Transcript Highlights:

• as prices increase, including on taxes and gratuities.
• as prices increase, including on taxes and gratuities.
• The banks can just set their own fee rates.
• account fees and increasing the amount that people have to hold... ...increasing checking account fees
• Now, of course, that is different than interest rates.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Legislative Commission on the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses held a public hearing focused on interchange fees, sales tax and tip processing, chargebacks, fraud, surcharging, and the broader future of payment systems. Chair Paul Feeney and co-chair Rep. Jamie Murphy opened by explaining the commission’s charge and inviting testimony from small businesses, industry groups, banks, and policy experts. Representative Sean Garballey testified first, arguing that Massachusetts tourism depends on universal card acceptance and stable interchange, and urging the commission not to disrupt the current system ahead of major events expected to bring millions of visitors to the Commonwealth. A large portion of the hearing featured independent restaurant owners and advocates describing thin margins and the burden of paying percentage-based processing fees on sales tax and tips that are not business revenue. Jen Ziskin, Kristen Canty, Nancy Cushman, Kerry Colzer, and others said restaurants often operate on very small profits and that processing fees on taxes and gratuities can amount to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Ryan Lotz also urged reforms to chargebacks, including refunding chargeback fees when merchants prevail, requiring consumers to contact businesses before disputing charges, and limiting repeat abuse. Commission members pressed witnesses on whether tax and tip amounts could be separated at the point of sale, and several witnesses said current consumer card systems do not transmit that level of detail. Testimony from credit union, banking, and payments representatives largely opposed state-level changes that would carve out taxes or tips from interchange, warning of compliance burdens, higher costs, reduced rewards, and possible effects on fraud protection and access to credit. Alex Verine of America’s Credit Unions and Deb Peters and Keely McEwen of the Electronic Payments Coalition said the payment system is complex, that interchange funds fraud prevention and network infrastructure, and that new state mandates could create operational and legal uncertainty. Dan Swanson argued states have authority to act and pointed to Illinois litigation and federal court rulings, while Julian Morris and Brad Popolado emphasized the benefits of card acceptance, the decline of cash, and the need to consider other payment methods and check fraud as well. Several witnesses discussed international payment systems, instant payments, and QR standards as possible future directions. The chairs and members engaged in extended back-and-forth with witnesses about whether Massachusetts could exempt sales tax from swipe fees, whether surcharging should be revisited, and whether vendor compensation or other targeted relief might be more workable than broad changes to interchange. No votes were taken. At the close of the hearing, the chairs said the commission would hold one additional public hearing date to be determined, after which members would begin developing next steps and a report.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Public Counsel's exempt salary will increase from group 4 to group 5 with a $20,000 per year increase
• requirement expert, a class cost allocator, a rate allocation expert, a rate design expert, and a return
• This is for rate paying for both electric and water.
• To once again explain the reasons for the biennial increase, the total increase is just under a quarter
• So we've seen an 8% increase in dentists and hygienists, as well as a 13% increase in dental assistants

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So SB 26 increases teacher salaries, right?
• So, you know, this is based on contribution rates.
• pay from $2,500 to over a $10,000 increase, right?
• of cost of living increase to teachers.
• is not a universal pay increase model.

Bills: SB26, SB 26

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, SB 26, Texas Property Code, colonia, colonias, Spanish translation, bilingual contract, real estate contract, executory contract, residential property, border county, international border, economically distressed area, consumer protection, language access, translator certified in Spanish

Transcript Highlights:

• An Act to increase safety on public ways, House No. 3650.
• An Act to increase safety on public ways, House No. 3650.
• Because for the rate payer, sitting at the “Emergency relief for whom?
• For the newly established electric rates task force to scrutinize electric rates and to provide recommendations
• Not one was defined. $342 million in construction sat in the base rate, unitomized.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and then took up several procedural matters, including adopting a resolution recognizing the work of Ukraine Forward and suspending Joint Rule 12 for a number of petitions. The chamber also scheduled several bills for later consideration, including measures on unemployment insurance for fluctuating work schedules, the Medical Society mission statement, a youth training wage, bridge and intersection namings, handicapped parking fines, public-way safety, excavation restoration, motor vehicle safety, and a Newton police age requirement. Two engrossed local bills were passed to be enacted: one authorizing retired police officers as special police in Plainville and another allowing Orange to increase its Board of Selectmen membership. The main policy debate centered on House No. 5151, An Act relative to energy affordability, clean power, and economic competitiveness. Supporters described it as a broad affordability and clean-energy package that would cut costs for ratepayers, reform Mass Save, speed clean-energy procurement and interconnection, return a portion of alternative compliance payments to customers, and address biomass and other energy issues. Opponents argued the bill relied too heavily on long-term programs and new administrative structures while offering little immediate relief, and raised concerns about costs being shifted to consumers, impacts on natural gas, and the pace of implementation. Several amendments were debated and rejected, including proposals to shift public benefit charges away from peak hours, pause public benefit charges for a year, require greater utility disclosure before rate increases, and add a forest-clearing penalty for solar development. One amendment to the energy bill was adopted: a consolidated amendment that included budget-billing consumer protections for gas customers, requiring notice and conservation recommendations when usage rises significantly. The House also adopted an amendment to a separate conservation-restriction bill for Hanson, changing a figure in the underlying law, and passed that bill to be engrossed as amended. The energy bill’s consolidated amendment passed by roll call, while several other amendments failed by roll call votes. The House observed multiple moments of silence honoring Jaden Booker, Thomas Skip Karam, former Freetown Police Chief Carlton Abbott, and former Representative and Senator William Q. “Biff” McLean, Jr.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill seeks to increase transparency in rates charged to consumers by allowing the office to provide
• information to the public related to statewide rate changes and provide a functional rating example
• complete a full rate filing after two certifications so consumers are paying an accurate rate supported
• want to increase the interest rate.
• of insurers that filed proposed rate decreases over standard rate filings.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several insurance, financial regulation, and public safety bills. SB 1656, a large Office of Insurance Regulation bill, was taken up with a delete-all amendment and extensive discussion. The bill would increase transparency in insurance rates and mitigation data, update reciprocal insurer rules, limit use-and-file rate filings, expand cybersecurity breach notification, and strengthen oversight of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs). Residents and senior advocates generally supported stronger oversight to prevent bankruptcies like the Unison case, while CCRC operators and industry groups warned that lien authority, reserve requirements, and other provisions could raise borrowing costs and burden well-run communities. The committee adopted the delete-all amendment and then reported the bill favorably after debate and public testimony. The committee also passed SB 1658 on the public records database for uniform mitigation verification forms, with a clarifying amendment protecting policyholders’ personal information. SB 1612 on financial institutions was reported favorably after an amendment and substitute amendment dealing with credit union investment limits and reimbursement rules for board members. SB 1740, an insurance bill aimed at reducing premiums and insolvency risk, was amended to prioritize rate-decrease filings and prohibit AI as the sole basis for claim denials; it was then reported favorably. SB 1212 on firefighter health and safety was amended to add occupational disease language and other firefighter protections, including safer gear, cancer prevention, and possible telehealth mental health services, and was also reported favorably. Finally, SB 1184 on residual market insurers was amended to preserve existing excess-and-surplus line standards, strengthen consumer disclosures, and clarify Citizens-related appointment rules before being reported favorably. Throughout the meeting, committee members repeatedly noted that several bills were still being refined with stakeholders, and multiple public witnesses testified in support of or opposition to the CCRC and insurance provisions, focusing on resident protection, financial stability, and unintended cost impacts.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:52:30.119> so rates that were that were increasing so rates that were that were increasing
• wants to come forward with a 40% rate wants to come forward with a 40% rate increase<03:09:33.200
• Interest rates, or interest rates again, I mentioned supply chain.
• <03:26:33.600> I rates or interest rates again I rates or interest rates again I mentioned
• authorized to collect the higher tax rate of New Hampshire's tax rate or the tax rate of the company's

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The meeting featured presentations from the Department of Administrative Services and the Treasury Department on state revenue reporting and unclaimed property. State Comptroller Dana Call explained DAS’s role in compiling statewide revenue reports, including the annual revenue plan set through the budget process and the monthly revenue focus reports that track cash receipts. She noted that unrestricted general fund revenue is about $2 billion annually, while miscellaneous other revenue is a much smaller and less predictable category, averaging roughly $30 million to $32 million a year. She also described two more material internal revenue lines: statewide indirect cost recoveries and post-retirement benefit recoveries, which are billed to agencies and often tied to federal reimbursement rules. Members asked about the interest line in the revenue charts and about how the figures were presented, and Call clarified that the totals were in millions and that the interest item would be explained by the Treasurer. She also explained that the indirect cost and post-retirement recoveries are internal cost allocations that flow back into the unrestricted revenue pool and are reflected in agency budgets as interagency costs. Treasurer Monica Meissner then outlined Treasury Department functions, including bank deposits, statewide disbursements, banking relationships, investments, debt management, compliance, the FONA College Savings Program, the ABLE Plan, scholarship programs, and the abandoned property program. In discussing unclaimed property, she said holders report property after a five-year dormancy period, the state uses automated systems and outreach to locate owners, and claim activity has increased. In fiscal year 2024, the state returned about $12.2 million to citizens through roughly 12,000 claims; over the last 10 years, about $72.6 million has been returned. She also said the state escheated $19.9 million to the general fund and $1.8 million to counties last year, and explained that securities-related proceeds are harder to estimate because they depend on market conditions. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• But what we are proposing for you today is a 9.8% increase in the rate, and thus it goes down to a 9.8%
• Additionally, when you're looking at the public school, we will see a 4.9% increase in their rate and
• thus a 4.9% increase in their contribution per employee.
• There are flood issues that you have to rate for and factor in.
• ...and the application of rates and total improvement values and so forth.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As the population goes up in increments, the rate goes down—not the total rate, but the rate per offender
• When we did the single four-year contract, we rolled the entire increase amount into a level rate of
• increase over each of the four years of the contract. ...amount into a level rate of increase over each
• They had experienced significant rate increases for the cost of delivering the care at that site.
• So essentially, we lowered the cost for the base level of services, leveled out the rate of increase

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We increase substance use disorder rates by adding inflation to the rates for low and high intensity.
• We increase substance use disorder rates by adding inflation to the rates for low and high intensity.
• We increase substance use disorder rates by adding inflation to the rates for low and high intensity.
• it comes to getting the rates increased. it comes to getting the rates increased.
• is is a contingent income tax rate is is a contingent income tax rate increase<02:04:51.280>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Notably, the fee-for-service increase was in part due to an increase in the rates passed by the legislature
• Notably, the fee-for-service increase was in part due to an increase in the rates passed by the legislature
• And then 44% increased spending over that time period, but notably there were rate increases from both
• service more, but also rate increases for the service.
• So, when we work with our actuaries to increase rates as appropriate based on utilization or rate increases

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met on March 2 and approved the February 23 minutes after a quorum was reached. The main presentation was from the Department of Human Services on non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), a federally required Medicaid benefit that helps Minnesota Health Care Program enrollees get to medically necessary appointments. DHS said the program served more than 250,000 people in 2025 at a cost of $127 million, with participation up about 14% over five years, and described the seven transportation modes, provider enrollment requirements, STS certification, background checks, prior authorization rules, and planned transitions to a single administrator for parts of the program in 2026 and 2027. DHS officials emphasized fraud prevention efforts, saying NEMT is one of the agency’s high-risk Medicaid services. They described enhanced prepayment review, provider revalidation and site visits, removal of inactive providers, and a provider moratorium in metro counties. Inspector General James Clark said the governor’s anti-fraud proposal would add pre-enrollment risk assessments, more staffing and technology, and electronic visit verification. He also noted that about 80% of NEMT spending is in managed care and that managed care organizations have their own compliance and special investigations units. Committee members raised concerns about fraud, oversight, and privatization. Chair Robbins questioned DHS about the absence of the commissioner and the program’s use of brokers, citing past concerns and asking about the vendor MTM’s history; DHS said the RFP for the new broker had closed and the vendor selection was still underway. Representative Pinto questioned why oversight is outsourced to managed care organizations and suggested bringing more oversight back in house. MTM representative Phil Stahlberger defended the company’s record, said the Missouri dispute was about contract terms from about 15 years ago, and said MTM currently works in Minnesota counties and many other states, with on-site reviews, trip verification, and complaint review processes. No further votes or final actions on the NEMT policy were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• to the rate.
• of the nursing facility payment rates. of the nursing facility payment rates.
• Um, this item increased rates to the nursing homes, and it is currently pending CMS review and approval
• new rate methodology is approved.
• Last year's bill increased the substance use disorder rates, and that state plan amendment has been approved

Bills: HF3379

Keywords: housing stabilization, disability services, predatory funding, provider requirements, housing accessibility, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• That was an 8.5% increase, whereas currently we're sitting at a 7.0% increase in expenditures.
• and the national growth rate.
• And just for the record, I'm concerned about those cap rate increases again, and we've had huge increases
• And just for the record, I'm concerned about those cap rate increases again. and I'm concerned about
• those cap rate increases again, and we've had huge increases.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee met to review the governor’s fiscal 2027 budget presentation, with the chair repeatedly asking members to keep questions brief and avoid speeches. The discussion focused first on the overall revenue and spending outlook, including concerns from members that the executive forecast was more optimistic than the JLBC baseline and that the budget appeared to front-load revenue and expenditure growth. The governor’s budget team said the forecast was close to JLBC’s, that the budget was structurally balanced, and that differences were roughly $100 million per year on ongoing revenue. Members asked for follow-up calculations in writing, including the total multi-year gap and the amount of revenue enhancements above base revenues. A major portion of the meeting centered on tax and fee proposals tied to data centers, water use, and sports betting. The governor’s team defended eliminating the existing data center tax incentive as the removal of a loophole rather than a new tax, arguing the incentive had already succeeded in attracting major investment. They also described a proposed Department of Water Resources fee-setting authority for data centers to support a new Colorado River Protection Fund, and said the proposal would apply to existing and future facilities without a grandfather clause. Members raised concerns about fairness, competitiveness, and whether the changes would require a supermajority vote. The team also discussed increased sports betting fees, saying the revenue forecast did not include dynamic behavioral effects. The committee then moved through major spending areas, including corrections, public safety, border security, cybersecurity, K-12 education, Medicaid, and developmental disabilities. The governor’s budget includes ongoing funding to prevent correctional officer pay cuts, money to comply with prison health care court orders, probation funding, body-worn cameras, law enforcement staffing, fentanyl task forces, and cyber readiness grants. Members questioned the lack of funding for a prison oversight committee and asked for corrections spending totals over the administration. On border security, the executive said it was seeking about $759.7 million in federal reimbursement for border-related costs and that the governor had met with federal officials, including Secretary Noem and Tom Homan, about the request. In education, the budget proposes renewing Prop. 123, adding K-12 base funding, and issuing $1.5 billion in school facilities bonds over three years; members debated whether the proposal was appropriate and whether Prop. 123 revenues could support the debt service. The meeting also covered AHCCCS cost growth and federal HR1 impacts, with the executive warning of major coverage losses and hospital funding reductions, and DDD funding, where the governor’s team said the budget fully funds services and includes about $120 million in supplemental needs. No votes were taken; the meeting was a presentation and question-and-answer session only.

Transcript Highlights:

• you with increased revenue stability over time.
• And it was really comforting to see that they had increased our bond rate. Great.
• NPSIA passed on a 16% premium increase in FY26. We did project a 16% increase for FY27.
• What's the rate of uptake right now?
• And we've also seen as far as a change in our blended discount rates.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The intent of AB 1554 is to increase transparency.
• filed escrow rates.
• So the rating for those under the traditional rating factors stays the same.
• Your rate stays the same.
• That there is increased risk there, so we have to assess that, you know, with typically tobacco rates

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rates here.
• rates here.
• rates here.
• So, it's just a different way of looking at it, but increasing the rates is it, I guess it's the way
• over the last two biennia because rates increased, which has impacted the state's cash position. when

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:21.120> ever to increase uh solve rates than ever to increase uh solve rates than ever
• solve rates for 2024. solve rates for 2024.
• And when we increase the resources available to solve these cases, we do see higher solve rates. that
• <01:58:58.960> pay<01:58:59.199> rate<01:58:59.679> and vacancy funding to increase
• pay rate and vacancy funding to increase pay rate and in<01:59:00.239> his<01:59:00.639> uh

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs held an informational briefing on violent crime clearance rates and what resources law enforcement and prosecutors need to improve them. Chair and members noted there would be no public testimony. The briefing was led by Marshall Clement of the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center, with later participation expected from state and county law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. Clement argued that solving violent crime is a systemwide issue, not just a local police function, and said clearance rates have declined nationally over decades for homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. He said Hawaii’s reported data, limited to Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, shows overall violent crime rates are lower than the national average and have been relatively flat with a pandemic-era spike followed by declines in 2023 and 2024. He reported that Hawaii’s overall violent crime solve rate fell from about 52% in 2014 to about 40% in 2024, with 2024 rates of 50% for homicides, 48% for aggravated assaults, and 26% each for rapes and robberies. He also estimated unsolved cases over the past three years at about 17 homicides, 3,300 aggravated assaults, 1,200 rapes, and 1,700 robberies. Members asked about victim and witness support, staffing shortages, the Denver example, whether clearance rates include cases not prosecuted, and whether HPD’s size or structure might affect solve rates. Clement said support can include victim-witness programs and coordinators that help maintain cooperation and trust, especially where clearance rates are low. He said resources, training, technology, and detective caseloads matter, citing Boston, Denver, and Omaha as cities that improved solve rates through relatively low-cost operational changes; he highlighted Denver’s increase in non-fatal shooting clearance from 39% to 65% in seven months after dedicating more resources. He said he had no research showing that breaking up a large department would improve solve rates, and noted that clearance data can include exceptional clearances such as victim noncooperation, prosecutorial declination, or a suspect’s death. No votes or formal actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• empty with a record high vacancy rate empty with a record high vacancy rate that's<00:30:04.080>
• I mentioned that 30% vacancy rate.
• <00:36:26.920> heavy<00:36:27.160> regul rent increases heavy regul rent increases
• <00:37:08.760> and um you know High interest rates and um you know High interest rates and
• Was the rate of 25% in Minnesota?

Bills: HF1277, HF812, HF457, HF633

Keywords: data centers, tax exemption, Minnesota statutes, economic development, employment growth, income tax, tax brackets, tax adjustments, Minnesota, tax policy, underutilized buildings, adaptive reuse, building conversion, historic preservation, downtown revitalization, vacant property, vacancy reduction, refundable tax credit, income tax credit, grant in lieu of credit

Transcript Highlights:

• And you see the growth rates there on the right-hand side. The growth rates are...
• It increases the sports betting tax rate from 10 to 45 percent, so that's $146 million.
• The state share of SNAP benefits also increases from 0% to 10% if we have a high error rate.
• No, not in quite the same way as if they're going to increase the match rate on you.
• So that's a fairly substantial rate increase in the cost within that program.

Bills: SB1024, SB1032, SB1059, SB1062, SB1064, SB1097, SCM1001, SCR1004

Keywords: roadable aircraft, registration, vehicle title, license plates, aviation safety, corrections oversight, funding, state budget, criminal justice, reform, appropriation, Department of Transportation, right turn lane, traffic improvement, infrastructure funding, transportation funding, authorization, road improvements, intersection safety, transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:24.560> in they're predicting a 25% increase in they're predicting a 25% increase in
• The third one is rate stability. Data centers provide growth, bringing our members rate stability.
• in the community and can increase in the community and can increase reliability<00:15:19.639>
• That resulted in a 6% increase in electricity consumption, but it also led to a 550% increase in computing
• One of the key items is ramp rate.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• rates in my area has been... insurance rates in my area has been astronomical.
• Although the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights generally requires voter approval for any new tax, tax rate increase
• Insurance rates.
• increases come from.
• risk and higher increased fatality rate.

Keywords: 981, all