Transcript Highlights:

• Okay. um Hugs Group, uh the Hawaii Harbors user group, uh Sense Communication, uh in support, uh Hawaii
• Okay. um Hugs Group, uh the Hawaii Harbors user group, uh Sense Communication, uh in support, uh Hawaii
• Okay. um Hugs Group, uh the Havaii<00:15:46.399> Harbors<00:15:47.040> user<00:15:47.440
• > group,<00:15:48.480> uh<00:15:48.639> Sense Havaii Harbors user group, uh Sense
• Havaii Harbors user group, uh Sense Communication, Communication, Communication, uh<00:15:50.800>

Bills: SB2697, SB2399, SB2665, SB2851, SB3102, SB2521, SB3157

Keywords: SB2697, Hawaii transportation, motor vehicle law, road shoulder, shoulder lane, shoulder driving, high occupancy vehicle lane, HOV lane, vehicle registration, expired registration, out-of-state vehicle, vehicle tax delinquency, impoundment, vehicle seizure, public auction, county finance, Department of Transportation, law enforcement, antique motor vehicle, traffic penalties

Summary: The joint hearing of the Transportation and Labor and Technology committees considered HB 2097, which would allow administrative driver’s license revocation hearings to be held by interactive conference technology such as Zoom and permit electronic exchange of evidence. DOT and the Administrative Driver’s License Revocation Office supported the bill, saying Zoom hearings have worked well since 2021 and save time and money. Both committees passed HB 2097 with technical and nonsubstantive amendments. The Transportation Committee then heard HB 1163 on commercial driver licensing, HB 2113 on funding vegetation removal from the Kaola Stream drainage way, HB 2283 on port pilotage, HB 1588 on a noise detection camera program, and HB 2333 on airport special districts and aeronautics penalties. DOT asked for HB 1163 to use “non-domiciled” language to match federal rules, and the committee passed it with amendments. For HB 2113, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity said the project would likely need about $1 million, and the committee passed the bill with amendments while noting the funding would be reflected in the committee report rather than the measure itself. HB 2283 drew broad support from maritime and labor interests, but the committee deferred it, saying the Senate version was already moving and would be used instead. HB 1588 received support from DOT and several community and health-related testifiers who said noise from traffic is a serious problem, but the committee expressed concern about enforcement language and re-referred the bill to Judiciary/Ways and Means while still passing it forward. HB 2333 was supported by DOT and airline interests; after questions about airport loitering and sleeping rules, the committee passed it as is. In the final decision-making, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendations on HB 1163, HB 2113, HB 1588, and HB 2333, and deferred HB 2283.

Transcript Highlights:

• Safe harbor for nonresidents before they have to file a personal income tax in Minnesota.
• whereas they may have come in for a day or two and not filed, now they're covered under the safe harbor
• The bill has a reciprocity provision in it that says that if Minnesota provides a 30-day safe harbor
• the compliance burden and increase the efficiency of administrations by creating that 30-day safe harbor
• like you're playing a football game, that you don't get under—you don't get the— The 30-day safe harbor

Bills: HF2048, HF2360, HF2006, HF950, HF912, HF3140, HF2931

Keywords: individual income tax, retirement contributions, tax corrections, annuity contracts, tax year attribution, tax credit, economic development, community investment, data disclosure, Minnesota regulations, tax increment financing, municipal authority, job creation, transferred increment, public hearing, nonresident employees, income tax exemption, Minnesota taxation, employment duties, tax withholding

Transcript Highlights:

• KH, Deputy Director of Transportation for Harbors.
• Department of Transportation Harbor Department of Transportation Harbor improvements<00:27:58.919
• for Harbors this is one<00:28:09.200> of<00:28:09.320> the<00:28:09.399> bills<
• I want to note that the Department of Transportation, specifically the harbor division, has their own
• I want to note that the Department of Transportation, specifically the harbor division, has their own

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation heard a 10 a.m. agenda covering a range of transportation, liability, harbor, and bicycle-related bills. Testimony was mixed on several measures: HB 263, which would exempt full-time college students from vehicle weight tax, drew opposition from the Department of Transportation and others; HB 135, authorizing general obligation bonds to purchase property on the North Shore of Oʻahu, had support; HB 860, granting immunity to the state or county for repairs on roads with disputed jurisdiction, drew support from DOT, DLNR, and the City and County of Honolulu but opposition from the Hawaii Association for Justice; and HB 996, which would abolish joint and several liability for government entities in highway-related civil actions, also drew strong opposition from the Hawaii Association for Justice and support from the Attorney General’s office and DOT. The committee also heard HB 1167, an emergency appropriation for motor carrier enforcement, and HB 1259, which would remove the need for an engineering study before reducing speed limits within 10 mph of the current limit; both had support from DOT and related groups. HB 1156 and HB 960, both related to harbor financing and capital advancement contracts, were supported by DOT, with DOT explaining that higher bond and contract ceilings were needed because project costs have increased since the limits were set decades ago. HB 142, exempting certain nonprofit community-based transportation providers from motor carrier regulation, and HB 914, creating a water carrier inflationary cost index mechanism and allowing PUC exemptions, also received support from multiple stakeholders, with the Consumer Advocacy Division noting that the inflationary adjustment issue was already active in a rate case. The committee also took testimony on several electric bicycle and micromobility bills. HB 486 would restrict where electric bicycles may operate, prohibit unsafe operation and removal of speed-limiting devices, and fund a safety education campaign; it drew opposition from the Hawaii Bicycling League and several individuals, with one supporter. HB 435 would redefine and classify electric bicycles, raise the minimum operating age, and add registration and use rules; it was supported by DOT and the Hawaii Bicycling League, with one individual opposing. HB 958 would regulate motorized bicycles and electric micromobility devices, require helmets for minors, and fund a coordinated education campaign; it drew support from the City and County of Honolulu, Council Member Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, and the Hawaii Bicycling League, but opposition from Moped Doctors and others, who argued the bill could harm the moped industry and that more study was needed. After testimony, the committee recessed and then reconvened for decision-making. In decision-making, the committee deferred HB 263 and HB 996. It passed HB 135, HB 860, HB 1167, HB 1259, HB 1156, and HB 960 with amendments, generally adopting HD1 versions, making technical changes, and setting effective dates to July 1, 3000 for the amended measures. The chair explained that HB 263 was deferred because a blanket tax exemption for one class could create inequities and a tax credit might be a better approach. HB 996 was deferred because the chair said the state’s long-standing policy of ensuring safe roads and maintaining accountability for highway design and maintenance remained important. For HB 960, the chair said the current contract caps were too low for modern harbor projects and that higher limits would improve flexibility and efficiency. The committee also noted Representative Cochran was excused for the remaining votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first project we have is from the Avoyelles Harbor and Terminal District.
• The first project we have from the Avoyelles Harbor and Terminal District is a building addition and
• Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District, and the Greater Lafourche Port Commission.

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works met to receive public testimony and act on port priority applications for inclusion in the FY 2027-2028 Port Priority Construction and Development Priority Programs. After a roll call showing 18 members present, the committee adopted the March 9, 2026 minutes without objection. Commissioner Andrew Killshaw of the Office of Multimodal Commerce explained the Port Priority Program criteria and presented two applications from the Avoyelles Harbor and Terminal District: a $3.4 million building addition and infrastructure project requesting $2.853 million in state funds, and a $1.5 million Workforce Training Center redevelopment requesting $1.287 million. He said the projects were projected to create 265 jobs and generate substantial state benefits, with very high benefit-cost ratios. Members expressed support for the projects and for strengthening the port program overall. Chairman Boriak moved to approve the applications, and Senator Carter and others discussed the need to increase investment in ports and develop a statewide strategic plan to better compete for federal dollars. DOTD Multimodal Commerce staff, including Molly Bergoin, testified that the program has more than $200 million in backlog, that annual Transportation Trust Fund financing has made it difficult to reduce, and that the department hopes to clear 10 to 12 low-balance projects this year. They also said the request cap had been increased to $7 million per project this year and up to $21 million going forward, and that most projects are proceeding under reimbursement agreements because construction costs have risen sharply. After discussion, the committee voted without objection to accept the port priority applications received through March 1, 2026, for the FY 2027-2028 program. The committee then adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• operations at our harbors.
• , ensuring uninterrupted operations at our harbors.
• operations at our harbors.
• , ensuring uninterrupted operations at our harbors.
• , ensuring uninterrupted operations at our harbors.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, so we will go up now eastward to Two Harbors, and I will turn it over to Greg Rubber.
• I'm the president of Aspirus Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors, Minnesota.
• Luke's and Lake View in Two Harbors, we will say if St.
• We have an ambulance service in Two Harbors and Silver Bay, about a half hour apart.
• <00:52:48.520> and an ambulance service in Two Harbors and an ambulance service in Two Harbors

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Health Finance and Policy Committee heard testimony from the Minnesota Hospital Association and several hospital leaders about the financial strain facing hospitals across Minnesota. The association’s CEO said hospitals are essential 24/7 safety-net providers, but rising labor, supply, technology, and drug costs are outpacing reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. He warned that many not-for-profit hospitals are struggling, that workforce shortages remain significant, and that the committee should consider help on Medicaid rates, discharge/boarding problems, mental health services, workforce development, protecting the 340B drug discount program, and avoiding new mandates that add costs. Relle Schultz of Winona Health described a community hospital with a 49-bed facility and long-term care services that has faced years of losses, including a $17 million loss in 2023 and $12 million in losses the following year. She said government payers now make up about 65% of the hospital’s mix, and each 1% increase in that mix costs about $1 million. She highlighted the difficulty of sustaining services such as dialysis, which was nearly closed until a local donor provided $3 million to keep it open for three years, and she emphasized the importance of 340B savings and the need for higher Medicaid payments. Carrie Mulski of Riverview Health in Crookston said critical access hospitals are also under pressure despite their federal designation. She explained that federal support has eroded, that Medicaid and other public programs do not cover full costs, and that her hospital’s 340B savings help keep the doors open. She said Riverview opened a new hospital in 2020 but was hit by the pandemic and inflation, leading to annual losses of $5 million to $6 million and a negative operating margin of 9% to 10%. She also described bond covenant problems, low cash on hand, the prior closure of the nursing home, and the need for rapid state action to stabilize rural hospitals and preserve access to care.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, members, leaving the harbor is scary, but I am so looking forward to the next opportunities.
• :27.240> members So, members So, members leaving<00:13:29.440> the<00:13:29.520> harbor
• <00:13:29.920> is<00:13:30.000> scary, leaving the harbor is scary, leaving the harbor

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Kresha delivered his final House floor speech as he finished his seventh term and retired from the legislature. The remarks were largely reflective and humorous, with thanks to House leadership, nonpartisan staff, education committee colleagues, constituents, and his family. He spoke about how he entered office during redistricting, described the legislature as challenging but rewarding, and emphasized humility, public service, and the importance of listening to others’ stories. He also offered personal anecdotes about colleagues and staff, including Representatives Swedzinski, Schumacher, Joe Hoppe, Sarah Anderson, Davids, Jen Loon, Roger Erickson, and others, and praised the professionalism of nonpartisan staff and education committee personnel. He thanked Speaker Damuth, Chair Youakim, and his education members for both disagreements and collaboration, saying there was still important work to do. No legislation was debated or voted on in this segment. The only action was the conclusion of his farewell speech, followed by applause.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe that proposal was to bring that safe harbor deduction to around $110,000.
• <03:29:58.120> so<03:29:58.359> that that Safe Harbor so that that Safe Harbor so that
• You mentioned that the Safe Harbor is currently at $75,000, correct?
• is C it's currently that the Safe Harbor is C it's currently at<03:44:11.880> uh<03:44:12.439
• deduction was increased that Safe Harbor deduction was increased that Safe Harbor it<03:47:08.600

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was an introductory Ways and Means Committee orientation led by Chair John Janigian. Members went around the room introducing themselves, with several returning legislators and several freshmen describing their backgrounds in business, education, public service, finance, transportation, journalism, military service, and nonprofit work. Janigian explained his own legislative history and professional background, and other members, including Bill Bolton, Fred Doucette, Mary Ford, Jim Tierney, Scott Brier, Thomas Oppel, Mary Murphy, Representative Spar, Susan Elberger, Dennis Malloy, Jordan Ulery, and Julius Soti, briefly described their prior experience and reasons for serving on the committee. The chair then outlined the committee’s role. He said Ways and Means is responsible for revenue estimates that Finance will use to determine how much the state can spend over the next biennium, and that the committee would spend the next five to six weeks developing its best revenue estimate, due around February 15. He also explained that the committee hears from state agencies and departments about how taxes are created, collected, and performing against expectations, and that it reviews bills affecting state revenue, including tax increases, tax decreases, tax removals, and fee-related measures. Janigian noted that the committee had five bills at the time of the meeting and expected more to be referred. He explained that most would be first-committee bills, though some second-committee bills could come over if they involved taxes or fees after passing policy committees. He used marijuana-related legislation as an example of a bill that might first go to another committee and later reach Ways and Means if it had fiscal implications. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational, and members were told how to participate in hearings and follow-up questions during regular committee work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also last year, the Department of War's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation awarded Oak Harbor
• This supplemented the funds that the Oak Harbor School District received through Washington State's Defense
• Also last year, the Department of Wars Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation awarded Oak Harbor
• This supplemented the funds that the Oak Harbor School District received. installations program.
• This supplemented the funds that the Oak Harbor School District received through Washington State's Defense

Summary: The committee heard updates from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest, Fairchild Air Force Base, the Coast Guard, state licensing agencies, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Washington National Guard, and a veterans behavioral health presenter. Across the military briefings, common themes were readiness, infrastructure, and quality-of-life issues for service members and families, especially child care, housing, food insecurity, medical and dental access, and military spouse employment. JBLM highlighted its role in Indo-Pacific readiness, ongoing PFAS cleanup, 212 new family housing units under construction, efforts to expand child care, and continued work to keep the Lewis Army Museum open. Navy Region Northwest discussed its major installations and economic impact, the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Plan, future carrier and submarine homeporting needs, and asked the legislature to continue support for licensure compacts, educational stability for military children, housing, and medical access. Fairchild emphasized its tanker and survival missions, child care shortages, food insecurity, aging housing, and concerns about wind turbine development near flight paths, while the Coast Guard focused on rebuilding Base Seattle for new icebreakers and on rural access to housing, medical care, and child care at dispersed stations like Neah Bay. Members repeatedly raised food insecurity and asked for follow-up on solutions. JBLM and Fairchild both described increased demand for food assistance during the shutdown, and committee members noted progress in getting mobile food vans onto JBLM. The presenters also praised state action on military spouse licensure and child care, including Senate Bill 5545 and related compact and portability efforts. The Department of Licensing reported about 9,000 self-identified military members or spouses licensed, with average time-to-license just under nine days, and said applications are prioritized when military status is self-identified. The Department of Health said its military-to-civilian crosswalk now covers more than 35 health professions, that temporary practice permits and expedited processing are in place, and that 1,300 credentials were issued to military spouses and domestic partners and 129 to military-trained health professionals in the last fiscal year, all within 30 days. The Professional Educator Standards Board explained that military spouses and service members can receive expedited teacher certification with reduced documentation, and that they are moved to the front of the review queue when they self-identify. Members asked about verification, and staff said the process relies on attestation with investigatory safeguards if needed. The Washington National Guard briefed on its dual state and federal mission, the impact of the recent shutdown on nearly 700 employees who worked without pay, and policy and budget requests including youth academy protections, alignment of the Washington Code of Military Justice with the UCMJ, making Civil Air Patrol a division of the Military Department, 911 funding, disaster assistance, and capital funding for headquarters and readiness facilities. The Guard also warned about drone threats and said it wants authority to identify, track, and monitor suspicious drones. A veterans behavioral health presenter, an Army combat veteran and clinical social worker, described high suicide risk, barriers to care, and the need for more culturally competent services, especially for women veterans and caregivers. He said Washington veterans’ suicide rate remains above the national average and emphasized that childcare, transportation, and provider shortages can prevent timely treatment. Members generally responded supportively throughout, asked for follow-up on food security and other issues, and encouraged agencies to bring forward legislative ideas for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a safe harbor bill for public authorities that award bids for public works projects.
• But it's a safe harbor if you advertise in the paper or on their websites.
• It's called Safe Harbor. We're going to open it up. I have one little technical amendment.

Bills: HB320, HB207, HB208, HB290

Keywords: public works, sealed bids, bid notice, public notice, newspaper advertisement, centralized website, digital platform, Department of Finance, Department of Transportation, county commissions, municipalities, contracting, procurement, construction bidding, Alabama code Title 39, bidding requirements, electronic bidding, online bid posting, HVAC, heating and air conditioning

Transcript Highlights:

• [member_10781] The response clarified that this is an existing program called the Two Harbors Woodworking
• I maybe live closer to this area in Two Harbors than you do, Senator Hauschild.
• There's a lot of really nice little places in Two Harbors, and it's a wonderful area to check out.
• that you do SED your in Two Harbors that you do SED your house<00:55:18.319> child<00:55:18.559
• There's a lot of really nice little places in Two Harbors, and it's a wonderful area to check out.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Uh, Jerome Graham Jr., Baltimore City, Digital Harbor High School. >> Oh, very good. 46th district
• Pretty close to me. >> Uh, Jerome Graham Jr., Baltimore City, Digital Harbor High School. >> Oh, very
• Pretty close to me. >> Uh, Jerome Graham Jr., Baltimore City, Digital Harbor High School. >> Oh, very

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met in a brief pro forma session with only three members present. The presiding officer welcomed several new student pages from across the state and noted that, despite the light floor schedule due to a snow day, committees were still active and more substantive debate was expected the following day. The chamber then considered the reading of the journal and introduced one bill, Senate Bill 390, a Wicomico County measure concerning Class A beer, wine, and liquor license alterations, which was referred to the Finance Committee. Two Senate bond initiatives were also introduced: one from Senator Brooks for 234 Main Street and one from Senator King for Washington Grove Playground; both were referred to the Budget and Taxation Committee and then ordered to the capital budget subcommittee. No floor votes were taken on the bill or bond initiatives. After a quorum call confirmed the Senate remained in session, the majority leader moved adjournment, and the Senate adjourned until Thursday, January 29 at 10 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two, to fund backlog repair and deferred maintenance, especially at small boat harbors and state parks
• <00:05:09.680> and especially at small boat harbors and especially at small boat harbors and
• Had two, I think, Harbor agent positions; had two, I think, Harbor agent six positions that we were creating
• It's a brand-new Harbor agent position. It was a Harbor agent F-5.
• It is being done on the money that we gave you for CIP, for the fixing of the harbors at Alalo.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• example, there's the North Lake annexation near Snohomish, Washington, the south annexation area in Oak Harbor
• So I'll point out Gig Harbor and Sumner today and show just this map of the city of Gig Harbor.
• We're actively working with Gig Harbor on an interlocal agreement.
• We absolutely support the intent of that, and that is exactly why we are working with Gig Harbor and
• We are working with Gig Harbor and with Sumner right now to allow them to do their own permitting work

Summary: The committee held a work session on local government issues, beginning with an update from the State Building Code Council on four legislatively mandated code amendments now in CR-102 rulemaking: temporary emergency shelters, reduced minimum dwelling unit size, multiplex housing up to three stories and six units, and single-exit apartment buildings up to six stories. Council staff also described a separate embodied-carbon appendix proposal that remains under public review, with testimony both supporting and opposing it. Members asked about the rationale for some of the code limits, including the restriction on connecting multiplex buildings. The committee then heard a panel on annexations from MRSC, Pierce County, and the Association of Washington Cities. Witnesses reviewed annexation methods, including petition, election, and interlocal agreement approaches, and said larger annexations are increasingly using interlocal agreements because they can address infrastructure, revenue sharing, and public process concerns. They described barriers such as inconsistent local standards, the cost of infrastructure, referendum risk, census requirements, and the difficulty of persuading residents and local officials to support annexation. Members asked about the five-year restriction on residential zoning changes in one annexation method and whether a hearing examiner could reduce political pressure on local decision-makers. A second panel discussed subdivision reform. The Master Builders Association urged raising the short-plat threshold within urban growth areas to 30 lots as a simpler first step, citing permitting delays and added housing costs. The City of Spokane described implementation problems with recent housing laws, including uncertainty about how to review plats under HB 1110, lot-splitting administration, and added notice requirements for unit lot subdivisions. AWC said there was broad agreement that subdivision decisions should be more administrative, but public hearings remained a point of disagreement. The committee also heard from FutureWise, the Washington State Association of Counties, and Lewis County on county development regulation and enforcement, with witnesses emphasizing underfunded code enforcement, inconsistent standards between counties and cities, and the need for better coordination, incentives, and possibly stronger enforcement tools. No votes were taken; the chair said the committee would continue working on possible solutions in future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• important in that context to note that the statute, as the legislature revised it, is sort of a safe harbor
• It says that you can It is sort of a safe harbor, right?
• be appropriate for legislators to use state resources for job references or It is sort of a safe harbor

Summary: The board approved the October 15 meeting minutes and then reviewed three employment disclosure forms involving staff or spouses employed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board and the Department of Corrections. The disclosures were approved unanimously. The board also adopted a proposed rule change to conform board rules to a prior statutory amendment that separated fines from costs. Members then discussed a draft advisory opinion interpreting the phrase “letter of recommendation” under the ethics statute. The draft would read the term broadly, allow legislators to decide when to write such letters when requested by a constituent, and reaffirm that it remains appropriate to use state resources for job references or scholarships for individuals the legislator has supervised or worked closely with at the legislature, as well as for certain gubernatorial appointments. Members generally supported the draft, but asked for possible clarification of the phrase “work closely with,” and approved the opinion as drafted with that caveat. The board also reviewed proposed future meeting dates, noting a concern that January 19 falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and may need to be changed. No final action was taken on the dates during the public portion. The meeting then moved toward executive session after adjourning the public portion.

Transcript Highlights:

• And today’s bill is a bill to honor the arts through woodworking in Lake County at Two Harbors in the
• The Two Harbors Senior Woodshop and Art Center is currently undergoing a revitalization that will create
• They're actively encouraging participation from the residents of Two Harbors and the surrounding area
• In addition to the $10,000, the city of Two Harbors will receive a $10,000 donation, which will be used
• For the presentation, you do have a beautiful area up there in Lake County and Two Harbors.

Bills: HF2411, HF2471, HF1440, HF1393, HF1631, HF1259, HF280, HF1281, HF1459

Keywords: cultural heritage, funding, White Earth Nation, tribal community, construction, Delano, sesquicentennial, community events, fall of Saigon, Saigon anniversary, Vietnam War commemoration, Vietnamese Minnesotans, Cambodian Minnesotans, Lao Minnesotans, Southeast Asian refugees, Asian American heritage, cultural heritage fund, Minnesota Humanities Center, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, equity funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Two Harbors had over 150 inches of snow that winter after a roof repair.
• <00:51:44.640> Public the director of Two Harbors Public the director of Two Harbors Public
• We are proud Harbors Public Library.
• <00:53:03.760> Two<00:53:04.000> Harbors dollars in our community.
• Two Harbors dollars in our community.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• area, it can drop down to like near Pearl Harbor to about 20 feet above sea level.
• On the south side of that Schofield or WWA high-level water, it flows directly into Pearl Harbor.
• can drop down to like near Pearl Harbor can drop down to like near Pearl Harbor to<00:46:47.680>
• flows actually directly into Pro Harbor flows actually directly into Pro Harbor uh<00:47:30.520>
• Those white areas around Pearl Harbor, yeah, they're gray or white. Yeah, that's the military.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The informational briefing focused on the City and County of Honolulu’s effort to site a replacement landfill for Oahu before the Waimanalo Gulch landfill closes in 2028. Chair Nicole Lowen and other legislators opened the meeting by framing the issue as important statewide and encouraging recycling, composting, and proper use of the curbside bins. The city’s Department of Environmental Services, led by Director Roger Babcock and Deputy Director Mike O’Keefe, then presented the background and siting process. ENV explained the legal and technical constraints that shaped the search, including the 2019 Land Use Commission decision requiring closure of Waimanalo Gulch by March 2, 2028, and the 2020 Act 73 restrictions on landfill siting near residences, schools, hospitals, conservation districts, airports, and tsunami inundation areas. They said a landfill advisory committee reviewed six candidate sites in 2021-2022 and rejected them because they fell within the Board of Water Supply’s no-pass zone. After further evaluation and an extension of the naming deadline, the city selected a site in central Oahu near Wahiawa, on agricultural land currently used as a Dole pineapple field. City officials said the selected site was chosen as the best of the evaluated options and, in their view, could be permitted under state and federal law. They described planned environmental protections, including a modern sanitary landfill design with double liners, leachate collection systems, monitoring wells, and post-closure monitoring, and said the existing Waimanalo Gulch landfill has operated for 35 years without leachate leaks. They also emphasized that the site would still require a special use permit, Department of Health approvals, an environmental impact statement, and other public permitting processes, and that public engagement would continue over the next several years.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know you know we kind of have an idea about the harbors, but this is something new. >> Yeah.
• So that's not just Joint Base Harbor Hickam.
• <00:42:34.160> I've green sea turtles in Pearl Harbor.
• I've green sea turtles in Pearl Harbor.
• <01:25:27.760> an area known or suspected to harbor an area known or suspected to harbor an

Bills: SB2709, SB3154

Keywords: biosecurity, Department of Agriculture, quarantine, Akamai Arrival Program, importation regulations, pests control, plant health, animal health, compliance mechanisms, environmental review, transportation projects, NEPA, state sovereignty, federal compliance, streamlining, Hawaii Department of Transportation, 912, senate, all

Summary: The hearing began with SB 2709, which would require the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity to establish rules to enforce the Okami arrival program and strengthen quarantine enforcement for plants, non-domestic animals, and microorganisms. The Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii Invasive Species Council supported the bill, as did DAB, saying it would improve biosecurity and make some provisions mandatory rather than optional. Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines supported the goal but raised concerns about language changing inspections from “may” to “shall” for aircraft, warning of possible federal preemption and operational conflicts unless the bill is clarified to align with federal aviation safety, security, and operational requirements. Committee members questioned DAB about inspection timing, scope, and compliance; DAB said the measure is intended to increase enforcement, improve form completion rates toward a 90% goal, and expand beyond airlines to other entry modes, while also noting plans to restore detector dog use and improve software/AI tools for processing forms. Decision-making on SB 2709 was deferred to February 17 at 3:02 p.m. in Room CR229. The committees then took up SB 3154, an administration measure authorizing the Department of Transportation to assume certain National Environmental Policy Act responsibilities for highway, rail, public transportation, and multimodal projects, with the aim of streamlining environmental review. DOT supported the bill and explained that it would allow the department to work directly with federal resource agencies such as U.S. Fish and Wildlife and SHPO rather than routing everything through federal highways. After brief discussion, the Committee on Transportation voted to pass SB 3154 with technical amendments, and the AEN committee followed with the same recommendation; the measure was adopted with five votes in favor. A later portion of the transcript shifted to SB 2374 on the blue economy. DBED said it supported the concept but noted that it already sits on many working groups and would need resources if a new working group is created. DBED suggested the committee could instead request research through a letter or memo, and said agencies including ADC, HTDC, and Agriculture had already begun internal discussions. Testimony in support came from IMUA Alliance, Hawaii Food Policy, and others, emphasizing the potential for blue economy ventures to support survivors, align with climate and cultural goals, and create economic opportunity. No final vote on SB 2374 appears in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have Terry D'Amico, town council of Bay Harbor Islands, an opponent of the bill, and wishes to speak
• I'm speaking on my own behalf, although I'm a town council member in Bay Harbor Islands.
• Jay Harbor with FNBA—now that we have the name penciled in, I hear you would like to speak in opposition
• Jay Harbor? No? Okay. I apologize. We just are... Or info only? Jay Harbor? No? Okay, I apologize.

Summary: The committee heard five housing- and resilience-related bills. HB 793 would create an International Aerospace Innovation Fund administered by Space Florida to support aerospace research, workforce development, and commercialization; it was amended with a clarifying change and passed unanimously. C.S. for HB 411 would extend an affordable housing property tax exemption to certain nonprofit projects on leased land through a housing finance authority, such as Habitat for Humanity projects; it also passed unanimously. HB 701 would require local housing assistance plans to allow mobile home owners on leased land to seek help with lot rent, and it passed unanimously after an amendment and testimony from mobile home advocates and AARP in support. The committee also considered C.S. for HB 393, which expands the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program to help eligible condominiums fund hurricane mitigation projects, including roof-related work, with added eligibility and inspection requirements. The bill drew support from condo and housing groups and passed unanimously with committee substitute. The final and most extensive measure, HB 943, would significantly revise state land-use and development rules to promote affordable housing by limiting local restrictions, changing zoning and approval standards, adjusting parking and impact fee rules, and expanding accessory dwelling unit and mixed-use provisions. It generated extensive testimony, with many local officials, city and county groups, and preservation advocates opposing it as overly broad and preemptive, while housing and business groups supported it. HB 943 was amended several times during the meeting, including changes related to church-owned property, parking, historic landmarks, manufactured homes as accessory dwelling units, and fair housing language. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was a work in progress and that additional changes would be made. After debate from members emphasizing both the need for more housing and the need to preserve local control, the committee approved HB 943 on a 14-1 vote, with Rep. Casello voting no.