Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:01.200><c> Department</c><00:04:01.720><c> of</c> the Minnesota Department of the Minnesota
• </c> to us to say hey we have these Minnesota to us to say hey we have these Minnesota complaints<00:
• Paul, Minnesota.
• Chairman, Keith Ellison, Attorney General for the state of Minnesota.
• </c> that anyone calling themselves a public that anyone calling themselves a public servant<00:54:48.160

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• for the city of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, Minnesota.
• General public riders will be able to utilize the demand-response services on Sundays and holidays following
• General public riders will be able to utilize the demand response services on Sundays and holidays following
• On June 11, 2014, Mandan residents approved a half-cent sales tax to help fund public safety and public
• And it's also a lot more expensive than public transportation.

Summary: The Government Finance Transportation Study Subcommittee met to review fixed-route transit systems and related funding needs. After approving the prior meeting minutes, the committee heard presentations from Cities Area Transit in Grand Forks/East Grand Forks, Bisman Transit in Bismarck-Mandan, and MATBUS/Fargo, along with comments from North Dakota Protection & Advocacy. The transit agencies described their routes, paratransit services, ridership trends, fare structures, fleet replacement needs, and rising operating costs, emphasizing that transit supports access to work, school, medical care, and other essential services. Testimony also noted that ridership fell during the pandemic and has been recovering, while vehicle and maintenance costs have risen sharply. Grand Forks transit reported 17 routes, a recent fare increase, and operating costs that exceed fare revenue, with paratransit service extending beyond the federal minimum service area. Bisman Transit outlined its fixed-route and paratransit operations, recent service expansions, local mill levies, sales tax support, and federal grant structure, and said it is seeking more stable funding and flexibility beyond paratransit-only support. Minot’s transit superintendent explained the state’s existing transit aid formula, the use of refurbished buses, and the challenges of driver recruitment and electric bus infrastructure. Fargo asked for additional state support for fixed-route urban transit. Committee members discussed whether ride-share services could replace transit, the cost per trip, local match requirements, and whether a separate state funding source should be recommended for the four urban fixed-route systems. The subcommittee ultimately approved a motion to have Legislative Council prepare a summary of its activities for inclusion in the full Government Finance Committee report, and members indicated they would seek more detailed funding figures from the transit agencies before making any specific recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Minnesota community. Minnesota community.
• Commission. Commission.
• of public funds.
• . utilize. utilize.
• Let's talk about the huge levels of public service human services fraud that has been seen in Minnesota

Committee: House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota will continue to move forward.
• We have a few interconnecting issues here in Minnesota.
• It's where the rich use public transportation."
• We make the hard decisions and we make Minnesota work.
• The commission will result in real cuts.

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• The stadium was built thanks to the financial commitments of the Minnesota Vikings, the state of Minnesota
• Racing Commission.
• </c> deposit wagering and races in Minnesota. deposit wagering and races in Minnesota.
• </c> Minnesota needs help and the Minnesota Minnesota needs help and the Minnesota HBPA<01:21:30.880>
• Representative Ston. continue in Minnesota. Minnesota racing continue in Minnesota.

Bills: HF4912 , HF4664

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• of Minnesota.
• Minnesota Statute 222.37, which is attached in my notes, allows certain utilities to install infrastructure
• One of the things that we have to deal with is the public right-of-way, just as other utilities like
• Louis County, and Representative Roehrig's bill dealing with statutory cities and the Public Utility
• from many voting rights lawyers and public officials is that Wisconsin, like Minnesota, prohibits offering

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• or a Crown utility.
• I was at our Public Utilities Commission, the PUC, who at the state level helps relicense.
• The thing about the California Coastal Commission is, you can imagine, the California Coastal Commission
• We do have recycling and building the public support in here.
• A corollary to that is that you also get higher fuel utilization.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:58.240><c> It's</c> eliminating fraud in Minnesota. It's eliminating fraud in Minnesota.
• </c> inspector general advisory commission. inspector general advisory commission.
• </c> across Minnesota. across Minnesota.
• You're a member of the public.
• </c> public dollars to be used irresponsibly. public dollars to be used irresponsibly.

Bills: SF856 , HF3168 , HF3528 , HF389

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Commission on Trial Court Appointments, Maricopa County: Susan Stodola; Commission on Trial Court Appointments
• Commission on Trial Court Appointments, Maricopa County: Susan Stodola; Commission on Trial Court Appointments
• SB 1280, public monies, Mexican wolf prohibition.
• SB 1401, special plate golf tournament, Public Charity. Public Safety.
• SCR 1016, public utility commission, Natural Resources.

Summary: The Arizona Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and approval of the journal. The chamber then recognized several guest groups and proclamations, including Alzheimer’s Association advocates, Arizona Society of CPAs members, the Arizona Airports Association, and students from Onyose Day Academy. A proclamation was read declaring January 26, 2006, as Arizona Aviation Day, highlighting the economic and public-safety importance of Arizona’s aviation sector and its airports. The bulk of the meeting consisted of points of personal privilege and floor statements, many focused on condemning recent deaths and injuries involving federal immigration enforcement actions in Arizona and other states. Senators called for investigations, transparency, due process, and an end to what they described as excessive force and warrantless enforcement. One senator also read a resolution supporting human rights and the people of Iran, condemning state violence and supporting secular protections and international accountability. The chamber also handled routine business, including gubernatorial nominations, which were referred to the appropriate committees, and the introduction and first reading of numerous bills and resolutions covering topics such as taxes, education, immigration, elections, health care, water, labor, housing, firearms, and appropriations. After committee announcements, the Senate adopted a motion to adjourn and recessed/adjourned until Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and other unlawful uses of public and other unlawful uses of public funds<00:20:15.159><c> um</c
• </c><00:20:54.640><c> Constitution</c> highlighted the Minnesota Constitution highlighted the Minnesota
• </c><00:38:02.720><c> Safety</c> about the Department of Public Safety about the Department of Public
• I have to say that as a PhD in public health, our evaluation process with the Minnesota Department of
• I've had a nearly 40-year career in Minnesota as an environmental advocate, working for many public interest

Bills: HF25 , HF1 , HF428

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:45.200><c> the</c> individuals are utilizing the individuals are utilizing the alternative
• In my life as a self- Minnesota.
• </c> Rise in Crystal, Minnesota. Rise in Crystal, Minnesota.
• </c><00:20:33.120><c> safety</c> uh be re-referred to public safety uh be re-referred to public safety
• </c> cents per minute, while Minnesota cents per minute, while Minnesota families<00:25:49.440><c> pay

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• is public.
• </c><00:52:18.960><c> to</c><00:52:19.280><c> look</c> the commission and of the public to look the commission
• Minnesota. Minnesota.
• Today, I'm here because Minnesota data laws, specifically statute 13, no longer serve the public the
• The public pays for the data. The public owns the data. The public can't access the data.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the House Public Safety Finance Bill.
• Moving to page 17, section 7, this is the Minnesota language that establishes the Minnesota Victims of
• all six of our Minnesota crime victim coalitions, which include two sexual assault coalitions: the Minnesota
• Violence Free Minnesota and Mending the Sacred Hoop, one Child Victim of Crime Coalition, the Minnesota
• My name is Emilio Lamba, and I represent the Association of Minnesota Counties, as well as the Minnesota

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• the Minnesota SAF Hub.
• I'm the senior public policy director for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association.
• public policy director<00:38:59.160><c> for</c><00:38:59.359><c> the</c><00:38:59.440><c> Minnesota</
• incentivizing Minnesota feed stocks Minnesota<00:56:25.079><c> processing</c><00:56:25.680><c> Minnesota
• </c> Minnesota processing Minnesota Minnesota processing Minnesota use<00:56:28.119><c> uh</c><00:56:

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So, um, with this, I'll hand off to Hibbing Public Utilities General Manager Luke Peterson.
• I'm the general manager of Hibbing Public Utilities.
• I am the utility director for the New Ulm public utilities.
• It's in south central Minnesota. The utility serves electric, gas, water, and sewer.
• It's in south central Minnesota. The utility serves electric, gas, water, and sewer.

Bills: HF220 , HF230 , HF240 , HF241 , HF295 , HF429 , HF490 , HF505 , HF574 , HF576 , HF581 , HF865 , HF918 , HF1085 , HF1449 , HF1452 , HF1454 , HF602

Committee: House Capital Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I have the privilege of serving as the public policy specialist for Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation
• Chair. the public policy specialist for the public policy specialist for Minnesota<00:03:30.440><c> Farm
• </c> Minnesota Farmers Union. Minnesota Farmers Union.
• </c> member from the Minnesota State system. member from the Minnesota State system.
• </c> chair of the Planning Commission. chair of the Planning Commission.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• good relationship as we did with the public...
• Utilities began to look for their paths.
• And I was in the utility business before that. I worked for a regulatory commission.
• We have somebody from the Public Service Commission here that would also be, I think, very interested
• So there is a demand there in the utilities.

Summary: The committee met for its final meeting and approved the June 16 minutes. The main focus was policy development for advanced nuclear energy, including used fuel disposition, community engagement, and Wyoming’s legislative framework for nuclear development. Rod McCullum of the Nuclear Energy Institute briefed members on DOE’s “innovation campus” initiative for used nuclear fuel, explaining that DOE has narrowed responses to five states—Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Louisiana—and is seeking host agreements by September 30. He said the effort likely requires both federal and state legislation, and industry disputes DOE’s proposal to restart the nuclear waste fee, arguing the Nuclear Waste Fund should instead be used through appropriations for disposal-related work. He also answered questions about Yucca Mountain’s failure, deep seabed disposal, and international approaches to spent fuel, emphasizing consent-based siting and collaboration with states, localities, and tribes. Envoy Public Labs/GAIN presenters Chase Blazer and Austin Blanche described state-led community engagement models for advanced nuclear projects. They highlighted examples from Kentucky, Indiana, New York, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, and Connecticut, noting that successful siting depends on early public education, local government support, workforce planning, and, in some cases, state funding for early site permitting. Committee members asked how broad engagement should be, whether it should be countywide or regional, and how small modular reactors differ in public outreach; the presenters said the approach should match the project footprint and local concerns, but that even SMRs still require broad education and stakeholder involvement. Wyoming Senator K.L. Case and Wyoming Energy Futures CEO Rita Meyer then described Wyoming’s legislative history and TerraPower’s Natrium project in Kemmerer. They reviewed Wyoming’s earlier 1995 high-level waste law, which effectively froze nuclear development until reforms in 2022 allowed on-site storage of waste from an active in-state reactor and removed much of the state-level permitting burden. Meyer said the project is now in construction, with a sodium-cooled fast reactor and molten-salt storage system, but faces major supply-chain challenges—especially HALEU fuel—and relies on private investment plus a federal ARDP grant rather than state dollars. Members asked about water supply, investor motives, supply-chain bottlenecks, and state revenue; the presenters said water comes from a PacifiCorp surface-water contract, investors are seeking long-term returns, and Wyoming expects benefits through property and sales taxes and a per-megawatt-hour fee rather than direct state investment.

Transcript Highlights:

• close to one-third of the mass of Minnesota that is in some form of public lands or water.
• TO 1/3 OF THE MASS OF MINNESOTA IS IN SOME FORM OF PUBLIC LANDS OR WATER.
• The public hears of Save Minnesota Cares, but our actions must match those words, Mr.
• The public hears of Save Minnesota Cares, but our actions must match those words, Mr.
• The public hears of Save Minnesota Cares, but our actions must match those words, Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> $250,000 for a grant to the Minnesota $250,000 for a grant to the Minnesota Orchestra, Orchestra
• ><c> and</c> a savings. for Minnesota management and a savings. for Minnesota management and budget.<
• ><c> has</c><00:31:41.519><c> a</c> The Amateur Sports Commission has a The Amateur Sports Commission
• I am deputy commissioner at Minnesota Management and Budget. Minnesota Management and Budget.
• </c> Minnesota families. Minnesota families.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• needs</c><00:03:20.080><c> to</c> from public view the public needs to from public view the public needs
• non-public.
• non-public.
• non-public and terminology public non-public and protected<00:07:58.080><c> non-public</c> protected
• Minnesota.