Video & Transcript Research : 'border wall'
Page 82 of 300
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee 3/4/26
Agriculture Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- You had Matt Gaetz praising her in the Wall Street Journal.
- <00:23:11.440>
Street Gates praising her in the Wall Street Gates praising her in the Wall - The margins are so without walls. The margins are so tight.
- And the average farmer can't compete on price against this Wall Street-backed acquisition.
- compete on price against this Wall compete on price against this Wall Street<01:01:31.200>
back
Bills:
HF3718
Keywords:
veterinary medicine, veterinary technology, animal care, licensing, client consent, continuing education, emergency services, teletriage, 1183, house
Summary:
The Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee met with quorum present, approved the March 2 minutes, and then heard a presentation on economic consolidation in agriculture from Austin Ferk, who said he was not taking additional public testimony. Ferk argued that consolidation in meat, dairy, and grain markets has squeezed farmers on both input and output prices, raised consumer prices, and reduced product quality. He used charts and examples to claim that concentrated markets lead to price gouging, that farmers now receive a historically low share of each food dollar, and that industrial production has contributed to environmental problems, especially in Iowa.
Ferk focused on several large agribusiness firms, especially JBS and Cargill. He described JBS as a dominant meatpacker with a history of bribery allegations and market power across beef, pork, poultry, and leather, and said its ownership of brands can obscure who is actually selling the product. He also criticized Cargill as an opaque, privately held company with enormous influence over grain and food markets, and said the farm bill and crop insurance system have been shaped to favor overproduction of corn and soy rather than diversified farming. He argued that these policies, along with ethanol demand and export-oriented livestock production, have harmed rural communities, increased manure and nitrate pollution, and contributed to health problems.
In the latter part of the presentation, Ferk discussed antitrust and policy responses, including concentration studies, a proposed packer ban that would prevent meatpackers from owning the animals they slaughter, and restrictions on slotting fees and other pay-to-play practices in grocery retail. He also referenced the failed Kroger-Albertsons merger as an example of consolidation harming local communities. No committee vote or formal action was taken on the presentation beyond approving the minutes.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Practicing mortuary science 3/23/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- compete with people who come in with an easier time into the profession and then come across the border
- then<00:08:22.960>
come <00:08:23.120>across <00:08:23.440>the <00:08:23.599>border - <00:08:23.919>
and <00:08:24.720>work then come across the border and work then come - across the border and work here.<00:08:25.360>
I <00:08:25.440>I <00:08:25.840>don't
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session 5/5/25 - Part 1
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- unheard, even the cries of the planet, the soil, the plants, and all creatures who live within our borders
- who<00:02:18.640>
live <00:02:18.800>within <00:02:19.120>our <00:02:19.280>borders - <00:02:20.560>
Let <00:02:20.800>us who live within our borders. - Let us who live within our borders.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee 2/25/26
Public Safety Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:59:41.599>
Canada <00:59:42.079>orders at international borders. - Canada orders at international borders.
- A protective order should not lose its full legal meaning simply because it's issued across the border
- . border. border.
- it's issued issued across the border. it's issued issued across the border.
Keywords:
public safety, coercion, criminal penalties, law enforcement, victim protection, HF3496, supervision abatement, earned compliance credit, earned compliance credits, conditional release, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, restitution, willful nonpayment, probation-like supervision, release supervision, community supervision, lifetime conditional release, early termination of supervision
KY
Kentucky 2025 Regular Session
Interim Joint Committee on Transportation (10-14-25)
Transcript Highlights:
- Did you look at parking availability in other states across the border?
- Did you look at parking availability in other states across the border?
- but many of them are towards the borders but many of them are towards the borders of<00:21:30.720
- So the and without getting real border?
- I don't really know if they ship the car across the border to Mexico or but they're not junking them.
Summary:
The Interim Joint Committee on Transportation approved the minutes from its September 16 meeting and then heard a presentation from Jason Sawala, deputy state highway engineer with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, on rest areas and truck parking. He described Kentucky’s system of eight welcome centers, 14 rest areas, and four truck havens, and said the Cabinet spent just over $12 million in fiscal year 2025 to operate and maintain those facilities. He also explained that the Cabinet’s truck parking study found truck parking demand has increased 24% since 2012, driven by just-in-time delivery, stricter hours-of-service and electronic logging requirements, and fewer drivers.
Sawala said the study looked not only at Cabinet-owned facilities but also private truck stops and lots, and identified unmet parking demand across the state, especially at 1:00 a.m. He noted that 11 sites, mostly existing rest areas, weigh stations, or welcome centers, were identified as promising expansion locations, with estimated project costs in the $30 million to $36 million range in 2022 dollars. He said the Cabinet is working on design and project development for those sites and is seeking federal funding opportunities where available.
Members raised concerns about safety, congestion, and trucks parking on ramps or in residential areas, and several asked about funding, charging for parking, and whether autonomous vehicles might reduce future demand. Sawala said the 820 public rest-area spaces are marked spaces only, that he was not aware of any state charging for public truck parking, and that federal programs can help fund some expansions. He also said he was not aware of local-government parking programs offhand but would look into it. Members generally emphasized the importance of truck parking for safety, commerce, and avoiding burdens on local communities.
AL
Transcript Highlights:
- That's what He wants, and we put Him—portray Him up on the wall, but He's... ...portray Him up on the
- wall, but He's not portrayed in our hearts.
- We present Him on the wall, but we legislate against everything that is... ...legislate against everything
- That's not carrying out the will of God that you put on the wall.
- So this morning, let us not just... ...the wall.
FL
Transcript Highlights:
- When you—we have open borders for a number of years—has created a significant crisis in our state and
- When you—we have open borders for a number of years—has created a significant crisis in our state and
- from the border to Democratic-led states.
- Coast Guard District 7, along with the chief of the Border Patrol in the state of Florida, made a decision
- If we have issues with the Coast Guard and they need to deal with folks coming over our border directly
Keywords:
property assessment, wind damage, home improvements, real estate, tax exemption, Florida statutes, ad valorem taxes, property listings, tax estimation, disclosure, Florida, residential property
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum present and took up three property-tax related bills before turning to a broader discussion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund. SB 434, which would prohibit counties from increasing a residential property’s assessed value because the owner installed wind mitigation measures, was presented by Senator Lee and reported favorably. CS for SB 110, which clarifies that holders of 98-year-or-longer residential leases remain eligible for the homestead exemption even if the lease ends at death, was also reported favorably. SB 856, requiring online residential listing platforms to display estimated property taxes using prescribed calculation methods and not the current owner’s tax bill, drew support from property appraisers, Zillow representatives, and others and was reported favorably after questions about transparency and realtor obligations.
The committee then considered SPB 7040, which would recreate and extend the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund through December 31, 2027. Senator DiCeglie and Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie argued the fund is needed for hurricane response, other natural and man-made emergencies, and reimbursement-based spending; they said the extension preserves legislative oversight that would otherwise lapse. Several senators questioned the use of the fund for immigration-related operations, detention facilities, and other non-disaster activities, as well as the lack of additional guardrails, reimbursement timing, and transparency. Guthrie said the division has used the fund for hurricanes, flooding, civil unrest, security operations, and other incidents, and that some reimbursements are still pending from the federal government.
Public testimony on SPB 7040 was largely opposed. Speakers from the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida for All, and others argued the fund has been repurposed for immigration enforcement and detention-related spending rather than true emergencies, and raised concerns about deaths in detention and the absence of competitive bidding and oversight. Guthrie answered extensive questions about the South Florida and North Florida detention facilities, Operation Vigilant Sentry, State Guard support, reimbursement requests, equipment purchases, and legislative access to facilities. The committee did not take a final vote on SPB 7040 within the portion of the transcript provided.
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House State Government Finance and Policy Committee 1/23/25
State Government Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- 00:02:32.000>
gone <00:02:32.560>since <00:02:32.840>Governor <00:02:33.239>walls - those days are gone since Governor walls those days are gone since Governor walls has<00:02:33.959
- power for years now Democrats and power for years now Democrats and Governor<00:02:38.200>
walls - c><00:02:38.680>
have <00:02:38.840>ignored <00:02:39.400>Republican Governor walls - have ignored Republican Governor walls have ignored Republican pleas<00:02:40.280>
for <00:02:
Summary:
The House State Government Finance and Policy Committee met on January 23, 2025, approved the minutes from January 21, and took up House File 2, a bill on mandatory fraud reporting and grant oversight. Representative Davis described the bill as requiring state agencies to report suspected fraud to law enforcement and legislative leaders, post organizational charts online, conduct unannounced site visits for grant recipients, require reporting of grant violations, and suspend or terminate grant agreements when recipients are charged with or convicted of related crimes. No testifiers were present.
Committee members asked about how the reporting requirements would work, whether the bill should reference inspectors general or other law enforcement channels, and whether whistleblower protections would cover employees making reports. Representative Joy suggested the bill should halt funding immediately when fraud is reported, while Representative Ston raised the possibility of including contract employees. The committee administrator said the general whistleblower statute likely applies, but would follow up if needed.
Representative Anderson noted that the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits was listed as an opponent and asked about any outreach; Representative Davis said he was surprised and had not been contacted directly. The chair said the bill would be laid over because no fiscal note was yet available, and encouraged further discussion with members and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits before the bill returns. The chair then moved on to a brief discussion of the governor’s budget proposal, noting that several agencies had declined to appear, and the meeting adjourned.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommitee Oct 6th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- We border Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. 22,000 square miles.
- It's my understanding that Congress has taken action to identify the corridor from the Mexican border
- those 121 are in our ports of entry, which are in the 12 ports scattered throughout the edges of our borders
- There's no real incentive for any city to go outside its borders to connect somewhere else.
- In the Las Cruces area, providing trips for major employers like Border Patrol and some of the mines
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Sep 9th, 2025
New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- And then just as a total aside, Madam Chair, the The border highway connector project is something that
- adequate sewage systems, a population of 25,000 or less, are located within 150 miles of the US-Mexico border
- I think it's what, 50 miles from the border or something is how you begin to qualify?
- Yeah, Madam Chair and Senator Padilla [ID: member_12481], it's 150 miles from the border.
- Being that they are right on the border, we need to figure out how to help them get some of their projects
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Senate in Special Session C Feb 11th, 2025
Florida Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- and subsequently enacted several executive orders relating to immigration, including securing our borders
- additional sworn law enforcement and support positions to enhance interdiction activities and protect the borders
- In total, this legislation rigorously implements President Trump's plan to secure our border, protect
Summary:
The Florida Senate convened in special session with an opening prayer and pledge, then the Secretary read the joint proclamation calling the session. The proclamation stated the session was called to address immigration-related legislation, including measures to coordinate with federal immigration enforcement, create a state immigration board, restrict benefits for undocumented immigrants, create offenses related to non-citizen voting, strengthen detention and bail rules, require identification in state interactions, and provide funding and penalties related to enforcement and officials.
The Senate read the filed bills first time: SB 2C and SB 4C, both relating to immigration, and SM 6C, a memorial urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. The President and several senators discussed the immigration package, emphasizing support for President Trump’s immigration agenda, funding for law enforcement, and cooperation with the governor and House. The President also condemned threats and violent rhetoric directed at Commissioner Simpson and his family, and Senator Pizzo echoed concerns about threats and urged senators to discourage inflammatory social media behavior.
The Rules Chair announced the Appropriations Committee would meet the next day, and the Senate adopted motions waiving rules to place SB 2C, SB 4C, and SM 6C on the special order calendar for Thursday, with an amendment deadline tied to the Appropriations Committee meeting. Another motion sent bills filed outside the call to the Rules Committee for review. Senator Burgess recognized USF Health medical and resident students in the gallery. The Senate then adjourned until Thursday, February 13, or upon the call of the President.
DE
Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session
House of Representatives Legislative Session - Session 2 - 42nd Legislative Day Jun 30th, 2026 at 02:00 pm
Delaware House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- counties to regulate the location, design, and operation of cannabis establishments within their borders
- Maryland and New Jersey have opened dozens of dispensaries within a short drive of our border and are
- Delawareans, and so many people in this chamber, I myself was navigating personal challenges outside these walls
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Ways and Means Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Transcript Highlights:
- But the wall that's been put up at least so far relative to cooperation is more than a little concerning
- Massachusetts and western Massachusetts, again with Trinity Health, that is pushing people to go across state borders
- I'm south of Worcester, on the border of both Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a Health and Human Services budget hearing in Clinton, with opening remarks from Chairs Meg Kilcoyne and Robin Kennedy, local officials, and many House and Senate members introducing themselves. The hearing focused on Governor Healey’s FY27 EOHHS and MassHealth budgets, with repeated themes of rising health care costs, federal funding uncertainty, workforce shortages, and access to care in underserved regions. Members also raised concerns about primary care shortages, rural and regional disparities, behavioral health access, maternal health, food insecurity, and the impact of federal policy changes on Massachusetts programs.
EOHHS Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the FY27 EOHHS budget totals $33.7 billion, reflecting mostly non-discretionary growth from health care costs, labor costs, caseload increases, and provider rate pressures. He highlighted targeted investments in foster care, family resource centers, maternal health, youth services, nutrition programs, immigrant legal services, and human service workforce rates, while warning that federal actions could strip roughly $3.5 billion annually from the state’s health care funding. In response to questions, he defended the administration’s cooperation with federal audits and program integrity efforts, discussed the primary care crisis, and said the state is trying to preserve core services while preparing for a more difficult FY28 budget cycle.
MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine then described two major FY27 challenges: double-digit cost growth and the expected effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He said MassHealth’s proposed $22.7 billion gross budget includes a 7.5% increase and relies on a moratorium on new expansions plus targeted reductions, including a $1,000 annual adult dental cap, ending GLP-1 coverage for weight loss only, reducing care management to peer-state levels, and work groups to slow growth in PCA, adult foster care, and adult day health spending. Members questioned the impact on Boston Health Care for the Homeless, preventive care, and regional access; Levine said the changes are meant to preserve sustainability, that children and certain disabled populations remain protected, and that the administration will continue working with providers, advocates, and the Legislature on implementation and longer-term reforms.
MO
Transcript Highlights:
- On a separate note, have you looked to the bordering states and see where we relate to there in this
- Yeah, being on the western border, that's kind of where I was just to be... ...in their laws.
- Yeah, being on the western border, that's kind of where I was just to be competitive.
- But yeah, being on a border county, obviously you've got to play it apart to be at the table for industries
- You know, they're built on the border of the county or wherever they're built because of different laws
Summary:
The Missouri House Legislative Rules Committee held a rare public hearing on House Bill 2243, sponsored by Rep. Bryant-Wolfen, which would repeal a local sales tax exemption for certain industries that was enacted in a prior omnibus bill tied to the Wayfair-related tax changes. The sponsor argued the exemption shifted revenue away from counties and onto local residents, and said the bill would restore local tax collections that had been lost without a guaranteed replacement. Several members questioned whether the proposal amounted to a tax increase on manufacturers and whether it could deter investment or job growth; the sponsor responded that the tax burden had already been shifted to Missourians and that other pro-business reforms could address competitiveness.
Supporters from Iron County, St. Genevieve County, and Adair County testified that the exemption had reduced local revenue for roads, law enforcement, ambulance, and 911 services. They described budget shortfalls, service cuts, and the impact on counties that had already approved local sales or use taxes by voter approval. One Iron County commissioner said the loss of revenue had forced higher property tax levies and reduced ambulance coverage, while St. Genevieve officials cited large drops in monthly sales tax receipts and rising costs. Adair County officials said the exemption affected revenue from large solar and wind projects and argued that the taxes were intended to support local infrastructure and schools.
Opponents, including Associated Industries in Missouri, argued the exemption was originally adopted to keep Missouri’s tax system uniform and compliant with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair framework for out-of-state sellers. They warned that removing the exemption could create a $35 million annual burden on manufacturers and potentially jeopardize broader local use-tax collections if the state’s system were challenged again. Committee members also discussed the possibility of requiring local voter approval or a replacement revenue source before changing the exemption. No vote was taken during the hearing, and the chair said he planned to execute the bill later in the week.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Economic and Rural Development Jun 4th, 2025
Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- Uh, the next one I wanted was, and I like that you guys had number 5 for uh federal and military border
- I think where I'll leave it is um the proposed borderplex digital um campus down on the southern border
- bring to those communities, especially because they're in an unincorporated area on the southern border
- Being down in the southern part of the state, Madam Chair, I looked at the border, uh, industrial complex
HI
Transcript Highlights:
- requested an environmental health and safety officer staff position due to some challenges with the border
- some challenges staff position due to some challenges with<00:08:08.720>
the <00:08:08.879>border - with the border water contract for that. with the border water contract for that.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- And I'll point this out: if we had a secure border this whole time, this wouldn't be an issue, right?
- -Mexico border under my role as vice chair of the Texas Border Coalition for over 10 years.
- We're a border state, after all. We used to be Mexico.
- You bring up border issues, but this is not what we're here to discuss.
- We have long prioritized border security and border protection, and eliminating the magnets that draw
Keywords:
higher education, tuition rates, financial support, immigration status, Texas law, SB 1835, resident tuition, nonresident students, scholarship students, public higher education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Education Code Section 54.213, tuition waiver, in-state tuition, out-of-state students, higher education finance, enrollment cap, capacity limit, workforce development area, nonimmigrant visa
MN
Minnesota 2025 1st Special Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 3/11/25
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- not worked. ...the alternative is an interpretation that extends Minnesota's policies beyond its borders
- I think Minnesota attempting to shut off the power line at the border with North Dakota, I don't know
- at<00:36:38.319>
the <00:36:38.640>at <00:36:38.760>the <00:36:38.839>border - <00:36:39.119>
with power line at the at the border with power line at the at the border with - Smith whether Minnesota has the authority to regulate electricity generation within its own borders,
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
AGR/AEN Joint Info Briefing - Fri Jan 17, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- , so our borders are the ports of entry because it does oversee a multi-agency monitoring project that
- And for post-border, where we have existing pests, we have agencies and organizations that work across
- the things where we and for post border the things where we have<00:20:18.880>
existing <00:20 - , border, and post-border activities.
- DAR takes on a holistic role, addressing pre-border, border, and post-border challenges, focusing on
Summary:
The joint House and Senate agriculture committees met on January 17, 2025, for an informational briefing on biosecurity and invasive species; Chair Kahaloa opened by noting there would be no public testimony. Members introduced themselves, and the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council (HISC) program manager Chelsea Arnot outlined the purpose of the briefing and the statewide impacts of invasive species, citing examples such as coconut rhinoceros beetle, little fire ant, coquí frogs, albizia, and mosquito-borne disease. She emphasized that biosecurity requires coordinated action across state departments, counties, federal agencies, universities, and communities, and highlighted HISC’s role in funding interagency projects, island invasive species committees, research, outreach, and early detection efforts.
Arnot and HISC representatives described major funding and program needs, including a requested $4.25 million increase to HISC to raise its baseline budget to $10 million, support island committee operations, research, biocontrol, marine biosecurity, surveillance, and staffing. They also requested $500,000 for the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab, saying it is critical to invasive ant research and little fire ant response. The briefing also noted HISC’s leverage of federal dollars, including a $4.6 million REPI award with HISC providing the match, and cited successful collaborative eradications and responses, including veiled chameleons on Maui, axis deer on Hawaiʻi Island, and a 2023 coconut rhinoceros beetle response on Maui that prevented further spread.
Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture officials then discussed implementation of updated administrative rules effective January 20, 2025, which permanently restrict movement of coconut rhinoceros beetle host material and give the department stronger authority to stop movement of infested material. They reported 2024 import activity of about 50,000 ship and aircraft arrivals, inspection/clearance of 20 million pieces, and 16,000 interceptions, with additional staffing from Act 231 expected to increase interceptions. They also described Act 231 funding and current spending status: about 65% obligated and 52% encumbered, with some funds tied to contracts for CRB and little fire ant response, plus an $800,000 green-waste hauling RFP that had to be reissued because of a flaw. The department said 580 Oʻahu homes and 290 Hawaiʻi Island homes are slated for little fire ant treatment, while Maui and Kauaʻi will focus on survey and outreach.
Members questioned how homes are selected for subsidized treatment, whether HISC and the island invasive species committees received Act 231 support, and whether the state should direct how contracted funds are prioritized. Representative Martin raised concerns that the RFP limited eligibility to private pest control companies and excluded more experienced entities such as the Hawaiʻi Ant Lab. Department officials said they would follow up on prioritization and funding details, and noted that emergency proclamations and procurement flexibility could help with rapid response and hiring during invasive species emergencies.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- I had one person where she wanted pink quartz on the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling, and the tub
- <01:09:08.040>
on <01:09:08.239>the quarts on the floor on the walls on the quarts - The big one right now is these retractable glass walls that go out to a lanai or a backyard.
- I have to reframe that exterior wall. I have to frame out where that glass can collapse into.
- in so is that really part of the wall in so is that really part of the original<01:27:06.880>
lake