Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, please come to order.
• So please welcome him to the Senate. President Pro Tem: Thank you. Welcome to the Senate.
• So please welcome him to the Senate. President Pro Tem: Thank you. Welcome to the Senate.
• Welcome to the Senate.
• SB 1529, water residential drilling units. SB 1530, assured water supply building permits.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, confirmed attendance, approved the journal, and welcomed several guests in the gallery, including a veteran and House candidate, a former legislative district chair, and two district guests attending in support of future highway-naming testimony. The chamber also extended well wishes to Senator Farnsworth’s wife, who was reported hospitalized, and announced a temporary committee replacement appointment for Senator Fernandez on the Education Committee. The bulk of the meeting consisted of reading House messages and introducing numerous bills for first reading and committee referral, covering a wide range of topics including transportation, taxation, education, health care, housing, water, public safety, elections, immigration, behavioral health, and appropriations. The Senate also placed many measures on second reading, including bills on school budgets, civics instruction, campaign finance, voter registration, housing, tax deductions, and public safety-related issues. Committee meeting announcements were made for the following day. The chamber then considered a gubernatorial nomination and, on a voice vote, confirmed James McCain to the Arizona Board of Regents for a term ending January 19, 2032. After a recess and return, additional bills were introduced and referred, including measures on corporal punishment in schools, homeless shelter funding, child care waiting lists, community gardens, solar energy requirements, insurance claims assistance, firearms regulation, and crime victim notification funding. The Senate adjourned at the end of the session until Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• drill simply have<00:24:02.840><c> to</c><00:24:03.000><c> meet</c><00:24:03.679><c> some</c><00:24:
• Operators might not discover these archaeological resources until they go to drill, and here's what happens
• they led me away from the floor, but if circumstances permitted, given what I know, I have to be candid
• <03:36:20.600><c> the</c> we're going to have to resort to the we're going to have to resort to the same
• <03:46:19.040><c> to</c> to to to to some<03:46:21.359><c> obviously</c><03:46:22.359><c> but</c><03:

Bills: HR190 , HR189 , SJR11

Keywords: censure, Congress, interruption, decorum, Representative Al Green, constitutional amendment, state laws, education, voting rights, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> mollow to everyone here who came to mollow to everyone here who came to speak<00:03:19.239><c> and
• to get to this two or 3 hundred years to get to this point<00:28:52.919><c> um</c><00:28:53.200><c>
• It's really just drilling to see if there's heat. So it's exploratory.
• </c> really just drilling to see if there's really just drilling to see if there's heat<01:16:13.520>
• </c><01:51:22.960><c> to</c> they're complimentary policies to to they're complimentary policies to to

Transcript Highlights:

• With all the money, the time it takes to get the permit to build the plant, no utility will do that.
• It had to be something that was added to. Now, it could be updates to existing.
• like that to really try to continue to promote it to where it needs to be.
• , if a county were to pass some form of local moratorium or deny permit or any right-of-ways or road
• And so we want to come to a goal where the taxation amount is reasonable to make a community whole, to

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The committee first took up House Committee Substitute for House Bills 21, 22, and 1626, which would combine the bills and add a clawback/refund provision for construction work in progress in base rates if costs were imprudently incurred or a project is not placed in service in a reasonable time. Supporters argued Missouri should remove its CWIP ban to stay competitive with neighboring states and attract utility investment, while opponents warned about unknown costs and timelines for ratepayers. The substitute was adopted, and the committee voted the combined bill do pass by 12 ayes and 7 noes. The committee then considered House Bill 2711, as amended by a substitute, dealing with broadband-related property tax treatment. The sponsor explained the substitute narrowed the bill to new installations, added a seven-year sunset, and aimed to clarify assessment issues. Supporters said the measure would help expand broadband infrastructure and improve service in underserved areas, while opponents argued the tax break should not apply to upgrades within existing service territories and questioned whether the bill truly expanded access. The committee adopted the substitute and voted the bill do pass by 12 ayes and 7 noes. The remainder of the hearing focused on House Bill 2762, a broad solar/wind/water measure. The sponsor described provisions setting a $2,500 per megawatt tax on solar nameplate capacity, creating more uniform assessment rules, establishing setbacks for solar facilities, limiting eminent domain use, and including smaller sections on water district dissolution and wind turbine lighting. Testimony was mixed: solar developers, Clean Grid Alliance, Renew Missouri, and Missouri Farm Bureau supported clearer rules, grandfathering, and setbacks they viewed as reasonable, while landowners and local residents raised concerns about property rights, transparency, runoff, glare, noise, and the impact of large solar projects on neighboring farms and homes. No final action on HB 2762 was taken in the portion provided, but the chair said a committee substitute would be developed to address the solar issues more comprehensively.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now is the time to come forward. You know the drill. Danica Wrote?
• To further protect the confidentiality of those records, the bill also permits closed-session meetings
• Who else would like to be heard in support? Come forward. You know the drill.
• You know the drill. You'll have five minutes to address the committee once you begin speaking.
• You know the drill. You'll have five minutes to address the committee once you begin speaking.

Committee: House Public Safety

Summary: The committee heard several measures, with AB 366 on ignition interlock devices for DUI offenders receiving the most extensive debate. The author, Senator Archuleta, and MADD representative Colin Campbell testified in support, describing personal losses to drunk driving and arguing that mandatory interlocks would prevent repeat offenses and save lives. Support also came from firefighters, law enforcement groups, AAA, medical and traffic safety organizations, and others. Opposition from public defenders and criminal justice advocates argued the bill removed judicial discretion, could impose costs on low-income people, and relied on a policy they said had inconclusive recidivism benefits. After discussion, the committee adopted AB 366 as amended and sent it to Appropriations on an aye vote. The committee also heard AB 1380, which would create a permanent pathway for formerly incarcerated Cal Fire hand crew members into firefighting careers, and AB 461, which would remove criminal penalties for certain school attendance violations and replace them with supportive responses. AB 1380 drew broad support from reentry, labor, and justice organizations, and opposition from Cal Fire-related interests was withdrawn after negotiations, though concerns remained about implementation and a possible two-tier system. AB 461 was backed by education, poverty, youth justice, and public defender groups, with testimony emphasizing family hardship, immigration fears, and the limits of punitive truancy enforcement; no opposition appeared. Both bills were moved forward but remained on call pending additional votes. The committee also adopted ACR 60, a Downey Police Department resolution highlighting voluntary special-needs stickers, yard signs, and dispatch alerts to help officers interact more effectively with people with disabilities or communication challenges. Later, AB 746 on prison cooperatives and a green reentry reserve was presented as a recidivism-reduction and workforce-development measure, with support from reentry and legal advocacy groups and no opposition testimony; it was advanced to Appropriations but also left on call. Finally, AB 379 on human trafficking was heard with strong support from survivor advocates, law enforcement, and local officials who said it would fund survivor services and target buyers, while opponents warned it could revive harmful loitering enforcement and criminalize survivors. The bill drew significant committee debate and was left pending after testimony and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• to go forward.
• to file a disputed claim. ...any other provision of the section, the employer shall be permitted to
• to go in a blank, but they are not going to be able to give any legal advice.
• But if we're going to allow injured workers to be sued to get, quote, access to the courts, then let's
• alleged to be due pursuant to the chapter or entitlement to which is disputed.

Summary: The Senate Labor Committee met on March 14 and adopted the prior minutes. It voluntarily deferred Senate Bill 358, which would have addressed workers’ compensation coverage for independent contractors and sole-proprietor subcontractors. Senator Abraham said the bill would instead be studied to determine whether such workers should be able to buy occupational accident coverage or be required to carry workers’ compensation coverage, particularly where no employees are involved. The committee then heard House Bill 456, which would expand and clarify workers’ compensation petition requirements and broaden employers’ and payers’ ability to file disputed claims beyond fraud and medical-director appeals to other disputes under the chapter. The bill drew strong support from business groups and strong opposition from injured-worker attorneys, who argued it would revive problems seen in 2012 when employers could sue injured workers without a ripe dispute, burden unrepresented claimants, and increase litigation and administrative costs. Supporters said it would improve access to the courts and help employers investigate questionable claims. After debate, the committee voted 5-1 to report HB 456 favorably, with Senator Barrow voting no. The committee also heard House Bill 549, which creates the Bayou Growth Opportunity Workforce Program, or Bayou Works, a proposed statewide workforce training grant program aimed at helping employers quickly train workers for specific skill needs. The sponsor and Louisiana Workforce Commission representatives said it would be privately funded, modeled on Michigan’s “Going Pro” program, and coordinated with technical colleges, apprenticeships, internships, and other workforce partners. Members asked about statewide reach, youth pipeline efforts, and timing; the department said implementation would likely begin later next year. The committee reported HB 549 favorably by unanimous consent and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• actually going to get the permit.
• So, actually going to get the permit.
• permit issued to you you have a building permit issued to you as<00:03:21.920><c> the</c><00:03:22.080
• to drill down on the two that are most important to us.
• to talk to you about, but I want to to talk to you about, but I want to drill<00:46:31.119><c> down</

Bills: HB0002 , HB0022

Committee: Senate Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions

Transcript Highlights:

• They just need to get to the stage to actually... ...have the cash in hand to be able to get the match
• I think that you're going to see we've got one, I think, I believe we've got one five-mile permit.
• kind of the key to break that loose in the Bakken, and there was other companies were drilling two miles
• because as this moves forward, you're going to have to, it's going to have to be recognized.
• I'm going to let Kelvin come back to this slide, and I'm going to jump to the new initiatives and kind

Summary: The committee took roll, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a compliance-report update on the Industrial Commission and related funds and programs. Staff reviewed the status of one-time appropriations and grant programs, including electric grid resiliency, lignite research, enhanced oil recovery, the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority, the salt cavern business-case study, and the new NDSU research and technology park grant. Members asked about funding balances, reimbursement timing, matching requirements, and how some commitments would affect the State Investment Fund and future biennia. Industrial Commission staff then gave a broader update on the agency’s administrative office, grant management system, leadership transitions at several commission agencies, and active grant rounds. They reported that the grant management system is nearing completion, that several agency leadership searches have concluded, and that the commission’s grant programs currently have 108 active grants totaling more than $165 million. They also described the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority round, the oil and gas research program’s enhanced oil recovery awards, the grid resiliency grants, the salt cavern study, and the research technology park program, noting that some projects are awaiting federal funds or additional matching cash. Ron Ness, speaking for the Oil and Gas Research Council, focused on the state of the oil industry and the enhanced oil recovery “Bakken 2.0” effort. He said production remains steady, but future growth depends on better infrastructure, longer laterals, and new EOR methods such as CO2, natural gas, and surfactants. He emphasized the importance of the Bakkeneast pipeline and related gas-utilization projects, the recent DOE funding that will return some money to the research council, and the need to modernize tax and incentive rules for CO2-based recovery. Members discussed the potential economic benefits for oil, agriculture, and manufacturing. The Bank of North Dakota then presented its compliance report and a broader strategic update. Bank leadership reviewed the bank’s mission, governance, participation lending, student lending, disaster programs, and legislatively directed programs, and said the bank is managing for a flatter deposit base and stronger liquidity because of fintech competition and changing market conditions. They reported improved earnings, with net income rising to about $231 million, and described Rough Rider Coin as a new internal payment rail for North Dakota banks and credit unions, not a public cryptocurrency. Members asked about student loan eligibility, disaster lending, and the bank’s capacity to support state programs while maintaining its balance-sheet and liquidity requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me drill down into that because this is where I was trying to get to.
• I want to drill in a little more on the questions that Senator Flores did a great job of asking as it
• I want to drill down into a few things. You mentioned something that I think is very important.
• Kind of pivoting off this specific example, and I just want to drill down into it because I just don't
• Army Corps of Engineers to help obtain permitting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, please come to order.
• So please welcome him to the Senate. Thank you. Welcome to the Senate.
• So please welcome to the Senate. Thank you. Welcome to the Senate.
• Welcome to the Senate.
• SB 1529, water residential drilling units. SB 1530, assured water supply building permits.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you probably didn't drill down into that, but I just want to be certain that we're clear the firm
• itself... ...didn't drill down into that, but I just want to be certain that we're not saying, we're
• In Alaska, Delaware, and Hawaii, landlords are permitted to charge an additional one-month deposit for
• Nebraska landlords are permitted to charge...
• If pets are allowed, Nebraska landlords are permitted to charge an additional deposit equal to one-quarter

Transcript Highlights:

• their permitting, as opposed to having EPA write their permits.
• We have roughly 800 permitted sources in the state. opposed to having EPA uh write their opposed to having
• We also do compliance assistance, and we respond to approximately 70 to 80 air permit air quality complaints
• 70 to 80 air permit air approximately 70 to 80 air permit air quality<04:40:34.000><c> complaints</c
• </c><04:49:29.958><c> administer</c> required to have a permit we administer required to have a permit

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> then</c><00:23:17.720><c> uh</c> in in the permits are meant to then uh in in the permits are meant
• So we, in many cases, report to the EPA, and when we issue permits that are federal permits, either a
• 70 Title 5 permit on the Clean Air Act side, EPA has the ability to review and comment on that permit
• EPA has the ability to review and comment on that permit and ultimately could reject that permit.
• /c> request a permit to increase the amount request a permit to increase the amount of<01:03:23.960><

Bills: HF276 , HF413 , HF411

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Keywords: human services, Medical Assistance, Medicaid, long-term services and supports, LTSS, public assistance, application process, eligibility determination, customer service survey, wait times, form complexity, lead agencies, Department of Human Services, Department of Children Youth and Families, streamlining, administrative reform, case management, reassessment, intake system, adaptive eligibility form

Transcript Highlights:

• Why don't we go from left to right, our left to right, your right to left? Welcome.
• This was really an intentional way for us to try to get our seniors to apply before they leave, to your
• I just wanted to say thank you also to the To the UC presentation, the graph that was handed out to the
• as well to be able to communicate this very clearly to the public.
• The Control Section 4.12 drill, which was related to vacancy savings, initially reduced $550,000. dollars

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm going to tell you, I believe that that has truly been our guiding compass to get us to do the
• Yolanda, do you want to... Senator Foy, you want to... Mr. Yolanda, do you want to?
• grants to grocery stores the same way to provide grants to all and gas companies.
• I move to concur. The Senate has moved to concur in the amendment to Senate Bill 348.
• I'm just trying to get to a simple yes or no.

Bills: SCR12 , HB221 , HB509 , HCR58 , HB75 , HB1222 , SB121 , SB312 , SB348 , SB485 , SCR9 , SCR58 , SB65 , SB215 , SB249 , SB269 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , SB514 , HCR54 , HCR79 , HCR87 , HCR94 , HCR104 , HCR32 , HB944 , HB17 , HB41 , HB73 , HB223 , HB244 , HB410 , HB750 , HB759 , HB906 , HB966 , HB1006 , HB1009 , HB1086 , HB1107 , HB1112 , HB1215 , HB1242 , SB208 , SB217 , SB283 , SB387 , SB389 , SB401 , SB408 , SB469 , HB74 , HB119 , HB368 , HB414 , HB552 , HB732 , HB776 , HB848 , HB870 , HB953 , HB956 , HB1236 , SB29 , SB42 , SB43 , SB78 , SB149 , SB274 , SB300 , SB341 , SB382 , SB441 , SB449 , HB134 , HB210 , HB258 , HB359 , HB468 , HB784 , HB1117

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Transcript Highlights:

• It permits a person to change prices based on market fluctuations, uniform sales, and programs, and it
• It permits a person to change prices based on market fluctuations, uniform sales, and programs, and it
• Representative Kloba was invited to speak to the bill.
• to fix it.
• speak to it?

Bills: HB2325 , HB2481 , HB2503 , HB2397 , HB2278 , HB2417

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: tourism, tourism promotion, Washington Tourism Marketing Authority, assessment, self-supported assessment, visitor economy, destination marketing, statewide marketing, lodging, hotels, restaurants, travel services, attractions, recreation, retail, beverage producers, arts and culture, tribal nations, tribal businesses, rural communities

Transcript Highlights:

• permit me to suspend my feelings do not permit me to suspend the<02:18:47.760><c> deep</c><02:18:48.000
• Number two, it would reverse roadblocks to clean energy permitting and restrict the abuse of Department
• don't have a lot of houses in America is because of the permitting barriers to building houses out of
• don't have a lot of houses in America is because of the permitting barriers to building houses out of
• Well, if there's a permitting problem that's blocking our ability to produce and distribute oil and gas

Bills: HB4758

Keywords: home electrification, taxpayer subsidies, energy efficiency, rebate programs, public law repeal

Transcript Highlights:

• The newly drilled wells in Oklahoma are subject to a 5% rate for the first 36 months of production.
• a well is drilled, how long does it typically take to go on to stripper well status?
• From the time that a well is drilled, how long does it typically take to go on to stripper well status
• to drill new wells.
• have been refract, because operators tend to choose to do drill new wells.

Summary: The committee met to continue its tax reform and relief study agenda, approved the December 3, 2025 minutes, and announced a new subcommittee to examine property tax statement issues with counties, auditors, and the tax office. Representative Headland was named chair, Senator Rummel vice chair, and Representatives Dressler and Dr. Dr. and Senator Patton were also assigned. The chair noted the group may need an additional meeting and thanked staff and attendees. A major portion of the meeting focused on economic development incentives. The Department of Commerce presented on the Renaissance Zone program and TIF districts, describing Renaissance Zones as locally tailored tools that combine local property tax relief with state income tax incentives. Commerce said the program has supported thousands of projects since 1999 and cited examples from Beach and Mandan showing increases in property and taxable value, business retention, housing, and downtown revitalization. Committee members raised concerns that smaller rural communities often lack the staff and expertise to apply, and Commerce said it provides outreach through conferences, office hours, and one-on-one assistance. League of Cities and local officials from Bismarck and Ellendale echoed the capacity issue, discussed how the programs have worked in their communities, and suggested possible reforms or more targeted support for small towns. Ellendale’s mayor also described two TIF districts, one for industrial infrastructure in Oaks and one for housing infrastructure tied to a data center project in Ellendale. The committee then turned to stripper oil taxation. The Tax Department gave a comparison of oil and gas tax structures in selected states, noting that most have some form of stripper or marginal well provision, while Alaska does not appear to have a specific stripper-well exemption. Members asked for more detail on definitions and North Dakota’s annual adjusted rate. The Department of Mineral Resources followed with a detailed presentation on North Dakota stripper wells, explaining the statutory thresholds, the 12-consecutive-month production test, and the fact that once a well qualifies it remains on stripper status even if production later rises. DMR said about 11,332 stripper wells are active, representing roughly 54% of wells and about 16% of state production, and emphasized that stripper status can extend well life, preserve tax revenue, and reduce orphaned wells. Committee members and industry witnesses discussed refracs, the economics of keeping marginal wells active, and the competitive disadvantage created by North Dakota’s oil price discount. No votes were taken on these informational items.

Transcript Highlights:

• Were you able to go back and drill down as to the actual individual members of those entities as well
• :49.200><c> actual</c> go back and drill down as to the actual go back and drill down as to the actual
• Um, with respect to drilling down into that, that's exactly what we did.
• I I want to narrow down to drill &gt;&gt; right?
• I I want to narrow down to drill down<01:17:51.440><c> on</c> down on down on &gt;&gt; out<01:17:53.360

Committee: Joint Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• we can move through permits quickly, but also respond to to ensure that we can move through permits
• So when you talk about permitting and being able to respond to applications for projects, or just permitting
• positions relating to permitting, going to improve the permit approval process?
• Yeah, it's going to definitely impact our ability to get permits out the door, as...
• Yeah, I’m going to drill down a little bit more.