Video & Transcript : 'business' :
Page 71 of 500
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate is at the sixth order of business. The Senate is at the sixth order of business.
- It provides some business legitimacy.
- It is in this order of business. It is, Senator. It is in this order of business. Mr.
- President, is House Bill 877 in this order of business? In this order of business.
- Without objection, the Senate will advance to the 15th order of business, miscellaneous business.
Summary:
The Senate met with a quorum, opened with prayer honoring Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboom, and approved the journal. The chamber then handled routine committee and House messages, including referrals of several Senate and House bills to standing committees, reports of enrolled measures, and gubernatorial and House transmittals. Senators also briefly returned House Bill 545 to committee because it had not been properly reported.
The main floor action centered on several third-reading bills. Senate Bill 1299, limiting government use of digital identification and protecting physical ID and device privacy, passed 35-0 after debate about privacy, enforcement, and whether it would affect agency accounts. Senate Bill 1335, extending service obligations for state-supported veterinary students, passed 33-2. Senate Bill 1330, raising the small-claims limit from $5,000 to $15,000, passed unanimously by reused roll call. Senate Bill 1359, the Virtual Currency Kiosk Fraud Prevention Act, drew the most debate over consumer protection versus regulation; it passed 19-16.
The Senate also passed Senate Bill 1348 on public outdoor target ranges and Pittman-Robertson funds, Senate Bill 1376 on declarations of candidacy, and Senate Bill 1378 modernizing off-road vehicle account and trail funding rules. Later, the chamber took up several appropriation bills: House Bills 868, 869, 870, 871, and 876 all passed, covering PERSI, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, OITS, the State Tax Commission, and the State Board of Education/higher education budgets. Those budget bills prompted extended debate over funding levels, tax collection, cybersecurity, and especially cuts to universities, community colleges, and career technical education, but each ultimately passed.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- You have her business card in front of you.
- There being no further business in the fifth order of business, the Senate will now advance to the sixth
- order of business.
- There being no further business in the 8th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 9th
- Hearing no objection, the Senate will now advance to the 15th order of business: miscellaneous business
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, opened with prayer and the pledge of allegiance, and approved the previous day’s journal. The chaplain’s remarks focused on “Liberty Friday” and the story of Betsy Ross as a symbol of faithful, humble service. The chamber also welcomed visiting fourth-grade students from Coal Valley Christian and recognized guests and birthdays during miscellaneous business.
Several committee reports and gubernatorial appointments were received and referred to the appropriate committees or held for one legislative day. These included appointments to the Commission of Pardons and Parole, the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange Board, the State Board of Education, the State Insurance Fund Board, and the Parks and Recreation Board. The Senate also received House Concurrent Resolution 22, which had been enrolled and signed, and the President signed it for return to the House.
Three new bills were introduced and sent to the Judiciary and Rules Committee for printing: Senate Bill 1228, which would make freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity a civil right; Senate Bill 1229, revising election provisions for single-county-wide highway district commissioners; and Senate Bill 1230, revising alcoholic beverage application and license fee provisions. The Senate then adjourned by motion until 11 a.m. Monday, January 26, 2026.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
ECD/TOU Joint Public Hearing - Wed Feb 4, 2026 @ 10:00 AM HST
Transcript Highlights:
- And so having a comparative ranking where we do business, how our businesses fare relative to the rest
- </c> I've served on the business I've served on the business revitalization<00:28:44.399><c> task</c>
- </c><00:28:55.279><c> revitalization</c> the business revitalization the business revitalization uh<00
- , how our businesses where we do business, how our businesses fare<00:29:51.600><c> relative</c><00:29
- </c> friendly or dementia business champion. friendly or dementia business champion.
Summary:
The joint hearing covered several bills focused on economic development, tourism, business climate, and related policy areas. On HB 1943, which would support a DBEDT office in Korea, DBEDT and the Retail Merchants of Hawaii testified in support, emphasizing Korea’s importance as a market for investment, trade, and tourism and the value of helping small and midsize Hawaii businesses access Asian markets. A later witness also tied the proposal to broader free-trade and APEC-related goals. The committees heard no opposition on that measure.
The committees then heard HB 1612 and HB 1614, both supported by multiple organizations and agencies. Testimony for HB 1612 stressed Hawaii’s weak business climate and the need for policies that improve economic growth and competitiveness; the Hulamua Collaborative cited survey results showing only 19% of respondents viewed Hawaii as a good place to do business. HB 1614 also drew support, with HTC saying its focus is on economic growth. For HB 1968 and HB 1967, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, the University of Hawaii, the Chamber of Commerce, and Hulamua Collaborative largely stood on written testimony in support; the hearing notes reported nine supporters and one opponent on HB 1968, and seven supporters with one comment on HB 1967.
A substantial portion of the hearing focused on HB 1589, a bill to create dementia training and recognition for businesses. Testifiers included a private citizen sharing a personal family story, the Alzheimer’s Association, and DBEDT. Supporters said the measure would help families affected by dementia, reduce stigma, and make businesses more dementia-friendly. DBEDT said the issue would be better handled by an agency with dementia expertise, while the Alzheimer’s Association said it could provide training at no cost and suggested amendments to shift implementation toward the Executive Office on Aging and to use the term “dementia business champion.”
The final major topic was HB 1608, involving a space-related project and financing. Phoenix Space testified that the bill would help launch responsive space access operations at Hilo International Airport, create local jobs, and support partnerships with Hawaii institutions, while another supporter said the project could diversify the economy. A committee member raised a timing concern, noting bond cap capacity was already allocated through 2028, and the witness said they were willing to work on a solution. The hearing also included HB 1850 on capital gains taxation, where supporters argued the bill would make the tax system fairer by increasing taxes on investment income, while the Chamber of Commerce opposed it. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Jobs and Economic Development - 02/03/25
Jobs and Economic Development
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate is organized, ready to do business.
- The Senate is in the third order of business.
- There being no further business in the 11th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 12th
- There being no further business in the 12th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 13th
- order of business, the third reading of bills.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate is ready for business.
- The Senate is at the third order of business.
- House Bill 896 is in this order of business. Mr.
- Without objection, the Senate will advance to the 15th order of business, miscellaneous business.
- The Senate will advance to the 15th order of business, miscellaneous business.
Summary:
The Senate met with a quorum present and began with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the journal. The chamber then processed a large number of messages and committee reports, including enrollment/transmittal actions for several bills and resolutions. Senate Concurrent Resolution 128, which approved temporary and pending administrative rules and rejected others, was adopted and transmitted to the House. The Senate also received and introduced several House bills, including appropriations measures and other legislation, and moved through multiple orders of business with several recesses and at-ease periods while awaiting paperwork and additional House action.
The main floor action centered on a series of appropriation bills and one policy bill. House Bill 973, a supplemental appropriation for the Military Division to replace climate control systems at Gowen Field, passed 29-2. House Bill 975, which would have limited transfers from the Budget Stabilization Fund and left the higher balance in place, passed 19-13 after debate over whether the money should instead be used to address budget shortfalls and service cuts. House Bill 976, changing how local highway distribution funds are allocated, passed 32-0. House Bill 972, a trailer appropriation for the Department of Health and Welfare tied to SNAP eligibility system changes, passed 25-8. House Bill 974, an appropriation for the Idaho State Police to implement a new pay plan and related funding structure, passed 33-0. House Bill 978, a Health and Welfare appropriation restoring the Immune Assessment Fund and related public health funding, passed 24-11 after discussion of vaccine access and cost savings.
The Senate also considered House Bill 896, a civil enforcement bill that would allow certain officials to seek Attorney General review of alleged violations of statutory prohibitions and, after court process and a finding of willful violation, could render a public official ineligible to hold office for up to five years. Supporters framed it as a due-process-based accountability measure, while opponents argued it was overly broad, centralized power in the Attorney General, and could be weaponized against local officials. The bill failed 8-27. Later, House Bill 959, dealing with initiative procedures and budget caps for fire protection and ambulance districts, passed 33-0. The Senate then completed final transmittals, received gubernatorial messages, and adjourned sine die at the close of the second regular session of the 68th Legislature.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Jan 29th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Safety is a core business investment.
- It is a business tool.
- The Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association represents hundreds of Washington businesses that
- I own a small business.
- I own a small business. We use our planes for business, but it's been a dream of ours.
Summary:
The committee first held a public hearing on House Bill 2410, which would establish a commercial truck safety and education council, increase the commercial vehicle safety enforcement fee from $16 to $32, and direct the new revenue to a dedicated account for truck safety and training programs. Committee staff outlined the bill’s CDL and training requirements, council structure, confidentiality provisions, and fiscal impacts. The prime sponsor said the bill was intended to improve truck safety through industry-led education and noted that a substitute was expected because details still needed work. Testimony from the Washington Trucking Associations, insurers, the Association of Washington Business, and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission was generally supportive of the safety goals, though the commission said operational details and agency roles still needed clarification. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing.
The committee then heard House Bill 2347, which would repeal the recently enacted luxury aircraft tax on non-commercial aircraft valued above $500,000. Staff explained that the tax is scheduled to take effect April 1 and that repeal would reduce revenue to the Sustainable Aviation Fuel account. Representative Dent, the sponsor, argued the tax is harming business aviation, emergency services, wildfire response, agricultural operations, and rural access, and said aircraft and related jobs were already leaving the state. Most public testimony came from aviation businesses, airport operators, industry associations, and related employers, all urging repeal and warning of aircraft departures, lost hangar tenants, reduced fuel sales, and job losses. One witness from the Port of Seattle supported addressing the tax’s impact but urged working toward a narrower fix rather than full repeal so sustainable aviation fuel funding would remain stable.
After closing the hearing on HB 2347, the committee received a work session on tolling technology. Transportation Commission staff presented the results of a pilot using a smartphone app to support toll collection, explaining that the current tolling system remains accurate but that new technologies could reduce costs and improve flexibility over time. The pilot found high accuracy when the app was paired to a vehicle by Bluetooth, lower accuracy without pairing, strong customer satisfaction, and some privacy concerns. The commission recommended keeping the current system in place for now, conducting a more fully operational smartphone-based pilot in the near term, and eventually developing a broader technology marketplace for future tolling systems. Members asked about the role of tags versus apps, video tolling accuracy, and the timeline for replacing existing tolling methods. The meeting ended with adjournment for caucus.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Special Committee on Tax Reform Mar 26th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Special Committee on Tax Reform
Transcript Highlights:
- Well, we tell businesses what to do all the time.
- I've owned an appraisal business, a real estate brokerage business, and a limestone quarry, all of which
- So there would be that aspect that a business itself could do.
- Businesses have decided to do that.
- If a business has made the determination that...
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Growing Minnesota’s Economy – Senator Susan Pha May 5th, 2025
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And so, I think that's a challenge for our small business, especially for the really small businesses
- But what kind of challenges businesses.
- </c><00:01:42.600><c> and</c> do you the small businesses and do you the small businesses and entrepreneurs
- business thrives.
- Uh and I that their business thrives.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
House Standing Committee on Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (3-12-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Furthermore, it is anti-business at a time when we must be pro-business, particularly pro-Kentucky business
- Furthermore, it is anti-business at a time when we must be pro-business, particularly pro-Kentucky business
- Furthermore, it is anti-business at a time when we must be pro-business, particularly pro-Kentucky business
- Furthermore, it is anti-business at a time when we must be pro-business, particularly pro-Kentucky business
- Anti-business at a time when we must be pro-business, particularly pro-Kentucky business.
Keywords:
Call to Order 00:00
SB 100 Discussion 00:05
SB 100 Vote 06:42
SB 202 Discussion 08:35
SB 202 Vote 43:17
SB 17 Discussion 47:37
SB 17 Vote 48:08
SB 22 Discussion 49:22
SB 22 Vote 52:55
SB 133 Discussion 53:55
SB 133 Vote 55:15
SB 190 Discussion 56:00
SB 190 Vote 56:38
Adjournment 57:19, 958, all
Summary:
The committee first took up Senate Bill 100, which would place cigarettes, vapes, and related nicotine products under the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) system, add enforcement tools against bad actors, and regulate nitrous oxide/laughing gas sales to those under 21. Supporters, including youth advocates Mallerie Jones and Griffin Kian Neth, argued the bill would reduce youth access to nicotine products through retail licensing, compliance checks, and escalating penalties. Higdon said the bill targets illegal sales rather than most retailers, and noted the measure also updates House Bill 11 from the prior year and raises the retail license fee from $250 to $500. The committee adopted the committee substitute and then passed the bill on a roll call vote, with members voting yes and no opposition recorded in the transcript.
The committee then considered Senate Bill 202, focused on cannabis-infused beverages. Senator Julie Raque Adams said the bill was intended to create common-sense public health guardrails for a rapidly growing product category sold in gas stations, liquor stores, and vape shops, and to address enforcement gaps. She explained the committee substitute would define cannabis-infused beverages at a 5-milligram limit per 12-ounce can, place enforcement under ABC while keeping CHFS manufacturing and testing rules in place, require a University of Kentucky report back to the General Assembly, allow existing higher-dose inventory to be sold through June 1, exempt festivals and fairs until January 1, 2026, and allow stores to obtain licenses to continue selling the product. The committee adopted the substitute and then heard testimony from hemp-industry representatives and a consumer.
Opponents of SB 202/SB 22, including Dee Taylor of the Kentucky Hemp Association, Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon, Annie Rouse of Cannabuzz Barn, and consumer Nancy Roberts, argued the bill would hurt a legal Kentucky hemp industry, reduce consumer access, and force sales into liquor stores. They said the 100-milligram beverage referenced in debate is actually 10 servings with a resealable top, that hemp retailers educate customers, and that the industry already operates under 2024 regulations and needs better enforcement rather than new restrictions. Higdon and Rouse objected to the 5-milligram cap, the on-premise sales ban, the move to ABC enforcement, and the taxation approach, warning the bill could wipe out a large share of business and jobs. No final vote on SB 202 was taken in the portion of the transcript provided.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses Jun 15th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Got to keep him busy. Mom's working today at Beth Israel, so got to try to keep these guys busy.
- I also object to it being called small business because, for the business owners, it's the largest thing
- Without putting banks out of business, without putting retailers out of business, there's always a happy
- lines, including our card business.
- We could run a safer business.
Summary:
The Special Commission on the future of credit card payments and their impacts on small businesses heard extensive testimony from credit unions, retailers, payment industry groups, and a credit card issuer. Much of the discussion focused on proposed state laws that would limit interchange fees on the tax and tip portions of transactions, especially Illinois’s Interchange Fee Prohibition Act and similar efforts in other states. Witnesses opposing the proposals argued that interchange helps fund fraud protection, cybersecurity, rewards, and access to credit, and warned that state-by-state rules would create a patchwork that could harm state-chartered banks and credit unions, raise compliance costs, and reduce consumer access to credit. Supporters of reform argued that swipe fees are a significant burden on merchants, especially small businesses, and that current pricing is opaque and often bundled with other processor charges.
Several witnesses emphasized that the current payment system provides major benefits to merchants and consumers, including security, convenience, faster settlement, online commerce, and broader access to credit. One witness from Capital One said the industry’s losses from fraud and default are substantial and that interchange helps offset those risks; he also noted that merchants already have some tools, such as surcharging where allowed and negotiating clearer processor contracts. Retail representatives and the National Retail Federation countered that small businesses are under pressure from many costs and that interchange and related fees remain a real pain point, with some urging the commission to consider reforms that would return more money to businesses without disrupting the system. There was also discussion of the recent Visa/Mastercard antitrust settlement, with industry witnesses describing it as a significant merchant win that includes temporary rate reductions, more surcharge flexibility, and the ability to decline certain card tiers.
No votes were taken. The meeting concluded after all scheduled testimony was heard, with the commission chair saying the session had been productive and that the committee would continue gathering testimony and written comments before making recommendations.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- More businesses here.
- This does not favor business or favor one business over the other.
- This does not favor business or favor one business over the other.
- HB 3860 to Business and Commerce, HB 4063 to Business and Commerce, HB 4081 to State Affairs, HB 4214
- to Business and Commerce, HB 4215 to Business and Commerce, HB 4224 to Health and Human Services, HB
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation, adopted the prior day’s journal, received House messages, and adopted several resolutions and recognitions, including Senate Resolution 496 honoring Leadership Garland and resolutions 503 and 504. The chamber also recognized guests, including a North Dakota senator and the Doctor of the Day, and received gubernatorial nominations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board and the Nueces River Authority Board.
The Senate then took up and passed a series of bills, often by suspending the regular order and the constitutional three-day rule. Measures approved included SB 614 on Texas Forensic Science Commission referrals to the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs; SB 250 on municipal annexation across railroad rights-of-way; SB 1660 on toxicological evidence retention and destruction procedures; SB 2586 requiring property owners associations to file governing documents with the Texas Real Estate Commission; SB 1588 increasing penalties for certain failures to report child sexual abuse; HB 912 on compensation for distributed renewable generation outside ERCOT; SB 1957 setting eligibility standards for civilian oversight boards; HB 2525 clarifying a charitable property tax exemption; SB 1525 limiting repeated prior authorization for neurodegenerative disease drugs; SB 865 requiring CPR/AED training and cardiac emergency response planning in schools; SB 1212 elevating human trafficking penalties; SB 2690 on solicitations for Secretary of State documents; SB 1802 on landlord repair duties for ramps, elevators, and handrails; SB 905 on licensing rules for speech-language pathologists and audiologists; SB 2929 allowing removal of disruptive spectators at school athletic events; SB 2675 creating a narrow McAllen-specific parkland conveyance exception; SB 872 increasing punishment for burglary of a vehicle involving firearm theft; and SB 1113 clarifying sales rules for certain converter-license holders.
Several bills drew extended debate. SB 2487, dealing with crisis and mental health services for homelessness, was amended to make the county model permissive rather than mandatory and to remove state funding/assistance requirements before passing 28-3. SB 2138, barring higher education funds from contracting with firms that boycott fossil fuels through ESG policies, also passed after questions about fiscal effects and First Amendment concerns. SB 2615, restricting remote work at public institutions of higher education, advanced 22-9. The Senate also began consideration of SB 3016, which would expand enforcement tools against local governments that fail to comply with state law, but the transcript cuts off before action on that bill is completed.
WV
West Virginia 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 09:19 pm
West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Now, think about your business. Think about your neighbor that has a business.
- That's a little bit different from having a business where you can step away and the business makes money
- We exempted new businesses, any business that's five years or less.
- Well, obviously, if a business loses their business license, they cease to exist, so that would be a
- after business after business after business in West Virginia.
Summary:
The Senate considered and passed House Bill 4245, the Department of Revenue rules bundle covering 27 rules from six agencies. Members withdrew the committee amendment, adopted a floor amendment making changes to two lottery rules and one tax rule related to pre-need cemetery companies, then passed the bill 30-1. The Senate also adopted a title amendment and made the bill effective from passage by a 31-0 vote. Later, when the House rejected the Senate’s amendments, the Senate receded from its amendments and again passed the bill, making it effective from passage.
The chamber also adopted several concurrent resolutions from the Rules Committee, including studies on school finance transparency, divorce grounds, the Southern West Virginia water crisis, athletic trainer access in public secondary schools, the eastern gray fox population, upland game bird stamp purchases, and the Public Service Commission. Senate Concurrent Resolution 50, calling for a study of the PSC, was also adopted. In addition, the Senate passed House Bill 5381, which expands the Office of Energy’s role to develop a comprehensive energy policy and grid stabilization plan, and House Bill 5412, the Future Ready Education Act, after amending it to require annual vocational and agriculture offerings unless not viable and to set science-of-reading training requirements for K-5 literacy teachers by 2028-29.
The Senate passed House Bill 845, a supplemental appropriation to the Governor’s Office Civil Contingent Fund, after concurring in a House amendment that reappropriated federal match grant funds and increased the civil contingency surplus fund from $15 million to $25 million; it was made effective from passage. The chamber also concurred in House amendments to House Bill 4106 on constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds, House Bill 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia training reimbursement program, House Bill 5453 revising the school aid funding formula for special education weighting, and other measures including House Bill 4009 on portable benefits, Senate Bill 164 on substitute teacher definitions, and House Bill 4606 on pretrial release for certain felonies.
A lengthy debate centered on House Bill 4198, the E-Verify Safe Harbor Act. The Judiciary Committee amendment would have required public and certain private employers to use E-Verify, while a further amendment from the Senator from Randolph would have limited the mandate to public employers and made E-Verify optional for private employers with liability protections for good-faith use. After extensive discussion about small business impacts, federal-state conflicts, and enforcement, the Senate adopted the Randolph amendment and then passed the bill 31-3, with a title amendment also adopted. The Senate later refused to concur in House amendments to House Bill 4010, concurred in House amendments to House Bill 5438, receded from amendments to House Bill 4765, and adjourned sine die.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- You have her business card in front of you.
- There being no further business in the fifth order of business, the Senate will now advance to the sixth
- There being no further business in the eighth order of business, the Senate will now advance to the ninth
- order of business: messages from the House.
- Hearing no objection, the Senate will now advance to the 15th order of business: miscellaneous business
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
House Ways and Means (01/28/2025)
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> therefore no New Hampshire business therefore no New Hampshire business retailers<00:13:14.279><
- </c> saying you know for these businesses saying you know for these businesses this<00:31:03.399><c>
- some the number the the businesses some the number the biggest<00:41:23.599><c> businesses</c><00:41
- that are doing um enough businesses that are doing um enough business<00:44:28.920><c> in</c><00:44:
- </c><04:36:07.000><c> for</c> business and I've been in business for business and I've been in business
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.
TX
Texas 89th 2nd C.S.
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Apr 2nd, 2025
Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Transcript Highlights:
- It's from a small business. Yay.
- This dedication of Small Business Saturdays each month allows small businesses to thrive and stabilize
- Up compliance costs for businesses.
- If we exempt Chapter 1304 businesses and other in-licensed sales, If we exempt Chapter 1304 businesses
- and other unlicensed sales of service businesses this session, we believe more businesses and industries
Keywords:
school district, bond issuance, election dates, voter approval, Texas Education Code, HCR 9, Texas State Cemetery, Hill Country flood, July 4 2025 flood, Guadalupe River, Camp Mystic, memorial, monument, concurrent resolution, disaster remembrance, natural disaster, flood victims, survivors, State Preservation Board, Texas secretary of state
Summary:
The Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development met with a quorum and moved quickly through a long agenda, hearing testimony and taking recorded votes on several bills. Early in the meeting, HB 2214 was laid out to exempt certain short-term residential leases and leaseback arrangements from flood-disclosure requirements; Texas Realtors supported the change, and the bill was left pending. The committee then voted out a series of pending measures, including HB 46, HB 186 (with a committee substitute), HB 431, HB 1147, HB 1154, HB 2468, HB 2488, HB 2788 (with a substitute), HB 2791 (with a substitute), HB 3260, and HCR 90, all reported favorably to the full House, with HB 1147 receiving two nays and the others passing unanimously or nearly so.
A major portion of the hearing focused on HB 112, which would create a Texas Science Park district and commission to support advanced manufacturing and innovation sites. The bill’s author and supporters, including Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the Texas Association of Business, and the Governor’s economic development office, argued it would strengthen supply chains, attract investment, and support national security and workforce development. Testimony described interest from semiconductor and advanced manufacturing companies and referenced the model of foreign science parks such as Sinshu in Taiwan. HB 112 was left pending after testimony.
The committee also heard HB 3698 and HB 3699, both related to unemployment insurance administration. HB 3698 would expand eligibility for the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program using federal funds, while HB 3699 would tighten the definition of “last work” to help the Texas Workforce Commission investigate UI fraud. Both bills were discussed with TWC resource witnesses and left pending after the committee withdrew the substitutes. HB 1349, which would extend HOA transparency and property-rights provisions to condominiums and refine HOA rules, and HB 621, which would require HOA meeting spaces to be available for residents to reserve for qualified political candidates or elected officials, were also heard and left pending. Finally, the committee heard HCR 9 to designate the first Saturday of each month as Small Business Saturday, HB 199 to index unemployment benefit duration to the state unemployment rate, and HB 3466 to exempt certain cancelable service contracts from Texas’s in-home sales cooling-off law; each drew supportive and opposing testimony and was left pending before adjournment.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- There being no further business in the 8th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 9th
- There being no further business in the 11th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 12th
- The Senate is in the 12th order of business. The Senate is in the 12th order of business. Mr.
- There being no further business in the 12th order of business, the Senate will now advance to the 13th
- The Senate was in the 13th order of business. The Senate is in the 13th order of business.
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, offered prayer and pledge, approved the journal, and received several communications, including substitute legislator designations and gubernatorial appointments to the Idaho Lottery Commission and State Building Authority. Members also made brief announcements and introductions before moving into committee reports and the day’s floor calendar.
The chamber advanced a number of bills and resolutions through reading and referral, including measures on the Idaho Child Care Program, Health and Human Services appropriations, elections, development impact fees, hazardous waste, and several House concurrent resolutions and joint memorials. On final consideration, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1285 on occupational licensure for nonpublic school diplomas, Senate Bill 1286 on consumer protections for veterans benefits, Senate Bill 1323 on enforcement of contracts involving gold and silver specie, Senate Bill 1338 on allowing a portion of idle state funds to be invested in gold and silver bullion, and Senate Bill 1342 establishing a limited right for households to keep hens for egg production.
The Senate also passed House Bill 531 updating epinephrine delivery system language for schools, House Bill 518 expanding authority for the Attorney General in human trafficking cases, House Bill 512 reinstating an open-book jurisprudence exam for land surveyors, House Bill 551 correcting urban renewal-related property tax treatment for fire and ambulance districts, House Bill 594 codifying a Supreme Court ruling on distribution of late property tax fees and interest, and House Bill 587 clarifying continuous funding for rangeland improvement programs. Debate on several measures included concerns about local control, continuous spending, and oversight, but each bill ultimately received majority support. The Senate reordered the third-reading calendar and then adjourned until Monday, March 9, 2026.
OK
Transcript Highlights:
- , small business is relative.
- Agriculture. 85% of our businesses and the employment in the state of Oklahoma is small business, meaning
- So I just have a follow-up question on something that you said and You said businesses have lost businesses
- I have former business owners that went out of business because they could no longer compete with a separate
- So, your suggesting here that one business may have gone out of business because of lower labor costs
Keywords:
labor, e-verification, immigration, employers, employment eligibility, Department of Labor, penalties, funeral licensing, continuing education, Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association, professional development, licensing requirements, HB3660, natural organic reduction, human composting, soil reduction, green burial, funeral services, cremation, burial permit
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development - 02/03/25
Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development
Transcript Highlights:
- Business Place Cottage food businesses are at greater risk than other businesses and limit Minnesotan
- </c> Business Place Cottage food businesses Business Place Cottage food businesses at<00:36:03.400><c
- You know, it's not business or not business; it's a variety of business.
- You know, it's not business or not business; it's a variety of business.
- You know, it's not business or not business; it's a variety of business.
WY
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> looking at the high-tech business park. looking at the high-tech business park.
- </c> entrepreneurs or small businesses with. entrepreneurs or small businesses with.
- or exit that business.
- :36.800><c> businesses?
- </c> to attract new businesses? to attract new businesses?