Transcript Highlights:

• They have these corridors that, of course, for in this case you see electrical transmission, but we also
• have other energy transmission corridors that are set up, and the utility companies have to maintain
• but we also have other uh transmission but we also have other uh energy<01:02:53.039><c> transmission
• </c><01:02:54.039><c> uh</c><01:02:54.640><c> corridors</c><01:02:55.160><c> that</c> energy transmission
• uh corridors that energy transmission uh corridors that are<01:02:55.440><c> set</c><01:02:55.640><c

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The other is dealing with import if there is interstate commerce allowed under any federal changes.
• But I think if you guys had homegrown Hawaii cannabis companies, if there was that interstate commerce
• </c> with import if if there is interstate with import if if there is interstate commerce<01:33:10.639
• </c> other markets through an interstate other markets through an interstate commerce<01:34:56.360><c
• </c> companies if there was that interstate companies if there was that interstate commerce<01:35:03.159

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:09.480><c> Highway</c> file 1264 Lakeville Interstate Highway file 1264 Lakeville Interstate
• And that, in order to upgrade County Road 50, we need a larger bridge on the interstate.
• And that, in order to upgrade County Road 50, we need a larger bridge on the interstate.
• I consider it's one of the OGs on the interstate system.
• </c> it's one of the ogs on the interstate it's one of the ogs on the interstate system<00:47:41.319>

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Section two of the bill deals with the Interstate Compact for Education.
• Through this section, Vermont would be rejoining the Interstate Compact for Education, which establishes
• I will just note that there are about 12 pages of language in the bill here related to the Interstate
• </c> the Interstate Compact for Education. the Interstate Compact for Education.
• </c> participation yet, in the Interstate participation yet, in the Interstate Compact<01:17:02.360><

Transcript Highlights:

• And we saw a young man try to make a turn on an interstate highway. Didn't take the exit.
• He tried to turn on the interstate and go in the opposite direction. So, I'm in favor of the bill.
• Page two, it says that the individual seeking a... turn on an interstate highway.
• Didn't turn on an interstate highway. Didn't take<00:34:07.519><c> the</c><00:34:07.679><c> exit.
• in</c><00:34:10.399><c> the</c><00:34:10.560><c> opposite</c> interstate and go in the opposite interstate

Bills: HB274 , HB287 , HB301 , HB157 , HB254 , HB88 , HB274 , HB287 , HB301 , HB157 , HB254 , HB88

Committee: House Public Safety and Homeland Security

Keywords: Crenshaw County, county board of education, school board, board of education, term limits, term length, elected officials, local constitutional amendment, Alabama Constitution, education governance, local legislation, November 2026 election, ballot measure, constitutional amendment, school board elections, law enforcement, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• They have assurances that that big highway interstate corridor will go through their community, and so
• Asking for anything out of the ordinary, four lanes and a huge interstate, we're aware.

Bills: HB 1026 , SCR37

Committee: House S/C on International Relations

Keywords: transportation, Farm-to-Market Road, highway designation, Texas Transportation Commission, state highway system, SCR 37, Senate Concurrent Resolution, Panama Canal, Texas ports, port infrastructure, maritime trade, shipping lanes, supply chain resilience, global commerce, exports, LNG, liquefied natural gas, crude oil, refined petroleum, agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• that says, and that's what this amendment does, it says that if a high school has a field near an interstate
• that says, and that's what this amendment does, it says that if a high school has a field near an interstate
• Only on rural interstates, so on roads that... Miles an hour, correct?
• Only on rural interstates, so on roads that the commission and the department would deem.
• There are similar places on Interstate 44 and 55, and some of the other improved four-lane roads.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, approved the previous day’s journal unanimously, and then adopted a motion suspending House Rule 98 to allow members to wear hats on the floor. Members also introduced several special guests, including the Eugene High School Class 2 basketball champions, family members, scholarship recipients, and other visitors. One member used a lengthy personal privilege speech to criticize a recent U.S. Supreme Court voting-rights decision and warn about threats to democracy and minority voting power. The chamber then took up committee reports and several bills. It approved a motion to go to conference on the property-tax omnibus measure tied to Senate Bills 1066 and 1088. House Bill 3329, repealing expired tax credits, passed 142-0. House Bill 3405, clarifying the SALT deduction and improving tax-credit accounting, also passed 138-0. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2426, a parental-rights bill that also drew criticism over a school financial-ledger requirement and possible burdens on schools and student safety, failed on third reading 70-60. The House next passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1233, a professional-licensing bill involving CPA exam access and other occupational licensing changes, by 129-6 after adopting an amendment removing compact language and rejecting a nursing-home physicals amendment. It then passed House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1408, which raises the maximum rural interstate speed limit to 75 mph and, through multiple amendments, also carried a mix of transportation-related provisions including vehicle inspections, hands-free enforcement, motorcycle lighting, driver education, and specialty license plates for women’s professional sports; the final vote was 82-53. The Speaker also appointed a conference committee for Senate Bill 1066. The final item mentioned was Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Bill 863, described as an interscholastic athletic oversight/appeals bill, but the transcript cuts off before its final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's along an interstate.
• It's along an interstate.
• ><00:39:12.400><c> It's</c><00:39:12.520><c> along</c><00:39:13.120><c> an</c><00:39:13.240><c> interstate
• It's along an interstate is good place.
• the human safety of all residents as well as those who may come through a city or municipality interstate

Committee: House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Fund to the Interstate Stream Commission.
• So, the Interstate Stream Commission oversees the New Mexico Unit Fund.
• Recommendations were made at the August meeting to the Interstate Stream Commission, and they are now
• We expect that we will get some feedback from the Interstate Stream Commission.
• And so I think these airports... ...do provide increased interstate connectivity, which allows people

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the sub is granting immunity for the medical boards and for interstate... interstate compacts because
• says this section does not apply to any requirement imposed by... ...requirement imposed by an interstate
• license compact or other interstate mutual recognition license requirement imposed by a law to which
• I want to talk about... because this you know if we are already... if it says imposed by interstate compact
• , all of that, the state... ...interstate compact, all of that, the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• need for energy, reducing the need for infrastructure<01:49:20.080><c> for</c><01:49:20.400><c> transmission
• for transmission and also uh<01:49:22.719><c> prevents</c><01:49:23.280><c> it's</c><01:49:23.840><c
• Uh, it prevents—it saves energy because you're not going to have the line loss that you have in transmission
• the utility as far as distribution to the utility as far as distribution and<04:12:37.040><c> transmission
• </c><04:12:38.239><c> It</c> and transmission charges. It and transmission charges.

Committee: House Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• benefit, it'll be EasyPass customer discounts and the acquisition and improvement of portions of Interstate
• And that way there is nothing that runs afoul of the interstate commerce law or any of those laws that
• And that way there is nothing that runs afoul of the interstate commerce law or any of those laws that
• other states do the the differentiation. >> And that way there is nothing that runs afoul of the interstate
• We've come across this issue for the last several years installing a sound barrier on Interstate 93 southbound

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• For the interstate bridge program, I've reallocated that program to report to our assistant secretary
• So for the interstate bridge program, I've reallocated that program to report to our assistant secretary
• pretty disruptive and tough on travelers in the short term, but it's necessary to safeguard the interstate
• One of our biggest priorities is the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project.
• just to win, we will get back to cost estimates that we can know about and discuss relating to the Interstate

Bills: SB5989

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: aircraft fuel tax, tax revenue distribution, aviation funding, transportation, state revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• For the Interstate Bridge Program, I've reallocated that program to report to our assistant secretary
• So for the interstate bridge program, I've reallocated that program to report to our assistant secretary
• pretty disruptive and tough on travelers in the short term, but it's necessary to safeguard the interstate
• One of our biggest priorities is the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project.
• just to win, we will get back to cost estimates that we can know about and discuss relating to the Interstate

Summary: The committee first met in brief executive session and advanced Senate Bill 5989 without recommendation to the Ways and Means Committee. Staff explained the bill would redistribute sales tax on aircraft fuel, affecting general fund revenue, which was why it was better suited for Ways and Means. The motion passed by voice vote. The committee then heard a presentation from Transportation Secretary Julie Meredith on WSDOT’s 2025 work and 2026 priorities. She highlighted agency reorganization, safety initiatives, preservation needs, bridge strikes and storm damage, ferry service improvements, major projects such as Revive I-5, the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project, fish passage work, and preparations for the World Cup. Members praised the department’s communication and work, and asked about additional paving and preservation funding; Meredith said WSDOT had prepared projects that could be advanced if more money were available. Washington State Ferries Assistant Secretary John Vizina and staffer Jenna Forty followed with a detailed briefing on vessel and terminal preservation. They described the aging fleet, the need for new hybrid-electric vessels, the governor’s proposed funding for three additional ferries and life-extension work on older vessels, and the importance of terminal upgrades such as Fauntleroy. Senators asked about service contingency planning, the cost and timing of hybrid versus diesel vessels, and whether additional vessels would require rebidding; staff said hybrid-electric construction is the fastest path and that any expansion would depend on statutory direction and legal review. The committee then heard from local government representatives on preservation and storm recovery. The Association of Washington Cities and the Transportation Improvement Board described city road and bridge needs, limited local funding, and the importance of sustained preservation investment and programmatic grants. County representatives from the Washington State Association of County Engineers, Snohomish County, and the County Road Administration Board discussed the December flooding, road washouts, bridge damage, and recovery costs, emphasizing that counties face large preservation backlogs and need state and federal help for repairs and resiliency.

Transcript Highlights:

• and incorporates by reference the rules adopted by the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate
• and incorporates by reference the rules adopted by the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate
• > pathology</c> Audiology and speech language pathology Audiology and speech language pathology interstate
• 30.800><c> including</c><00:04:31.199><c> the</c><00:04:31.320><c> rule</c><00:04:31.520><c> on</c> interstate
• compact including the rule on interstate compact including the rule on definitions<00:04:32.759><c>

Summary: The Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee met on February 10 with a quorum present, approved the minutes, and then reviewed a long agenda of agency regulations, most of which were accompanied by staff-suggested amendments for drafting conformity under KRS Chapter 13A. The Department of Financial Institutions’ 808 KAR 9:10, the Secretary of State’s 030 KAR 2:11, the Office of the Attorney General’s 04 KAR 5:10, the Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology’s emergency 201 KAR 17:120, the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ 301 KAR 2:41, the Department for Environmental Protection’s 401 KAR 47:110 and 48:320, the State Police regulations 502 KAR 1:012 and 1:121, the Department for Public Health’s 902 KAR 4:15, the Department for Medicaid Services’ 907 KAR 1:15, and the Department for Community Based Services’ 921 KAR 1:400 were all discussed and, where applicable, staff amendments were approved without objection. The Workplace Standards emergency regulation 803 KAR 2:320E was also presented without amendment, and the Department of Insurance’s 806 KAR 9:360 was taken up but ultimately deferred at the agency’s request. Several regulations drew brief substantive discussion. The Fish and Wildlife rule on foxhound training enclosures was explained as expanding both commercial and non-commercial provisions for training with dogs involving red fox and coyotes, with enclosure standards intended to protect wildlife inside and outside the facilities. The environmental protection rules were tied to House Bill 478 and addressed permit-by-rule timelines, reporting, and operating standards for certain construction and demolition debris landfills, including sites up to two acres; members asked whether these facilities were private or municipal, and staff said they were a mix, often tied to private demolition contractors or single projects. The State Police fee increase for hazardous materials endorsements was described as reflecting a federal TSA fee change, and the witness estimated the new fee at about $23. The most extended debate concerned the Board of Education’s 704 KAR 3:535 on full-time virtual and remote learning programs. The agency amendment would cap enrollment in such programs at 10% above a district’s prior-year in-person enrollment, while also clarifying accountability, staffing, and monitoring requirements. Education officials said the cap was intended to address concerns about district capacity and student performance, and they cited Cloverport as an example of a district with high virtual participation and participation-rate issues. Members expressed concern that the amendment was too open-ended for regulation and suggested the issue might be better addressed in statute; no motion was made to adopt the agency amendment, so the regulation was left to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The Department of Insurance also discussed implementation of Senate Bill 188, saying it had received more than 3,000 complaints since the law took effect and was still working through enforcement and complaint processing before asking to defer its PBM licensing regulation.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I can say is what we know from the radio transmissions.
• And then the next radio transmission from Dick is, 'I have Bubble Inn cabin in my car.
• And then the next radio transmission from Dick is, 'I have Bubble Inn cabin in my car.
• Britt Eastland hears all of these radio transmissions from Cypress Lake campus.
• And what we know from those radio transmissions, or what we, one hypothesis, is that...

Transcript Highlights:

• Industry will follow available generation and transmission capacity, and Kentucky Power already has a
• robust transmission system in Eastern Kentucky.
• examination and study of the adequacy of the Commonwealth's existing and future electric generation and transmission
• and future electric<00:43:54.160><c> generation</c><00:43:54.840><c> and</c><00:43:55.040><c> transmission
• </c> electric generation and transmission electric generation and transmission resources<00:43:56.880

Summary: The committee met for an initial natural resources hearing with a quorum present and introductory housekeeping, including prayer, roll call, and recognition of guests. Chair Smith outlined ground rules for questions and then invited Kentucky Power and American Electric Power representatives to the table to discuss a proposed plan involving the Mitchell Power Plant and future generation needs in Eastern Kentucky. Witnesses Cindy Wiseman, Alex Vaughn, and AEP CEO Bill Fehrman said the company’s goals are to stabilize and lower rates, reduce rate volatility, and expand generation in the Commonwealth. They explained that Kentucky Power seeks legislative authority to securitize its 50% interest in the Mitchell coal plant, describing securitization as a refinancing mechanism that would lower annual plant costs by about $34 million and help offset roughly one-third of the expected cost of adding new generation in Kentucky. They emphasized that the proposal is not intended to close Mitchell, and said Kentucky Power currently has no plan to divest its interest; the company still needs the plant to serve customers while it pursues additional dispatchable generation in Kentucky. Members pressed the witnesses on the plant’s book value versus fair market value, whether the Mitchell interest had ever been assigned a nominal value, how any divestiture proceeds would be handled, whether Kentucky Power owns Wheeling Power, and how long Mitchell can continue operating. The company said it values Mitchell at net book value for accounting purposes, not fair market value, and explained that Wheeling Power is a separate AEP affiliate and that West Virginia affiliates have already proposed securitization of their share. Witnesses said Kentucky Power’s interest cannot technically operate past 2028 without additional environmental control investment, while the West Virginia side is depreciating through 2040. They also described the financing timeline, saying securitization would require enactment of legislation, a PSC financing order, bond issuance, and then parallel work to acquire or build new generation, with any reinvestment terms to be addressed through the regulatory process.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm just wondering if the Interstate Stream Commission grants and loan programs are effective.
• they may not be sufficient, but can you talk about how ASECIA associations are able to utilize the Interstate
• Chairman and Representative Silva, the Interstate Stream Commission has been managing ASECIA projects
• My final question: Would it make sense, as opposed to doing this, to increase the interstate stream funds

Committee: House House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• You got a five lane road, and it's turned into an interstate in Fairhope. ...turned into an interstate

Bills: HB575

Committee: House Baldwin County Legislation

Keywords: automated enforcement, speeding violations, civil fines, Baldwin County, municipal legislation, traffic safety, public awareness

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, I thought it was... 39 is about south of 200 down the interstate yet.
• reconstruct Highway 13 or we aren’t going to reconstruct a section of Highway 5 or a section of Interstate
• reconstruct Highway 13 or we aren't going to reconstruct a section of Highway 5 or a section of the Interstate

Committee: House Appropriations - Government Operations Division

Summary: The House Appropriations Government Operations section met with a full committee present and took up discussion of the Department of Transportation budget and a House funding package. Members described a proposal to simplify DOT funding by eliminating the Prairie Dog bucket, consolidating money into three main buckets/funds, and using DOT expertise to select projects while giving counties, cities, and townships more certainty. They said the plan would also restore 100% of the motor vehicle excise tax to the general fund and use other existing funds, including SIF and the legacy earnings fund, to support DOT and local road distributions. A major part of the discussion focused on how to cover Highway 85 and other road needs. Members and DOT Director Ron Hankey said federal highway formula funding for the next biennium should continue as long as the federal highway bill remains unchanged, but that the six-mile Highway 85 segment is unlikely to receive a federal grant because of benefit-cost issues. The committee discussed bonding for the $155 million set aside for Highway 85, with members noting Garvey bonds as one option but wanting flexibility to use the best available rate. They also discussed a possible five-cent gas tax to support the highway distribution fund; several members raised concerns about the policy and political difficulty, while others argued it was needed because oil revenues are down and the state needs a sustainable funding source. Members repeatedly asked for a clearer visual or flow chart showing how the money would move through the new structure, and the chair and sponsors said staff would prepare a pictorial and amendment language. There was general support for the concept, but some members wanted caucus education before floor action. No formal vote was taken during this discussion, and the chair indicated the committee would move quickly, with amendments to follow and the bill expected to continue in conference committee.