Transcript Highlights:

• property that would be affected in the value of their residences.
• property that would be affected in the value of their residents. that would be affected in the value
• I also recognize the value of these other flood control projects.
• I also recognize the value of these other flood control projects.
• Losing 700 acres of lower-value stuff from an economic standpoint and getting 40 acres of high-value

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we looked at the total value of our asset.
• We looked at the total value of the known needs that we have out there.
• Our bridges are valued at $11.4 billion.
• The total value includes bridges at $11.4 billion and pavements.
• $79.79 billion dollar value of pavement, is exactly that.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and Space, which is the organization that advocates for current use, put together recently about the value
• of open space in New Hampshire. ...about the value of open space in New Hampshire.
• few examples, which is in the PowerPoint also in the full report, you know, it does talk about the value
• of for example the forest products value of for example the forest products industry industry industry
• The economic value of a and storage.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's meant to be fair compensation recognizing the value that is provided by those arrays.
• It's meant to be fair compensation recognizing the value that is provided by those arrays.
• It's meant to be fair compensation recognizing the value that is provided by those arrays.
• The range of value that the study forecast was between 11 and 17 cents.
• paid for uh the the range of of value paid for uh the the range of of value that<01:25:17.639>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which is far less than the market value which is far less than the market value of<00:32:50.559>
• So my question is, I get the fair market value.
• lease that included fair market value lease that included the<00:36:09.280> value<00:36:09.520
• That would have been wonderful in value.
• But this case to get fair market value.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, he's also a person with family values, and he's also expressed uh his willingness to serve on this
• Uh he's also a person with<00:02:12.720> u<00:02:13.280> family<00:02:13.680> values
• <00:02:14.239> that<00:02:14.480> values<00:02:14.879> family with u family
• values that values family with u family values that values family values<00:02:16.000> and<00:
• and he's also expressed uh his values and he's also expressed uh his willingness<00:02:19.920> to

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land heard GM 735, a nomination for consideration and confirmation to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) of Michael Chia for a term ending June 30, 2029. HCDA Executive Director Craig Nakamoto testified in support, saying Chia had served on the board over the past year and brought experience in financial planning, client advising, and a willingness to serve the community. The committee also noted written testimony in support from DBEDT Director James Tokioka, Mike Ozua, and Ianaka LLC. Members discussed Chia’s role as the Kakaako business representative on the HCDA board and noted that his business is located in the Kakaako Community Development District. The chair praised HCDA’s work and said the agency’s responsibilities appear to be expanding beyond Oahu to the neighbor islands, including Maui. Chia thanked the committee and said he looked forward to the next four years. The chair recommended advise and consent on GM 735. There was no discussion against the motion, and the recommendation was adopted by vote, with the chair and vice chair voting aye; Senator Chang voted aye; Senator McKelby and Senator Dort were excused. The committee then concluded its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• And thank you for mentioning their value, that agency's value.
• But I think in terms, there's a lot of value, and I think there would be even more value in the short
• Because its value is invaluable, right? I know that. Its value is invaluable, right?
• Our final panel is on valuing and elevating the arts.
• Again, our value is human first and foremost.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:18:36.080> on point out that this is a value on point out that this is a value on the<
• your tab fees based on, not the value your tab fees based on, not the value that<01:18:56.960>
• value that it's actually worth. value that it's actually worth.
• significantly Because that value is significantly Because that value is significantly lower lower
• This is something that Minnesotans absolutely value: our public goods and Minnesotans absolutely value

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and approval of the previous day’s journal. The chamber received Senate messages announcing a joint convention for the governor’s message and transmitting Senate Files 1251, 3769, and 3868. The House also introduced House Files 4868 through 4933 and adopted committee reports and comparison report motions without objection. The Rules Committee placed several bills on the calendar and required pre-filing of amendments for specified measures. On the calendar, the House passed Senate File 3602, which enacts the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act and expands electronic signing to estate planning documents beyond wills. Supporters said it would help people who are homebound, hospitalized, or in rural areas and reduce uncertainty for banks and hospitals about electronically signed powers of attorney and health care directives. The bill passed 134-0. The House also passed House File 3516, a Board of Dentistry policy bill that updates licensure language, allows retired dentists to serve low-income uninsured patients, and increases the number of dental hygienists a dentist may collaborate with from four to eight; it passed 134-0. The House then passed House File 3528, a technical barbering bill that reduces training and retesting burdens, gives the board more testing flexibility, repeals duplicative rules, clarifies that waxing is not barbering, and makes other fee and registration changes; it passed 134-0. House File 3718, updating veterinary medicine and veterinary technology statutes, was amended to restore board seal language and then passed 134-0 as amended. Supporters said it modernizes definitions and standards, recognizes licensed veterinary technicians, and may help address veterinary shortages, especially in greater Minnesota. Finally, the House passed Senate File 3402, which broadens who may serve as a medical consultant for Community Health Boards to include additional licensed professionals such as DOs, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses; it passed 134-0. The chamber also considered several motions to move bills between committees, including referrals involving veterans, education, health, and psilocybin-related legislation. A motion to suspend the rules for House File 4487 was presented, and the bill was described as providing a one-time $1 billion property tax rebate or credit, but the transcript cuts off during extended debate on that motion before any final disposition is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• It puts all of that property back on the general property tax base, commercial-industrial value, for
• for um for your uh industrial um value for um for your uh communities<00:36:06.000> anyone<00
• So I think what I’m concerned about is that if we have declining values, and yet there’s going to be
• great upward pressure on local budgets remaining, but declining values start to see shifts and all of
• And I think that none of us know what the future holds in terms of how long that value decline might

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• on how they There are a lot of values on how they were<00:31:42.080> able<00:31:42.320> to
• that I think I have uh learned values that I think I have uh learned from<00:31:54.240> my<00
• these values. So any questions you have? these values. So any questions you have?
• That's what I'm very passionate about. ...and I feel that the values, you know, when you look at them
• war story and there's so many values war story and there's so many values that<00:41:22.640>

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committees heard and then took action on several measures. Senate Bill 3048, relating to the State Building Code Council and the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, received support from OPSD and the Chamber of Commerce, with OPSD requesting amendments tied to software licensing and a public permitting dashboard. The committees ultimately recommended passing the bill with amendments, including an effective date, and later adopted that recommendation by vote. Senate Bill 3083, relating to protective orders, drew support from the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office, the Military and Community Relations Office, and a member of the public, while the Judiciary asked that the bill be deferred or amended because a prior notification process had lapsed and a new mandate could be difficult to implement. The committees nevertheless recommended passage with amendments and an effective date, noting implementation concerns in the report, and that recommendation was adopted. The committees also considered Senate Bill 3010, which would allow law enforcement, animal control officers, and firefighters to enter unattended vehicles to rescue animals in distress. The Animal Legal Defense Fund supported the measure as a common-sense good Samaritan protection, and the Hawaii Association for Justice recommended a small amendment. The bill was recommended for passage with amendments and later adopted. Senate Bill 3187, relating to off-site construction and SPEED Task Force recommendations, received OPSD testimony in support with comments; the committees recommended passing it with amendments, deleting the dollar amount and adding an effective date, and adopted that recommendation. In a later joint hearing with the Committee on Education, Senate Bill 2138, which would expand the Hawaii National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program to graduate study, received support from the University of Hawaii, the Department of Defense, the Hawaii Army National Guard, and the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office. Members asked whether the current law limited assistance to undergraduate degrees and whether the program would require new funding; witnesses said the bill would simply expand authority and could be implemented within the current budget. Senate Bill 2614, authorizing high school diplomas for certain veterans whose schooling was interrupted by military service or wartime practices, also drew support from DOE and the U.S. Defense State Liaison Office, with DOE explaining it had previously issued diplomas under an earlier version of the law and would verify eligibility through an application process. Senate Bill 2687, requiring a 100th Infantry Battalion history curriculum plan and pilot program, drew mixed testimony: DOE said the topic is already covered in existing social studies standards and the bill was unnecessary, while supporters argued the history is not being consistently taught and should be mandated. The transcript cuts off before final action on the education bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• The value of the 1.5% this biennium is approximately $28 million a year, which is really quite a lot
• of the trust to be 1.5% of the value of the trust to be made made made available<00:03:28.480> uh
• <00:05:02.520> of uh Provisions in the bill the value of uh Provisions in the bill the value
• I appreciate that our state values it in this way, but I will be voting against this amendment, and I
• I appreciate that our state values it in this way, but I will be voting against this amendment, and I

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, that's what we're here to do, and compromise hard-fought is a real value.
• Um, that's what we're here to do, and compromise hard-fought is a real value.
• Um, that's what we're here to do, and compromise hard-fought is a real value.
• Um, that's what we're here to do, and compromise hard-fought is a real value.
• Um, that's what we're here to do, and compromise hard-fought is a real value.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But we also value our hourly work. But we also value our hourly school<00:13:06.560> workers.
• , that they as human beings are valued.
• , that they as human beings are valued.
• , that they as human beings are valued.
• human beings are valued.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And now two of our most valuable assets are property values, and most importantly, Children have been
• It is imperative that decisions of this magnitude, decisions that affect property values, children's
• Barry, um, you talked about the district representing your values.
• And so you believe that that board is not representing your values. Is that what you're saying?
• if, if they're not matching your values right now with the current structure that you have.

Bills: HB4, HB54, SB 10, SB 24

Keywords: district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, citizenship, U.S. citizen, non-citizen, public office, advisory board, task force, state government, local government, political subdivision, commission board, appointment eligibility, officeholder qualifications, public service, naturalization, Texas Government Code

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, in your Senate Bill 1786: credentials of value based on wages earned and exceptional needs
• regional labor demand assessment and ensure that credentials are only designated as credentials of value
• if they provide meaningful value or serve a crucial need.
• As credentials of value, if it provides meaningful value, serves a crucial need of the state.
• Obviously, there's a time value of money there.

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee heard Senate Bill 1961, which would expand reporting on post-secondary outcomes and workforce data, including employment, earnings, regional labor demand, and credentials of value. Senator Bettencourt said the bill is intended to close data gaps and improve alignment between education programs and workforce needs. Witnesses from Opportunity Austin, Texas 2036, Samsung Austin Semiconductor, and the Fort Worth workforce community testified in support, saying better data would help students, parents, schools, employers, and regional economic development efforts. After questions from members about regional workforce pipelines and semiconductor talent needs, public testimony closed and SB 1961 was left pending. The committee then took up several pending bills and reported them favorably, including SB 1325, SB 604, SB 1832, SB 747, SB 2185, and SB 2395, with committee substitutes adopted where needed. SB 1325 was amended to remove the DSHS commissioner’s authority to issue standing orders for respiratory distress medication in schools. SB 1832, relating to school transfer or private-school funding options for students victimized by a public school employee, and SB 747, relating to intimate visual material policies, were both advanced on recorded votes. SB 2185, on the bilingual education allotment, was initially moved to a local calendar but was later backed up and reported to the full Senate after a fiscal note was noted. SB 2395, on school district general obligation bonds, was also reported favorably and then moved to the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also heard SB 646, which would expand the Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program to additional professions, increase award amounts, and add stipends for rural and bilingual service. Senator West said the bill responds to mental health workforce shortages and inflation. The Texas Counseling Association supported the measure, and a Hogg Foundation representative said participation has grown sharply since prior changes. SB 646 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 2647, which would create a Texas state accrediting agency and interim oversight system for higher education accreditors; supporters from the Texas Public Policy Foundation and a massage school owner argued it would improve accountability and reduce accreditor overreach, while Senator Menendez raised concerns about effects on law and medical school accreditation and student opportunities. SB 2647 was left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2786, which would exempt first responders from the Texas Success Initiative entrance exam, and SB 2615, which would standardize remote-work policies across public higher education institutions. The Texas State Association of Firefighters supported SB 2786, saying it would remove an extra step for career advancement; the bill was left pending because the committee substitute had not yet been adopted. SB 2615 was presented as a way to ensure more consistent in-person staffing expectations while preserving exceptions for illness, disability, and some non-teaching roles; it too was left pending. The committee then recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:14:00.840> of existence in that time the value of existence in that time the value of
• If you take the total market value and then you take the value excluded, that's what all these numbers
• at over 300,000, 80,000 more than the county's median home value.
• value and then you take the value value and then you take the value excluded<01:29:52.719> that's
• <01:30:15.320> that percentage of the property values that percentage of the property values

Bills: HF169, HF195, HF194, HF1756, HF2133

Keywords: HF169, Minnesota insurance, health plan, summary of benefits and coverage, SBC, patient assistance program, deductible, health insurer, consumer disclosure, out-of-pocket costs, medical assistance funds, copay assistance, health coverage transparency, chapter 62Q, enrollee, HF195, Fairmont, street reconstruction, bonding bill, capital investment

Transcript Highlights:

• appreciates that many motans value appreciates that many motans value virtual<00:04:14.159> currencies
• reason because we know it is a valued reason because we know it is a valued asset<00:05:15.759><
• safety deposit box and it has no value safety deposit box and it has no value anymore,<00:15:35.360
• <00:19:35.039> when box that may or may not have value when box that may or may not have value
• That's what gives you access to the value of that thing in the public ledger.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House File 3709, which would allow Minnesota banks and credit unions to offer custodial accounts for digital assets such as cryptocurrency. The bill authors said the measure is intended to let local financial institutions provide a regulated “digital safety deposit box” service, keeping innovation and consumer choice under Minnesota oversight rather than pushing customers to out-of-state or offshore providers. The Department of Commerce testified in support, saying it appreciates efforts to incorporate virtual currency into the regulatory framework and that the bill levels the playing field for trusted community institutions. Members and testifiers discussed whether the bill was really about consumer protection, institutional competitiveness, or both. Supporters from the Minnesota Credit Union Network and St. Cloud Financial Credit Union said the bill helps local institutions remain relevant as customers increasingly ask for crypto services, and one testifier said the credit union had seen significant liquidity leave local communities for exchanges. They also emphasized that the accounts are custodial, not exchange services, and are not NCUA-insured; one witness noted some institutions may obtain private insurance for risks like loss of keys or hacking. A Department of Commerce witness also said the agency is working on separate legislation to address unclaimed virtual currency property. Several members raised concerns about volatility, scams, and whether the bill simply helps banks stay relevant. In response, supporters argued that local institutions can provide a trusted point of contact and help customers avoid fraud, unlike stand-alone crypto exchanges or kiosks. The committee also discussed fees, with one witness saying the credit union’s expected charge would be percentage-based with a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $25. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And ensure that inclusion is not just a value we state, but actually a practice we live.
• In Massachusetts, we will not be bullied into abandoning our values.
• I am proud of the partnership between the Healey-Driscoll Abandoning our values.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion is one of our five core values at Eastern.
• So we wanted to take proactive action, not only to preserve our values and stand in our values, but to

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held an informational hearing on diversity, equity, and inclusion in Massachusetts; no bills were heard or voted on. Chairs Bud Williams and Liz Miranda opened by framing the hearing as a response to recent federal actions they said threatened DEI efforts, funding, and civil rights protections in education and other sectors. They said the committee would hear from experts, agencies, advocates, and businesses about the legality and benefits of DEI and the impact of federal actions on the Commonwealth. Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler testified virtually that Massachusetts is pushing back against federal efforts to restrict DEI, including guidance and certification demands directed at schools. He highlighted state investments in early education, child care, early college, career and technical education, and educator diversity, arguing these efforts help close opportunity gaps for Black and brown students, students with disabilities, English learners, and other underserved groups. In response to member questions, he said federal education dollars are core to services for students and that the state is prepared to fight funding cuts while monitoring impacts across K-12, early education, and higher education. Elizabeth Matos of the Attorney General’s Office said DEIA programs remain legal under state and federal law and described AG guidance issued to help institutions navigate federal confusion. She reviewed litigation the office has joined or won, including efforts involving withheld school funds, museums and libraries, the Minority Business Development Agency, Head Start, AmeriCorps, and other federal actions. Members asked about immigration-related fear and profiling, and Matos pointed to existing Know Your Rights guidance, said complaints to the Civil Rights Division have increased, and noted the office is seeing issues involving housing discrimination, employment, public accommodations, and threats to call ICE. She also said the office is open to further legislative ideas but did not discuss specifics. Evelyn Carter, a social psychologist, testified that diversity, equity, and inclusion are often misunderstood and defined the terms plainly, emphasizing that diversity is a group characteristic, equity addresses unequal starting points, and inclusion is about belonging and access. She argued that DEI matters because it creates guardrails against bias, helps make environments accessible, and addresses ongoing inequities. In response to questions, she suggested practical strategies such as using clear criteria and written records in decision-making, broadening who is considered part of one’s in-group, and pairing bias awareness with concrete behavior-change tools. The hearing also included testimony from Meredith Tewitt of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, who spoke about the importance of DEI for women, veterans, and people who rely on federal institutions, and urged lawmakers to continue supporting inclusion and access.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want us all to treat everyone with humanity and dignity because it is the values that we share.
• because it is the values that we share<00:30:20.840> uh<00:30:20.960> it<00:30:21.039>
• We really all share these values of keeping government from—especially protect the free press.
• We really all share these values of keeping government from—especially protect the free press.
• We really all share these values of keeping government from—especially protect the free press.

Bills: HF414, HF768, HF359

Keywords: data practices, filing fee, government transparency, complaints, public access, free speech, human rights, censorship, protected speech, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, real property, partition, eminent domain, transfer on death deeds, property rights, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this is a pretty fundamental American value.
• I would challenge American motan value.
• But their value is actually in keeping this from us.
• It's a Republicans do see the value.
• But their value collectively with them.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 3794, as amended by the A4 amendment, was heard in committee. Representative Greenman described the bill as a ban on surveillance-based pricing and wage discrimination, with a disclosure requirement for companies using automated data to set individualized prices or wages. The A4 amendment was adopted; Greenman said it updated language based on attorney general and stakeholder feedback and added a burden-shifting provision that would let consumers or workers establish a presumption, which companies could then rebut with data. Greenman and supporters argued the bill would stop companies from using personal data and AI tools to charge different prices to different people, while still allowing ordinary market-based discounts and clearly offered group discounts such as those for veterans, students, or teachers. Supportive testimony came from the Minnesota Farmers Union, a neighborhood bookstore owner, Consumer Reports, and a small business owner. They said surveillance pricing undermines fairness, transparency, and competition, and cited examples such as different online prices based on location, browser history, or loyalty-program data. Testifiers also warned that AI-driven pricing and discounting can be opaque and discriminatory, and that small businesses cannot compete with large firms that control more data. Consumer Reports said consumers should not have to use workarounds like VPNs to compare prices and noted that some discounts based on personal data may also need sunlight and guardrails. Opposition came from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Progress. They argued the bill’s definitions are too broad and could sweep in ordinary business analytics, loyalty programs, targeted promotions, inventory tools, and even spreadsheets, creating compliance risk and discouraging innovation and investment. They also warned the bill could burden small businesses and interfere with workplace management and compensation decisions. During member discussion, several legislators voiced support for the bill as a transparency and fairness measure, while one member noted that the most egregious examples appear to be in e-commerce and said the committee was laying the bill over for further consideration.