Transcript Highlights:

• So, consistently every year... drive transport over two counties now to drive transport over two counties
• The expenses that are driving this increase include payroll. That was a 38% increase.
• The expenses that are driving this increase include payroll. That was a 38% increase.
• With a facility that is aging, it is hard to get those locking mechanisms.
• It is hard get those locking mechanisms.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:07 Roll Call 00:00:13 Approval of Minutes from August Meeting 00:01:55 Discussion of County Jails 00:03:31 Discussion of Centralized Collection of Net Profits and Occupational License Taxes 01:02:12 Adjournment 01:54:56, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the August 26 minutes, and then took up a discussion of county jail funding. KACO representatives and county officials said jail operations are an ongoing strain for counties because they must pay for inmate care, facilities, and mandated standards, while many counties also rely on jail revenue to offset costs. They described Kentucky’s jail system, including 77 jails, 43 closed counties without jails, and the mix of county, state, federal, and controlled-intake inmates. KACO emphasized that counties remain financially responsible for inmates even when they must contract with other jails, often at costs above the state’s per diem rate, and said it is developing a broader proposal to present later. The testimony focused on rising expenses and shrinking revenue. KACO said counties spent about $374 million on jail operations in FY24, up 24% from FY19, and about $41 million on jail medical costs, up 40%. General fund support for jails was said to total $147 million in FY24, more than double pre-COVID levels. Speakers also noted that state inmate populations in county jails have fallen from about 11,500 in 2019 to 7,212 in 2025, while federal inmates have increased because they are more lucrative for counties. The state jail per diem of $35.34 was described as insufficient to cover actual costs, especially medical care. County judges from Webster, Knox, and Hardin counties gave examples of local budget pressure. Webster County said it now houses 114 state prisoners, 47 county prisoners, and 24 out-of-county prisoners, and that it transferred $512,000 from its general fund to the jail last year, about $77 per taxpayer. Knox County said its jail budget has grown from an initial $2.8 million projection to $5.7 million, with $3 million coming from occupational tax revenue. Hardin County said its jail has an approximate $11 million expense budget against $5 million in revenue, creating a $6 million deficit, driven by higher payroll, medical, and insurance costs and a 29% drop in state prisoner revenue. The judge said the county has responded with property tax increases and an expanded occupational tax district, but still uses reserves to cover other county services. A Grant County magistrate then began speaking from the perspective of magistrates and commissioners, describing her background working at a local jail before serving in county government. The discussion remained centered on the fiscal burden of jails and the need for counties and the legislature to work together on a long-term solution.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm going to be quite hard. Thank you.
• We have to be on the outside of the knee, and it's quite hard. Thank you. Thank you. Come on.
• After a successful hunt the next morning, they were driving back home.
• Kevin, thank you for not giving up and showing the power of grit and hard work. Thank you, Kevin.
• She was finally being recognized for her hard work.

Summary: The transcript covers the opening of the Arkansas House and a joint session of the 95th General Assembly’s fiscal session. The House first established a quorum, granted leave for absent members, recognized guests, and adopted House Resolution 1001 to convene a joint session with the Senate for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s address. Several bills and resolutions were read for the record, including House Resolution 1002 and House Bills 1001, 102, and 103, before the House recessed to await the Senate and then the governor. In the joint session, leaders recognized the late Representative Stan Barry with a moment of silence, introduced constitutional officers, judges, and other guests, and appointed committees to escort the governor. Governor Sanders then delivered a lengthy fiscal-session address focused on her budget priorities and policy agenda. She emphasized continued funding for education under LEARNS, teacher pay and literacy gains, public safety and law enforcement funding, government efficiency and tax cuts, and the 1033 initiative aimed at helping vulnerable Arkansans move from crisis to self-sufficiency. She also urged lawmakers to avoid new Medicaid mandates or ongoing spending and said she would call a special session to cut income taxes further if the budget is passed. After the governor’s remarks, the joint session adjourned. The House then reconvened briefly, adopted a motion to adjourn until the next day, and announced that the Joint Budget Committee would meet later that afternoon and again the following morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Linda, Colin Soapie, entire family. um Linda, Colin Soapie, entire family. um hard<00:16:17.519> to
• to come up with the words, but as I hard to come up with the words, but as I think<00:16:21.040>
• The grounding in the humanity that we all share, the grounding in that this is hard work.
• <00:23:04.320> I grounding in that this is hard work.
• I grounding in that this is hard work.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's hard to come up with the words, but as I think eight months of this tragedy and watching you have
• But I think it's hard to express the loss, the sense of I don't know if calling it the loss of innocence
• The grounding in the humanity that we all share, the grounding in that this is hard work.
• <00:07:34.880> I grounding in that this is hard work.
• I grounding in that this is hard work.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we have to be more willing to tell hard truths here.
• And one of those hard truths is that we need to have this authority.
• Now that's a hard indictment, and it's not an easy thing for me to say.
• When we want to ask some hard questions, what are you going to do about it?
• So they're faced with a very hard decision: Do they stay? Do they go back?

Transcript Highlights:

• But I've heard enough horror stories from my friends that had kids where it's been very hard to find
• friends that had kids where it's been friends that had kids where it's been very<00:03:25.440> hard
• to find an appointment looking very hard to find an appointment looking really<00:03:28.720> far<
• Again, the team has been working tremendously hard to make appointments available.
• They have to drive their kids around, and then they also have to pay a higher fee.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Across all these programs, we have worked really hard to make continuous improvement to reach outcomes
• because they feel like they're being penalized for driving an electric vehicle, which they think runs
• Herskovus, actually I was meeting a member a few months ago, and I was driving my EV.
• I was driving my EV.
• We had lots of companies come and show their vehicles and equipment with ride-and-drives.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee held a work session focused heavily on Climate Commitment Act transportation spending and electrification programs. Staff first reviewed roughly $2.2 billion in CCA transportation allocations over three biennia, noting that the largest shares went to public transportation, active transportation, ferry electrification, ZEV programs, rail freight/ports, and planning, with about half of the electrification and fuel-conversion spending tied to state ferries. Members asked for more detail comparing CCA dollars with the broader transportation budget and for total project costs, not just CCA contributions. The Department of Ecology presented on the zero-emission school bus program. Ecology said the legislature codified the program in 2024 and requires electric buses once diesel and electric costs are equivalent, with exemptions available when electric buses cannot meet district needs. Ecology reported $38.3 million in CCA funding for 2025-27, with $21.4 million already obligated or spent to replace 91 diesel buses in 28 districts, plus additional federal EPA funding leveraged for 13 more buses. Members asked about health impacts, parity timing, rural route exemptions, charging and training costs, and whether the program includes infrastructure; Ecology said the grants cover buses, charging, and sometimes training, and that the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is developing the cost-equivalency formula. The Department of Commerce described its clean transportation role, including EV rebates, charging infrastructure, tribal electric boats, and the EV Coordinating Council. Commerce said its rebate program was designed to lower monthly payments for low-income households, that 89% of recipients said the rebate was essential to their purchase, and that lease incentives helped draw additional federal dollars. Members asked about tribal boat details, utility interconnection and curtailment, range anxiety, and vandalism at charging stations; Commerce said battery storage and managed charging are being used in some projects, some utilities are more responsive than others, and vandalism remains a challenge. The Department of Enterprise Services reported 567 Level 2 and 46 Level 3 charging ports installed at 82 state sites, with 19 more sites in progress and over $100 million in additional candidate projects. DES said most funding is for new infrastructure, though some VW settlement money is used for replacements, and members asked about charger replacement needs, mobile charging, and EV fleet purchasing data. WSDOT then outlined its EV infrastructure and transit programs. It said the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Partnership program has funded 23 new charging sites this biennium, including overburdened communities and tribal locations, and has supported 264 DC fast-charging ports statewide. WSDOT also described the new Washington Zero Emission Incentive Program, a point-of-sale voucher program for zero-emission commercial vehicles and equipment with $112 million available this biennium; it reported strong early demand, especially for off-road equipment and heavy trucks, and said technical assistance is being provided to help businesses participate. In public transportation, WSDOT said CCA funds support bus and bus facility grants, commute trip reduction, green transportation capital projects, paratransit, tribal transit, zero-emissions access car share, and other mobility projects, with most awards benefiting overburdened communities. Finally, WSDOT’s rail freight and ports division said port electrification projects are underway but spending is still low because of long design, permitting, utility, and supply-chain timelines; it estimated the $89.8 million program could reduce more than 140,000 metric tons of emissions over 10 years. Members questioned the pace of spending, the Northwest Seaport drayage project, and how state funds can leverage additional federal or port resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Across all these programs, we have worked really hard to make continuous improvement to reach outcomes
• they feel like they're being penalized for driving an electric vehicle, which they think runs counter
• Herskovus, actually I was meeting a member a few months ago, and I was driving my EV.
• I was driving my EV.
• We had lots of companies come and show their vehicles and equipment with ride and drives.

Summary: The House Transportation Committee held a work session focused on Climate Commitment Act transportation spending and electrification programs. Staff first reviewed overall CCA transportation allocations, saying about $2.2 billion has been allocated over three biennia, with major categories including public transportation, active transportation, ferry electrification, zero-emission vehicle programs, rail/ports, and planning. Members asked for additional breakdowns comparing CCA dollars with total program costs across categories. The Department of Ecology presented on the zero-emission school bus grant program. Ecology said the program was codified in 2024 and supports the transition from diesel to electric school buses, including buses, charging infrastructure, and training. For 2025-27, Ecology received $38.3 million in CCA funding; $21.4 million is already obligated or spent, replacing 91 diesel buses in 28 districts, with the rest to be awarded by the end of the biennium. Members asked about cost parity, exemptions for rural and extracurricular routes, health data, and whether the funding covers chargers as well as buses. Ecology said OSPI is developing the parity formula and exemptions are available when electric buses cannot meet district needs. The Department of Commerce described its clean transportation role, including EV rebates, tribal charging and electric boat projects, and the EV Coordinating Council. Commerce said its rebate program was designed to lower monthly costs and prioritize low-income households, with 89% of recipients saying the rebate was essential to their purchase. It also reported strong demand for charging grants, progress on tribal projects, and concerns about utility interconnection timelines, vandalism, and range anxiety. The Department of Enterprise Services reported on state agency EVSE projects, saying it has completed 82 sites with 567 Level 2 ports and 46 DC fast chargers, and that current projects will add 152 more Level 2 ports; members asked about replacing aging chargers and the state’s EV fleet purchasing mix. WSDOT closed with updates on charging, transit, and port electrification. It said its corridor charging program has awarded 23 sites this biennium, with 13 in overburdened communities and five tribal sites, and that the Washington Zero Emission Incentive Program opened with $112 million for vouchers for zero-emission commercial vehicles and equipment. WSDOT also described transit grants, including bus and bus facility funding, commute trip reduction, paratransit, tribal transit, and zero-emissions access car-share projects. The rail freight and ports division reported $89.8 million for port electrification projects, including shore power and drayage trucks, but noted only about 10% has been spent so far because projects are still in design and permitting. Members raised concerns about funding gaps, supply-chain delays, utility capacity, and whether the programs are sufficient to meet broader electrification needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's such a hard, hard thing to do. And I'm glad you do. Thank you. Mr. Chair. You may.
• As you drive on Van Buren Street, Today.
• So this model really drives our parks.
• I really appreciate your hard work on this bill.
• We've earned every square inch, and we worked very hard for it.

Bills: HB2014, HB2111, HB2156, HB2165, HB2202, HB2305, HB2321, HB2399, HB2403, HB2416, HB2418, HB2446, HB2601, HB2615, HB2620, HB2812, HB2939, HB2940, HB2955, HB2957, HB2960, HB2992, HB4026, HB4049

Keywords: air emissions, fuel blends, environmental quality, feasibility study, Arizona Department of Agriculture, driver license, examinations, motorcycle awareness, public safety, traffic laws, livestock, compensation, funding, ranching, agriculture, veterans, state parks, admission fees, military exemption, recreation access

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2615, a strike-everything amendment creating an Independent Oversight Committee tied to the Department of Child Safety, with authority to review DCS practices, request briefings and audits, visit sites, and receive confidential complaints, along with a $2.2 million appropriation. The sponsor and several parents and advocates testified that stronger independent oversight was needed because of serious DCS failures affecting children and families. Some members supported the goal but objected to housing the committee in the Ombudsman’s office or questioned whether the structure was the right approach. The strike-everything amendment was adopted, but the bill itself then failed on a 5-5 vote. The committee then passed House Bill 2620, which provides $300,000 annually for five years to the Arizona Department of Veterans Services to grant funds to emergency shelters serving veterans without requiring scheduled intake appointments. The sponsor and shelter representatives said the money would support trauma-informed case managers, help veterans connect to VA and shelter resources, and move the state closer to functional zero for veteran homelessness. The bill received unanimous support and a do-pass recommendation. House Bill 2321 also passed unanimously. It requires DCS to place a security freeze on the credit reports of children entering foster care, with the freeze remaining until age 16 unless the child later chooses otherwise, and includes a $100,000 appropriation and one ongoing FTE. The sponsor said foster youth are especially vulnerable to identity theft and need automatic protection. House Bill 2601, which directs ADOT to seek federal segmentation for the Interstate 11 project between Casa Grande and Wickenburg, passed 6-4 after testimony from supporters who said it would keep the project moving and opponents who raised environmental, cost, and litigation concerns. House Bill 2992, a pilot program for child sexual abuse and grooming awareness education in six public schools, also passed 6-4 after testimony from a survivor and advocates; supporters framed it as prevention and critics argued it duplicated existing sex education and should be handled through broader curriculum or parent education. Additional bills considered included House Bill 2156, which appropriates $250,000 to the livestock compensation fund and passed 7-3 despite transparency and conflict-of-interest concerns from an opponent; House Bill 2165, which exempts certain veterans and military members from state park admission fees, as amended to narrow the exemption to retired or disabled veterans and similar National Guard members, and passed 6-4 amid concerns about lost park revenue; House Bill 2960, creating a veterans specialty court grant program and requiring better coordination on incarcerated veterans, which passed 8-0; House Bill 2014, directing studies on gasoline blends and emissions modeling, which passed 6-2 despite concerns about cost and limited impact; and House Bill 2957, preserving non-REAL ID driver licenses and restricting biometric collection and data sharing, which passed 5-4 after amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• is the language that we passed previously for livestock animal cruelty statutes that we worked so hard
• is the language that we passed previously for livestock animal cruelty statutes that we worked so hard
• 02.960> need<00:14:03.200> to business that we need to business that we need to >> Drive
• >> Drive. I know. >> Drive. I know.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And, you know, the topic of Canada and Mexico—what's driving that topic today?
• what's driving that topic today<00:25:13.240> it's<00:25:13.480> fentanyl<00:25:14.039
• Your proposal is to end or stop the expenditure from the state, and if so, what's driving that?
• I think the core question really becomes what drives the ability of counties to get those bodies out
• uh um the ability of becomes what drives uh um the ability of counties<01:11:50.400> to<01:11

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills and a Department of Corrections budget overview. On Senate File 9, Senator Rest explained a bipartisan campaign finance refund bill that had previously moved through the Elections Committee and the tax bill process. Members asked about the $10 minimum contribution threshold for reporting and refund eligibility, and Rest said it was a reasonable number suggested by Senator Karan to make the system more efficient. The bill also included data practices language classifying certain refund-related information as private data, with a separate nonpublic classification noted for receipt validation reports. The committee voted to recommend the bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. The committee then took up Senate File 11, a sales tax exemption for firearm safety devices such as trigger locks and gun safes. Rest described the bill as an extension of prior tax exemptions and clarified that it does not apply to the firearm itself. An A1 clarifying amendment defining “government entity” by reference to statute was adopted. Members discussed the bill’s scope and data privacy language, including a provision making purchase or transfer information private if collected by a government entity. The committee then voted to recommend the amended bill to pass and re-refer it to the Taxes Committee. Next, the committee heard Senate File 456, a bill to update Minnesota’s drug statutes to address fentanyl more directly. Anoka County Assistant County Attorney Sebastian Mesa and Senator Oumou Verbeten testified in support, arguing that fentanyl has become more dangerous than methamphetamine and that the law needs to be updated to give prosecutors a better tool. Members discussed overdose trends and whether more recent statistics were available; one member noted 2023 fentanyl deaths exceeded 1,000, while another said national fatal overdoses had declined since mid-2023. The bill was laid over, with the committee noting it would wait for fiscal analysis before further action. Finally, Commissioner Paul Schnell gave an overview of the Department of Corrections, describing its mission, staffing, prison population, community supervision responsibilities, and budget context. He emphasized rehabilitation, evidence-based practices, reentry support, and the public safety benefits of reducing recidivism. No vote was taken on the department presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• At 16, the state of Texas trusts us to drive and to work.
• So for someone that young, it's hard...
• I'm old; I'm having a hard time getting up to speed with this deal.
• With parents to teach, advise, and support us, just like we do with driving.
• They wanted to tie this bill to a hard time in our nation's history.

Bills: HB186, HB201, HB229, HB796, HB1506, HB2702, HB2885, HB3225, HB3909, HB4285, HB5138

Keywords: social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, financial crime, card fraud, motor fuel theft, law enforcement, criminal activity, skimmers, prevention, training, biological sex, government information, definitions, sex-based distinctions, public health, federal directives, state authority

Transcript Highlights:

• Key cores and key blades need to be of the same alloy so that the hardness of the two metals match in
• If one is harder than the other, damage will occur: either the key core will become too hard, or the
• Or the key blade is too hard and it destroys the rotor mechanism.
• of the two alloy so that the hardness of the two metals<00:48:01.000> match<00:48:01.280>
• either the key core will become too hard either the key core will become too hard or<00:48:08.119

Bills: HF737, HF247, HF325, HF1330

Keywords: lead, cadmium, consumer products, safety regulation, retail restrictions, motor sports, nonoxygenated gasoline, fuel regulations, storage requirements, racing events, HF325, flavored nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide, whippets, laughing gas, retail sales, consumer protection, misdemeanor, commerce, Minnesota Statutes chapter 325F

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's hard. It's really hard.
• And it's hard. It's really hard.
• And it's hard. It's really hard.
• And it's hard. It's really hard.
• And it's hard. It's really hard.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's hard to lower the cost of child care looking at the regulations.
• It's hard to lower the cost of child care looking at the regulations.
• It's hard to lower the cost of child care looking at the regulations.
• <01:12:21.960> to because it it can be really hard to because it it can be really hard to
• <01:15:08.800> them to move them around and driving them to move them around and driving them

Bills: HF656, HF655, HF633

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, licensing, variance, licensed capacity, capacity limit, staff qualifications, staffing, child care center, family child care, provider flexibility, Minnesota career lattice, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, licensing rules, enrollment, indoor space, professional development

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is Chairman Wallace's bill relating to a fee for driving for a driving safety course.
• We've had this a very hard time sometimes locating.
• Uh, first of all, this bill is not about hard liquor.
• And when we talk about hard liquor, I would never carry a bill.
• That would put hard liquor in a convenience store.

Transcript Highlights:

• And yeah, yeah, I missed my flight and last item driving down highway or don't recommend, but I really
• But when you really want to drive efficiency at scale when you're thinking about public services, its
• And that could be starred into a rating that would drive trust with the solution.
• You know, I think the hard thing is usually you settle those debates in court, you know, and you have
• I think it's hard to because I think it might depend on use case, you know, like the 2 examples like

Transcript Highlights:

• Even though my aunt, my dad was actually put into hospice care, it still required me to drive all the
• <00:03:59.400> all<00:03:59.560> the it still required me to drive all the it still
• c> leadership authority to kind of come leadership authority to kind of come down<00:04:48.480> hard
• <00:04:51.440> And<00:04:51.600> I down hard on the importance of it.
• And I down hard on the importance of it.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Health and Human Services held a hearing on several Governor’s Message nominations. The chair opened with instructions about live streaming, testimony limits, and the possibility of reconvening if technical problems occurred. One nomination, GM 542 for Jamie Gagnon to the West O‘ahu subarea of the Hawaii Health Planning Council, was initially deferred because he was not present and there was concern he may not have received notice; when recalled later in the hearing, he testified that he wanted to help address limited provider resources and improve coordination of care. The committee also heard from Christine Cabingao Ting Kang for GM 541, but she was not present and her nomination was deferred to Wednesday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 225. The committee then heard strong support testimony for GM 688, Raelynn Tenno for the Pa‘ala Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs. Tenno said she wanted another term because of her experience caring for elderly family members and her work on emergency preparedness for older adults and condominium/HOA communities. Supporters from the Office of Aging, the PABEA chair, the Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition, and others praised her knowledge of housing, elder issues, and community service. GM 712, Kathleen Merriam for the State Council on Mental Health, also drew support; Merriam described over 40 years in mental health work, including managing a community mental health center in Kaneohe and supporting clubhouse programs. The committee also considered GM 560, Jeffrey Hicks for the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council. Hicks said his career in justice and juvenile work motivated him to continue contributing to rehabilitation efforts for youth. The chair and members discussed the importance of prevention and rehabilitation in juvenile justice. After testimony, the committee moved to decision-making and voted to advise and consent on GM 542, GM 688, GM 712, and GM 560, while GM 541 was deferred to a later date and time. The hearing then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um it's really hard for me about Wick.
• <03:20:49.040> And driving costs up and up and up. And driving costs up and up and up.
• <04:47:00.718> up when fraud runs rampant, it drives up when fraud runs rampant, it drives
• In 2010, our state lesson the hard way.
• She drives a car that's 16 years jobs.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• up to I I when my family and I drive up to I like<01:16:16.719> driving<01:16:17.120> around
• :09.359> you<03:23:09.520> know, hard to discern whether, you know, hard to discern whether
• as people drive around them. as people drive around them.
• <04:01:47.439> out roads um so that people can drive out roads um so that people can drive
• we work very hard at that. we work very hard at that.

Keywords: 1189, house, all