Transcript Highlights:

• I am honored today to be presenting House File 3556, a bill simply renaming the community solar garden
• A bill simply renaming the community solar garden program after Speaker Melissa Hortman.
• So, members, renaming Minnesota’s community solar garden program in her memory honors not just Speaker
• </c><00:15:47.120><c> So</c><00:15:47.760><c> members,</c><00:15:48.160><c> renaming</c> them uh today
• So members, renaming them uh today.

Transcript Highlights:

• This entire renaming...
• I also support the Miranda amendment to rename this holiday.
• And so I support the Miranda amendment to rename the holiday. ...to rename the holiday in honor of not
• It needs to include a renaming as well.
• We support the renaming of this holiday.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also support the Miranda amendment to rename this holiday.
• And so I support the Miranda amendment to rename the holiday. ...to rename the holiday in honor of not
• It needs to include a renaming as well.
• We support the renaming of this holiday.
• Many have stated the reasons why it is important to rename this day.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, attendance, and several personal privileges recognizing guests and proclamations, including a Coolidge centennial proclamation, a Pre-born Day of Rights proclamation, and a tribute to retired public servant Carmen Green Smith. The chamber also welcomed various guests and groups in the gallery, including Arizona Right to Life, Reproductive Freedom for All, a doctor of the day, schoolchildren, and community visitors. A motion to suspend the rules and immediately advance SB 1396 on contraception rights failed by a vote of 12 ayes to 16 nays. The Senate then considered House Concurrent Resolution 2053 honoring Brad Brower, adopted it unanimously, observed a moment of silence, and transmitted the resolution to the House. In Committee of the Whole, members considered HB 2072, HB 2307, and HB 2874. HB 2072, dealing with holidays and the César Chávez Day repeal/renaming debate, drew extensive floor debate over a Miranda amendment to rename the day for farm workers; that amendment failed 12-15, and the bill was ultimately advanced as amended by the committee’s striker/repeal language. HB 2307, concerning dangerous and incompetent defendants and a state facility process, received committee and floor amendments and was advanced as amended. HB 2874, relating to campaign committee termination statements and contributions, also received committee and technical floor amendments and was advanced as amended. On final third readings, HB 2874 passed 18-11 with one not voting and was transmitted to the House. HB 2307 passed 27-2 with one not voting and was transmitted to the House, with supporters emphasizing public safety and the emergency clause. HB 272 passed after a lengthy and contentious debate over whether to repeal or rename the holiday associated with César Chávez and the farm worker movement; supporters of repeal cited allegations against Chávez and the need for accountability, while opponents argued the holiday should preserve recognition of farm workers and the movement’s history. The Senate also adopted the Committee of the Whole report and assigned the bills accordingly.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the park is also a designated wildlife refuge and supports vibrant habitat for migratory ungulates
• He said it is a wildlife refuge in a state park and that there is no hunting allowed in Harriman.
• He repeated that it is a wildlife refuge.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• We are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. One was hit on the highway between...
• We are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Again, we are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Bills: SB5838 , SB5960 , SB6097

Committee: Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources

Keywords: tribal representation, natural resources, board of natural resources, environmental policy, community involvement, ungulate populations, wildlife management, habitat restoration, conservation, sustainability, Indian tribes, conservation futures program, federal recognition, environmental protection

Transcript Highlights:

• What they do is they find current refuge downstream of a boulder or some other structure in the river
• They find refuge from the high velocities, or they'll move out onto the edge of the river, particularly
• The center is rebuilt and strengthened with reinforced bathrooms that could act as refuges for the public

Committee: House Culture, Recreation & Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• When<00:25:12.960><c> I</c><00:25:13.120><c> was</c><00:25:13.279><c> a</c><00:25:13.440><c> refuge</
• c><00:25:13.840><c> inspector</c><00:25:14.720><c> for</c><00:25:14.960><c> the</c> When I was a refuge
• inspector for the When I was a refuge inspector for the city<00:25:15.360><c> and</c><00:25:15.520><

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 1090 asks that the library construction grant program be renamed in honor of Representative
• The library community supports renaming this vital program in Representative Mary Murphy's honor.
• The library community supports renaming this vital program in Representative Mary Murphy's honor.
• The library community supports renaming this vital program in Representative Mary Murphy's honor.
• The library community supports renaming this vital program in Representative Mary Murphy's honor.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. as a specific carveout as well as uh as a specific carveout as well as uh refuge<00:51:23.680
• 51:25.119><c> So</c><00:51:25.359><c> just</c><00:51:25.599><c> throw</c><00:51:25.839><c> one</c> refuge
• So just throw one refuge derived fuel.
• /c><00:51:49.359><c> issue</c><00:51:50.000><c> um</c><00:51:50.160><c> with</c><00:51:50.559><c> refuge
• </c><00:51:51.119><c> derived</c> know an issue um with refuge derived know an issue um with refuge derived

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Transcript Highlights:

• In You, oh Lord, we take refuge. May we never be put to shame.
• Be our rock of refuge to which we can always go.

Bills: HB3327 , HB3711 , HB4104 , HJR1077 , HB3329 , HB4322 , HB4202 , HB4203 , HB4457 , HB3983 , HB3660 , HB3802 , HB2933 , HB2955 , HB2956 , HB3781 , HB3521 , HB3794 , HB3796 , HB3800 , HB3183 , HB4316 , HB4484 , HB3469 , HB3464 , HB3173 , HB3989 , HB3016 , HB2979 , HB2988 , HB2288 , HB3062 , HB3315 , HB3372 , HB3530 , HB3622 , HB3755 , HB4266

Keywords: State Board of Education, Oklahoma education board, board appointments, school governance, education reform, governor appointments, legislative appointments, speaker of the house, president pro tempore, senate confirmation, board vacancies, removal for cause, public education, state superintendent, school board training, board member qualifications, emergency clause, Oklahoma statutes 70 O.S. 3-101, school funding, transparency

Transcript Highlights:

• MARK'S NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AND ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF THE ST.
• WE ARE BLESSED TO BE IN THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, TIME, WHEN WE DO THINGS, WHEN THEY'RE READY TO

Transcript Highlights:

• resilient pioneers carrying with them the sick and desperately poor from burning Nauvoo found temporary refuge
• Found temporary refuge among the kind members of the Omaha tribe.
• The land belonged to the Tuscarora Nation and later became a refuge for blended families who worked the
• c><02:16:52.000><c> later</c><02:16:52.240><c> became</c><02:16:52.639><c> a</c><02:16:52.880><c> refuge
• </c><02:16:53.280><c> for</c> Nation and later became a refuge for Nation and later became a refuge for

Bills: HB1522 , HB1917 , HB3937 , HR600

Keywords: Federal Retirement Fairness Act, FERS, federal retirement, creditable service, temporary employees, temporary federal service, Postal Service, USPS, Office of Personnel Management, OPM, retirement buyback, annuity, pension, civil service retirement, federal workforce, government employees, Members of Congress, retirement benefits, Great Lakes, fishery management

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> over this unserious bill about renaming over this unserious bill about renaming the<00:21:37.120
• </c> Congress week in and week out rename Congress week in and week out rename post<00:29:02.760><c>
• They've been renaming rename anything.
• </c> bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico. bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
• We're not just renaming a gulf.

Bills: SCR12 , HR276

Keywords: Congressional Gold Medal, Army Rangers, World War II, ceremony, Emancipation Hall, colorectal cancer, Hispanic community, screening disparity, awareness, healthcare access, health education, chronic illness, cancer research, colon cancer, rectal cancer, cancer screening, Hispanic health, Latino health, racial disparities, health equity

Transcript Highlights:

• shoreline park and recreational hub, as well as to fund projects, shovel-ready projects for wildlife refuges
• Regarding wildlife refuges and wetland habitat areas, the May revision includes $23.2 million for one-time
• funding in CNRA's budget to help improve the conditions for wildlife refuges and wetland habitat areas
• inclusion of the $23.5 million to CNRA in the May Revise for projects that improve conditions on wildlife refuges

Summary: The subcommittee heard an overview of the May Revision from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office, focused on resources, environmental protection, energy, and related budget issues. Finance said the May Revision keeps the budget balanced in 2026-27 and 2027-28, narrows the structural deficit, and proposes major investments in natural resources, including Proposition 4 bond funding for the Golden Gate Fields acquisition, wildlife refuge and wetland projects, Fort Ord Dunes campground operations, Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, wildfire-human coexistence, and beverage container recycling. The LAO praised stronger-than-expected revenues but argued the state still has a structural deficit and is relying too heavily on reserves, recommending more reserve deposits and fewer new discretionary expenditures. Members questioned several proposals, especially the Golden Gate Fields purchase and the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. Agency officials said the Golden Gate Fields site is a time-limited opportunity, would be remediated by the current owner, transferred to East Bay Regional Park District after closing, and restricted to park/open-space uses rather than commercial development. On Healthy Rivers and Landscapes, Finance and the Natural Resources Agency said the $25 million request would help launch year one of the program, support scientific monitoring, and maintain commitments to environmental flows and habitat restoration; the LAO said the request was premature because the Bay-Delta plan has not yet been formally adopted and the state’s total funding commitment remains unclear. Officials also discussed water storage, subsidence, and the need for ongoing investments in aquifer recharge, aqueduct repairs, and recycling. The committee also reviewed a proposed $1 million shift for the Coexisting with Wildlife Initiative. Fish and Wildlife and the Cattlemen’s Association said the money would support limited-term staffing, deterrence tools, and livestock-loss compensation, while acknowledging the amount is modest compared with the need. Members emphasized the growing human-wildlife conflict problem and the importance of nonlethal deterrence and public education. The discussion then turned to greenhouse gas reduction fund revenues and transit; members warned that lower auction revenues and possible CARB rule changes could leave little or nothing for Tier 3 programs such as transit, clean water, and air-quality programs. Finance and the LAO said the Legislature should plan for multiple revenue scenarios and consider whether the existing cap-and-invest spending framework still matches current revenue expectations and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen and we've documented this on a lot of our refuges and in our WMAs.
• that Marpaul swamp, I don't know exactly where, use your expert knowledge and designate an area as a refuge
• Use you expert knowledge and designate an area as a refuge area, you know, to wear mudboats.
• What we were having, where we were looking on our other wildlife management areas and refuges is you

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 1209, which would pause new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals after December 31, 2026, while allowing existing agreements to continue and renew through 2036. The author said the bill is intended to force a broader, data-driven review of Louisiana’s surface water management and to improve funding for aquatic plant control, especially giant salvinia. An amendment was adopted to broaden the description of how the aquatic plant control fund may be used and to require annual reporting on agreements, withdrawals, revenues, deposits, spending, and non-monetary consideration. Department officials said the current program is voluntary, underfunded for monitoring, and that the bill could create a gap for new users if no replacement mechanism is enacted. The bill was reported favorable as amended after testimony from supporters including the Louisiana Wildlife Federation and opposition concerns from industry representatives were noted but not formally presented. House Bill 599 was then heard, which would prohibit the sale of Louisiana running surface water outside the state. The author argued that out-of-state sales, especially involving Toledo Bend and Texas, would be short-sighted and could harm Louisiana’s long-term water interests. Supporters said Louisiana lacks a water budget and should preserve water for in-state needs, while the Department of Conservation and Energy noted that the state currently has no mandatory process for such agreements and that the bill would not affect Sabine River Authority authority. The committee reported the bill favorable. Finally, House Bill 1206, dealing with permitting and reporting of water usage at data centers, was discussed. The substitute bill and amendment would give the department authority to monitor and regulate groundwater and surface water withdrawals, require public hearings, and improve transparency through reporting and a universal project identifier. The author and supporters said the bill was prompted by concerns in communities affected by large data center projects and the lack of public hearings on water use. Department officials agreed that more comprehensive data and a clearer framework are needed, but the author voluntarily deferred the bill to continue working with the department on a broader measure for next session. The committee also heard House Bill 1171 on allowing airboats in the Mar-Paw Swamp Wildlife Management Area, but after extensive debate over noise, habitat impacts, and existing restrictions, the discussion was ongoing in the portion provided and no final action on that bill was shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've seen and we've documented this on a lot of our refuges and in our WMAs.
• Maripaul swamp, I don't know exactly where, use your expert knowledge and designate an area as a refuge
• Use you expert knowledge and designate an area as a refuge area, you know, to wear mudboats.
• What we were having, where we were looking on our other wildlife management areas and refuges, is you

Committee: House Natural Resources & Environment

Transcript Highlights:

• basically as an activist in Imperial Beach and helped protect the Tijuana Estuary as a National Wildlife Refuge
• But I wanted to show what the Tijuana Estuary National Wildlife Refuge, the sacred resource we have in
• extends right to the border—100,000 acres protected, including Coronado Islands, which are wildlife refuges
• Diego, and animals and then all these protected species in this national, state, and local wildlife refuges

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Environmental committees held an informational hearing on the Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis, with members from both parties emphasizing that the problem is decades old, cross-border, and requires federal, state, local, and binational action. Opening remarks described the crisis as a major environmental and public health emergency affecting San Diego County beaches, air quality, marine life, tourism, and nearby communities. Assembly Member Boerner and Senator Jones both stressed the need for continued funding and cooperation, while Supervisor Paloma Aguirre outlined county efforts and called for urgent action on localized fixes and health protections. Aguirre described the scale of sewage flows from Tijuana, the long beach closures, and the county’s response, including warning signs, an air purifier distribution program, a planned epidemiological study, soil testing, and an economic impact study. She highlighted a “hot spot” near Saturn Boulevard where wastewater becomes airborne, citing elevated hydrogen sulfide levels, community illness reports, and proximity to schools and homes. Congressional staff reported that the federal delegation has secured more than $650 million for infrastructure and cleanup, supported legislation to strengthen federal watershed and IBWC programs, and pressed federal agencies for health investigations, air monitoring, and emergency declarations. Scripps scientists Dr. Sarah Giddings and Dr. Kimberly Prather presented research on water and air transport of pollution. Giddings described a five-day coastal water quality forecast model, supported by state funding, that tracks wastewater movement and helps predict beach closure risk; she said the model has about 72% accuracy and is being refined with ongoing measurements. Prather explained that polluted surf-zone spray and aerosols can carry bacteria, viruses, and gases into the air, and said her team’s measurements showed strong links between river flow, odor complaints, and hydrogen sulfide spikes, with a major drop after river diversion. She also said the team has identified thousands of airborne compounds and is studying their health implications. Dr. Paula Stigler Granados summarized public health findings, saying surveys and monitoring show nighttime exposure, sleep disruption, headaches, respiratory symptoms, anxiety, and other impacts, especially for children, workers, and older adults. She reported chemical analyses finding hundreds of contaminants in river water and a distinct chemical fingerprint at the Saturn hot spot, including evidence that pollutants infiltrate nearby homes. Sergio Dondina of Wild Coast focused on ecological and economic damage, beach loss, tire and trash pollution, and the community’s sense of being ignored. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the informational hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> to re to I'm not going to cry to rename to re to I'm not going to cry to rename the<00:05:07.759
• </c><00:09:01.200><c> Minnesota's</c> which will rename Minnesota's which will rename Minnesota's groundbreaking
• Renaming<00:19:46.480><c> Minnesota's</c><00:19:47.039><c> community</c><00:19:47.440><c> solar</c> Renaming
• Renaming this program isn't symbolic. It's fitting.
• Renaming this program isn't symbolic. It's fitting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. One was hit on the highway between...
• We are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Again, we are not the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5838, which would add a federally recognized tribal representative to the State Board of Natural Resources. The Department of Natural Resources commissioner and tribal leaders said the change would bring Indigenous knowledge and a voting voice to decisions on trust lands, while preserving existing tribal consultation. Some county and economic interests said they were not opposed to tribal participation but stressed the board’s fiduciary duty to trust beneficiaries and asked for more review of the board’s purpose; one witness questioned whether the beneficiaries had been consulted. The prime sponsor, Senator Claudia Kaufman, said the bill is about inclusion and equity and indicated openness to an amendment adding both eastside and westside tribal representation. The hearing closed with 142 written comments reported: 33 pro, 107 con, and 2 other. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5960, which would require Fish and Wildlife to designate at-risk ungulate populations and take predator mitigation actions when populations fall below specified benchmarks. Senator Shelley Short said the bill responds to declining deer and elk numbers and a lack of management, especially in northeast Washington. Supporters argued the bill would codify existing agency plans and restore balance in wildlife management, while opponents—including conservation groups, the Sierra Club, and several scientists and advocates—said the state’s predator-prey study found wolves were not the main driver of ungulate declines, pointing instead to habitat, forage, weather, disease, and vehicle collisions. Ranching and farm groups supported the overall goal but objected to the bill’s in-state wolf translocation provisions. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said it recognized the bill’s intent but opposed it because some directives were impractical, costly, or would require legislative approval. The hearing closed with 1,197 written comments reported: 843 pro, 352 con, and 2 other. The committee then held a work session on Lake Washington salmon predation. Larry Phillips and Muckleshoot Fisheries Director Jason Schaffler described a coalition effort to reduce predation on juvenile salmon in the Lake Washington system, saying invasive and predatory fish such as walleye, rock bass, American shad, northern pike, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass are harming sockeye and Chinook recovery. They said sockeye returns have fallen from hundreds of thousands to about 18,000 in recent years, ending tribal and sport fisheries, and argued that targeted predator removal, supported by prior state and county funding, could help restore runs. Senators asked about the methods and funding, and the presenters said fishing and netting are being used to suppress larger predatory fish and that more sustained investment is needed. Finally, the committee began public hearing on Senate Bill 1697, which would make federally recognized tribes eligible recipients for county conservation futures funds. Testifiers from the Washington Farmland Trust and the Tulalip Tribe said the bill would expand voluntary conservation partnerships, help tribes steward farmland and habitat, and make it easier to leverage county funds with other grants. They described past projects where tribal participation improved conservation outcomes but said tribes could not directly access conservation futures dollars under current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• He is most deserving of the honor to have the courthouse renamed after him.
• This renaming would also serve as an inspiration for future generations.
• I'm testifying for the rename of Joe Justicator. Sure.
• I'm testifying for the renaming of Joe Chesterport. Sure.
• The renaming of Dorchester Court in honor of Judge Leslie Harris.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a late-file hearing on several bills, with testimony limited to three minutes per individual or set time limits for panels. Chairs Michael Day and Lydia Edwards outlined hearing rules, written testimony procedures, and confidentiality protections before moving through the agenda. The committee heard testimony on bills including H.4876, H.5111, H.4783, H.4826, H.5116, H.5244, S.2975, and S.2976. On H.4876, supporters described it as the “Overcomers Law,” aimed at strengthening supports for survivors of abuse by limiting abusers’ legal standing after death, requiring survivor notification of an abuser’s death, expanding coercive control definitions, improving privacy protections, and creating education and resource programs. On H.5111, the Attorney General’s Office and legislative sponsors backed changes to strengthen Massachusetts antitrust enforcement, including broader jurisdiction over multi-state conduct, higher penalties, clearer treatment of invitations to conspire, labor-market protections, housing-related changes, and a longer statute of limitations. The committee also heard support for H.4783, which would reaffirm the rights of people experiencing homelessness and push back against criminalization of homelessness, and for H.4826, which would update condominium law to give owners more rights and nonjudicial dispute-resolution options. A large portion of the hearing focused on H.5116, which would rename the Dorchester Division of the Boston Municipal Court the Judge Leslie E. Harris Courthouse. Representative Worrell, the Harris family, senators, prosecutors, lawyers, educators, and community advocates testified in strong support, describing Judge Harris’s legacy of fairness, mentorship, community service, and support for young people and Black legal professionals. The committee also heard testimony on S.2975, which would prohibit civil immigration arrests in courthouses to protect access to justice, and S.2976, which would create a state cause of action for constitutional violations by federal officers. Finally, H.5244 was supported as a repeal of an archaic criminal statute that advocates said has been used to punish pregnancy loss and should be removed from the books. No votes were taken; the hearing concluded after all registered testimony was heard.