Video & Transcript Research : 'equity'
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MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Floor Session: 2025 First Special Session 6/9/25 - Part 2
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- There's also a couple of pieces here and some writer languages where we removed the equity, diversity
- There's also a couple of pieces here and some writer languages where we removed the equity, diversity
- There's also a couple of pieces here and some writer languages where we removed the equity, diversity
- There's also a couple of pieces here and some writer languages where we removed the equity, diversity
- There's also a couple of pieces here and some writer languages where we removed the equity, diversity
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 03/04/25
Housing and Homelessness Prevention
Transcript Highlights:
- continued investments would ensure that more first-generation home buyers have the chance to build equity
- So what this means is that we're setting folks up to get better credit, they're building equity, they're
- So what this means is that we're setting folks up to get better credit, they're building equity, they're
- <00:32:18.480>
they're <00:32:18.639>putting they're building Equity they're putting - they're building Equity they're putting down<00:32:19.000>
roots <00:32:19.279>in <00:32
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Judiciary Committee Mar 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- of limitations, the shorter statute of repose, allowing auto manufacturers to deduct for negative equity
- especially low-income consumers, with unsafe lemons if they can't afford to pay the amount of negative equity
Summary:
The Assembly Judiciary Committee met in a subcommittee setting to hear SB 26, a follow-on bill to last year’s AB 1755 dealing with California’s Song-Beverly “Lemon Law” process. Senator Umberg explained that the measure is intended to preserve the compromise reached last year while allowing automakers to opt out of the new framework and return to the prior law, with the goal of speeding up discovery and helping consumers resolve claims more quickly. Committee members and the author also noted the bill’s connection to concerns about court congestion and the need to revisit the law as vehicle technology evolves.
Support came from Consumer Attorneys of California, Toyota, and several automakers and manufacturers, including General Motors, Rivian, Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Tesla, Kia, Volkswagen Group, and Mercedes. Toyota said the bill gives automakers a five-year opt-in choice and reflects the negotiated deal. In soft opposition, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety said it preferred more manufacturers opt out, but remained concerned about AB 1755’s reduced statute of limitations and repose, negative equity deductions, and the broader impact on consumers with defective vehicles.
After quorum was established, the committee took up the motion and passed SB 26 on a roll call vote, with all members present voting aye. The chair thanked the stakeholders for reaching a compromise and indicated the bill would move forward, with immediate referral anticipated after floor action.
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session - 2026-05-22 - 10:00AM
Vermont Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- H. 757, an act relating to manufactured homes and limited equity cooperatives.
- They decided to work with the Office of Racial Equity, who does have some funds for translation services
- They decided to work with the Office of Racial Equity, who does have some funds for translation services
- who does have Office of Racial Equity who does have some<00:42:34.000>
funds <00:42:34.640> - homes and limited equity cooperatives. homes and limited equity cooperatives.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Human Services Finance and Policy Committee 4/7/26
Human Services Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- 32:22.040>
for <00:32:22.200>permissible <00:32:22.840>home <00:32:23.080>equity - dollars for permissible home equity dollars for permissible home equity values<00:32:24.040>
- issues within the Medicaid health equity issues within the Medicaid program. program. program.
- <01:40:25.840>
So <01:40:25.960>I equity and I'm excited about that. - So I equity and I'm excited about that.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- murals, performance, and educational workshops, strengthening Minnesota's commitment to diversity, equity
- Let us move forward together, rooted in equity, history, and hope, that we are in this together.
- Let us move forward together, rooted in equity, history, and hope, that we are in this together.
- Let us move forward together, rooted in equity, history, and hope, that we are in this together.
- [Music] Shared story, let us move forward together, rooted in equity, history, and hope, that we are
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee 3/4/26
Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- 18.319>
uh isn't able to fund the full loan and uh isn't able to fund the full loan and uh equity - available to that business might equity available to that business might not<01:05:21.520>
fully< - So, there's some equity. So if they do default, we can collect the rest of the loan from there.
- So, there's some equity. So if 750,000. So, there's some equity.
- <01:32:38.480>
or if they have a home with some equity or if they have a home with some equity
Summary:
The committee met on March 4, 2026, and focused almost entirely on an update and oversight discussion of the Promise Act, including its grant and loan programs. The chair opened by explaining that the committee wanted to better understand how the 2023 law was implemented, how funds are still being deployed in greater Minnesota and the metro, and whether adjustments made in 2024 and 2025 were working as intended. The minutes from March 3 were approved at the start of the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon of DEED outlined the program’s legislative history, funding structure, eligibility rules, and oversight process. He said the grant side has about $94 million available, with $16 million going to the Minnesota Initiative Foundations and $86 million to the Neighborhood Development Center, plus administrative and technical assistance set-asides. He noted legislative changes over time, including shifting the revenue eligibility test to the prior year, adding a home-office deduction requirement for businesses using a home address, and maintaining a preference for applicants who had not received more than $10,000 in prior state assistance. McKinnon said about $22 million had been awarded to 35 businesses at the time of the update, and that the loan program has $30 million appropriated, with about $9.5 million lent so far. He also described the application, verification, audit, and payment process, emphasizing that partners handle intake and DEED conducts final review and random audits.
Shahir Ahmmed of the Neighborhood Development Center described the round-one and round-two grant process in more detail. He said NDC spent about nine months building the application platform, launched round one in June 2024, received more than 3,000 applications, and later paused awards while DEED and legislators clarified the law. He reported that 651 applications were approved in the first round for just under $9 million, and that round two launched in September 2025 with a goal of distributing up to $50 million in remaining grant funds. Ahmmed also explained the step-by-step applicant process, including email confirmation, eligibility screening, document upload, identity verification through Plaid, and final DEED review. He said applicants commonly use funds for payroll, equipment or inventory, rent, and utilities. The chair indicated there would be further testimony from other program partners and then member questions, but no votes or formal actions were taken on the Promise Act itself during this portion of the meeting.
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Children and Family Law (03/25/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- We have in RSA 490-D:2 the scope, and then in RSA 490-D:3 we have equity jurisdiction.
- D3 we have Equity D3 we have Equity jurisdiction<00:45:31.720>
um <00:45:31.960>this - We actually—excuse me—could you explain for the record what equity means? Right.
- So, equity is an important concept.
- It had not fused law and equity. In other words, we had courts of law and courts of chancery.
Summary:
The subcommittee on the Children and Family Law Committee met organizationally to continue work on family court issues, building on a prior special committee’s report and taking a collaborative approach with the Judiciary. The chair said the group would focus on solutions rather than rehashing public complaints, and identified three main topics for early study: specialization and training of family court judges, the extent to which judges should be bound by the rules of evidence, and whether mediation in family cases should be mandatory or voluntary and what qualifications mediators should have. A fourth concern was also raised about overlap between superior court domestic violence cases and family court custody/support matters, and whether one judge should hear both. Members discussed whether to divide into smaller subcommittees, but the prevailing view was to work as a committee of the whole at first. Most members agreed that additional public testimony was unlikely to add much, though recent concerns could still be emailed to the committee.
The committee then heard from Attorney Erin Krian, general counsel for the judicial branch, and Judge Michael Mace. Krian said the judicial branch could provide additional witnesses on mediation and judicial training, including Judge Kissinger, and noted the branch was preparing materials on how other states handle the issues. Mace described the history of the Family Division and said he had reviewed older reports going back to the 1990s. He also outlined current judicial branch efforts, including expanded shadowing for new judges, monthly family-law trainings, and a year-long focus on family law topics. He reported that court rules had been updated to clarify notice requirements for minor guardianship changes, and that the branch had received positive feedback on the family access motion, which provides a statutory timeline and listed remedies for parenting-time disputes.
Members also discussed prior committee work on rules of evidence and family court procedures. One member recalled recommending quiet review of any judges who appeared to apply evidence rules inconsistently, and Krian said the administrative judge can review complaints even if they come from a single person. The committee also received a status update on prior initiatives, including a federal grant for guardian ad litem services for indigent litigants in four locations, testing of redesigned court forms, and continued training improvements. The chair scheduled the next subcommittee meeting for April 1 and the full Children and Family Law Committee for April 8, with further documents from committee research and NCSL to be circulated.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 3/24/25
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- <01:24:24.320>
getting p public or uh private equities getting p public or uh private equities - When I see private equity get into a government-provided service, it makes me very nervous because their
- make sure, especially in the industries that we have seen targeted for private profit and private equity
- get into a government uh uh equity get into a government uh uh provided<01:25:36.719>
services - that we are being really really equity that we are being really really careful<01:25:55.520>
about - that we are being really really equity that we are being really really careful<01:25:55.520>
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 02/05/25
Jobs and Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- I think you said you put $10 million into it, with $4.5 million in equity.
- It's usually a combination of trying to find debt, equity, and grant in order to get the project off
- raise for 4.5 we're doing an equity raise for 4.5 million<01:24:58.520>
right <01:24:58.920>- in terms of $4.5 million in equity in terms of return<01:26:01.119>
um <01:26:02.080>I - <01:26:22.360>
and of trying to find um uh debt equity and of trying to find um uh debt equity - in terms of $4.5 million in equity in terms of return<01:26:01.119>
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:09:00.200>
and <00:09:00.519>sustainability stability equity and sustainability - stability equity and sustainability while<00:09:01.720>
building <00:09:02.279>strong < - <01:20:56.679>
and <01:20:57.199>delivery <01:20:57.639>of and really equity - and delivery of and really equity and delivery of benefits<01:20:58.239>
to <01:20:58.480> - So explain that one to me, because when we talk about the equity...
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Jun 17th, 2026
Labor, Public Employment and Retirement
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm joined by Elmer Lazzardi from the California Labor Federation and Sam Gordon from Tech Equity.
- I am with Tech Equity. As the Assembly Member laid out, the headlines are kind of everywhere.
- I am with Tech Equity. As the assembly member laid out, the headlines are kind of everywhere.
- bill: one, to help ensure that nonprofit members of the advisory panel have experience assessing equity
- workforce development board meeting with some of the creators of AI who emphatically explained that equity
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm at the C-8's Assistant Director of the Family Reunification Equity and Empowerment Project, in strong
- community-based organizations that could qualify, and greater flexibility and innovation, as well as equity
- community-based orgs that could qualify, and then greater flexibility and innovation, as well as equity
- And then greater flexibility and innovation, as well as equity and resource distribution.
- So what the bill does is it creates equity between Kin-GAP and AAP.
Summary:
The Senate Human Services Committee heard a long agenda of child welfare, food assistance, child care, and social services bills. Early actions included AB 308 on regional center safety training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, AB 1049 to remove sponsor deeming from the California Food Assistance Program, AB 1201 to narrow a violent-felony bypass for family reunification services, AB 2379 to require know-your-rights training for family child care providers, AB 2429 to ease requirements in early childhood mental health consultation, AB 1755 to repeal CalWORKs’ 100-hour work penalty, AB 2478 to create a kinship family approval pathway, and AB 1969 and AB 1996 to expand coordinated cradle-to-career and child-poverty reduction efforts. The committee also began discussion of AB 1932, which would continue and strengthen community-based crisis response services.
Testimony was largely in support across the hearing. Advocates, county representatives, child care providers, legal aid groups, food banks, disability organizations, and anti-poverty coalitions argued that the bills would reduce administrative barriers, improve access to benefits and services, and better protect children and families. Several authors and witnesses emphasized real-world harms from current rules, including fear of immigration enforcement, wrongful benefit denials, delayed kinship placements, and the burden of outdated eligibility requirements. On AB 1201, county welfare officials and child welfare advocates said the bill would preserve judicial discretion while allowing more parents a fair chance at reunification; on AB 2478, they said a kin-specific approval path would help place children with relatives more quickly; and on the child care bills, providers said current reimbursement and compliance systems are unsustainable.
There was some committee concern about accountability and safety, especially on AB 1049 and AB 1201. One senator questioned whether removing sponsor deeming could weaken program integrity, and another raised concerns about whether narrowing the reunification bypass could expose children to unsafe environments or criminal activity. Authors and supporters responded that the bills still leave eligibility screening, judicial review, supervision, and service plans in place, and that the changes mainly remove automatic barriers or overly broad rules. Votes taken during the hearing were generally favorable: AB 308 passed 3-0 and was held on call; AB 1049 passed 2-1 and was held on call; AB 1201 passed and was held on call; AB 2379 passed 3-0 and was held on call; AB 2429 passed and was held on call; AB 1755 passed and was held on call; AB 2478 passed and was held on call; and AB 1969 and AB 1996 both passed and were held on call. The committee also noted that some bills were on the consent calendar and approved those items 3-0 while holding them open.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota House Taxes Committee debates proposed one-time, $4 billion property tax refund 4/14/26
Transcript Highlights:
- So, I really see this as not just an issue of wealth, but also an equity issue, because the people in
- So, I really see this as not just an issue of wealth, but also an equity issue, because the people in
- So, I really see this as not just an issue of wealth, but also an equity issue, because the people in
- This as not just an issue of wealth, but also an equity issue, because the people in my community are
- could stop insurance companies from gouging people on their prescription drugs, or regulate private equity
Summary:
The committee took up House File 4906, adopted the H4906A1 amendment, and heard a staff explanation that the bill would create a one-time property tax refund in calendar year 2026 for residential homesteads and the house/garage/1-acre portion of agricultural homesteads. As amended, the bill would appropriate $4 billion in fiscal year 2027, distribute payments based on 2026 property tax due, include a clawback for delinquent taxpayers, and coordinate with existing property tax refund programs so recipients would not receive more than they paid in taxes. House Research also discussed a disagreement with the Department of Revenue over whether the refund would be taxable federally, with House Research suggesting it would likely be treated as a non-taxable recovery of prior taxes.
Public testimony was largely opposed. Eric Bernstein of We Make Minnesota argued the proposal was too large, would create a deficit and force future service cuts, and would disproportionately benefit higher-income homeowners. Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project said the bill would create a major budget hole, threaten funding for health care, food support, schools, and other services, and exclude renters and lower-income Minnesotans. Members echoed those concerns, citing impacts on public safety, rural EMS, hospitals, education funding, and equity, while noting that renters and many seniors would receive nothing. Representative Howard questioned whether the bill was a cautious use of state resources, and Representative Norris said it missed the mark for struggling renters.
Chair Davids defended the concept as a way to put money back in people’s pockets and said the proposal was scalable and intended to start a discussion. Representative Wiener strongly supported the bill, saying many homeowners and farmers in his district are not wealthy and need relief from property taxes; he said the bill should be even bigger. No vote on final passage was taken in the portion of the meeting provided, and the committee moved on after testimony and member discussion.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- These resolutions affirm drowning as a preventable public health crisis, advance equity, reduce long-term
- health drowning as a preventable public health crisis,<00:05:31.080>
advance <00:05:31.600>equity - ,<00:05:32.160>
reduce <00:05:32.560>long-term crisis, advance equity, reduce long-term - crisis, advance equity, reduce long-term costs,<00:05:33.440>
and <00:05:33.560>save <00 - Legislative These resolutions affirm drowning as a preventable public health crisis, advance equity
Keywords:
lifeguards, first responders, public safety, ocean safety, emergency response, community wellbeing, Pohakuloa, condemnation, federal government, land sovereignty, Hawaii, native Hawaiians, public trust land, invasive species, octocoral, Pearl Harbor, environment, Navy responsibility, marine ecosystem, ecosystem preservation
Summary:
The committee first heard SCR 56 and SR 54, which recognize open water lifeguards as first responders and acknowledge their role in emergency response and public safety. Testifiers from the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, Hawaii Water Safety Coalition, Honolulu and Kauai Ocean Safety, and a junior guard all strongly supported the resolutions, describing lifeguards as often first on scene for drownings, cardiac arrest, spinal injuries, flooding rescues, and other emergencies. Several speakers said formal recognition would better reflect the work lifeguards already do and could improve training, support services, pay equity, and access to benefits such as retirement and trauma resources. Members asked about what legal or administrative changes would follow, and the discussion suggested the resolutions were a first step toward broader recognition and related policy changes.
The committee then took up SCR 25 and SR 22, opposing federal condemnation or threats of condemnation to take control of Pohakuloa and other state land. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the resolutions, saying Pohakuloa has deep historical, cultural, genealogical, and ecological significance and that any future decisions should go through existing state legal processes with meaningful consultation with Native Hawaiians. Members discussed the role of the governor’s advisory process, the need to follow DLNR/BLNR procedures, and concerns about environmental and health violations at the site. The committee also noted 14 written testimonies in support.
Next, the committee heard SCR 79 and SR 81, urging the U.S. Navy to take responsibility for eradicating octocoral and other invasive species in Pearl Harbor waters, including West, Middle, and East Loch. DLNR supported the resolutions, and testimony focused on the spread of invasive coral, the difficulty of eradication, and the limited access state agencies have inside Pearl Harbor. Members raised concerns about contamination, responsibility for the problem, and whether the Navy should fund or carry out the cleanup; DLNR said it could not speak to broader contamination issues but supported the resolution as a way to encourage action. The committee then began discussion of SCR 179 and SR 174, which urge Maui County to enforce fire code provisions on brush clearance, fuel breaks, roadside vegetation clearing, and emergency access, with written support noted from Aloha Independent Living Hawaii.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Sep 12th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Supports are designed to bring early educators closer to pay equity with their K-12 peers because the
- And we believe that together we can ensure equity and quality.
- And to also think about this is looking at healthcare equity and making sure that all the population
- specialists there are, how's the competition, what's How are these hospitals and services owned by private equity
- Concern with private equity—I share that concern. That's a big, big thing to chew off.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Transportation Committee Aug 25th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- And so when we think about equity as it pertains to paying for your transportation system, it balances
- I think there are certainly equity tradeoffs with electric vehicle registration fees or just alternative
- Gonzalez with the Center for Progressive Reform, and I also want to align our comments today with the equity
- for the hearing and for the information, and continue to encourage you to prioritize fairness and equity
- So, yes, we want to continue to look at those options that promote fairness and equity for port communities
Summary:
The Assembly Transportation Committee first took up three highway naming resolutions on its consent calendar: ACR 109, SCR 78, and SCR 90. The committee approved the consent calendar with 11 aye votes and no no votes, then adjourned the bill-hearing portion. Members also recognized committee science fellow AJ Mendeola for his service, noting his contributions to bill analysis and staff support.
The committee then held an informational hearing on alternatives to the gas tax, focused on the projected decline in fuel-tax revenue and the need for a more sustainable transportation funding model. The chair and invited experts described how inflation, improved fuel efficiency, and growth in electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles are eroding gas-tax revenues. Presenters from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the University of California discussed state options such as higher or indexed gas taxes, EV registration fees, road usage charges, delivery fees, public EV charging fees, transportation network company fees, and managed lanes, emphasizing tradeoffs among revenue adequacy, fairness, administrative cost, and public acceptance.
Committee members raised concerns that mileage-based fees or EV fees could function as new taxes on commuters and lower-income drivers, especially if the gas tax is not repealed. Presenters responded that road usage charges are generally intended as replacements for the gas tax, not additions, and argued that mileage-based systems better preserve the user-pays principle while being less tied to vehicle fuel efficiency. They also noted that flat EV registration fees are easy to administer but can be less equitable because they are not linked to actual road use.
Officials from Hawaii, Utah, and Oregon described their state programs and policy choices. Hawaii said its new road usage charge began July 1, 2025, for EVs, offers a choice between a per-mile charge and a flat annual fee through 2028, and will transition to mandatory EV participation before expanding to all light-duty vehicles by 2033. Utah described its voluntary EV road usage charge program, quarterly reporting, privacy protections, and legislative scenarios for removing the cap or making participation mandatory. Oregon outlined its constitutional cost-responsibility framework and broader transportation funding challenges, including reliance on user fees and limited use of general-fund support.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Also, this bill would prohibit discrimination due to an organization's practices of diversity, equity
- Given that increasing amount of money being devoted to private equity and private credit, this transparency
- that sound fiduciary practices are being followed in all these investments, not just in their public equity
- Money to be devoted to private equity and private credit, this transparency will help the legislature
- that sound fiduciary practices are being followed in all these investments, not just in their public equity
Keywords:
public school funding, education, budget allocation, financial transparency, state law, local control, fiduciary responsibility, public retirement systems, investment management, proxy voting, financial factors, insurance, political shareholder proposals, fossil fuels, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental regulation, discrimination, credit extension, social credit, value-based standards
Summary:
The committee heard Senate Bill 945, 946, 2044, 2819, 2403, 2337, and 312, with all bills left pending after testimony. SB 945 would restrict insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage based on oil and gas activity or ESG-related goals, and supporters argued it would protect Texas energy producers from politically motivated shareholder activism and insurance discrimination. SB 946 would bar creditors from using social credit, ESG, DEI, or religious/political affiliation as a basis for denying or limiting credit; witnesses said it would prevent viewpoint-based financial discrimination and protect access to capital for Texas businesses. SB 2337 would require proxy advisory firms to disclose when recommendations are based on non-financial factors or when they give conflicting advice to different clients; supporters said the measure would increase transparency and curb ESG-driven influence over shareholder voting. SB 312 would direct public retirement systems to focus on financial returns rather than social or political objectives, with the author saying the bill responds to activist pressure on pensions and would reinforce fiduciary duty.
The committee also took up election and ethics measures. SB 2044 would strengthen electioneering restrictions for publicly funded education institutions and personnel, prohibiting use of official resources to promote political agendas; testimony focused on alleged school district electioneering in bond and tax elections. SB 2819 would prohibit county elections administrators from holding certain officer positions appointed by elected officials, addressing potential conflicts of interest. SB 2403, the Texas Ethics Commission sunset bill, would restructure complaint handling with a three-tier violation system, risk-based complaint prioritization, longer response times, bipartisan preliminary review panels, and expanded hearing options; members discussed amendments aimed at dismissing minor complaints, clarifying categories, and adjusting lobbying and penalty provisions, but the amendments were withdrawn during committee consideration.
Across the ESG and finance bills, invited witnesses from the American Energy Institute, Heartland Impact, Consumers Research, ADF Action, Texas Civil Justice League, and related groups generally supported the measures, arguing that banks, insurers, proxy advisors, and asset managers have used ESG or reputational-risk standards to discriminate against energy, agriculture, firearms, and religious organizations. No opposition testimony was presented in the excerpt, and the committee closed public testimony on each bill and left them pending.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation Apr 9th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- So you buy down that amount, plus you get the cumulative benefits of no return on equity for those dollars
- What does that mean for our digital equity programs and implementing those within CDT?
- It would be the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity. Thank you.
- to consolidate everything into if it was up to you it would be the office of broadband and digital equity
- thank you that's going to be in my hearing today It would be the Office of Broadband and Digital Equity
Summary:
The hearing was an informational budget session on energy agency proposals, with no votes taken. Early discussion focused on Proposition 4 climate bond implementation, including funding for demand-side grid support, offshore wind development, and transmission financing. The Department of Finance said the budget includes allocations for demand-side grid support and offshore wind, but not yet for the $325 million transmission financing piece pending a required study. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the Legislature to consider whether to wait on offshore wind funding, whether to keep shifting funds into demand-side grid support, and how to direct future transmission financing. Members also raised concerns about local technical assistance for offshore wind, Salton Sea priorities, and the need for more information before final decisions.
The California Energy Commission and CPUC then reviewed the broader energy package. The CEC highlighted the demand-side grid support program’s growth, distributed energy backup assets, long-duration storage, hydrogen grants, and the SIRP clean energy reliability program. CPUC testimony emphasized affordability, wildfire mitigation costs, rooftop solar cost shifts, and efforts to reduce rates while maintaining reliability and clean energy goals. Members questioned CPUC staffing, delays in proceedings, coordination with the CEC and CAISO, and the impact of rate increases on customers. The agencies also discussed the AB 3264 transmission financing study, with CPUC saying work on the study had already begun and was on track for the July 1 deadline.
Several trailer bill and implementation items were also discussed. The committee reviewed a proposal to extend the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program surcharge, with members split over whether it should be handled in budget trailer bill language or policy legislation; the administration said the surcharge supports a critical program serving about three-quarters of a million Californians. The committee also heard a CPUC data-sharing proposal to allow nondisclosure agreements for transmission and reliability data, which members generally supported as a technical fix. DWR explained a proposal to clarify language for the Electricity Supply Strategic Reliability Reserve so it can potentially sell three gas-fired units it owns, and the CEC presented a federal transmission grant proposal tied to grid-enhancing technologies and ratepayer cost recovery. Finally, the committee discussed California Lifeline and possible broadband pilot reforms in light of uncertainty around federal Universal Service Fund support, with CPUC saying it is exploring a statewide standalone broadband option for eligible customers.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 3/17/26
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Um so mind uh some equity concerns.
- They shouldn't be an investment that is so great that private equity wants to invest in this.
- It's also a problem<01:41:00.719>
when <01:41:00.960>private <01:41:01.280>equity private equity wants to invest in this. private equity wants to invest in this.- looks at an problem when private equity looks at an energy<01:41:03.119>
company <01:41:03.520 - looks at an problem when private equity looks at an energy<01:41:03.119>
Keywords:
climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, sustainability, environmental policy, renewable energy, Minnesota Climate Innovation Financing Authority, earned incentive release credit, release credits, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, sentence reduction, good time, prison time, incarceration, violent offenses, murder, criminal sexual conduct, sex offenses