Transcript Highlights:

• Kids need dads, and my question, though, is whenever I look at the Oklahoma GOP platform, I don't see
• that this type of legislation aligns with the platform that we have stated as a GOP... already hard
• platform that we have stated as a GOP, and not because we don't care about families or parents, and
• I wasn't on the platform committee, though I've been active in the state GOP for over 30 years now.
• And so, I think apart from the party platform itself, And so, I think apart from the party platform itself

Summary: The Senate Education Committee considered a long agenda of education-related bills, with most measures receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support. Early actions included passage of SB 843, which allows certain rural schools with low average daily membership to hire teachers related to board members in the second degree, and SB 1733, which requires schools to report child sexual abuse allegations to law enforcement within 24 hours before conducting their own investigation. The committee also advanced SB 1476, a Commissioners of the Land Office cleanup bill that makes land exchange approvals permissive, updates terminology, and expands permanent school fund investment options to include private equity and private credit; members questioned CLO staff about appraisals, notices, ethics, and audits before voting it out 11-0. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 1237, the Teacher Bill of Rights, which would codify various teacher protections involving religious expression, discipline, planning time, workplace safety, and due process. Senators raised extensive questions about religious symbols, prayer, Bible use, classroom discipline, and whether some provisions were already in law; the author said the bill was intended to protect teachers and improve recruitment and retention. Despite concerns that some language was vague or duplicative, the bill passed 7-4. The committee also passed SB 1410 to codify the Ag in the Classroom program after deleting a section that would have increased a license plate fee, and SB 1894, which would remove the five-year cap on professional development hours for certain teacher training, though the title was struck for further work. Later, the committee approved SB 1272 to raise the income cap for the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant, SB 1204 to provide three days of bereavement leave for education employees after the loss of a spouse or child, including miscarriage, and SB 1721 to extend the sunset of the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian Education. It also passed SB 1725 on higher-education expressive activity and free speech training, SB 1735 giving CareerTech sole authority over its accreditation, SB 1337 establishing paid paternity leave for education employees, SB 1339 codifying funding for the 2023 teacher pay raise for off-formula districts, SB 1461 extending the OETA sunset to 2031, and SB 1975 centralizing notice of AP testing locations. Several bills drew brief discussion about fiscal impact, local control, and retention benefits, and the committee adjourned after noting one agenda item had been laid over.

Transcript Highlights:

• Primary targets of United Front Work are those individuals, institutions, and platforms that really make
• This app is not just another social media platform; it's one of the apps that Communist China uses in
• I focus less on the narratives themselves and much more on the groups and the platforms.
• Chairman, just real briefly, what should we do about Red Note and Deep Seek and other platforms like
• I think for those kinds of platforms, you have to adopt the same approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• And Levi, along those lines, the next page, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund. Same thing.
• We have also under us our Internet Crimes Against Children Initiative, which you...
• We have also under us our Internet Crimes Against Children Initiative, which you've heard many times
• On page 5, what you would see there is a quick overview of our cybercrime and Internet Crimes Against
• The Internet speed is faster.

Summary: The committee met to review the Attorney General’s budget and related agency operations, beginning with Legislative Council staff walking members through compliance reports and a blue-sheet base budget document. Staff highlighted current-biennium items such as FTE changes, one-time appropriations, litigation funding, opioid settlement receipts, continuing appropriations, and major special and federal funds. Members asked for clarification on items including the Missing Indigenous People Grant Fund, the Internet Crimes Investigation Fund, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit grant funding. Assistant Attorney General Clare Ness then gave an overview of the office’s structure, staffing, and budget pressures. She emphasized the office’s broad statutory duties, the value of its legal services to state and local government, and concerns about attorney pay lagging behind other agencies. Members discussed whether attorney compensation should be benchmarked more consistently across state government and whether some legal work could be consolidated within the AG’s office. Ness also addressed questions about AG opinion turnaround times, boards-and-commissions training, the new-and-vacant FTE pool, operating expense cuts, office leases, and the state’s criminal justice information systems. The crime lab presentation drew significant attention. Director Jennifer Penner described severe space, safety, and infrastructure problems at the current lab, including cramped work areas, glycol leaks, outdated fire and burglar alarms, air-handling limits, and equipment failures that have delayed toxicology work. She said the 2024 study projected a much larger facility would be needed and that the preferred location would be near the current health department site, but in a new building. Members asked about possible evidence risks, backlog status, and whether the proposed building would solve the current problems; Penner said it would and noted backlogs have improved overall, though some delays remain. The committee also heard from the new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit director, who described the unit’s civil and criminal work, federal-state funding split, and examples of fraud such as billing for services not provided or upcoding. The gaming division reported continued growth in charitable gaming and e-tabs, with members expressing concern about large trust-account balances, site competition, and possible misuse of proceeds. Finally, BCI outlined its caseload, cybercrime work, missing Indigenous persons task force, and the surge in CSAM cyber tips; members asked about AI-generated CSAM, and the AG’s office noted that last session’s law increased penalties and expressly allowed AI-generated CSAM to be prosecuted like other CSAM. No formal votes or actions were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• there is, from what I can tell, going to be an additional option that group quarters will have: internet
• here being that college and university students would have an option to respond themselves on the internet
• And how would that differ from the option that everybody else has to respond on the internet?
• There's, there's, there's. the best case or the best argument that can be made for internet self-response
• And in 2020, the innovation there was the first internet self-response and also wider use of administrative

Summary: The hearing focused on census data privacy, administrative data sharing, and the role of state and local governments in improving census accuracy, especially for the 2030 census. Dr. Philip Rocco testified first, arguing that the census is increasingly intergovernmental and that state and local investments in address list work, outreach, and complete count commissions can materially improve self-response and reduce undercounts. He emphasized that hard-to-count communities are most affected when states delay planning, politicize census work, or lack capacity, and he pointed to examples such as LUCA participation, outreach funding, and group quarters review as important tools. He also warned that recent federal actions and a broader climate of distrust could threaten 2030 operations, and urged Massachusetts to begin readiness planning now. Members then questioned Dr. Rocco about the use of administrative data such as DMV, TANF, SNAP, and WIC records, and about group quarters enumeration. He explained that those data-sharing efforts were voluntary agreements with the Census Bureau, unlike group quarters data, which are often provided by facility administrators and sometimes state agencies. He said the Trump-era effort to use DMV and other records was tied to Executive Order 13880 and was widely resisted because states had confidentiality and legal concerns, and because the stated purpose appeared to shift toward citizenship-related uses. On group quarters, he described e-response, paper response, in-person enumeration, and administrator-provided directory information, noting that privacy issues arise mainly from FERPA limits on university data and from missing demographic details in administrative records. A second panel, Beth Giroz and Amy O'Hara, then explained how administrative data are used by the Census Bureau and why data quality and privacy concerns matter. They described administrative data as records collected for operational purposes, useful for frame-building, nonresponse follow-up, enumeration, and post-enumeration evaluation, but often incomplete or mismatched on key census variables such as race, ethnicity, household relationships, and residence timing. They highlighted that some sources, like IRS, Medicare, USPS, SSA, and Bureau of Prisons records, are especially valuable, while others such as SNAP, TANF, WIC, Medicaid, CHIP, foster care, and driver’s license data vary in completeness and sharing. They stressed that privacy means collecting only what is needed, and that the Bureau typically uses limited header or roster data rather than full records. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing, and the committee recessed briefly before continuing testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• what I can tell, there's going to be an additional option that group quarters will have, which is internet
• here being that college and university students would have an option to respond themselves on the internet
• To respond themselves on the internet.
• And how would that differ from the option that everybody else has to respond on the internet?
• And so, you know, one, I think that the best case or the best argument that can be made for Internet

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This innovation was crowned the best travel interactive application at the 2025 Internet Advertising
• This advertising platform achieved a 14% increase in engagement and placed Savannah alongside previous
• These Adrian Awards honor exceptional travel marketing across all platforms, and I take pride in the
• /c><05:45:26.638><c> result</c><05:45:27.280><c> on</c><05:45:27.600><c> an</c><05:45:27.840><c> internet
• </c> the first result on an internet search. the first result on an internet search.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, May 19, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• All campgrounds will have high-speed internet or will receive upgraded internet as part of these projects
• 00:13:43.360><c> high-speed</c> campgrounds will have high-speed campgrounds will have high-speed internet
• ><c> or</c><00:13:44.720><c> will</c><00:13:45.040><c> receive</c><00:13:45.440><c> upgraded</c> internet
• or will receive upgraded internet or will receive upgraded internet<00:13:46.560><c> as</c><00:13:46.880
• </c> internet as part of these projects. internet as part of these projects.

Keywords: 00:02 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:44 Approval of Minutes 01:56 Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet 54:59 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy received an update from Kentucky State Parks and the Finance Cabinet on the status of major capital projects funded through recent legislative appropriations. Commissioner Mark Keelin, Deputy Commissioner Chris Perry, and Finance Cabinet/DECA representatives described progress on campground upgrades, utility and broadband improvements, building systems repairs, life-safety work, accommodations and hospitality renovations, pool and beach projects, playgrounds, golf course improvements, marina work, and wastewater upgrades across the state park system. They emphasized that Kentucky has 44 state parks and that the funding has supported completed work and projects still under construction or in design. The presentation highlighted funding tied to House Joint Resolution 76, House Joint Resolution 56, and House Bill 6. Parks reported roughly $72 million invested to date, with 66 projects completed and 17 under construction, including campground renovations at sites such as My Old Kentucky Home, Kin Lake, Carter Caves, Cumberland Falls, and others; broadband projects at several campgrounds; electrical grid resilience work at parks including Kentucky Dam Village and Kin Lake; and completed life-safety upgrades such as lock systems. Officials also noted pool and beach work, ADA improvements, lodge and guest room renovations, marina replacements, and wastewater plant upgrades. DECA said it currently manages 1,335 active capital projects statewide, including 149 for Parks, and credited additional project management capacity and regular coordination meetings for accelerating delivery. Committee members asked for a copy of the presentation and pressed the department for more detailed accounting of House Joint Resolution 56, including how much money remains, which projects are complete, and whether current appropriations are sufficient to finish the listed work. The department also requested a larger maintenance pool appropriation of $40 million for the next budget, arguing that routine and emergency maintenance needs across 44 parks exceed current resources and that preventative maintenance would reduce long-term costs. No votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:08:41.599><c> unit</c><02:08:42.000><c> that</c> the internet against crimes unit that the internet
• </c> working with victims, uh internet working with victims, uh internet against<02:10:03.920><c> crimes
• The internet has been around, but people have found new ways to victimize others using the internet,
• </c> I mean, who thought when the internet I mean, who thought when the internet was<02:11:33.040><c>
• </c> that we are paying for the uh internet that we are paying for the uh internet we're<02:13:56.239

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Committee of Conference on HB 1 and HB 2 was called to order, and Legislative Budget Assistant Michael Kaine reviewed the working documents before the committee. He explained the compare report, the detailed change sheet, the HB 1 index, the HB 2 side-by-side, the surplus statement, and a revenue handout, noting that the committee would vote up or down on all detail-change items and that unresolved items on hold would be removed from the final bills. He also identified staff available to answer technical questions and noted that the committee would track the dollar impact of decisions as it proceeded. Members then turned to the revenue outlook, with discussion focused on the gap between the House and Senate budget positions. House members said their budget guidance was based on revenue estimates that were significantly below the governor’s proposal, and they discussed whether additional revenue could close part of the gap. Department of Revenue Administration Commissioner Lindsey Stepp presented updated revenue estimates based on May data, explaining the methodology and the ranges for fiscal years 2025, 2026, and 2027. She said business taxes were the largest source of uncertainty, with estimates reflecting current economic conditions, recent revenue performance, and a range of possible growth rates. Committee members questioned the assumptions behind the business-tax ranges, including why the low and high scenarios were set at 2% and 8% growth. Stepp said the range was based on historical performance and current economic factors such as inflation, tariffs, and business behavior, and she noted that June is a major estimate-payment month for business taxes. Members also discussed recent revenue trends, including the effect of tariffs and the possibility of federal tax policy changes affecting repatriated profits. The commissioner and House members also discussed other revenue sources, including rooms and meals and real estate transfer taxes, with the House side arguing that lower mortgage rates and home prices could increase real estate transfer revenue. No votes were taken in the portion provided, but the committee discussed possible upward adjustments to House revenue assumptions, including increases of roughly $70 million in total based on the updated outlook and additional insurance-related revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• Youth have noted that the new spaces and platforms being established provide important havens of support
• And the platforms are reaching families in areas that fall within the lowest half of the Healthy Places
• By engaging others who might otherwise seek or be able to access traditional care, the platforms reduce
• Into depth on the digital platforms because that was the bulk of my questions.
• There was $532 million appropriated for the virtual services platform, which includes Soluna, Bright

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we started the digital thing, it was a platform to kind of test it and see.
• This point now allows for the outside world that we are acknowledging that this is an acceptable platform
• I do think some of that had to do with how the platform was previously.
• We are working directly with Apple and Google on their platform.
• We are working directly with Apple and Google on their platforms so that, with the new platform, it already

Bills: HB3015, HB3114, HB3411, HB3567, HB3568, HB3749, HB3891, HB4229, HB4237, HB4253, HJR1019, HJR1046, HJR1084

Keywords: electronic credentials, Service Oklahoma, digital identification, data protection, driver's license, electronic monitoring, criminal justice reform, nonviolent offenders, Department of Corrections, parole, state law, biosolids, PFAS, environmental safety, agriculture, public health, Department of Environmental Quality, testing regulations, soil amendments, HB3567

Summary: The committee first announced that House Bills 3568 and 3891 and H.J.R. 1019 would be laid over and not heard that day. It then took up a series of bills, adopting PCS versions where offered and generally moving them forward with do-pass recommendations. House Bill 3015 would allow Oklahomans to add a driver’s license to a digital wallet and use it as an optional credential; members questioned why legislation was needed now versus the 2019 digital ID effort and whether the state would work directly with Apple and Google rather than a third-party vendor. The bill passed 10-0. Other measures included House Bill 314, which adds a DOC electronic monitoring ineligibility item; House Bill 3567, which increases transparency in campaign fund use and was amended to correct a citation; House Bill 3749, which lets county clerks, county court clerks, and county commissioners retain outside counsel; House Bill 4229, which narrows when schools may declare emergencies for contracts when facilities are unusable; and House Bill 4237, which modernizes collection of criminal court fees, fines, and costs. Each of these bills advanced, with HB 3749 drawing the most discussion over whether it duplicates district attorney services and whether county commissioners would be approving their own outside-counsel contracts. The committee also advanced House Bill 4253, a union-related bill that the author said he was carrying as a vehicle and would substantially revise before final passage; members discussed federal labor-law concerns and the bill passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1046 would exempt homeowners from property tax for a year if a residence is uninhabitable for six months after a disaster; members debated the impact on local tax bases and whether existing ad valorem refund mechanisms should be used instead, and it passed 10-0. House Joint Resolution 1084, which states that Oklahoma and U.S. constitutional standards govern courtroom matters and no court should enforce incompatible religious law, passed 8-2 after questions about whether it addressed a current problem. Finally, House Bill 3411 on biosolids and PFAS testing would require DEQ testing and disclosure to landowners and authorize treatment protocols; it passed 9-1. The meeting ended with notice that the next rules meeting was moved to Thursday at 11:30 in a different room due to technical difficulties.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, so why then do we need to get into the business of procuring a platform vendor which It's
• That's what you said just a little while ago, that this platform helps with the taxes.
• You're having the board not have liability, and you're setting up a platform now for us to pick what
• Isn't there a way you can set up the platform just to deal with that portion of it, as opposed to the
• Why wouldn't you set up just an ICHRA through this platform, which gives that piece that you— I know

Transcript Highlights:

• All the agencies are not on the same platform.
• This system brings all of them onto one common platform so they receive real-time information at the
• All the agencies are not on the same platform.
• But if you get everybody on the same platform, that time savings will inarguably save lives.
• But if you get everybody on the same platform, that time savings will inarguably save lives. Mr.

Summary: The Public Safety Committee first considered SB 1071, which would repeal statutory protections for the Arizona Rangers. The sponsor argued the change was needed for accountability and transparency, while Rangers and several supporters said the organization provides substantial volunteer service and that the bill would undermine their work. Sheriffs from Yavapai and Navajo counties supported the bill, citing lack of access to background and training records and saying they could not fully trust or use the Rangers without clearer standards. The committee adopted a do pass recommendation on a 4-3 vote, with members noting they expected further amendment work. The committee then heard SB 1315 on interoperable communications for schools and law enforcement, followed by SB 1317 on reentry planning grants for counties. SB 1315 was supported by school safety officials and law enforcement representatives who described the need for common communication platforms during emergencies; concerns were raised about cost and information security, but the bill passed unanimously. SB 1317 would appropriate opioid settlement funds for county reentry programs; sheriffs and the Arizona Sheriffs Association supported it, citing reduced recidivism and improved jail outcomes, and it also passed unanimously. Members next took up SB 1416 and SB 1740, both related to missing and endangered children and the Turquoise Alert system. SB 1416, as amended, would strengthen reporting, photo-sharing, training, and public notification requirements for missing children cases; advocates, family members, and law enforcement all supported the compromise language, and it passed 7-0. SB 1740 would require training on the Turquoise Alert system and was discussed alongside concerns about statewide versus geographically targeted alerts; the sponsor said an amendment was being worked on, and the bill also received a do pass recommendation. Later, the committee considered SB 1493, which would require employers to pay fees and costs when a law enforcement officer wins a termination appeal and the employer refuses reinstatement. Police and sheriffs’ representatives supported the measure as a fairness issue, while chiefs’ representatives opposed it; the bill passed as amended on a 5-2 vote. The committee also passed SB 1537, renaming the Peace Officer Training Equipment Fund as the Public Safety De-escalation and Life Safety Fund, and SB 1542, which would conditionally authorize MDMA-based PTSD treatment for first responders and create related research and reimbursement provisions, after testimony about its potential therapeutic value.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm just wondering if you could flesh out a little bit the ERP platform and how it exactly fits into
• platform platform for<00:26:25.679><c> HR,</c><00:26:26.480><c> finance</c><00:26:27.039><c> and</c>
• for the past I think we've ERP platform for the past I think we've been<00:27:02.159><c> on</c><00:27
• Well, I do know in the short term the two systems will not be on the same platform.
• Well, I do know in the short term the two systems will not be on the same platform.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met to review the annual report on collaboration between the University System of New Hampshire and the Community College System of New Hampshire, and the meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and a gubernatorial proclamation recognizing the community college system’s 80th anniversary. Both chancellors praised the proclamation and described the report as a statutory follow-up to the public higher education task force. They said the two systems have built a close working relationship and that the collaboration is intended to continue, though progress may be limited by resources and staffing changes. Much of the discussion focused on transfer pathways and new academic models. The chancellors said House Bill 1530 helped drive the creation of more than 100, and possibly about 130, “universal pathways” between the systems, with a reported 30% increase in community college associate-degree graduates transferring to the university system in the last academic year. They also discussed direct-admit outreach for community college graduates, early college and CTE-to-workforce pathways, and the development of three-year bachelor’s programs at Plymouth State and in some health-care fields. Members asked about nursing, allied dental health, and radiologic technology, and the chancellors said they are exploring whether some programs can be streamlined, while noting that nursing’s requirements may limit how short a pathway can be. Members also raised concerns about whether transfer pathways could affect university enrollment, but the university chancellor said declining enrollment is more likely due to a smaller pool of college-age students and broader competition, not the transfer programs. Another topic was the ERP/technology platform recommendation from the task force: the university system is moving to Workday, while the community college system is working to align business practices and move from an on-premises system to a cloud-based solution. Officials said a shared enterprise system could create efficiencies in the future, but it is not expected in the short term; student-facing tools like Canvas are already shared. The committee also discussed House Bill 112, which would require passing a civics test for graduation, and the chancellors said they support civic education but see implementation challenges. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving the report.

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll move on to our last item of the day, PCB GOS 26-08, OGSR social media platforms and antitrust investigations
• extends the repeal date for two public record exemptions related to investigations in the social media platforms
• PCB GOS 26-08 OGSR, social media platforms, and antitrust investigations.
• extends the repeal date for two public record exemptions related to investigations in the social media platforms
• received by the Department of Legal Affairs or a law enforcement agency into whether a social media platform

Summary: The Government and Operations Committee met and first heard C.S. for HB 4003, relating to the City of Marco Island in Collier County. Representative Benaroch said the bill addresses how city council vacancies are filled: if a vacancy occurs more than one year before a general election, the council must call a special election within 130 days or the governor must do so; if the vacancy occurs within one year of a general election, the council has 60 days to appoint a qualified replacement or the governor must appoint. The bill was reported favorably with a roll-call vote. The committee then considered HB 91 on candidate qualification, sponsored by Representative Tant. The bill requires candidates to swear they have been registered in the relevant party for 365 consecutive days before qualifying, and clarifies who may challenge that oath and where such challenges must be filed. An amendment changing the effective date to upon becoming law was adopted. Representative Tant and others argued the bill would clarify election law and prevent abuse of the challenge process; a county clerk waived in support. HB 91, as a committee substitute, was reported favorably. The committee next took up three proposed committee bills extending public-record exemptions. PCB GOS 26-06 preserves exemptions for certain aquaculture records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, with Representative Gentry citing theft concerns involving harvest locations and production records; it was reported favorably. PCB GOS 26-07 preserves exemptions for information received by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles related to potential violations involving title certificates, licenses, and inspection providers; it also passed favorably. PCB GOS 26-08 extends exemptions tied to investigations involving social media platforms and antitrust or speech-restriction issues, with Representative Greco noting the underlying law has been enjoined by the courts; it too was reported favorably. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• to pay for the central provision of licenses to the high school and beyond plan universal online platform
• to pay for the central provision of licenses to the high school and beyond plan universal online platform
• Districts then would have to fund a state-mandated platform using a portion of MSOC.
• . that seems counterintuitive. for the high school and beyond platform.
• . ...some MSOC funding for districts to pay for a statewide High School and Beyond Plan platform.

Bills: SB6130, SB6247, SB6260, SB6268, SB6278

Keywords: voter registration, elections, national holiday, civic engagement, government initiative, school funding, financial management, budgeting, transparency, district governance, SB 6260, public education, K-12, Washington State, OSPI, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, education finance, school transportation, school buses, zero-emission bus

Transcript Highlights:

• The way it works is, at night, the platform lowers down.
• At sunrise, we lift the platform up, we raise it up to the surface where it absorbs sunlight and carbon
• So this marine permaculture platform goes up and down.
• So this marine permaculture platform goes up and down.
• And by the way, this platform works great with kelp.

Summary: The Select Committee on Climate Innovation and Infrastructure held a hearing focused on emerging technologies for climate resilience and infrastructure. The first panel discussed the Calistoga Resiliency Center, a utility-driven microgrid that keeps the city powered during public safety power shutoffs using hydrogen fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, and liquid hydrogen storage. PG&E described microgrids as a resilience tool but emphasized that cost remains the main barrier to wider deployment. Energy Vault explained the project’s design, its ability to provide at least 48 hours of backup power on a small parcel of land, and its use of green hydrogen and battery storage to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. A Calistoga councilmember and NCPA representative also discussed the Lodi Energy Center hydrogen project, saying it could help decarbonize power generation and transportation, but that federal and state funding changes, tax credit timing, and other policy shifts have made the project difficult to advance. The Green Hydrogen Coalition supported the Calistoga model as a blueprint and urged policy changes to create demand and reduce barriers for renewable hydrogen, including addressing behind-the-meter rules and recognizing hydrogen in state energy planning. The second panel focused on water resilience and desalination, with the California Desal Association and Oneka Technologies discussing wave-powered desalination for the City of Fort Bragg. Cal Desal said California’s changing hydrology, reduced snowpack, and drought conditions make local water supply options increasingly important, but noted that conventional desalination is expensive and slow to permit. Oneka described its offshore, wave-powered system as a zero-electricity desalination technology that produces drinking water without greenhouse gas emissions and with limited land use, and said the Fort Bragg pilot is intended to demonstrate the technology under California conditions. The company and Cal Desal both stressed that permitting is a major obstacle, with the project requiring multiple agencies and a timeline far longer than in other jurisdictions. They also said the technology’s autonomous operation could improve water resilience because it does not depend on the electrical grid. The final panel featured the Climate Foundation’s marine permaculture proposal, which aims to restore kelp forests and support carbon removal and coastal food systems. The presenter said warming oceans and nutrient loss have devastated kelp forests along the California coast and argued that offshore platforms that raise and lower seaweed to access nutrients and sunlight could help regenerate ecosystems while producing food, feed, fertilizer, and carbon benefits. He said the technology has shown strong growth rates and storm resilience in other regions, but that California permitting remains a major hurdle, involving 17 state and federal agencies. He proposed a streamlined, code-based permitting approach for smaller projects and said the group is seeking matching funds to complete a first California pilot. Throughout the hearing, members and witnesses repeatedly highlighted the tension between innovation and the high cost, complexity, and length of California’s permitting and funding processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Some information may be accessible online via the internet, but often it may be accessible...
• Some information may be accessible online via the internet, but often it means calling a state or county
• The bill requires the database to be available to the public on an internet website by July 1, 2029,

Bills: S0132, S0418, S0646, S0820, S1734

Keywords: voting rights, felony conviction, database, Florida Commission on Offender Review, restoration of rights, autism spectrum disorder, law enforcement, communication, training, blue envelope, blue card, drug paraphernalia, narcotic testing, fentanyl, controlled substances, civil forfeiture, juvenile justice, detention, Medal of Heroism, probation officers

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met with a quorum and took up several bills. SB 646 by President Gates, relating to drug paraphernalia, was presented as a narrow measure to allow the use of drug-testing tools such as test strips and reagent kits to detect fentanyl and other dangerous adulterants; Senator Osgood spoke in strong support from a recovery perspective. The bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee then heard SB 418 by Senator Jones, which would require law enforcement training on autism spectrum disorder and create a voluntary Blue Envelope Program for drivers with ASD to store key documents and communication tips. The bill drew extensive supportive testimony from Disability Rights Florida, autism advocates, parents, and others, with some discussion about expanding similar training to corrections and other disabilities. Members praised the bill as a practical safety measure, and SB 418 was reported favorably. Next, SB 132 by Senator Polsky, as amended, would direct the Florida Commission on Offender Review to create and maintain a public database to help people determine when they have completed the requirements for restoration of voting rights, with monthly updates and clear instructions for eligible individuals. The committee adopted an amendment making the database subject to legislative appropriation, then reported the bill favorably. SB 1734 by Senator Martin, which recognizes juvenile probation and detention officers as officers under Florida law and extends related training, certification, and benefits, was also reported favorably. Finally, the committee adopted a strike-all amendment to SB 820 by Senator Bradley to strengthen reporting requirements for problem-solving courts, including annual reports from all specialty courts and a phased-in data collection process; the amended bill was reported favorably. The meeting ended with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please note the House is not responsible for any bad internet connections on the testifier's end.
• clear that most of this so-called clean fuel will be grown or, sorry, will be imported from Big... internet
• connections on the test Fire's internet connections on the test Fire's end<00:14:47.480><c> in</c><00

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation met on April 1 and first took up HR 63 HD1 and HCR 70 HD1, which urge the Department of Transportation to facilitate and accelerate adoption of sustainable aviation fuels to help decarbonize Hawaii’s transportation sector and meet climate goals. Testimony was mixed: supporters included representatives of Island Energy Services, Par Hawaii, Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, Life of the Land, and the Hawaii Renewable Fuels Coalition, who said aviation emissions are a major challenge for Hawaii and that further research and development of renewable fuels is needed. Opponents, including the Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and Energy Justice Network, argued the resolutions would undermine the state’s greenhouse-gas reduction commitments, rely on non-carbon-free fuels, and could create land, water, and biosecurity concerns. One member, Rep. Moroka, said his concern was the word “accelerate” because of potential damage from improperly stored biofuels. The committee voted to pass HR 63 HD1 and HCR 70 HD1, with Rep. Moroka voting no and the remaining voting members in favor. The committee then heard HR 136 and HCR 142, which urge the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Department of Transportation to expand the airport greetings program to display kākau art in all neighbor island airports. The only noted testimony was written comments from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and there was no additional oral testimony or discussion. The committee voted to move the measures out as is, and the recommendation was adopted without opposition. The meeting adjourned after both sets of measures were approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Trade, Workforce and Economic Development, HB 2469 by Rosenthal relating to the access of certain internet
• landlord and tenant dispute information reported by courts and published on a publicly accessible internet
• prohibiting state agencies from engaging in certain transactions with certain statewide periodicals or internet

Transcript Highlights:

• trade, workforce, and economic development, HB 2469 by Rosenthal, relating to the access of certain internet
• landlord intended dispute information reported by courts and published on a publicly accessible internet
• Education, HB 2599 by Cain, engaging in certain transactions with certain statewide periodicals or internet

Keywords: 1184, house, all