Video & Transcript Research : 'construction workers'
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MN
Transcript Highlights:
- to our school workers in 2023.
- This benefit is there for all seasonal workers, like construction workers. and it should not be taken
- away from hourly school workers.
- , and I've just met with hourly school workers in my district yesterday. workers in my district yesterday
- Cloud as a nutritional worker.
Bills:
HF1388
Keywords:
BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Health care workers will be left without jobs.
- <01:08:33.679>
will will be that I or my co-workers will will be that I or my co-workers will - Child care workers in Minnesota earn an average of just $15 per hour.
- parents while paying childare workers parents while paying childare workers poverty<01:26:49.040
- Childare workers in poverty level wages.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- And so we have that construction.
- the per worker skills arising from and the per worker skills arising from experience.<01:06:46.480><
- , Minnesota's level of per per worker, Minnesota's level of per worker<01:21:16.800>
physical < - c><01:24:14.880>
help immigration skilled workers would help immigration skilled workers would - that can do better for these workers. that can do better for these workers.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 06/04/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Construction workers understand that showing up matters, and they know that if they are late by even
- Without construction and construction workers, that brings in revenue. And you know what?
- WITHOUT CONSTRUCTION AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, THAT BRINGS IN REVENUE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
- The construction workers need to go to work. And you know what?
- THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS NEED TO GO TO WORK. AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
Summary:
The Senate met on June 3, 2026, approved the prior day’s journal, and then moved through a long list of discharge motions and substitutions to place many bills on the third reading calendar. The chamber also adopted Resolution J.2314 honoring the New York chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, with remarks emphasizing domestic workers’ role in care work, labor organizing, and protections such as paid sick leave and family leave. Another adopted resolution, J.2298, mourned labor and social justice advocate Minerva Solla, with senators highlighting her work with 1199, the Young Lords, Puerto Rican solidarity efforts, and women’s organizing. A third resolution recognized Olympic curler Daniel Casper for representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Games.
The Senate then confirmed a large slate of judicial and executive nominations. It accepted the Judiciary Committee report and confirmed four interim Supreme Court justices, seven Court of Claims judges, and 21 reappointments/extensions by a vote of 44-12. The Finance Committee report was also accepted, and the Senate confirmed a broad set of appointments to state boards and authorities, including the MTA, State Commission of Correction, Power Authority, NYSERDA, Financial Control Board, public health councils, SUNY and Cornell boards, gaming and bridge authorities, and others. One notable confirmation was Alexander Dockery to the State Commission of Correction; supporters called it the first time a formerly incarcerated person had been confirmed to that commission, while Senator Murray criticized the practice of voting on large nomination blocks rather than individually.
The chamber then took up and passed many bills, mostly by wide margins, covering labor, health, education, transportation, public service, criminal justice, municipal, tax, insurance, and environmental topics. Several members explained their votes on major measures: Senator Ramos supported a bill modernizing temporary disability benefits and another protecting construction workers from lost pay when jobs are canceled; Senator Baskin spoke about a correction bill tied to the death of India Cummings; Senator Skoufis described a family-court custody bill intended to prioritize child safety; Senator Mayer backed a proposal to reimburse parents of medically fragile children for providing care; and Senator Hinchey defended a bill requiring employers to report AI-related job impacts, while Senator Borrello opposed it as burdensome. Most bills were passed, some were laid aside, and the session concluded with multiple roll-call votes and confirmations before adjournment-related business.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Natural Resources Committee Jun 22nd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Janice Lynn from the Green Hydrogen Coalition and Jeremy Smith from the State Building Construction and
- Members of the committee, Jeremy Smith, here on behalf of the State Building and Construction Trades
- It's a project that is poised to create over 1,000 construction worker jobs, as a senator pointed out
- Workers and tribes most burdened by plastics.
- over 2.3 million union workers in the state, including thousands of skilled workers who build, maintain
Summary:
The committee heard several bills, with SB 1350 by Senator McNerney presented first. The measure would expand California’s use of renewable hydrogen in the power sector by allowing renewable portfolio standard credit for power plants using green hydrogen, with supporters emphasizing grid reliability, clean-energy goals, in-state investment, and construction jobs. Support came from labor, clean-energy, municipal utility, and local government representatives; NRDC Action Fund withdrew opposition after amendments, while a few groups remained opposed or neutral. The committee later took a roll call and SB 1350 passed out on a due pass recommendation.
The committee also heard SB 1180 by Senator Allen, which would set operational rules for the Plastic Pollution Mitigation Fund created under SB 54, including clearer eligible uses, transparency, technical assistance, and access for tribes and smaller community groups. Environmental justice, ocean, conservation, and local government groups strongly supported the bill, saying it would ensure the fund addresses plastic pollution’s public health and environmental harms. Industry and manufacturing groups opposed unless amended, arguing the bill should stay tightly tied to plastic waste reduction and not broaden into source-reduction policy. After quorum was established, the committee approved SB 1180 on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations.
SB 1326 by Senator Wahab was then heard to strengthen tribal consultation and tribal cultural resource protections under CEQA by recognizing tribal registers and requiring feasible avoidance or mitigation measures when tribes identify resources. Tribal representatives and supporters said the bill would better protect sacred sites and tribal knowledge, while cities, counties, utilities, builders, and rural county groups opposed unless amended, citing implementation concerns, possible litigation, and uncertainty for infrastructure and housing projects. The committee voted the bill out on a due pass recommendation to Appropriations.
Finally, SB 954 by Senator Blakespear was presented as a cleanup of last year’s SB 131 advanced-manufacturing CEQA exemption, narrowing eligible projects and adding guardrails such as setbacks, air-quality limits, tribal consultation, labor standards, and habitat protections. Environmental and labor groups supported the bill as a needed correction to an overly broad exemption, while business, manufacturing, housing, and local-government groups opposed, warning it could make the exemption unusable and slow investment. Members debated the balance between environmental protection and manufacturing competitiveness, and the committee voted SB 954 out on a due pass recommendation to the Labor and Employment Committee; the transcript then moved on to SB 1031 on compostable plastics, which was introduced but not acted on in the portion provided.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- Construction materials and labor costs continue to escalate.
- While the city would have construction.
- ,<01:26:28.560>
replacement, <01:26:29.040>and construction, replacement, and construction - employers to certain additional workers. employers to certain additional workers.
- <01:55:57.840>
new their services, construct new their services, construct new facilities,
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Appropriations Committee May 14th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- AB 2098, Cholera, workers' compensation, held in committee.
- AB 2122, Cholera, workers' compensation, held in committee.
- AB 2646, CREL, agricultural workers, do pass out on a B roll call.
- AB 2304, Lackey, social workers, do pass out on an A roll call.
- AB 1576, Ortega, workers' compensation, do pass out on a B roll call.
Summary:
The Assembly Appropriations Committee held a suspense-file hearing on May 14, 2026, reviewing hundreds of Assembly bills and a few committee bills. The chair opened by explaining the committee’s budget constraints and the factors used in suspense decisions, including fiscal impact, return on investment, effects on constituents, and protection of the state’s social safety net. The agenda was organized alphabetically by author, and the committee noted that results would be posted later that day online.
The committee then acted on a very large number of measures, sending many bills to the Assembly floor on do pass or do pass as amended motions, while holding many others in committee. Topics covered a broad range of policy areas, including housing, health care, education, labor, public safety, wildfire mitigation, water, energy, transportation, cannabis, immigration, and state governance. Many bills were amended to narrow scope, make implementation contingent on appropriations or existing resources, remove provisions, or clarify agency responsibilities; several bills were held without further action.
Among the notable actions, the committee advanced bills on items such as Medi-Cal services, child care, wildfire-related programs, housing financing, school and college issues, public safety and criminal justice, environmental and energy policy, and various consumer and business regulations. Some measures were sent out on A or B roll calls, with Republicans often not voting on amended bills. The hearing concluded after the committee reported that a large number of bills had been moved to the Assembly floor, either as do pass or do pass with amendments, and the committee adjourned.
NV
Nevada 2025 Regular Session
Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor May 31st, 2025 at 09:00 am
Commerce and Labor
Transcript Highlights:
- When workers are exposed to greenhouse gases and other gases... ...manufacturing.
- If this is a priority, it should be a priority for every worker.
- This is just another way to stall progress and protect workers.
- This is just another way to stall progress and protect workers.
- This is just another way to stall progress, to protect workers.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Education Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Education
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm going to talk about an act modernizing school construction.
- I'm going to talk about enact modernizing school construction.
- School construction and renovation is far from it.
- School construction and renovation is far from it.
- We have more social workers, but the caseloads are still really high.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Education opened a hybrid public hearing on a large slate of bills related to school buildings, school finance, technology, data privacy, safety, and related education issues. Chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlined procedures for the hearing, including two-minute testimony limits and the plan to group similar bills together. Several bills drew no testimony and were closed without further discussion, while others drew extensive testimony from legislators, school officials, parents, advocates, and educators.
A major theme was school safety and student well-being. Lori Al-Hadeth testified in support of bills on alert systems in public schools, describing the loss of her daughter in the Parkland shooting and urging adoption of Alyssa’s Law-style panic alert technology. Representative Gallagher and disability advocates also supported a bill authorizing, but not requiring, airway clearance devices in schools, arguing they could save lives in choking emergencies and provide an option for people who cannot use the Heimlich maneuver. Another bill on reducing cafeteria waste drew support from a legislator and a Lexington sustainability official, who said installing dishwashers during construction would reduce waste and long-term costs.
Much of the hearing focused on Chapter 70 school funding and the inflation cap. Senator Pavel Payano, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Senna, and multiple local officials and school committee members from Bridgewater, Chelsea, Groton-Dunstable, and other districts argued that the 4.5% cap on inflation adjustments has left schools underfunded during years of high inflation, forcing layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to programs and student supports. They urged bills to eliminate the cap, restore lost funding, increase the Commonwealth’s share of the foundation budget, or create commissions to study reforms. Testimony also highlighted the impact on special education, English learners, and low-income students, with Chelsea witnesses saying the cap has cost their district about $7 million annually.
School construction and MSBA reform were the other major topic. AIA Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools, Lynn officials, and AFT Massachusetts described aging facilities, overcrowding, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of financing new schools under current reimbursement rules. Boston officials said the district has many pre-World War II buildings and has only built a handful of new schools in decades, while Lynn leaders said reimbursement rates have fallen well below the statutory 80% because of caps and ineligible costs. Witnesses urged modernization of the MSBA program, higher reimbursement rates, and more resources for school construction. The committee also heard support for a bill to study the adequacy and equity of the school building program, and chairs indicated some bills would be closed after no one signed up to testify.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary (9-17-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, it is 10% complete construction.
- 08.240>
work <00:45:08.640>has construction. - Uh foundation work has construction.
- And that's the end of our capital construction update.
- If you'all have any construction update.
Summary:
The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary met without a quorum and heard an update from the Administrative Office of the Courts on the judicial branch budget. AOC Director Zach Ramsey and budget director Carol Henderson outlined the branch’s current funding structure, noting that fiscal year 2026 general fund support is about 2.77% of the state general fund, below the National Center for State Courts’ typical 2% to 4% range. They emphasized Kentucky’s unusual responsibility for courthouse facilities, with the judicial branch directly involved in construction, maintenance, and operations across 229 facilities in all 120 counties.
AOC said nearly 91% of its general fund is spent on personnel and other non-discretionary costs, and that the branch has long relied on agency revenue, restricted fund carryforwards, and vacancy credits to balance court operations. Members were told that Senate Bill 25 required a $34.5 million transfer into a reserve account, part of which was used to purchase the Chamberlain Avenue building in Frankfort. AOC reported that only $11.9 million remains in restricted funds, while it projects needing about $13.5 million to cover fiscal year 2026 obligations, not including roughly $9 million in flood-related remediation costs for Hardin and Franklin counties, much of which it expects to recover through insurance and FEMA.
Looking ahead to the next biennium, AOC said it will seek full funding of court operations at $341 million annually, a $13.5 million increase to bring current services into the base appropriation rather than relying on reserves. It also previewed additional requests, including a 15% across-the-board pay parity plan for Kentucky Court of Justice personnel, replacement of declining master commissioner fee revenue tied to 141 deputy circuit court clerk positions, funding for technology subscription and case management system costs, JAV audiovisual system upgrades, AEDs and medical kits for courthouses, and other staffing and operational needs. Senator Funky Frommeyer asked whether the 15% salary proposal was included in the $13.5 million increase; AOC said it was not, and that it would be an additional request. No votes or formal actions were taken.
NJ
New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Appropriations Jun 28th, 2026
Senate Budget and Appropriations
Transcript Highlights:
- What has happened systematically is white male workers, not women, not black, not brown people, are in
- The amendments would specify, instead of a requirement that the craft worker is actively employed in
- Although the bill excludes certain new hires, part-time workers, temporary workers, and seasonal employees
- workers enrolled in NJ FamilyCare, the bill puts Medicaid coverage at risk from both ends.
- Sabbath on behalf of the New Jersey Building and Construction Trades Council.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Mar 24th, 2025
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Transcript Highlights:
- Um, when we look at the last several years of construction within Texas, we've seen construction projects
- State and local government represents about half of the non-residential construction within Texas.
- We began construction on 5 communities over 1600 units during COVID.
- This frees workers from employers' arbitrary payroll cycles. EWA is not alone.
- In Deuteronomy in the Bible, it does say that you should pay your workers daily.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislation proposes centralized certified payroll reporting portal 4/9/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- :42.480>
preventing <00:02:42.879>wage <00:02:43.280>theft, <00:02:43.599>worker - by preventing wage theft, worker by preventing wage theft, worker mclassification,<00:02:44.959>
- men and women in the construction industry.
- Over 365 members across the state that employ over 23,000 men and women in the construction industry.
- So we want to ensure that the appropriate safeguards are in place so that sensitive worker information
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Wednesday, November 12, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- AND CONSTRUCTION FOR NEW V.A.
- A yes vote is for troops, for our troops and for federal workers.
- This bill supports our troops, It pays federal workers.
- Federal workers should be, and I quote, traumatically affected.
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS.
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado Senate 2026 Legislative Day 105 Apr 29th, 2026
Colorado Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I very much support workers and workers' rights, but this is a very, very, very narrow way to address
- Let's pay workers what they are owed. Let's pay workers what they are owed.
- with workers compensation insurance. with workers compensation insurance.
- So thank you. depending on construction activity. depending on construction activity.
- um been a director of a construction um been a director of a construction company<02:31:11.840><
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the journal, and received a series of committee and conference committee reports. Committee reports advanced several bills, including House Bill 106 from Education; House Bills 1312 and 1322 from Judiciary; Senate Bill 172 from Transportation and Energy; and a large group of bills from Appropriations, many of which were sent to the Committee of the Whole, some placed on the consent calendar. The chamber also received a conference committee report on House Bill 1410, the state budget bill, which was later taken up for repassage.
A special order consent calendar was then considered and adopted, advancing Senate Bills 154, 156, and 157. Those bills were described as dealing with Colorado Channel Authority Board appointments, State Workforce Development Council practices, and abandonment of a town with critical water infrastructure. The Committee of the Whole report on those bills was adopted, and they were ordered engrossed and placed on the calendar for third reading and final passage.
The Senate also adopted the first conference committee report on House Bill 1411, which concerns health insurance benefits for certain low-income individuals who are ineligible for medical assistance due to immigration status and adjusts appropriations. The report was adopted 34-0, and the bill was repassed 32-2. House Bill 1410, the long bill, was then adopted from conference committee and repassed after extended debate on funding for the ID community and related developmental disability and transition funding; the final repassage vote was 23-11. During debate, senators discussed the difficulty of the budget decisions and the need to revisit the issue with better information in the interim.
Later, the Senate considered Senate Bills 17, 45, and 91 in Committee of the Whole. SB 17, concerning out-of-network health care dispute resolution, received committee amendments and was adopted. SB 45, concerning workforce development opportunities in Colorado’s nuclear sector, was amended to include a one-year sunset if funding is not raised for the School of Mines program, then adopted. SB 91, concerning exclusion of certain printed news deliverers from employee definitions in labor and employment law, drew debate: supporters said it would help preserve local newspapers and independent contractor delivery models, while opponents argued it would weaken worker protections and favor large newspaper owners. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on SB 91.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- construction... is complete.
- The construction we hope to be complete.
- So our investigations worker.
- Our statewide intake workers, obviously, they don't.
- , our conservative... workers that's absolutely a factor.
Keywords:
budget, House Bill 1, public education, healthcare, border security, federal funding, spending limits
Summary:
The meeting primarily focused on reviewing the proposed budget for the upcoming biennium, with substantial discussions around House Bill 1 and its implications for public education, healthcare, and border security. The Comptroller presented a revenue overview indicating a total of $194.6 billion available for general purpose spending, which reflects a slight decrease compared to previous years due to fluctuating economic conditions. Members raised questions regarding spending limits and the impact of federal funding on state programs, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of funding in light of potential changes at the federal level.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- of our highway construction workers? Well, you know, any opportunity that we have...
- that we need to have to keep those workers safe.
- They're putting themselves and and and our workers at risk and workers with the contracting industry
- Do the construction and you operate it as a grant program or do you actually participate in the construction
- And I see the workers there all the time.
MS
Mississippi 2026 Regular Session
Highways and Transportation - Room 216, 18 February, 2026; 10:30 AM
Highways and Transportation
Transcript Highlights:
- We compete with workers that do this.
- I think we may have maintenance workers.
- And I I you know, I hear have workers.
- you talk about the maintenance workers. you talk about the maintenance workers.
- <00:21:06.799>
The them to construction readiness. The them to construction readiness.
Summary:
The committee heard from Brad White, head of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, as part of his confirmation process. White said the department has improved staffing and funding over the last four years, citing support from the legislature, supplemental appropriations, ARPA funds, and fuel tax adjustments. He emphasized that MDOT is still rebuilding its engineering and maintenance workforce and needs continued salary flexibility to remain competitive and respond to disasters.
A major portion of the discussion focused on MDOT’s response to the recent severe ice storm. Several senators questioned whether the response was adequate and whether district lines, coordination with local governments, and emergency task-force planning should be changed. White said the storm was unusually severe, with freezing rain, flash-freeze conditions, widespread power outages, and more than 15,000 miles of highway impacted. He said MDOT crews were spread thin, but still logged more than 26,000 man-hours, worked with law enforcement and rescue units, and were aided by about 400 employees in the affected area plus 500 others from other regions. He said the department is reviewing lessons learned and expects winter-storm response to change going forward.
Senators also asked about comparisons with Tennessee and whether the storm response was a funding issue. White said it was not primarily a money problem, but that Mississippi’s budget and weather patterns differ from neighboring states, making stockpiling materials less practical. He said cities and counties could help in emergencies if coordinated with MDOT, and he supported properly funding agencies such as MDOT, MEMA, the National Guard, and public safety. Another senator raised long-delayed road projects, including Highway 61 and the Port Gibson bypass, and White said the capacity program remains active and that emergency response had not stopped project work.
The committee then considered several appointments to the Mississippi Motor Vehicle Commission and related boards. Kenneth Jeffrey Smith of Pontotoc, William J. Van Deender, and Ranatada Tracy McGawan of Jackson were each introduced, praised, and recommended by motion. The committee voted unanimously to advise and consent on each nomination, with no opposition recorded.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:25:41.840>
and know when it's the construction and know when it's the construction and - Line workers, utility line workers, are licensed by the National Electrical Safety Code for the safety
- Line workers, utility line workers, are licensed by the National Electrical Safety Code for the safety
- Line workers, utility line workers, are licensed by the National Electrical Safety Code for the safety
- It enables defective construction.
Summary:
The Committee on Housing held a public hearing on January 31 and heard testimony on a series of housing and building-code bills. The first major item, HB 1 relating to building codes, drew sharply divided testimony. Supporters, including BIA Hawaii, Grassroot Institute, Dr. Horton, and several builders and trade groups, argued the current code-adoption process is slow, fragmented, and costly, and that reform would help housing production. Opponents, including Sierra Club Hawaii, AIA Hawaii, ICC, and labor representative Kiko Bosi, said the bill would weaken public safety, reduce statewide consistency, and could leave tenants and first responders at greater risk. No vote was taken during the hearing, and members asked questions about the effect of a governor’s emergency proclamation suspending the Building Code Council and about county authority over code amendments.
The committee then heard HB 745 and HB 1321, both also relating to building codes. Grassroot Institute supported both measures, saying the system is broken and needs streamlining, while BIA Hawaii and others emphasized the cost burden of repeated code updates. Opponents, especially Bosi and ICC, argued that the bills would undermine the State Building Code Council’s role, create confusion, and prioritize cost over safety; Bosi also said labor should be included in any code discussions. Members questioned whether counties can remove state code provisions and whether the state code already supersedes county codes, and one member noted the need for clarity and consistent enforcement rather than a wholesale overhaul.
Later, the committee heard HB 284 on housing, HB 761 on county permitting and inspection, and HB 738 on historic preservation. HB 284 drew support from several housing and real estate groups, while DLNR opposed it. On HB 761, HHFDC supported the bill, DLNR warned that the proposed changes could jeopardize Hawaii’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program, DAGS said it would likely need to duplicate county permitting staff, and the Department of Planning and Permitting opposed it; Grassroot Institute and NAIOP supported it. For HB 738, HHFDC, DLNR, Grassroot Institute, Hawaii YIMBY, NAIOP, and others supported the measure, with Grassroot and NAIOP suggesting clarifications so expedited review would also cover mixed-use projects and better define the scope of work. The transcript does not show any final votes or committee action on these bills during the hearing.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:15:36.399>
cross of rising costs from construction cross of rising costs from construction - are some really big construction jobs, that wasn't actually taken into account.
- We also saw on Monday 130 workers in Maui who were permanent workers let go because of federal grants
- of those workers who themselves were displaced are out of work.
- and all of those workers who themselves were displaced are out of work.