Transcript Highlights:

• Number four, DHS Division of County Operations with Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance.
• Number five, DHS Division of County Operations with Shorter College.
• They entered into a contract with this vendor in 2019 and continued operations.
• Number 12, DHS, Division of County Operations, with E Systems Incorporated.
• You can see a number of levels, number of spaces available on a level.

Summary: The committee first considered an $88,000 used tire program contract for District 4 with LTR Intermediate Holdings. Senators raised concerns that the tire district’s revised business plan had not yet been approved and that the contract could worsen cash flow before funding was confirmed. Questions were also raised about procurement language in the RFP that excluded bidders under corrective action plans. After discussion, a motion was made and approved to hold the contract until next month so the tire board could appear and answer questions. Members then reviewed a large slate of methods of finance, alternative delivery projects, and discretionary grants. These included capital projects at ASU Mid-South, Arkansas Tech, Ozarka, UA Fayetteville, UA Little Rock, UAMS, and UCA; a new UCA multi-purpose arena project estimated at $75.5 million; and DHS and Department of Health grants for aging services, substance abuse prevention, mental health, nutrition, hearing-loss follow-up, HIV services, and rural hospital quality improvement. All of these items were reviewed without objection. The committee also heard a ratification request from UAMS for a Family and Medical Leave Act outsourcing contract with FMLA Source. UAMS said an amendment had been prepared but never submitted for review, and payments continued after expiration; members expressed frustration and asked UAMS to review whether other contracts had similarly lapsed. The committee then reviewed numerous construction-related, intergovernmental, out-of-state, and in-state contracts, including airport economic impact study work, parking guidance technology at the University of Arkansas, veteran nursing services, and multiple DHS service contracts. Most items were reviewed without objection, and the meeting adjourned after reports of routine contract amendments and minor contracts were presented for information.

Transcript Highlights:

• local control on how businesses operate local control on how businesses operate that<00:03:53.879
• qualified breeders that are operating qualified breeders that are operating and<00:29:00.360>
• meals and that's that that are operating meals and that's that that are operating within<00:29:06.440
• in the same space as me being irresponsible, resulting in the loss of my ability to operate my small
• in imagine someone uh that's operating in the<00:30:10.600> same<00:30:10.799> space<00

Keywords: Intro: 00:00 Attendance Roll Call: 00:31 Discussion of SB 122: 02:30 Roll Call Vote on SB 122: 26:47, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee took up Senate Bill 122, a measure dealing with pet stores, breeders, and the scope of local regulation. The chair explained the bill was intended to balance private business rights with local control, and said he wanted to clarify definitions such as qualified breeder, local authority, and where fees and fines would go. He also said he would work on a floor amendment and noted concerns about whether the bill would allow localities to outright ban pet stores or instead only regulate them. The committee first adopted a committee substitute by motion and voice vote. Supporters of the bill, including representatives from Petland and an attorney who had worked on animal-related regulation in Ohio, argued that the bill would create statewide standards, protect responsible pet retailers from what they described as politically motivated local bans, and preserve consumer choice. They said local governments would still be able to inspect, require documentation, and enforce licensing, but not shut businesses down without due process. A senator from Campbell County asked whether the bill would interfere with strong local ordinances; supporters responded that the bill would set standards higher than USDA rules and still allow local regulation, while opposing local bans. Opposition came from the Kentucky League of Cities and representatives of Kentucky animal care and control agencies. KLC said local decisions should remain at the local level and noted that several cities and one county already had ordinances that could be affected; it also said the bill was opposed by its board and might overlap with pending litigation. Animal control representatives said the bill did not clearly define breeder verification or enforcement responsibility, could restrict local authority, and did not address animal care conditions or consumer transparency. After questions and debate, the committee voted on the bill; the roll call ended in a 5-5 tie, and Senate Bill 122 failed to pass out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the least we can ask for is some transparency in the space.
• We also know Visa and MasterCard operate at a profit margin; many of you operate small businesses, and
• Commercial lending, business growth, operating lines, things like that.
• There's little competition in this space.
• They actually operate on razor-thin margins.

Bills: HB245, HB245, HB700, HB2783, HB3526, HB3900, HB4061, HB4124, HB4166, HB4395, HB4534, HB4609, HB4641, HB4736, HB4738, HB4739, HB4945, HB5015, HJR175

Keywords: property tax, delinquent taxes, ad valorem, penalties, interest cap, military service, retirement, law enforcement, custodial officer, Employees Retirement System, commercial financing, brokers, registration, disclosures, finance, consumer protection, fees, deferred compensation, automatic participation, county employees

Transcript Highlights:

• A nuclear facility is a quiet operation.
• A nuclear facility is a quiet operation.
• And then we have space for another system.
• So what have we been doing in this space?
• Your operational flexibility is much higher.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not only in the traditional space but the extended learning space as well.
• As we noted, the challenge for us is that our spaces are public.
• The emergency operations meetings that we have in the morning, it's Raja and my.
• But to do that, we need to move into contemporary educational and scientific space.
• . space.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we look at space utilization in our office space.
• We operate state psychiatric hospitals and state-supported living centers.
• and is freely moving between other operations. operations because they're not on our employee misconduct
• in order for us to attract more quality providers to this space.
• They use it for operating a number of, they also increase some salaries as well as part of that. operating

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• operations of the Alamo.
• with us so they could operate in the same space at the same cost.
• physically and and operational wise.
• We need two more tools to operate efficiently.
• On an operation like that is about 1 to 1600.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've spent a lot of time going over vacancies and agency operations.
• in mind in many cases, or in some of the spaces.
• A more functional space is coming. First week in March, we're almost there.
• So it's a dedicated space for that purpose.
• We've relocated them so they're operable without disturbing the parking area.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met to receive an overview and tour of Capitol complex construction projects funded through the Department of Management Services (DMS). Deputy Secretary Tom Berger gave a historical and project-by-project presentation on the Capitol campus, explaining the evolution of the historic Capitol and the current tower complex, and describing major ongoing work including the Waller Park west entry/ADA and waterproofing project, the east entry security screening area, Cabinet meeting room modernization, historic Capitol re-roofing, the large Capitol HVAC replacement, window replacement, Memorial Park improvements, the Holocaust Memorial, the North Loading Zone, and Knott Plaza upgrades. He noted that the Capitol windows and HVAC work are intended to address aging systems and improve resilience, security, and accessibility, and said the broader Capitol window project will continue over several years. Members asked questions about the African-American memorial, the old bank/archives building with water damage, the roofing material and expected lifespan, the legal definition of the Capitol complex, and the history of early legislative meetings in Pensacola and St. Augustine. Berger said the African-American memorial base is built and the installation should be completed in March or April, while the archives building is owned and managed by the Department of State. He also explained that the roof uses a slate-like material designed for a 50-year life cycle, though major storms could still damage it, and clarified that the Capitol complex can be defined differently in statute versus operationally. Chair Lopez and other members requested follow-up information, including a rendering of the African-American memorial and a table summarizing the Capitol investments and when the facilities were last updated, so members can better explain the spending to constituents. Berger said he would provide the requested information, and the committee then concluded the presentation and proceeded to the tour.

Transcript Highlights:

• lean bring it down to a smaller space lean bring it down to a smaller space right<00:33:38.679><
• <00:45:48.319> like do we start moving into a space like do we start moving into a space like
• <00:46:28.000> in had Builders tell me we don't operate in had Builders tell me we don't operate
• unnecessary burdens on Camp operators unnecessary burdens on Camp operators and<01:16:47.639>
• My concern is in the same space as my colleague.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, as far as the challenges for some of the space companies, um, one of the things that new space has
• Host a national level state of the Space industrial base conference which the very first year 2020 is
• early stage companies, medium stage, you know, get them to the funding sources and in in what new space
• So that's what new Space Nexus is about.
• Operations and fundraising.

Transcript Highlights:

• , research space Where feet of currently existing education, office space, research space that could
• It fits in every single operation.
• Once unloaded, the trailers convert into operational and laboratory space, providing USDA personnel with
• So I can speak on the operational side.
• It's not just about a space. It's about a space that has been specifically designed for this issue.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• efficient with the way we use our space. efficient with the way we use our space.
• <01:15:49.640> force, I'm a sailor, I'm in the space force, I'm a sailor, I'm in the space
• <01:24:47.000> appropriation operations appropriation operations appropriation and<01:24:49.440
• those flights as they operate here. those flights as they operate here.
• Operation Metro Search. Operation Metro Search.

Bills: HF3373, HF4449, HF3486, HF4180, HF4227, HF2505

Keywords: transportation, interchange, funding, bonds, St. Paul Park, transit, Metropolitan Council, Twin Cities, metro area, high-frequency transit, bus rapid transit, busway, guideway, transportation policy plan, transit performance measures, regional transit benchmarks, transit-oriented development, TOD, zoning, land use

Summary: The committee approved the April 8, 2026 minutes and then heard House File 3373, which was laid over. The bill sought trunk highway bond funding for preliminary and final design work at the 70th Street interchange in St. Paul Park. Representative Hansen, Mayor Keith Frankie, and Washington County Commissioner Karla Bigham described the interchange as undersized and increasingly unsafe because of refinery truck traffic, aggregate hauling, nearby growth, and changing traffic patterns. Members asked about prior study, cost, and greenhouse gas requirements, and the bill author said the request was about $500,000. Chair Cosgrove noted the bill would be laid over and suggested the issue could involve future statutory exemptions. The committee then took up House File 4449, also laid over, after adopting the A4 author’s amendment. Representative Jones presented the bill as a transit planning and accountability measure for the Twin Cities metro. It would set numeric transit goals, require better coordination between road projects and future transit projects, and give the Met Council more tools to support transit-oriented development, including property acquisition and development around transit corridors. Jones argued the bill would help avoid rebuilding roads twice and improve transit ridership, frequency, speed, and reliability. Representative Olson offered an amendment to exempt highway projects primarily addressing documented safety issues, arguing that safety projects should not be burdened by added transit requirements or costs. Jones said she supported the safety concern but opposed the amendment as written because the bill was aimed at major construction projects. After a roll call, the amendment failed on an 8-8 tie. The bill itself remained laid over for further work, with the chair noting there was still time to refine the proposal.

Transcript Highlights:

• Dorisa Squire's operating engineer's first-year apprentice, and Natalie Pillin, also an operating engineer
• He quickly had an interview with me, you know, seeing where my mind space, my head space, he didn't just
• He quickly had an interview with me, you know, seeing where my mind space, my head space, he didn't just
• <00:09:47.200> didn't<00:09:47.440> just mind space my head space he didn't just mind
• space my head space he didn't just simply<00:09:48.000> oh<00:09:48.160> you're<00:09:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• that's needed on the program space.
• > space.
• It can designed to hold uh operational It can designed to hold uh operational capacity<00:11:13.279
• yourself, well, why do we have bed space yourself, well, why do we have bed space open<00:12:30.639
• design that's ideal but operational design that's ideal but operational capacity<00:18:30.960>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• From an operational standpoint, From an operational standpoint, I think there's a couple points I'd like
• to operate.
• We bring in everybody to our emergency operations.
• We've had a lot of innovation in this space.
• Right now there's only one U.S. company operating in this space, so it makes me, like, I'm advocating

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First, I want to thank the author for continuing to work in this space around gun violence.
• State employees have delivered using hybrid telework, and its operational benefits are immense.
• And then we talk about our other important operational objectives as a state: climate change.
• These operations have taken place in workplaces, near residences, and...
• The federal immigration operations that are taking place in public spaces, including on government-owned

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The number hasn't changed; it's still 500. operation of our wells for 201h projects operation of our
• couple months um so all of us operators couple months um so all of us operators um<00:47:51.680>
• How many spaces? How many spaces?
• They have rules that can't operate on weekends when we want locals to have space.
• They have rules that can't operate on weekends when we want locals to have space.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

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:

• It’s a beautiful space.
• NDSCS has 1.4 million square feet of space. It’s a lot of space to take care of.
• Space will, if we continue to grow, space will become a problem. It's not right now.
• Students get to operate it, work on it. So it's a great opportunity.
• , other direct costs to the program of operating.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there is more that needs to be done in that space as well.
• So there is more that needs to be done in that space as well.
• You didn't quite paint the space enough. As technical as a seam, they're very important.
• Small businesses also want to be able to provide those spaces.
• Small businesses also want to be able to provide those spaces.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. AB 416 would allow emergency room physicians to initiate 5150 mental health holds, with supporters saying it would reduce emergency room bottlenecks and speed care for patients in crisis. County and behavioral health representatives opposed the bill, and some members raised broader concerns about the 5150 system and juvenile placements. The bill was ultimately approved on a do-pass as amended vote. AB 446, the Surveillance Pricing Act, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued it would prohibit businesses from using personal data to charge different prices for the same product or service, describing the practice as discriminatory and exploitative. Business and industry groups opposed the bill, warning that its language was too broad, could affect discounts and loyalty programs, and would create litigation risk through a private right of action. After discussion about enforcement and possible amendments, the bill passed on a do-pass motion. AB 632 would give local governments a faster way to collect penalties for serious code violations, including unsafe housing, fire hazards, and illegal cannabis activity, by allowing certain fines to become money judgments and clarifying lien authority. It had support from county and city groups and no opposition was voiced in the hearing; the bill passed as amended. ACA 7, a constitutional amendment intended to clarify and limit misuse of Section 31A, also moved forward after brief support testimony. The committee then took up AB 649, which would extend protections for businesses that proactively obtain certified access specialist inspections and fix accessibility violations; the author, a small business owner, and others testified in support, while disability rights groups moved to neutral after amendments. Members discussed the balance between access enforcement and reducing predatory litigation, and the bill was still under consideration as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• by Space Florida's board of directors.
• aerospace and commercial space applications.
• How would the operations of this be?
• Eskamani: Representative Skidmore wants me to ask about Space Florida.
• Sales tax for Space Florida is one year. The property tax would be permanent. Rep.