Video & Transcript Research : 'budget stabilization'
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MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Children and Families Finance and Policy Committee 3/12/25
Children and Families Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Give us the stability needed to provide stability for those we serve.
- Our food budget this past year use it.
- ><00:30:58.720>
stability stability needed to provide stability stability needed to provide stability - , groceries is impacting family budgets, groceries is impacting family budgets, the<01:18:53.679>
- And so this money would put budgets.
Keywords:
child care, day care, child care center, licensing, license requirements, parent access, guardian access, custody order, court order, furnishings, equipment standards, learning materials, early childhood education, infant care, toddler care, preschool, school-age child care, play materials, sensory materials, gross motor equipment
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Fraud Committee Meeting - 2025-05-05
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The work of this unit is of great value for Minnesota in terms of the state budget.
- Each Medicaid fraud unit's size is based on the size of its Medicaid budget.
- Based on our state Medicaid budget, our size is supposed to be 41, but it's not.
- We've had, you know, housing stabilization.
- You mentioned a lot of areas in the housing stabilization piece.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- Pease, I still see in your budget, every budget, every line item has state overtime.
- My budget is gone. You know, and so sometimes we're able to backfill. My budget is gone.
- This is a maintenance budget.
- Certainly... ...we have not budgeted for that $500,000 in our budget.
- My entire budget doesn't even equate to the structural deficit included in my budget.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership.
Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind.
The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Child Committee Meeting - 2025-04-01
Children and Families Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The budget maintains progress made over the past few years to strengthen families, provide economic stability
- The governor's budget. In the bill. Budget. Uh, we...
- So like I said, the next four budget proposals are budget-neutral, and I'll just touch on them briefly
- Regarding the hunger relief in the governor's budget, is there hunger relief in the budget or is there
- not hunger relief in the budget?
Keywords:
child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras, early education, scholarships, funding, children, families, Minnesota education, child care licensing, family child care, child care center, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families, correction order, conditional license, fix-it ticket, documented technical assistance, license suspension
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Human services finance bill, HF3, passes MN House during 2025 special session 6/9/25
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- ,<00:12:10.720>
not find the solutions to this budget, not find the solutions to this budget - And a word uh for us in in this budget.
- for budgeting purposes is 4%. for budgeting purposes is 4%.
- , and we have to pass this budget today.
- That will have a on our budget.
US
US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session
US House Floor Proceedings (Monday, July 21, 2025)
US Federal House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Trump administration state budgets.
- execution and any on the the budget execution and any projected<02:57:08.399>
budget <02:57:08.800 - It also projected budget shortfalls.
- AY's financial projections and budget AY's financial projections and budget management<02:59:54.880
- . budget. budget.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Aug 13th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Because I think from last year, from this last budget cycle, we were able to increase the budget for
- and you can increase your budget as needed.
- When the state budget authority was set up, they were given that same unlimited budget authority.
- In the new budget, when the budget year started, Madam Chair and Senator, the budget year started July
- And then that brings up the fact that the state treasurer invests the budget money that we budget, and
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Service (9-17-25) - Reupload
Transcript Highlights:
- It's about stability and survival.
- It's about stability and survival.
- upcoming budget. upcoming budget. Next<00:53:47.119>
slide <00:53:47.440>please. - So our budget has grown 8.5 funds.
- in the budget for the waiver slots. in the budget for the waiver slots.
Summary:
The Health and Family Services committee heard an informational presentation on Kentucky personal care homes from representatives of the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, Management Systems of Kentucky, and Elder Care Partners. Witnesses described personal care homes as a lower-cost, 24/7 residential option for adults, often with serious mental illness, who do not meet nursing home criteria but need structured supervision, medication assistance, meals, and daily support. They said the homes are regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, are not Medicaid-funded, and are supported largely through state supplementation payments and residents’ SSI income.
The presenters argued that the current reimbursement rate of about $50.70 per day is no longer sufficient to cover staffing, food, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and other costs, and said the sector has shrunk significantly over time. They cited figures showing a decline from 64 to 34 homes serving the seriously mentally ill since 2002, with 30 closures over 23 years, and said the loss of beds contributes to homelessness, hospital overcrowding, and longer psychiatric stays. They also gave examples of residents who had spent many months in hospitals before being successfully placed in personal care homes, which they said can prevent more costly institutional care.
Committee members asked about staffing credentials, fraud controls, referral processes, and how reimbursement works in other states. The presenters said Kentucky does not require licensed or certified staff in these facilities, though some homes use certified medication technicians or an LPN, and they described a county case-manager-based assessment process used to set individualized rates in other states such as Minnesota. Members expressed support for the work but emphasized the need for documentation of savings and budget offsets. The presenters said they are seeking an incremental reimbursement increase over two years, roughly 25% to 50% in the first year and another 50% after that, and urged the committee to support the homes to prevent further closures.
CO
Colorado 2026 Regular Session
Colorado House 2026 Legislative Day 086 Part 1fix Apr 10th, 2026
Colorado House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- It give me the budget. Let me decide the budget."
- Should we return to a budget stabilization factor? Is that the preferred path? I don't know.
- Should we return to<02:49:24.479>
a <02:49:24.800>budget <02:49:25.120>stabilization - <02:49:26.800>
Is to a budget stabilization factor? Is to a budget stabilization factor? - . budget. budget.
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- Also, the industry expertise and the stability that would provide is paramount.
- For our members, this bill can create stability in a current contracting marketplace.
- For our members, this bill can create stability in a current contracting marketplace.
- For our members, this bill can create stability in a current contracting marketplace.
- He put in the $10 million to this budget when other agencies are asked to be status quo.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard seven bills on consumer protection, DBEDT-related matters, and tourism/creative industry issues. On SB 2031, DCCA supported aligning state law with the FTC’s 2025 rule on hidden fees and pricing misrepresentations in live event ticketing and short-term lodging; hotel and financial industry witnesses also testified, and senators asked for complaint and enforcement data. On SB 2129, DBEDT and business groups supported a study of minimum wage impacts, with testimony emphasizing effects on hours, employment, prices, and business viability; a senator asked whether the study could also examine the gig economy and business closures, and DBEDT said that may be possible but would require more research and data access.
On SB 2259, which would promote dementia-friendly businesses, DBEDT said the measure fit better with another agency and lacked the department’s expertise, while the Executive Office on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association supported the intent and offered to help with curriculum, branding, and training. Testifiers described dementia as a spectrum and said businesses should be trained to communicate effectively with customers and employees living with the disease; suggested amendments included changing the branding language and requiring at least 85% of employees to complete training rather than all employees. A senator also raised concerns about stigma and whether early-stage dementia should affect a person’s ability to function, and the witness responded that people can often function well in early stages.
The committee also heard SB 2577 on sports tourism, which DBEDT and the Retail Merchants of Hawaii supported as a way to better understand which events draw visitors and economic benefits. SB 2578, creating a film commission, drew broad support from DBEDT, Creative Industries, SAG-AFTRA, the Hawaii Film Alliance, the Hawaii Film Office, and others, but several witnesses urged changes to the commission’s composition and authority, including more labor representation and limits on the commission’s ability to adjust the production cap. Senators questioned staffing, costs, and whether current film office employees should transfer to the new commission, and one senator proposed a friendly amendment to add musicians, SAG, IATSE, and Teamsters, though the department cautioned that too many members could make the commission difficult to manage. The transcript ends during discussion of the film bill, with no final votes or committee actions stated for the measures heard.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Floor Session Jun 27th, 2025
California House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill amends prior budget acts to make technical changes associated with the 2025 budget package.
- I am proud to be part of the Budget Subcommittee, Budget Sub 5, which covers a broad policy landscape
- This is a phony budget. It's a budget with a. gimmicks. It's a budget based on rating reserves.
- This budget doesn't support them.
- Please raise it with budget discussions as we come back and adjust the budget throughout the year.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee May 5th, 2026
Budget and Fiscal Review
Transcript Highlights:
- adopt the final budget in June.
- That is what this budget bill junior addresses.
- And just to members of the Budget Committee, we are one short of a quorum.
- And this budget bill junior process is, and, and, you know...
- And this budget bill junior process is an extraordinary one.
Summary:
The committee heard AB 108, a budget bill junior that would amend the 2025 Budget Act to create a one-time $25 million General Fund grant program at HCAI for hospitals in immediate and significant financial distress. The bill also included a technical change related to property tax deferments for eligible low-income seniors. Finance explained that eligible hospitals would have to be not-for-profit, have less than 10 days cash on hand, show best efforts to exhaust other financing, and have a payer mix of more than 50% government payers and uninsured patients; the bill also gives HCAI expedited contracting and rulemaking authority. Members and the LAO noted the proposal is intended as a short-term bridge until July 1, while broader hospital support is expected in the May Revision and next year’s budget.
Much of the discussion focused on whether $25 million is enough, how many hospitals would qualify, and whether the 10-day cash threshold is too narrow. Several senators argued the administration had not provided enough data or a clear methodology, and raised concerns about fairness compared with the earlier Distressed Hospital Loan Program, which used broader criteria and provided loans rather than grants. Members also raised broader policy issues affecting hospital finances, including Medi-Cal reimbursement rates, seismic retrofit costs, federal funding changes, and the need for better data and more immediate assessment of hospital distress. The LAO said the current proposal is narrower than the prior loan program and emphasized the need for better reporting and analysis going forward.
Public commenters, including the California Hospital Association, district hospital representatives, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and county officials, supported the bill and urged additional longer-term funding for distressed hospitals. The chair and several members said the bill is a short-term emergency measure for a small number of hospitals at risk of imminent closure, while broader solutions will be addressed later in the budget process. AB 108 was then moved and passed out of committee on an 18-0 vote, with the roll held open briefly to secure remaining votes.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2026-02-20 (9:00AM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- The Senate budget totals $115 billion.
- Their budget silos.
- Senator Burgess, move on to the PECO budget. In the pre-K budget and PICO. Okay. Thank you, Mr.
- The budget actually gives us, let me see. $136.9 million in the budget that actually is the EASE grant
- to the stabilization fund.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection - 03/18/25
Commerce and Consumer Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- I'll be walking through our proposed budget, which encompasses our agency's oversight of more than 40
- Our budget includes some cost increases, as well as cost savings and budget-neutral items, to support
- <00:02:56.680>
market proven program that stabilizes market proven program that stabilizes - I'm here today with a quick discussion on our four budget pieces. They are relatively small.
- This is based on feedback we got from constituencies. budget pieces they are relatively small budget
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
House Standing Committee BR Sub on Postsecondary Education (2-20-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm going to call this first meeting of the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education
- and building out professional stability and building out professional team<00:09:50.360>
they - chairman has to do with House Bill six chairman has to do with House Bill six the<00:09:57.200>
budget - bill from last year and and the budget bill from last year and and including<00:10:00.000>
the - This will more than likely be an ask for the next budget year to make sure that this state-of-the-art
Summary:
The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met for its first meeting and heard an update from KCTCS President Dr. Ryan Corral. He opened with a brief report on flood impacts across the state, noting damage at Big Sandy and Hazard, support for displaced faculty and staff, emergency student aid, and the use of campuses as shelters and Red Cross sites. He then outlined KCTCS’s role as the state’s largest postsecondary system, serving about 107,000 students across 16 colleges and 70 campuses, with strong enrollment growth, major dual credit and GED operations, and a large workforce-training mission. Corral emphasized student support needs such as food, housing, and mental health services, and said KCTCS wants to expand work with incarcerated populations and recovery communities.
Corral also described system changes focused on compliance, stability, leadership development, property disposal, and curriculum review. He said KCTCS has addressed prior audit findings, is conducting additional audits, has sold or is selling several buildings, and has removed 400 underutilized credentials to better align programs with employer needs. He highlighted transfer agreements with the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Western Kentucky University, and said KCTCS is working to align training with employers and local governments. He also discussed the system’s response to House Bill 6 and the $90 million appropriated for an efficient operations and innovation plan, including three proposed capital projects: a Somerset Community College facility for diesel, automotive, welding, HVAC, CAD, and 3D printing; replacement of an outdated Louisville building; and a South Central/Glasgow allied health facility to expand nursing and related programs.
In response to questions, Corral said the Blue Oval SK training building in Glendale is open and operational, though workforce demand there has been slower than initially expected, and that KCTCS is working with the company and state officials to cover operating costs. Members praised KCTCS’s workforce role and flexibility in meeting employer needs statewide. Representative Moll also commented on the system’s progress and importance to Kentucky’s workforce development. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with adjournment.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Fraud Committee Meeting - 2025-09-17
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Stabilization services as high risk. That was able to take effect June 1st.
- We're looking at a new stabilization services program.
- We are looking at the way that we've approached housing stabilization services.
- Housing stabilization service providers. Now, I think that's an important point to note.
- Those same barriers to entry are just not there in housing stabilization services.
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Capital Planning Advisory Board (8-13-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- communities and actually with our budget communities and actually with our budget request<00:53:
- come under budget by 200,000 for that. come under budget by 200,000 for that.
- :25.760>
fund your budget reserve trust fund your budget reserve trust fund recommendation. recommendation - <01:10:39.360>
reserve prioritize maintaining budget reserve prioritize maintaining budget - So um or the budget reserve trust fund.
Keywords:
Meeting Start 00:00:00
Attendance Roll Call 00:00:11
Approval of Minutes 00:02:00
Information Items 00:02:25
CPE Special Report 00:03:26
Review of Executive Branch Agency Plans 00:31:48
A. Attorney General 00:32:10
B. Court of Justice 00:36:41
C. Cabinet for Economic Development 00:50:44
D. Kentucky Public Pensions Authority 00:56:06
E. Board Discussion of Planning Issues 01:05:12, 958, all
Summary:
The Capital Planning Advisory Board opened its fourth meeting, confirmed a quorum, approved the prior meeting’s minutes by unanimous voice vote, and then heard information items and agency presentations. The main substantive presentation came from the Council on Postsecondary Education, which outlined its capital planning recommendations for the 2026–28 biennium. CPE staff described the role of Kentucky’s research and education network (Kron), including connectivity to cloud services, Internet2, identity services, and new local AI/inferencing capacity, and argued that the network is now essential to higher education, health care, and extension services. They said the network’s recent upgrades were driven by privacy, security, redundancy, and the need to support modern research and AI workloads at lower cost than commercial providers.
CPE also presented its broader higher-education capital request: $700 million for asset preservation and $1.73 billion for new construction, for a total recommendation of about $2.4 billion. Staff said they do not plan to recommend IT projects or equipment in this cycle, despite reviewing 48 IT submissions totaling nearly $1.4 billion and equipment requests totaling $322.6 million. For asset preservation, they said the recommended allocation method would remain based on each institution’s share of Category 1 and 2 square footage, and they noted that the state’s prior facility assessment is now 12 years old, with deferred maintenance still estimated in the $7–9 billion range. For new construction, they said the requests are heavily focused on STEM and health-related facilities that are difficult to retrofit into older buildings.
Board members asked about how asset-preservation amounts were determined, including why Northern Kentucky University’s request was much larger than its prior allocation. CPE staff responded that campus size, building age, and institutional prioritization affect the requests, and that schools are asked to submit more projects than are likely to be funded. The board then moved on to an Attorney General capital plan overview, where senior counsel Will Schroeder began describing the office’s technology needs and the office’s prior reliance on a 2020 appropriation to replace legacy systems and improve security.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- Whole budget, everyone is in the system. Thank you.
- You know, was it driven by budget with other considerations?
- You know, was it driven by budget with other considerations?
- And in terms of how it affects the overall operating budgets, the potential is there will be more budget
- I don't like drugs, but I'm a budget.
Summary:
The commission on correctional consolidation and collaboration heard testimony focused on how Massachusetts uses custody levels, staffing, programming, and medical release tools, with Prisoners’ Legal Services arguing that the system is overusing expensive high-security settings and underusing step-down options. Dave Rainey said the incarcerated population has dropped substantially over the last several years, but spending and staffing have not fallen in proportion. He argued that DOC overclassifies people into medium and maximum security, relies too heavily on behavioral assessment units that function like segregation, and keeps people in restrictive settings such as Souza-Baranowski and Shattuck Hospital longer than necessary. He also said medical parole is underused and that many people with serious chronic illness or advanced age pose little public-safety risk and should be released through existing legal pathways.
Sheriffs and other commission members pushed back on some of those points, emphasizing that staffing needs are driven by the acuity of the current population, that corrections is not overstaffed, and that classification decisions involve serious public-safety judgments. They also stressed that some high-cost medical placements are necessary because people remain under sentence and require care, and that furloughs and other release tools can create security risks if contraband or substance use is involved. The discussion also covered the role of county sheriffs versus DOC in reentry, with several members saying county systems tend to do more day-to-day step-down and release planning, while DOC has more difficulty moving people through lower-security settings before release.
Ben Foreman of MassINC offered a more systemwide, data-focused perspective, praising the state’s transparency and arguing that Massachusetts has made major progress in reducing incarceration and increasing public safety. He said the state still has an opportunity to improve by right-sizing facilities, investing in community-based mental health treatment, and using the commission to better understand the capital and operating costs of the current system. In response to questions, he said he was aware of DOC studies on programs like furlough but had not reviewed recent ones, and he noted that total-control facilities like Souza-Baranowski have long been criticized in the research literature for poor outcomes.
Nora Wassel of the Women and Incarceration Project then testified that the commission should issue an interim report and scrutinize the planned new women’s prison, which she said is not justified by current population trends or available data. She argued that women are overclassified under DOC’s own tools, that reentry beds and minimum-security placements are underused, and that the system may be failing to account for women’s distinct medical and reentry needs. The meeting ended with continued discussion of reentry, furloughs, day reporting, and whether consolidation should mean fewer facilities, better step-down pathways, or both.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Higher Education Institutions Committee Jan 15th, 2026 at 08:30 am
Transcript Highlights:
- So their entire budget is driven by foundation seed sales.
- the NDSU Ag Budget Office.
- the NDSU Ag Budget Office.
- A little bit different way to look at the agency budget. This is actually the way it was budgeted.
- That was part of UND's budget for the EERC.
Summary:
The committee first reviewed the 2024-25 tuition waiver report for the North Dakota University System. Staff explained that waivers were reported for degree-seeking students and broken out by residency, institution, and waiver type. Members asked about partial versus full waivers, institutional discretion, athletic waivers, and whether campuses have published guardrails or transparency requirements. Staff said most waivers are set by institutions, with some statutory and board-required categories, and that athletic waivers are a small share of total waiver dollars. The report showed total gross tuition of $354.5 million, tuition waived of $38.9 million, and 11,193 of 42,040 students receiving some waiver. Members also discussed how waivers affect net tuition revenue, housing and food collections, and whether campuses are using waivers strategically compared with scholarships and other funding sources.
The committee then heard a presentation on tuition rates by campus and State Board policy. Staff explained the board’s tuition factors for resident, Minnesota reciprocity, contiguous-state/U.S. nonresident, and international students, and noted that campuses often seek exceptions based on program-specific competition and enrollment goals. Members asked whether rates are based on cost or competition, and staff said campuses typically bring forward estimates and market comparisons when requesting special rates. The presentation also reviewed general fund appropriations versus net tuition revenue by campus, and members discussed how local tuition decisions and waivers do not directly affect the state funding formula, though they do affect institutional revenue and reserves. Questions were also raised about the Higher Learning Commission’s financial composite indicator and how it differs from the more intuitive reserve and revenue figures.
The committee next received a broad overview of non-higher-education entities affiliated with the State Board of Higher Education, beginning with NDSU agriculture-related units. Dr. Greg Lardy described the State Board of Agricultural Research and Education, the NDSU Extension Service, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and the branch research centers, emphasizing their statewide role in crop and livestock research, extension education, and county-based outreach. He outlined funding mixes for extension, the experiment station, and branch stations, noting that grants and contracts support both research and education, while the agronomy seed farm is self-funded through seed sales. Members asked about the new and vacant FTE pool, R1 research status, matching requirements for grants, and whether state appropriations count toward research expenditures. Dr. Lardy also highlighted major research impacts, including crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI-assisted weed control, and NDAWN weather data.
The Northern Crops Institute and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute also presented. NCI described its role in market development, technical services, and education for regional agriculture, its governance through the Northern Crops Council, and its funding from state appropriations, other states, and earned revenue. Members asked about the source of out-of-state funding, intellectual property, and the institute’s international reach. UGPTI then outlined its transportation research, federal and state funding structure, and work on road and bridge condition assessments, travel demand modeling, and workforce training. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting reflected in the transcript.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
CPN-EIG, CPN Public Hearings 03-20-2025
Commerce and Consumer Protection
Transcript Highlights:
- Iron Workers Stabilization Thank you.
- We will include language that the budget department of budget and finance due diligence must be completed
- We will include language that the budget department of budget and finance due diligence must be completed
- We will include language that the budget We will include language that the budget department<01:
- ><01:26:37.120>
due department of budget and finance due department of budget and finance due
Summary:
The joint Senate committees heard HB 108 HD2, which would allow direct shipment of beer and distilled spirits by certain licensees and require liquor commissions to adopt rules. Most testimony came from craft brewers and distillers in support, who said the bill would help small and fragile producers reach customers, move limited or specialty products that wholesalers do not carry, and maintain relationships with visitors after they leave Hawaii. Supporters also argued that direct-to-consumer shipping would not meaningfully increase underage access because common carriers age-gate deliveries and require adult signatures, and that the measure would supplement rather than replace the three-tier system.
Opposition came from the Hawaii Food Industry Association and the Hawaii Liquor Wholesalers Association, which said the bill could create problems with minor access and tax revenue and would allow out-of-state manufacturers to ship directly to Hawaii households. Supporters responded that similar concerns were raised when wine direct shipping was adopted and said the existing shipping and reporting systems can track and tax these sales. Several witnesses, including Maui Brewing, Ola Brew, Koloa Rum, Hana Rum, Koulana Rumworks, Koval Distillery, and the Brewers Association, described their small-batch operations, limited distribution options, and the potential for direct shipping to expand sales and jobs.
Committee members questioned witnesses about underage access, tax collection, and the impact on the three-tier system. One witness discussed efforts to protect and potentially scale the Hawaiian spirit Okolehao through geographic and sourcing rules. The transcript does not show a final vote or disposition on HB 108 HD2 in the excerpt provided.