Transcript Highlights:

• Small cities have staff.
• And I also want to compliment NMFA because small, you know, volunteers...
• And it's important for small communities.
• The category is growing, and you have a very small percentage listed in here.
• A lot of these small, and there's the conversation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I happen to live in a very small town, Lindale, Minnesota, is where I live.
• <00:03:20.159> Um, happen to live in a very small town.
• Um, happen to live in a very small town.
• Now your bill these small businesses.
• Those are the ways that small farmers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's going to hurt our consumers and our small businesses in our part of the world.
• Rhode Island is a small business state. Right?
• I have an office that also deals with small business. I do want to hear it.
• Well, a small business that has gone broke is not very amenable to a meeting.
• We've got 800,000 small businesses in Virginia. These tariffs are going to wallop them.

Keywords: tariffs, Trump administration, economy, public testimony, trade policy, market access, export controls

Summary: The meeting focused on various significant topics concerning the recent tariff policies and their wide-ranging implications on the American economy. Members expressed their concerns regarding the negative impact of increased tariffs as proposed by the Trump administration, with specific emphasis on how families might suffer from higher costs and market access issues. The discussion was lively, with members questioning the clarity of the tariff plan and raising concerns about its potential effects on small businesses and American exports.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hollywood near are Pembroke Pines, Southwest Ranches West in Davie Cooper City and a small portion of
• And what what we have found is that oftentimes the small businesses, whether they be restaurants or or
• And I want to draw spotlight actually again to some of our small businesses and Senate District 17.
• And we also just in general are looking at how do we support our small business?
• We know that, you know, the vast majority of our state's businesses are small businesses.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These institutions support small businesses and small farms and help hardworking Americans achieve home
• small financial institutions. small financial institutions.
• :15.840> we<03:36:16.000> have Small financial institutions, as we have Small financial
• <03:36:22.720> businesses our families and our small businesses our families and our small
• From small communities accountable.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• people small amount of people small amount of people that<00:15:20.285> [snorts] that [snorts
• Again, most small companies like this would just continue either to pay themselves if they can in a small
• :50.520> this most small companies like this most small companies like this would<00:22:51.840
• themselves if they can in a small themselves if they can in a small business<00:22:55.120> at
• Representative small business owners.

Bills: HF3843, HF3597, HF4003, HF3167, HF4193

Keywords: workforce development, appropriations, nonprofit organizations, employment services, state funding, paid leave, S corporations, employment law, exemptions, Minnesota Statutes, cancer, healthcare, appropriation, Rural Cancer Institute, Minnesota clinicians, pilot program, nursing, education, University of Minnesota, equity

Transcript Highlights:

• We have worked on remediating small urban soils with both plants and fungi.”
• Our farms are small, and most farmers work off the farm to make ends meet.
• Our local food system relies on these small businesses and our small family farmers that grow, transport
• It is best to think of these small farms as unique urban oases.
• Costs of electricity, gas, and water on these small farms.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held a public hearing on 19 legislative proposals, with testimony limited to three minutes per speaker and seven minutes per panel. The hearing opened with testimony on bills promoting urban agriculture and vacant-lot conversion, including H.121/S.61, which Green Roots staff and community members supported as a way to turn vacant lots in environmental justice communities into urban farms and gardens that improve food access, health, community cohesion, and climate resilience. Rep. James Arena-DeRosa also spoke in support of H.109/S.56, the PFAS bill, describing it as a measure to protect soil and farms from contamination and to create relief for affected farmers. A major portion of the hearing focused on H.109/S.56, which would ban land application of sewage sludge/biosolids, provide liability protection and relief funds for farmers, and address PFAS contamination in soil, water, crops, and animals. Testimony came from environmental groups, farm organizations, and individual farmers, including the Mass Food System Collaborative, Conservation Law Foundation, Clean Water Action, CEMAP, NOFA, Sierra Club, and several farmers who described contamination in Maine and Massachusetts and urged the committee to act. Witnesses emphasized that PFAS poses serious health risks, that farmers should not bear responsibility for legacy contamination, and that the bill should be paired with funding for testing, remediation, and assistance. Committee members asked questions about farm liability, the scope of the bill, contamination in different ownership situations, and the costs and timelines of remediation, with Senator Comerford and others clarifying that the bill is intended to protect farms and farmers rather than non-agricultural landholders. The committee also heard strong support for H.416, a farm-to-institution pilot program, from Rep. Lee Davis, Berkshire Agricultural Ventures, and Berkshire Bounty. They said the pilot would connect Massachusetts farms to schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, and other institutions, creating new markets, strengthening local supply chains, and supporting food-is-medicine efforts. Members discussed whether the model could be statewide and referenced existing programs such as Island Grown Initiative and local hospital and insurance partnerships. Another agricultural bill, H.1058, was supported by Rep. Mark Sylvia and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association as a way to allow unused cranberry water rights to be transferred within the same watershed for municipal mitigation while helping growers retire or consolidate bogs. The hearing also included testimony on the broader farm omnibus bill H.112/S.55 and related measures, with the Massachusetts Farm Bureau and others praising the committee’s work on agricultural resilience, food security, agritourism, workforce development, and farmland access, while suggesting additional transportation-related fixes for farmers. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those barrels, a very small percentage overall.
• Still a small, small fraction of reinvestment into the things that help us.
• But to the small operators, those are the opportunity and the future. It's a small...
• Small operators, those are the opportunity and the future. It's a small farm, big farm deal.
• It's a big business, small business deal.

Summary: The Tax Reform and Relief Advisory Committee met with a quorum, approved the March 17, 2026 minutes, and heard a lengthy update from Tax Commissioner Brian Croshys on property tax relief programs. He reviewed the Homestead Property Tax Credit, Disabled Veteran Credit, and Primary Residence Credit, noting increased relief after House Bill 1158 and House Bill 1176, but also discussing how some households “income adjust out” of eligibility over time. Members asked about indexing income thresholds, expanding eligibility by age alone, simplifying administration, county-level notices, and whether the county and state systems could be streamlined. Croshys said the programs are heavily used, largely administered at the county level, and that the department is still refining compliance and reporting; he also said there were no material findings or overarching concerns in the latest review. The committee agreed more detailed PRC information would likely come back in a September meeting, and the chair announced an afternoon recess for lunch before later reconvening. Shelly Myers then presented the statewide property tax increase report, the zero-growth report, and a statistical report on property values and tax levies by class. She explained how county auditors report levy and valuation data, how increases and decreases are counted, and identified counties and cities with the largest percentage changes in growth or decline. She also summarized recent trends: agricultural values remain relatively flat, while residential, commercial, and centrally assessed values have risen over the last five years; in 2025, residential property accounted for the largest share of statewide property tax levies, followed by commercial, agriculture, and centrally assessed property. Committee members asked about unusual zero-growth figures, the effect of annexation and land-use changes, and whether the 3% levy cap was forcing political subdivisions to use reserves or defer spending. Myers said many counties complied by using reserves, delaying capital projects, or limiting increases, and that some counties had not used their full cap. The committee then moved to the stripper oil extraction tax exemption. Commissioner Croshys reviewed the state’s oil tax structure and estimated the revenue impact of keeping stripper wells exempt from extraction tax while still paying production tax. He said the exemption saves operators hundreds of millions of dollars over a biennium, while the state still collects production tax on those wells. He also discussed projected impacts if the exemption were changed for future wells and noted that future outcomes depend on oil prices, production declines, and technology such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery. Nathan Anderson of the Department of Mineral Resources briefly explained the historical difference between the 35-barrel and 30-barrel thresholds for certain wells, citing differences in completion costs and lateral lengths. The committee then heard from EERC CEO Charles Gorecki, who presented an analysis of oil well life cycles and said most oil is produced before wells reach stripper status, but that refracturing or other reinvestment can significantly extend production and keep wells above the threshold for years.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill bans small businesses from purchasing real property in Texas.
• Um, state government and in big and small firms in Texas and beyond.
• Second, this bill directly contradicts Texas principles of small governance.
• I'm a Christian, I'm a churchgoer, and I'm a small business owner in Texas.
• I'm looking at small businesses as well.

Bills: HB 256, HB 1308, HB 1554, HB 1743, HB 2308, HB 2351, HB 2858, HB 3676, HB 3784, HB 4312, HB 4552, HB 4823, HB 4852, HB 5007, HB 5010, HB 5520, HB 5524, HCR 19

Keywords: E-verify, employment verification, illegal employment, state contracts, government entities, license suspension, immigration compliance, state grant funding, E-Verify, compliance, penalties, immigration, government contracts, employee status, state contractors, E-verify program, legally present, employment practices, legal services, public money

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm also the co-owner and partner of a small animation studio, We Can Be Heroes.
• I'm also a small business owner.
• And that's just our small family business.
• This industry is the backbone of countless small businesses like mine.
• We're a very small local, 114, we've shrunk down.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But this bill is a small but important step toward fixing it.
• We also have what we hope is a friendly small amendment on line 16 of the bill.
• Small customers are not equipped to manage wholesale market risk.
• Small customers are not equipped reason.
• <01:17:13.640> commercial residential and small commercial residential and small commercial

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's a small... Thank you.
• I think it's a small but meaningful kind of microcosm of this issue.
• And I'll give a small example. Title 20, someone is recently detained...
• We have such a small, going back to the demographics of Wyoming, we're such a small state with such a
• >> How big is a carrot and how small is a stick? >> Yeah, you're right.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a small business guy myself.
• I'm a small business guy myself.
• I'm a small business guy County area.
• I'm a small business guy myself.<00:03:05.920> Uh,<00:03:06.319> small,<00:03:06.800>
• Uh, small, uh, hospitality myself.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent over 20,000 small businesses in Texas.
• We interviewed from 700 Texas small businesses.
• We are still your small town suburban weeklies.
• And then the agency is a very. small piece.
• There's our small school district and our ISD.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And these hearings are, for me, really critical. small businesses or you know what might small businesses
• I'll address the issue of small I'll address the issue of small business.<00:46:33.200> Um
• Um, you know, I was a small business.
• > myself<00:46:41.839> a<00:46:42.000> long, small business person myself a long, small
• of focus you want to have on small of focus you want to have on small businesses.<00:47:03.119><

Keywords: The first few minutes of this meeting was missed on the live stream. This upload restores those few minutes, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met with Secretary Jeff Null and General Counsel Matt Wing of the Cabinet for Economic Development for an overview of the cabinet’s main economic development tools, strategy, and compliance practices. Null said the cabinet uses a data-driven approach focused on competitiveness, site readiness, wages, workforce training, and long-term assets such as roads, rail spurs, water, and sewer improvements. He emphasized that the cabinet tries to balance attracting new employers with supporting existing businesses, and said compliance is a core value of the agency. Null walked members through several programs, including the closing fund, Kentucky Business Incentive (KBI), Bluegrass State Skills Corporation training support, and the KIA sales-tax refund tool for construction materials and equipment. He said the closing fund has received $80 million over two years for projects generally involving at least $10 million in investment, though some flexibility exists. He also explained that Bluegrass State Skills funding is typically about $2,000 to $3,000 per job and can be used flexibly for training, including sending Kentucky workers to be trained elsewhere or paying trainers to come to Kentucky. He described KBI as a pay-as-you-go, incremental tax credit tied to actual jobs and investment, and said the legislature’s tiered refundable credit structure allows more targeted use of incentives in heritage and non-heritage counties. A substantial portion of the presentation focused on compliance and monitoring. Null said incentive agreements are written with commercial terms and spell out jobs, investment, wages, and training commitments. The cabinet requires regular reporting, invoices, and sampling, and can use clawbacks or suspend benefits if companies fail to meet obligations or lose required environmental permits. He said the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority reviews incentive applications in public meetings and often requires company representatives to answer questions before preliminary approval is granted. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill actually deletes a small piece of the overall bill because it's already in the judiciary bill
• It dealt with public data and an exemption for public officials in smaller cities and small counties.
• This bill uh actually deletes<00:03:20.720> a<00:03:20.959> small<00:03:21.200> piece
• of the overall deletes a small piece of the overall bill<00:03:22.640> because<00:03:22.959><
• officials in in smaller cities and small officials in in smaller cities and small counties.<00:03

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• business owners from small business owners about their interaction with state agencies.
• small business owners uh from small small business owners uh from small business<00:52:05.240>
• And, of course, he's a small business owner. He hires that out to a production company.
• As a small business myself and working with many small businesses, the ability to obtain records and
• I'm going to cite Michelle Small, who was responsible, let's say, five years ago.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, it's a small ask today, but it has a massive impact.
• Um, it's a small ask today, but it has a massive impact.
• uh city of Candy, Ohio is a small uh city of Candy, Ohio is a small community<00:25:35.520> located
• While the original small diameter pipe.
• Um I guess I'm I'm know, small city.

Bills: HF568, HF433, HF1689, HF3135, HF3137, HF3145, HF2887, HF2819, HF2802, HF2664, HF2267, HF799, HF800, HF3049, HF296, HF580, HF1438, HF1237

Keywords: special education, education funding, construction, Minnesota, regional educational programs, HF433, Cloquet Area Fire District, fire station, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, general obligation bonds, public safety, emergency services, fire protection, local infrastructure, Minnesota capital budget, DEED grant, municipal facilities, station construction

Transcript Highlights:

• could present a barrier for programs or for recipients that seek smaller dollars, and it will impact small-town
• could present a barrier for programs or for recipients that seek smaller dollars, and it will impact small-town
• dollars and it that seek for smaller dollars and it will<00:24:30.080> impact<00:24:30.640> small
• <00:24:30.960> town<00:24:31.440> small<00:24:31.760> nonprofits will impact
• small town small nonprofits will impact small town small nonprofits that<00:24:32.799> will<00

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The Senate was called to order under a call of the Senate, then proceeded to House File 3426, a natural resources bill appropriating money from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The House message reported adoption of the conference committee report, and Senator Her explained that the conference version was similar to the House bill but did not include a proposed grazing rotation amendment or the provision related to taking children to the Boundary Waters. He said the report instead included a two-year expiration for a community grant capped at $2 million and a 12-member approval requirement for certain emerging account grants, with the bill reduced from 109 to 108 projects and totaling a little over $102 million. Senator Green said the conference committee reforms were good but he still could not support the bill because of the amount of spending and the value of some projects. Senator Her then gave closing remarks thanking conferees and staff, expressing disappointment that the fiscal agent requirement remained, warning it could burden smaller grant recipients and small-town nonprofits, and noting that 83% of Minnesotans had approved the trust fund amendment. He urged that the fund not be used as a political bargaining tool and asked for support. The Senate adopted the conference committee report and then took final passage on House File 3426. The roll call showed 46 ayes and 19 nays, and the bill passed with its title agreed to. The Senate also took House File 3067 from the table, gave it a second reading, and placed it on the general orders calendar. The chamber then adjourned until Friday, May 15 at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• The changes in general fund spending across DCYF forecast programs was relatively small.
• We also saw some small changes in the health care access fund related to case mix.
• So a small window, but we did forecast.
• forecast, it's a very small um impacts. forecast, it's a very small um impacts. we<00:36:04.320>
• Just one small question about the risks of non-compliance.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all