Transcript Highlights:

• Every time we do a pay increase, other states do a pay increase, too.
• Every time we do a pay increase, other states do a pay increase, too.
• Every time we do a pay increase, other states do a pay increase, too.
• </c> &gt;&gt; I do not. &gt;&gt; I do not.
• /c><06:13:56.160><c> a</c> and so is it not do you not have a and so is it not do you not have a concern

Transcript Highlights:

• We should not be using taxpayer dollars to coerce people into paying for a practice that's not good medicine
• We do not believe that House File 4609 is the right solution.
• :20:48.440><c> pay</c> Taxpayer-funded insurance should not pay Taxpayer-funded insurance should not
• How do we pay for that coverage? So that it affects the most number of people.
• I'm not—that doesn't mean that you're doing anything wrong.

Transcript Highlights:

• individual and notify them that you will not be paying them.
• That might not be a bill you want to do that on.
• And they are telling you what rate you have to pay and telling attorneys that your bank is not paying
• The ends do not just provide the means in this case.
• I do not want them to lose money or have less money.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if they're not, we're not going to sit and negotiate.
• , despite what the city council is doing, because they've not provided us any information that disputes
• I apologize on my city for being so hard-headed and not wanting to approve. I do apologize.
• So do you pay the bills? Are you the treasurer? Me? No. I'm not the court clerk. Okay, I'm sorry.
• This is the 2023 report, and the finding in it is the following deposits totaling over $12,000 do not

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Summary: The committee first heard updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. For reports due as of December 31, 2012, staff said five additional 2024 reports had been received since the December meeting, bringing the total of released escrow funds to 17 and leaving 26 still escrowed. For reports delinquent as of December 31, 2023, two more reports were received, bringing 59 of the original 64 into compliance and leaving five outstanding. Both update reports were filed without objection. The committee then discussed Act 709 of 2021 and the town of Daisy’s repayment of street turnback funds. Staff said Daisy had made improper payments to a nonprofit, used restricted street funds for fire truck and fire department building costs, and had not adopted the required repayment ordinance or obtained approval for a reduced repayment percentage. Mayor Lisa Cogburn said the city council had not approved repayment because members disputed the amount, though she said the city had funds to pay. After questions from members and staff explaining the audit calculations, the committee adopted a motion requiring Daisy to repay 10% of unrestricted general fund revenues under the statute and to withhold turnback funds if the city fails to comply. The report was then filed. The committee reviewed numerous deferred and current audit findings from cities, counties, and water systems. Several local officials appeared and described corrective steps, including Harrison district court, Carroll County airport, Izard County treasurer, Alexander district court, Town of 56 officials, Bull Shoals, Lone Oak County, Beaver, Central City, Gravette, Ralston Water Department, Thornton Waterworks, Ozan, and Lee County. Findings included missing or inaccurate reconciliations, unsupported credit card charges, payroll and compensation issues, improper use of public funds, missing receipts, and budget overruns. Some matters were referred to the prosecuting attorney and Attorney General, including Bull Shoals and Lone Oak County, while others were filed or deferred as appropriate. The committee also deferred two private water and sewer reports for lack of proper responses, filed 19 reports with resolved findings, and filed 53 reports with no findings. Before adjourning, the committee set its next meeting for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not one of its favorite things to be doing. know what we do to get you know what we do to get
• </c> um not all insurance companies will pay um not all insurance companies will pay for<00:31:09.200
• </c> from is from a not anything to do with from is from a not anything to do with this<01:39:34.280>
• </c><02:54:15.960><c> their</c> they do not have to disclose their they do not have to disclose their
• Okay, so they're legal rules. we're not saying you can't do it we just we're not saying you can't do

Summary: The subcommittee first reviewed its schedule, noting that 13 bills were being executed the next day and that additional subcommittee work would be scheduled around Town Meeting Day and the following session days. The chair explained that the committee would not meet on Town Meeting Day, would handle the remaining bills on the next available subcommittee day, and would continue any unfinished items later in the month. The committee then took up House Bill 774, which concerned Medicare-related coverage issues. Members discussed the bill’s purpose and the differences between Medicare standard and Medicare Advantage, with one member saying the proposal was informative but did not offer a workable solution. The committee also moved to inexpedient to legislate on House Bill 185, and the motion passed on a 6-0 vote. House Bill 241, relating to alternatives to opioids, was retained for further work. Members said the bill raised concerns about insurers effectively practicing medicine and about the lack of evidence on the efficacy of some alternative treatments, while also noting that chiropractic coverage mandates already exist in statute. The committee voted to retain the bill, with the motion passing 6-0. The most extended discussion was on House Bill 648, which would expand insurance coverage for glucose monitoring. Testimony and committee comments focused on whether coverage should be tied to insulin use or instead to a physician’s medical judgment, the role of continuous glucose monitoring for people with type 2 diabetes who are not on insulin, and the potential cost impact. An insurance department fiscal analyst said the original $22-per-member estimate was based on the unamended bill and that the amended version would require updated analysis; members agreed to retain the bill to narrow the eligible population and revisit the language later.

Transcript Highlights:

• , not doing good care.
• I did not ask money from anybody. I had my own way to pay my bills and pay the mortgage.
• or not have the capacity to do.
• them or do not exist at all for most of them.
• And that’s something many people do not see.

Summary: The hearing focused first on how wildfires and other disasters affect child care providers, families, and early education infrastructure. State officials from the Department of Social Services and Department of Education described disaster response and preparedness efforts, including shelter coordination, licensing outreach, emergency waivers, distribution of supplies, and the statewide child care disaster plan. Testimony from providers and advocates emphasized major gaps in recovery funding, insurance coverage, rebuilding support, mental health services, and coordination with local rebuild plans. Several witnesses urged more dedicated disaster-recovery funding for child care facilities and suggested statutory changes, including allowing greater flexibility for rebuilding costs and requiring early childhood programs to be included in local disaster planning. The second panel addressed immigration enforcement and its impact on child care. Advocates from the Children's Partnership, Every Child California, and CHIRLA said enforcement activity is causing families to keep children home, disrupting continuity of care, reducing enrollment, and creating fear and trauma for children and providers. They argued that immigrant and mixed-status families need clearer protections, privacy safeguards, legal support, trauma-informed guidance, and safe-haven policies for child care settings. Speakers also stressed that the child care workforce is heavily immigrant and that recent state laws such as AB 49 and AB 495 will require funding, training, and technical assistance to implement effectively. Public commenters, including child care providers, described personal experiences with fire damage, displacement, permit delays, lost income, and the emotional toll of serving families during crises. Others described how immigration enforcement has made parents afraid to attend events, drop off children, or remain connected to providers. Committee members repeatedly noted that child care is often overlooked in emergencies and asked state officials how child care systems are being integrated into disaster planning and how local and state agencies can better coordinate. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do pay electricity taxes, but um, I am seized by guilt every time I charge my car because I'm not paying
• Do not pay any attention to those kind of emails. They’re just trying to take you in.”
• </c><01:23:09.520><c> Do</c><01:23:09.840><c> not</c><01:23:10.080><c> pay</c><01:23:10.400><c> any</
• Do not pay any "We would never do that.
• Do not pay any attention<01:23:11.120><c> to</c><01:23:11.360><c> those</c><01:23:11.679><c> kind</c>

Bills: HF2048 , HF2360 , HF2006 , HF950 , HF912 , HF3140 , HF2931

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: individual income tax, retirement contributions, tax corrections, annuity contracts, tax year attribution, tax credit, economic development, community investment, data disclosure, Minnesota regulations, tax increment financing, municipal authority, job creation, transferred increment, public hearing, nonresident employees, income tax exemption, Minnesota taxation, employment duties, tax withholding

Transcript Highlights:

• We do pay like a hospital provider tax.
• We're not trying to... How do we do that?
• And I'm not sure that we, the state, do a good—and I'm not blaming anyone.
• So we're just, we're not doing that.
• Not all other funds do.

Summary: The Budget Committee heard the Department of Mental Health’s FY 2027 budget presentation, with Director Valerie Hoon outlining a $4.4 billion department budget, including $1.7 billion in general revenue, and describing the department’s roles in substance use, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities services. Early questioning focused on marijuana-related mental health impacts, but the main discussion centered on the department’s new decision items, funding sources, and expected wait lists. The director explained several increases tied to Medicaid growth, mental health youth services, outpatient competency restoration, crisis residential services, developmental disability waivers, and provider tax adjustments, along with offsets such as reduced wraparound funding at the Kansas City Assessment and Triage Center and cuts to some youth and self-directed DD services. A major portion of the hearing focused on competency restoration for people found unfit to stand trial and currently held in county jails. Members pressed the department on the cost, effectiveness, and legal implications of keeping people in jail while awaiting services, noting a reported wait list of roughly 524 to 538 individuals and average holds of about 14 months. The department said it currently has eight outpatient competency restoration beds in the community, is seeking funding for 50 additional outpatient slots, and also operates jail-based restoration for about 40 people at a time. Members repeatedly asked for breakdowns of violent versus nonviolent cases, success rates, cost per person, and the split between state and federal funding, while the department explained that Medicaid can cover only the treatment portion, not residential housing or other non-billable costs. The committee also discussed broader capacity constraints in state hospitals and developmental disability services. Hoon said Fulton, Center for Behavioral Medicine, and FTC North are full, with 183 vacancies across the department, and that the department is working on a new Kansas City hospital that would add 150 beds, though completion is now expected closer to 2029 or 2030. In the developmental disabilities section, the department warned that the governor’s recommendation would create wait lists for in-home waiver services and crisis residential services, and members questioned proposed reductions to self-directed services rates and other provider payments. No votes were taken, and the committee recessed before finishing the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We do not require that these programs pay for benefits.
• As you heard earlier this morning, some institutions already do that; not all of them do.
• it does not require a person to do this if they're not trained.
• These provisions do not apply to law enforcement of any kind.
• The bill does not require a teacher to do that.

Transcript Highlights:

• pay for, claims not covered by the policy, to name a few.”
• With California paying such a massive cost, we have to ask who is not paying.
• So who's not paying?
• Others do not.
• The question is, how do we pay for it, and how do we make sure that the overall... ...is how do we pay

Committee: Senate Insurance

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several insurance-related bills. SB 1209 by Senator Allen, sponsored by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, would give the Department of Insurance stronger enforcement tools when insurers fail to implement corrective actions identified in market conduct or financial examinations. Supporters said the bill would close gaps that allow repeated violations, improve solvency oversight, and protect policyholders; opponents argued CDI already has broad authority and raised concerns about duplicative penalties, due process, and the bill’s scope. Members discussed amendments to limit the bill to legal violations rather than recommendations, apply penalties per exam rather than per policy, and clarify accounting language. The committee voted to send SB 1209 to Appropriations, with the bill placed on call after a roll vote that included one no vote from Senator Niello. The committee also considered SB 1301, which would require more detailed non-renewal notices for residential property insurance, give policyholders time and information to address correctable issues, and restrict certain non-renewal reasons such as claims below deductible or not covered by the policy. Support came from homeowners, fire survivors, and consumer groups who said notices are often vague and leave families unable to keep coverage; insurers opposed the bill, warning that California’s notice period is already among the longest in the country and that the bill could worsen availability and add burdensome reporting requirements. The author said he was willing to reduce the notice period from 180 days to about three months and work on a mitigation-based process. The committee passed the bill to Appropriations, with Senator Niello voting no and the item placed on call. SB 1026 by Senator Gonzalez would tighten regulation of bail fugitive recovery agents by allowing the Department of Insurance to suspend or revoke licenses without a criminal conviction, adding conduct restrictions, and requiring continuous liability coverage and proper appointment notices. Supporters, including Commissioner Lara, said the bill addresses serious misconduct and loopholes that have led to unsafe conduct and weak oversight. Bail industry representatives and crime victims’ advocates opposed the measure, arguing that the required insurance coverage is unavailable or unlawful as written, that the bill would be hard to comply with, and that it could reduce the number of recovery agents and delay justice. The committee moved SB 1026 to Appropriations, with Senator Niello voting no and the bill placed on call. The committee then heard SB 982 by Senator Wiener, the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act, which would authorize the Attorney General to sue fossil fuel companies to recover costs tied to climate disasters and insurance losses, with supporters framing it as a way to shift some climate-related costs away from policyholders and taxpayers. The author said amendments would remove retroactivity and delay liability until 2032, while supporters from flood and wildfire survivor groups and climate organizations said the bill would help fund recovery and stabilize insurance costs. Opponents from industry and building trades argued the bill was legally vulnerable, would create a de facto tax or liability scheme, and could harm jobs, energy production, and affordability. Testimony on SB 982 was extensive, but the transcript ends before any committee vote or final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do you recruit those people to come in if we're not necessarily providing higher pay or better benefits
• How do you recruit those people to come in if we're not necessarily providing higher pay or better benefits
• How do you recruit those people to come in if we're not necessarily providing higher pay or better benefits
• Many of you do not know me.
• Why not let them do what they're already doing?

Summary: The subcommittee first took up House Bill 702, which would change how extra or special duty pay for retired police officers is treated for retirement and work-limit purposes. Supporters argued the bill would let retirees work more special-duty hours, helping municipalities fill traffic-detail and similar assignments without added state cost, and said it would not prohibit retirees from working but would simply stop those hours from counting toward the return-to-work threshold. Opponents argued the change would be inconsistent with the retirement system’s 2011 reforms, could increase pension liabilities, and would treat the same compensation differently for active employees and retirees. Members also discussed whether the bill would affect current and future retirees, the role of municipalities, and whether the policy amounted to “policing for profit.” The subcommittee ultimately voted 3-2 to recommend inexpedient to legislate (ITL) on HB 702, sending it to the full committee with that recommendation. The committee then discussed House Bill 581, which would create a Group Three retirement plan for new state employees hired after the bill’s effective date. The chair outlined a housekeeping amendment to delay implementation, moving the effective date to January 1, 2026, and noted a sponsor amendment addressing health insurance group inclusion and medical and surgical benefits so those benefits would not be put at risk for the new group. Testimony and discussion focused on the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution, with supporters citing Michigan examples and arguing the bill would help recruit and retain employees while giving them more flexibility. Opponents said the change could weaken retirement security and increase unfunded liability, though supporters responded that the bill still requires employer contributions toward accrued liability and is intended to keep the state on track to pay off its unfunded liability by 2039. The transcript ends with continued discussion of the bill and no final vote shown on HB 581.

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're attempting to do is not safe. It's not safe for me.
• It's not pay per se. That's part of it.
• Um, it's not just a pay issue.
• Let's be not, let's not be that nation. Let's not do that to our law enforcement officers.
• I don't know whether we do or not.

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, unlike the Tax Foundation, we do not rank states.
• Now, unlike the tax foundation, we do not rank states.
• If you do business in the state, you can pay sales tax.
• How do you prove how many people are not filing sales tax?
• But not. So you want to move it or hold it or what do you want to do? It's your bill.

Bills: HB214 , HB217 , HB253 , HB411 , HB440 , HB514 , HB515 , HB543 , HB614 , HB620 , HB658 , HB812 , HB898 , HB961

Committee: House Ways & Means

Keywords: property tax, blighted properties, urban rehabilitation, tax exemption, local government, financial incentives, blighted property, derelict property, property tax exemption, local redevelopment plans, rehabilitation standards, ad valorem tax, community development, income tax, tax repeal, individuals, estates, trusts, tax reduction, state revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• And I quote, "there are no penalties for not doing the audit."
• We do not maintain the roads, and you'll see this with the group here.
• But do y'all... I read the bill analysis; I did not...
• It does not. Okay. So I think it's 43.165. Why do you assume that you have to pay back taxes?
• They won't pay Granbury City. They're not paying Granbury City taxes.

Bills: SB1079 , SB1243 , SB1504 , SB1579 , SB1708 , SB1844 , SB1851 , SB1879 , SB1921 , SB1951 , SB2237 , SB2238 , SB2406 , SB2407

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not sure whether they do or not about some of this.
• If the scores do not... not improve.
• The district does not pay; the state pays.
• They do not have to.
• We do not have the authority to do so.

Bills: HB8 , HB12 , SB 3 , HJR1 , SB 11 , SB 16 , SB 14 , HB8 , HB 12 , SB3 , HJR1 , SB11 , SB16 , SB14

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:41.000><c> only</c> we're not doing that not we're only we're not doing that not we're only
• How do I know it's not the other monies?
• /c><02:46:36.200><c> the</c> on this one how do I know it's not the on this one how do I know it's not
• You've used the monies for other positions or savings to pay for... might you actually do not have enough
• ><c> have</c> for R might you actually do not have for R might you actually do not have enough<02:55:

Transcript Highlights:

• And I do not see Grace online, but Commissioner Lindy has come.
• Nearly $6 million is doing nothing but paying insurance premiums.
• Nearly $6 million is doing nothing but paying insurance premiums.
• The exchange of documents that occur there do not carry The exchange of documents that occur there do
• So we do not support the legislation as written.

Bills: SB6239 , SB6074 , SB5886 , SB6041 , SB6190

Committee: Senate Law & Justice

Keywords: tort claims, state liability, Washington law, government accountability, legal process, parole, criminal justice reform, felony, recidivism, rehabilitation, public safety, personality rights, right of publicity, publicity rights, name image likeness, NIL, deepfake, AI-generated content, digital impersonation, forged digital likeness

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> but you will not escape responsibility." but you will not escape responsibility."
• </c> These impacts are not theoretical. These impacts are not theoretical.
• They have to pay somebody to do it, and then they have to dispose of the wood. Right?
• They have to pay somebody to do it, and then they have to dispose of the wood. Right?
• They have to pay somebody to do it, and then they have to dispose of the wood. Right?

Summary: Rep. Athena Hollins and Sen. Ann Johnson Stewart introduced Minnesota’s proposed climate superfund bill, describing it as a way to make major historical greenhouse gas polluters help pay for climate adaptation and infrastructure repair. They said the bill would target large fossil fuel corporations with significant emissions and use the revenue for projects such as stormwater upgrades, bridge and roof protection, erosion control, drinking water protection, cooling cities, and other resilience work. Both lawmakers framed the proposal as a matter of accountability and fairness, arguing that Minnesotans should not keep paying for damage caused by companies that profited from fossil fuel pollution. Several supporters testified in favor of the bill, including St. Paul City Council Vice President Nyang Kheimey, former legislator and medical student Hunter Cantrell, Unidos Minnesota volunteer Bonnie Becol, and 100% Minnesota’s Aurora Vautrin. They emphasized local climate impacts such as flooding, wildfire smoke, extreme heat, emerald ash borer damage, asthma, and infrastructure failures, and said the costs are increasingly falling on taxpayers, local governments, and vulnerable communities. Kheimey highlighted municipal needs and St. Paul’s own climate investments, while Cantrell focused on environmental racism and health harms, and Becol and Vautrin stressed species loss, community recovery costs, and the burden on residents. In the question-and-answer portion, Hollins and Johnson Stewart explained that the bill would apply to fossil fuel corporations with at least 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions and a nexus to Minnesota, not local utilities. They said the State Auditor’s office would determine the assessments owed by companies, while the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency would hold the fund and administer grants. They also said they were looking to models in Vermont and New York and hoped the proposal could attract bipartisan support because it is tied to affordability and shifting costs away from taxpayers and onto polluters. No vote or formal committee action was taken in the transcript, and the event ended with the sponsors opening the bill to questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We got it down to about two groups that did not want to pay.
• Do you have that on hand? Obviously not.
• Do you have that on hand? dollars. Do you have that on hand? Obviously<01:14:10.560><c> not.
• 01:20:15.440><c> good</c><01:20:15.600><c> working</c> We do not have a good working We do not have a
• That volatility, it would not do that.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we need to make Congress do what they are supposed to do and not us.
• Would apply; if they do not, then it would not. Speaker: Representative Joseph. Rep.
• I do not believe in capital... ...punishment.
• They're not trying to do anything wrong.
• MY HOPE IS THAT WE WILL NOT DO THAT.

Keywords: immigration enforcement, unauthorized alien entry, death penalty, capital felonies, 287G agreements, in-state tuition, undocumented students, DACA, TPS, Venezuelan immigrants, law enforcement funding, immigration detention, federal preemption, equal protection, constitutional challenges, immigration status determination, school resource officers, conscientious objection, clergy protection, teacher protection

Summary: The Florida House passed two immigration enforcement bills during a special session. Senate Bill 4C creates new state offenses for unauthorized alien entry/reentry into Florida and mandates the death penalty for unauthorized aliens convicted of capital felonies. Senate Bill 2C establishes a state immigration enforcement board, provides $300+ million for local law enforcement immigration cooperation, creates a $1,000 bonus program for officers participating in federal immigration enforcement, and repeals in-state tuition for undocumented students effective July 1, 2025. Multiple amendments were proposed but failed, including protections for Venezuelan TPS holders, DACA recipients, students in critical professions, and conscientious objection provisions for clergy and teachers. Debate included constitutional concerns about federal preemption, equal protection violations, and mandatory death penalty provisions. The session also included a memorial urging DHS to provide 287G agreement training opportunities.