Transcript Highlights:

• As I told them, yes, we do have math in the House. If that scares you, don't.
• It's just very simple math. We won't be... If that scares you, don't. It's just very simple math.
• We won't be doing trig or calculus or any of that fun stuff, but we do have math.
• My math teacher actually has a condition, and so does her daughter, who is a teenager in high school,
• would have to pay for an expensive prescription that probably would double her insurance, and as a math

Summary: The meeting was a Girl State House session in which members received procedural guidance on chamber rules, recognition, voting, and decorum, then moved through a series of bills. The first bill, House Bill 1001, would have prohibited over-the-counter diet pills from being sold or transferred to minors; supporters argued it would protect teens from eating disorders and misuse, while opponents raised concerns about medical exceptions and the age cutoff. It failed 42-55. House Bill 1002, allowing lottery winners to keep their identities confidential for a period of time, was amended during discussion to a three-year confidentiality period and passed 79-17 after a motion for immediate consideration. House Bill 1003, requiring schools to provide resources and courses on child labor/workplace laws and readiness, drew debate over whether it should be mandatory, what age group it should cover, and whether schools could support it; it failed 22-73. House Bill 1004, the Arkansas Head Injury Act requiring helmets and protective gear for motorized cycle riders, passed 94-4 after testimony focused on safety for riders, other drivers, and first responders. Members then considered House Bill 1005, which would require a year-long personal finance course before graduation to teach budgeting, taxes, credit, and related life skills. Supporters said it would better prepare students for adulthood, while opponents argued the material is already covered in existing classes and raised concerns about scheduling and implementation; it failed 35-60. House Bill 1006 increased the teacher classroom investment income tax deduction from $500 to $1,000, with supporters emphasizing teachers’ out-of-pocket spending on classroom supplies and student needs; it passed 97-0. House Bill 1008 sought to limit the number of national franchise businesses in an economic zone to encourage local entrepreneurship and protect small businesses, but opponents argued it could hurt jobs, limit consumer options, and was unclear in scope; it failed 23-69. The House then passed House Bill 1009, creating a voluntary blue envelope program for people with intellectual disabilities to help law enforcement interactions, after supporters said it could reduce confusion and improve safety; it passed 87-5. The final bill introduced before the transcript ended was House Bill 2010, which would increase the income tax credit for Arkansas families supporting a child with special needs; the sponsor began by sharing a personal story about her brother with Down syndrome and the costs families face, but the discussion was cut off before debate or a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a former math educator, I had a little fun crunching some numbers and looking at some percent changes
• Now, if you get into the math teacher over here, start talking about the math side of it, then, I mean
• credit programs over to the non-credit side without requiring the English composition course or the math
• And they were coming, trying to go to college without a full schedule, not taking a math class their
• And they were coming, trying to go to college without a full schedule, not taking a math class or senior

Summary: The committee first approved the November 3 minutes, then received an extensive update from Arkansas Division of Higher Education and Division of Career and Technical Education officials on LEARNS and ACCESS implementation. Witnesses said the state’s goal is for students to graduate employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and described expanded career pathways, student success plans, merit and distinction diplomas, and school accountability measures tied to pathway completion and tangible credentials. They reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment and concurrent enrollment, and explained that some secondary career center programs were reduced or eliminated because they no longer aligned with state workforce demand. Members asked detailed questions about how merit/distinction affects school letter grades, how AP, concurrent credit, CTE completers, apprenticeships, and work-based learning fit into the system, and whether homeschool and private school students can access the same opportunities. Officials said multiple pathways can satisfy the requirements, including AP Scholar, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships, and that counselors are being trained to advise students. They also discussed scholarship changes: ACCESS broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar awards, with diploma of merit or distinction now qualifying students for additional aid, while the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself remained unchanged. Questions were raised about whether homeschool and private school students can meet the new diploma-of-distinction criteria; officials said the intent is to make them eligible if they meet the same standards, and that guidance is being finalized. The discussion also covered workforce scholarships and grants. Officials said the Workforce Challenge was expanded to include vocational-technical schools and increased funding, and that the Division is reworking policy around “professional skills training” to support shorter-term, stackable programs. They reviewed the new federal Workforce Pell Grant, noting its narrow hour and duration limits and the need for programs to meet completion, placement, and earnings thresholds. Members also asked about the state lottery scholarship fund balance and whether more aid should be directed to students; officials said the fund remains healthy and that ACCESS has already increased awards and expanded eligibility, with more implementation data still to come. The final presentation came from the Director of Workforce Connections on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund. Arkansas will administer the national fund, which is aimed at expanding advanced manufacturing registered apprenticeships across the country through a pay-for-performance model. Officials said the program will support occupations in aerospace, automotive, biotech, maritime, nuclear, semiconductors, supply chain, and automation, and that applications will open soon. Members asked who can apply and how the money will be distributed; the answer was that registered apprenticeship sponsors—sometimes companies, sometimes colleges, sometimes intermediaries—will apply, with Arkansas setting eligibility criteria, vendor requirements, and outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if we know every license is going to renew in that budget cycle, then it allows us the math is a
• I always like it when the math maths. Yeah, we're getting there.
• I always like it when the math<00:50:42.640> maths. math maths. math maths.
• That's pretty good mathing on our end.
• So, roughly, the math gets more complex, right?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I am assured by the Legislative council Service as well as our staff at the LFC that their math is
• 100% correct and that the discussion yesterday on the House floor about the math being incorrect was
• And I think we did the math the other day, Wesley, you had 6 or 7 staff working on 6000 projects.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you do the math, it would be hard to reclaim that many acres of land with that much money, even though
• As the Chairman mentioned, Legislative Council was instructed at the last committee meeting...
• As the Chairman mentioned, Legislative Council was instructed at the last committee meeting to take a

Summary: The committee met at the Coteau Freedom Mine in Mercer County, approved the June 2 minutes, and heard an overview of the mine from Coteau Properties president Andrew Hawbaker. He described the Freedom Mine as the largest lignite mine in the United States, supplying coal to Dakota Gasification, Antelope Valley Station, and Leland Olds Station. He emphasized the mine’s scale, safety record, reclamation work, workforce needs, community involvement, and economic impact, including payroll, taxes, royalties, scholarships, and local hiring. Members asked about how long land stays in production, how quickly it returns to agriculture after reclamation, labor shortages, and how mining affects groundwater and water wells. Hawbaker said most tracts are mined for about three to five years, reclamation is coordinated with landowners, and the company continues to struggle to find electricians, welders, mechanics, operators, and engineers. The committee then heard from Public Service Commission Chairman Randy Christman on coal mining reclamation and permitting. He reviewed North Dakota’s coal mining history, the state’s reclamation laws, federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act primacy, bonding, permit renewals and revisions, prohibited mining areas, inspection and enforcement, and contemporaneous reclamation requirements. Christman stressed that North Dakota’s program is professional and thorough, with frequent inspections, financial assurance, and a 10-year revegetation monitoring period before bond release. He also discussed federal coal ownership issues that can delay mine plans, the treatment of prime farmland, and how reclamation differs for wind and pipelines. In response to questions, he said one challenge is sometimes releasing land too soon before long-term compaction issues are fully understood, and he noted that data centers do not currently have a comparable reclamation model because they typically own the land. In the afternoon, the committee received an update from Lignite Energy Council president Jonathan Fortner on the lignite industry. He said North Dakota’s lignite sector supports five commercial power plants, four mines, about 12,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than $5.5 billion in economic activity, while helping keep the state’s electricity rates among the lowest in the nation. Fortner reviewed coal severance and conversion tax revenues, the lignite research fund, federal regulatory rollbacks, carbon capture policy, and the industry’s legal costs fighting federal rules. He also highlighted a study on large-load development, saying new data centers and critical mineral processing facilities could create major local tax revenue and help justify new baseload generation. Members asked whether new gas pipelines would crowd out coal plant development and whether the economic study included jobs and broader local impacts; Fortner said the industry sees room for both and that the study did include construction, operations, jobs, and tax effects.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I am deeply concerned about our state's literacy and math scores.
• Madam Speaker, I am following instructions to drag us out until 5 o'clock. No, no.
• It also seeks to provide educators with more timely instructional-use data so schools can better support

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I am deeply concerned about our state's literacy and math scores.
• Madam Speaker, I am following instructions to drag us out until 5 o'clock. No, no.
• It also seeks to provide educators with more timely instructional-use data so schools can better support

Summary: The House met on June 30, 2026, with opening ceremonies, guest introductions, a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence for two deceased community members. Members also adopted Consent Calendar 29, which included House Concurrent Resolutions 153, 154, and 156, and passed House Concurrent Resolution 157 directing the State Lottery to report on iLottery options to support traditional lottery retailers, as amended to set a February 15, 2027 reporting deadline. The chamber then considered several bills on agriculture, telecommunications, health, fire service standards, corrections, elections, and education. Among the measures passed were Senate Bill 53 on the Delaware Farm to Community Program, Senate Bill 307 on PSC authority for Lifeline telecom carriers, Senate Bill 339 clarifying advance health care directives, Senate Bill 235 extending manufactured home rent increase rules, Senate Bill 325 updating firefighter/EMS background check and membership standards, Senate Bill 309 discharging incarceration-related balances, Senate Bill 324 on constable-related handgun purchase exemptions, Senate Bill 94 on respiratory care practitioners and ECMO medication access, and Senate Bill 293 creating a licensure pathway for summer camp providers in the Purchase of Care program. The House also passed Senate Substitute 2 for Senate Bill 100, proposing a constitutional amendment to protect the right to marry regardless of race or gender while explicitly preserving religious freedom. The bill drew extended debate, with supporters framing it as a safeguard against future rollbacks of marriage equality and opponents raising concerns about constitutionalizing an issue already in statute; several members explained changed votes and personal reflections before the final roll call, which passed 28-12. House Bill 188, which would allow unaffiliated voters to choose a party primary, also passed after amendment, despite some opposition over party-system effects. Two measures were tabled or amended after debate: Senate Bill 233 on removing snow and ice from vehicles was initially tabled to consider a truck-driver exemption amendment, then the amendment failed and the bill later passed as amended; and Senate Joint Resolution 19 on studying health care costs was tabled briefly pending legal clarification. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 404, creating a three-year pilot program for AI and extended reality in schools, passed after testimony from the Department of Education emphasizing guardrails, data privacy, and teacher oversight. The transcript ends as House Bill 478 is being read in, but no final action on that bill appears in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, there's a number of different items here, from investing in evidence-based reading instruction
• to evidence-based math instruction.

Transcript Highlights:

• I highly encourage both of my children to go to the Oklahoma School of Science and Math.
• And so I Specifically asked the director of the Oakland School of Science and Math yesterday.
• So, if my quick math is right, that's about our state investment into these programs, you would probably
• taking programs that would count duly as their credit, so they're not taking, they may be using their math
• , and we also have pullout math currently until some other things are implemented, where they may be

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You sit over there and teach math class every three days a week. teach math class every three days a
• Like, I’m trying to understand the math on this, Mr.
• All right, I just wanted to understand how the math works, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
• anyway, and Senator, you sat on here a long, long, long time and, as the Speaker said, you taught math

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so we get—that's where I'm trying to do the math in my own office, because my office rent is $1,000
• As I'm saying, the math ain't mathing. Okay. All right, fair enough.

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The committee met briefly, established a quorum, and adopted the June 3, 2024 minutes without objection. The clerk and executive counsel then gave an overview of the committee’s role in setting and administering the House supplemental expense allowance, explaining that members currently receive up to $1,500 per month for reimbursable office and district expenses such as rent, utilities, printing, postage, travel in district, and certain communications costs. They also explained the existing carryover rules: unused funds may roll forward up to $3,000 generally and an additional $6,000 for printed materials, with any excess remaining in the House budget. Members asked for clarification on how the supplemental interacts with district office rent, mailers, per diem, out-of-state travel, cell phones, internet, and conference expenses, and staff explained which items are currently reimbursable and which are paid directly by the House. Several members raised the idea of expanding allowable uses of the supplemental to help cover lodging costs during session for members who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol, and one member also asked whether the monthly allowance should be increased because of inflation and rising office costs. Staff said lodging would require an amendment to the resolution and that any increase in the allowance would have to be taken up by the next legislative body, not this committee mid-term. Members also discussed possible tax implications and the need to consult a CPA before changing the rules, with concerns raised about avoiding double-dipping or ethical issues if lodging were reimbursed in addition to per diem. One member withdrew the lodging motion and asked that the committee study the issue further. The committee took no substantive action beyond adopting the minutes and adjourned after a motion to adjourn was made and approved without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so we get—that's where I'm trying to do the math in my own office, because my office rent is $1,000
• As I'm saying, the math ain't mathing. Okay. All right, fair enough.

Summary: The committee met briefly, called the roll, confirmed a quorum, and adopted the June 3, 2024 minutes without objection. Staff then reviewed the purpose of the House supplemental allowance resolution, explaining that members receive up to $1,500 per month for reimbursable office and district expenses such as rent, utilities, printing, postage, travel within the district, and related office costs. Members also discussed the existing carryover rules, including a $3,000 general carryover and an additional $6,000 for printed materials, with unspent amounts reverting to the House budget. Several members asked for clarification about what expenses are currently covered and how reimbursements work, including district office rent, phone and internet bills, per diem, out-of-state travel, conference registration, cell phones, and portable hotspots. The clerk and executive counsel explained that some items are paid from the supplemental account, while others, such as certain conference registration fees or appointed travel per diem, are paid directly by the House operating account. Members also raised concerns about whether using supplemental funds for lodging during session would require a resolution amendment and whether it could create tax or ethics issues, including possible double-dipping with per diem. A motion was made to consider allowing excess supplemental funds to be used for lodging costs for members who live more than 50 miles from the Capitol, but after discussion the motion was withdrawn so the committee could study the issue further and consult a CPA. Members also discussed whether the monthly supplemental amount should be increased in light of inflation and rising office rents, noting that any change would have to be made by the executive committee for the next term. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• although she has two in college, so not her oldest child, but oldest of the four present, is taking AP math
• classes and was trying to find out how to sit to take the AP math test to get the credits. well further
• present is child but oldest of the four present is taking<00:04:33.840> AP<00:04:34.400> math

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 494, relative to the math learning communities program and making an appropriation there.”
• She said section one updates existing statutory language on the math learning communities program.
• Math learning communities is a partnership between the Community College System of New Hampshire and
• the student who has struggled in math the student who has struggled in math and<00:52:50.880>
• for the more accelerated you know math for the more accelerated you know math and<04:30:38.239><

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division 2 work session first took up HB 506, a bill dealing with the return of seized firearms. Members discussed how the measure would shift background-check processing for firearm returns through the Department of Safety, while the physical firearms would still remain with local police unless State Police had taken custody. The department said the bill would change which cases come to it, and members clarified that the bill concerns the background-check decision rather than possession of the firearms. The committee then voted OTP on HB 506 FN by a 7-0 roll call. The committee next discussed HB 671, establishing a kindergarten literacy readiness program. Department of Education staff explained that the bill grew out of a COVID-era Waterford contract that provided home-based early literacy support for families using federal relief funds, at a cost of about $600,000 per year, but that the program ended when those funds expired. Members raised concerns that the bill’s $1 appropriation was not realistic, that the prior program lacked sufficient outcome data, and that the references to ESSA tier-one benchmarks were unclear. The department said it was conducting a broader literacy needs assessment and updating the state literacy plan, including data from the zero-to-five range, K-5, and dyslexia-related work. Waterford representatives described the program as an early-literacy, pre-K readiness service for children ages zero to five, originally designed to work in homes with computers and internet provided where needed, and later expanded in some settings such as daycares and pre-K classrooms. They said the program used assessments at the beginning and end, had served hundreds of children, and was intended to support family engagement and kindergarten readiness. Despite that testimony, members remained concerned about funding and the lack of clear results, and one member moved to retain the bill for more information. The discussion ended with the bill retained rather than advanced.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in pensions, we have a concept called generational equity, which is a little bit of math, but a little
• > a<00:16:22.080> little<00:16:22.320> bit<00:16:22.480> of little bit of math
• , but a little bit of little bit of math, but a little bit of fairness,<00:16:23.480> where<00
• And in pensions, we have a concept called generational equity, which is a little bit of math, but a little
• And in pensions, we have a concept called generational equity, which is a little bit of math, but a little

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if you don't mind me asking a couple of rookie questions, can you just explain the math for the bill
• can just explain the math for the bill. can just explain the math for the bill.
• Understand their math and be polite, and we will embrace you here.
• Understand their math you're serving.
• Understand their math and<00:47:50.480> be<00:47:50.720> polite<00:47:50.960> and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The building will support programs in math, computer science, art, and design.
• The building will support programs in math, computer science, art, and design.
• The building will support programs in math, computer science, art, and design.
• The building will support programs in math, computer science, art, and design.
• <01:20:15.920> unfortunately year and how the math unfortunately year and how the math unfortunately

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a lot of complex math.
• /c><00:13:43.360> lot<00:13:43.440> of<00:13:43.600> complex<00:13:44.079> math
• It's a lot of complex math. million. It's a lot of complex math.
• One is the DRRA doesn't have to do all of that allocating math, which is really a black box to the public
• Just to go to what Representative Spillsbury was attempting to do, and just a little bit of the math:

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• :32:44.640> and Representative Nash said, “Ignore that, sweep it under the rug,” and then instruct
• Swanson said it was a very serious problem because, by the math, 50 out of over 1,000 child care centers
• serious problem because if if you<00:41:07.280> do<00:41:07.440> the<00:41:07.680> math
• what<00:41:09.280> this<00:41:09.520> amounted<00:41:09.920> to you do the math
• um what this amounted to you do the math um what this amounted to is<00:41:10.720> um is um is

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• to taxable years beginning after December 31st of 2026 to allow time to make implementation and instruction
• we just know that that is being reported by the Department of Agriculture. >> Okay, when I do the math
• when<01:48:57.440> I<01:48:57.600> do<01:48:57.760> the<01:48:57.920> math
• 58.159> on<01:48:58.320> that<01:48:58.560> that's >> okay when I do the math
• on that that's >> okay when I do the math on that that's 1600<01:48:59.679> a<01:49:00.080

Bills: SB2709, SB3154

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

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