Transcript Highlights:

• We're still waiting on final numbers from our engineer.
• So we will be directing our engineers to look at that updated capacity.
• With Houston Engineering, working with the Stutsman County Commission.
• Preliminary engineering report funding, we will refine that.
• It's one of the things that we as engineers deal with all the time.

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met to receive interim status updates on several water-related studies and Department of Water Resources projects. The committee approved the March 26, 2026 minutes, observed a moment of silence for the late Representative Conmy, and then heard updates on the watershed management study and the stormwater/wastewater study. Staff reported that the committee had already received the testimony contemplated in the study plans, including input from state agencies, local governments, and out-of-state entities, and that any further action would be at the committee’s discretion. The Department of Water Resources then provided project and budget updates on NAWS and the Southwest Pipeline Project. Reese reported NAWS is expected to serve about 81,000 users, with a total projected cost of about $571 million and about $96 million remaining, while the Southwest Pipeline Project is estimated at $1.06 billion total with about $409 million remaining. Members asked about funding sources, capacity needs, and whether current and future construction is being designed for increased demand; department staff said current work is designed for ultimate capacity, but some future components may need redesign based on new requests. The committee also discussed local cost shares, Minot’s role in NAWS funding, and whether the system is adequate for peak demand. A major portion of the meeting focused on the department’s cash management, carryover, and long-term water funding outlook. The department said Resources Trust Fund revenues are tied to oil extraction taxes and are affected by stripper well exemptions and future oil price declines. Members expressed concern about large carryover balances and whether the state is obligating more money than can realistically be spent in a biennium. The department reported about $340.6 million in remaining carryover and said it is trying to reduce that through a two-tier pre-construction/construction process and closer project vetting. The department also summarized the Deloitte studies on regional governance and finance and on cost-share policy. Stakeholders generally favored keeping the current governance structures for NAWS and Southwest with improvements, while Red River stakeholders leaned toward a different option; the department said it will bring an implementation plan back in September. On cost share, Deloitte’s recommendations would reduce some percentages, prioritize projects differently, and use other measures to close a projected long-term funding gap. Members debated affordability, local burden, deferred maintenance, and whether statutory changes may be needed to allow the commission more flexibility in prioritizing and funding projects. No formal votes or final actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• After offering engineering elective at North Quincy for years, Engineering program.
• After offering engineering electives at North Quincy for years, we decided to submit an application to
• make an engineering program Chapter 74 approved.
• We are very excited to define the engineering technology program advisory board.
• We are very excited to define a four-year pathway for engineering that will support and encourage critical

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held an informational hearing at Quincy Public Schools focused on career and technical education (CTE) and related legislation. Committee members said the visit was intended to gather input for ongoing statewide efforts to expand awareness and access to CTE, especially in middle school, improve equipment and facilities, and strengthen coordination with workforce partners. Quincy administrators described the district’s CTE system, including 15 Chapter 74 programs at Quincy High School and four at North Quincy High School, enrollment of about 1,360 students, updated DESE-aligned frameworks, safety practices, business electives, and funding supported by the district budget plus state, federal, and local grants. Presenters highlighted work-based learning, industry credentials, and partnerships with employers, unions, Quincy College, MassHire, and advisory committees. Examples included co-op placements, internships, clinical placements, Military Mondays, Credit for Life, Skills Capital and Perkins-funded equipment upgrades, and a planned engineering Chapter 74 application at North Quincy. Assistant Superintendent Aaron Perkins also outlined the district’s MyCAP college-and-career planning initiative and its goal of creating a vertically aligned readiness model beginning in the middle grades. Students Ellie Crump, Emily Infantino, and Alexander Liu testified about their pathways in welding, early education and care, and healthcare technology, describing hands-on learning, certifications, clinical or shop experiences, and postsecondary plans. Committee members praised Quincy as a model for integrating CTE with general education and said the testimony would inform future legislation. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded with a motion to adjourn and unanimous agreement.

Transcript Highlights:

• Unlicensed engineering activity. Thank you. Thank you.
• Where in Florida are critical engineering shortages existing?
• This is about unlicensed engineering practices.
• No, no engineers? All right, do we have any other questions?
• So, I have an engineering degree.

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:15:47.279><c> road</c><00:15:47.440><c> and</c> engineers actually owns this road and engineers
• ><00:24:24.720><c> necessary</c> engineers have performed the necessary engineers have performed the
• Thank you. of engineers and coast guard. The muscle of engineers and coast guard.
• </c> with the Army Corps of Engineers with the Army Corps of Engineers &gt;&gt; and<00:31:35.440><c>
• We don't we don't we don't have engines.

Keywords: 00:01 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:47 Approval of Minutes 01:07 Airport Projects 12:17 Riverport Projects 38:27 Electric Vehicle Charging Program 54:10 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met on July 15, 2025, approved the June 4 minutes, and heard updates on aviation and riverport funding programs. Commissioner Mark Carter of the Kentucky Department of Aviation reported on the $200,000 grants for general aviation airports included in House Bill 1, saying the money is being used mainly for hangar projects, fuel trucks, parking lot resurfacing, airport equipment, crew cars, and public education efforts. He said about 25 hangar-related projects were reported, with an estimated 60 T-hangars and four or five box hangars supported, and noted that the grants are often used to match federal funds. He also said the state’s jet fuel tax revenue generates about $23 million annually, up from about $19 million in 2021, and that most airports are now compliant with the ADS-B/VOR-related reporting system required in budget language, which has improved reported operations and may help airports qualify for FAA grants. Members asked about the pace of airport projects, the limited number of contractors for hangar construction, and whether airports could finance hangars themselves. Carter said timing has generally been good, though federal projects have slowed somewhat and contractor capacity remains a challenge, and he said there is no statute preventing airports from financing part or all of a hangar project. Questions also focused on the long-term need for hangars and the effect of the jet fuel cap, with Carter saying general aviation airports still have significant hangar demand and rely on state assistance because hangars are a key revenue source. Jeremy Edgeworth of the Transportation Cabinet and Brian Wright of the Kentucky Association of Riverports then reviewed riverport projects funded through House Bill 265 and House Bill 1. Edgeworth said the cabinet’s riverport grant program awarded $500,000 in each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for 13 projects under an 80/20 match, and that House Bill 1 provided $7.5 million per year for public riverports with no local match. He described completed or underway projects at multiple ports, including equipment replacements, dock and road repairs, material handling upgrades, mooring cell rehabilitation, and a waterline loop at Owensboro. He said $12.6 million of the KPRCM funds had been awarded across 20 projects, with about $2.4 million still to be awarded later in the fall. Wright said the riverport investments are helping ports replace aging assets, expand capacity, and match federal dollars, but he also said the statewide capital need remains large, with the current list of top projects already in the $90 million range and longer-term needs still estimated at $60 million to $90 million. Members asked about timelines and future needs, and Edgeworth said many of the larger projects will take two to five years because of permitting and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this project uh due to our Engineers this project uh due to our Engineers comments<00:21:21.960>
• </c> colleague Sue in our engineering colleague Sue in our engineering department<00:36:16.040><c> just
• In 2022, we began working with a new engineering firm.
• I'm the city engineer for the city of Little Fork.
• Oh yeah, Jason Shop here, city engineer for the City of Little Fork.

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

Keywords: HF220, Minnesota transportation, highway user tax distribution fund, trunk highway fund, Minnesota Department of Transportation, MnDOT, transportation finance, dedicated funds, funding restrictions, arts in transportation, cultural strategies, transportation project planning, project design, project construction, placemaking, public art, infrastructure spending, state statutes 161.045, HF230, Wyoming

Transcript Highlights:

• It comes from the jet engines taking off and landing. These jet engines fly through the sky.
• It comes from the jet engines taking off and landing. These jet engines fly through the sky.
• When these jet engines fly through the sky, they leave trails. ...fly through the sky.
• When these jet engines fly through the sky, they leave trails.
• When these jet engines fly through the sky, they leave trails.

Summary: The Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee met with a quorum and first took up HCR 32, a resolution on Idaho’s energy future. Representative Leavitt said the measure emphasizes baseload generation, transmission, energy sovereignty, and private property rights, citing Idaho’s reliance on imported energy and concerns about projects such as Lava Ridge and the Southwest Intertie Project North. Public testimony included support from Renewable Northwest, whose representative praised the resolution’s recognition of regional market participation, ratepayer protection, and the need for more generation and transmission, while noting that regional market access can reduce the amount of baseload generation needed. The committee then voted to send HCR 32 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee next considered H.J.M. 18, a memorial urging opposition to solar geoengineering. Representative Hostetler explained that the memorial had been revised to focus specifically on solar geoengineering rather than weather modification generally. A long line of public testimony supported the memorial, with witnesses arguing that solar geoengineering poses risks to health, agriculture, water, soil, wildlife, and property rights, and calling for Idaho to assert state sovereignty and urge federal action. Several witnesses cited federal reports, research plans, and alleged environmental and health impacts, while others described personal observations and sampling results they believed showed harmful particulates in rain or air. One witness, a federal trial practitioner, argued that airplane trails are not merely water vapor and urged independent scientific study, while other speakers claimed links between geoengineering and infertility, neurological illness, bee decline, drought, and crop impacts. A sponsor clarified the memorial’s language in response to a question about the term “generally,” explaining it was intended to distinguish solar geoengineering from broader weather modification. After testimony ended, the committee voted to send H.J.M. 18 to the floor with a due pass recommendation and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• A CRITICAL BILL PROHIBITING GEO-ENGINEERING AND WEATHER MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES WITHIN FLORIDA.
• THE PROHIBITION FOR GEO-ENGINEERING AND WEATHER MODIFICATION EXPLICITLY BANS, THE PROHIBITION FOR GEO-ENGINEERING
• IT ALLOWS RESIDENTS TO REPORT SUSPECTED GEO-ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES.
• FOR DECADES, A NEW CLIMATE SCIENCE HAS EMERGED KNOWN AS GEO ENGINEERING.
• BUT WHAT IS GEOMETRIC ENGINEERING EXACTLY?

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so my thought is that some kind of engineer must have gone through and said that.
• to study which streets or which roads... ...engineer to study which streets or which roads would fit
• Here again, as long as an engineering study is done that shows...
• , the most recent ones were engineered at 70 miles an hour.
• The most recent ones were engineered at 70 miles an hour.

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation met on Senate Bill 1408, which would allow Missouri to raise the maximum speed limit on rural interstates from 70 to 75 miles per hour. Senator Berger, the bill sponsor, argued the change would better match neighboring states, improve traffic flow, and reflect modern vehicle safety technology. Several members supported the idea as a practical adjustment, while others questioned whether the time savings were worth the safety tradeoff, raised concerns about driver behavior, truck speed governors, road design, fuel use, and the possibility that higher posted limits would lead to even faster driving. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including a motorist advocate and some committee members, said 75 mph is common in surrounding states and worldwide, that most crashes are caused by inattention rather than speed alone, and that MoDOT should be able to set limits based on engineering and traffic conditions. Opponents included a Hazelwood police lieutenant, AAA, the Missouri Insurance Coalition, and MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger. They argued that higher speeds increase crash severity and fatalities, that Missouri’s roads and traffic volumes differ from flatter neighboring states, and that the bill could disproportionately affect young and older drivers as well as roadside workers. MoDOT said its data shows speed is a major factor in fatal crashes and cited fatality increases in Arkansas and Kansas after those states raised rural interstate limits. Committee members also debated whether the bill actually mandates 75 mph or merely authorizes MoDOT to set it where appropriate. MoDOT and AAA said any increase should be tied to engineering studies and roadway-specific analysis, while supporters argued the department already has that discretion and that the bill simply removes an outdated cap. No vote was taken in the excerpt. After closing the hearing on SB 1408, the committee moved on to House Bill 3447, a towing and recovery bill that would require more insurance for large commercial vehicles, improve notice and dispute procedures, and address abandoned vehicles; testimony on that bill began with the sponsor and representatives from the towing and trucking industries.

Transcript Highlights:

• I teach writing, speaking, and ethics to engineering undergraduates.
• I'm also a tenured professor of engineering and a former faculty Senate president.
• I got my PhD in chemical engineering at UT Austin.
• Currently, I am a senior electrical engineering major at UT Dallas.
• I moved to Texas in 2012 to join a graduate program at UT Austin for software engineering.

Bills: SB 37

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction

Transcript Highlights:

• We are engines of social mobility and economic engines in rural, urban, and suburban settings and the
• I am a faculty member in electrical and computer engineering.
• I teach writing, speaking, and ethics to engineering undergraduates.
• That's actually not common for engineers because it's not taught enough.
• Currently, I am a senior electrical engineering major at UT Dallas.

Bills: SB 37

Keywords: fetal development, education, public health curriculum, middle school, age-appropriate instruction, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so my thought is that some kind of engineer must have gone through and said that.
• Here again, as long as an engineering study is done that shows, flatter than Missouri.
• Those freeways are state highways, and those would have a different, may have a different engineering
• ; the most recent ones were engineered at 70 miles an hour.
• I'm assuming unless you have the engineering studies and the data to back up that decision.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to correct one item here: I have a testifier, Tim Murray, who was city engineer when I was
• served a seven-year term on the executive committee of the City Engineers Association of Minnesota.
• </c><00:09:42.839><c> in</c> to us reach out to any city engineer in to us reach out to any city engineer
• They call their council, their mayor, their administrator, their engineer.
• They call their council, their mayor, their administrator, their engineer.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And really, engineering is already underway.
• ><c> already</c> And really, engineering is already And really, engineering is already underway.<00:16
• </c> preliminary engineering of this project. preliminary engineering of this project.
• County Engineer for Dakota County. County Engineer for Dakota County.
• Just like a good County engineer.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have many people working in this from policy to chemical engineering to mechanical engineering into
• We have many people working in this from policy to chemical engineering to mechanical engineering into
• We have many people working in this from policy to chemical engineering to mechanical engineering into
• We have many people working in this from policy to chemical engineering to mechanical engineering into
• </c><00:10:24.959><c> which</c> diesel ammonia dual fuel engine which diesel ammonia dual fuel engine

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a nuclear engineer. I've been around nuclear for a very long time.
• a million miles to see how well the engine runs.
• But some of the capabilities we look for are basically mechanical engineers, nuclear engineering, computer
• engineers, and electrical engineers.
• They are qualified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as ASME code.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• has there been any concern... about the fact that historically, CD 30 has always had an economic engine
• But there are some historical economic engines that are. that have been in CD 30 that are now and have
• engines to CD 9 and CD 29.
• You don't know if there are any economic engines that have been changed in Congressional District 19
• What were the changes in economic engines to Congressional...?

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:50:39.279><c> Fields</c> by 24% by 2030 and Engineering Fields by 24% by 2030 and Engineering
• </c><03:51:01.520><c> and</c> these fields expanding engineering and these fields expanding engineering
• offer engineering-specific courses.
• </c> who has a PHD in electrical engineering who has a PHD in electrical engineering and<05:00:43.440
• </c> community engineering community engineering Technologies<05:08:03.638><c> those</c><05:08:03.840

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began by announcing that afternoon hearings, including House Bill 283, would be moved to Representatives Hall because of expected public interest. It then took up House Bill 671, which would establish a kindergarten literacy readiness program. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mark Pearson, described the measure as a way to close gaps in early reading readiness and said it was intended as a first step, with only a placeholder appropriation while details are developed. He framed it as a targeted effort to help children who are not entering first grade ready to read. Testimony on HB 671 was largely supportive. Representatives asked about the bill’s structure, whether a specific program had been identified, how it would interact with play-based learning, and why the provider was limited to a registered nonprofit. Waterford.org representatives Teresa Rosenberger and Rob Riley testified in support, describing Waterford Upstart as a home-based, evidence-based early learning program already used in New Hampshire. They said the program provides adaptive instruction, family coaching, and technology support, including computers, tablets, internet access, and translation services in more than 100 languages. They also said the model has been successful in New Hampshire, including a Nashua pilot and later statewide efforts, and that similar legislation has existed in other states. Rep. Jonah Wheeler also spoke in support of the bill. The chair then closed the hearing on HB 671. After a fiscal note for HB 671 was distributed, the committee moved to House Bill 781, which would require school districts to adopt policies for a cell phone-free education and includes an appropriation. The transcript cuts off as Rep. Litchfield was introduced to testify on that bill, so no testimony, debate, or vote on HB 781 is included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• a million miles to see how well the engine runs.
• So, and I'm a nuclear engineer, I study this stuff. So I'm not as optimistic as many...
• Some of the capabilities we look for are basically mechanical engineers, nuclear engineering, computer
• engineers, and electrical engineers, but they are majors.
• They are qualified by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as ASME code.

Summary: The meeting was an extended briefing from Idaho National Laboratory officials on the lab’s mission, its role in nuclear energy research, and the federal push to accelerate advanced reactor deployment. Speakers described INL’s size and capabilities, including test reactors, fuel and materials facilities, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure work, and partnerships with DOE, the NRC, the Department of Defense, and private companies. They emphasized that the lab is supporting both commercial nuclear development and national security work, while also training a large intern workforce. A major theme was the current federal effort to streamline nuclear regulation and speed up licensing and demonstration. The speakers said recent executive orders and DOE/NRC coordination are reducing redundant requirements, shortening environmental review timelines, and aiming for three new nuclear systems to reach criticality by July 4, 2026. They argued that regulatory uncertainty has been a major driver of nuclear cost and that the administration’s actions, along with DOE’s pilot and demonstration programs, are intended to rebuild the domestic supply chain and industrial base. The discussion also focused on advanced reactor types, including small modular reactors, microreactors, molten salt concepts, and liquid-metal designs. Officials said these technologies are being developed for data centers, military bases, remote communities, industrial heat, hydrogen production, and other nontraditional uses. They highlighted several projects and companies, including Oklo, Aalo, Radiant, X-energy, TerraPower, Kairos, and DOE’s MARVEL and Project Pele efforts, and said some reactors are expected to reach criticality or operation in the next few years. Questions from attendees covered safety, public health impacts, materials and heat management, waste or used fuel handling, costs, and whether nuclear could remain competitive against other energy sources; the speakers responded that advanced reactors are designed with passive safety features, that used fuel should be viewed as a resource, and that cost remains highly design- and supply-chain-dependent.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let the engineers kick us off. Well, now, there's a shock. But I have a question on this issue.
• So you've mentioned the engineers are probably going to have something to say.
• I'm the deputy director and chief engineer at MoDOT. A couple of things.
• So eight weeks prior to the letting, our engineer... Market value of that project at that time.
• So eight weeks prior to the letting, our engineers do a new estimate.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee first announced that House Bill 1873 had been pulled at the sponsors’ request and would not be heard. The committee then took up House Bill 2759, which would require MoDOT to publish engineer’s estimates after a project is awarded or rejected, with the sponsor and supporters framing it as a transparency and accountability measure that would help taxpayers and contractors understand why bids are accepted or rejected. Supporters, including the Missouri Asphalt Paving Association and a state public advocate, said the bill would not affect bidding because the estimate would be released only after award, and argued that other states already do this without higher costs. MoDOT opposed the bill, saying its estimates are meant to reflect fair market value at the time of letting and that releasing them could let contractors pattern bids around MoDOT’s numbers, potentially setting an artificial floor or otherwise distorting competition. Committee members questioned both sides closely about whether publishing the estimate after award would still influence future bids, whether rejected bids are already explained, and whether the bill would help identify problems with project scope or estimating. The sponsor said the bill had been refined and referenced an amendment to make clear the disclosure would occur at award or rejection, not before bidding. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2837, which would change how vacancies on the Bi-State Development Agency board are filled by returning to a system where the governor appoints from within the district rather than from lists submitted by the St. Louis city mayor and county executive. The sponsor argued the current process gives too much control to St. Louis City and County and does not adequately represent growing areas such as St. Charles County. Opponents from the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Citizens for Modern Transit, and a state public advocate argued the change would weaken local control for the jurisdictions that actually fund and use the transit system, noting that St. Charles, Jefferson, and Monroe counties do not pay the same transit taxes and in some cases do not receive service. The hearing ended after testimony in opposition, with no vote taken and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Army Corps of Engineers on development management of the Coastal Barrier System.
• Army Corps of Engineers. Okay, it shows it's... yeah. Thank you, Mr. Thomas.
• Army Corps of Engineers in Galveston District. Okay, thank you, Mr. Thomas.
• It says Chief Engineer in Construction, USACE.
• Engineers General Van Antwerp. I don't know if you were working when he was the Chief of Engineers.

Bills: SB2082, SB2203, SB2351, SB2550, SCR48

Keywords: concrete crushing, hospital proximity, environmental regulation, public health, zoning laws, SB 2203, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ, State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, contested case, administrative law judge, ALJ, discovery, scope of discovery, certification, administrative procedure, permit dispute, agency rules, Government Code