Transcript Highlights:

• in detail, but just note the very strong growth in the large construction sector, strong growth in mining
• Of legislative changes, for example, PIT bracket reform, larger refundable credits, things like that.
• For the outlook from FY26 through FY28, the PIT forecast has been revised downward by $58 million for
• PIT growth is still positive. But growing at a lower rate than previously expected.
• We could mine the fuel, uranium. We can process it. We can turn it into the fuel rods.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We regulate coal mines, site remediation, hydrogen, and oversee gas utilities.
• “Next is our request for $2.7 million and 2 FTEs for an oil and gas authorized pit registration system
• Operators are currently authorized to use pits during normal oil and gas operations, but the commission
• does not have a complete picture about the existence, size, location, or use of these pits.”
• new system would allow operators to provide more complete information, and the agency will inspect pits

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know about your training at Price Waterhouse, but mine taught me to be very fact-driven.
• I myself slept next to a barn pit for one month and say, hit Iraq and unfortunately have seen some of
• my Marines that I served with die from diseases related to the burn pit.
• So the burn pit legislation was a big win for veterans, first of all, and it's bipartisan in nature.
• . pits and other very dangerous chemicals.

Keywords: veterans affairs, VA modernization, employee layoffs, mental health, suicide prevention, transparency, senate committee, bipartisan support, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved detailed discussions on various veterans' issues, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amidst a backdrop of significant staffing changes. Members expressed deep concerns over the recent layoffs of over 1,000 VA employees, emphasizing the crucial nature of these positions in the context of mental health support for veterans, particularly amid rising suicide rates. Senators articulated the need for transparency and effective communication between the VA and Congress to avoid further breakdowns in services. The session also spotlighted the ongoing modernization of VA systems and the urgent need to streamline processes to benefit veterans effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh Wilmet only towns have those pits.
• does not have a lot of excavation pits does not have a lot of excavation pits going<01:13:37.600
• So uh Lebanon does have gravel. the gravel pit operators also aren't ex the gravel pit operators also
• The town is pretty much zoned as a gravel pit, the whole thing, every pits all over. >> I want to ask
• <02:58:20.240> to a sort of personal crusade of mine to a sort of personal crusade of mine

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It used to be called PIT. Yes, sir. It's a hit maneuver.
• I'm sure there was some reason to change the name of it, but I still refer to them as PIT.
• Colonel, if you would, would you please shed a little light on the PIT maneuver that was done on the
• Mine is totally different than PIT maneuvers and stuff on this one.

Summary: The committee first heard from Arkansas State Police Director Mike Hager and other agency leaders about vehicle pursuits and tactical vehicle interventions (TVIs, formerly PIT maneuvers). Hager said Acts 734 of 2020 and 82 of 2022, which increased penalties for fleeing in a vehicle, along with a public campaign and work with prosecutors, helped reduce pursuits by 29% from 2023 to 2025, or 180 fewer pursuits last year than in 2023. He said the agency also added 120 troopers during that period and that the goal is to protect innocent civilians, officers, and suspects. Members asked about where pursuits occur most often, prosecution practices, the possibility of making fleeing charges non-pleadable like DWI, and a recent mistaken TVI incident involving the wrong vehicle; Hager said no one was injured in that incident and called it inexcusable. The committee also discussed the Arkansas State Police Foundation. Hager explained that the foundation is a private support group made up largely of businesses and citizens that raises money for trooper-family scholarships, emergency relief for troopers affected by disasters or family hospitalizations, and facilities and training support, including the driving track. He said he was not aware of any lobbying activity by the foundation and praised its staff and leadership for supporting the agency beyond what the state budget can provide. Next, Director Chris Chapman of the Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training described the state’s decertification and officer accountability process. He said every separation from an agency must be reported, and if an officer leaves under circumstances that may warrant decertification, the file is flagged so any future hiring agency must be told the full history before the officer can be added to a roster. Chapman said the commission has increased decertification requests from 158 in the prior three years to 256 in the last three years, with 147 officers currently pending hearings, and that the backlog has been reduced from about four and a half years to about a year and a half. Members asked about resignations during investigations, appeal rights, citizen complaints, and FOIA access to decertification records; Chapman said those matters can trigger review, appeals go to circuit court, and the records are generally public. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after discussion of a possible future committee visit to a fish hatchery in Lonoke County.

Transcript Highlights:

• The PIT Outlook shows that for FY 24, the personal income tax data contracted by 12%.
• So nothing changed about the underlying taxation; you'll just see it PIT down $190 and sit up. by the
• change for past severance tax and also some legislative implementation for the out year as we expect PIT
• difference when the executive and that's for the cleanup fund for contaminated and abandoned uranium mine
• And maybe we can get a start on the uranium mine site.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can do that on gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do that here in McLean County.
• We can do that on gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do that here in McLean County.
• Bureau of Mines. It stayed as part of it, with a sole focus on ...the U.S. Bureau of Mines.
• Do I just exit out of this and bring mine up? Okay.
• The next meeting that we will be having is going to be out at Catole, the Freedom Mine, the coal mine

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of the Mincota Power Cooperative headquarters before returning for presentations on large energy consumers, especially data centers. The first presentations focused on how North Dakota should respond to rapid growth in energy-intensive projects, with speakers emphasizing the need for reliable transmission, local decision-making tools, and factual information for county and township officials who are being asked to weigh major projects with limited staff and technical support. The North Dakota Transmission Authority director said local governments are being asked to make high-impact decisions on pipelines, transmission lines, large agriculture, wind, solar, carbon dioxide pipelines, direct-air capture, and data centers, and urged development of simple statewide decision tools and support from the League of Cities and Association of Counties. The Department of Environmental Quality’s air division director said North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the nation, but large data centers can create air-quality concerns because of diesel backup generation; he said the department is requiring air monitors at some facilities and expects grid power and, potentially, cleaner natural gas backup to reduce emissions. Members asked about emissions standards, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession at DEQ. The Department of Water Resources director said North Dakota’s water law is based on common ownership and prior appropriation, and that data centers generally use relatively small amounts of water, often in closed-loop systems. He said the Missouri River and groundwater supplies are ample for projected needs, that the department’s permitting process protects senior water rights, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use a very small share of Missouri River flow. Members asked about downstream impacts and compared data center water use with fracking. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd Erickson urged the committee to study how other states regulate data centers, warned against litigation-driven delays and overly broad local ordinances, argued reclamation bonding should be handled at the state level if at all, and said data centers can bring jobs and tax base but should remain subject to local zoning. The committee ended the morning session for lunch and later heard an EERC update from CEO Charles Gorecki on the center’s 75 years of work in energy and environmental technologies, especially oil and gas development and related research.

Transcript Highlights:

• He's a good friend of mine and my husband's.
• Pit bull, what we learned later was a 75-pound pit bull.
• years ago I was uh this friend of mine years ago I was uh this friend of mine or<02:13:09.119>
• or what I thought was a friend of mine or what I thought was a friend of mine knocked<02:13:10.840
• Not the mine have two pink sheets on... Oh, that packet's not mine. Okay, I see that now.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 146, which would require longer retention and quicker disclosure of certain video recordings from traffic stops and similar motor vehicle violations when a citation is disputed. The prime sponsor described the bill as a response to a constituent who challenged a speeding ticket but could not obtain a cruiser video before it was deleted under the current 30-day retention practice. Supporters argued the bill is about fairness and access to potentially exculpatory evidence, and one member suggested a simple 60-day retention period might avoid confusion over different timelines. The sponsor also noted that the bill would not affect criminal cases and that victims and complainants should have access to the same evidence as law enforcement when a recording is relevant to a defense. Major Brendan Davey of the New Hampshire State Police testified in opposition. He said the proposal would create a different discovery standard for one type of evidence, could discourage agencies from adopting body-worn or cruiser cameras, and would add cost and administrative burden. He explained that the State Police already retain routine traffic-stop videos for at least 30 days, but keep videos much longer when complaints or possible litigation are involved, and said the current system balances efficiency with accountability. He also argued the underlying speeding case did not make the trooper video directly material to the citation, though he acknowledged the legislature could choose a longer blanket retention period if it wished. No vote was taken during the hearing. The committee then opened a public hearing on House Bill 638, which would allow people serving life without parole sentences to become eligible for a parole hearing at age 60 after serving at least 18 years, provided they have had no major conduct violations in the prior 10 years. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give a narrow second look to a small number of elderly prisoners, citing the high cost of incarceration and the health challenges of aging in prison. He emphasized that the bill would not automatically release anyone, would not apply to capital murder convictions under RSA 630:1, and would still allow victims to participate in the parole process. Testimony on HB 638 was mixed. Alexander Bailey, a survivor of violent crime and domestic violence advocate, supported the bill, saying many survivors favor rehabilitation, second chances, and restorative justice, and that people in prison often age faster and face serious health and safety problems. Another supporter, Russell Roy, began offering a personal story about crime, addiction, and violence in Concord, but the transcript cuts off before his full remarks. Committee members asked about why age 60 was chosen, how released individuals would support themselves, and whether victims or families would be consulted; the sponsor said 60 was meant to limit eligibility and reflect the health realities of prison, and that parole boards already consider support networks and victim input. No action or vote was taken in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We can do that on gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do do that here in McLean County, but if you look
• at the scope of these Gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do do that here in McLean County.
• Bureau of Mines.
• Do I just exit out of this and bring mine up? Okay.
• The next meeting that we will be having is going to be out at Coteau, the Freedom Mine, the coal mine

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We can do that on gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do do that here in McLean County, but if you look
• at the scope of these Gravel pits and scoria pits, and we do do that here in McLean County.
• Bureau of Mines.
• Do I just exit out of this and bring mine up? Okay.
• The next meeting that we will be having is going to be out at Coteau, the Freedom Mine, the coal mine

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

Transcript Highlights:

• It used to be called PIT. Yes, sir. It's a hit maneuver.
• I'm sure there was some reason to change the name of it, but I still refer to them as PIT.
• Would you please shed a little light on the PIT maneuver that was done on the wrong car for us?
• Mine is totally different than PIT maneuvers and stuff on this one.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's easily mined.
• They're going to mine and process that mineral a lot cheaper than we ever could.
• So I guess, is there a reason that a mining company can't spend that money?
• And if a mining company is going to be the one that's ultimately mining this and selling it, it really
• It's a passion project of mine.

Bills: HB2056, HB2202, HB2207, HB2224, HB2303, HB2344, HB2532, HB2759, HB2798

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met on January 28 and heard several bills, beginning with member and staff introductions and a reminder about amendment deadlines. HB 2056 would appropriate $100,000 to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites; the sponsor said Arizona should explore potential water supplies amid Colorado River concerns. A witness opposed the bill, and members debated whether brackish groundwater should be treated as a resource or a threat to aquifers. The committee approved HB 2056 on an 11-6 vote, with one member not voting. The committee then considered HB 2798, as amended, which would provide $100,000 to the University of Arizona/Arizona Geological Survey to compile data on materials related to nuclear energy, including thorium and other non-uranium fuels. The sponsor framed the bill as an economic development and national security effort, while opponents questioned whether Arizona has enough of the material to justify public spending. The University of Arizona supported the work as within the Geological Survey’s mission. The committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill 11-5, with one member present and one not voting. HB 2303 would codify investment rules for the State Treasurer, requiring safety and principal preservation ahead of return and prohibiting speculative investments and insider-benefit conduct. The Treasurer’s Office said the bill reflects current policy and ethics rules already in place, and members asked about how “speculative” would be defined and whether the bill would affect other investment-related statutes. The committee passed the bill 15-0, with two members present and one not voting. HB 2344 would require the Treasurer to manage the local government investment pool and allow a third-party backup only in emergencies; the Treasurer’s Office argued this preserves a low-cost, high-liquidity service for local governments, while some members questioned whether it limited future Treasurers’ discretion. The committee passed HB 2344 12-2, with three present and one not voting. Later, the committee heard HB 2759, which would appropriate $500,000 to the Department of Veterans’ Services to partner with an educational institution in Yavapai County for veteran programs. A retired Navy SEAL and campus veterans coordinator described emergency housing, equipment, and professional-development needs for student veterans at Embry-Riddle, while several members supported the effort and others objected to using state funds for a private institution or a county-specific program. The bill passed 11-6, with one not voting. The committee also passed HB 2207, appropriating $300,000 for the prison Braille transcription program, after testimony that the program trains inmates in a skilled trade and has had no recidivism among released participants; it passed 17-0, with one not voting. Finally, HB 2224, as amended to reduce the appropriation from $2 million to $1 million, would fund the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program through SNAP. Supporters said it helps families, farmers, and local economies and can improve health outcomes, while members discussed budget constraints; the committee approved the amended bill after testimony from program advocates and farmers.

Transcript Highlights:

• and destroying land around the mine site.
• Sand mining. There's sand mining? Yes. And have they been there for a while?
• mines we've had events in 2017, 18, 19, 20, and then 24.
• How many of these pits would you say are abandoned?
• It's kind of a habit of mine. Representative Cunningham.

Bills: HB 1089, HB 1163, HB 1177, HB 1238, HB1318, HB1400, HB1407, HB1532, HJR7, HJR7

Keywords: coastal protection, environmental management, Gulf Coast, storm risk management, funding, Texas General Land Office, healthcare, insurance reform, patient access, insurance regulation, affordable care, health insurance, consumer rights, coverage transparency, claims process, insurance regulations, aggregate production, environmental impact, financial responsibility, reclamation

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, but this, this project is a former gravel pit.
• Two years ago we began developing land that was formerly a gravel pit and sand mining operation, and
• If he has a project next to mine, he's doing a study on the roads that are the major arteries next to
• mine.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, whereas part of that is PIT being down, you'll see it pop up by the same amount, but really that's
• Its first year on the books is 37% of these adjustments that I'm talking about: PIT bracket changes that
• Again, those PIT bracket reforms benefit every single taxpayer in New Mexico, but are really well targeted
• Our mining activity in the gross receipts tax is slowing along with our production.
• Mine, well, again, it's good, you know, it's been a kind of a strategy when we've been going through

Transcript Highlights:

• , uranium mining, $12 million.
• Chair, about uranium mining, groundwater, petroleum storage tanks.
• , as well as the mills and with that, in the areas where there's a lot of Abandoned mines.
• Now we're facing the, the two mines that were discussed.
• new, new mining, but the priority should be clean up and, and absolutely no discussion of new mining

Transcript Highlights:

• but you can't mine for this way.
• Mine without an air permit.
• The issue here is mining in our state. Aggregate mining is not regulated.
• First, the committee substitute removes the requirement to monitor water quality in mining pits but retains
• While water does collect across the entire mining pit, it is not feasible to monitor water across such

Bills: SB2037, SB1757, SB1758, SB1759, HB29

Keywords: rock crushing, permits, air quality, environmental monitoring, aggregate production, seismicity, public meeting, land use, SB 1758, cement kiln, portland cement, aggregate production operation, aggregate quarry, semiconductor wafer manufacturing, chip fabrication, semiconductor plant, vibration, seismic disturbance, liability limitation, TCEQ

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:13:36.360> In<00:13:36.560> mine,<00:13:37.000> it's<00:13:37.120> my
• In mine, it's my dairy farm.
• And we have a trend of sorts where we have environmental groups pitted against agriculture.
• So, I don't think that's a fair characterization to pit groups against each other.
• <00:40:54.520> groups fair characterization to pit groups fair characterization to pit groups

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Steel Minntac for 31 and a half years, and I've been in mining for about 28 and a half years.
• There's lots of opportunity for recreation: bike trails, ATV trails, repurposed mine pits.
• They want new mining projects to take off. They want lower property taxes.
• /c><00:01:50.880> they<00:01:51.079> want<00:01:51.360> new<00:01:51.600> mining
• addressed here they want new mining addressed here they want new mining projects<00:01:52.439>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The transcript is an interview with Cal Warwas, a third-generation Iron Range miner and newly elected House candidate for District 7B. He said he ran because of the state’s “trifecta” and wanted to restore balance in state government. He described the Iron Range as a scenic, recreation-rich area with low crime and friendly towns, and outlined the district as a large T-shaped area stretching across much of the range and south along the Highway 53 corridor. Warwas said voters in the district want new mining projects to move forward, lower property taxes, and a state government that listens to the Iron Range. He emphasized his family’s long mining history, noting that his grandfather worked in natural ore, his father spent more than 31 years at U.S. Steel Minntac, and he has worked in mining for about 28 years. The interview also touched briefly on his family life; he said he and his wife have nine children and three grandchildren. No bills were discussed and no votes or formal legislative actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:01.360> in property like districts Like Mine in property like districts Like Mine in
• <00:37:12.079> our decision- making we will not pit our decision- making we will not pit our
• We will not be pit against our students.
• Representative Clardy, just be clear, the A1 is mine.
• Representative Clardy, just be clear, the A1 is mine.

Bills: HF51, HF1161, HF2201, HF2786, HF1053

Keywords: HF51, Sibley County, State-Aid Highway 21, capital investment, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, transportation infrastructure, road improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, local infrastructure, county grant, Minnesota Department of Transportation, bond proceeds fund, public works, utility infrastructure, education finance, school district funding, tax base adjustment