Transcript Highlights:

• > Business</c> According to the Small Business According to the Small Business Administration,<04:28:
• </c> small businesses that they invest in. small businesses that they invest in.
• :57.840><c> businesses,</c> unlock capital for small businesses, unlock capital for small businesses,
• > Business</c> According to the Small Business According to the Small Business Administration,<05:22:
• </c><05:40:58.160><c> Business</c> of the Advocate for Small Business of the Advocate for Small Business

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 23, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, it is small businesses.
• small businesses uh with number one very small businesses uh with a<00:47:11.359><c> revenue</c><00:
• small businesses that had and the very small businesses that had not<00:47:17.040><c> already</c><00:
• So again, it is small taxable year. So again, it is small businesses. businesses. businesses.
• current</c> small businesses under the current small businesses under the current promise<01:18:32.719

Bills: HF3217 , HF2252

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: bioindustrial facilities, economic development, renewable energy, advanced biofuels, state funding, HF2252, Minnesota bonding, volume cap, private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, public facility bonds, public facilities pool, unified pool, bond allocation, municipal finance, bond cap, housing bonds, residential rental projects, manufacturing bonds, enterprise zone bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> However, if not adopted, many small However, if not adopted, many small business<00:08:07.880><c
• <00:13:44.440><c> businesses</c> small businesses small businesses and<00:13:46.200><c> also</c><00:13
• There's all sorts of, uh, businesses in Minnesota that are small businesses that use this.
• There's all sorts of, uh, businesses in Minnesota that are small businesses that use this.
• 41.880><c> that</c> Minnesota that are small businesses that Minnesota that are small businesses that

Bills: HF3127 , HF3524 , HF3525 , HF3754

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: taxation, pass-through entity, qualifying owner, partnership, S corporation, tax return, overtime compensation, tax deduction, income tax, federal regulations, tax reform, tip income, federal tax deduction, Minnesota Statutes, individual income, employer contributions, Trump accounts, federal law, gross income exclusion, 1183

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a lot of small changes here.
• We need to find some way to make it easier for these small businesses to be competitive in our state.
• It's one small step to try to find a way to support our small businesses.
• business owners that Rep.
• It will help small businesses, but not just small business.

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2104 would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program, which lets DNR provide aerial wildfire response resources to local fire departments during initial attack. The prime sponsor, Rep. Tom Dent, said the program helps small rural districts avoid costly state mobilization and keeps fires small; DNR and local fire officials testified in strong support, citing rapid response times, major property protection, and even a rescue of a trapped civilian. No opposition testimony was heard, and the sign-in record showed 215 pro and one con. HB 2348, a DNR request bill, would streamline timber and land sale procedures by allowing more online notice, changing where sales may be held, permitting re-offering of no-bid sales, and clarifying appraisal and fair-market-value standards for certain land transfers. DNR said the bill would improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden, while the American Forest Resource Council and Washington Forest Protection Association supported it as a modernization measure that preserves fiduciary protections for trust lands. Committee members asked about the scope of the trust-land language and potential savings; the sign-in record showed 43 pro and one con. HB 2454 would raise the surface mine reclamation threshold from three acres to seven acres of disturbed area, reducing the number of small gravel and aggregate operations subject to DNR permitting. Rep. Andrew Engel argued the change would help small rural producers compete against larger corporations and lower burdens on local material suppliers. DNR opposed the bill, saying acreage alone does not determine environmental risk and that the permit process provides important review, technical assistance, and reclamation planning; the agency said it was open to discussing alternative approaches. A remote industry witness supported the bill, saying it would help small sources remain viable while county regulation would still apply. The sign-in record showed 143 pro and three con. After the hearings, the committee adjourned without taking votes on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just a busy time and a lot's going on. So welcome.
• Agricultural lending is a good business, and we work with our customers to improve their business, both
• We have 70,000 farms, most of them small.
• I think I shared earlier for businesses such as ours, when you go to many of these small towns, we're
• These non-profits and small businesses in New Jersey and around the country are now being forced to lay

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Keywords: farm bill, rural economy, crop insurance, access to credit, young farmers, USDA funding freeze, agricultural policy, risk management

Summary: The meeting of the agricultural committee focused on significant concerns regarding the current state of America's rural economy, highlighting the need for a strong five-year farm bill to address the challenges faced by farmers, particularly young and beginning farmers. Key testimony was given by multiple stakeholders including agricultural leaders and young farmers, emphasizing issues related to crop insurance, access to credit, and the adverse impact of recent USDA funding freezes. Various members discussed the necessity of risk management tools that farmers rely on to secure financing, which is crucial for sustaining agricultural operations and supporting rural communities. The importance of timely legislative action was underscored, as many farmers reported struggles in the current economic climate, raising urgency for reforms within the Farm Bill framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• Several small businesses asked me, as I was having roundtable meetings in my district with small businesses
• It's, in some sense, life or death to many, many small businesses.
• Since 2012, credit card fees have more than doubled for small businesses.
• And please don't destroy the small businesses that serve them.
• There are so many small businesses who are offering these services.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened a hearing of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure and reviewed a broad agenda including credit card fees, event ticketing, music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, CPA pathways, school mental health licensure, and a bill regulating alternative healing therapies. The chairs explained hearing logistics, including three-minute testimony limits and submission of written testimony, and noted that more than 70 people had signed up to testify. Legislators and advocates were heard out of order throughout the day. A major portion of the hearing focused on credit card surcharge and interchange legislation. Restaurant owners, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, NFIB, and other small-business witnesses supported bills allowing merchants to add convenience fees and, in one proposal, preventing card companies from charging fees on tax and tip portions of transactions. They argued that swipe fees are a major and growing cost, especially for restaurants, and that Massachusetts is one of only two states that bars surcharges. Opponents from the Cooperative Credit Union Association, the Electronic Payment Coalition, and the Electronic Transactions Association warned that the proposals would create compliance burdens, fragment the payment system, raise legal preemption issues, and disrupt a system they described as efficient and secure. The committee also heard competing testimony on ticket transferability and ticket resale. Supporters, including the National Consumers League and Sports Fans Coalition, said bills on ticket transferability would protect consumers who cannot attend events and would increase competition and savings in the secondary market. Opponents, including United Musicians and Allied Workers and theater owners, argued that mandatory transferability would weaken artists’ and venues’ ability to prevent scalping and predatory resale, and that some ticket sellers should be exempt from the broader ticketing regulations. Separate testimony supported music therapy licensure, senior psychologist licensure, and new CPA education pathways, with witnesses saying these measures would expand access to care and strengthen the workforce while maintaining professional standards. The hearing also drew extensive opposition to S.261 on alternative healing therapies, with practitioners and clients arguing it would overregulate spiritual and holistic practices and was not an effective response to human trafficking concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> um is a is a lot for a small business. um is a is a lot for a small business.
• </c><00:14:02.720><c> bill</c><00:14:02.959><c> is</c> small business the way this bill is small business
• and as I know many small business owner and as I know many small<00:20:59.440><c> business</c><00:20:
• business owner myself, that would crush that small business, especially if they’re a brand-new small
• business or a small entrepreneur.

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So let’s say that that small business owner then incurs $100,000 in attorney’s fees.
• It is seeking to address the expense that small businesses, business owners, and individuals may incur
• And we charge our citizens... ...seeking to address the expense that small businesses, business owners
• And sometimes, as a small business owner myself... ...with small business competitiveness right now.
• And then go on this fishing expedition and then pull the rug out from under the small business.

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , HB2487 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5995 , SB5831 , SB6134 , SB6136 , SB6137 , HB2689 , SB5922 , SB5944 , SB5957 , SB5988 , SB5994 , SB6011 , SB6065 , SB6103 , SB6151 , SB6244 , SB5420 , SB5868 , SB6044 , SB6132 , SJM8002

Keywords: behavioral health, emergency services, health insurance, provider access, mental health funding, premium assistance, funding, healthcare, subsidies, insurance tax, state regulation, insurers, taxation, budget impact, juice grapes, agriculture, commerce, market access, fire safety, insurance incentives

Summary: The House took up a series of Senate bills and moved most of them quickly to third reading and final passage, often suspending the rules and adopting committee amendments without objection. Early action included Senate Bill 5944, which addresses compensation for interpreters working for L&I when appointments are canceled or missed; it passed 86-10. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5837, dealing with guardianship and supported decision-making, drew debate over a new right to counsel in guardianship cases and concerns about expanding civil legal obligations, but it passed 73-23. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6197, a plumbers enforcement/discipline measure tied to task force work on wages and the underground economy, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6019, fixing a loophole in home care worker parity law, also passed unanimously, as did Senate Bill 6011, which extends authority for Court of Appeals bailiffs to assess threats against judges and staff, though members noted concerns about access to non-conviction data. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6058, aimed at improving Labor and Industries’ ability to address wage theft complaints and backlog, passed 96-0 after House amendments. Substitute Senate Bill 5923, allowing an island hospital in Skagit County to become a critical access hospital, passed 96-0 amid support for rural health care. Senate Bill 5994, which changes how timber tax revenue is distributed so school districts are not penalized when levies fail, also passed 96-0. Substitute Senate Bill 6076, streamlining public utility district procurement and raising spending thresholds, passed 95-1 after a capital budget amendment. The House then moved to second reading of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5925, a major bill expanding the Attorney General’s authority to issue civil investigative demands in constitutional and discrimination-related matters. The bill prompted extensive debate over civil liberties, due process, and the potential for government overreach. Amendment 2160, which would have required clear and convincing evidence before a CID could issue, was rejected 38-48. Amendment 2149, creating a right to cure before a CID, was also rejected. Amendment 2150, requiring assistant attorney general approval and a reasonable suspicion standard, failed 38-48. Amendment 2151, requiring the Attorney General personally to approve CIDs in writing, failed as well. However, several narrowing amendments were adopted, including limits on scope and relevance (2288), a prohibition on CIDs to federal agencies (2289), a ban on sharing CID-derived information for criminal law enforcement purposes (2290), and a requirement that the Attorney General’s office consult with other agencies in certain overlapping investigations (2154 was rejected, but later amendments continued). Other proposed protections, such as fee-shifting for successful CID challenges and reimbursement when a CID produces no action, were debated at length but not adopted in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• small business and from perspective from small business and from the<01:08:48.239><c> larger</c><01:
• ><c> the</c> the small business economy during the the small business economy during the pandemic<01:
• Small Business Administration does define small business across the board generally as under 500, and
• small business across the board Define small business across the board generally<01:14:26.440><c> as
• He noted that the federal small business deduction, which allows small business owners to deduct 20%

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 135, introduced by Representative Michael Harrington. He said the bill would codify a portion of the New Hampshire Constitution to bar New Hampshire businesses from being required to collect sales or use taxes for other states unless Congress mandates it, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision created an onerous compliance burden for businesses. He described the patchwork of state and local sales tax rules, thresholds, and product exemptions as extremely complex and said the bill was intended to push the issue back toward Congress and the courts. Members questioned whether the bill’s reference to a “foreign government” would apply to other U.S. states, whether the proposal would conflict with the Supremacy Clause, and whether it would create standing for businesses to challenge Wayfair. Harrington responded that “foreign government” meant any government other than New Hampshire, that he believed the state could challenge the decision in court by passing a law contrary to Wayfair, and that businesses were already being harmed by compliance costs. Some members raised concerns about whether the bill was an unfunded mandate or simply a private compliance burden, and Harrington argued that the state itself would not be collecting the taxes, but businesses would still face recordkeeping and administrative costs. Sam Garland of the Department of Justice then testified. He said the department was not taking a formal position on the bill, but offered technical comments. Garland acknowledged that Wayfair created significant compliance burdens and noted that states have become somewhat more uniform, with all states now having a $100,000 economic nexus threshold, though not all use the 200-transaction threshold and local tax variation remains substantial. He said the department’s concerns were legal, describing the issue as uncharted constitutional territory involving both vertical and horizontal federalism. No vote or final action was taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So why not small businesses? ...to take care of the workload. So why not small businesses?
• And so I see this, it would be onerous for small businesses.
• businesses contract with the state. ...that small businesses contract with the state.
• Even though as a small business owner, I'm very sympathetic towards small businesses and recognize that
• As a small business owner, I can first say that E-Verify isn't onerous. It's a free online system.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Summary: The Senate State Affairs Committee approved the February 4, 2026 minutes and advanced the gubernatorial appointment of Ryan Lanham as State Athletic Commissioner to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation. The committee also sent RS 33249 to print, a resolution covering reviewed and approved rules for several state agencies, including Idaho State Police, the Public Safety and Public Utilities Commissions, the Secretary of State, the Department of Administration, and the State Lottery. Members then considered RS 33252, a joint memorial urging Idaho’s congressional delegation to pursue greater state autonomy over election laws and campaign finance, including possible constitutional changes. The memorial was introduced and sent to print without opposition. The committee next heard SB 1247, which would require E-Verify for state and local government employers and certain larger contractors. Supporters said it would protect taxpayer dollars and align with other states, while opponents argued it was too narrow, left subcontracting loopholes, and could burden employers without fully addressing illegal hiring. After debate, the bill was sent to the floor with a do pass recommendation on a 6-3 vote. Finally, the committee heard SB 1236, a code cleanup bill to remove the obsolete Idaho Women’s Commission from statute. The sponsor said the commission was defunded years ago and the bill simply removed unused code. Testimony from women’s advocacy groups opposed the bill, arguing the commission could still be reactivated and could address ongoing issues affecting women. Committee members split over whether the commission was still needed, but the bill was ultimately sent to the floor with a do pass recommendation, with Senators Ruchti and Bernt recorded as voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent over 20,000 small business owners here in Texas and are here to support HB 11.
• NFIB produces a monthly report that we call the Small Business Economic Trends Report, and we pull a
• random sample of our small business owners from around the country.
• I was also honored to co-chair the Governor's Small Business Freedom Council with Glenn Hammer of TAB
• business community by welcoming these skilled workers and empowering small businesses to succeed.

Bills: HB132 , HB 11 , HB14 , HB132 , HB1584 , HB1606 , HB5061 , HB 1041 , HB2286

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Keywords: nuclear energy, Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, energy policy, regulation repeal, state energy strategy, licensing, reciprocity, regulation, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, interstate agreements, advanced reactors, energy security, grant programs, HB 132, Texas Government Code Chapter 418, Public Information Act, confidential records, homeland security, foreign adversary, terrorism

Summary: The committee first took up pending business and quickly reported several measures favorably, including HB 12, SB 1361, SB 1705, SB 1749, SB 1897, SB 2344, SB 2566, HB 3809, and HB 4215, with most sent to the Local and Uncontested Calendar. HB 12’s substitute clarified a limited midterm review of regulatory agencies tied to Sunset Commission recommendations. SB 2696’s substitute changed med spa regulation from a license to a certificate, with training instead of an exam, plus background checks, continuing education, and two-year renewals. HB 3809 dealt with battery energy storage decommissioning and recycling, and HB 4215 was reported without a substitute. SB 1978, concerning interconnection of electric facilities in ERCOT and federal jurisdiction concerns, was reported out on a 5-3 vote after debate, but then the chair later announced the bill was withdrawn and left pending subject to the call of the chair. HB 1899 was also reported favorably, with one nay. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 14, the advanced nuclear energy bill. Senator Schwertner described it as creating a Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office, a nuclear permitting coordinator, a development fund, a completion grant program, and a workforce development program. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including representatives from Fermi America, Dow/X-energy, CPS Energy, Paragon Energy Solutions, Bridge to Nuclear, Aalo Atomics, and the Texas Association of Business, argued that Texas should lead in advanced nuclear, citing future baseload demand, data centers, industrial power needs, supply-chain development, and long-term energy diversification. Opponents, including Public Citizen, Texas Nuclear Watchdogs, Sierra Club, and individual citizens, argued the bill would subsidize unproven, expensive technology, create grants rather than loans, and expose taxpayers to major risk while doing little to meet near-term energy needs. Several members questioned whether the state should fund projects that may not produce grid power for years, and whether the bill’s grant structure and new office were justified. The committee also heard HB 5061, which Senator Schwertner said would prohibit unethical surveillance and misuse of confidential information by state contractors, create a confidential reporting system through the State Auditor’s Office, authorize Texas Rangers investigations, protect whistleblowers, and impose penalties including contract termination, fines, and contracting bans. No public testimony was offered, and the bill was left pending. HB 132, sponsored by Senator Hughes, would extend confidentiality protections for sensitive information to hostile acts by foreign adversaries; it was also left pending after no testimony. HB 1584 was then laid out, with Senator Schwertner explaining it would require utilities to maintain and update priority restoration lists for critical facilities after Hurricane Beryl exposed communication failures, but the transcript cuts off before any action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• c> they</c> for small businesses so that they for small businesses so that they continue<00:41:44.400
• This is an amendment for small farmers, small businesses, small farmers.
• It helps small business. It necessary. It helps small business.
• And to our small business future.
• </c><01:00:25.360><c> businesses</c> the damage that our small businesses the damage that our small businesses

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• small businesses Union unions uh small businesses Union organizers<00:03:20.120><c> uh</c> organizers
• </c><00:21:22.880><c> businesses</c> world uh economics of small businesses world uh economics of small
• <c> reasons</c> for small businesses for many reasons for small businesses for many reasons some<00:25
• There are small business grants to help those small businesses carry out this program when they lose
• :22.559><c> to</c> there are um small businesses grants to there are um small businesses grants to help

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• warehousing logistics, adding that for our small businesses and for our businesses to be able to have
• I appear here today to speak on behalf of over 14,000 homeowners and small businesses. the author of
• keep it equal for small businesses.
• It will – sorry, I'm struggling a little equal for small businesses.
• But private equity, not small businesses, are the ones that are buying up the single-family homes in

Committee: Joint Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In December, Governor Abbott formed the Small Business Freedom Council to explore ways to support businesses
• I was honored to be appointed as the co-chair of the Governor's Small Business.
• Excuse me, the way many small businesses interact with state government is outdated, inconsistent, and
• Number one was reducing the inventory tax on small businesses, for which I want to commend the Senate
• for small businesses to navigate state websites.

Bills: HB2564 , HB2760 , HB2765 , HB2898 , HB3260 , HB3800 , HB4341 , HB4396 , HB5195

Committee: Senate Economic Development

Keywords: Defense Economic Adjustment, grant applications, economic assistance, local government, Evaluation panel, judicial review, Texas Workforce Commission, unemployment compensation, legal proceedings, labor law, rural development, infrastructure, Texas economic fund, private investment, job creation, meteorological evaluation towers, wind resources, aviation safety, regulations, construction notice

Transcript Highlights:

• In December, Governor Abbott formed the Small Business Freedom Council to explore ways to support businesses
• , our task was simple but important identify barriers to small business success and recommend practical
• Small business owners told us time and time again that navigating Texas agency websites was one of the
• Number 1 was reducing the inventory tax on small businesses, which I want to commend the Senate and the
• it easier for small businesses to navigate state websites.

Committee: Senate Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• The small business credit allows businesses that owe less than a certain amount of B&O tax to take a
• business credit further reduced the B&O tax for small beneficiaries by an average of 6%.
• And 89% of small beneficiaries use the small business credit from 2019 to 2023.
• And 89% of small beneficiaries use the small business credit from 2019 to 2023.
• So I'm trying to understand the small business part, too.

Summary: The meeting began with JLARC’s biennial executive committee elections. After confirming a quorum, members unanimously elected Representative Pollet as chair, Senator Wagoner as vice chair, Representative Orcutt as secretary, and Senator Solomon as assistant secretary for the 2025-27 biennium. The committee also approved the May 14 meeting minutes unanimously. Chair Pollet then outlined a commitment to more member input on audit scope and coordination with the State Auditor’s Office. Staff presented a preliminary report on Washington State recreation boating programs. They reported that six agencies administer boating-related activities, that the state collected about $108 million in boating-related revenue in 2021-23, and that $86 million was spent, mostly on infrastructure and water access, environmental protection, boater safety, and marine law enforcement. Staff said Washington’s boating laws and programs are broadly similar to other states and noted that the final report is expected in September. JLARC then reviewed several tax preferences. For natural gas used as a transportation fuel, staff said the preferences reduce fuel costs but did not meet emissions-reduction targets because fewer vessels and vehicles converted to natural gas than expected; staff recommended continuing some exemptions and modifying reporting requirements. For travel agents and tour operators, staff said the preference continues to provide tax relief, but large beneficiaries’ savings are rising while small beneficiaries’ use is declining, leading to recommendations to continue the small-business rate and add or revise performance metrics. Staff also reviewed a nonprofit low-income housing property tax exemption, concluding it helps developers build homes as intended but that the performance metric should better reflect housing outcomes; they recommended the legislature decide whether to continue or modify it. Other reviews covered multipurpose senior citizen centers, disabled veteran adapted housing, trade convention attendance, agricultural fertilizer and seed wholesaling, hazardous substance tax treatment for pesticides, and silicon smelter energy preferences, with recommendations ranging from continuation to expiration depending on whether the stated objectives were met. The committee then adopted the final cannabis market study for distribution. Staff reported that Washington businesses produced two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, and that inaccurate and incomplete reporting limits the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s ability to regulate the market. The board said it concurs with the recommendations, including developing a plan for a new data system and considering broader social equity options. Finally, staff presented the proposed final report on Department of Health oversight of hospital data reporting, inspections, and complaints. Staff said DOH was late on most acute-care hospital inspections, had not fully verified third-party inspection standards, and did not adequately review adverse event correction plans or assess language access barriers in its complaint system. DOH said it concurs with all six recommendations and has already made some transparency improvements, including a public dashboard for adverse event reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in my community, I'm hearing from small business owners that they're having trouble finding spaces
• So in my community, I'm hearing from small business owners that they're having trouble finding spaces
• You’ve already heard a little bit about small business support, but we are hearing from cities who are
• These strip malls were home to our local legacy small businesses.
• businesses and supporting our small diverse businesses relocating to affordable and appropriately built

Bills: SB6018 , SB6026 , SB6027 , SB6028 , SB5937 , SB5938

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: housing, finance, commission, state funding, affordable housing, residential development, zoning reform, mixed-use zoning, commercial zones, Growth Management Act, GMA, state preemption, local land use, development regulations, ground-floor retail, ground-floor commercial, permit waiver, waiver process, density, urban growth area

Transcript Highlights:

• , whether they are small businesses, mid-sized businesses, the biggest businesses that you could think
• , whether they are small businesses, mid-sized businesses, the biggest businesses that you could think
• , whether they are small businesses, mid-sized businesses, the biggest businesses that you could think
• , whether they are small businesses, mid-sized businesses, the biggest businesses that you could think
• , whether they are small businesses, mid-sized businesses, the biggest businesses that you could think

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal, and then recognized several guest groups, including the Shenendehowa High School girls varsity cross country team and tennis champion Jolie Chichak, as well as the Downsville Central School Student Council. Senator Tedisco introduced the Shenendehowa athletes, highlighting their state and federation championships and strong academic records, and Senator Oberacker introduced the Downsville students. The chamber extended courtesies to the guests. The Senate then moved through the calendar, passing a series of bills and resolutions. Among the measures approved were a bill designating Overdose Awareness Day, a real property tax bill, a public authorities bill, several education-related bills, a private housing finance bill, a workers’ compensation bill, and a labor law bill. Some items were laid aside before later being taken up, including the cannabis bill and the environmental conservation bill. Votes were largely unanimous or near-unanimous, with a few recorded negatives on certain bills. The most extensive debate centered on Calendar 261, Senator May’s environmental conservation bill concerning renewable energy installations and transmission on state reforestation lands. Senator Walczyk and others questioned whether the bill would allow solar, wind, battery storage, tree cutting, herbicide use, and reduced environmental review, while supporters argued the bill was mainly about transmission corridors, climate goals, and preserving flexibility for DEC oversight and mitigation. After debate, the bill was restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed 42-13. The Senate also passed Calendar 353, Senator Ramos’s labor law bill addressing class action wage recovery and statutory damages. Supporters said it would clarify the law so workers can recover full wages in class actions, while opponents warned it could encourage litigation against small businesses over technical payroll errors. The bill passed 47-8. The Senate then completed the calendar and adjourned until March 4, 2026, with intervening days as legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• businesses in Minnesota, namely small grain purchasing operations, small grain elevators that are really
• This is if you want to kill mom-and-pop small-town, small-community businesses.
• c> market</c> day small business provide a market day small business provide a market opportunity<01:
• </c> levels we also looked at the small levels we also looked at the small business<01:37:25.119><c>
• In all of our districts, we have small businesses that are strapped.

Bills: HF1063

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: grain buyers, grain dealer, grain elevator, agriculture, financial reporting, audit, CPA review, independent accountant, financial statement, balance sheet, cash flow, nonpublic data, licensee oversight, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, grain purchase volume, insolvency, nonpayment, warehouse chain, fiduciary duties, producer protection