Transcript Highlights:

• It just says solar and wind, right?
• It just says solar and wind, wind, wind, >> right?
• So that that's that's my wind energy.
• <01:37:19.520> power electricity through a wind power electricity through a wind power facility
• . wind. wind.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 14 gigawatts of combined wind, solar, and batteries.
• And then, obviously, wind peaked in 2019. It's coming on at a lesser, but...
• It reflects the intermittency that you see in solar and wind.
• At very extremes, you can have lower wind, and so you're really depending on the duration limitations
• I think we're going to wind up with a fix for that in reality.

Bills: SB 438, SB 512, SB 647, SB 648, SB 1495, SB 2121, SB 2145, SB 2154, SB 2167, SB 2184, SB 2211, SB 2268, SB 2349, SB 2443, SB 2629, SB 2702, SB 2902

Keywords: SB 438, Texas, State Office of Administrative Hearings, SOAH, administrative law judge, ALJ, public information act, open records, confidentiality, privacy, home address, home telephone number, emergency contact information, social security number, family members, Government Code 552.117, Government Code 552.1175, Tax Code 25.025, public records, government transparency

Summary: The meeting of the committee commenced with the establishment of a quorum, where members discussed and voted on five significant bills related to energy efficiency, insurance regulation, and public utility governance. Notably, Senate Bill 2717 was presented, incorporating feedback to foster collaboration among various state agencies for improved energy efficiency performance. This was followed by a detailed discussion on Senate Bill 1642, which proposed changes to the Texas Department of Insurance's executive structure to optimize management and consumer focus. Each bill saw active participation from senators who moved to adopt committee substitutes for clarity and responsiveness to stakeholder concerns, indicating a proactive approach to legislative issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• The report is not good for the weather and winds that may exceed 50 miles an hour.
• report is not good for the<00:12:55.360> weather<00:12:55.760> and<00:12:56.639> winds
• that<00:12:57.279> may<00:12:57.519> exceed<00:12:58.000> 50 the weather and winds
• that may exceed 50 the weather and winds that may exceed 50 miles<00:12:58.720> an<00:12:58.959

Bills: SB2042, SB2892, SB1163, SB2076, SB2116, SB2122, SB99, SB2088, SB2114, SB2117, SB2118, SB2245, SB2386, SB2079, SB2043, SB2155, SB2268, SB2932, SB3240

Keywords: feral chickens, chickens, animal control, humane disposition, wildlife management, Honolulu, City and County of Honolulu, appropriation, general funds, fiscal year 2026-2027, urban wildlife, poultry, nuisance animals, Act 169, Hawaii, privacy, geolocation, abortion, data protection, internet browser

Transcript Highlights:

• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm.
• Our primary project is a 235-megawatt wind farm, and what makes this project unique is that it's not
• Vestis is one of the top eight wind turbine manufacturers in the world.
• And so what we're looking at is the most valuable asset that we have is wind.
• We had 70-mile-an-hour winds.

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock with tribal council members, state legislators, and agency representatives to discuss state-tribal coordination and local priorities. Early discussion focused on process concerns, including the short agenda time and the need for better communication, more advance notice, and more relevant state department staff at future meetings. Tribal leaders asked for lists of state tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes, and state members said they would follow up, share grant and deadline information, and plan another meeting in Bismarck with program experts and agency staff. A major portion of the meeting centered on health, child welfare, law enforcement, housing, infrastructure, and sovereignty issues. Tribal speakers said rural health transformation funding and other state programs often do not fit direct-service tribes or IHS-funded systems, and they raised concerns about Medicaid, ICWA, foster care delays, human service zones, housing shortages, and the placement of Native children off-reservation. They also discussed missing and murdered Indigenous people, search-and-rescue cooperation, cross-deputization, extradition and banishment ordinances, and the need for stronger law enforcement partnerships that respect tribal sovereignty. Other concerns included poor roads, water and sewer needs in Sioux County communities, census accuracy, and the impact of data centers and other development on water and health. Economic development and regulatory issues were also discussed. Standing Rock representatives raised concerns about charitable gaming and e-pull tabs, saying the machines function like Class III gaming and have harmed tribal revenue while spreading into local businesses. They also described problems with county-issued fireworks permits and state/county liquor licensing rules that they said undermine tribal authority within reservation boundaries. In response, legislators said the committee would continue to look at these issues, and one member suggested possible legislation such as limiting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also heard from Joseph McNeil of Sage Development Authority about a 235-megawatt wind project on tribal, allotted, and fee land; he said federal permitting delays have stalled the project and asked for state support to help move it forward. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Dave Archambo of Wojou, a nonprofit focused on land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, cultural programming, and youth wellness. He described the organization’s work on buffalo processing, gardening, fishing, hunting, language, and arts programs, and framed it as a response to historical trauma and community healing. The committee then broke for lunch and planned to resume with the Wojou presentation after the recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh so somehow this winds up usually being more than just a perennial bill.
• Um usually we wind up seeing it uh once in our committee and again on the House floor and then it kind
• <00:43:42.079> up<00:43:42.319> winds<00:43:42.560> up Uh so somehow this winds
• up winds up Uh so somehow this winds up winds up usually<00:43:43.200> being<00:43:43.440>
• Um usually we wind up seeing it uh bill.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's just passed Senate Commerce, where we are creating a home resiliency and mitigation program
• Um, that's going to hopefully provide some assistance to homeowners to mitigate some of these risks that
• >> Representative Drive is showing up right now. >> Okay, I'm running ahead here trying to wind this
• >> I'm I'm running ahead here trying to get trying<05:38:04.240> to<05:38:04.558> wind
• trying to wind this down. trying to wind this down.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the fact that we tax guilty income and foreign earned dividends dramatically mitigates the problem
• <01:48:08.239> the dividends dramatically mitigates the dividends dramatically mitigates the
• whatever<03:56:12.760> um<03:56:13.479> and<03:56:13.720> and<03:56:13.840> wind
• <03:56:14.080> up the ocean or whatever um and and wind up the ocean or whatever um and and
• wind up in<03:56:14.479> a<03:56:14.640> situation<03:56:15.040> where<03:56:15.159

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 135, introduced by Representative Michael Harrington. He said the bill would codify a portion of the New Hampshire Constitution to bar New Hampshire businesses from being required to collect sales or use taxes for other states unless Congress mandates it, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision created an onerous compliance burden for businesses. He described the patchwork of state and local sales tax rules, thresholds, and product exemptions as extremely complex and said the bill was intended to push the issue back toward Congress and the courts. Members questioned whether the bill’s reference to a “foreign government” would apply to other U.S. states, whether the proposal would conflict with the Supremacy Clause, and whether it would create standing for businesses to challenge Wayfair. Harrington responded that “foreign government” meant any government other than New Hampshire, that he believed the state could challenge the decision in court by passing a law contrary to Wayfair, and that businesses were already being harmed by compliance costs. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill was an unfunded mandate or simply a private compliance burden, and Harrington argued that the state itself would not be collecting the taxes, but businesses would still face recordkeeping and administrative costs. Sam Garland of the Department of Justice then testified. He said the department was not taking a formal position on the bill, but offered technical comments. Garland acknowledged that Wayfair created significant compliance burdens and noted that states have become somewhat more uniform, with all states now having a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, though not all use the 200-transaction threshold and local tax variation remains substantial. He said the department’s concerns were legal, describing the issue as uncharted constitutional territory involving both vertical and horizontal federalism. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, you would wind up with people who can't afford a lawyer, are denied DPA, and they wind up at
• And so, you would wind up with people who can't afford a lawyer, are denied DPA, and they wind up at
• And so, you would wind up with people who can't afford a lawyer, are denied DPA, and they wind up at
• And so, you would wind up with people who can't afford a lawyer, are denied DPA, and they wind up at
• And so, you would wind up with people who can't afford a lawyer, are denied DPA, and they wind up at

Keywords: 0:00:04 Call to Order 0:00:50 Dept for Public Advocacy 0:51:31 Life Learning Center 1:21:06 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Justice and Judiciary heard testimony from the Department of Public Advocacy (DPA) on attorney compensation and alternatives to incarceration. Because the committee lacked a quorum, the chair skipped formal roll call and minutes approval, then invited DPA Public Advocate Damon Preston, Deputy Public Advocate Melanie Lowe, and alternative sentencing worker Cena/Tina Mills to present. Preston said DPA is fully state-funded, has 698 funded positions, and was near full staffing with 673 filled positions and 42 new law graduates expected to join in August. He argued that DPA’s resources lag behind those of prosecutors, noting that local prosecutorial offices receive substantially more total funding and have additional revenue sources beyond the state budget. Preston focused on salary disparities and turnover. He said DPA trial-office attorneys total about $26 million in salaries, compared with about $41.9 million for prosecutors on publicly listed state funding, and estimated that more than 100 additional prosecutors are paid through other sources, bringing total prosecutor compensation to a little over $50 million versus DPA’s $26 million. He said starting DPA attorney pay is $58,200, experienced attorney pay averages about $73,000, and that these levels are too low given law school debt and the state’s constitutional obligation to provide defense counsel. He also said DPA attorney turnover is about 20%, median service time before separation was 15 months in 2024, and exit interviews often cite salary as the main reason for leaving. He gave examples of former DPA attorneys moving to prosecutor offices for raises ranging from 12% to 50%. Committee members asked about how often defendants are represented by private counsel versus DPA and how that affects workload. Preston said a 2017 study found about 50% of misdemeanor cases and about 75% of circuit court cases were handled by DPA, with DPA handling most of the most labor-intensive cases. He said DPA will step aside when a defendant hires private counsel or is found ineligible, and he acknowledged the system historically erred by denying counsel in some cases, though he said the current concern is whether DPA is now appointed too broadly. Members requested updated trend data on appointments over the past decade. Preston also described DPA’s pay scale and said the agency’s compensation structure makes retention difficult. Mills then described DPA’s alternative sentencing worker program, which she said has operated for about 20 years and has received national recognition. She shared a case example involving a client named Patrick, who faced a prison sentence on a possession charge and was referred to a horse-based treatment and certification program in Shelbyville. She said the client wanted treatment and a fresh start, a bed became available, and she and the client’s attorney presented an alternative sentencing plan to the court. The presentation was interrupted briefly by a technical issue, but the testimony continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our city municipal power—we are really set up well to protect ourselves from wind events.
• protect we are really set up well to protect ourselves<00:28:38.080> from<00:28:38.320> wind
• <00:28:39.000> So,<00:28:39.240> I<00:28:39.280> want ourselves from wind events
• So, I want ourselves from wind events.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, led the Pledge of Allegiance with visiting children from Creativity Challenge Community, and approved the journal as corrected. The day was marked by several recognitions and announcements, including Sportsman Day, Lineman Day, and a CEA Lobby Day, with members offering brief tributes to professional linemen, Colorado sportsmen and conservationists, and education retirees and children visiting the Capitol. Members also announced committee schedules for the day and the next day. Committees set to meet included Appropriations, Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources, Business Affairs and Labor, Finance, Energy and Environment, and Education, with specific bills listed for each committee. One committee, State Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs, announced it would not meet that day. The only formal action beyond the journal approval was a motion by the Majority Leader to lay over the balance of the calendar until Friday, April 24, 2026, which was adopted without objection. The House then moved to recess until later that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have wind release? No, we do not either. We memoed out.
• Do you<00:00:42.480> have<00:00:42.559> wind<00:00:42.879> release?
• 43.280> No<00:00:43.600> we<00:00:43.760> do<00:00:43.920> not you have wind
• No we do not you have wind release?

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hyper-aware of that was needed is a long-term strategic plan that can really weather the political winds
• because I think we know that one of the unique challenges of being an agency lead is the political winds
• and the shifting political winds.
• because I think we know that one of the unique challenges of being an agency lead is the political winds
• and the shifting political winds.

Summary: The LEAD Committee met with the Department of Commerce to review a high-level strategic plan for Oklahoma economic development. Commerce Director Bud presented a plan centered on the state’s competitive advantages: central location and logistics, low cost of doing business, energy availability, labor force, tax environment, and partnerships with tribes, local communities, universities, and workforce organizations. He said the agency must focus on industries where Oklahoma has a “right to win,” identifying aerospace and defense, energy, agribusiness, manufacturing, and cybersecurity as priority sectors, with other sectors such as transportation logistics, automotive, finance/shared services, federal offices, bioscience, and broader IT treated as secondary or longer-term opportunities. Members asked about workforce, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, incentives, research and development, housing, and how Commerce should stay focused on its core mission. Commerce said CareerTech remains a major asset, but the state needs better coordination among agencies, universities, and workforce partners. Officials also said entrepreneurship should be encouraged within target industries, infrastructure readiness should be mapped and aligned to industry needs, and incentives should be evaluated against total cost of operations rather than compared only on percentage terms. They noted that the Incentive Evaluation Commission is comparing Oklahoma’s incentives with other states and that closing deals begins early, with the right people and partners involved from the start. The discussion also emphasized the need for stronger statewide marketing, better use of regional development staff, more robust research/data capabilities, and a stronger international strategy. Legislators raised concerns about Commerce being tasked with programs outside its core mission, and Commerce said it must administer those programs unless the Legislature changes the law, though it would like to streamline and reallocate resources where possible. The meeting ended with broad support for the strategic direction, appreciation for Commerce’s work on recent projects, and adjournment without any formal vote or action taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Central Research and Outreach Center pioneered a method of producing ammonia fertilizer using the wind
• producing ammonia fertilizer<00:02:46.440> using<00:02:46.920> the<00:02:47.040> wind
• , fertilizer using the wind, fertilizer using the wind, using<00:02:48.520> solar<00:02:49.080
• visibility to the production meters of thousands of generators throughout MISO, whether hydro, RNG, wind

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• with a capacity of one megawatt hour or greater that are standalone resources are co-located with wind
• When we think about the energy mix, we obviously have natural gas, wind, solar, a little bit of nuclear
• Wind and solar can be up and running unless These industries can meet that goal.
• Wind and solar can be up and running in less than a year with battery backup, and battery backup means
• How do we know that profits from the gas plant are going to wind up building a new nuclear plant?

Bills: HB132, HB 11, HB14, HB132, HB1584, HB1606, HB5061, HB 1041, HB2286

Keywords: nuclear energy, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, energy policy, regulation repeal, state energy strategy, licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, HB 132, Texas Government Code Chapter 418, Public Information Act, confidential records, homeland security, foreign adversary, terrorism

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and quickly reported several measures favorably, including HB 12, SB 1361, SB 1705, SB 1749, SB 1897, SB 2344, SB 2566, HB 3809, and HB 4215, with most sent to the Local and Uncontested Calendar. HB 12’s substitute clarified a limited midterm review of regulatory agencies tied to Sunset Commission recommendations. SB 2696’s substitute changed med spa regulation from a license to a certificate, with training instead of an exam, plus background checks, continuing education, and two-year renewals. HB 3809 dealt with battery energy storage decommissioning and recycling, and HB 4215 was reported without a substitute. SB 1978, concerning interconnection of electric facilities in ERCOT and federal jurisdiction concerns, was reported out on a 5-3 vote after debate, but then the chair later announced the bill was withdrawn and left pending subject to the call of the chair. HB 1899 was also reported favorably, with one nay. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 14, the advanced nuclear energy bill. Senator Schwertner described it as creating a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, a nuclear permitting coordinator, a development fund, a completion grant program, and a workforce development program. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including representatives from Fermi America, Dow/X-energy, CPS Energy, Paragon Energy Solutions, Bridge to Nuclear, Aalo Atomics, and the Texas Association of Business, argued that Texas should lead in advanced nuclear, citing future baseload demand, data centers, industrial power needs, supply-chain development, and long-term energy diversification. Opponents, including Public Citizen, Texas Nuclear Watchdogs, Sierra Club, and individual citizens, argued the bill would subsidize unproven, expensive technology, create grants rather than loans, and expose taxpayers to major risk while doing little to meet near-term energy needs. Several members questioned whether the state should fund projects that may not produce grid power for years, and whether the bill’s grant structure and new office were justified. The committee also heard HB 5061, which Senator Schwertner said would prohibit unethical surveillance and misuse of confidential information by state contractors, create a confidential reporting system through the State Auditor’s Office, authorize Texas Rangers investigations, protect whistleblowers, and impose penalties including contract termination, fines, and contracting bans. No public testimony was offered, and the bill was left pending. HB 132, sponsored by Senator Hughes, would extend confidentiality protections for sensitive information to hostile acts by foreign adversaries; it was also left pending after no testimony. HB 1584 was then laid out, with Senator Schwertner explaining it would require utilities to maintain and update priority restoration lists for critical facilities after Hurricane Beryl exposed communication failures, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• gender-nonconforming people like me as intrinsically threatening or harmful by omitting explicit mitigations
• intrinsically threatening or harmful by omitting<01:55:33.719> explicit<01:55:34.119> mitigations
• <01:55:34.599> for<01:55:34.800> The omitting explicit mitigations for The omitting
• explicit mitigations for The Unique<01:55:35.320> privacy<01:55:35.679> and<01:55:35.840

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee opened a hearing on House Bill 148, with the chair limiting testimony to two minutes and asking for no outbursts so the committee could get through eight bills that day. Representative Kofalt, the prime sponsor, said HB 148 was the same as last year’s HB 396, which passed both chambers but was vetoed by the governor. He explained the bill would allow, but not require, separation by biological sex in bathrooms, locker rooms, houses of correction, and certain athletic competitions, leaving local school boards and administrators discretion to set policies. He argued the bill was meant to address safety and privacy concerns and cited a Milford incident and concerns in several school districts as examples of why local flexibility was needed. Committee members questioned the lack of a definition of “biological sex” and how the bill would be applied. Kofalt said he did not think a definition was necessary because males and females are generally understood, and he said the bill would give local policymakers latitude to make practical rules. He also said the bill was intended to address situations where people might misuse transgender claims to access spaces inappropriately. In response to questions, he said he was aware of issues in Kearsarge, Milford, and Mascoma school districts and had heard of discomfort in the State House, though he did not know all the details. Several opponents testified that the bill would discriminate against transgender and non-binary people and create enforcement problems. Executive Councilor Karen Hill said the bill would roll back New Hampshire’s anti-discrimination protections and conflict with the state’s Live Free or Die values. Alice Wade, a trans woman, said she had used women’s restrooms without incident and argued the bill would invite invasive enforcement and harassment. Representative La Selig said the bill was discriminatory and that bathroom concerns were being confused with unrelated harassment by cisgender males. Betsy Harrington supported the bill, citing a girls’ soccer game at Kearsarge that she said was disrupted by a boy playing on a girls’ team. Rosie Emer and her child testified against the bill, saying bathroom restrictions would increase anxiety and risk for trans and non-binary children. Stephen Scaer and Wendy Stallings supported the bill, arguing sex is biologically fixed and that excluding males from female spaces should not require genital inspections. No vote or final committee action was taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so a lot of times those wind turbines are dependent on the projects moving forward.
• that funding stream, that should be effective, because there wouldn't be another industrial-scale wind
• making sure that those solar panels that do go in aren't coated with PFOS and getting into those ed winds

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Food met to consider a short agenda of seven bills. The committee first advanced S.1742, which would increase penalties for knowingly violating dog shelter requirements, though one member noted concern that the definition could be applied too broadly and might affect unhoused people. The committee also reported S.4769, authorizing a study on vertical farming; S.5159A, adding duties to the Community Gardens Task Force; S.6573A, concerning recovery of deceased dogs or cats from public roads, with discussion about whether state employees should be included; and S.6848, expanding regional farmers markets. The committee then took up S.9478, a bill to prohibit state incentives for siting or operating commercial renewable energy systems in sensitive environmental areas. Members supporting the bill said it would help protect farmland and environmentally sensitive land from large solar and wind projects and would remove financial incentives without changing the underlying permitting process. Questions focused on how the bill would interact with ORES, local IDAs, and existing state subsidy programs; sponsors explained that it would not stop permits but would cut off state funding and incentives for projects in protected areas. The committee agreed to report the bill to the Energy Committee. All bills were approved by committee vote, with no recorded opposition noted in the discussion, and the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• And my concerns for the other schools have been mitigated. Thank you.
• 43.840> to also tell you which people were going to also tell you which people were going to wind
• :46.479> you<04:14:46.640> you've<04:14:47.040> given<04:14:47.279> us wind
• up in jail. and you you've given us wind up in jail. and you you've given us an an an astonishing<04
• are going to wind up in jail. are going to wind up in jail.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 254, which Senator David Roford described as a technical correction to controlled substance inventory law for pharmacies. He said the bill would remove outdated language requiring inventories to be done in an odd-numbered year, while keeping the existing requirement that pharmacies conduct a full controlled substance inventory every two years in line with federal law. Members asked several clarifying questions about whether the requirement is pharmacy-by-pharmacy, whether new pharmacies would be affected, and whether the change would alter scope or compliance; the sponsor and a representative of the New Hampshire Pharmacist Association said it would not, and that it mainly provides clarity for pharmacies and inspectors. The public hearing on SB 254 was then closed, and the committee also heard support from a representative of the pharmacist community, who said the association supports the bill. The committee then discussed a non-germane amendment to SB 254 dealing with FBI background checks for educational surrogate parents under the Department of Education. Representative Leyon explained that the amendment was requested by the Department of Education after the FBI rejected prior statutory language, and that the goal was to allow people serving as educational surrogate parents to complete FBI fingerprint-based background checks so they can perform their duties. Department of Education and Department of Safety staff testified that the amendment mirrors language that has worked in other education-related background check statutes, including provisions with specific disqualifying offenses tied to child safety, and that the FBI requires precise statutory language and direct transmission of records through the Department of Safety. Members questioned why the FBI’s approval was needed, whether individuals could simply provide their own records, and whether changing federal leadership could require future changes; witnesses said the state needs both state and national records, that records must come directly from the FBI through the Department of Safety, and that the language is intended to satisfy current federal requirements. During the discussion, some members expressed skepticism about the need for the amendment and about placing it on a bill about controlled substance inventories, but no vote was taken during the portion of the transcript provided. The committee also briefly discussed a separate bill on physician assistants/physician associates, with members noting that the proposed name change would not alter scope of practice and that some outside groups had raised concerns about transparency, but that discussion was interrupted and not concluded in the excerpt.

Bills: SJR27, SJR39, SB22, SB33, SB34, SB37, SB209, SB310, SB326, SB505, SB605, SB618, SB732, SB762, SB769, SB783, SB819, SB825, SB870, SB964, SB1030, SB1080, SB1085, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1233, SB1314, SB1320, SB1333, SB1398, SB1405, SB1541, SB1567, SB1596, SB1598, SB1625, SB1646, SB1662, SB1750, SB1758, SB1791, SB1804, SB1810, SB1818, SB1838, SB1855, SB1869, SB1951, SB2024, SB2077, SB2078, SB2252, SB2253, SB2368, SB2411, SB2420, SB2425, SB2569

Keywords: judicial conduct, state commission, judicial misconduct, commission membership, constitutional amendment, veto override, legislature power, governor, Texas Constitution, Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department

Bills: SJR27, SJR39, SB22, SB33, SB34, SB37, SB209, SB310, SB326, SB505, SB605, SB618, SB732, SB762, SB769, SB783, SB819, SB825, SB870, SB964, SB1030, SB1080, SB1085, SB1099, SB1124, SB1208, SB1233, SB1314, SB1320, SB1333, SB1398, SB1405, SB1541, SB1567, SB1596, SB1598, SB1625, SB1646, SB1662, SB1750, SB1758, SB1791, SB1804, SB1810, SB1818, SB1838, SB1855, SB1869, SB1951, SB2024, SB2077, SB2078, SB2252, SB2253, SB2368, SB2411, SB2420, SB2425, SB2569

Keywords: judicial conduct, state commission, judicial misconduct, commission membership, constitutional amendment, veto override, legislature power, governor, Texas Constitution, Texas, moving image industry, incentive program, film production, grant funding, job creation, economic development, wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department

Transcript Highlights:

• It didn't promote, you know, alternative wind.
• It didn't promote wind and solar.
• <01:08:55.560> It promote, you know, alternative wind.
• It promote, you know, alternative wind.
• ,<01:13:11.920> whether project, whether it be wind, whether project, whether it be wind,

Bills: HB0116, HB0056

Keywords: water rights, beneficial use, industrial production, hydrogen, applications, public welfare, carbon capture, energy standards, public utilities, environmental regulation, state law, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But then a big wind farm came. It's 175 turbines.
• So I was on the fence about removing energy like such as solar farm and wind farm from that, but we did
• So I was on the fence about removing energy like such as solar farm and wind farm from that, but we did
• They're building, so this is not going to stop these wind and solar facilities from coming because you've
• Also, my county is dealing with the solar and wind issue even right now.

Summary: The Missouri House Legislative Rules Committee held a rare public hearing on House Bill 2243, sponsored by Rep. Bryant-Wolfen, which would repeal a local sales tax exemption for certain industries that was enacted in a prior omnibus bill tied to the Wayfair-related tax changes. The sponsor argued the exemption shifted revenue away from counties and onto local residents, and said the bill would restore local tax collections that had been lost without a guaranteed replacement. Several members questioned whether the proposal amounted to a tax increase on manufacturers and whether it could deter investment or job growth; the sponsor responded that the tax burden had already been shifted to Missourians and that other pro-business reforms could address competitiveness. Supporters from Iron County, St. Genevieve County, and Adair County testified that the exemption had reduced local revenue for roads, law enforcement, ambulance, and 911 services. They described budget shortfalls, service cuts, and the impact on counties that had already approved local sales or use taxes by voter approval. One Iron County commissioner said the loss of revenue had forced higher property tax levies and reduced ambulance coverage, while St. Genevieve officials cited large drops in monthly sales tax receipts and rising costs. Adair County officials said the exemption affected revenue from large solar and wind projects and argued that the taxes were intended to support local infrastructure and schools. Opponents, including Associated Industries in Missouri, argued the exemption was originally adopted to keep Missouri’s tax system uniform and compliant with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair framework for out-of-state sellers. They warned that removing the exemption could create a $35 million annual burden on manufacturers and potentially jeopardize broader local use-tax collections if the state’s system were challenged again. Committee members also discussed the possibility of requiring local voter approval or a replacement revenue source before changing the exemption. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the chair said he planned to execute the bill later in the week.