Transcript Highlights:

• Florida's beloved native wildlife while also providing both Floridians and visitors with premier outdoor

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Who's going to keep the light on so the planes don't hit them? And so we did that.
• Who's going to keep the light on so the planes don't hit them? And so we did that.
• It is coal that is keeping America's lights on regularly, and it is coal that goes a long way in keeping
• And somebody's got to keep the lights on. And how would a farmer do that?
• And Superior Water, Light, and Power, again, is a utility in the city of Superior, Wisconsin.

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, I'd like to thank the volunteers, local leaders, and outdoor enthusiasts who made this trail
• beginners to seasoned outdoor beginners to seasoned outdoor enthusiasts.<00:10:40.720> In
• thank the volunteers, local leaders, to thank the volunteers, local leaders, and<00:11:01.040> outdoor
• enthusiasts<00:11:02.240> who<00:11:02.560> made<00:11:02.720> this and outdoor
• enthusiasts who made this and outdoor enthusiasts who made this trail<00:11:03.279> possible.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, June 6, 2025, 1012, house, all

Bills: SB2138, SB2054, SB2987, SB2908, SB2702, SB2924, SB3248, SB2635, SB3127, SB3001, SB2294, SB2037, SB2797, SB2765, SB2961, SB2210, SB2948, SB3108, SB3240, SB2045, SB2675, SB2338, SB2451, SB2552, SB2553, SB3089, SB3176, SB3285, SB2234, SB2219, SB2312, SB2336, SB2343, SB2849, SB2928, SB2930, SB3332, SB2927, SB2983, SB2906, SB2353, SB2848, SB2340, SB2845, SB3246, SB3077, SB3254, SB2934, SB2571, SB2248, SB2471, SB2298, SB2413, SB2425, SB3045, SB2843, SB2595, SB2907, SB3204, SB2311, SB2532, SB2528, SB2313, SB3300, SB2530, SB2693, SB2010, SB3156, SB2697, SB2991, SB3153, SB2812, SB2527, SB2376, SB3081, SB3218, SB3219, SB3333, SB2232, SB2192, SB2378, SB2070, SB3011, SB2676, SB2957, SB2434, SB2673, SB3301, SB2247, SB2453, SB2457, SB2075, SB2811, SB2601, SB2258, SB2612, SB3263, SB3261, SB3334, SB2613

Keywords: SB2138, Hawaii National Guard, state tuition assistance, STAP, graduate degree, graduate education, tuition assistance, University of Hawaii, UH, Department of Defense, adjutant general, enlisted personnel, warrant officers, company grade officers, military education, veterans benefits, higher education, state residency, professional development, retention

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, in state law, when people are participating in parades or other outdoor events, it's allowable

Bills: HB411, HB559

Keywords: HB411, Alabama, civil practice, affirmative defense, traffic obstruction, roadway obstruction, blocking traffic, protest, demonstration, street blockade, highway, bridge, road, personal injury, wrongful death, property damage, tort liability, civil lawsuit, stay of proceedings, parallel criminal case

Transcript Highlights:

• of our last four actions >> in light of our last four actions concerning<00:41:05.280> the<
• Uh, the Wyoming Outdoor years to get it.
• I think the school year will be way past over before that ever sees the light of day. Thank you.
• light of day. Thank you. light of day. Thank you. >> Anybody<01:52:59.920> else?
• We were going to light the candles, but there were not enough fire trucks outside.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You have our forest and AEG, manufacturing, and our outdoor work and hospitality.
• <00:59:07.440> wreck<00:59:08.079> economy helped build that outdoor wreck economy
• In light of these points, the NHDS would like to recommend that the committee vote this bill inexpedient
• 187<01:43:45.960> FN<01:43:46.719> proposes<01:43:47.719> in<01:43:47.880> light
• in light of these position<01:43:48.880> these<01:43:49.040> points<01:43:49.360> the

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Maintain habitats and create sustainable outdoor environments. Thank you. Any questions?

Bills: HCR75, HCR93, SB644, SCR2, SCR17, HB2703, HCR92, HCR7, HCR126, HB1615, HB1610, HB1620, HCR86, HCR7

Keywords: Hemphill, bass fishing, tourism, state recognition, conservation, recreational activities, Nacogdoches, Garden Capital, public gardens, sustainability, horticultural heritage, hospice, palliative care, awareness day, healthcare, patient care, state regulation, taxation, education, local authority

Transcript Highlights:

• So we think, in light of the tough things that you're gonna have to be thinking about, you're gonna be
• Californians to make sure that... that if we are going to do something like this, that we do it in the light
• about the implications of this package on judicial review and water rights and so forth, but Chair, in light
• What that means is we're doing work to ensure the lights stay on today while we're planning for keeping
• the lights on after 2045 with our SB 100. hundred goals.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll always be your home state, to share a national overview and shed some light on the conversations
• And lastly, we had a plan for a K-3 curriculum that connected art and science through outdoor education
• And in light of the museum grant fund erasure, should be made available to be included in the current
• As somebody, as a young professional, two years into my career, it's not the most positive light to look
• compelled to come up here to say we are a radical partner in arts education, and I want to shine the light

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have the discretion to not fund certain things that may not paint Texas in the light that we all
• months to a year just on getting the right infrastructure within our electrical panels in order to light
• Well, I started with green lights so I was being deferential. Thank you for being here.
• Sometimes these ghosts turn your light green. They just do that. Anyways, thank you.
• But we don't buy and we don't eat outdoors. People this time, they like to camp.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've still enjoyed our affection for the outdoors and ducks and pontoons.
• /c><00:57:47.160> the still enjoy our affection for the still enjoy our affection for the outdoors
• outdoors and ducks and pontoons. Mhm. outdoors and ducks and pontoons. Mhm.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the bill to recognize that a raised hood or trunk lid of a stationary vehicle whose emergency lights
• anticipated statewide increase in jury trials and demand for probation services under this bill, and in light
• pilot program that closes vehicular traffic and repurposes roads for pedestrians and cyclist use, outdoor
• ><02:34:24.160> and<02:34:24.319> cyclist<02:34:24.720> use<02:34:25.359> outdoor
• for pedestrians and cyclist use outdoor for pedestrians and cyclist use outdoor events<02:34:26.000

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard SB 2694 SD2, which would authorize the Public Utilities Commission to create automatic adjustment mechanisms for water carriers, including a water carrier inflationary cost index, and to waive certain requirements under the Hawaii Water Carrier Act. Testimony was sharply divided. The Department of Transportation, Young Brothers, and several shipping, harbor, labor, and business-related supporters argued the bill would modernize regulation, reduce the need for large catch-up rate cases, and help keep rates aligned with rising costs. Young Brothers said its current rate-setting process is expensive and delayed, and that annual adjustments with guardrails such as a 5% cap and periodic full reviews would support sustainable operations and the state’s supply chain. Some supporters also said the company’s less-than-container-load service and required inter-island routes create costs that are not fully covered by current rates. Opponents, including the Consumer Advocate, the Maui Chamber of Commerce, Hawaii Food Industry Association, restaurant and chamber groups, and other businesses, argued the bill would lead to higher costs for consumers and businesses and should not move forward. Several testified that shipping costs already significantly affect pricing and that automatic increases would worsen the cost of living. The Consumer Advocate said Young Brothers should focus on cost control and implementing its business plan rather than automatic rate increases. The Maui Chamber and others pointed to a recent PUC decision that imposed a two-year stay on rate increases and said the bill would undermine that protection. Some opponents urged the committee to defer to the PUC’s regulatory authority. The PUC explained that it regulates water carriers as public utilities under existing statute and said it had recently approved a temporary rate increase while imposing a two-year stayout period on further increases, with emergency relief still possible. PUC members said they were still examining whether they have authority to adopt the proposed WICI mechanism by rule and wanted legislative clarity. In response to questions, the PUC said it prefers the current two-year stayout as reflected in its order. Young Brothers also clarified that it serves less-than-container-load cargo, that some routes and services are cross-subsidized because they are not profitable, and that an independent observer is being put in place to monitor implementation of its updated business plan. The transcript ended with the committee still taking questions; no final vote or disposition on the bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, of course, as you recognize, we have the sales tax holiday, hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor
• And then, of course, as you recognize, we have the sales tax holiday, hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor
• I can't think of anything more American or more Floridian than spending time with those you love outdoors

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Donnell C. Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. A quorum was announced, the journal was approved, and the Speaker said the chamber would take up 11 budget conference reports, with debate and final votes on each report. The first report considered was HB 7031E, the tax package, followed by HB 501E, the state budget appropriations bill. On HB 7031E, Chair Duggan explained that the conference report included a range of tax reductions and tax-related changes, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related provisions, reductions in certain taxes and fees, and new exemptions or administrative clarifications. He said the package also added items such as sales tax relief for certain university construction projects, a tennis admissions exemption, and changes to agricultural property tax treatment, and that the amendment reduced state and local tax revenues by $272.2 million. Members questioned the bill about the child care tax credit reduction from three years to one, the homestead exemption provision for certain diplomats and foreign service personnel, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the inclusion of firearm accessories and tennis tickets in sales tax holidays. After structured debate, the House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began the conference report on HB 501E, the $114.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2026-2027, which was described as below the prior year’s spending level and leaving more than $14 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major allocations across education, higher education, IT, health care, transportation and economic development, justice, state administration, and agriculture/natural resources. Highlights included increased FEFP funding and veteran teacher raises, full funding for Bright Futures, major IT modernization projects, Medicaid and behavioral health funding, transportation and local infrastructure spending, correctional and law enforcement investments, fire station and emergency response funding, and large environmental and water-quality appropriations. Members asked detailed questions about school voucher fraud oversight, scholarship funding, teacher raises, preeminence funding, ADAP changes, SNAP data tools and error rates, Medicaid rate changes, prison wastewater monitoring, and other budget items, but the transcript ends during the budget questions before final action on HB 501E is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, of course, as you recognize, we have the sales tax holiday, hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor
• And then, of course, as you recognize, we have the sales tax holiday, hunting, fishing, camping, outdoor
• I can't think of anything more American or more Floridian than spending time with those you love outdoors

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Don Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber announced it would take up 11 budget conference committee reports, with no third-reading bills or special-order calendar items. Members were reminded that conference reports were subject to debate but not amendment, and that the required review periods had been satisfied. The first major action was on HB 7031E, the tax package. Representative Duggan explained that the conference report included a mix of retained, modified, and new tax provisions, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related changes, reductions in certain gaming and carbon-related taxes, changes to child care and documentary stamp tax credits, a new refund process for public works construction tax paid by universities and colleges, and other tax administration changes. Debate focused on the bill’s consumer impact, the reduction of the child tax credit from three years to one, the inclusion of firearm accessories in a sales tax holiday, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the homestead exemption provision for certain deployed diplomatic and foreign service personnel. Critics argued the package favored niche or corporate interests over broad affordability relief, while supporters said it provided targeted tax relief and reflected conference negotiations. The House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began presenting the conference report for HB 501E, the state budget, which totaled $114.5 billion for fiscal year 2026-27 and was described as below the prior year’s spending level while maintaining reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major budget areas: pre-K-12 funding included an increase in FEFP, salary increases for veteran teachers, stabilization funding, and support for declining enrollment; higher education included full Bright Futures funding, workforce programs, college operating support, university initiatives, and school guardian expansion; IT funding focused on Palm, ACCESS, APD’s I-Connect replacement, corrections systems, emergency management systems, and cybersecurity grants; health care funding covered Medicaid, nursing home rates, waiver provider increases, ADAP funding and restructuring, child welfare, and behavioral health; transportation and economic development included housing, cultural grants, jobs and rural infrastructure, Visit Florida, Space Florida, highway patrol equipment, and local transportation projects; justice funding included correctional construction, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement grants, and clerk and due process reimbursements; state administration included fire stations, constrained counties, building maintenance, and Safe Florida Home; and agriculture/natural resources funding emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, land acquisition, Florida Forever, state parks, and citrus research. Members then began questioning the budget details, including school voucher accountability, school funding formulas, public defender parity, prison technology, wastewater monitoring in prisons, ADAP policy, SNAP fraud controls and AI-assisted verification, Florida Forever funding, school lunch funding, and coral reef restoration. No final vote on HB 501E appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1153 by Representative Coates, relative to outdoor burning, authorizes parishes and municipalities
• House Bill 1153 by Representative Coates, relative to outdoor burning, authorizes parishes and municipalities
• House Bill 1153 by Representative Coates, relative to outdoor burning, authorizes parishes and municipalities

Bills: HR179, HR180, HR181, HR182, HR183, HR184, HR185, HR186, HR187, HCR75, HCR76, HCR77, HCR78, HCR79, HR165, HR166, HR168, HR169, HR170, HR171, HR172, HR173, HR174, HR175, HR176, HR177, HR178, HCR65, HCR66, HCR67, HCR68, HCR69, HCR70, HCR71, HCR72, HCR73, HCR74, SCR34, SB34, SB43, SB52, SB56, SB165, SB173, SB189, SB190, SB260, SB322, SB345, SB374, SB387, SB401, SB448, SB449, SB455, SB487, SB496, SB502, SB505, HB362, HB893, HB990, HB1007, HB1153, HB1243, HR1, HR17, HCR5, HCR4, HCR47, HB55, HB385, HB394, HB396, HB406, HB608, HB622, HB676, HB772, HB897, HB1030, HB1035, HB1038, HB1045, HB1049, HB1056, HB1058, HB1059, HB1092, HB1100, HB1117, HB1160, HB1161, HB1162, HB1177, HB1180, HB1189, HB1216, HB1239, HB1240, HB59, HB74, HB159, HB330, HB364, HB414, HB458, HB525, HB568, HB786, HB1008, HB1033, HB1034, HB1041, HB1062, HB1070, HB1079, HB1112, HB1118, HB1139, HB1151, HB1176, HB1182, HB1196, HB1214, HB1241, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB368, HB433, HB441, HB447, HB466, HB481, HB741, HB1242, SB162, SB349, SB350, SB382, SB383, SB127, SB244, HB977, HB181, HB31, HB664, HB9, HB192, HB225, HB306, HB310, HB366, HB635, HB911, HB1230, HB1236, HB615, HB864, HB1103, HB1175, HB901, HR20, HR74, HB284, HB393, HB459, HB577, HB582, HB605, HB614, HB682, HB733, HB773, HB996, HB1003, HB1082, HB1113, HB1234

Keywords: neighborhood, crime prevention, security districts, law enforcement, community safety, funding, Counseling Day, mental health, Louisiana Counseling Association, community support, mental wellness, Louisiana State University, athletics, NAIA, sports achievements, recognition, success, competition, education, higher education

Summary: The House opened with a prayer, pledge, quorum call, and several personal privileges recognizing visiting groups and guests, including Junior League members, a Louisiana Renewable Energy Day proclamation, Wholesalers Day, the Louisiana Home Builders Association, and other visitors. Members also adopted or laid over a number of resolutions honoring local events, organizations, and individuals, including condolences resolutions and commemorations such as ALS Awareness Month and Junior League Day. The most extended debate centered on House Bill 385 by Rep. Bamberg, which would require certain TOPS scholarship recipients to repay one semester of aid if they lose eligibility, subject to several exemptions and a possible move into career and technical education. Members raised concerns about whether the bill would turn a merit scholarship into a loan, its effect on student decision-making and brain drain, constitutional notice issues, administrative costs, collection methods, and whether the Board of Regents had been consulted. After debate, a motion to recommit the bill to Appropriations failed by a 34-16 vote, and the bill was later returned to the calendar. The House then passed House Bill 55, prohibiting disclosure of juror information with exceptions for juror interviews, by a 94-2 vote; House Bill 394, extending the conditional parole period from nine to 24 months; House Bill 396, making autopsy photographs admissible in criminal proceedings; and House Bill 406, directing the Department of Education to study whether it should oversee interscholastic high school athletics, by a 97-1 vote. The chamber also passed House Bill 622 aligning criminal history record handling with federal requirements and House Bill 676 creating the crime of fraudulent patient referrals, or body brokering. Several other bills were introduced, referred, or returned to the calendar, including measures on criminal history confidentiality, parole, autopsy evidence, athletics oversight, and non-emergency medical transportation for mental health care.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 108, introduced by Assembly Members Hibbets and Yeager, makes an appropriation to the Outdoor
• Assembly Bill 108, introduced by some members, Houdi and Yeager, makes an appropriation to the Outdoor
• This makes an appropriation to the Outdoor Education and Recreation Grant Program.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Moving down to line 95 is Outdoors Schools for All.
• It is $848,000 one-time for the Outdoors Schools for All program.
• that requires the DNR, in consultation with others, to draft a statutory framework to establish an outdoor

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The working group on the Omnibus Environment Bill opened with remarks from House and Senate co-chairs describing the agreement as a compromise with wins and tradeoffs for both sides, and thanking nonpartisan staff and administration agencies for helping negotiate the package. Staff then walked through the finance spreadsheet, explaining that the agreement met the group’s general fund target by combining new spending with cancellations and fund shifts across the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, BWSR, Metro Parks, the Zoo, the Science Museum, and other entities. Major fiscal items included PCA operating and permitting-efficiency funding, PFAS-related and mercury-related provisions, county feedlot reductions, closed landfill and remediation fund changes, groundwater and aquatic invasive species fee increases, DNR groundwater and AIS spending, ATV trail grants, watercraft enforcement, and several one-time appropriations and extensions for specific water quality and conservation projects. The policy walk-through covered Article 3’s community grants changes, including a requirement that grants benefit all regions of the state, permission to use some funds for trail maintenance and AIS management, prohibitions on awards to certain entities, and a DNR reporting requirement. Article 4 contained a range of natural resources and environmental policy provisions, including abandoned watercraft seizure and forfeiture authority, higher watercraft AIS surcharges, disabled veterans license fee reductions, a county-based replacement for the shotgun zone, a one-year crossbow extension, a continuous bass season, increased water use permit fees, PFAS sales exemptions for certain products, creation of the Sustainable Foraging Task Force, and a moratorium on DNR foraging rules shortened to July 1, 2026. Article 5 addressed state lands, including an additional Cass County land sale authority. Article 6 focused on PCA permitting reform, requiring more emphasis on complex Tier 2 permits in annual reporting, giving applicants five business days to fix deficiencies, allowing the PCA to decline expedited permitting when it lacks capacity, and letting the agency retain certain fees if expedited permits are completed early. It also included changes to environmental review procedures, feedlot permitting, and EQB rules. During member questions, Senator McEwen asked about the $952,000 ATV trail appropriation and whether projects must have permits before receiving funds; DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Myers said no project list had been finalized and that grants would go through the existing process, with environmental review and readiness considered, but he said he would need to verify the exact permitting policy and follow up with the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• One includes outdoor seating areas, not indoor seating areas. There is also a specific requirement.
• If it does want to allow dogs, it's restricted to outdoor seating areas, and there are certain other
• If it does want to allow dogs, it's restricted to outdoor seating areas, and there are certain other

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first considered a series of Governor’s Message nominations, largely to the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and one to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances. Testifiers and agencies spoke in strong support of the nominees, emphasizing their advocacy, community involvement, and lived experience. The committee heard from nominees and supporters for John Paul Moses III, Cynthia Fowler, Joshua Eay, Alicia Kim, Raymond Mamea, Maria Christina Valenzuela, Eden Watabayashi, Sierra Whiteside, and Brandy Lynn Macallani Hayen. After hearing testimony, the committee voted to advise and consent on each nomination, with the votes adopted by the members present. The committee then took up SR 53 / SCR 69, which asks the Department of Health to convene a pharmacy benefit manager working group to improve transparency, fairness, and drug affordability. Supporters included the Hawaii Pharmacist Association, the University of Hawaii system, and several individuals, while the Department of Health said the issue is complex and may require additional support or a different structure. Members discussed whether the Department of Health should lead the effort or whether another entity, such as SHIPA with an appropriation, might be more workable; the Department of Health suggested a $100,000 appropriation could be sufficient. Next, SR 56 / SCR 73 proposed a report on the developmental needs of children born during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of Wellness and Resilience supported the measure and asked for an extended deadline to the end of 2026, and several youth, mental health, and community organizations testified in support. The committee also heard SR 69 / STR 86 on creating an aeromedical services working group, with support from Air Methods, the Department of Health, and the Hawaii Medical Association, and SR 99 / STR 118 on studying the use of filtered catchment water for business activity, which drew support from the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association and comments from the Department of Health that the issue is complicated and should include the Department of Agriculture. No final votes on the resolutions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• and I think that Representative Hillsville, to support the Hometown Heroes programs, which is for outdoor
• and I think that Representative Hillsville, to support the Hometown Heroes programs, which is for outdoor
• and I think that Representative Hillsville, to support the Hometown Heroes programs, which is for outdoor

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House File 733, which would restore electronic pull-tab features such as open-all, free play, bonus games, and similar functions that were restricted in 2023. The bill’s supporters, including representatives of Allied Charities of Minnesota, the American Legion, and a Bloomington school activities foundation, argued that the 2023 changes reduced revenue for charitable gambling operations and, in turn, cut funding for veterans programs, youth sports, food shelves, school needs, and other local community services. Several supporters cited early revenue declines since the new rules took effect, including double-digit drops and one example of a Bloomington site reporting a 29% year-over-year decline overall and a 44% drop in e-tab revenue. They also argued that restoring the features would help charities without meaningfully increasing casino play. Opponents, including Citizens Against Gambling Expansion and the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association, said the bill would expand slot-machine-like gambling in neighborhood bars and restaurants and increase problem gambling and related social harms. They argued the features in question mimic slot machines, are especially concerning in non-age-restricted locations, and would amount to a major expansion of gambling. The tribal representative also said the 2023 clarification was appropriate, that charitable gambling revenues do not translate efficiently into mission funding, and that tax relief or other policy changes would be better ways to help charities than restoring the disputed features. The chair reminded testifiers to keep comments neutral and not partisan. After testimony, a member discussion began, with Representative Ray Rower thanking the testifiers and expressing support for their work. The transcript excerpt does not show a final vote or disposition beyond the bill being recommended to be re-referred to the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee.