Transcript Highlights:

• I came from a small county and lived in a town of population 350.
• I CAME FROM A SMALL COUNTY AND LIVE IN A TOWN OF POPULATION 350.
• That's small.
• The bill increases the small business deduction, helping Iowa's small businesses invest in their workers
• As a small businessman who started his business career under H.W.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if I'm small county A and you say to me, this is going through, this is If I'm small county A, and
• I have a number of small rural communities as well.
• Lucie Village, little tiny small towns.
• So we're giving small businesses a slightly slower... ...services that small businesses depend on.
• Chris Doolin, Small School District Council Consortium and Small County Coalition.

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax relief, which would reduce assessment growth on non-homestead property, expand homestead exemptions, create a new exemption for new homesteaders, and direct counties, cities, and school districts to use property tax revenues for specified core services. Senator Avila presented the measure as the governor’s plan to provide historic relief and argued that local governments should tighten budgets and prioritize core functions. Senators raised concerns about the lack of fiscal scoring, the breadth and ambiguity of the permitted uses, the effect on special districts and local services, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. The committee adopted several amendments, including Avila’s amendment clarifying that ad valorem revenues could be used for county and municipal operations and administration and other expenditures not prohibited by law, and Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal. Other amendments failed, including proposals to allow user fees and non-ad valorem assessments, add a sunset, redirect tourism development taxes, narrow the small-business provision, and change the ballot title to reference local service reductions. Grall’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund requirement was adopted, while the committee also rejected Berman’s title-change amendment and Smith’s sunset and tourism-tax amendments. The committee then returned to the bill as amended for questions, including extended debate over whether the proposal would affect noncitizen residents, the impact on local government finances, and whether local governments would respond with higher fees or special assessments. The meeting ended with the bill still under discussion after the final round of questions, with Avila saying he would continue working with the governor’s office on the language before the next vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Protecting consumer choice, hemp farmers, and small businesses.
• I used to go to the VFW post as a small child with my grandfather. Yes, sir.
• Salganic, and I'm a small business owner, born and raised in Waco, Texas.
• I hope that there will continue to be a space for my small business and other small businesses like mine
• My name is Lauren Bridges, and I’m a small business owner in Longview, Texas.

Bills: SB 3, HB28, SB3

Keywords: flash flood, flood warning, outdoor warning siren, emergency alert, disaster preparedness, flood mitigation, Hill Country floods, Texas Water Development Board, municipalities, counties, local government mandate, public safety, grant program, backup power, weather siren, emergency management, flood-prone area, warning system, hemp regulation, consumable products

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these things are concerning small agencies.
• How about the small ones, of which there are a large amount? How would you square that with?
• And I imagine some small departments probably think, "Hey, we'll talk to that officer.
• So in the case of small departments or perhaps a sheriff in a jail, if it's a very small agency, appropriate
• But in the deputy world, the jailer world, and in certain small cities and things, we...

Bills: SB 15

Keywords: law enforcement, department file, employee records, misconduct, confidentiality, Texas occupations code, 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As a small business owner, I provide an essential service to the state of California and the city of
• I'm urging all legislators to please support small businesses and consumers by passing AB 1065.
• I'm supporting with a small business. Thank you. Thank you. Sammy St.
• business because I'm all for small business.
• And this is coming up from an individual who comes from a small business family.

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee heard several bills, beginning with AB 407, which would expand the California Pollution Control Financing Authority. The author said the measure would increase flexibility and access to resources, and the bill was approved 7-0 and sent to the Committee on Local Government. The committee also adopted the consent calendar, which included AB 76, by a 7-0 vote. A lengthy portion of the meeting focused on AB 1065, which would prohibit swipe fees on the sales tax portion of credit card transactions. Supporters, including small business owners, restaurant and grocery representatives, and a payments-policy expert, argued the bill would reduce costs for merchants and consumers and rein in dominant card networks. Opponents, including banks, credit unions, and payment industry groups, argued the bill is likely preempted by federal law, would be difficult to implement, and could disproportionately affect community banks and credit unions. After extensive questioning about preemption, fraud, implementation, and consumer impacts, the committee rejected the bill on a 6-0 vote, but then granted reconsideration by a 7-1 vote. The committee then heard AB 1365, which would create the Cal Account Program, a zero-fee, zero-penalty state banking account for unbanked and underbanked Californians. Supporters said the program would help low-income households, survivors of abuse, and others facing barriers to traditional banking, while opponents from community banks and credit unions argued existing low-cost accounts and the Bank On program already address the need and raised concerns about cost, feasibility, and duplication. The bill advanced on a 6-0 vote and later received enough votes on the reopened roll to move forward to the Committee on Labor and Employment. The committee also approved AB 1052, which would create a legal framework for digital assets and address unclaimed digital property and restrictions on public officials issuing or promoting digital assets, and AB 1180, which would create a pilot program for paying state fees with digital financial assets and require a report on broader adoption. Both bills passed with broad support after brief testimony and discussion. Final roll calls later confirmed AB 1052 and AB 1180, along with AB 407 and AB 1365, were moved out of committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• But we also got a small increase in K-1w2 programs.
• It’s a fairly small investment.
• It's a huge accomplishment for our nimbleness and how small we are.
• This is supporting small mayors, small town mayors, business bankers, business leaders, community developers
• Very indicative of small communities is that you have a small number of people trying to do great things

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I really like, I know you're a small business owner and you know the needs.
• Business is big business in Texas and the Office of Small Business Assistance helps our small and medium-sized
• small businesses with resources available in their areas.
• And so you see some of the small business events on this slide as well.
• I mentioned the Governor's Small Business Freedom Council at the beginning.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are not small regional facilities.
• A small business owner, for example, Many people.
• Because we should never hinder small businesses with small business tax. Representative Gant.
• That's going to help a lot of small businesses. You know how much Apple pays for a small business?
• The same as a small marina. This is a good bill. Let's cut taxes for small business.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Joseph Di Alessandro, the Pledge of Allegiance, and announcements confirming a quorum. Members also adopted the special order report and recognized several guests in the gallery, including former Speaker Dan Webster and law enforcement and civic visitors. The chamber then moved through a long special-order calendar of bills, mostly on third reading, with several measures passing unanimously or by wide margins. Among the bills considered were measures on civil procedure and estates, including C.S. HB 1407 on commencement of civil actions, HB 895 on trustee settlement and discharge, C.S. HB 1337 on estates, HB 131 on curators of estates, and C.S. HB 351 on concurrent legislative jurisdiction over military installations. The House also passed C.S. HB 441 on conservation lands, which would lengthen notice and increase transparency for land swaps involving conservation property, and C.S. CS HB 919 on commercial service airports, which created a statutory definition for major airports and preempted local naming authority for several airports. HB 919 drew extensive debate over the proposed naming of Palm Beach International Airport after President Donald J. Trump, with amendments to delay or alter the naming failing before the bill passed. Other bills approved included HB 409 requiring K-12 schools to observe Veterans Day, CS HB 461 allowing certain students to volunteer at polling places for community service hours, CS HB 1115 creating grants for genetic counseling education, HB 569 revising forensic client services, CS HB 505 regulating virtual currency kiosks to address fraud, and HB 271 on foreign and alien bail bond insurers. The House also passed HB 191 on re-employment assistance eligibility verification after extended questioning about its effects on benefits, appeals, and suitable work standards. One bill, CS HB 243 on electric bicycles, was temporarily postponed, and CS HB 1073 on school districts was also postponed.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're creating an ombudsman who can work with small and midsize businesses to work through the process
• They make sense for our industries, they make sense for our small communities, they make sense for labor
• So we're creating an ombudsman who can work with small and midsize businesses to work through the process
• They make sense for our industries, they make sense for our small communities, they make sense for labor
• um to help job creators help those small um to help job creators help those small to<00:04:34.919

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• benefit and we've heard from small benefit and we've heard from small businesses<00:13:55.199>
• implementation businesses small implementation businesses small businesses<00:15:57.920> are<
• they wanted this benefit 79% of small they wanted this benefit 79% of small businesses<00:42:36.880
• <00:43:13.240> businesses both workers and the small businesses both workers and the small
• And small employers will pay a lower premium, and there are also grants as well to help those small employers

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So we'll incorporate any small things, you know, if there are some changes to lane widths to bring a
• curb out further, small things we can definitely do under this.
• Section 50 says if the Division of Small Business makes an award that is not approved by the Council
• Section 57 for the Small Business Financial Development Fund authorizes up to $5 million.
• to support programs that provide financial assistance to further small business development.

Summary: The committee met for a fiscal year 2027 capital budget writing session with all 12 members present. It first reviewed and approved the DNREC Resource Conservation and Development drainage project list, which would add projects across New Castle, Kent, and Sussex counties and bring the total eligible projects to 1,561. Members offered personal remarks thanking retiring conservation district staff, especially Kevin Donnelly, for years of work on drainage and water issues. The committee then reviewed DelDOT Rule 12 changes, including annual date updates and a reduction in the inflation markup applied to older estimates, and approved the rule as amended. The committee next adopted DelDOT Appendix A and the FY27 paving and rehabilitation list, including the subdivision street management fund and various road resurfacing projects. DelDOT explained that paving projects are for state-of-good-repair work and that major changes from corridor studies would be handled separately. The committee also approved DelDOT epilogue changes, including updates to authorization amounts, a $25 million increase for toll infrastructure work, changes to subdivision street paving language, and an increase in the subdivision street paving management fund to $30 million. Several sections were placed on hold for later updates. The committee then moved through boilerplate epilogue sections in the bond bill, approving a wide range of provisions affecting conservation districts, housing, economic development, corrections, DNREC, public safety, transportation, agriculture, fire prevention, education, and other agencies. Many sections were adopted in groups, while some were held for later revisions or deleted as no longer needed. The session included updates to school capital rules, transportation restrictions and reporting requirements, DNREC conservation and land-use provisions, and funding and administrative authorities across multiple agencies. The committee broke for lunch after approving the education-related sections through 147, with additional sections still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• Small towns like ours cannot afford to hire separate grant writers.
• Thank you for your continued support of our small cities and towns.
• In small towns, we do not have the same staffing levels that large communities do.
• Small towns know how to stretch every dollar and pinch every penny because we have to.
• By giving us a small boost in our grant applications, I believe it would encourage more small communities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The joint committee held a public hearing on several bills covering state administration, land/public housing redevelopment, construction safety, memorialization, records management, rural grant equity, and animal research. Testimony in support of H. 3329 described an inequity in the Governor’s Council reimbursement statute, which currently cuts off travel, meals, and lodging reimbursement after four terms; the witnesses argued this disproportionately burdens members from western Massachusetts and creates geographic and economic barriers to service. The Boston Housing Authority supported legislation for the Brighton/Faneuil Gardens area, saying it would allow a mixed-use redevelopment that replaces all existing public housing units one-for-one, adds new affordable housing, creates replacement rehearsal space for displaced musicians, and preserves prevailing wage standards. A major portion of the hearing focused on S. 2112, a construction safety bill. Suffolk Construction, Boston building trade representatives, and local inspectors testified that the measure would strengthen training, site safety standards, oversight of high-risk work, and enforcement, while helping protect workers and the public and improving retention and recruitment of inspectors. Witnesses said the bill would align Massachusetts more closely with higher safety standards in other states and build on lessons from past construction-related incidents. The committee also heard support for S. 2162, which would create a COVID-19 memorial; the witness emphasized the scale of pandemic deaths in Massachusetts and the educational value of public memorials. Other testimony addressed H. 3321, which would modernize records preservation for registers of deeds by reducing reliance on costly microfilm in an increasingly electronic system; the witness said current law is outdated and expensive. H. 3311, aimed at advancing equity for rural communities receiving state grants, drew support from town officials in Leyden and Ashfield, who said small towns lack staff for grant writing and should be evaluated more on need and regional impact, especially for climate and public safety projects. Finally, S. 2117, concerning animal research, was supported by an animal welfare advocate who urged prohibiting state funds for animal experiments and shifting to non-animal research methods. After the hearing concluded, the chairs noted that additional hearings and polling votes would follow, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who will give us an update on the Sarah project, the Small Town and Rural Arts project?
• Who will give us an update on the Sarah project, the Small Town and Rural Arts project?
• Actually, small communities have a lot, but it's a little bit of a reframing.
• You know, with small towns, there's always outsiders and insiders.
• We'll have block voting for operating support small and also the CCPG grants.

Keywords: Virginia Commission for the Arts Board Meeting, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the members of my organizations are all small companies.
• Uh, I have only carriers that are in that small, uh, in that small section.
• And so when you're talking about very small, very rural, um, we are solely very small and very rural.
• , small providers.
• were, um, quite onerous for a small company.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Empowering Small Minnesota Communities Program ensures that infrastructure investments and small
• <00:02:37.440> towns aspirations and values of small towns aspirations and values of small
• <00:04:02.080> communities, that a lot of small communities, that a lot of small communities
• Small Minnesota The Empowering Small Minnesota Communities<00:07:16.639> program<00:07:17.440
• letter<01:24:02.560> then where there's a small letter then where there's a small letter

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, after I talked to the last student group, and being in a small town, they all knew me.
• destroy small businesses while allowing big tobacco to thrive.
• goals while keeping Alabama's small business infrastructure intact.
• As far as small businesses are concerned, As far as small businesses are concerned, many keep referencing
• We're not trying to hurt small businesses. We're trying to save the lives of our children.

Bills: SB210, SB225, HB280, HB287, HB94, HB88, SB157, HB7, HB8, HB42

Keywords: hospital liens, medical billing, government healthcare, insurance claims, patient rights, blood tests, DUI, law enforcement, traffic offenses, chemical analysis, public nuisance, event liability, local government, community health, legal action, transparency, reporting, public safety, regulation, accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is a small piece to get there, and I thank my fellow panelists here and others here today for
• This bill is a small piece to get there, and I thank my fellow panelists here and others here today for
• Small business owners struggle to attract and retain local employees.
• Continuing with another panel: Bill Grogan, Tamara Small, Carmen Chung, and Darcy Jamison.
• Continuing with another panel: Bill Grogan, Tamara Small, Carmen Chung, and Darcy Jamison.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on zoning, Chapter 40B, and related housing bills. Much of the testimony focused on the “Yes in My Backyard” bill (H. 1572/S. 962), which would expand by-right development of missing middle housing, reduce barriers such as minimum lot sizes and parking mandates, and support duplexes, triplexes, and other small-scale housing. Supporters included housing advocates, developers, local officials, and municipal leaders from places like Cambridge, Salem, and Braintree, who argued that state action is needed because local zoning often blocks needed housing and that the bill would help create more affordable, neighborhood-compatible homes. Several witnesses also backed a companion “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill (H. 2347), which would allow faith-based institutions to build housing on their property by right, with testimony emphasizing the potential for new units, added municipal tax revenue, and partnerships between religious organizations and housing developers. The committee also heard testimony on Senate Bill 1021 to modernize Chapter 40R incentives. Senator Pavel Payano and others said the program’s payments have not kept pace with inflation since 2004 and should be increased to better encourage smart-growth zoning near transit and town centers. Another major topic was H. 2298 on site plan review, which would codify and standardize the process in state law. Rep. Kristin Kassner and witnesses from MAPC and NAIOP said current site plan review practices vary widely across the state, creating confusion, delays, and litigation, while a uniform framework would give municipalities clearer tools to review by-right projects without undermining local oversight. The hearing also included testimony on Chapter 40B reform, including S. 1005 and H. 1537. One witness supported further review of 40B and stronger regional planning, while another backed a proposal to allow certain pre-2010 40B condominium owners to sell at market value under a framework that would recapture some of the subsidy benefits. Committee members asked several questions about local zoning changes, housing goals by county, and how the proposed bills would affect communities. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chairs indicated that written testimony would be welcomed for technical details and additional comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• provider enrollment are in one small provider enrollment are in one small subdivision.<00:04:20.400
• MARSH represents many small family adult foster care homes serving one to four residents.
• Under a flat red rate system, small<00:20:48.320> providers<00:20:48.799> cannot<00:20:
• 49.200> spread<00:20:49.520> compliance small providers cannot spread compliance small
• entities reduced access to small entities reduced access to small community-based<00:21:45.600><

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Chairman Small, members of the committee.
• Thank you, Chairman Small. Thank you. Thank you for your work. Hello, Mr.
• And you take out Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and it gets pretty small, right?
• Hello again, Chairman Small, members of the committee.
• the same homes, and the same small businesses.

Bills: HB2, SB193, SB132, SB35, SB145

Keywords: general appropriation, budget, Medicaid, education funding, public safety, SB193, acequia, community ditch, irrigation works construction fund, water infrastructure, ditch infrastructure, irrigation, New Mexico water law, agricultural water, farmers, Rio Grande, acequia association, forest land protection revolving fund, state fund transfer, irrigation projects

Transcript Highlights:

• And small beneficiaries saved $1.2 million in fiscal year 2024.
• This difference in trends between small and large beneficiaries is also present in the number of small
• And small beneficiaries saved 1.2 million in fiscal year 2024.
• This difference in trends between small and large beneficiaries is also present in the number of small
• I think the whole idea, and as it was mentioned, it's a very small...

Summary: The committee met on December 3, 2025, with a quorum present and approved the September 17 minutes. Members first voted to suspend the 2026 JLARC lodging tax expenditure report for one year, based on staff’s explanation that the report is self-reported, not verified, and less useful than State Auditor accountability audits; the motion passed. The committee also approved renaming the JLARC I-900 subcommittee to the “Committee to Hear SAO Performance Audits,” while keeping the opening script noting that the performance audit process exists under Initiative 900. The committee then heard follow-up updates on two prior performance audits. The Department of Health presented a draft strategic management plan in response to findings on hospital inspections, complaints, adverse event review, and hospital data access. JLARC staff reiterated that 72% of hospital inspections were late, that DOH did not verify third-party inspection standards or review adverse event reports, and that complaint data suggested possible language-access barriers. DOH said it concurred with the recommendations, had improved on-time inspection compliance to about 49%, planned annual updates starting in July 2026, and would work on accreditation oversight, complaint-language access, and data accessibility, though members pressed for firmer deadlines and questioned the three-year timeline for language access improvements. The Liquor and Cannabis Board also reported on its cannabis market study recommendation. JLARC staff said the agency’s data were incomplete and unreliable, limiting oversight of production, recalls, tax collection, and diversion. LCB said it had improved its current CCRS system but still relied on self-reported data, and it presented a decision package for a new traceability system estimated at about $9 million over three fiscal years. LCB described a plant-tagging and serialization approach tied to production, processing, testing, and retail, but acknowledged it did not currently have sufficient staff to fully implement the system without additional funding. The committee also received briefings on JLARC’s recommendation-tracking tools and the 2024 public records reporting summary, including a high-level review of agency response rates, request volumes, costs, and litigation. Finally, JLARC presented the proposed final report on the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, concluding that OPDP meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but that its mandate should be updated to better match its current capacity and focus; the committee adopted the report for distribution. The meeting then moved into the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, where JLARC staff summarized nine reviews and noted that the Citizens Commission on Tax Preference and Performance Measurement endorsed all 17 legislative auditor recommendations, with comments on seven. Early reviews discussed included natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, nonprofit low-income housing development, multipurpose senior centers, disabled veteran adaptive housing, and trade convention attendance, with staff and commissioners generally recommending continuation of some preferences, modification of others, and improved objectives or performance measures where needed.