Transcript Highlights:

• It authorizes two local jurisdictions to impose a special tax, including food and beverage, lodging,
• It authorizes two local jurisdictions to impose a special tax, including food and beverage, lodging,

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• the Division of Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vapor Products Licensing within the Department of Alcohol Beverage
• This is the same authority given to ABC and its regulators to regulate malt beverage and spirits.

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on February 18, 2025, and first took up Senate Bill 22 by Senator Reginald Thomas, which was presented as a cleanup measure following prior cosmetology reforms and a Legislative Oversight and Investigations report. The bill would allow cosmetologists to retake exams multiple times with a one-month wait, authorize the Board of Cosmetology to immediately close facilities that intentionally use unlicensed workers while preserving due process, give the board flexibility to hire an executive director based on qualifications rather than licensure, and recognize certain out-of-state or territorial cosmetology licenses. Board officials said the changes were intended to improve fairness, equality, and administrative due process. Senators asked about retesting fees and whether partial retests could dilute standards; Thomas clarified that the exam is cumulative and must be retaken in full. The committee approved SB 22 with all favorable votes, and Senator Meredith explained his support as a workforce and fairness issue. The committee then heard Senate Bill 100 by Senator Jimmy Higdon, as substituted, concerning tobacco, nicotine, and vapor product retail licensing and enforcement. Youth advocates from the University of Kentucky testified in support, describing youth nicotine use as a public health crisis and urging stronger enforcement, annual compliance checks, retailer licensing, and tougher penalties for illegal sales to minors. Higdon said the bill would create a Division of Tobacco, Nicotine, and Vapor Products Licensing within ABC, require licenses for retailers, authorize inspections and confiscation of contraband, impose escalating criminal and civil penalties for unlicensed sales and sales to minors, publish a list of licensed retailers, and dedicate fine revenue to enforcement and youth education. He said the measure targeted bad actors rather than responsible retailers. A retailer witness also supported licensing but raised concerns about contradictory product definitions that could sweep in hemp and medical marijuana vapor products, and asked that the bill be delayed until after an expected Supreme Court decision affecting federal vapor-product rules. The transcript ends during discussion of SB 100, before any committee vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• But, in general, I would say that we're very supportive of the amendment that was crafted.
• to the committee and the insurance department and other stakeholders for their diligent work in crafting
• > Uh</c><00:55:17.560><c> very</c><00:55:17.760><c> thankful</c><00:55:18.240><c> to</c> that was crafted
• Uh very thankful to that was crafted.
• </c><00:55:24.160><c> a</c><00:55:24.240><c> system</c> their diligent work in crafting a system their

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a very important topic, and we've crafted these recommendations.
• There are other models out there for a non-coastal state, but we're trying to craft something that is
• these recommendations uh and crafted these recommendations uh and we've<00:29:43.919><c> probably</c
• c><00:30:11.039><c> we're</c><00:30:11.360><c> trying</c><00:30:11.600><c> to</c><00:30:11.760><c> craft
• </c> state with uh but we're trying to craft state with uh but we're trying to craft something<00:30:

Summary: The Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force opened its sixth meeting by approving the minutes and then taking up a presentation from University of Pikeville representatives and local leaders on an Eastern Kentucky Disaster Relief Center at Bear Mountain in Pike County. Speakers included Greg May, Rep. Ashley Tacket Laferty, Lori Worth, and Laura Damron. They described repeated flooding and other disasters in eastern Kentucky, the lack of a single prepared relief location, and the need for a centralized, elevated site that could serve as a flood and broader natural-disaster hub. The presenters said the Bear Mountain property, about 530 acres and well above flood levels, could support a multi-use facility combining disaster response functions with university and community uses. Proposed features included a command and communications center, distribution space, emergency shelter, medical and clinic support, food service, restroom facilities, RV hookups, and an indoor track/distribution building. They emphasized that the project would help avoid disrupting existing venues such as the Pikeville Expo Center and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, while also supporting tourism and economic recovery. Committee members asked about community and emergency-management support, annual operating costs, and resilience standards such as tornado-related building codes. In response, the presenters said local stakeholders, including Appalachian Wireless, Pikeville Medical Center, Community Trust Bank, the city of Pikeville, and emergency management officials, had expressed support. They said the university planned to absorb some operating costs through multiple uses of the facility, community camps, and budgeted maintenance, and that construction documents were nearly complete with plans to begin building within months. After the presentation, the chair thanked the presenters and moved the committee into its recommendations discussion, noting the broader fiscal and humanitarian importance of disaster preparedness and resiliency and indicating that future legislation would likely follow from the task force’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• More recently, the Craft Academy has been established at Morehead.
• /c><00:05:21.360><c> established</c><00:05:21.919><c> at</c> Craft Academy has been established at Craft
• Uh, they would leave those Craft and Gatton with an associate's degree.
• Uh, I know Craft is real big in aeronautics. So those, I'll call them innovative schools for those.
• They would leave those Craft and Gatton schools with an associate's degree.

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met with a quorum, approved the August 20, 2025 minutes, and then heard a discussion tied to Constitution Day and Kentucky’s constitutional duty to provide an efficient system of common schools. Chairman James Tipton reviewed the history of Kentucky’s model laboratory schools, postsecondary academy programs such as Gatton and Craft, magnet schools, virtual learning, and computer science opportunities, arguing that Kentucky has long expanded educational opportunity through different school models. He described model schools and academy programs as hybrid or innovative approaches that serve specialized student needs and noted that some of these programs receive state appropriations and, in some cases, tuition. Senator Steve West then gave a retrospective on school choice in Kentucky, beginning with the 2017 charter school law and explaining that Kentucky’s charter framework was designed as public-only to comply with the state constitution. He said charter schools have remained largely dormant in Kentucky and used that as context for Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, which he said was modeled on a South Carolina approach. Under SB 207, a local school board can contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, receive SEEK funding, and seek waivers from certain state regulations in order to innovate, while retaining limits on items such as school safety and attendance rules. Members asked about how the new model differs from charter schools, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the bill is intended to keep the school within the public system, with the local district initiating the process and maintaining accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school fails to perform. They emphasized that the school would serve the existing student population rather than select students, and that teachers would remain district employees with their pensions and related contributions unchanged. Representative Brown raised concerns that exceptions and charters could leave lower-income children behind, while West responded that the bill is meant to expand choice for families who otherwise lack access and cited examples from other states where outside management and parental involvement helped turn around low-performing schools. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's always been a little bit of confusion about cottage food, craft food, farm-to-fork events, and
• The craft food portion, the agency would oversee that statewide, and we have committed to working with

Transcript Highlights:

• It's important to look at the underlying statute, and the statute as it's currently crafted...
• this water to it's important to look at the underlying statute and the statute as it's currently crafted
• um Statute, and the statute as it's currently crafted, under current law groundwater may be withdrawn
• So we believe the current statutes as they are crafted probably provide a better opportunity than having
• But again, the way this has crafted it probably would limit our ability to acquire these sources, at

Committee: House House Natural Resources, Energy & Water Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee heard and took action on several water, energy, housing, and natural resources measures. House Bill 2099, as amended, was advanced on a 6-3 vote after testimony from water utilities, CAP, ADWR, Phoenix, and agricultural interests about long-term storage credits, Colorado River shortages, and the need to preserve flexibility in underground storage. House Bill 2263, also amended, passed 6-3 despite concerns from CAP, Colorado River Indian Tribes, and others that it would restrict where Colorado River replenishment water could be stored and reduce operational flexibility. House Bill 2264, requiring the University of Arizona to promote Arizona history and the five Cs through the mining museum effort, passed 9-0. House Bills 2330 and 2341, both relating to power plant and transmission line siting criteria, passed 6-3 after the sponsor argued they would better account for an area’s character and for speculative projects lacking known off-takers. House Bill 2918, ending certain tax breaks for renewable energy and storage equipment after 2026, passed 6-3. House Bill 2889, appropriating $1 million for uranium contamination monitoring and a statewide registry, passed 9-0 after discussion of tribal health impacts and possible amendment to shift implementation to ADEQ. House Concurrent Resolution 2057 supporting geothermal permitting reform passed 9-0, and House Concurrent Resolution 2020 supporting certain housing developments outside designated provider service areas passed 6-2. The committee also heard House Bill 2843 on portable plug-in solar devices, with the sponsor and supporters arguing it would lower bills and expand access for renters and apartment dwellers. Electric co-ops and utilities raised safety, backfeed, inspection, and liability concerns, and the chair held the bill for further work rather than taking a vote. House Bill 2782, dealing with utility rate transparency and regulatory assets, drew testimony from the sponsor and constituents about alleged double-charging in Santan Valley; after a motion to suspend committee rules to consider a late amendment, the amended bill passed 5-3. House Bill 4025, creating a study committee on gasoline and petroleum refineries, passed 6-3 after the sponsor argued Arizona relies heavily on imported gasoline. House Bill 2912, requiring integrated resource plans and independent review for electric utilities, passed 6-2 after amendment. Finally, House Bill 4100, requiring notice to customers about potential rate impacts if CAP water is lost, drew opposition from municipal and private water providers who said the required estimates would be speculative and could not be prepared by the deadline; the bill was discussed with an amendment expanding its scope, but the transcript ends before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This leads to more carefully crafted regulations that take into account economic impacts, practical implementation
• This leads to more carefully crafted regulations that take into account economic impacts, practical implementation
• and stakeholders this leads to more and stakeholders this leads to more carefully<00:03:08.879><c> crafted
• c><00:03:09.280><c> regulations</c><00:03:09.840><c> that</c><00:03:10.000><c> take</c> carefully crafted
• regulations that take carefully crafted regulations that take into<00:03:10.440><c> account</c><00:03

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met with a quorum and first heard Senate Bill 20, sponsored by Senator Matt Nunn, which would bar state agencies from adopting administrative regulations with implementation and compliance costs above $500,000 over a two-year period unless an exception applies. Nunn said the bill is intended to increase legislative oversight, reduce burdensome regulation, and preserve agency authority for routine rules, with exceptions for emergency actions, loss of federal funds, express legislative authorization, and health facility/service matters. Senators asked about the definition of “major economic impact,” whether broader societal costs were considered, and how the legislature could respond quickly to year-round agency rulemaking; Nunn said the bill is meant to force those larger policy choices into the legislative process. Several members voiced concern that the threshold was too low and could tie agencies’ hands, while others supported the bill as a check on regulation. The committee voted to report SB 20 favorably, with some members voting no or passing. The committee then took up Senate Bill 127, sponsored by Senator Shelley Frommeyer, concerning real estate license reciprocity. Frommeyer and representatives from Perry Real Estate College explained that the bill would codify Kentucky’s current education and licensing standards for out-of-state real estate licensees, rather than relying on bilateral agreements that can be terminated by other states. They said the measure was prompted by the end of reciprocal agreements with states such as Ohio and West Virginia, which left students and licensees uncertain, and argued that codifying the standards would provide stability, help military spouses, and support Kentucky’s real estate industry. Senators questioned whether a compact would be better, whether the bill would disadvantage Kentucky licensees seeking to practice elsewhere, and whether it would weaken Kentucky’s leverage in future negotiations. Supporters said the bill only fixes Kentucky’s side of the process and could encourage other states to adopt similar standards; opponents worried it was unilateral and might not produce reciprocity from other states. The committee ultimately reported SB 127 favorably, with several members explaining yes, no, or pass votes, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Republican Senator Karin Housley says, quote, I'm looking forward to crafting a bonding proposal that
• In a statement, Republican Senator Karin Housley says, quote, "I'm looking forward to crafting a bonding
• Housley says quote I'm looking<00:25:46.320><c> forward</c><00:25:46.679><c> to</c><00:25:46.880><c> crafting
• </c><00:25:47.320><c> a</c><00:25:47.480><c> bonding</c> looking forward to crafting a bonding looking
• forward to crafting a bonding proposal<00:25:48.600><c> that</c><00:25:48.799><c> prioritizes</c><00

Transcript Highlights:

• But in the meantime, we have to craft legislation in a way that we believe meets the standard.
• But this legislation is actually the amendments were crafted in a way in which those companies, first
• And so we have really, you know, crafted a bill that right now focuses on the things we find harmful
• Brian had said, is there a way, are there other alternatives to craft policy?
• They are thoughtful and well crafted.

Summary: The committee heard AB 1988, which would require AI companion chatbots to respond to credible self-harm or violence-related crisis expressions by displaying the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, warning users, and pausing the chat for human review after repeated crisis signals. The author and supporters said the bill is a measured safety standard to redirect vulnerable users to human help, citing research and cases where chatbots worsened suicidal ideation or violent behavior. Support came from crisis and medical advocates, while no opposition testimony was offered. The chair and members expressed strong support, and the bill was held pending quorum before later action on the agenda. The committee then took up AB 1709, which would set a minimum age of 16 for users to create or maintain accounts on social media platforms with harmful addictive features and would create an E-Safety Advisory Commission in the Attorney General’s office. The author argued the bill targets product design, not speech, and is intended to curb compulsive features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds while allowing safer or non-addictive platforms to remain available. Supporters, including a psychologist and the Organization for Social Media Safety, described cyberbullying, predation, compulsive use, and mental health harms; opponents, including EFF, ACLU-Cal Action, TechNet, and youth advocacy groups, warned about privacy, First Amendment, and access-to-community concerns, especially for LGBTQ youth and other marginalized groups. Committee members debated whether the bill is a ban or a delay, how age assurance would work, and whether the proposal would be effective or could push youth to less safe spaces. Several members said they would support the bill as a first step, while others raised concerns about enforceability, privacy, and constitutional issues. The author emphasized that the bill is limited to specific harmful design features, not content or general internet access, and that the new commission would monitor evolving technology and recommend future updates. No final vote was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Larry<00:03:04.720><c> Craft,</c><00:03:05.599><c> second</c><00:03:06.000><c> term,</c><00:03:07.120
• ><c> represent</c><00:03:07.680><c> 46A</c> Larry Craft, second term, represent 46A Larry Craft, second
• thank you. >> Except when you cross part or state lines that might be a problem. >> Representative Craft
• &gt;&gt; Representative<01:36:56.480><c> Craft</c><01:36:56.880><c> Craft.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Representative Craft Craft. &gt;&gt; Representative Craft Craft.

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:18:22.799><c> helped</c><00:18:23.120><c> us</c><00:18:23.520><c> um</c><00:18:23.760><c> crafting
• </c><00:18:24.160><c> the</c> this committee helped us um crafting the this committee helped us um crafting
• </c> you really haven't learned the craft you really haven't learned the craft yet.<01:32:46.560><c>
• </c> Is your knowledge of in of the craft Is your knowledge of in of the craft stale<01:45:18.000><c>
• My only thing would be, don't you think to stay sharp at your craft, and if you're going to go out and

Committee: Senate Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Help them to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all
• Help them to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all
• Help them to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all
• Help them to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all
• Help them to craft legislation that supports farmers and miners, educators, healthcare workers, and all

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee members for developing a solution-oriented budget, and the vice chair and her team for crafting
• Committee members for developing a solution-oriented budget, and the vice chair and her team for crafting
• /c><00:30:44.240><c> her</c><00:30:44.399><c> team</c><00:30:44.559><c> for</c><00:30:44.799><c> crafting
• </c><00:30:45.120><c> the</c><00:30:45.360><c> CIP</c> chair and her team for crafting the CIP chair
• and her team for crafting the CIP budget. budget. budget.

Transcript Highlights:

• think it's important to have that discussion, and we'll continue to discuss it, especially after the Craft
• The representatives Sensor Murray, Keagle, and Craft will go in that order at this point.
• Representative Craft, thank you, Mr. Chair and Representative Anderson.
• Representative Craft. No. Representative Lucero Nicolai. No. Representative Murphy. Yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh the second thing it does is removes the section concerning craft member appointments by the president
• does is removes the<00:04:26.960><c> section</c><00:04:27.800><c> concerning</c><00:04:28.280><c> craft
• </c><00:04:28.560><c> member</c> the section concerning craft member the section concerning craft member

Summary: The House Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee met to consider House Bill 534, an elections bill sponsored by Representative D.J. Johnson. The committee first adopted a committee substitute, and Johnson explained that the substitute removed the emergency clause, deleted provisions on craft member appointments and cast vote records, changed language on memoranda of understanding with the Department of Justice from mandatory to permissive, and removed a section on election-day procedures for voters flagged as non-citizens. He said the changes were made in response to concerns from county clerks and to improve the bill before floor consideration. Members asked about the bill’s purpose, cost, and effects. Johnson said the measure was not aimed at a widespread fraud problem but was intended to improve election security, accuracy, and fairness, and he said he had not been told it would create a significant cost increase. Questions also focused on a provision allowing certain federal officeholders to run for president or vice president while retaining their current office; Johnson said the language was meant to apply only to federal offices decided by the Electoral College and to avoid penalizing voters who elected those officials. Representative Roberts supported that provision, while Representative Gooch objected to it and said he would vote no if it remained. The committee also discussed voter-roll maintenance and whether the bill would improperly remove people whose voting rights had been restored by pardon or other legal means. Johnson said the administrative process should account for restored rights through coordination with the governor’s office and the Administrative Office of the Courts. Several members praised the Secretary of State’s work but raised concerns about the clerks’ opposition, the bill’s cost, and whether it solved a real problem. After debate, the committee voted 12-4 to pass the bill as amended by the committee substitute, then adopted a title amendment, and reported House Bill 534 favorably to the House floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can tell you personally, I crafted this bill. So that's why I'm happy to speak about it.
• So, yes, I know this bill intimately because I crafted it.
• So did you ask for any optometry input whenever you crafted it?
• With—” “With Dr. or with Representative Farnan this past summer, whenever our bill was initially crafted

Committee: House Professional Registration and Licensing

Transcript Highlights:

• In other words, the prospect that judges would lose discretion to craft a safe, treatment-focused sentence
• That judges would lose discretion to craft a safe, treatment-focused sentence for these folks.
• the office and agencies that have an interest in this bill have plenty of resources to go ahead and craft
• Plenty of resources to go ahead and craft something and draft something that's more appropriate for this

Bills: S0132 , S0418 , S0442 , S0646 , S0748 , S1326 , S1332 , S1660 , S1734 , S1742 , S1750

Committee: Senate Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee took up a series of criminal justice and public safety bills. SB 646, allowing the use of drug testing tools such as fentanyl test strips and reagent kits to detect dangerous adulterants, was presented as a harm-reduction measure and reported favorably after supportive testimony from advocates and criminal defense groups. SB 442, extending the return period for warrants involving digital evidence from 45 days to one year, also passed unanimously amid testimony from prosecutors and law enforcement about encryption, backlogs, and large volumes of child exploitation evidence. SB 418, creating autism-related law enforcement training and a Blue Envelope Program for traffic stops and other encounters, was reported favorably with support from police, disability advocates, and families. SB 132, creating a public database to help people determine eligibility for restoration of voting rights, and SB 748, requiring notice of voting-rights restoration information on sentencing score sheets, both passed with broad support from voting-rights and criminal defense advocates. The committee also approved SB 1734, recognizing juvenile probation and detention officers as officers under Florida law and extending related training and benefits, and SB 1660, designating June as Responsible Firearm Safety Awareness Month. SB 1742, which repealed the existing “unnatural and lascivious acts” statute and created a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a minor, was amended with a delete-all amendment and then reported favorably. SB 1750, a major overhaul of career offender registration requirements, was later reconsidered after a bill-number mix-up and then reported favorably as SB 1332, with FDLE and sheriff’s association support. The most contentious measure was SB 1326, which would eliminate the traditional insanity defense and replace it with a lack-of-culpable-mental-state defense, require malingering assessments in competency evaluations, and limit downward departures based on mental illness. Criminal defense attorneys and disability advocates argued it lacked a treatment component, raised scientific and cost concerns, and could worsen public safety by sending mentally ill defendants to prison without adequate care. Supporters, including the sponsor and the Attorney General’s office, argued it would close gaps and better protect the public. After extensive debate, the bill was reported favorably on a divided vote, with several members voting no. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional votes on some bills, and Senator Pizzo moved for reconsideration of SB 1326 for a future meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• you this year, as opposed to previous years, gives us a longer time for compliance, and we want to craft
• environmental organizations, both regionally in eastern Washington as well as statewide, and we want to craft
• compliance with the Climate Commitment Act, is a reasonable approach, giving our community more time to craft
• compliance with the Climate Commitment Act, is a reasonable approach, giving our community more time to craft

Summary: The Environment and Energy Committee heard testimony on three bills. HB 2426 would allow the Pollution Control Hearings Board, with unanimous agreement of the parties, to use alternative board compositions for appeals, including a single member or other qualified environmental adjudicators, so long as one member is a Washington-licensed attorney and the panel has environmental law expertise. The bill sponsor and supporters from business and conservation groups said it was a narrow, consensus-based change intended to improve efficiency and predictability. ELUHO’s director supported the concept but flagged technical issues in the bill language about attorney and Growth Management Hearings Board member qualifications. HB 2416 would provide no-cost allowances under the Climate Commitment Act to Spokane’s waste-to-energy facility, which is not currently covered until the second compliance period. Supporters, including Spokane officials, labor, and local partners, said the facility protects a sole-source aquifer, provides waste disposal and electricity for about 13,000 homes, and faces large compliance costs that could raise rates and threaten jobs. Opponents from environmental groups and Ecology argued the bill would give the facility preferential treatment, subsidize most of its emissions through 2050, and fail to ensure real emissions reductions; AWB raised concern about market impacts if new allowances are added. No vote was taken. HB 2373 would require electric utilities to offer monthly bill discount programs with tiered income levels, expanded outreach and enrollment, and updated reporting on low-income energy assistance. The sponsor said the bill is meant to make assistance more consistent and accessible statewide, while utilities and rural co-ops warned it could create unfunded mandates and significant rate increases for non-low-income customers, especially in smaller systems. Supporters from community action agencies, Commerce, and some utilities said monthly assistance is needed because energy burdens are rising and current programs are patchwork, though several urged pairing the bill with state funding or amendments. The committee heard extensive testimony but took no final action on any of the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our company specializes in tie-dye and crafting experiences, both for birthday parties, crafting clubs
• important to note, I am not dressed professionally today because I just left 200 kids' summer camp crafting
• It's a constant grind and balancing act, but one driven by passion and craft for the people that we serve

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing in Paramount as part of its “Pocketbook Tour,” focused on affordability, cost pressures, and household impacts in Los Angeles County. The first panel centered on workers and learners, with testimony from the UCLA Labor Center and the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board. Speakers described how rising living costs, tuition, and low wages force many students to work long hours, often in unrelated, low-wage jobs, while struggling with food, rent, bills, anxiety, and limited financial aid. Recommendations included expanding state-funded work study, creating a statewide internship tax credit for small businesses, improving financial aid formulas to reflect regional cost of living, increasing flexibility for students, and strengthening worker-rights education and career pathways. The second panel focused on microbusinesses and small business affordability. Testimony from microenterprise advocates, the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, and local business owners described rising commercial rents, labor costs, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, insurance, utilities, and disaster-related pressures as major threats to small businesses. Witnesses emphasized that small businesses are central to local economies and asked the state to expand technical assistance, low-interest financing, disaster support, supply-chain development, and community-based outreach. They also urged more intentional support for microbusinesses and home-based entrepreneurs, including networks that connect them to resources and help them build collective buying power. Committee members asked about possible state actions, including tax credits for hiring local workers or interns, support for trades and apprenticeships, and ways to partner more closely with SBDCs and chambers of commerce. Public comment echoed the hearing themes, with speakers highlighting student hardship, nonprofit mental health funding, renewable energy jobs and internships, and the need for state support for clean-energy incentives. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with closing remarks and adjournment at 11:05 a.m.