Transcript Highlights:

• She has stepped forward to ensure communities are protected and prepared.
• Why would we not have a conversation with that individual on the front side and put those protections
• something in the questions that I ask: Are you willing to put some specific guidelines, specific protections

Bills: HB1411, HB3143, HB3144, HB3901, HCR1019, HB3981, HB4248, HB3194, HB3849, HB4095, HB4302, HB3342, HB3344, HB3287, HB3645, HB3647, HB3930, HB3931, HB1818, HB4454, HB4336

Keywords: True Grit Trail, Oklahoma, tourism, signage, Department of Transportation, state parks, historical sites, economic development, medical marijuana, license transfer, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, moratorium, business regulation, commercial grower licenses, licensing restrictions, agriculture, psychological autopsy, mental health, suicide prevention, state health department

Bills: HB1411, HB3143, HB3144, HB3901, HCR1019, HB3981, HB4248, HB3194, HB3849, HB4095, HB4302, HB3342, HB3344, HB3287, HB3645, HB3647, HB3930, HB3931, HB1818, HB4454, HB4336

Keywords: True Grit Trail, Oklahoma, tourism, signage, Department of Transportation, state parks, historical sites, economic development, medical marijuana, license transfer, Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, moratorium, business regulation, commercial grower licenses, licensing restrictions, agriculture, psychological autopsy, mental health, suicide prevention, state health department

Transcript Highlights:

• we can safely transmit data to the federal government and that it is protected.
• we can safely transmit data to the federal government and that it is protected.
• we can safely transmit data to the federal government and that it is protected.
• we can safely transmit data to the federal government and that it is protected.
• we can safely transmit data to the federal government and that it is protected.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee met to hear a Minnesota Department of Education presentation on federal education funding and the potential effects of federal actions on those dollars. Chair Kunesh framed the discussion around concerns about threats to the U.S. Department of Education and noted that federal funds make up about 10% of Minnesota’s education budget, or roughly $1.4 billion. Senator Lang pushed back, emphasizing that 90% of school funding comes from state and local sources and urging the committee to focus on state mandates and how to pay for them. New member Senator Clark introduced himself and said he would teach ethics or running if he were a teacher. Department staff explained that federal education dollars are divided between entitlement/formula funds and competitive/discretionary grants. They said Minnesota receives federal money through established systems and that the department is seeking clarity about how federal changes might affect the flow of funds, oversight, and program administration. They also outlined Minnesota’s legislative review process for federal funds, which includes several pathways such as the governor’s biennial budget, supplemental budget submissions, legislative advisory committee review, and expedited review processes when needed. The presentation then focused on ESEA Title funding, especially Title I. Staff said Title I is one of the largest federal education programs in Minnesota, with about $200 million in current funding, and supports 476 local education agencies. They described how funds are allocated through Minnesota’s North Star accountability system and Compass support structure, based on measures such as poverty, graduation rates, and state assessment performance. Examples of allowable supports included professional development, attendance initiatives, reading curriculum, training, and peer coaching. Senators asked whether executive action could affect these funds and whether the money flows directly to districts or through the state; staff responded that they would avoid speculation and would continue explaining the different funding streams and oversight structure.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then I think it was Senator Port's bill that would further cause a hardship for nonpublic schools
• I'll... ...was Senator Port's bill that would further cause a hardship for nonpublic schools.
• Within this budget target that we were given, we needed to think about ways to protect access to health
• <00:59:27.839> the<00:59:28.160> tremendous motans and protecting the tremendous motans
• and protecting the tremendous progress<00:59:29.119> we<00:59:29.440> have<00:59:29.599

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• including these fraud protection including these fraud protection components.<00:53:55.359> It
• /c><01:26:20.480> hourly to protect unemployment for hourly to protect unemployment for hourly
• we are still fighting to protect we are still fighting to protect unemployment<01:26:30.560>
• This bill also protects educational freedom.
• This bill also protects educational freedom.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is about responsibility, safety, and protecting our Floridians.
• Protecting myself and friends and students soon to be drivers like myself.
• It exists to protect speech we disagree with. It exists to protect debate.
• It protects everyone when we speak. Chair Chaney: Follow-up?
• The one thing we found was we had no data.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my primary concern continues to remain on page 23, where it talks about closed nonpublic meetings
• I think the members, if you could see it, broke down five members for the governor, two for the protection
• some of the stories he's heard in the past years in this building about something going wrong with protecting
• to give The people and child welfare the tools they need to help continue to move us forward in protection
• And now it's time to move the state forward to protecting our children.

Bills: SB1806, SB1430, SB206, SB1547, SB1849, SB1428, SB1653, SB1984, SB1644, SB1561, SB1813, SB1570, SB1796

Keywords: foster care, adoption assistance, transitioning youth, Department of Human Services, voluntary services, mental health, substance abuse, commissioner appointment, governor's authority, legislative consent, SB206, emergency medical services, EMS, ambulance, 911 response, emergency response, essential services, federal funding, grant funding, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no data available to us, so that's a huge problem. >> Sounds like we need that data. >> Yeah,
• learn that we don't have better data. learn that we don't have better data.
• And let's get going on that data.
• And let's get going on that data.
• You've been waiting 30 years for the data; it could take another decade before you get the data.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President, it requires a hyperlink to said data.
• This is called the Data Center Ratepayer Protection Act.
• And do you have any data that shows that this program will improve that?
• And any data on? I think it's great if it works. You, Mr.
• There is data that this is helping save lives.

Bills: HB2894, HB3418, HB3415, HB3413, HB3414, HB3416, HB3417, HB3419, HB3420, HB1739, HB1752, HB1979, HB2941, HB2992, HB3075, HB3086, HB3177, HB3269, HB3278, HB3279, HB3497, HB3644, HB4432, HB3720, HB3849, HB3882, HB3919, HB3941, HB4118, HB4141, HB4268, HB4342, HB4428, HB4429, HB4434

Keywords: HB2894, Oklahoma Rural Jobs Act, rural jobs, rural investment, tax credit, capital investment tax credit, state tax credits, economic development, rural fund, rural investor, qualified investment, eligible business, Department of Commerce, rural business, investment certification, tax liability, credit cap, workforce development, small business finance, rural development

Transcript Highlights:

• In the other instance, it was a definitions of, um, uh, we were looking at public data, nonpublic data
• , and public data, nonpublic data, and, um, uh, we're not going to probably be able to find that out
• In the other instance, it was a definitions of, um, uh, we were looking at public data, nonpublic data
• , and public data, nonpublic data, and, um, uh, we're not going to probably be able to find that out
• <01:49:18.840> the some uh concerns about protecting the some uh concerns about protecting

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Especially in light of really protecting many of the investments made in '23 and '24.
• many of the of um really uh protecting many of the investments<01:38:41.119> made<01:38:41.360
• One, it restores the support to nonpublic transportation and pupil aids. You know, Mr.
• We have a constitutional prohibition from funding nonpublic schools.
• We're not supporting nonpublic schools. We're supporting nonpublic students.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you have any comparative data from those schools to the others?
• As for our statewide assessment, we are releasing the data and working to release the data much earlier
• We have to get the data in, we have to validate that data.
• There was an Office of Nonpublic Schools, and we had the option of testing.
• You can only have data on what you choose to measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that could help develop better data.
• data could be shared with another agency or other considerations.
• <00:59:54.599> the shared goals of both protecting the shared goals of both protecting the
• gutting Environmental Protections gutting Environmental Protections uh<01:47:53.760> we<01
• <01:47:56.719> for legislation canceling protections for legislation canceling protections

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and whistleblower protections. >> Deputy Tyson, Mr.
• Chair, Representative Murphy, I do not have that data. >> Now, we get we analyzed that data, but DHS
• our taxpayers and, more importantly, protect people who deserve the services.
• Their purpose is to protect taxpayer dollars and protect the people of Minnesota.
• Their purpose is to protect taxpayer dollars and protect the people of Minnesota.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not data that's transparent. Follow up: Do you know what three states those might be?
• update as Other states have already done the process of a state law so that financial institutions can protect
• A current law makes it hard to give the adult protection services or law enforcement, and the way it's
• This bill will realign some legal roadblocks, allowing financial institutions a clear path to help protect

Bills: SB1303, SB1343, SB1435, SB1438, SB1444, SB1641, SB1765, SB1916, SB2067

Keywords: workers' compensation, workers comp, Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Commission, Administrative Workers' Compensation Act, self-insurance guaranty fund, multiple injury trust fund, physician advisory committee, advisory council on workers' compensation, workers' compensation court, insurance, employer liability, self-insured employer, fund transfer, records transfer, agency reorganization, statutory cleanup, technical corrections, Title 85A, SB1343, Vision Plan Contractual Requirements Act

Transcript Highlights:

• And everyone's required to keep that information private, nonpublic.
• And everyone's required to keep that information private, nonpublic.
• And everyone's required to keep that information private, nonpublic.
• But to your knowledge, no private, nonpublic fiscal note was requested. So I can't speak to that.
• But to your knowledge, no private, nonpublic fiscal note was requested. So I can't speak to that.

Bills: HF3

Keywords: legislative auditor, reporting, accountability, state finance, executive agency oversight, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and tanif data we can pass snap data and tanif data from<00:15:55.000> DHHS<00:15:56.000>
• Home education data is not super reliable. The district public school data comes in.
• It's the data we have, so it's the data you kind of have to use because there's no other data that I
• <01:06:40.880> we data collections um it's the data we data collections um it's the data we
• <01:17:23.760> comprehensive data on like the data comprehensive data on like the data comprehensive

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of School Finance provided an adequacy-funding training for Division II, led by Mark Mello. He walked the committee through the adequacy formula using Albany, Allenstown, and Alton as examples, explaining average daily membership, base adequacy aid, and differential aid for free/reduced-price meals, special education, and English language learners. He also noted a recent change requiring home-education differential aid and emphasized that these aid streams are generally unrestricted district funding rather than money tied to specific students or programs. A major focus was the ongoing litigation over the adequacy base amount and the statewide education property tax, or SWEPT. Mello explained the historical basis of the current base amount, the 2008 legislative report that set the original methodology, and the later court ruling that the adequacy amount should be $7,356, which is now before the Supreme Court. He also described how SWEPT currently raises a fixed statewide amount of $363 million and how that revenue is used to offset the state’s adequacy obligation. For the example towns, Albany and Allenstown receive state adequacy grants because their SWEPT revenue is below their calculated adequacy cost, while Alton is an excess SWEPT community because its local SWEPT revenue exceeds the cost of adequate education. The discussion then turned to the pending “excess SWEPT” issue in the Supreme Court and what would happen if excess collections had to be remitted to the state. Mello said the Department is preparing a hypothetical walkthrough and explained that, if the court upholds the Superior Court ruling, DRA would likely be directed to collect excess SWEPT. Members raised concerns about whether SWEPT must be used for educational purposes and about the cash-flow burden on towns if money had to move from municipalities to the state and then back to districts. Mello and members discussed possible administrative workarounds, such as credits against other state aid distributions, and noted that the committee would continue reviewing the mechanics if the court decision comes down during budget work.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some key data elements missing, and so we are looking to address some of those data issues.
• <00:46:33.240> we<00:46:33.359> need data sources to give us the data we need data
• That data is classified as nonpublic and private under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and
• He said the data is classified as nonpublic and private under the Minnesota Government Data Practices
• That data is classified as nonpublic and private under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, and

Bills: HF696, HF1429, HF1379

Keywords: HF696, rural EMS, ambulance, emergency medical services, uncompensated care, payment pool, rural health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, public safety answering point, PSAP, nontransport, unpaid ambulance calls, EMS reimbursement, rural ambulance provider, general fund appropriation, Minnesota health finance, specialized life support, metropolitan counties, emergency response funding, HF1429

Transcript Highlights:

• Bey Newman. big policy impact um protecting student big policy impact um protecting student data<00:26
• received that resulted in 400 pages of responsive data that included both public and nonpublic data,
• > federal data privacy protections under federal data privacy protections under federal law<01
• care data privacy protections under Minnesota state law and enact more robust protections over sensitive
• <01:35:51.120> that's<01:35:51.520> protected it and make the data that's protected

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lastly, the bill allows any nonpublic school to provide information to the state superintendent to be
• House Bill 4412 is designed to protect children. Under this legislation, Thank you, Mr. President.
• House Bill 4412 is designed to protect children.
• I urge adoption of the amendments. ...of new microgrid districts and high-impact data centers.
• and building plans some mindful protections for water usage and access for neighboring properties.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous guest introductions, including students, community leaders, food bank representatives, and visitors connected to Hunger Free West Virginia Day. A resolution recognizing March 10, 2026, as Hunger Free West Virginia Day was adopted, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 on the Southern West Virginia water crisis was referred to the Rules Committee. The chamber also heard remarks highlighting Hunger Free West Virginia’s work and a West Virginia company, Unigen, developing pharmaceutical manufacturing in the state. The Senate concurred with House amendments and passed several measures, including Senate Bill 467 on enforcement of Purple Heart parking spaces, Senate Bill 712 on cattle guards on certain public roads, and Senate Bill 781, a supplemental appropriation measure that was also made effective from passage. The chamber then adopted and passed Senate Bill 844, a large supplemental appropriation to the Department of Human Services, and Senate Bill 87, a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Commerce, both effective from passage. Other third-reading bills passed included the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with autism, dementia, or intellectual and developmental disabilities; coverage for scalp cooling systems during chemotherapy; expansion of sex-offender registration to include solicitation of a minor and non-consensual disclosure of private images; child safety reporting requirements for school personnel; age-verification requirements for websites hosting harmful sexual material; free Gold Star parent vehicle registration; online training and updated standards for sanitarians; sheriff hiring authority; organ donor registration through voter registration; a Cold Case Task Force; abandoned vehicle title procedures; nutrition continuing education for physicians; special plate rules; gift card fraud offenses; protections for athletic officials; in-year school personnel movement; administrative services powers; pharmacy benefit manager regulation; vape shop regulation; reduced parole supervision fees; disability service credit for certain troopers; property valuation reporting changes; and quarterly Hope Scholarship payments. The Senate also advanced a large number of House bills and committee substitutes on second reading, including supplemental appropriations and measures on mental health examinations, dog registration rules, juvenile jurisdiction on military installations, military interpersonal violence, kinship care subsidies, a statewide prevention plan, contraband smuggling into federal prisons, forestry equipment levy treatment, and Commerce Department rules for microgrid districts and high-impact data centers. Several committee amendments were adopted, and many bills were advanced to third reading without objection. No executive communications were reported.