Transcript Highlights:

• I want to especially commend all of the girls and women with 4-H and FFA.
• I just want to commend you all specifically on that.
• I want to especially commend all of the girls and women with 4-H and FFA.
• I just want to commend you all specifically on that.
• I commend you for working on it, Representative Carney.

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a large group of 4-H and FFA students and guests in attendance, and members repeatedly highlighted the importance of those youth programs to agriculture and future leadership. The committee first took up House Bill 356, as amended by a committee substitute, which would create the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative. The sponsor explained that the substitute broadened the bill beyond hands-on farming to include agricultural education, agribusiness, advocacy, internships, apprenticeships, and other experiential learning, while also lowering the starting age from 6 to 5, removing the requirement that participants have access to farmland, and changing the program into a pilot focused on urban youth. Testimony from a 4-H student and Kentucky 4-H leadership emphasized that the goal is to remove barriers and provide access to agriculture education for all youth, including those in urban areas. Several members spoke in support, noting the value of urban agriculture and youth exposure to the field, and one member asked whether urban community gardens would fit within the concept; the sponsor said the substitute was designed to allow that kind of access. The committee then voted unanimously to pass HB 356 as amended, and also approved a title amendment. After HB 356, the committee moved to House Bill 315, a foreign adversary land bill intended to limit certain foreign entities’ ability to purchase land in Kentucky. The sponsor said the bill was carried over from a prior version drafted by a former representative. The chair then recognized Tim Shank, general counsel for the Kentucky Bankers Association, who testified in opposition to the mechanics of Section 8 dealing with foreclosure. He said banks are already heavily regulated and must screen borrowers through federal systems such as FinCEN, and warned that the bill’s provisions could create problems for community banks that make agricultural loans and potentially limit access to credit if the issue became widespread. The transcript ends during discussion of HB 315, before any final committee action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• table: House Resolution 373, commending the Richmond Free Press.
• Under the category of commending resolutions laid on the Speaker's table, House Resolution 373, commending
• Once again, I would like to commend the Bruton High Panthers girls swim team.
• New category: commending resolutions laid on the Speaker's table.
• New category, commending resolutions laid on the speaker's table.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to commend... ...those that are providing fostering services across the state.
• I want to commend those groups for doing that and for recognizing the need.
• Chair, I want to commend you Up, Senator Kirt. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr.
• Chair, I want to commend you for continuing the kind of public information that's been so useful from
• I want to commend you for adding to that transparency because I think it's an area of government where

Bills: SB1189 , SB1295 , SB1297 , SB1330 , SB1333 , SB1338 , SB1341 , SB1344 , SB1355 , SB1377 , SB1378 , SB1546 , SB1859 , SB1946 , SB1990 , SB1998

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The committee met in an appropriations setting and first laid over Senate Bill 1946. It then advanced Senate Bill 1344, creating an insulin access affordability program at the Health Department, on a 19-1 vote. Senate Bill 1295, establishing a Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board revolving fund and database, was amended to delete a section and then passed 21-0. Senate Bill 1355, creating a program for memorials and headstones for eligible National Guard veterans, also passed unanimously. Members then advanced several other measures, including Senate Bill 1998 to help smaller towns qualify for quality events incentives, Senate Bill 1330 raising Pardon and Parole Board salaries, Senate Bill 1297 creating a decennial census revolving fund to support outreach for the 2030 census, and Senate Bill 1189 extending the school security fund for three more years at $50 million annually. The committee also passed Senate Bill 1338 making the Heroes Literacy Instructional Team permanent, and Senate Bill 1546 increasing scholarship support for teacher preparation students. Additional bills passed included Senate Bill 1378 creating the Olympics and Oklahoma Revolving Fund, Senate Bill 1859 creating an OSBI cyber crime and fraud unit fund, Senate Bill 1341 creating a Career Counseling Revolving Fund, Senate Bill 1377 directing DHS to provide bags for foster children’s belongings, and Senate Bill 1990 broadening the Incentive Evaluation Commission’s comparative analysis of incentives. Several bills had appropriations stripped by amendment at the chair’s request before passage, and the committee repeatedly discussed fiscal impacts, local matching expectations, transparency, and whether programs should remain state-funded or rely on local or philanthropic support. The meeting ended with adjournment and notice of a meeting the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, I want to thank you for allowing me to be here and also to wish you a happy birthday. >> Tomorrow
• </c><00:13:53.840><c> you</c><00:13:53.920><c> a</c><00:13:53.960><c> happy</c><00:13:54.200><c> birthday
• </c> to wish you a happy birthday. to wish you a happy birthday. Thank<00:13:56.320><c> you.
• have a cake, anybody here in the room, you can come up to my office suite and help me celebrate my birthday
• um, help me my office suite and, um, help me celebrate<01:46:58.840><c> my</c><01:46:59.000><c> birthday

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• They didn't sign up for a birthday party. They committed a crime. They offended. They hurt.
• didn't sign<01:15:02.960><c> up</c><01:15:03.120><c> for</c><01:15:03.280><c> a</c><01:15:03.440><c> birthday
• </c><01:15:04.320><c> They</c> sign up for a birthday party. They sign up for a birthday party.
• And yes, let's rehabilitate the offenders, the criminals, not participants at a birthday party.
• And yes, let's rehabilitate the offenders, the criminals, not participants at a birthday party.

Transcript Highlights:

• And perhaps nothing captured that spirit better than his 90th birthday, which was right in the middle
• captured that spirit better than his captured that spirit better than his 90th<00:43:23.680><c> birthday
• , which was right in the 90th birthday, which was right in the middle<00:43:26.000><c> of</c><00:43:26.240
• It wasn't a birthday party as much as a testament to a life well-lived.
• </c><04:21:31.680><c> my</c> And I want to begin by commending my And I want to begin by commending my

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, somebody's birthday. For a special occasion. Good. Yeah, somebody's birthday. Not mine.
• Well, happy birthday, whoever.
• Yeah, somebody's birthday. Not mine. Well, happy birthday, whoever.

Summary: The committee began with roll call, introductions of a new fiscal analyst and a new member, and approval of the March 19 minutes. The first major presentation was from the Office of Management and Budget on the state’s general fund and special fund status through May. OMB reported general fund revenues were running below the legislative forecast by about $76 million, driven largely by weaker individual income tax and sales tax collections, though the projected ending balance remained positive and above the budgeted level. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap and would transfer excess earnings to the general fund, and the legacy fund balance continued to grow. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing revenue variability. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analyses, followed by discussion of a bill draft for the fixed-route city transportation network study. The draft would create a $15 million general fund grant program with a formula-based distribution to eligible fixed-route transit cities, intended to support operating and capital needs and help match federal transit funds. Transit officials from Minot and Fargo testified in support, explaining local fare and match structures and the difficulty of replacing aging buses and securing federal matching dollars. Several members questioned whether the program should be limited to the current four cities or broadened to future eligible urban areas, and whether local funding sources should be explored further. The committee did not finalize the bill draft at that point and planned to continue discussion at a later meeting. The committee also approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to approval of a bi-state authority with South Dakota, after staff explained that no agreements had ever been implemented and the provision appeared outdated. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried. Later, the Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site presented updates on uncrewed aircraft systems initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and efforts to build a revenue model for Vantis. Test site officials said FAA approval had been secured for the radar data program, replacement of noncompliant drones was underway, and future revenue could come from state and external users once pricing and intellectual property arrangements are finalized. Members asked about Chinese-made drones, supply chain issues, automation, and how the system would manage beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation then presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and a reentry housing study. Officials said the proposed facility would relocate the minimum-security prison to the penitentiary campus, reduce costs from an earlier estimate, and provide more beds and programming space, with construction potentially beginning in 2027 and opening around 2031. They also described staffing needs, the planned move of women to the New England facility, and possible expansion of men’s housing there. The parole and probation chief described a reentry housing task force studying housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with a goal of developing data-driven recommendations for subsidies and support services; a representative from Protection and Advocacy closed by expressing general support for fixed-route and paratransit funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had to wear my pin, and it's my birthday, I'm sorry.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Your birthday is not determined whether you are able to be involved in the electoral process.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Summary: The Judiciary Committee chair opened by emphasizing that the committee would consider bills from any member, regardless of party, so long as they would make the judiciary more streamlined, efficient, and accessible. The committee then took up Senate Print 410, which would change how judges review jury awards in employment discrimination cases. The sponsor argued the bill would curb consistently low awards and reduce pressure on plaintiffs to settle, while a member raised concerns about limiting judicial review. After discussion, the bill was moved and reported to the floor, with one member recorded without rights. The committee next advanced Senate Bill 548, authorizing the sale of a specific parcel of Forest Preserve land associated with Camp Gabriels Correctional Facility, and Senate Print 887A, a Surrogates’ Court filing bill, with a suggested amendment clarifying that initial filings may not yet have a file number. It also reported Senate Print 947, barring residential landlords from charging fees for rent payments made by ACH or online systems, and Senate Print 1142, extending the statute of limitations for employment discrimination actions. Other measures reported included the homeowner protection program bill (2627A), skier and snowboarder duties bill (3209), a constitutional amendment on voter qualifications allowing eligible 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will turn 18 by the general election (3231), and a bill increasing county court judges in certain jurisdictions (4836A), which was referred to Finance. Additional bills advanced were Senate Print 5089 creating a residential condominium owner bill of rights, Senate Print 5288 on the proper form of exhibits in civil practice, and Senate Print 9037 exempting senior citizens from jury service, with discussion noting the bill’s opt-in feature for seniors who wish to continue serving. Most measures were approved by voice vote with little or no opposition, and the meeting concluded after all listed bills were reported onward.

Transcript Highlights:

• and they are learning how to perform American fife and drum music for use in celebrating our big birthday
• Happy birthday to America. Thank you. Colleagues, please take your seats. We have a retirement.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, guest recognitions, and a quorum call before moving into committee reports and floor action. Committees reported a number of bills and resolutions, including measures from Local Government, Energy, Health, Judiciary, Appropriations, Rules, and Finance. The chamber also announced caucus and committee meetings, then recessed and later reconvened for final consideration of legislation. Several bills passed the House finally, including House Bill 2299 on body cameras for county probation officers, House Bill 167 designating a scenic byway along Allegheny River Boulevard, House Bill 95 requiring disclosure when content or advertising is generated or substantially modified by artificial intelligence, House Bill 1944 expanding medical amnesty and Good Samaritan protections on campuses, House Bill 2443 creating a child victim recovery fund, House Bill 246 updating references from the Public Welfare Code to the Human Services Code, and House Bill 2586 establishing title protection for music therapists. The House also adopted House Resolution 463 recognizing Korean-American Citizenship Day, House Resolution 499 recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day, and House Resolution 547 directing a study of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration. The House spent significant time on amendments to House Bill 133, which concerns reinstatement of parental rights, and House Bill 138, which addresses parental incarceration and termination of parental rights. Both bills received bipartisan amendments adding guardrails and exceptions, and the amendments were adopted unanimously. The chamber also debated House Bill 2224, the Fair Act, with multiple amendments on utility rates, return on equity, and scope; some amendments were adopted, several tied votes failed, and the bill was left amended for reprinting. House Bill 2544, dealing with school administrators’ rights and negotiations, saw an amendment to allow individual bargaining, but that amendment failed and the bill was agreed to. The session ended with a correction to the record on House Bill 1944, a motion to recommit several bills to Appropriations, and adjournment until June 22, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was seized out of a home on a visit from a social worker 10 days before my first birthday.
• I was seized out of a home on a visit from a social worker 10 days before my first birthday.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is not just a hearing day for me; it's also my birthday.
• Thank you for being our happy birthday one more time, and this will be up for a vote in our committee

Bills: HB2309 , HB2249 , HB2417 , SGA9066 , SGA9246 , SGA9268

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Keywords: state employment, classified service, civil service, job qualifications, degree requirements, postgraduate degree, master's degree, doctorate, higher education, Office of Financial Management, OFM, classification plan, salary survey, market rate pay, compensation, workforce diversity, hiring reform, employment eligibility, work authorization, DACA

Transcript Highlights:

• AND BEFORE WE BEGIN TODAY I WANT TO WISH A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KENDALL.
• WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY. >> THANK YOU. >> Chair: BEST AA EVER.

Transcript Highlights:

• years, and we're known for bringing joy and artistry. ...to thousands through drag performances at birthdays
• Fun fact: tomorrow is my birthday.

Bills: SB34 , SB75 , SB330 , SB1535 , SB18 , SB 18 , SB 34

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to take a moment and say happy birthday to the one and only Tim, Committee Staff Director for
• I had no idea so thank you for that and happy birthday. I appreciate you.

Transcript Highlights:

• I, this is, first of all, I commend you, Chair, for allowing this bill to be heard. I commend Rep.
• You guys are driving that, and you should be commended for that.
• I commend you guys for bringing it. And I commend again, Chair.
• I commend you guys for bringing it.
• And I commend again, Chair, thanks for allowing us to have this discussion. Thank you. Absolutely.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and took up one bill, House Bill 499, which would allow malt beverage manufacturers producing less than 31,000 gallons annually to sell and deliver directly to vendors. The sponsor and several craft brewery owners and industry advocates testified in support, arguing the measure would help small breweries reach local restaurants, improve quality control, create jobs, and serve as a bridge into the three-tier system for businesses too small to attract distributors. Opponents, including the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association, argued the bill would undermine the three-tier system, weaken accountability and tax collection, and create risks for consumer protection and market fairness. During debate, several members said they supported the bill as a small-business measure while noting they remained protective of the three-tier system. Some members raised concerns about tax tracking and long-term distributor contracts, but others said the bill appeared limited enough to preserve the existing system while giving small breweries a chance to grow. The committee then voted on the bill and it passed, with one recorded no vote. After the bill vote, the subcommittee revisited prior questions about Department of Lottery Secretary Davis’s travel reimbursements. Members reviewed updated documents showing more than $50,000 in travel reimbursements from January 2021 through November 2024, including about $27,840 tied to Orlando destinations, and expressed concern that some reimbursements may have covered commuting between Tallahassee and Orlando. The chair said the information would be sent to Secretary Davis for an explanation, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I understand that today's your birthday, is that right? Yes.
• Well, thank you for taking time out of your day, your birthday, to come down here and testify, and happy
• birthday.
• I would sing to you, but it would not be a happy birthday anymore if I did.

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• And I understand that today's your birthday, is that right? Yes.
• Well, thank you for taking time out of your day, your birthday, to come down here and testify, and happy
• birthday.
• I would sing to you, but it would not be a happy birthday anymore if I did.

Committee: House Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Task Force

Summary: The task force meeting opened with a brief organizational update, including new leadership, roll call, and an explanation of the task force’s statutory duties: to study current and future drug and substance use in Missouri, explore solutions, draft or modify legislation, and report recommendations on prevention and treatment. The chair outlined the summer hearing plan, which would feature field experts, with future sessions expected to cover alternative therapies such as psilocybin and ibogaine and testimony from the Department of Mental Health. Members were encouraged to think about legislative ideas and policy recommendations for the upcoming session. The first major testimony came from Dr. Rachel Winograd, who described Missouri’s overdose crisis as evolving into a “fourth wave” marked by fentanyl mixed with animal tranquilizers such as xylazine and medetomidine, along with methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. She said overdose deaths have declined for a third straight year, with preliminary 2025 data around 1,200 deaths, but emphasized that the crisis remains severe. Her main recommendations were to focus on demand reduction rather than repeated supply crackdowns, expand evidence-based treatment—especially methadone and buprenorphine—broaden naloxone access, and improve practical supports like housing, transportation, and case management. She also said peer services are valuable but should not be used as a substitute for clinical care, and noted that Missouri Medicaid generally covers evidence-based treatment but reimbursement for peer recovery services remains a gap. Dr. Heidi Miller, the state medical director at the Department of Health and Senior Services, reinforced the call for integrating substance use disorder care into whole-person health care. She highlighted the state naloxone standing order, which supports more than 11,000 Medicaid naloxone prescriptions annually, and urged five best practices: integrating SUD treatment into primary care, maternal health, general medical training, EMS initiation of buprenorphine after overdose, and expanded methadone access. She also argued for team-based reimbursement, stronger parity enforcement between behavioral health/SUD and physical health, and caution in regulating emerging substances so policy does not outrun the science. Dr. Doug Burgess of University Health in Kansas City echoed the integration theme, arguing that Missouri’s system is too fragmented and that patients are often stabilized and then left to coordinate their own next steps. He compared ideal SUD care to the coordinated response used for heart attacks, with seamless transitions from emergency care to inpatient treatment, rehab, and outpatient follow-up. He said treatment courts can be effective when they are well coordinated and informed by addiction science, and he stressed the importance of discharge planning, peer recovery coaches, information-sharing, and maintaining Medicaid coverage during justice involvement. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• uh I just wanted to very quickly take a personal moment to wish my daughter Evelyn a happy 16th birthday
• 04:47.520><c> 16th</c> wish my daughter Evelyn a happy 16th wish my daughter Evelyn a happy 16th birthday
• 49.599><c> I</c><01:04:49.760><c> just</c><01:04:49.920><c> want</c><01:04:50.000><c> to</c> "Happy birthday
• Well, hopefully our birthday present is that, you know, Punch the Monkey found a family, right?

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation by Reverend Jod Gun, whose prayer was journalized by unanimous consent. The chamber then recognized several guests, including representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, who were present for a resolution honoring Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week, as well as former Delegate and physician Dan Moheim, Towson University students, a veteran guest, and parents and young children visiting for Maryland Family Network’s Day in Annapolis. The Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the National Alliance on Mental Illness for its advocacy on tardive dyskinesia screening, early detection, and treatment, and designated May 5–9 as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week. The resolution was read and adopted without objection. The chamber also unanimously welcomed the guest groups and thanked them for their service and advocacy. In second-reader action, the Senate advanced several bills with committee amendments adopted without objection. Senate Bill 113, the Longevity Ready Maryland Act, was amended to refine aging-related planning, website reporting, and Commission on Aging membership, then ordered to third reading. Senate Bill 123 updated the membership of the Oversight Committee on Quality of Care in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and was also sent to third reading. Senate Bill 336 extended the Task Force on the Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for one year and added an HBCU representative. Senate Bill 394 expanded expedited partner therapy to bacterial vaginosis and added licensed certified midwives as authorized practitioners. Senate Bill 444 changed certificate-of-need requirements for certain intermediate care facilities, and Senate Bill 461 conformed the SNAP Heat and Eat Program to federal eligibility rules; both were advanced to third reading. The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee then took up Senate Bill 108, which would authorize the Maryland Department of the Environment to impose administrative penalties for certain water, wetlands, dam, and riparian-rights violations and expand administrative enforcement tools. Several senators raised concerns about the scope of the bill, its effect on shoreline restoration, dams, stormwater and wetlands enforcement, and whether it could allow penalties without adequate process or encourage payment instead of correction. The floor leader responded that the amendment requires notice, an informal meeting, and consideration of good-faith efforts before penalties are imposed in certain cases, and said the bill does not change permit requirements. The debate continued as members sought clarification on how the bill would apply to private dams, HOAs, farmers, and shoreline projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, please welcome to the committee, and again happy birthday to your daughter.
• welcome to the committee and<00:20:44.039><c> again</c><00:20:44.320><c> happy</c><00:20:44.640><c> birthday
• </c><00:20:44.960><c> to</c><00:20:45.080><c> your</c> and again happy birthday to your and again happy
• birthday to your daughter<00:20:46.240><c> thank</c><00:20:46.400><c> you</c><00:20:46.559><c> so</c