader consent language, while some prosecutors said the substitute was an improvement but still favored the House version’s broader protections. HB 3664 drew significant opposition from district attorneys, who argued that mandatory transcription or recording of grand jury testimony would be costly, chill grand juror questioning, and complicate timely presentations; concerns were also raised about new-evidence requirements and grand jury shopping. No final votes were taken on the bills discussed in the transcript, and the committee recessed partway through to return to the floor before continuing its hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our end goal is to get people that did not drink and drive to make a choice not to do that.
• Drunk driving is a well-documented and serious problem in the state of Missouri.
• The Missouri Highway Patrol reports data from fatalities of drunk driving.
• Data from fatalities of drunk driving.
• with him as we work to improve Missouri's roadways from impaired driving.

Transcript Highlights:

• We wouldn't be training students are driving, so it might make sense to remove the word training.
• With this, we wouldn't be training students are driving, so it might make sense to remove the word training
• And then when we get to the list of what the safe driving program would include, some of the people that
• I thought about when I drive to Jeff City every day and I see people pull in front of, say, a semi-truck
• so close and thinking if this is an opportunity to talk about safe driving, maybe we should include

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2195, a driver education-related measure. The ranking member offered an amendment to remove the word “training” and add specific safe-driving topics such as pedestrian and motorcycle safety, based on prior testimony. The amendment and then a committee substitute were adopted. Members clarified that the bill does not require schools to offer driver education; it instead creates a mechanism for schools that choose to provide it. The committee then voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2195 do pass by a unanimous 18-0 vote. Next, the committee considered House Bill 2502. The substitute mainly changed the term “non-public” to more specific references to private, parochial, and parish schools. The substitute was adopted, and the committee voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2502 do pass unanimously, 18-0. The committee then revisited House Bill 2776, which had previously been voted out but was brought back after additional concerns from PSRS and others. The sponsor described major revisions, including changes to teacher certification tiers, more flexible service timelines, expanded credit for professional development, and limits to elementary grades. Members debated whether the bill watered down teacher preparation, whether the new certification structure could create unintended rights or salary issues, and whether the elementary-only scope was appropriate. After extensive discussion, the committee adopted the substitute and voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2776 do pass by a 14-4 vote. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1767, the Missouri Educators and Parental Empowerment and Rights Act. The sponsor said the bill was intended to balance educator and parent rights and encourage collaboration rather than conflict. Supporters from Missouri NEA and the Missouri State Teachers Association said the bill would help address teacher retention by protecting classroom discipline authority, planning time, and other working conditions. School administrators raised concerns about practical implementation, potential legal conflicts, and added burdens on districts. After testimony and discussion, no further action was taken and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• When radiation exposure drives women away from our field, we lose out, not just on talent, but on the
• Don’t drive to the mailbox without it. Just the seatbelt. You wear a seatbelt.
• Don’t drive to the mailbox without it. Okay.
• Our staff and council have over 200 years collectively driving this highway. We do know our road.
• Even if you don't drive on a road, it's still going to decay.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced six measures. SB 1118, as amended, appropriates $3 million to the Department of Health Services for a grant program to help rural hospitals install enhanced radiation protection systems in cardiac catheterization rooms; testimony from an interventional cardiologist emphasized worker safety, reduced radiation exposure, and recruitment/retention of physicians, and the bill passed 10-0. SB 1154 provides $500,000 to ADOT for a traffic and safety study on SR 64 between Williams and the Grand Canyon; local officials, law enforcement, and fire personnel described heavy tourism, rising crashes, and the need for broader roadway improvements, and it passed 6-4. SB 1063 appropriates $10.4 million for safety improvements on U.S. 70 in the San Carlos Apache area; tribal leaders and law enforcement cited high fatality and injury rates, dangerous design features, and limited federal funding, and it also passed 6-4. The committee then approved SB 1153, which creates a Grand Canyon National Park specialty license plate and fund; the Grand Canyon Conservancy supported the measure as a way to generate dedicated revenue for park programs, and it passed 10-0. SCM 1001, as amended, urges naming SR 260 the Donald J. Trump Highway through the State Board on Geographic and Historic Names rather than ADOT; the memorial drew sharply divided testimony and debate, but it passed 6-4. Finally, SB 1209 exempts homeless individuals and those using shelter addresses from non-operating ID fees and extends the validity period for those IDs to eight years; advocates said the change would help people obtain housing, jobs, and services, and it passed 9-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, hi, I'm the city manager for the City of Moses Lake, about a four-hour drive from here.
• And first I want to say thanks for taking up this issue, and that I drive a semi most of the time.
• The little rigs we drive around on, we load the cans on our trailer and drive them around from the hook
• The little rigs we drive around on, we load the cans on our trailer and drive them around from the hook
• And I represent the operators, the people on the ships that are driving them.

Summary: The Senate Local Government and State Parks Committee heard several bills focused on local government finance, land use, and public safety. SB 5903 would deem a cemetery district commissioner elected if only one qualified candidate files, with sponsor Senator Cortez saying it would save ballot-printing costs and local resources; there was no testimony in opposition. SB 6037 would create or modify a voter-approved option for cities and towns to form a single-city fire protection district, adjust levy and notice rules, allow administrative service contracts with the city, and clarify commissioner elections; Senator Cortez and multiple city and fire officials said it would give communities more flexible, locally controlled funding tools for fire service, while committee members asked about how it would work and the fiscal impact. SB 5983 would exempt certain current-use land transferred to a government entity for right-of-way from rollback taxes when the transfer is tied to development conditions and stays within a 20% acreage limit; Senator Leas described it as helping a family farm avoid an unfair tax bill, and there was no testimony on the bill. The committee also heard SB 5995, which would remove the 2031 sunset on the prohibition against using port funds to buy fully automated marine container cargo handling equipment. The sponsor and labor witnesses argued the bill protects jobs, keeps public dollars from underwriting automation, and still allows zero-emission, human-operated equipment; port and labor representatives testified in strong support, while the sign-in sheet showed substantial public interest both for and against. SB 6016 would change how urban growth area swaps treat critical aquifer recharge areas, making the rules for annual and periodic updates more consistent and allowing swaps if they do not increase net CARA acreage within the UGA; the sponsor, Commerce, housing, business, and development interests said it was a technical fix that supports housing and consistency, while one witness warned it could weaken groundwater protections and create litigation risk. Finally, the committee heard SB 6066, which would let counties, cities, towns, or WSDOT designate “accident risk zones” on roads with repeated crashes, require a public hearing and engineering review, double certain traffic penalties in the zone, and dedicate half the extra revenue to safety improvements before dissolving the zone. Supporters from cities, counties, and Pasco said it could help address dangerous intersections and fund fixes, though several witnesses raised liability and implementation concerns and asked for further stakeholder work. No votes were taken in the transcript; the chair closed each hearing after testimony and sign-in counts were noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• The school bus driver, an employee of Pasco County School Board, failed to drive safely, leading to the
• Senators, this amendment enhances penalties related to the Florida ban on texting while driving law.
• The amendment changes texting while driving from a non-moving violation to a moving violation, including
• of people who've had their lives changed forever because of an injury or death due to distracted driving
• And I am going to very soon have a young man driving or with a learner's license, and anything that helps

Summary: The Senate convened with an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance led by pages, and several introductions recognizing guests, family members, and a USF Day at the Capitol presentation. The chamber then moved to the special order calendar, where it first passed two Open Government Sunset Review bills: CS/SB 7010, preserving a public records exemption for certain Department of Financial Services receiver information, and SB 7008/HB 7003, preserving confidentiality for financial technology sandbox application records. Both measures passed unanimously. The Senate also passed CS/SB 1430 on post-judgment execution proceedings relating to terrorism, a bill intended to help victims enforce judgments against terrorist entities, and CS/CS/SB 910 on veterans benefits assistance, aimed at improving veterans’ access to benefits and transition support. Additional measures passed included CS/CS/CS/SB 832 on former phosphate mining lands, SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems, CS/CS/CS/SB 700, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services bill, and several claims bills, including relief for Darlene Angerville and J.R., Eric and Jennifer Miles on behalf of EEM, and Marcus Button. SB 994 on driver’s license education requirements also passed after an amendment making texting while driving a moving violation with points and a distracted-driving course requirement. The most extended debate centered on CS/CS/CS/SB 700, where senators discussed provisions on fluoride in drinking water, labeling of plant-based products, drone penalties, charity registration, agricultural housing, and other agriculture-related policy changes. Several amendments on fluoride were offered and defeated, while a technical amendment on financial institution definitions was adopted. Senators also briefly discussed the policy implications of the bill’s fluoride language and its relationship to local control and public health. Several other bills on the calendar were temporarily postponed, and at the end of the session the Senate adopted motions to certify passed bills to the House, retain postponed bills on the special order calendar, and remove CS/SB 7016 from the special order calendar. The Senate then adjourned until April 16.

Transcript Highlights:

• to provide the very best services to all Americans, one in which innovative thinking and efficiency drive
• Second, incentives drive behavior.
• So my commitment is to drive the team to finish that inventory, to provide that roll-up and ultimately
• A HUD employee was arrested for drunk driving at 3 30 in the afternoon on a Friday and may have been
• There's ways that collectively we can drive prices down or drive wages up if that may be, but it doesn't

Committee: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Keywords: nominations, Scott Cooper, Eric Ulan, federal workforce, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, accountability, collective bargaining

Summary: The committee convened to discuss the nominations of Scott Cooper for Director of the Office of Personnel Management and Eric Ulan for Deputy Director at the Office of Management and Budget. This meeting highlighted the critical roles both positions play in managing the federal workforce, which comprises over two million civilian employees. Concerns were raised regarding the current administration's approach to federal employment, citing issues like mass firings and the undermining of collective bargaining rights. Members expressed the need for better accountability and transparency within the federal system, emphasizing the importance of attracting talented public servants.

Transcript Highlights:

• People drive through our state.
• But that doesn't drive the economy.
• Big boy pants and start driving the economy.
• Driving the other income toward them.
• A lot of providers live in urban areas, yet they drive and practice.

Committee: House House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:32:42.639><c> up</c> then then um and it was still driving up then then um and it was still driving
• And likewise, we can talk about mandates that are driving property taxes.
• That's going to drive up property taxes as well.
• And likewise, we can talk about mandates that are driving property taxes.
• That's going to drive up property taxes as well.

Bills: HR1 , HF387

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: January 6 insurrection, pardon, law enforcement, violent crimes, public safety, justice system, political accountability, Blaine, local sales tax, special tax, restaurant tax, lodging tax, admissions tax, amusement tax, hotel tax, redevelopment, capital improvements, municipal finance, bonding authority, tourism tax

Transcript Highlights:

• But if you think that you drive less miles, this is their hook.
• And they pay per mile that they drive, 2.3 cents. Stations.
• And they pay per mile that they drive, 2.3 cents.
• </c> that they drive, they pay 2.3 um cents. that they drive, they pay 2.3 um cents.
• </c><01:51:34.400><c> and</c> presentations from Drive Electric and presentations from Drive Electric