Transcript Highlights:

• figure out how to make it back out, how to tell your friends when you go home how you had found a tree
• /c><00:48:25.760> branch<00:48:26.160> to<00:48:26.400> to a you know found a tree
• branch to to a you know found a tree branch to to ride<00:48:26.960> over<00:48:27.119> a<
• And if we need some things done that we can't do, or there's something as simple as trees down on the
• Colorado is by far—it's beautiful if you don't like trees, but, you know, I think Appalachia is just

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:01:12 Approval of Minutes 00:02:25 Co-Chair & Member Comments 00:02:48 Discussion of 2025 SB 137 00:06:58 Outdoor Adventure Tourism Opportunities 00:41:56 Public Service Commission Update 01:21:37, 958, all

Summary: The committee meeting began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the prior minutes. Members also observed a moment of reflection for Charlie Kirk and offered condolences to Representative Bobby McCool on the death of his mother. Representative Fugate then made announcements about the ongoing ATV/UTV trail system, including an October 21 opening in Letcher County and an October 2 groundbreaking in Knott County, and staff was asked to circulate the dates to members. The main agenda item was Senate Bill 137, presented by Senator Cassie Chambers Armstrong with testimony from George Ecklan of the Coalition of the Homeless and Wesley Bryant, a flood survivor and Eastern Kentucky resident. The bill would prohibit utility disconnections for non-payment during dangerous weather and emergencies, including extreme cold, excessive heat, and declared natural disasters. Supporters said the measure is narrow, does not forgive past-due balances or change reconnection policies, and is intended to protect vulnerable residents, reduce risks to first responders, and create a minimum statewide standard amid a patchwork of utility policies. They cited weather thresholds and historical examples of extreme weather and disaster declarations in Kentucky. Testimony emphasized the human impact of shutoffs, especially for low-income households, older adults, and families facing illness or disaster recovery. Bryant described experiences with people shivering without heat or struggling to keep children cool when power was cut off, calling electricity a lifeline rather than a luxury. Representative Gu raised concerns that utility bills have become unaffordable due to broader policy and rate issues, argued that some customers may not pay if shutoffs are prohibited, and questioned whether the bill was needed. Senator Chambers Armstrong responded that the proposal is limited to non-payment shutoffs during short periods of dangerous conditions and is meant to keep people safe during emergencies. No vote or final action on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, it’s like a computer hack, or like you’re hacking a tree down with an axe. And I vote yes.
• Yeah, it’s like a computer hack, or like you’re hacking a tree down with an axe. And I vote yes.
• Yeah, it’s like a computer hack, or like you’re hacking a tree down with an axe. And I vote yes.
• or like you're like a computer hack or like you're hacking<00:55:52.480> a<00:55:52.599> tree
• down with an axe uh and I hacking a tree down with an axe uh and I vote<00:55:55.920> Yes yes

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries. Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Secretary of Agriculture may issue written permits allowing paraquat use only for fruit-producing tree
• allowing paraquat use only<01:25:19.640> for only for only for fruit-producing<01:25:22.160> tree
• <01:25:22.520> orchards, fruit-producing tree orchards, fruit-producing tree orchards, crops

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Think of the farmer who falls from their tractor, or the snowmobiler who collides with a tree, a child
• c><01:03:11.840> collides<01:03:12.240> with<01:03:12.360> a<01:03:12.440> tree
• , snowmobiler who collides with a tree, snowmobiler who collides with a tree, a<01:03:14.000>

Bills: HF4841, HF4234, HF3697

Keywords: Hennepin County, sales tax, health care facilities, ballpark improvements, tax revenue, HF4234, Minnesota private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, bond cap, aggregate bond limitation, residential rental projects, multifamily housing, affordable housing finance, housing bonds, public finance, bond allocation, private activity bond cap, Minnesota Statutes 474A.02, tax committee, tax refund

Transcript Highlights:

• We can stump our coffee trees and go a year before we harvest again.
• ><00:31:50.160> stump<00:31:50.560> our<00:31:50.680> coffee<00:31:51.040> trees
• c><00:31:51.360> and<00:31:51.480> go<00:31:51.680> a we can stump our coffee trees
• and go a we can stump our coffee trees and go a year<00:31:52.080> before<00:31:52.400> we

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, with most measures drawing either support or comments rather than opposition. HB 2395, relating to taking marine deposits for research, education, management, or propagation, received support from the University of Hawaii and DLNR. HB 2585, relating to agricultural tourism, drew broad support for its intent to keep agritourism secondary to farming, but agencies and farm groups raised concerns about enforcement, county authority, and the rebuttable presumption language. Testifiers included OPSD, the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Hawaii Farm Bureau, a small farm operator, and others, with some urging clearer definitions, simpler registration, and protections for bona fide farms and hosted farm stays. HB 1728, on rainwater catchment systems, was supported in principle by DLNR, which cited drought conditions and said it deferred to counties and the Department of Health on safety and regulation. HB 1881, which would prohibit passenger ropeways on mountain lands, drew strong support from community testifiers who said it would help prevent development disguised as agritourism and protect forests and country lands. HB 1990, establishing penalties and possible foreclosure for unresolved zoning violations, received comments from the Attorney General recommending removal of AG references and more county-centered enforcement, while the Hawaii Association of Realtors warned the 30-day timeline could create problems for absent or unaware homeowners. The committee also heard HB 1712, which would expand and make permanent certain seats on the State Building Code Council. The Plumbers and Fitters union supported the bill, but BIA Hawaii requested amendments to add “licensed contractor” language, and architects and other professionals opposed the measure, arguing that increasing the council from 12 to 15 voting members would make it less efficient and harder to reach quorum. Finally, HB 2151, relating to hempcrete, was supported by a Kauai workforce development advocate and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, who said hempcrete could support agriculture, manufacturing, and affordable housing while reducing carbon and reliance on imported materials. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It actually takes, like, old trees and branches and woody mass and converts it into stable biochar.
• It actually takes like<00:17:27.439> old<00:17:27.760> trees<00:17:28.240> and<00
• :17:29.200> branches<00:17:29.760> and<00:17:30.080> woody like old trees and branches
• and woody like old trees and branches and woody mass<00:17:30.880> and<00:17:31.200> converts

Bills: HF2986, HF3555

Keywords: virtual power plant, VPP, distributed energy resources, DER, demand response, load management, grid modernization, peak demand, peak shaving, battery storage, energy storage, solar photovoltaic, solar panels, electric vehicles, smart thermostats, heat pumps, aggregator, public utilities commission, PUC, rate recovery

Transcript Highlights:

• Your constituents don't care if their power goes out because a tree falls on a distribution line or if
• :07:24.559> a care if their power goes out because a care if their power goes out because a tree
• 25.680> distribution<01:07:26.079> line<01:07:26.559> or<01:07:26.799> if tree
• falls on a distribution line or if tree falls on a distribution line or if it's<01:07:27.039> a

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Here's where all the money goes in a nice, simple drawdown tree so people can understand better where
• ><00:53:13.599> simple<00:53:14.079> draw<00:53:14.400> down<00:53:14.640> tree
• <00:53:15.040> so in a nice simple draw down tree so in a nice simple draw down tree so people

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's got something to do with trees. Yeah, he's here.
• It's got something to do with<00:30:36.000> trees.
• with trees. Yeah, he's he's here. Okay. with trees. Yeah, he's he's here. Okay.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a clean bill, as they say around here in the legislature, and not have it marked with a Christmas tree
• and not have it marked with<01:34:24.560> a<01:34:24.800> Christmas<01:34:25.040> tree
• <01:34:25.920> So<01:34:26.080> I with a Christmas tree of ear marks.
• So I with a Christmas tree of ear marks.

Bills: HF2446, HF2563, HF2444

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• heard living in a rural area, well, you know, that your great-grandfather is buried under that elm tree
• buried under your greatgrandfather is buried under that<00:04:52.240> elm<00:04:52.639> tree
• > there<00:04:53.919> and<00:04:54.240> that's<00:04:54.560> why that elm tree
• over there and that's why that elm tree over there and that's why we<00:04:54.960> don't<00:04

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, a common example is, say, you know, a weather event occurs, a tree comes down, there's cars
• You know, a common example is, say, you know, a weather event occurs, a tree comes down, there's cars
• You know, a common example is, say, you know, a weather event occurs, a tree comes down, there's cars
• You know, a common example is, say, you know, a weather event occurs, a tree comes down, there's cars

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you know, I think we've all gotten those pieces of mail in our mailbox that say, like, Americans for Trees
• We have no idea who that is, and in many cases Americans for Trees gives to Minnesotans for Forests,
• Our mailbox that say, like, Americans for Trees or Minnesotans for Forests.
• We have no idea who that is, and in many cases Americans for Trees gives to Minnesotans for Forests,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a pretty large Christmas tree lighting event that usually it's about 10,000 people that show
• pretty it's hard to police we have a a pretty large<00:42:08.599> Christmas<00:42:08.880> tree
• 00:42:09.079> lighting<00:42:09.400> event<00:42:09.640> that large Christmas tree
• lighting event that large Christmas tree lighting event that usually<00:42:09.960> it'ss<00:42

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We wrap a lot of the trees that we treat to ensure that the public are informed of treatment, to ensure
• > a<00:25:52.880> lot<00:25:53.039> of<00:25:53.159> the<00:25:53.279> trees
• <00:25:53.840> that<00:25:54.000> we<00:25:54.159> treat we wrap a lot of the trees
• that we treat we wrap a lot of the trees that we treat uh<00:25:55.240> to<00:25:55.480> ensure

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing of Senate and House committees focused on restricted use pesticides in Hawaiʻi, with opening remarks framing the issue as one of health, environmental impact, and state-level regulation. The briefing reviewed the history of pesticide disclosure efforts, including prior county actions, a 2016 court ruling that shifted responsibility to the state, and Act 45, which enabled disclosure of restricted use pesticide data. Speakers highlighted 2019 reporting data showing concentrated use in parts of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, especially near schools and communities, and identified fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene and metam sodium as among the heaviest-used products. Concerns were raised about potential links to cancer, respiratory illness, reproductive harms, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental effects, as well as the lack of long-term mixture studies and the need for better buffer zones, reporting, and farmer transition support. The Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager described the state’s regulatory framework, explaining the distinction between general use and restricted use pesticides and the department’s role under FIFRA and Hawaiʻi law. He outlined the branch’s enforcement, education/certification, registration, and laboratory functions, including inspections, complaint response, market surveillance, applicator certification, product review, groundwater protection modeling, and special registrations. He also noted staffing and resource limitations, including the absence of an in-house toxicologist and long-term monitoring capacity, and compared Hawaiʻi’s resources to California’s much larger pesticide regulatory program. He said the department supports Act 231, which was passed the previous year and is moving forward this session. A pediatrician speaking for the Hawaiʻi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasized concerns about chronic low-level pesticide exposure in children, citing AAP policy statements and technical reports that associate exposure with cancer, leukemia, birth defects, neurobehavioral issues, and asthma. Drawing on work with the Kauaʻi Joint Fact Finding Task Force, the speaker said the group found the west side of the island to be an unhealthy community but could not prove causation because of missing drift, geospatial, and biomarker data. The testimony pointed to elevated cancer mortality, pneumonia admissions, obesity, dialysis, and developmental delay indicators, and described concerns about pesticide drift near schools and homes, including reports of children becoming ill after nearby spraying and low levels of chlorpyrifos detected in dust samples. An environmental health scientist from the University of Hawaiʻi described a pilot project using restricted use pesticide data in a public health context. She said the project began after seeing maps of Central Oʻahu pesticide use and aimed to pair GIS data with health and ethnicity data, while also conducting community focus groups. Preliminary focus group themes included calls to action, voting and policymaker awareness, concern about pesticide use near homes and fields, lack of community consent, and a desire to stay engaged. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• water treatment, public utility emission reductions, brownfield cleanup, and also protecting shade tree
• 20:22.840> also<01:20:23.239> protecting<01:20:23.600> shade<01:20:23.960> tree
• <01:20:24.239> canopy<01:20:24.960> uh and also protecting shade tree canopy uh and
• also protecting shade tree canopy uh by<01:20:25.239> responding<01:20:25.560> to<01:20

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• tremendous opportunity for carbon sequestration because bamboo, for example, sequesters 10 times more than trees
• grows um 10 it sequesters 10 times more grows um 10 it sequesters 10 times more than<01:00:30.319> trees
• 31.400> and<01:00:31.520> when<01:00:31.640> you<01:00:31.760> cut than trees
• it's a grass and when you cut than trees it's a grass and when you cut it<01:00:32.000> it<01

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on Senate Bill 103, relating to electric vehicle batteries, and then moved to Senate Bill 995, relating to renewable fuel. On SB 103, the Department of Health and the State Energy Office supported the measure, and Redwood Materials said it supported the bill’s intent but requested an amendment to add a battery recycler to the commission. Other testimony on SB 103 included support from several individuals and organizations, with one opponent noted. A committee member also raised a possible deadline change requested by the Alliance of Automobile Innovation for future work on the measure. The bulk of the hearing focused on SB 995, which would create tax incentives for sustainable aviation fuel and related renewable fuel production. Supporters included the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, Pono Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines/Alaska Airlines, the Tax Foundation, PAR Hawaii, Pacific Biodiesel, and others. Supporters said the bill would help build a local SAF industry, encourage camelina and other feedstocks, and advance decarbonization goals. Several supporters also said they had proposed amendments or technical comments and stood on their written testimony. Opposition testimony argued the bill could allow toxic waste feedstocks, such as construction and demolition waste, into fuel production, and questioned whether the incentives would truly benefit Hawaii farmers or consumers. One opponent said the bill’s benefits could flow to the producer and to imported feedstocks rather than to local agriculture, and another questioned the scale of local land and water available for camelina production. Committee members pressed witnesses on acreage, water use, expected yields, the role of PAR Hawaii’s refinery investment, and whether the state would be subsidizing a business decision that might not produce significant local fuel. No vote or final action was taken in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the fall, even God loves the gold first and turns the trees maroon and gold, um.
• even God loves the go first and<01:39:16.119> turns<01:39:16.440> the<01:39:16.560> trees
• maroon<01:39:17.560> gold<01:39:18.560> um<01:39:19.440> and and turns the trees
• maroon gold um and and turns the trees maroon gold um and uh<01:39:20.520> it's<01:39:20.840>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee approved the January 21 minutes and then heard an overview from the University of Minnesota’s Office for Public Engagement on its community engagement awards program. Amber Cameron explained that the office supports partnerships across the university’s campuses and that nominations for the Outstanding Community Service Awards were evaluated by faculty and staff selection committees using criteria such as positive societal impact, innovation, extraordinary results, and overall application quality. She said the community partner award was based only on the nomination materials and described the award process, including that nominations could come from individuals, grassroots groups, or organizations and that the award carried a $5,000 prize. The main discussion focused on the 2024 community partner award given to Communities United Against Police Brutality. Cameron said the nomination documented a long-standing relationship with the university through the Center for Community-Engaged Learning, including work in 130 course offerings over 24 years across 17 academic departments and participation by about 1,000 students. She cited examples from the nomination such as student research and policy work that contributed to Travis’s Law. Committee members questioned the organization’s age, its letterhead and public activism, the meaning of its relationship with the university, and whether the work was appropriate for an award. Cameron responded that the award did not require formal tax status and that her office facilitated the process rather than judging the organization’s broader views. Members also asked for additional information on the vetting process, the courses involved, the award funding source, the ceremony, and related materials. Cameron said the awards were funded through OMN funding, that the program was being sunset and replaced with a new internal engaged-scholar awards structure, and that she would follow up on requests for documents, speaking notes, and other details. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes, and the committee moved on after the testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if there's a tree that falls on the road, we're the guys who go out and chainsaw it off.
• So if there's a tree that falls on the road, we're the guys who go out and chainsaw it off.
• So if there's a tree that falls on the road, we're the guys who go out and chainsaw it off.
• So if there's a tree that falls on the road, we're the guys who go out and chainsaw it off.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee’s first official meeting was framed as an informational session, with the chair saying no legislation would be acted on and that testimony would focus on what is working and not working for businesses and workers in Minnesota. The stated topics included earned sick and safe time, paid family and medical leave, labor shortages, and broader business climate concerns. The chair also noted the absence of DFL members and invited questions to be held until the end so testifiers could present fully. Lauren Shodor of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce argued that Minnesota’s business climate has worsened because of high taxes, rising costs, regulation, and new workplace mandates. She cited chamber survey and research findings saying more businesses are considering leaving the state, that Minnesota companies are investing more in other states than vice versa, and that the state lags national growth rates. She said employers are especially concerned about earned sick and safe time and the upcoming paid family and medical leave program, which the chamber believes add compliance burdens and costs, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Matt Hilgart of the Association of Minnesota Counties said the new leave laws affect county budgets and operations because labor is the main county cost and services are often state-mandated. He said the programs were imposed outside the collective bargaining process and can duplicate existing county benefits, increase costs, and create staffing and service challenges. He asked for changes including clearer premium-sharing language, exclusion of elected officials and short-term election workers from paid leave requirements, better exemption and private-plan rules, coordination requirements for intermittent leave, and more clarity for essential employees during weather emergencies. Owen Worth of the League of Minnesota Cities said cities are facing similar implementation problems, with overlapping leave policies and concerns about stacking state and federal leave rules, and he indicated the league would support changes to reduce administrative and budget pressures on cities.

Transcript Highlights:

• The biggest challenge with maintenance of sidewalks is the upheaval of street tree roots that can seriously
• The biggest challenge with maintenance of sidewalks is the upheaval of street tree roots that can seriously

Summary: The committee began with member introductions, then heard a presentation on a draft final report studying alternative funding mechanisms for sidewalks and related pedestrian infrastructure. Consultants said current local funding sources are insufficient, with most jurisdictions unable to complete planned sidewalk networks within 50 years. They evaluated four options: a sidewalk utility fee, a modified transportation benefit district sales tax, a new real estate excise tax option, and expanded stormwater fee use for ADA sidewalk ramps. The consultants recommended authorizing the modified TBD sales tax and new REET option, considering a sidewalk utility despite legal uncertainty, broadening any authorization to all pedestrian improvements, and not pursuing the stormwater fee option. Members asked about legal authority, fairness, revenue adequacy, and whether jurisdictions had been consulted; the presenters said state enabling legislation would likely be needed for a sidewalk utility and that fairness could be defined either by direct benefit or by need. The committee then received an update on the 2025 assessment of city transportation funding needs. The consultants reported that city transportation revenues have grown in some local and federal categories since 2019, but state revenues have remained relatively flat and smaller cities are especially affected by declining fuel tax revenues and limited tax bases. They estimated annual city transportation needs at $4.25 billion, average annual spending at $1.89 billion, and a funding gap of $2.37 billion, larger than in the prior study because of updated data, inclusion of system improvements, and higher preservation costs. Draft recommendations focused on reducing costs and improving efficiency, preserving and increasing state support, and expanding local funding options, including preservation-first spending, a permanent federal fund exchange program, streamlined review processes, better coordination with WSDOT, possible property tax flexibility, and exploration of new local tools. Members raised questions about design standards, the role of density and transit, federal compliance, and whether the report would identify specific consolidation or process changes. The committee also heard a project update on evaluating zero-emission vehicle and electrification programs funded by the Climate Commitment Act. Consultants said they had reviewed roughly 23 programs and projects across seven agencies and were now evaluating options to improve delivery, including process improvements, reorganizing programs, or consolidating governance and administrative functions. Early findings highlighted staffing shortages, duplication and variation across agencies, differing levels of risk, and the challenge of coordinating climate priorities across agencies with other core missions. Members asked about program outcomes, administrative costs, whether some programs should have exit strategies, and how to strengthen the EV Coordinating Council. Finally, WSDOT provided an implementation update on its new public-private partnership authority under SB 5801, saying work is underway to prepare governance, legal, policy, and organizational structures ahead of the January 1, 2027 effective date.