Video & Transcript Research : 'environment'

Page 63 of 392
FL
Transcript Highlights:
  • And does a settlement like that lead to some type of predictive and stable environment long-term?
  • Like that lead to some type of predictive and stable environment long term for the ratepayers?
  • So much can get lost in the... like that lead to some type of predictive and stable environment long
  • So we could have, like I said, that stable and predictive environment long term.
Summary: The joint committee met with a quorum present and first received an overview of its jurisdiction and duties related to appointing the Florida Public Counsel. Staff explained the committee’s authority under joint rules and state law, noted that the current Public Counsel’s term expires February 28, 2025, and that applications for the next four-year term were open with a February 6, 2025 deadline. The committee then heard an extensive update from Public Counsel Walt Truerweiler on the Office of Public Counsel’s work representing utility ratepayers before the Public Service Commission and in appeals. Truerweiler described the office’s caseload and priorities, including electric, gas, water, and wastewater rate cases; storm recovery dockets; cost-recovery clauses; rulemakings; and customer service hearings. He emphasized that the office seeks to challenge unsupported or imprudent costs, find value for customers, and use expert analysis and customer testimony to shape outcomes. He highlighted recent and ongoing matters, including major Duke, TECO, Sunshine water/wastewater, and hurricane recovery proceedings, and said the office had fully litigated four of its last five rate cases, while also achieving a major settlement in Duke that reduced a requested increase and imposed cost controls on solar projects. Members praised the office’s work and asked about the benefits of settlements, staffing and compensation, and how the office decides when to fully intervene versus provide guidance or monitor a case. Truerweiler said settlements can create predictability, reduce uncertainty and expense, and produce tangible value for both customers and utilities. He also acknowledged recruitment challenges, including lower pay than comparable agencies and difficulty attracting attorneys who do not want in-person litigation work. The committee took no substantive action beyond receiving the presentations, and adjourned after a motion was adopted.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Health and Human Services - Part 1 - 03/17/26

Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • thrive in safe environments. thrive in safe environments.
  • <00:44:40.400> that depict the cruel environments that depict the cruel environments that
  • Chicano movement, and the environment. Chicano movement, and the environment.
  • I wish we were back in an environment where doctors work for us. They don't work for us anymore.
  • I wish we were back in an environment where doctors work for us. They don't work for us anymore.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 3/12/26

Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • Um the Democrats have environment.
  • As students returned to class in this environment, it created unprecedented fear on our campus.
  • ,<01:36:55.040> it<01:36:55.199> created<01:36:55.520> unprecedented environment
  • This bill protects students and prioritizes their safety so they can learn in an environment free of
  • <01:41:41.600> where accessible learning environments where accessible learning environments
Bills: HF3432, HF3411
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development - 02/25/26

Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • Keeping cattle producers on the land is essential to both the environment and the economic success in
  • But again, it's also beneficial for the environment and natural resources.
  • to the Environment Finance Committee >> without<01:56:12.080> recommendations.
  • <01:56:38.159> Folks,<01:56:38.480> thank committee on environment.
  • Folks, thank committee on environment.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

JHA Public Hearing - Tue Feb 10, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • And so I the people and the environment.
  • Obviously, these cats are re-released into the environment.
  • Obviously, these cats are re-released into the environment.
  • clarify environment. clarify environment.
  • 51:52.719> to<01:51:52.880> either environment, they're going to either environment, they're
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1552, which would make the attorney general the interim chief election officer if that office becomes vacant until the Elections Commission appoints a replacement. The Department of the Attorney General opposed the bill, saying it could create a conflict of interest if the attorney general were both the state’s lawyer and the chief elections officer in any related litigation. The League of Women Voters supported having some interim backup for the office, but said it was not necessarily advocating that the attorney general fill the role. Several other testifiers, including the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women, opposed the bill, arguing the current law already provides for a prompt commission appointment and warning about partisan bias and concentration of power. Supporters, including Indivisible Hawaii, said an interim mechanism is needed to ensure election certification in a crisis. The chair also asked whether any statutory acting capacity already exists, and the attorney general said none was known. The committee then took up House Bill 2125, which would bar corporations operating under state law from engaging in election activity. The attorney general opposed the bill, citing Citizens United and arguing that corporations have First Amendment-protected political speech rights and that the bill would likely be unconstitutional. Indivisible Hawaii supported the measure, saying it would keep elections focused on the will of the people rather than corporate influence. Libertarian Party testimony was mixed: one witness supported the goal of reducing corruption but warned the bill could suppress organized dissent and sweep too broadly by treating many associations as corporations. The bill’s introducer asked whether the legislature could still enact it as a policy matter, but the attorney general maintained federal constitutional law would control. No vote was taken on either bill during the portion of the hearing provided. The committee also heard House Bill 2493 on wrongful imprisonment, which would set procedures and compensation for people whose convictions are reversed or vacated on grounds consistent with innocence and whose charges are dismissed. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supported the bill’s intent but objected to language assigning it responsibility for helping released individuals secure housing, identification, health coverage, and other reentry needs, saying it no longer has jurisdiction after release and suggesting the courts or a community-based contractor handle that role. The Office of the Public Defender strongly supported the bill, emphasizing the harm of wrongful conviction and the need for compensation, case management, and medical coverage after release. No action or vote was reported on this measure in the excerpt.
MN

Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session

Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy - 03/06/25

Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:
  • [Music] Chair: Call the Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy to order.
  • law to manage electronics and batteries because they presented dangers to human health and the environment
  • But we know that we need to create a competitive environment here for our retailers.
  • But we know that we need to create a competitive environment here for our retailers.
  • work on and I think all the environment work on and I think all the environment component<01:53:
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • standpoint of the bill history, this bill, a similar concept of this idea came before the House Environment
  • The chair of Environment and Agriculture is here to talk about her committee's view on the bill, and
  • as for consumers I've talked environment as for consumers I've talked to<00:35:07.320> people
  • For the record, Representative Peter Bixby from Dover, Strafford 13, and ranking member of Environment
  • and agriculture uh member of environment and agriculture uh and<00:38:20.319> our<00:38:21.319
Keywords: 928, house, all
Summary: The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 451, which would create a postconsumer paint stewardship program in New Hampshire. Prime sponsor Representative Karen Ebel described the bill as a bipartisan, broadly supported model based on PaintCare programs used in other states. She said consumers and businesses could drop off leftover paint at participating retailers or municipal household hazardous waste sites, with the paint then collected and recycled by the stewardship organization. She emphasized that the program is intended to reduce landfill disposal, improper dumping, and contamination of groundwater and soil, while also helping municipalities save on hazardous waste handling costs. Members asked several questions about how the program would work and how it would be funded. Ebel explained that the program would be financed by a small fee charged at the point of sale on paint products, not a general sales tax, and that retailers could either list it separately or roll it into the price. She said the fee would cover the Department of Environmental Services’ administrative costs, which were described as minimal, and that the program’s structure was developed with DES and industry input. Questions also addressed whether cans would be recycled and how collected paint would be processed; Ebel said the ACA and PaintCare representatives could provide more detail, but that the paint and containers would be handled through recycling or other approved disposal methods rather than landfilled. Representative Judy Aron, a co-sponsor and chair of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee, testified in support, saying the bill had been developed over several years with stakeholders and would keep toxic paint out of landfills while saving municipalities and taxpayers money. Representative Peter Bixby, the ranking member of Environment and Agriculture, also supported the bill, saying his committee had heard it many times and that it had strong bipartisan enthusiasm. No vote was taken during the hearing.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Higher Education - 01/28/25

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • in a Nimble and flexible and respond in a dynamic<00:42:42.760> uh dynamic uh dynamic uh environment
  • uh I began noting that uh environment uh I began noting that uh our<00:42:47.480> why<00:42:47.839
  • to educate and serve our students with the resources we have, upgraded equipment and learning environments
  • that is such an natural environment that is such an important<01:20:19.560> part<01:20:20.080
  • that is part of duth natural environment that is part of duth and<01:20:32.280> we're<01:20:32.440
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:06:52.720> for<00:06:53.039> the excellent work environment for the excellent work
  • environment for the medical<00:06:53.520> examiner<00:06:54.080> and<00:06:54.319>
  • , not a high-acuity treatment type of environment.
  • ,<00:53:11.599> uh, setting, a detention environment, uh, setting, a detention environment
  • So, it's it's decentralized environment.
Summary: The interim Budget Review Subcommittee for Justice and Judiciary received an update on Northern Kentucky University’s capital project to house the Northern Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office and the Northern Kentucky Crime Lab in the former Highland Heights Civic Center building on NKU’s campus. NKU and Justice Cabinet staff described the project timeline: the building was identified in late 2022, lease terms were agreed to in early 2023, a pre-construction evaluation agreement was executed in May 2023, the General Assembly authorized $21 million in April 2024, and the lease and construction agreement were finalized in spring 2026. The project is now being prepared for bid, with construction expected to start in August and occupancy targeted for January 2028. About $1 million has been spent so far on design and related investigations. Testimony emphasized that the vacant building was structurally sound but required major upgrades, including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof, windows, a generator, specialized mechanical systems, security, and geothermal work to meet the needs of two separate operations sharing one facility. NKU said it is contributing $3.7 million to the project. Committee members asked about the condition of the building, the urgency of the project, and why the process took so long. Justice Cabinet and real properties officials said the medical examiner’s office had been shut down since roughly late 2017 or 2018, that the state had first sought funding in the 2022 budget for staffing, a lease, and equipment, and that it took time to find a suitable leased location because the facility has highly specialized requirements. Members also asked about operating costs, annual lease costs, and the impact of the office’s absence on families and counties in Northern Kentucky. Officials said the lease cost is based on NKU’s expected maintenance-related expenses, while utilities and staffing are covered through the Office of the State Medical Examiner or Kentucky State Police, with seven medical examiner positions funded in House Bill 500 and two additional KSP positions requested for the crime lab. They explained that, until the new facility opens, bodies from Northern Kentucky are generally transported to Louisville for autopsy, with transportation costs borne by the coroner’s office. No votes were taken, but the committee requested follow-up information, including lease cost numbers and additional details on facility usage and timing.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 03/16/26

Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:
  • environments are not yet achievable. environments are not yet achievable.
  • So thinking about long-term care and recognize specifically where the crunch is within that environment
  • So thinking about long-term care and recognize specifically where the crunch is within that environment
  • So thinking about long-term care and recognize specifically where the crunch is within that environment
  • training a that environment and training a workforce<00:40:36.960> that<00:40:37.200> will
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate - 02/25/26

Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:
  • [Music] Minnesota Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment and Climate Committee will please come to order
  • , uh clean grid alliance, and environment, uh clean grid alliance, and<00:09:01.600> was<00:09
  • retained and that the environment retained and that the environment environment<00:26:20.400>
  • <00:26:21.840> So,<00:26:22.000> we environment remains protected.
  • So, we environment remains protected.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-24 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • are trying not to be addicted to drugs or alcohol, and they're doing this in a 24-hour staffed environment
  • attention on maintaining my recovery, going back to school, getting a job, and having a stable environment
  • If I don't have Job and having a stable environment for my babies.
  • School-sponsored activities in an environment where school personnel will be ready and able to implement
  • But we are supposed to be here not to engage in juvenile antics, but to protect our environment, promote
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several recognitions, including guests from Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Clay County, and a moment of silence for Pope Francis. Members then moved to the special order calendar after adopting a motion to reconsider the earlier failed vote on CS/SB 1080, which was temporarily postponed. The chamber also temporarily postponed several bills during the day, including measures on social media use by minors, veterans’ nursing homes, Parkinson’s disease, mental health and substance use disorders, education, educator preparation, benefits for certain officers injured in the line of duty, Brownfields, and school social workers. The Senate passed a series of bills with little or no opposition, often substituting House companions for Senate bills. These included expedited DNA testing grants for law enforcement; additional aggravating factors in capital felony sentencing; fertility preservation coverage for cancer patients; commuter rail indemnification; disposition of migrant vessels; specialty license plates; an Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness campaign; relocation of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to Florida Memorial University; charter school changes; registration rules for sexual predators and offenders; assault and battery penalties for utility workers; juvenile justice revisions; reporting of student mental health outcomes; foster home licensure transfers; water access facilities and boating-related funding; Florida Virtual School changes; school readiness program improvements; protections against lewd sexual images of children; age-related criminal offense provisions; tampering with electronic monitoring devices; certified recovery residences; and codification of the FSU Election Law Center. Most of these bills passed overwhelmingly, though the charter school bill and the aggravating factors bill drew more divided votes. One of the most debated measures was SB 820, codifying the Office of Faith and Community. Senator Polsky offered an amendment to bar political activity by office employees while on duty and using government resources, citing alleged election-related emails and concerns about mixing government and religious influence. Supporters argued the amendment was needed as a guardrail; opponents said existing law already covered the conduct and that the amendment could be confusing or overly broad. The amendment failed 13-23, and the underlying bill passed 27-9 after extended debate about faith, politics, and the office’s role. Another notable debate involved SB 954 on certified recovery residences, where senators emphasized the need for stable housing in addiction recovery and the bill passed unanimously after supportive remarks from members who had personal experience with recovery. The Senate also passed SB 674 on bonuses for county tax collector and property appraiser employees after questions about safeguards and the purpose of the bonuses.
NJ

New Jersey 2026-2027 Regular Session

Senate Budget and Appropriations Jun 28th, 2026

Senate Budget and Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • Doug O'Malley, Environment New Jersey, opposed, no need to testify.
  • Doug O'Malley, Environment New Jersey, in favor.
  • Doug O'Malley, Environment New Jersey, in favor; Alex Ambrose, Policy Perspective, in favor; Ray Cantor
  • Doug O'Malley, Environment New Jersey, in favor, in order to testify, and Kerry Kirk Flew, New Jersey
  • Doug O'Malley, Environment New Jersey, in favor, no need to testify.
Keywords: 1146, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Health and Human Services Jan 30th, 2026 at 08:34 am

House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • for positions will be looking at those states as well and they'll be looking at the litigation environment
  • values its doctors and wants them to practice and stay here, and a more sustainable health care environment
  • care, clinics to stay open, and patients to receive timely treatment, it must address the legal environment
  • The speaker said the legal environment driving providers away must be addressed.
  • However, given the current environment, as it stands, it does prevent me from going full time, which
Keywords: 996, all
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

CPN Public Hearing 02-14-2025

Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • It didn't seem like that was the case, and more support for that would make the business environment
  • It didn't seem like that was the case, and more support for that would make the business environment
  • It didn't seem like that was the case, and more support for that would make the business environment
  • It didn't seem like that was the case, and more support for that would make the business environment
  • It didn't seem like that was the case, and more support for that would make the business environment
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committee heard several insurance and condominium-related bills. SB 1137 would require insurers to notify policyholders of approved rate changes within 30 days and at least 30 days before the effective date. The Insurance Division supported the bill, while testimony focused on condominium master policies and whether the notice period would be enough for associations to respond to rate increases. The division said the bill would mainly affect admitted carriers, not surplus lines insurers that write many condominium master policies, and warned against limiting the nonadmitted market. SB 293, requiring sellers to disclose when USPS cannot deliver mail or packages to a residential property, was also heard with HAAI Realtors commenting. SB 752 would extend notice periods for cancellation or nonrenewal of property-casualty policies; the Attorney General’s Office raised concerns about contractual impairment and retroactive application. The committee also heard SB 575, which would allow authorized insurers to offer building and hurricane damage coverage for condominium buildings at a lower rate than prior surplus lines coverage. The Insurance Division stood on written testimony, and a condominium owner urged amendments to require a membership vote before such coverage changes, citing concerns about condominium self-governance. SP 1046 would require managing agents to notify unit owners and the Real Estate Commission when a condominium association fails budget and reserve reporting requirements. The Real Estate Commission said the bill was administratively workable as drafted but noted ambiguity over who counts as the “managing agent”; several testifiers opposed the measure, arguing it could disrupt the principal-agent relationship and impose legal judgment on nonlawyers, while others supported it. SP 150, dealing with captive insurance companies seeking exemption from examinations, drew the most detailed discussion. The Captive Insurance Council supported the bill as a way to reduce duplicative oversight and improve Hawaii’s competitiveness, while the Insurance Division opposed it as drafted, citing concerns about broad commissioner discretion, possible missed issues between exams, staffing shortages, and the need to preserve oversight. A committee member asked about a possible middle ground, including a shorter exemption period or limiting the bill to self-attestation companies; the division said it would need more information and that annual filings and approval requirements would still provide oversight. The committee also heard SP 212, which would require at least two Real Estate Commission members to be licensed engineers or architects; testimony included support and a concern about conflicts of interest among people who serve in multiple roles in the condominium and real estate sectors. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided, and the chair moved from one measure to the next after testimony and questions.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm

House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability

Transcript Highlights:
  • That means stable and consistent tax policy, reasonable energy costs, and a limited regulatory environment
  • That means stable and consistent tax policy, reasonable energy costs, and a limited regulatory environment
  • we can, including support from the legislation that you all passed to help navigate this dynamic environment
  • I know that this is a very dynamic environment. Thank you. I'm happy to take any questions.
  • I know that this is a very dynamic environment.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The inaugural hearing of the newly named House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability focused on how federal policy changes could affect Massachusetts, especially in education, health care, research, infrastructure, climate, and business conditions. Chair LaNatra said the committee was created to monitor federal funding decisions and their impacts on state programs and services. Members introduced themselves, then heard testimony from Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Sarah Mills of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and Quentin Palfrey, the governor’s Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Howgate argued that the Trump administration and new Congress pose ideological, practical, and process-related risks to Massachusetts, citing proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, research, and other domestic programs. He said federal dollars make up about a quarter of the state operating budget and capital plan, warned against using one-time reserves to backfill ongoing federal cuts, and urged the state to prioritize core services while protecting areas where Massachusetts is especially strong, such as higher education and research. In response to committee questions, he said the House Medicaid proposal would still cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions and that international student and NIH-related changes could harm the state’s labor force and innovation economy. He also advised that the state communicate clearly without overreacting to daily federal developments. Mills testified that AIM members are most concerned about uncertainty, tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and NIH reductions. She said tariffs are raising costs, disrupting supply chains, and hurting small and medium-sized businesses, housing construction, and exporters, with AIM’s business confidence index falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. She said Medicaid cuts would raise employer health costs, reduce productivity, and strain the health care system, while NIH cuts would threaten Massachusetts’ life sciences and academic research ecosystem. In questions, she said AIM has increased federal outreach, is coordinating with the U.S. Chamber and the Massachusetts delegation, and is hearing concerns from employers about immigration compliance and workforce disruptions. Palfrey described the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to maximize federal funding, including a biweekly interagency council, a municipal partnership effort, and a statewide roadshow. He said Massachusetts has secured nearly $9 billion from major federal laws for projects such as the Cape Cod bridges, Allston Multimodal, grid modernization, clean-energy school buses, and broadband. He also said the administration launched a public website to track federal impacts and is working with municipalities, nonprofits, and the Attorney General on grant changes, legal issues, and litigation. In response to questions, he warned that cuts to NOAA, NSF, Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs could affect services and the state budget, and said the administration is tracking changes to federal grant applications and conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Transcript Highlights:
  • distinct profession, specializing in the knowledge applied to the planning and design of interior environments
  • distinct profession specializing in the knowledge applied to the planning and design of interior environments
  • distinct profession specializing in the knowledge applied to the planning and design of interior environments
  • So the role of interior designers in the built environment has evolved as a profession, and what we're
  • what John is talking about in making better and improving the economic engine that is the built environment
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure heard testimony on several real estate, housing, and consumer protection bills. A major portion of the hearing focused on bills to create licensure for commercial interior designers (H.324/S.254), with supporters from the architecture and interior design fields arguing the measure would recognize a distinct profession, expand permitting authority for qualified designers, improve public safety, and remove barriers to firm ownership and public contracting. Witnesses said the proposal had been redrafted through collaboration among interior designers, architects, engineers, and building officials, and Senator Gomez said the Senate had passed the bill previously and hoped to advance it again. The committee also heard support for H.450 on solar customer protections, with solar companies backing standardized disclosures, a consumer brochure, a longer rescission period, and sales registration requirements as consumer safeguards that would not materially disrupt business operations. The committee then took testimony on H.431/S.245, a bill to end housing discrimination in the Commonwealth. Senator Gomez, fair housing advocates, and several renters described alleged discrimination against Black renters and voucher holders, citing testing data and personal experiences. They said the bill would strengthen enforcement by linking court findings to temporary license suspensions, require fair housing training, increase public reporting, and add board representation with fair housing or voucher-holder experience. A real estate appraisers representative also supported S.196, which would make appraisal licensure mandatory in Massachusetts, arguing that home valuation should be done by licensed professionals. A substantial part of the hearing addressed broker-fee and rental-timing bills, including H.335, H.336, H.374, H.224, and H.449. Supporters of the broker-fee changes argued that tenants should not be charged fees when the landlord hired the broker, while opponents warned the language could restrict tenant representation and harm small landlords, students, and the rental market. Several witnesses opposed the 90-day lease-signing window in H.336, saying it would compress the September rental cycle, worsen competition, and make it harder for students and out-of-state renters to secure housing. The chairs noted that broker fees had already been addressed in the state budget, and the hearing concluded with no votes on the bills, only the close of testimony and an announcement that the committee would not hold another hearing until later in the year.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Local Government Jun 11th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • , but also at a regional scale as that hardening occurs and as those changes happen to the environment
  • large lack of enforcement like that, there's some fairly significant problems that happen to the environment
  • understand that if you let this thing go, it's going to have a fairly significant impact on the environment
  • some places, we get widespread noncompliance, and then there's a very significant impact on the environment
  • So thank you staff for being here in this different environment of the Senate.
Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Conservation Feb 14th, 2026 at 09:07 am

Senate Conservation

Transcript Highlights:
  • in the review of 114 applications between September and October with our partner agencies at the Environment
  • I was noticing on the New Mexico Environment Department, is there anybody here from the Environment Department
  • New Mexico Environment Department, is there anybody here from the Environment Department?
  • James Kinney with the New Mexico Environment Department.
Keywords: 996, all
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

Senate - Rules Feb 13th, 2026 at 09:19 am

Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:
  • allocation is positioning the funds to be basically to perform hopefully well in a variety of market environments
  • assets we have in the funds, should hopefully help the funds weather through a variety of market environments
  • agreement will provide the financial resources necessary to thrive in this rapidly changing energy environment
  • agreement will provide the financial resources necessary to thrive in this rapidly changing energy environment
  • And make sure that we continue to protect our environment and our planet.
Bills: SM20, SM9, SJR6, HB124