Transcript Highlights:

• On the personal side of this, we have a 160-acre farm.
• It's farm. Okay.
• Farms and whatnot. Just like the DNR.
• The larger farms depreciate a little bit less.
• Will still want to use the land, buy the land to farm it.

Committee: House Utilities

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have support from the Hawaii Farm Bureau. Thank you, Chair.
• Next we have Farm Bureau. Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• </c> Mahalo what you Farm Mahalo what you Farm Bureau<00:23:24.320><c> thank</c><00:23:24.440><c> you
• </c> we have Farm we have Farm [Music] Morning, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• First testifier on this measure is Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau.

Committee: House Agriculture & Food Systems

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, there's a certificate of recognition for Food and Farms Day.
• She is the owner and operator, with her family, of Codwolder Farms.
• The New Mexico Food and Farms Day Awards are produced by Farm to Table and New Mexico Food.
• The Food and Farms Day Awards are produced by Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy
• Running M Farms and Ranches.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:37:45.839><c> Maybe</c><00:37:46.000><c> Farm</c> &gt;&gt; Oh, but we get Farm Bureau.
• Maybe Farm &gt;&gt; Oh, but we get Farm Bureau.
• </c><00:38:01.359><c> Bureau</c> you know, would maybe Farm Bureau you know, would maybe Farm Bureau
• Um, it would be their farm needs.
• Pacific Gateway Farms may have been one Pacific Gateway Farms may have been one of<00:41:07.280><c> the

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint hearing covered SB 2120, which would allow certain state and county employees rehired within one year to transfer accrued vacation and sick leave and extend the break-in-service period for health benefits. Testimony was split: the Department of Human Resources explained current leave payout and pension credit rules and raised concerns about the long transfer window, while labor representatives supported the measure. During decision-making, both committees recommended passage with amendments. The amendments narrowed the bill by changing the break-in-service period to 180 days for leave beginning on or after July 1, 2026, making the benefit transfer voluntary with a 90-day notice deadline, and changing the effective date to January 1, 2077. The recommendations were adopted by vote. The committees also heard SB 2523, an appropriation for the City and County of Honolulu Department of Information Technology to modernize the driver’s license and motor vehicle system. DIT described the current COBOL-based mainframe as decades old, said the project would use a code-share arrangement with Arizona, and estimated a $10 million, two-year conversion and rollout. Members questioned the cost, the city-state funding arrangement, and the feasibility of the project, including whether it would move to a cloud-based system. After testimony, both committees deferred the measure. In the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs portion, SB 2032 on consumer protection for solar sales drew broad support from the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, the Office of Consumer Protection, the Hawaii Solar Energy Association, and others. Testifiers said the bill was needed in response to misleading solar door-to-door sales and urged amendments to clarify “contractual affiliation,” exclude balcony/portable solar devices, and require disclosure of cash and financed prices. The committee then moved on to SB 2079 on vehicle titles, which had one supporter and one opponent but no testimony in person or online, and SB 2241 on zero-emission vehicles, for which the Hawaii State Energy Office submitted written support. The hearing also began discussion of SB 2579 on water-related grants, where agencies said any program would need clearer statutory standards and likely a feasibility study before implementation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know that as I talk about farmers, this will relate to you as a farming yourself.
• Specifically, we enforce farm to fork and vine to glass.
• in farming for one more year.
• Our organization has supported farm workers through education.
• Over 33,000 farm workers in total over the last 15 years, and 3,000 people annually.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Then with my other uncle, I actually currently work on his dairy farm. My name is Gabe Kittamura.
• Now, I know I mentioned earlier that I had three SAE projects, one being that I work on a dairy farm,
• Now, I know I mentioned earlier that I had three SAE projects, one being that I work on a dairy farm,
• Now, I know I mentioned earlier that I had three SAE projects, one being that I work on a dairy farm,
• And back in the Stone Ages, it was, I believe, in the future, farming with a faith born, not of words

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard Senate Bill 1291 from Senator Carrie Semmelroth, a code-cleanup measure tied to the prior session’s Code Cleanup Act and reviewed by agencies, the LSO program impact team, and the DOGE Task Force. Semmelroth walked the committee through multiple sections of Idaho Code Title 33 that she described as obsolete, outdated, or orphaned, including provisions on public school appropriations, third-party contracts to improve student achievement, teacher recognition reporting, county school funding mechanisms, industry partner funds, asbestos abatement at Albion Normal School, and advanced opportunities. She also explained that two sections in the bill simply removed references to provisions being repealed. The committee asked no substantive questions and voted unanimously to send SB 1291 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. After the bill hearing, the committee received a presentation from Idaho FFA state officers, who described FFA’s role in agricultural education, leadership development, and supervised agricultural experience. The students outlined the three-circle model of classroom instruction, FFA activities such as career and leadership development events, and SAE projects ranging from beekeeping and welding to dairy work, greenhouse management, and livestock production. They highlighted statewide participation, leadership conferences, community service hours, and the upcoming state convention in Twin Falls, and invited legislators to attend. Committee members responded with supportive comments and a few questions about the students’ projects, including welding techniques, aluminum prep, and beekeeping. The students answered with details about MIG welding, cleaning aluminum before welding, hive management, honey production, and recordkeeping. The chair thanked the students for their work and emphasized values such as respect, responsibility, and resilience before adjourning the committee until the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then, with my other uncle, I currently work on his dairy farm. My name is Gabe Kittamura.
• Now, I know I mentioned earlier that I had three SAE projects, one being that I work on a dairy farm,
• Then with my other uncle, I actually currently work on his dairy farm. My name is Gabe Kittamara.
• Now I know I mentioned earlier that I had three SAE projects, one being I work on a dairy farm, but I
• And I want, as a teacher, one of my goals actually going and touring a dairy farm with my class.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This farm bill was meant for good.
• We are a farm family from West Texas. We farm 5,000 acres of cotton, peanuts, wheat, and hemp.
• Again, I represent myself and 4K Farm, LLC, which is a small business, craft hemp farm in Giddings, Texas
• We only work with federally trustworthy farms.
• This is about freedom, farming, and the future.

Bills: SB 3 , HB28 , SB3

Committee: House State Affairs

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Farm Haa'i Farm Bau, Brian. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee.
• Brian M. here on behalf of the Hoy Farm. Our apologies, Chair.
• So thank you for the opportunity to testify. farming it's hard to increase our farming it's hard to increase
• Brian Mamoa here on behalf of the Hawaii Farm Bureau.
• </c> the hoi Farm Bureau uh the hoi Farm the hoi Farm Bureau uh the hoi Farm Bureau<01:01:16.760><c>

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard testimony on several bills, with much of the discussion focused on Enterprise Zones and related economic development measures. On SB 125, the committee heard support from DBEDT, the Department of Taxation, the Tax Foundation of Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, and the Farmers Union. Members questioned how the bill would affect job-creation requirements and learned that existing companies and new companies are treated differently under the program, with existing companies generally subject to a 15% annual employment increase and new companies to a 10% increase, while the bill would extend the program period from seven to nine years. DBEDT also said the program has been effective, citing 1,162 jobs created or maintained at a cost of about $1.2 million, and noted that agriculture, manufacturing, and wholesaling are the main sectors involved. The committee then took up SB 729, also relating to Enterprise Zones, which would expand eligibility to better accommodate local manufacturers and value-added businesses that sell directly to retail rather than only wholesale. Testifiers from the Holua Collaborative and Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau supported the measure, saying it would help small manufacturers and agricultural producers add value and adapt to internet-era sales patterns. A committee discussion clarified that the bill would add value-added processing as an allowable activity within the zones, and DBEDT explained that the current rules were written for a wholesale-dominated market. The Attorney General’s office also testified, raising a supremacy clause concern and recommending language changes to avoid conflict with federal law. On SB 129, relating to labeling requirements for fish, the Attorney General and the Department of Agriculture both raised concerns about federal preemption and enforcement. The AG explained that federal law governs fish labeling but includes an exception for processed fish, and recommended narrowing the bill to processed fish and defining that term to fit the federal carve-out. The Hawaii Longline Association supported the bill but suggested excluding canned tuna while including products such as poke, sashimi, and sushi. The Department of Agriculture said it does not currently enforce this kind of labeling requirement and would need to determine whether another agency should handle enforcement. The committee also heard SB 581, which would establish an aerospace and aeronautics development program within DBEDT. Testimony was generally supportive, but members pressed for a fiscal estimate, and the bill’s sponsor said a prior version of the office had operated on about $400,000 annually with a small staff. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• love to have an officer out there all the time trying to slow people down because, you know, with farm
• equipment and things you know with farm equipment and things like<00:06:12.479><c> that.
• There's a solar farm that's a large one that's been just installed just east of Atmore city limits.
• >> No, but the degree and size of solar farms in Alabama is relatively new. >> Okay.
• >> No, but the degree and size of solar farms in Alabama is relatively new. >> Okay.

Bills: SB341 , SB340 , SB341 , SB354 , SB340

Committee: Senate Transportation and Energy

Keywords: SB341, Alabama, veteran license plate, veteran tag, distinctive license tag, specialty plate, radiation exposure, atomic bomb testing, ionizing radiation, World War II veterans, Vietnam veterans, Korean War veterans, Cold War veterans, Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Inherent Resolve, Department of Veterans Affairs, probate judge

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're having an auction that is a liquidation of a farm or household, it's not taxed.
• Farm machinery is not taxed. Livestock is not taxed. Numismatics are not taxed.
• Used auction items, not motors, not farm equipment, not livestock, used auction items.
• With dispersals of households and farm equipment, farm lives.
• If someone has a home and the If someone has a home and they also have a farm, do farming as part of

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I used to be a field rep for the Farm Bureau.
• We have a family farm in Divide County that was on the route.
• We've got over a million acres of farms.
• Farm energy costs cut by 80 to 90 percent.
• Farming has a lot of challenges the way it is.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Energy Development and Transmission Committee met in interim session and approved the November 6 minutes. Chair Novak outlined the committee’s study agenda, including large energy users such as data centers, geothermal, landowner relations, wind and solar, and other energy topics across the state. The meeting was framed as informational only, with no bills or formal legislative action taken beyond the minutes approval. Testimony focused first on landowner relations. Oliver County Commissioner Dave Berger described the county’s energy history and local support for coal and related development. North Dakota Farmers Union President Matt Perdue emphasized proactive, face-to-face communication with landowners, respect for property rights, and the need for developers to be transparent about tradeoffs; he also discussed insurance and liability concerns tied to easements. Committee members asked about eminent domain, local versus state authority, and how communities can better understand the revenue and infrastructure implications of energy development. Department of Agriculture Deputy Commissioner Tom Bodine then described the department’s ombudsman programs for pipeline restoration and reclamation, wind restoration, and royalty oversight. He said the programs provide confidential, third-party assistance on reclamation and royalty disputes, but do not provide legal advice. Senators raised concerns about post-production deductions in royalty leases and whether the ombudsman can explain them; Bodine said the program can clarify statements and deductions but cannot resolve legal disputes. He also said the department has not received requests related to fiber lines. Representatives from Grid United and One Oak described their project development and landowner engagement practices. Grid United’s Brent Johnson discussed the North Plains Connector transmission project, its route selection process, voluntary acquisition approach, and efforts to avoid eminent domain by working closely with regulators, counties, townships, and landowners. One Oak’s Danette Welsh and Tom Giltner described the company’s midstream operations, extensive North Dakota footprint, and emphasis on direct landowner communication, consistent local regulation, careful construction practices, and post-construction reclamation. Members asked about setbacks, zoning consistency, invasive species prevention, outside advocacy groups, and eminent domain use; One Oak said it has not used eminent domain on its North Dakota projects, largely because most gathering lines are negotiated easements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kyle Kelly with Kentucky Farm Bureau. Uh, once again, thank you, Mr.
• </c> my granddad's farm above water. my granddad's farm above water.
• It also includes those who own property that are in farm districts.
• It also includes those who own property that are in farm districts.
• It's a mall, or any farm with a factory.

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This provides a reasonable path to help children establish homes or farming operations without bureaucratic
• And a lot of farm families are frustrated in the fact that they have to either subdivide or sell a large
• This has to do, your intent with this bill is for landowners who use their land as farms that want to
• He said that if the land were in a pasture or farm field, the rest of the property would remain in its
• original farming purpose.

Summary: The Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee met on March 5 and took up Senate Bill 1355, sponsored by Senator Harris. The bill would create a narrow exemption allowing landowners to gift or sell five-acre-or-larger parcels to immediate family members without going through the full subdivision process, with ownership and holding-period requirements intended to prevent speculation. Harris said the measure was meant to help farm and rural families keep land in the family and allow children to establish homes or agricultural operations, and he asked that the bill be sent to the 14th order for possible amendment. Testimony was mixed. Ada County Development Services Director Richard Beck and Blaine County land use director Rachel Martin opposed the bill as written, saying it could create parcels that still do not meet local zoning, building, or safety requirements, could be unbuildable, and could create enforcement problems around family relationships and holding periods. Martin also warned about hillside and avalanche hazards in mountainous areas and suggested an administrative review process or an agricultural-land limitation. In support, Teton County resident Tom Henson said current county minimums and lending practices make it difficult for his children to finance homes on family land, and Pacific Legal Foundation’s Reese Empey backed the bill as a way to reduce regulatory barriers to family housing and agricultural transfers. Idaho Association of Counties executive director Seth Grigg said counties could work with the sponsor on friendly amendments to address administrative concerns. After discussion, the committee voted to send Senate Bill 1355 to the 14th order for possible amendments. The committee then approved the February 19, 2026 minutes and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• the same land for generations, this provides a reasonable path to help children establish homes or farming
• And a lot of farm families are frustrated in the fact that they have to either subdivide or sell a large
• concern about, although this bill is, the intent is to help out the land owner that uses his land for farm
• This has to do, your intent with this bill is for landowners who use their land as farms that want to
• Like if it's in a pasture or in a farm field, that rest of that property would be left to farm in its

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because we have a lot of farms out there with more than just a house. Yes. Yeah.
• Well, gentlemen, the problem I have is I'm more concerned about the farm than about the solar project
• It's going to be farm ground that gets gobbled up to make...
• on those farms so that people don't have to see the blinking lights all evening long.
• We do have wind farms included in the inability for them to use eminent domain.

Committee: House Utilities

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill creates a Duke Farm Stewardship District.
• And by that I mean corporate buyouts, acquisitions, mergers, and so that we do have small farms and farm
• Farms and farm owners. A lot of it also has become quite industrial and just larger in nature.
• And by that I mean corporate buyouts, acquisitions, mergers, and so that we do have small farms and farm
• A lot of it also has become quite industrial and just larger. farms and farm owners, a lot of it also

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 20, 2025, and first approved HB 4025, creating the Duke Farm Stewardship District in Lee County, on a 17-0 vote. The committee then advanced HJR 1215, which proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt agricultural tangible personal property from property tax, after extended debate about the fiscal impact on counties, especially rural and fiscally constrained ones; it passed 16-1. HB 411 also passed unanimously after an amendment, extending affordable housing tax exemption treatment to certain nonprofit projects on leased land, including Habitat for Humanity projects. The committee likewise approved CS/HB 669, allowing local governments to purchase certain unrated bonds, and CS/HB 4017, codifying the Vermont Drainage District charter in Charlotte County, both without opposition. The committee also approved HJR 1039, which would let the Legislature prevent assessed-value increases for homestead properties that are improved to mitigate flood damage, and the related implementing bill HB 1041; both passed 17-0. Public testimony on these items included some opposition to the flood-related amendment, but no floor debate changed the outcome. The final major item was CS/HB 1221 by Rep. Miller, which would require local option taxes to be renewed by voter referendum every eight years, with longer terms allowed for bonded projects. That bill drew the most extensive testimony and debate, with counties, tourism groups, and local officials warning about impacts on tourism funding, infrastructure, schools, and public safety, while supporters argued for taxpayer accountability and periodic review. After debate, the committee reported the bill favorably on a 13-4 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mina Kahaota, Maui County Farm Bureau in support.
• Mina Kahaota, Maui County Farm Bureau in support.
• </c> Maui County Farm Bureau in support. Maui County Farm Bureau in support.
• Only the Farm So, 65 people in support.
• </c> be feasible for each individual farm be feasible for each individual farm operation operation operation

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard multiple governor’s messages for confirmation to the Agribusiness Development Corporation board and one appointment to the Aloha Stadium Authority. For GM 606, David Ige Hinazumi was supported by ADC and DBEDT, with testimony highlighting his private-sector experience, technology background, and ability to help with risk management and finances. He told senators he had attended board meetings since 2018, saw ADC as a state business arm for agriculture, and supported expanding land, facilities, and even aquaculture if resources allowed. Senators asked about ADC’s role relative to the Department of Agriculture, and he said the department’s strength is research/regulatory work while ADC should focus on business development, support, and facilities for farmers and aquaculture businesses. For GM 607, Jason Watts was strongly supported by ADC leadership, DBEDT, and many agricultural and community groups, with one opposing testimony from Hawaii Farm Bureau. Supporters praised his governance, accountability, transparency, and frequent communication with the agency. In questioning, Watts said ADC’s top priority should be increasing land holdings, and he discussed ADC’s role in water systems, including preserving agricultural water sources and inventorying systems statewide. He also said ADC could potentially help small farmers comply with environmental permitting through a broader, regional approach if authorized by the Legislature. The committee also heard from Joshua Uyehara for GM 682, who was supported by ADC, county officials, and farm groups. He said his priorities would be accelerating ADC projects, expanding capacity, and possibly using ADC as a center of expertise for water systems and for helping farmers with environmental requirements; he also said biofuel crops and food production can be complementary, though food should be prioritized when water is constrained. The committee then considered GM 513, Tracy Lester Smith’s appointment to the Aloha Stadium Authority. The stadium authority and DBEDT supported her, citing her experience in NASCAR, boxing, and Bellator MMA as useful for marketing, attracting events, and commercializing the stadium. Smith said she was eager to serve and would bring experience from both the landlord and tenant perspectives, helping the board think about venue operations, sponsorships, and event attraction. Senators asked about improving public perception and execution, and she emphasized accountability, timelines, and building a venue that can draw major sports and entertainment events. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Farming is as complex as Minnesota.
• Farming is not the state of Minnesota.
• </c> Farming is as complex as is Minnesota. Farming is as complex as is Minnesota.
• It's just too expensive to get land to farm on right now.
• The down payment assistance farming.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So if you own a small farm, you can provide it to your neighbor.
• AB 4-845 requires that state agencies responsible for receiving farm worker complaints coordinate and
• Our farm workers are oftentimes subject to the worst of climate change, working long hours in extreme
• Most farm workers, of course, work under extreme circumstances. And I didn't read about this.
• So I also want to allude to the barriers that the farm worker has.

Summary: The committee heard several labor-related bills, with AB 1424, AB 1340, AB 288, and AB 746 all advancing on due-pass motions to Appropriations after testimony and roll calls. AB 1424 would require climate resiliency and extreme-heat protections in CDCR facilities; supporters described dangerous heat conditions for incarcerated workers and staff, while no opposition testified. AB 1340 would allow rideshare drivers to unionize and collectively bargain; drivers, labor groups, and researchers testified that app-based work is low-paid and unstable, while TechNet, Uber, Lyft, and other business groups argued the bill conflicts with Proposition 22 and could raise costs. AB 288 would let PERB step in when federal labor remedies are unavailable; supporters said it is needed because of NLRB dysfunction, while the Chamber of Commerce raised preemption and enforcement concerns. AB 746 would create an inmate cooperative program and a green reentry reserve; supporters framed it as a recidivism-reduction and reentry strategy, and there was no opposition testimony. The committee also heard AB 858, which would extend hotel and hospitality worker recall rights after declared emergencies and extend existing COVID-era protections. Hospitality workers and unions supported the bill as a way to protect jobs after pandemics, wildfires, and other disasters, while hotel, chamber, retail, restaurant, trucking, travel, and attractions groups opposed it, saying the current recall rules were meant to sunset and that the bill would create broad liabilities and hiring complications. The bill was moved to Appropriations but remained on call after the roll. AB 291, creating a credentialed educator apprenticeship program to address teacher shortages and improve diversity, drew support from education groups and stakeholders who said apprenticeships could lower preparation costs and provide better support; it was also moved to Appropriations and placed on call. Later, the committee took up AB 1104, a solar-energy bill intended to clarify that private solar customers are not “awarding bodies” and to ease certain business-to-business solar transactions while preserving prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements for contractors. Supporters said the current interpretation has chilled commercial solar adoption and harmed jobs, while opponents from electrical workers, PG&E, and others warned about expanded “over-the-fence” power sales and the need for clearer limits. Members questioned the lack of a definition of “small,” and the bill was held without a second. The committee also heard AB 338, which seeks $50 million for Los Angeles and Ventura wildfire workforce recovery; the author and county officials described major job loss and business destruction and said the funds would support displaced workers and rebuilding, with the testimony continuing beyond the excerpt provided.