Transcript Highlights:

• Um, we have a 24/7 campus, 365 days a year, so we are like operating a hospital itself or a small city
• Um, we have a 24/7 campus, 365 days a year, so we are like operating a hospital itself or a small city
• A small city. Um, we are Minnesota's top gated attraction.
• I grew up in a small farming community. I was a town kid, though; I wasn't a farm kid.
• <00:38:06.440> town um you can imagine you're a small town um you can imagine you're a small

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We are a small business state.
• So when we think about Arizona, we really are a small business state.
• It's convenient for small businesses not to have to carry that forward.
• It would likely be a small number. Right.
• But almost all the jobs are small, created in Arizona, small employers.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The joint House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees met to hear identical conformity bills, HB 2153 and SB 1106, which would align Arizona tax law with the federal Internal Revenue Code as of Jan. 1, 2026, including some retroactive provisions for tax year 2025. Staff explained that the bills would exclude three federal provisions: the higher federal SALT deduction, the new senior deduction as written in H.R. 1, and the deduction for interest on new car loans. They would instead include a $6,000 retirement-income deduction for taxpayers age 60 and older, a $6,000 Roth IRA contribution deduction, a higher dependent tax credit, and a deduction for child and dependent care expenses above the federal credit. JLBC estimated the package would reduce general fund income tax revenue by about $441.3 million in FY 2026. Members also discussed that the Department of Revenue’s forms had been issued assuming full conformity, and staff and supporters argued the bills were needed quickly to avoid confusion and amended returns during filing season. Committee members and sponsors largely framed the bills as tax relief and a way to provide certainty for taxpayers and preparers. Supporters said the package would help families, seniors, and workers, and noted that the Arizona version was negotiated to keep the overall tax relief roughly comparable to full conformity while shifting benefits away from the SALT deduction and toward child credits, retirement income, and child care. The sponsors also criticized the governor’s executive action and urged prompt passage so taxpayers would know how to file. Opponents argued the bills would reduce state revenue, worsen the budget outlook, and disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers and corporations. Several witnesses and members also raised concerns about the child care deduction, the retirement-income deduction, and the business expensing provisions, while supporters responded that the bill was designed to help working families and encourage saving and investment. Public testimony was mixed. The Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club supported the bills, emphasizing early conformity, filing certainty, and reduced confusion for taxpayers and software providers. Opponents included Save Our Schools Arizona, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, Opportunity Arizona, and several individuals, who argued the package would deepen budget problems and favor the wealthy. One witness objected to a federal school-choice-related provision she said was being tied to the bill, though committee members said the measure before them was a tax conformity bill and not a school finance bill. The hearing included extended debate over the fiscal impact, the governor’s prior requests for some of the same tax changes, and whether taxpayers would need to file amended returns if the legislature later changed course. The transcript ends during testimony from NFIB, with no final committee vote or action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• is uh Over The Last 5 Years small is uh Over The Last 5 Years small businesses<01:11:52.639>
• that point still a third of small that point still a third of small businesses<01:12:41.760>
• Eighty percent of our members have fewer than 20 employees, so when I say small, I mean very small —
• Small Business Administration does define small business across the board generally as under 500, and
• so when I say small I mean very<01:14:11.440> small<01:14:11.840> you<01:14:11.960>

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:

• It prioritizes farmers both large and small.
• of really good things with a small of really good things with a small amount<00:24:46.880> of
• I mean, you want lots of small farmers. That's what Minnesota is: small farms.
• I mean, you want lots of small farmers. That's what Minnesota is: small farms.
• budget and a relatively relatively small budget and a relatively small<00:30:29.600> increase,

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair and members, House File 252 in front of us today is some slight revisions around our small gas
• We are seeking to preserve existing local regulations of small systems.
• Each time changes were made as an effort to allow continued local regulation of small systems, so the
• subsidiary entities to operate a small subsidiary entities to operate a small gas<00:16:06.279><
• I'm trying to think if companies this small are subject to ECO.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the small guys, you know, they're 10, 20 folks. They're small companies.
• For me, it's hard, and then the small guys, you know, they're 10, 20 folks.
• They're small companies.
• If we could figure out a way, say, small guys, you're exempt.
• Today, I'm going to vote no because I'm for the small guy. I'm passionate about this.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• home in some of our small towns.
• <00:02:05.680> provisions, including these two small provisions, including these two small
• home in some of our small home in some of our small towns.<00:03:42.959> You<00:03:43.120
• And I wanted to mention a small provision in this bill that came from a constituent of mine.
• And I wanted to mention a small provision in this bill that came from a constituent of mine.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing is that, for a small county, we compete all the time.
• Small counties can't afford that for new hires or existing employees.
• That really works well for a small county.
• We have just gotten into as a small county in the last six months into body one.
• There are small peer groups.

Summary: The committee heard presentations on domestic security and public safety priorities from Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison and Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Rebel. Sheriff Harrison outlined Florida Sheriffs Association priorities, including reclassifying xylazine as a Schedule I controlled substance with a veterinary-use exemption, expanding enforcement of pretrial release violations beyond domestic violence cases, providing tuition-waiver benefits for sheriff’s office personnel, advancing the Jason Rainer Act to increase penalties for violent offenses against law enforcement, extending sex-offender residency restrictions, improving access to mental-health-related databases, and continuing support for fusion centers and Florida model jail standards. Members asked questions about xylazine’s veterinary use, canine detection, and public records burdens on small agencies; no votes were taken on these items. Chief Rebel focused on the Florida Police Chiefs Association’s role in disaster response, officer training, and wellness. He described the association’s coordination through the state EOC and regional deployments during hurricanes, then emphasized officer suicide and the need for statewide wellness resources, peer support, and accessible behavioral health care for first responders. He also referenced prior PTSD benefits legislation and urged continued support for the PCIS program and other wellness initiatives. Committee members discussed related resources such as dispatcher support, the Restore program at UCF, hyperbaric chamber treatment for PTSD, and canine support organizations. On domestic security funding, Rebel said FPCA does not have a specific bill package but wants to preserve the Domestic Security Oversight Council and regional task forces, protect limited SHISGAP funding for new projects, and shift ongoing successful programs to state funding. He also supported fixing the long-gun carry loophole, continuing the Jason Rainer Act effort, allowing ethical law-enforcement use of AI with human review, addressing monetization of public records and body-camera footage, and maintaining the ability to investigate anonymous complaints. The committee adjourned after discussion; no formal action or votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, Manuel Luna; he's our Small Local Public Body Assistance Program Coordinator.
• We are going to diversify and expand the small local public body assistance program.
• our small communities.
• tribes or even small municipalities, are...
• that some of the larger tribes do, or even small municipalities.

Transcript Highlights:

• So House Bill 875 does several things: it exempts certain small municipal construction projects from
• Rather than this applying to the city of Dallas and 1% of a budget there, this will cover many small
• towns and a lot of small vendors, and so I think it'd be much more efficient.
• business, I had a woman who worked for a small consulting company and it had less than 50 employees,
• Kyla Cole: But it's actually run by a small franchisee owner who only owns one or two stores.

Summary: The subcommittee heard testimony on a broad agenda of workforce, labor, and workers’ compensation bills. HB 4676 would require political subdivision workers’ compensation networks to follow the same notice, access, and complaint rules as certified TDI networks; supporters said public employees and first responders deserve equal access to care, while municipal risk pool representatives opposed added regulation and said existing 504 networks already perform well. HB 4479 would create a rural workforce development grant program at TWC to support college-and-career readiness and local workforce alignment, and HB 3844 would define “opportunity youth” in state law to improve data, coordination, and access to services for disconnected young Texans; both drew strong support from rural, education, and chamber witnesses. HB 5545 would clarify federal tax treatment for wage-replacement benefits in non-subscriber injury benefit plans, with proponents calling it a win for employers and injured workers. HB 5118 would direct TWC and DIR to study AI and automated employment decision tools in hiring, including bias and oversight concerns. HB 1667 would move existing PTSD workers’ compensation language into a broader Labor Code chapter so more first responders, including state and campus officers, could qualify for benefits; supporters called it a technical fix to extend coverage more evenly across agencies. The committee also heard several first-responder and workers’ compensation bills. HB 2369 would speed up claims handling for injured first responders by allowing a single medical evaluation, giving carriers 60 days to accept or deny a claim, and letting workers seek treatment while disputes proceed; law enforcement supporters said it would help injured officers return to work faster, while opponents warned it would revive extent-of-injury waiver problems and increase litigation. HB 4483 would reclassify certain workers’ compensation maintenance taxes as surcharges to reduce retaliatory taxes imposed by other states on Texas-domiciled carriers, and HB 875, as revised by committee substitute, would create a small-project exception to municipal workers’ compensation and bonding requirements for certain low-value construction contracts in small cities; both were presented as cost-saving measures for Texas employers and local governments. HB 4415 would extend anti-retaliation protections for workers’ compensation claimants from first responders to all public employees and expressly waive sovereign immunity for those claims, with supporters describing it as closing a loophole that leaves public workers without the same remedy available in the private sector. The committee also took testimony on HB 5400, which would expand remedies for sexual harassment victims by removing the requirement to first file an administrative charge, extending the filing deadline from 300 days to two years, clarifying retaliation, and eliminating current damages caps. Supporters, including employment lawyers and a parent of a victim, said the current deadlines and caps prevent many survivors from obtaining counsel or full relief, especially younger workers and those in small workplaces or franchises. Across the agenda, witnesses repeatedly emphasized access to care, fair treatment for injured workers, rural workforce development, and stronger protections for vulnerable employees. After each bill was laid out and testimony heard, the chair generally closed the public hearing and left the bill pending; no final votes were taken, and the subcommittee adjourned after completing the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• Second up, uh, Joshua Wish from H... 983 uh relating to small business 983 uh relating to small business
• Currently, a startup program is for small businesses.
• Small business innovative research program? Yes, yes.
• and small business training program.
• and small business training program.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard testimony on several bills, with much of the discussion focused on Enterprise Zones and related economic development measures. On SB 125, the committee heard support from DBEDT, the Department of Taxation, the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and the Farmers Union. Members questioned how the bill would affect job-creation requirements and learned that existing companies and new companies are treated differently under the program, with existing companies generally subject to a 15% annual employment increase and new companies to a 10% increase, while the bill would extend the program period from seven to nine years. DBEDT also said the program has been effective, citing 1,162 jobs created or maintained at a cost of about $1.2 million, and noted that agriculture, manufacturing, and wholesaling are the main sectors involved. The committee then took up SB 729, also relating to Enterprise Zones, which would expand eligibility to better accommodate local manufacturers and value-added businesses that sell directly to retail rather than only wholesale. Testifiers from the Holua Collaborative and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying it would help small manufacturers and agricultural producers add value and adapt to internet-era sales patterns. A committee discussion clarified that the bill would add value-added processing as an allowable activity within the zones, and DBEDT explained that the current rules were written for a wholesale-dominated market. The Attorney General’s office also testified, raising a supremacy clause concern and recommending language changes to avoid conflict with federal law. On SB 129, relating to labeling requirements for fish, the Attorney General and the Department of Agriculture both raised concerns about federal preemption and enforcement. The AG explained that federal law governs fish labeling but includes an exception for processed fish, and recommended narrowing the bill to processed fish and defining that term to fit the federal carve-out. The Hawaii Longline Association supported the bill but suggested excluding canned tuna while including products such as poke, sashimi, and sushi. The Department of Agriculture said it does not currently enforce this kind of labeling requirement and would need to determine whether another agency should handle enforcement. The committee also heard SB 581, which would establish an aerospace and aeronautics development program within DBEDT. Testimony was generally supportive, but members pressed for a fiscal estimate, and the bill’s sponsor said a prior version of the office had operated on about $400,000 annually with a small staff. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• small business. I ask for an I vote. small business. I ask for an I vote.
• the small businesses. the small businesses.
• It is rad to that our small businesses and small FFLs that our small businesses and small FFLs uh<03:
• um<03:33:33.120> FFLs,<03:33:34.160> they small business, small um FFLs, they small
• <04:19:45.840> corporation small business a small small corporation small business a small

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal as corrected, and then proceeded out of order to memorials. House Memorial 1002, honoring former Representative Carl Eugene Miller of Leadville, was read and adopted unanimously, 63-0 with two excused. Speakers highlighted Miller’s service as a miner, Army veteran, Lake County commissioner, state representative, Public Utilities Commission commissioner, and his role in establishing the National Mining Hall of Fame and the Leadville Trail 100. His family was recognized in the chamber. During announcements, members welcomed several visiting groups, including Prowers County commissioners, the Rocky Mountain Cradle to Career Civic Influencers, the Colorado Springs School, and Advocates for Recovery Colorado, which was noted as advocating for recovery support and related policy issues. Members also mentioned upcoming committee meetings, including Finance and Appropriations, and a reminder that the business affairs and labor committee was not meeting that day. The House then set special orders for March 19, 2026, and adopted motions limiting debate time on House Bill 1126 to three hours and on Senate Bills 4 and 43 to two hours each. The chamber then resolved into committee of the whole and began consideration of House Bill 1126, which concerns requirements for dealing firearms. The bill was read at length at the request of the minority leader, who argued that the measure could hurt small, family-owned gun businesses. The bill summary described expanded permit requirements for firearm dealers, additional requirements for responsible persons and employees, recordkeeping and security mandates, reporting of theft or loss, and increased penalties for violations, including fines, suspension, or revocation of dealer permits.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before coming to the Legislature, I also was a small business owner.
• I grew up in a family with a small business where my dad and mom worked seven days a week.
• small businesses, and also nonprofits that work with small businesses.
• Lenders and brokers of small business loans are required to get a license under the CFL.
• So creating a level playing field and closing that regulatory gap is good for small businesses.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• group market in light of the permanent unmerging of the individual and small group markets last year
• group market in light of the permanent unmerging of the individual and small group markets last year
• group market in light of the permanent unmerging of the individual and small group markets last year
• group market in light of the permanent unmerging of the individual and small group markets last year
• the individual individual and small the individual individual and small group<00:15:59.199> markets

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional by Reverend Kemp Randolph, who reflected on the idea that simpler solutions often require letting go of existing assumptions and urged lawmakers to consider what they may need to give up to achieve the greatest good. After the prayer, the chamber introduced House Bill 889, exempting disability-related income on candidate disclosure forms, and House Bill 890, aimed at reducing barriers for nonprofit religious organizations providing preventive health care services. Both bills were read the first time and referred to committee. The House also referred three bills to money committees under House Rule 35A: H.548 to Appropriations, and H.557 and H.567 to Ways and Means. Members then offered several announcements, including welcoming the guest pastor Kemp Randolph and visiting European Parliament member Maria Walsh, along with her mother and aunt. There were also notices about caucus meetings and a correction to a prior vote explanation regarding H.70. The House then took up H.611, a technical and housekeeping bill affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access. Committee testimony and floor remarks described provisions to reduce administrative burdens, update advisory committee membership, remove outdated references tied to the individual/small group market split, adjust the VARMM prescription drug assistance program, increase the allowable amount in Medicaid-related prepaid funeral arrangements, and delay Medicaid coverage for doula services by one year while federal approval is sought. The Health Care and Appropriations committees both recommended the bill, with Appropriations noting no fiscal impact and correcting a prior vote tally. The House adopted the Health Care Committee amendment to H.611 and ordered the bill to third reading. It then passed H.540, relating to recommendations of the post-adjudication reparative program working group. Finally, the House concurred in the Senate proposal of amendment with further amendment on H.50, concerning identification of underutilized state buildings and land; the committee explained changes restoring annual reporting, removing leased buildings from the inventory, and directing annual reports to the Department of Housing and Community Development through 2030. The chamber concluded with announcements about a Joint Fiscal Committee meeting on a rural health transformation grant and then adjourned until February 10, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those labs are world-class, but for many small businesses, the cost of working with them can be a real
• By which they can actually work with our small businesses in this state.
• This credit supports small and growing businesses as... ...institutions into the marketplace.
• It's not the small bus line going through a neighborhood. Yeah.
• One of the small towns in my district were pretty adamant about local control.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Standing Committee on Small Business and Information Technology for the 2025 session.
• you today is House Bill 473 and really just contains some very minor cleanup and wording on a very small
• <00:05:13.479> very<00:05:13.639> small and wording uh on a small very small and wording
• uh on a small very small portion<00:05:14.400> of<00:05:14.840> last<00:05:15.000>
• Technical cleanup from our small Technical cleanup from our small telephone<00:05:35.440> providers

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00 Roll Call 00:23 HB 19 Discussion 01:01 HB 19 Vote 03:08 HB 473 Discussion 04:22 HB 473 Vote 05:48, 958, all

Summary: The Standing Committee on Small Business and Information Technology met and first took up House Bill 19, sponsored by Representative Hodgson, which would create basic privacy protections against unauthorized drone surveillance of people and real property and allow injunctive relief in civil actions. A substitute was adopted after Representative Tate moved it and Representative Fister seconded; the sponsor explained the substitute removed overly specific language about utility communication services and simplified who could be subject to civil action. The committee then approved the bill with a favorable expression and recommended it for the House floor. The committee next considered House Bill 473, sponsored by Representative Branscum, described as a cleanup bill to last session’s House Bill 15, Kentucky’s consumer data privacy law. Branscum said the measure makes minor wording and technical changes, adds language from the medical technology industry to better align Kentucky with other states, and includes cleanup requested by small telephone providers. Representative King moved the bill and Representative Whitten seconded. After no questions from members, the committee voted on House Bill 473. The bill passed with favorable expression and was recommended for the House floor. The recorded votes showed broad support, with Representative Dossett voting no and Representatives Grossberg and Watkins recorded as pass/present on the roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• And some, I worked for a small business.
• want to hit our small businesses.
• For the record, Trey Avony representing small business job creators of NFIB Nevada.
• As I've said here before, if you've seen one small business, you've seen one small business.
• There's more factors that go into deciding what a small business is.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In ratio is so small.
• So, we need to figure out what we can do in these small rural counties.
• Um, again, scheduling makes that a real challenge in a small district.
• Um, you are so lucky to have small class sizes.
• Very small.

Transcript Highlights:

• So for a small commercial customer.
• You are correct that small merchants do not get that opportunity.
• What we're talking about is that small—40 stores is not small—but you have no negotiating power.
• Sitting out there, this is a real issue for small business.
• Small businesses, in particular, lack...

Bills: SB231, SB584, SB600, SB668, SB841, SB986, SB1003, SB1244, SB1625, SB1960, SB1963, SB1964, SB2026, SB2056, SB2368

Keywords: temporary emergency electric energy facility, temporary generation, emergency power, backup generation, mobile generator, portable generator, grid resilience, power outage restoration, transmission and distribution utility, TDU, Public Utility Commission of Texas, PUCT, Utilities Code Section 39.918, competitive bidding, lease authorization, emergency procurement, bulk power system, locational marginal pricing, reliability model, black start

Transcript Highlights:

• , I'm sorry—from them, is a very small regulation that Minnesota's workers deserve.
• , I'm sorry—from them, is a very small regulation that Minnesota's workers deserve.
• our members are small-to-midsize our members are small-to-midsize businesses. businesses. businesses
• 13:17.480> and represents about 10,000 small and represents about 10,000 small and independently
• I know it's small, but it's still there, and I struggle with this.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all