Transcript Highlights:

• Does it actually change the licensing requirements for building anything? >> It does not.
• Does it actually change the licensing requirements for building anything? >> It does not.
• Does it actually change the licensing requirements for building anything? >> It does not.
• need to know what is the electrical need to know what is the electrical consumption<00:15:05.920
• > for<00:15:23.279> building the licensing requirements for building the licensing requirements

Bills: HF4348, HF4186, HF4202, HF4455, HF3884, HF3883, HF3882, HF3881, HF2688, HF3295, HF3862, HF3362, HF4242, HF3798

Keywords: HF4186, Minnesota local government finance, housing and redevelopment authority, HRA, public investment authority, qualifying government, State Board of Investment, SBI, index mutual fund, multifamily housing development, long-term equity investment, investment-grade fixed income, federally insured securities, government-sponsored entities, municipal investing, local government investments, housing finance, public funds, investment policy, risk of loss

Transcript Highlights:

• So we worked with that. ...license per year. So about $1.5 million for a biennium.
• So then, if this were to continue, we anticipate the license rate for an enterprise license to be in
• Basin Electric is in SPP.
• Are you talking about the rural electrics, as well as the, like, the MDUs of the world?
• So Basin Electric and every other systems, the RTOs manage that.

Bills: HB1623

Keywords: HB 1623, North Dakota, rural health, rural health transformation program, medical facility infrastructure loan fund, medical facility infrastructure loan program, rural health loan program, Bank of North Dakota, Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, federal grant, health care infrastructure, rural hospitals, critical access hospitals, nonprofit health care providers, gap financing, loan fund, public health funding, healthcare financing, Medicaid

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 1624, the “Universal Lunch Bill,” from Rep. Mike Nathie. He argued the proposal should be placed in Century Code rather than the Constitution so future legislatures can adjust it if state finances tighten, and said the bill would start the program a year earlier with a $65 million appropriation for one school year. DPI testified that the estimate did not include nonpublic schools that do not participate, and members questioned the impact on Title I, free-and-reduced applications, private-school accountability, breakfast mandates for schools that do not currently serve breakfast, and whether the funding could come from the DPI budget or other sources. Supporters, including North Dakota United, the North Dakota Catholic Conference, a pediatrician, and the American Heart Association, said universal meals improve student health and learning, reduce family costs, and are better handled in statute than by constitutional amendment. No opposition testimony was offered, and the chair closed the hearing for later work-session action. The committee then took up House Bill 1627, introduced by Rep. Tye Dressler, which would raise the income threshold for the state-funded school lunch program from 225% to 300% of poverty, with an estimated cost of about $7 million for 2026-27. Dressler said the bill is intended as a targeted, budget-friendly alternative to the ballot measure and emphasized that the state should maximize federal meal dollars while improving participation in the current program. Members questioned whether raising the threshold would actually increase utilization, whether a dollar amount would be clearer than a percentage, and how the change would affect federal reimbursements and application rates. DPI said it could quickly calculate additional percentage levels, and the chair closed the hearing, directing DPI to prepare more numbers for the work session. Finally, the committee opened Senate Bill 2403, presented by Sen. Schiable, to create a short-term bridge-loan program for financially distressed hospitals, centered on Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin. The bill would authorize up to $5 million per loan, with a $10 million appropriation available on a first-come, first-served basis, and would run only through June 30, 2027. Schiable said the hospital’s debt and operating problems threaten local health care, ambulance service, and the community’s economy, and that the proposal was designed narrowly with Bank of North Dakota review to avoid creating a broad precedent. Committee members asked whether the appropriation could be reduced and whether the bank would still apply commercial feasibility and repayment standards; Schiable said yes, the bank would still evaluate the loan and could reject it if it was not sound.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you're pointing to what I'm thinking about, which is when you go to the Department of Licensing
• sort of proof of citizenship when you're getting a Real ID, if you will, or the enhanced driver's license
• Birth dates, their driver's license numbers, or other ID numbers.
• Another one that I might mention is involving electric vehicle infrastructure.
• It's called NEVI, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant program.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, that's the electricity and gas.
• <01:44:58.080> to right away to install any electricity to right away to install any electricity
• 35.720> no There's no electricity, there's no There's no electricity, there's no natural<01:45
• That's a cooperative over electricity.
• License plate readers. I'm in Wyoming.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• act in Title 32 relative to motor vehicle dealers, to provide for definitions and to provide for licensing
• act in Title 32 relative to motor vehicle dealers, to provide for definitions and to provide for licensing
• by Representative Desotel is an act in Title 40 relative to life safety and property protection licensing
• , to provide relative to certain licensing requirements.
• , to provide relative to certain licensing requirements.

Bills: SR122, SR123, SR124, SCR12, HB940, HB221, HCR109, HCR58, HB27, HB143, HB205, HB259, HB267, HB288, HB308, HB403, HB405, HB414, HB417, HB478, HB546, HB548, HB555, HB557, HB609, HB670, HB672, HB740, HB779, HB786, HB796, HB812, HB848, HB909, HB915, HB917, HB921, HB930, HB933, HB938, HB971, HB1095, HB1096, HB1103, HB1129, HB1154, HB1166, HB1187, HB1195, HB1230, SB121, SCR22, SCR24, SB29, SB30, SB32, SB41, SB42, SB43, SB47, SB84, SB93, SB113, SB192, SB199, SB219, SB220, SB221, SB222, SB241, SB253, SB255, SB289, SB292, SB306, SB314, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB14, SB102, SB133, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB200, SB217, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB330, SB449, SB489, SB521, SB45, SB156, SB181, SB203, SB274, SB304, SB379, SB396, SB410, SB425, SB427, SB436, SB424, SCR61, SCR9, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB246, SB249, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB323, SB363, SB369, SB474, SB490, SB492, SB500, HCR31, HB296, HB299, HB322, HB364, HB519, HB535, HB538, HB568, HB571, HB622, HB635, HB676, HB772, HB784, HB1006, HB1018, HB1043, HB1070, HB1134, HB1239, HB62, HB193, HB203, HB210, HB220, HB228, HB246, HB420, HB475, HB486, HB574, HB584, HB750, HB813, HB815, HB826, HB870, HB949, HB953, HB1045, HB1092, HB1151, HB1162, HB1176, HB1177, HB1196, HB1214, HB1241, HB22, HB28, HB33, HB41, HB47, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB195, HB214, HB217, HB233, HB283, HB290, HB319, HB324, HB345, HB362, HB363, HB368, HB377, HB380, HB382, HB386, HB392, HB406, HB431, HB441, HB466, HB503, HB533, HB559, HB575, HB590, HB593, HB618, HB636, HB655, HB664, HB685, HB692, HB707, HB715, HB732, HB738, HB741, HB748, HB776, HB807, HB822, HB856, HB860, HB868, HB887, HB888, HB905, HB908, HB961, HB980, HB990, HB992, HB999, HB1000, HB1010, HB1146, HB1157, HB1233, HB1236, HB1243, HB17, HB36, HB73, HB119, HB126, HB129, HB133, HB140, HB159, HB166, HB211, HB226, HB245, HB271, HB280, HB337, HB351, HB354, HB399, HB677, HB712, HB723, HB726, HB728, HB759, HB789, HB844, HB850, HB966, HB1036, SB149, SB382, SB441, HB134, HB258, HB359, HB782

Keywords: SR122, Senate Resolution 122, Metairie Park Country Day School, Country Day Cajuns, Cajuns basketball, LHSAA, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Division III Select, boys basketball, state championship, high school sports, athletic commendation, sports resolution, Lake Charles, Marsh Madness, Mike McGuire, Brennan White, Kellen Brewer, Calvary Baptist Academy, school recognition

Transcript Highlights:

• by Representative Chenevert is an act in Title 40 relative to unlicensed health care workers and licensed
• act in Title 32 relative to motor vehicle dealers, to provide for definitions and to provide for licensing
• by Representative Desotel is an act in Title 40 relative to life safety and property protection licensing
• , to provide relative to certain licensing requirements.
• , to provide relative to certain licensing requirements.

Bills: SR122, SR123, SR124, SCR12, HB940, HB221, HCR109, HCR58, HB27, HB143, HB205, HB259, HB267, HB288, HB308, HB403, HB405, HB414, HB417, HB478, HB546, HB548, HB555, HB557, HB609, HB670, HB672, HB740, HB779, HB786, HB796, HB812, HB848, HB909, HB915, HB917, HB921, HB930, HB933, HB938, HB971, HB1095, HB1096, HB1103, HB1129, HB1154, HB1166, HB1187, HB1195, HB1230, SB121, SCR22, SCR24, SB29, SB30, SB32, SB41, SB42, SB43, SB47, SB84, SB93, SB113, SB192, SB199, SB219, SB220, SB221, SB222, SB241, SB253, SB255, SB289, SB292, SB306, SB314, SB351, SB399, SB404, SB14, SB102, SB133, SB151, SB165, SB169, SB170, SB200, SB217, SB280, SB291, SB300, SB303, SB330, SB449, SB489, SB521, SB45, SB156, SB181, SB203, SB274, SB304, SB379, SB396, SB410, SB425, SB427, SB436, SB424, SCR61, SCR9, SB35, SB65, SB215, SB246, SB249, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB323, SB363, SB369, SB474, SB490, SB492, SB500, HCR31, HB296, HB299, HB322, HB364, HB519, HB535, HB538, HB568, HB571, HB622, HB635, HB676, HB772, HB784, HB1006, HB1018, HB1043, HB1070, HB1134, HB1239, HB62, HB193, HB203, HB210, HB220, HB228, HB246, HB420, HB475, HB486, HB574, HB584, HB750, HB813, HB815, HB826, HB870, HB949, HB953, HB1045, HB1092, HB1151, HB1162, HB1176, HB1177, HB1196, HB1214, HB1241, HB22, HB28, HB33, HB41, HB47, HB87, HB115, HB162, HB195, HB214, HB217, HB233, HB283, HB290, HB319, HB324, HB345, HB362, HB363, HB368, HB377, HB380, HB382, HB386, HB392, HB406, HB431, HB441, HB466, HB503, HB533, HB559, HB575, HB590, HB593, HB618, HB636, HB655, HB664, HB685, HB692, HB707, HB715, HB732, HB738, HB741, HB748, HB776, HB807, HB822, HB856, HB860, HB868, HB887, HB888, HB905, HB908, HB961, HB980, HB990, HB992, HB999, HB1000, HB1010, HB1146, HB1157, HB1233, HB1236, HB1243, HB17, HB36, HB73, HB119, HB126, HB129, HB133, HB140, HB159, HB166, HB211, HB226, HB245, HB271, HB280, HB337, HB351, HB354, HB399, HB677, HB712, HB723, HB726, HB728, HB759, HB789, HB844, HB850, HB966, HB1036, SB149, SB382, SB441, HB134, HB258, HB359, HB782

Keywords: SR122, Senate Resolution 122, Metairie Park Country Day School, Country Day Cajuns, Cajuns basketball, LHSAA, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Division III Select, boys basketball, state championship, high school sports, athletic commendation, sports resolution, Lake Charles, Marsh Madness, Mike McGuire, Brennan White, Kellen Brewer, Calvary Baptist Academy, school recognition

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, heard a guest minister’s prayer and the pledge, and dispensed with reading the journal. The chamber then received Legislative Bureau reports on numerous House bills, many of which were reported favorably or without amendments and ordered to third reading or to the Legislative Bureau. The Senate also adopted a House concurrent resolution commending Special Olympics Louisiana by a 35-0 vote, and it took up several Senate resolutions, including one urging the Navy to use a transparent and competitive acquisition strategy to protect jobs at Conrad Shipyard, one commending Metairie Park Country Day School, one designating Early Ed Day, and one offering condolences for Carolyn Ann Cherry Moore. The main floor debate centered on Senate Bill 121, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator Morris presented the bill as a response to the federal court’s Calais decision, arguing the current map was unconstitutional and that the new plan should avoid race as the predominant factor while using partisan advantage, incumbency protection, compactness, contiguity, and communities of interest. Senators questioned whether the proposal effectively created a 5-1 Republican map, whether it diluted Black and Democratic voting strength, and whether it split too many parishes. Morris said the map was drawn from the 2022 plan, tweaked in committee and again on the floor, and that litigation was likely regardless of the final version. Two competing amendments drew extended debate. Senator Morris’s amendment, which further refined his map, was adopted 26-10. Senator Price then offered an alternative map based on an amicus brief and algorithmic criteria, arguing it would create two opportunity districts, split fewer parishes, avoid using race, and better reflect the state’s partisan balance; supporters said it was fairer and more compact, but it failed 10-27. After the amendments, the Senate returned to SB 121 for further questions, with members continuing to debate whether the bill’s 5-1 structure was a lawful partisan gerrymander or an impermissible racial dilution of voting strength.

Transcript Highlights:

• both the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and also the New Mexico chapter of the National Electrical
• And from the electrical contractors association perspective, this bill provides predictable, sustained
• whether it's working on a car, mechanically, construction industries, types of jobs, whether it's electrical
• the folks who are here today, the JATC, which is the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee for electrical
• Plumbers and pipe fitters and the other private non-union plumbing, and then electrical having the biggest

Keywords: 996, all

Summary: The House Labor, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee met to hear House Bill 7, sponsored by Representative Garrett and Representative Cates, which would continue and support apprenticeship and workforce training funding. The sponsors and the Department of Workforce Solutions described strong growth in apprenticeship participation, especially in the building trades, and said the fund has helped expand programs while maintaining high retention and employment outcomes. They emphasized that the bill would provide predictable, sustained investment in skilled labor needed for construction, infrastructure, and other growing sectors. Supportive testimony came from contractors, chambers of commerce, trade unions, and a small business owner, all of whom said apprenticeship funding is essential to meeting workforce shortages and keeping workers in New Mexico. Committee members asked about program demographics, geographic distribution, rural participation, reentry and high school dropout data, and how apprenticeships connect to displaced workers from energy and industrial closures. The secretary explained that the department uses Rapid Response and economic transition programs for layoffs and closures, and also surveys current energy workers to gauge retraining interest. Several members praised the bill’s return on investment and retention of workers in the state, while Representative de Rassas suggested adding more public transparency and performance metrics. Representative Ortiz asked about future funding after 2031 and whether the program could scale with more money. After discussion, Representative Hall moved a do pass, Representative de Rassas seconded, and the committee approved House Bill 7 with no opposition. The chair also announced upcoming committee meetings and asked members to consent to sharing contact information for committee purposes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, the Clean Miles Standard requires TNCs and drivers to meet an electric vehicle miles traveled
• A perfect storm of high electricity costs, rising interest rates, elimination of federal tax credits,
• My parents are 85 and 80, and I've been talking to them about an electric vehicle, and they're like,
• And when we start pricing it, it's unaffordable to them to change from gas to electric vehicles.
• It also requires remote drivers to be based in the United States and have a U.S. driver's license.

Summary: The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee met with several bills on the agenda, beginning with SB 739 (Arreguín) on the Clean Miles Standard and Incentive Program for transportation network companies. The author and supporters from Lyft, Uber, and TechNet said the bill would update EV miles traveled and greenhouse gas targets to reflect current market conditions, add flexibility for CARB and the CPUC, and protect drivers from losing platform access while also creating a path for future electrification. Opponents including the American Lung Association, Sierra Club California, and NRDC argued the bill would weaken a program meant to accelerate EV adoption and should retain stronger targets. Members discussed affordability, charging infrastructure, and the need to balance climate goals with feasibility. The committee approved SB 739 as amended and re-referred it to Appropriations, later recording a 9-0 vote when the roll was completed. The committee then heard SB 1190 (Grove), the “Safe Passage for Youth Act,” which would regulate private youth transport services used for out-of-state residential placements. The author and sponsor testimony described abusive practices such as nighttime pickups, blindfolds, restraints, and emotional trauma, and said the bill would require CPUC permitting, TrustLine background checks, training, parental consent, and bans on certain practices. Support came from youth and disability advocates, with no opposition testimony. The bill was moved on a due pass as amended recommendation and later passed 9-0. SB 1191 (Ochoa Bogh) would extend the sunset for California High Cost Fund A and B universal service programs that help provide affordable telephone service in rural and high-cost areas. Supporters from rural telecom companies and industry groups said the funds are essential for maintaining service, 911 access, and emergency communications in remote communities. There was no opposition, and the committee advanced the bill on a due pass recommendation; it later passed 9-0. The consent item, SB 985 (Strickland) on the 911 emergency system, was also approved. Finally, the committee heard SB 1246 (Cortese) on autonomous vehicles and emergency response. The author and supporters from SEIU California and the California Professional Firefighters said the bill would require AV companies to provide incident response, notify local jurisdictions during system failures, ensure U.S.-based remote drivers, and prevent public safety workers from having to manage AV breakdowns. Industry opponents argued the bill intrudes on federal vehicle standards, gives local governments enforcement authority they should not have, and could create overly broad notification and response requirements. Members raised questions about local control, response times, and whether the bill was premature given existing DMV regulations. Despite those concerns, the committee passed SB 1246 on a due pass as amended recommendation, later recording a 7-1 vote. The committee then recessed and returned to complete roll calls before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• we replaced the building electrical we replaced the building electrical panels<00:19:51.559>
• <00:29:32.640> Financial GED getting a driver's license Financial GED getting a driver's license
• Got deep turns, and this is kitchens, bathrooms, electrical work, plumbing, mechanical repairs.
• Got deep turns, and this is kitchens, bathrooms, electrical work, plumbing, mechanical repairs.
• is and the needs are in electrical is and the needs are in electrical equipment<01:15:36.280>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention heard presentations focused on public housing and related funding needs, with testimony from Minnesota NAHRO and several local housing authorities. Melissa Taphorn described the role of housing authorities statewide, including public housing, vouchers, CDBG/HOME funds, Bridges, and HEAT, and emphasized that public housing serves over 36,000 low-income Minnesotans, many of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, or children. She said federal operating and capital funds are insufficient, creating deferred maintenance backlogs, and noted that Minnesota’s public housing capital needs over a five-year period were about $500 million, with nearly $200 million unmet. She also discussed federal uncertainty, including a recent HUD funding freeze notice, possible changes to fair housing requirements, RAD repositioning options, and Build America, Buy America costs. Committee members asked about tenant rent calculations and the populations served. Testimony clarified that public housing residents generally pay 30% of monthly income, with utility allowances factored in, and that the average tenant rent in Minnesota is about $399. Members also heard that about 65% of public housing households are seniors or people with disabilities, while about 35% are families. The committee then heard examples of how state POP grants have been used to preserve public housing stock. Kurt Kina of the Red Wing HRA described multiple POP-funded projects that replaced windows, upgraded heating and cooling, and modernized electrical systems in a 100-resident high-rise, saying the work was essential to keep the building viable. Louise Siba of the St. Paul PHA testified that St. Paul’s authority serves nearly 22,000 people through more than 4,200 public housing units and over 5,200 vouchers, with most townhomes and high-rises serving elderly or disabled residents. She said St. Paul PHA has received nearly $16 million in POP funding since 2012, including about $8.5 million last year, and that those funds enabled major life-safety and modernization projects such as the Denan Terrace renovation and boiler, plumbing, and interior upgrades in high-rises. Jill Keers of the Duluth HRA described a broader set of housing programs, including vouchers, rehab loans, emergency repair funds, construction training, and development. She said Duluth HRA is adding 128 housing units between 2023 and 2025, including mixed-income rentals, senior housing, and family townhomes, and stressed that state investment through POP and other programs is necessary to keep housing affordable and safe.

Transcript Highlights:

• Colorado currently recognizes interpreter certifications but does not license them.
• Colorado currently recognizes interpreter certifications but does not license them.
• That is the but does not license them.
• like<01:58:16.880> that's licensing and pretending like that's licensing and pretending
• electrical. Oh but wait there's more. electrical. Oh but wait there's more.

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the journal, and heard several announcements about committee schedules and Capitol events, including Faith and Justice Lobby Day, Agriculture Week activities, and a tribute presentation for Sergeant Benjamin Pennington. The tribute honored Pennington’s Army service, his time at Fort Carson, and his death from injuries sustained in an attack on Prince Sultan Air Base; he was posthumously promoted to Staff Sergeant. A member also offered remarks recognizing the sacrifice of service members, and taps was played. The chamber then took up third reading and final passage on multiple bills. Senate Bill 39, concerning Fire and Police Pension Association disability and survivor benefits, passed 63-1. House Bill 1311, regarding use of a bond in lieu of retainage in construction contracts, passed 55-1 after a brief explanation of support from a member. House Bill 1184, continuing the Colorado Forest Health Council, passed 50-1; House Bill 1305, on inpatient behavioral health access, passed 64-0; and House Bill 1234, on access to child abuse or neglect records, passed 64-0. Senate Bill 50, requiring certain child care center policy disclosures to caregivers, passed 56-8. Senate Bill 84, preserving privileges for certain state entities in connection with information provided to the state auditor and fraud hotline duties, passed 42-12. House Bill 1186, continuing regulation of bail bonding agents by the Division of Insurance, passed 61-13. House Bill 1181, continuing the Barber and Cosmetologist Act, passed 51-13 after a member requested removal of their name as a co-sponsor. The House also moved Senate Bill 21 back to the general orders calendar and set several bills as special orders. In the House Special Committee on Legislative Interim Activities, House Bill 1331 was heard; the appropriations committee report was adopted after members noted a roughly $400,000 general fund reduction and a 3.3 FTE staffing reduction. The bill itself would suspend 10 interim committees, repeal two committees, and limit travel and per diem reimbursements to help address the budget gap. Supporters said the measure was similar to last year’s bill and encouraged continued policy work outside formal interim committees, while opponents argued that some committees, especially those related to water, behavioral health, and youth, should be preserved and questioned the prioritization of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council and related costs.

Transcript Highlights:

• licensing scheme.
• of existing people that already have those licenses.
• of existing people that already have those licenses.
• Section 13 over to existing licenses.
• <01:19:31.120> inspections electrical inspections electrical inspections for<01:19:33.720>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• have electric or hybrid vehicles.
• equipment itself the current license equipment itself the current license plate<04:29:28.319>
• can subc contract New Hampshire license can subc contract New Hampshire license plates<04:34:13.639
• This is a little bit off topic, but maybe not. with the license plates is with the license plates is
• take pictures of their driver's license take pictures of their driver's license take<05:42:29.958

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented its capital budget process and priorities, explaining how agencies assess facility needs, rank projects, and submit requests to the governor’s office. DAS described its Plant and Property division, which maintains 96 state buildings, and Public Works, which develops detailed cost estimates for selected projects. Officials said the governor’s office has traditionally narrowed requests into priority tiers, but this year all projects were estimated, creating more work and less detail. They also emphasized that the capital budget book functions as legislative intent and can be binding on how approved funds are used. On the substance of the request, DAS highlighted several priorities: continued funding for the state ERP system upgrade to the cloud, with about $5 million requested for sustainability and related Treasury functions; emergency fund and annex renovation work; a sprinkler replacement at DMV; and elevator repairs at the main building. Karen Rocky also identified maintenance projects that rose in priority after a facility condition assessment, including HVAC work for Portsmouth Circuit Court and Coos County Courthouse, boilers and controls for Carroll County and Lebanon Circuit Court, brick repointing at the main building and annex, window replacement at Spalding, and Brown building elevator replacement. Officials noted that the governor’s proposed capital budget included fewer DAS projects than in past years and no projects for the Bureau of Court Facilities. The committee also discussed lapses and reprogramming of prior appropriations. DAS said the first eight projects approved in 2023 remain under construction and should be extended, while many 2021 projects are delayed because of ARPA-related workload and broader construction backlogs. Members reviewed a 2019 project list and agreed to lapse project number 49, the Spalding roof project, with about $81,000 remaining. DAS also said some small 2019 balances, including courthouse generators, a boiler, cooling and controls, roof and exterior repairs, and the State House Annex elevator, could be redirected through Capital Budget Overview toward the Hillsboro County South Cell Block project. The hearing ended with questions about project schedules, ARPA deadlines, and the division of authority between DoIT and DAS for the ERP system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Clerk: HB 1606 by Metcalf, relating to the notice provided to a retail electric customer of a procedure
• Craddick: ...involving persons operating bicycles, electric bicycles, or motor-assisted scooters.
• Craddick: House Bill 3365 by Perez relating to the sale of delivery of certain license plates.
• House Bill 3946 by Gámez relating to judicial special license plates. Rep.
• Craddick: by Canales relating to the denial of access to the database dealer issued license plate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Air cooling: higher electricity, but no water.
• There's a commercial licensing agreement.
• There's a commercial licensing agreement.
• It is a joint collaboration between NextEra and Basin Electric, and they have a customer.
• It is a joint collaboration between NextEra and Basin Electric, and they have a customer.

Summary: The committee met in Grand Forks, approved the February 26 minutes by voice vote, and recessed for a tour of Minnkota Power Cooperative before hearing presentations on large energy consumers and related infrastructure issues. The first presentation, from the North Dakota Transmission Authority, focused on the need for better local decision-making tools for counties, townships, and planning and zoning boards facing major projects such as transmission lines, pipelines, data centers, wind, solar, and large-scale agriculture. The speaker urged more objective, data-driven analysis, noted that local officials often have limited time and resources, and said the state should support training and tools through groups like the League of Cities and the Association of Counties. Members asked about proactive outreach, data center ordinances, and how to avoid subsidizing large loads or causing reliability problems. The Division of Air Quality then discussed environmental oversight of data centers, emphasizing that North Dakota’s air remains among the cleanest in the country and that the agency’s role is limited to air, water discharge, stormwater, and waste—not zoning or water use. The presentation explained that data centers generally have low direct emissions but may rely on diesel backup generators when the grid is unavailable, which creates air-quality concerns; the department said it is requiring air monitors at some projects to collect real-world data and guide future decisions. Members asked about generator emissions, misinformation, monitoring costs, and staffing succession, and the agency said permit applicants pay for the monitors while the state handles some QA work. The Department of Water Resources followed with an overview of North Dakota water law and data center water use. The director explained the state’s prior-appropriation system, the public-interest review for permits, and the large overall water supply available from groundwater and the Missouri River. He said most proposed data centers use closed-loop cooling systems and generally request relatively small amounts of water compared with other uses such as power plants, irrigation, and oilfield operations, and that even a worst-case data center scenario would use only a tiny fraction of Missouri River flow. Questions focused on downstream impacts and comparisons to fracking water use, and the director said the state’s use is too small to materially affect downstream users. Later, McLean County State’s Attorney Ladd-Erickson testified online about data center zoning and permitting. He asked the committee to have Legislative Council gather information on how other states handle data center permitting and to keep the topic on the interim agenda. He argued that local zoning should remain local, but said counties lack the technical and legal resources to manage complex reclamation or bonding requirements and that state-level enabling legislation may be more appropriate. He also recommended eliminating tax incentives for data centers. The committee chair said staff would prepare a document on other states’ zoning and permitting approaches. After a lunch recess, the committee reconvened at the EERC, where CEO Charles Gorecki gave an overview of the center’s 75 years of work and its role in oil and gas, carbon management, and other energy technologies, highlighting enhanced oil recovery and carbon dioxide utilization as major opportunities for future production and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Six prohibits an operator from transferring, licensing, or making available certain information derived
• Explanation: Briefly here, it's requiring construction and operation of thermal and non-thermal electric
• in a county with population 400,000 to 599,999 to be the owners of these properties and proposed electric
• allows them to apply for a certificate of environmental compatibility if the proposed non-thermal electric
• The House to final reading of bills: House Bill 2003, driver's license instruction permit, and related

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• drivers allowed to participate in the mobile driver's license pilot program.
• We normally fund hydrogen and electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses from these funds.
• I just want to clarify that we're going to continue to look at both technologies, hydrogen and electric
• The current program is typically medium-duty and heavy-duty hydrogen and electric.
• I'm here on behalf of two clients: California Electric Transportation Coalition.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee held an informational hearing on the September budget package, which included SB 105 and a series of trailer bills covering health, human services, education, resources, child care, transportation, labor, public safety, housing, revenue, background checks, collective bargaining, and a special election. The Department of Finance described the package as largely technical and clarifying, but also responsive to state and federal changes, especially H.R. 1. Key items included roughly $3.3 billion in Proposition 4 climate and environmental spending, $540 million in discretionary greenhouse gas reduction funds, and major responses to H.R. 1 such as CalFresh error-rate mitigation, food bank support, and Medicaid-related changes. Other notable provisions included vaccine policy flexibility, an Abortion Access Fund, a gender-affirming care program, community college basic-needs and aid changes, CEQA and coastal permit exemptions tied to the 2028 Olympics, invasive mussel prevention funding, a civic media program, labor and pension-related provisions, and special election administration changes. Members raised questions and concerns about several parts of the package. There was support for climate, water, transit, offshore wind, food security, and health investments, but also significant criticism of the lack of cleanup language for SB 131 and its advanced manufacturing exemptions, with multiple members saying promised fixes had not materialized and expressing concerns about tribal consultation, labor standards, and environmental protections. Members also questioned the scale and timing of some Proposition 4 allocations, including fairground upgrades, regional conveyance, and a UC Davis alternative protein research center. The Department of Finance said some programs would roll out over time and that certain funding levels reflected current implementation capacity. The hearing also featured discussion of Bay Area transit financing, with Finance saying SB 105 directs the department and CalSTA to examine loan or other financing options rather than immediately providing loans. Members and public commenters also discussed the state’s response to H.R. 1, with advocates supporting food bank, health care, and immunization provisions while warning of ongoing harm to immigrants, foster youth, and other vulnerable groups. Public testimony broadly supported the health, food, water, offshore wind, and golden mussel provisions, while many speakers echoed legislative concerns about SB 131 and urged cleanup action in the next session. No votes were taken because the hearing was informational only, though the chair noted votes on the bills were expected later that night or the next morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill ends partnership detective licenses.
• For example, while there is licensing visits every year, they said, "Well, the licensing visit isn't
• So, right now, a license—the most likely situation is a licenser notices a fraud situation when they
• , the licensing visit they said, "Well, the licensing visit isn't<04:15:29.120> a<04:15:29.359
• > a situation is a licenser notices as a situation is a licenser notices as a fraud<04:17:38.720

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present. The journal was approved as corrected, several Senate files were given second reading, and House files 5099 through 5102 were introduced. The Rules and Legislative Administration report placed a large group of bills on the May 4 calendar with pre-filing requirements for amendments. The first major floor bill was House File 3426, the annual LCCMR bill appropriating about $102.036 million from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund for 108 projects, including a new community grants program. Members spoke in support, emphasizing natural resources, outdoor recreation, and added integrity safeguards; the bill passed 117-15. The House then passed House File 4151, a bipartisan occupational licensing bill for private detectives and protective agents. It ends partnership detective licenses and requires background checks for controlling officers and qualified representatives, while preventing licensure of people with disqualifying offenses from other states or federal law. The bill passed 133-0. After that, the chamber took up Senate File 4760, a public safety package incorporating multiple previously heard House bills and additional provisions. The package included items on recognizing Canadian protective orders, sextortion penalties, gift card fraud, firearm age restrictions, restitution, juvenile detention licensing, corrections data and terminology, chemical irritant disclosure, victims’ rights, BCA fraud statutes, and the private detective bill. Several amendments to Senate File 4760 were adopted, including one inserting House language, one changing the effective date for public-employer discretion provisions, one allowing the Office of the Legislative Auditor to request BCA fingerprints for federal tax information compliance, and one clarifying jail medication provisions. Another amendment, A3, drew a roll call after Representative Duran argued it would keep the current juvenile delinquency age and allow more time to build infrastructure; Representative Feist urged a no vote, citing opposition from other stakeholders. The transcript ends during discussion of that roll call, before the final outcome on A3 or the overall public safety package is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• electrical, plumbing, pipe fitting...
• I do know that in some states you don't actually have to have an electrical license to go out and do
• the electrical work inside a construction site, public or private.
• So the electrical unions have to do that. I'm not speaking for them.
• Again, like I said earlier, I don't know how they set it at the licensing boards and why they set it

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hybrid hearing on a large group of bills carried over from the previous session, with Chair Jake Oliveira and House Co-Chair Paul McMurtry outlining the process and limiting testimony to three minutes. The committee heard testimony on several labor and workplace proposals, including bills to harmonize employee definitions to address misclassification (SB 1338/HB 2141), expand bereavement leave (including H. 2189/S. 1354 and related bills), protect collective bargaining rights for certain administrative employees (HB 268/SB 1306), expand commuter transit benefits (HB 2153/SB 1345), regulate employer use of credit reports (S. 1286), and require apprenticeship participation or OSHA-related workplace safety measures on public projects. At the end of the hearing, the chairs read into the record additional bills that did not receive testimony that day. Supporters of the misclassification bill, including Greater Boston Legal Services and the AFL-CIO, said aligning the employee-status tests across wage, unemployment, and PFML laws would reduce confusion, improve enforcement, and help workers wrongly treated as independent contractors or managers recover benefits and bargaining rights. NAGE and its representative argued that public-sector employees have been improperly reclassified into management titles to weaken unions, and that the bill would force the Division of Labor Relations to review those titles. On bereavement leave, advocates including the Louis E. Brown Peace Institute, a state representative, the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, and individual survivors described the impact of sudden loss and homicide on families, saying guaranteed leave would help workers grieve, make arrangements, and avoid losing jobs or custody-related stability. The committee also heard support for commuter benefits as a low-cost way to reduce emissions and increase transit use, and for restricting employer credit checks because of inaccuracies and discriminatory effects. There was opposition to some construction-related bills. The Associated Builders and Contractors and the Building Trades Employers Association supported apprenticeship training in principle but said current apprentice-to-journeyworker ratios are outdated or misunderstood, and that the bills should be amended or clarified before advancing. The Massachusetts landscape and snow-removal industry strongly supported a snow-liability limitation bill, arguing that hold-harmless clauses and broad indemnification requirements force contractors to assume liability for conditions they cannot control, drive up insurance costs, and threaten business viability. The committee did not take any votes during the hearing, and the session ended with the chairs thanking members, staff, and the public before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• AB 253 would allow homeowners and developers to hire licensed third-party professionals ...to review
• It allows licensed and insured third-party professionals, including architects and engineers, to assist
• When we were looking at jurisdictions that have used their general plan to plan for electric vehicle
• ports, and most of those don't talk about electric vehicles in their plan.
• It's 5% of the building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical permit.

Summary: The committee first heard AB 253, by Assembly Member Ward and presented by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva, which would allow licensed third-party professionals to review certain post-entitlement permits if a local building department would take more than 30 days. Supporters, including California YIMBY, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Action Coalition, the Bay Area Council, SPUR, and Abundant Housing LA, said the bill would reduce permitting delays and help housing production. League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties expressed concerns but were not formally opposed. Members voiced strong support, and the bill passed the committee 10-0 to Appropriations. The committee then held an informational hearing on California’s general plan. The first panel, led by UC Davis professor Catherine Brinkley, gave an overview of the general plan structure, required elements, update cycles, and the new PlanSearch database that makes adopted plans searchable statewide. She emphasized that general plans are long-term, locally tailored documents that integrate housing, transportation, safety, environmental justice, and other policy areas, and noted that many plans and elements are outdated. Members asked about update timelines, public participation, and whether AI tools could help with drafting and analysis. A second panel of local government representatives described the practical challenges of preparing and updating general plans, especially in rural and small jurisdictions. Speakers from Calaveras County, Sacramento, San Joaquin County, and Fountain Valley cited staffing shortages, consultant availability, funding constraints, CEQA and outreach costs, changing state mandates, and the difficulty of keeping plans aligned with local conditions and board turnover. They asked for more funding, more time, clearer prioritization, and more flexibility. A third panel from the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation explained its role in issuing general plan guidelines, technical advisories, and annual planning surveys, and said it is updating its guidance through 2027 to reflect recent housing, climate, safety, environmental justice, and open space laws. No public comment was offered, and the informational hearing was adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• My industry, especially in Massachusetts, we get a license, a business license, from the towns.
• It will help with electric vehicle and zero-emission vehicle adoption as well.
• It will help with electric vehicle and zero emission vehicle adoption as well.
• And so as a result, as a result, ...with electric vehicle and zero-emission vehicle adoption as well.
• Shifting gears to House Bill 964, which I said earlier, deals with hybrid electric vehicle and electric

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a heavily attended hybrid hearing focused primarily on plastics reduction bills, along with a few local and related waste-management measures. Chair Rauch and Chair Barber outlined strict testimony rules because of the large number of speakers. Before the plastics docket, the committee heard support for a local Sharon sewer-extension bill for a Sunrise Senior Living project, and the bill’s proponents said the project would help address senior housing needs and would still require MWRA and local approvals. The chairs also noted a separate local matter involving Sharon and the MWRA. A major portion of the hearing centered on the Plastics Reduction Act and related bills addressing single-use plastics, including plastic bags, polystyrene, black plastic, plastic beverage bottles, non-flushable wipes, skip-the-stuff provisions, and truth-in-labeling. Sponsors and supporters said the bills would reduce litter, microplastics, greenhouse gas emissions, and municipal waste costs, while creating statewide consistency and supporting environmental justice communities. Several speakers cited local bans already adopted by many Massachusetts cities and towns, and many urged the committee to advance comprehensive statewide action. The committee also heard testimony on a boat wrap recycling bill, a mattress recycling bill, and a bill to prohibit hotels from providing small plastic toiletries. Municipal officials and waste professionals supported extended producer responsibility for paint and labeling for non-flushable wipes, saying these measures would shift costs away from cities and towns and reduce strain on wastewater systems. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, Mayor Ruth Ann Fuller of Newton, and a Franklin County waste official all backed paint EPR and wipes labeling. Fire Chief Brian Nardelli testified for the Fire Chiefs Association in support of lithium-ion battery legislation, citing fire safety and disposal concerns. Other speakers, including environmental groups, local activists, and business representatives, supported bag and polystyrene bans, though the Retailers Association of Massachusetts urged any bag policy to be truly statewide and said any bag fee should be retained by retailers. No votes were taken during the hearing.