Transcript Highlights:

• greater Minnesota, those small meat lockers who can't find anyone who wants people, more new people
• those small businesses throughout greater<00:24:26.560> Minnesota,<00:24:27.000> those
• <00:24:27.200> small<00:24:27.640> meat greater Minnesota, those small meat greater Minnesota
• , those small meat lockers<00:24:28.240> who<00:24:28.360> can't<00:24:28.640> find<
• This program will build that workforce for those small meat lockers, for the large meat lockers.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It also helps with cash flow issues for our hospitals in our small rural areas, which as you all know
• I apologize that that is small.
• I apologize that that is small.
• I apologize that that is small.
• So we see a lot of our small hospitals struggling, but somehow Children's is not.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review Arkansas DHS hospital spending and reimbursement methods, with Secretary Janet Mann and Deputy Secretary Misty Eubanks explaining Medicaid hospital payments. They described fee-for-service per diem payments, cost settlements, and the upper payment limit (UPL) program, noting that SFY 2025 hospital payments included $688 million in inpatient/outpatient claims, $473 million in UPL payments, $248 million in cost settlements, and about $47 million in other payments such as graduate medical education and disproportionate share hospital funds. Members asked about why per diem rates vary, how cost settlements work, why UPL applies mainly to private hospitals, and how assessment fees are structured and funded. DHS said the hospital assessment fee is broad-based and uniform, used as the state share to draw federal funds, and that supplemental hospital payments after federal match totaled $548 million with no general revenue used. The Arkansas Hospital Association’s Jody Ann Tritt then gave a broader overview of the hospital landscape, explaining the different hospital types in the state, including critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, PPS hospitals, and specialty hospitals. She said Arkansas hospitals face financial strain, citing a negative 5.18% patient service margin statewide and lower reimbursement than surrounding states. She argued that Arkansas hospitals are paid less than hospitals in neighboring states for similar services, that commercial payer rates and administrative burdens are a major problem, and that Medicaid and Medicare rates remain below cost even with UPL support. She also said hospitals are the backbone of community care, provide emergency and public health functions, and are looking for ways to invest in technology and telehealth but often lack the revenue to do so. Members pressed for clearer data on hospital finances, reimbursement adequacy, and the impact of commercial insurers. Tritt said the association had just authorized a statewide survey to gather updated financial information from hospitals, which she said would take about a year to complete. She also explained that Medicaid pays weekly, Medicare and commercial plans can involve delays and denials, and that hospitals often spend significant resources on revenue cycle work. The discussion ended with a brief update on assisted living reimbursement: DHS said one facility, The Pillars of the Community in Crossett, had announced closure, nine Living Choices waiver clients were being transitioned, and the updated rate study would be available after cost reports are collected, likely before the end of the fiscal year. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Small tweaks are needed to those statutes.
• But it represents a relatively small amount overall compared to the overall deficit amount that we're
• The small transfer of land from our state government to our tribal government is a unique opportunity
• The Community Grants Program seeks to use a small percentage of the LCCMR funds to help small nonprofits
• We tried to get at that with a small community grants or small grants program in the LCCMR.

Bills: HF1587, HF2293, HF2218, HF1208, HF1482

Keywords: HF1587, Cass County, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, DNR, condemnation, eminent domain, state land, surplus land, public waters, tribal land transfer, federally recognized Indian Tribe, tribal ownership, land conveyance, no consideration, land appropriation, natural resources, U.S. Highway 2, Section 27 Township 145 North Range 28 West, land return, Tribal sovereignty

Transcript Highlights:

• This expansion would also help provide much-needed support for retailers, particularly small businesses
• Grocers are vital to their communities, but small retailers continue to struggle with rising expenses
• muchneeded support for retailers, muchneeded support for retailers, particularly<00:03:54.000> small
• businesses who are particularly small businesses who are facing<00:03:55.519> increased<00:03
• <00:04:00.159> retailers communities, but small retailers communities, but small retailers

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 1534, authored by Representative Keeler, was heard and amended with the A1 amendment, which was adopted without objection. The bill would move the Healthy Eating Here at Home/Market Bucks program from the Department of Humanities to the Department of Health and expand the nutrition incentive program from farmers markets to grocery stores, with the goal of helping SNAP recipients afford fresh fruits and vegetables year-round and leveraging federal matching funds. Representative Keeler said the proposal would better align food insecurity work with health outcomes and support both local consumers and local grocers. The Minnesota Grocers Association testified in support, describing the bill as an expansion of a successful program that would help low-income shoppers and provide added support to retailers, especially small businesses facing rising costs. A testifier, Tamara Walter, also supported the bill as a SNAP recipient and Market Bucks user, saying the program helps her family afford healthier food and that winter access to fresh produce is especially important because of diabetes and celiac disease in her household. There was no public testimony in opposition and no member discussion. The committee then laid the bill over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Small businesses...
• Is supporting our small businesses and Main Street businesses so that they can succeed.
• Small businesses are the backbone of the Massachusetts economy.
• The SBDC... $4 million for the Small Business Development Center at UMass.
• But Cape Cod is big on that, especially seasonal small business, the backbone.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a public FY27 budget hearing at Barnstable Town Hall, with opening remarks emphasizing the Cape and Islands’ seasonal infrastructure, housing, transportation, workforce, and digital needs. The hearing began with testimony from the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, which outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s budget priorities for job training, apprenticeship, youth employment, reentry programs, and unemployment insurance modernization. The secretary highlighted proposed funding for the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund, Career Technical Initiative, YouthWorks, reentry workforce development, and services for young adults with disabilities, along with a proposal to streamline youth work permits. Members also discussed the unemployment trust fund, the COVID assessment on employers, rising unemployment, and the need to improve DUA customer service and claims processing. Committee members asked about job seeker barriers such as child care, housing, transportation, and out-migration of young workers, as well as how to keep Cape Cod graduates and seasonal workers in the region. The administration said its strategy is to pair training with broader affordability investments and to expose students to career pathways earlier, including through middle school, early childhood STEM, YouthWorks, pre-apprenticeships, and Building Pathways. Senators and representatives also raised concerns about regional funding disparities, especially for Hampshire Franklin MassHire, and the administration said it is reviewing MassHire funding and service equity through a policy committee and statewide workforce board. On unemployment assistance, officials reported major improvements in wait times and claims processing, but said they are still working through backlogs and staffing challenges while maintaining program integrity. The committee then heard testimony from the Executive Office of Economic Development. The secretary described House 2 as a fiscally restrained budget with no new taxes or fees, while preserving core programs and using the Mass Leads Act tools to support competitiveness. EOED’s proposal included funding for the Community One Stop for Growth, rural economic development, social enterprise operating grants, regional economic development organizations, the Workforce Investment Trust Fund, Community Workforce Partnerships, Pathmaker, advanced manufacturing training, life sciences, innovation vouchers, AI initiatives, small business assistance, and tourism and live theater support. The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation also testified on its FY27 request, focusing on consumer protection, licensing, banking, insurance, and public safety regulation. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• entrepreneurs or small businesses with. entrepreneurs or small businesses with.
• <00:31:09.600> business also required by the uh small business also required by the uh small
• Wyoming SBIR STR initiative, small Wyoming SBIR STR initiative, small business<00:31:23.120>
• And if they small It's difficult.
• And how does a small ridiculous.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You have to work together as a small agency. You have no other choice.
• You have to work together as a small agency. You have no other choice.
• You have to work together as a small agency. You have no other choice.
• You have to work together as a small agency. You have no other choice.
• You have to work together as a small agency. You have no other choice.

Bills: HB339

Keywords: Civil Air Patrol, CAP, emergency leave, job protection, employment discrimination, leave of absence, volunteer service, emergency response, Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, state employee leave, military leave, public employees, local government employers, reinstatement rights, seniority protection, unpaid leave, Meeting Start 00:00:03 Roll Call 00:00:14 Discussion of Local Law Enforcement Issues 00:03:08 Discussion of Civil Air Patrol Employment Protections 00:50:46 Adjournment 01:06:07, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The summary also says protecting small businesses.
• The summary also says protecting small businesses.
• And if every business gets that cap, then a small business would... ...to small businesses, and if every
• Whatever happened to the belief in small government?
• I asked the question about a small town.

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't recommend cash bonds, but occasionally a small company... on a small project may have difficulty
• Once again, somewhat small.
• So especially small ones.
• We're the small people. I represent a lot of small people.
• You know, Texas is home of small business.

Bills: HB206, HB 1285, HB1335, HJR107, HB206

Keywords: pipeline, construction, cash bond, county authority, local government, HB 1285, Railroad Commission of Texas, RRC, drones, unmanned aircraft, UAS, drone inspections, oil and gas, pipeline inspection, surface mining, well sites, tank batteries, disposal wells, injection sites, natural resources

Transcript Highlights:

• SAUs, um, uh, small school districts and small SAUs but the small SAU struggle to get a business administrator
• finance finds that there are some small finance finds that there are some small SA<00:34:47.839>
• > districts<00:34:51.599> and<00:34:51.839> small<00:34:52.000> SAUs small
• school districts and small SAUs small school districts and small SAUs but<00:34:52.879> the<00
• c><00:34:54.639> get but the small SAU struggle to get but the small SAU struggle to get a<00:

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh and small as 700 800 900 square ft.
• That's a those small starter homes, small lots are great ideas, but when somebody moves into a starter
• There are ways to accommodate parking on small lots.
• It's actually parking on small lots.
• benefits include supporting small benefits include supporting small businesses<01:04:33.599>

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:05 Roll Call 00:00:12 Discussion of Legislative Measures 00:03:12 Discussion of Housing and Land Use 00:21:58 Discussion of Short Term Rental Policies 01:03:17 Adjournment 01:15:38, 958, all

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from its June 4, 2025 meeting and then heard a series of presentations focused largely on housing and land-use policy. Senator Robbie Mills and Representative Josh Bray discussed two 2025 housing measures: Senate Bill 50, which would create residential infrastructure development districts to help local governments finance infrastructure for new housing developments through special assessments and local debt, and House Bill 7, which would let local governments identify development areas and rebate new property tax revenue to developers as an incentive for housing growth. They said Kentucky faces a statewide housing shortage of roughly 210,000 units, projected to grow if building patterns do not change, and argued that regulatory relief and financing tools are needed to increase supply. Representative Rebecca Rymer presented House Bill 371, which would require local permitting when an industry’s residual waste landfill is located in a different county from the industry itself. She said current law lets such landfills bypass local review, leaving host counties with no say despite road impacts and other local burdens. She said the bill would preserve the existing exemption when the landfill and industry are co-located, and noted support from KLC and KO. Representative Steve Doan also described House Bill 806, a statewide backyard chicken bill that would allow domesticated hens, prohibit roosters, set a minimum of six hens that local governments could not go below, and preserve local authority over setbacks, sanitation, maintenance standards, and egg sales. He said it would override outright local bans but not HOA restrictions, and cited a current Northern Kentucky dispute and ADA litigation as reasons for the proposal. The committee then heard a broader discussion on housing and land use from Charlie Gardner of the Mercatus Center and Nolan Gray of California YIMBY and the Bluegrass Institute. They outlined categories of land-use regulation, described the recent growth of state-level housing reforms nationwide, and cited examples such as ADU legalization, smaller lot sizes, reduced parking minimums, streamlined permitting, and single-stair or other building-code reforms. They argued that housing shortages are a statewide concern, that localities often have incentives to block growth, and that state intervention can reduce costs and uncertainty without compromising health and safety. Members asked about the housing shortage estimate, the effect of red tape on safety and local authority, and how state reforms could be phased in; the presenters said reforms often include lead time, can be targeted to larger jurisdictions, and should focus on reducing time and cost while maintaining basic standards.

Transcript Highlights:

• Pastor Thompson: Companies, we will be taking back a small amount of the profit that these companies
• Advertising is one of the most effective and affordable tools these small businesses here in Minnesota
• Small businesses will feel the repercussions of a bill like this.
• It's a small step towards a fair way for them to give back some of what they take.
• They want small businesses there. They want you to create profiles. And give them their data.

Transcript Highlights:

• like that in a small community. like that in a small community. Okay. Okay. Okay.
• small the small pharmacies, cuts out the small the small pharmacies, you<01:02:14.000> know,<
• <01:02:45.360> towns, people know especially in small towns, people know especially in small
• rural Minnesota and our small rural Minnesota and our small communities communities communities
• are, which is a small part of our state. are, which is a small part of our state.

Bills: HF4712, HF4801, HF3756, HF4860, HF4931, HF4289, HF4460

Keywords: residential pools, swimming classes, certification, private business, health safety, health care, prior authorization, managed care, medical assistance, mental health, substance use treatment, chronic conditions, health insurance, insulin, healthcare access, pharmacy regulations, patient assistance, affordable medication, healthcare, pharmacy

Summary: The committee met at 1:00 p.m., confirmed a quorum, and approved the April 8, 2026 minutes. The first bill heard was House File 4712, which was laid over after the committee adopted a DE2 amendment. Representative Schultz said the bill would create a narrow additional exception to public pool limitations so highly certified swimming instructors could use certain pools for specialized infant, youth, and developmental-disability swim instruction. The only testifier, Tessa Seppelt, described ISR instruction as water-safety and drowning-prevention training for very young children and children with developmental delays, and said access to appropriate facilities is the main barrier. Members raised questions about emergency egress, public safety, and insurance coverage, and the author said he would follow up on those concerns. The committee then took up House File 4801, a bill by Representative Nadeau aimed at health care program integrity. He said it would align commercial and Medicaid partners to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse by changing prior authorization and retrospective review processes, improving data sharing on suspected fraud, addressing conflicting or duplicative services, allowing managed care organizations to verify provider credentials, and making risk corridors in MCO contracts permanent. The Minnesota Council of Health Plans supported the bill, saying it would help detect fraud and improve coordination, while the Minnesota chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics opposed it, arguing that expanded prior authorization would delay care, increase physician burden, and harm children with chronic conditions. Members debated patient safety, fraud detection, and whether the bill would undermine recent prior-authorization reforms. The bill was laid over. House File 3756, a technical update to the insulin safety net program, was also laid over. Representative Backer said the bill clarifies that a hospital-use intravenous insulin product is not part of the program because it is sold only to health care institutions and infused by practitioners, not dispensed to patients for self-use. The Board of Pharmacy testified that the language was drafted to avoid affecting future legitimate uses, and members asked whether the definition could limit new uses if treatments change. The committee then began House File 4860, but the transcript cuts off before the bill’s presentation is completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• But these small schools don't have that. They don't have that flexibility.
• But these small schools don't have that. They don't have that flexibility.
• Uh you know, so many of our small Uh you know, so many of our small schools,<00:22:08.080> uh
• So, we are two small districts, and several conversations happened here before about small districts,
• Every small pinch results in a hard decision.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• might have food trucks there are small might have food trucks there are small startup<00:16:02.160
• And so we're talking about a very small amount of wine relative to these stores' annual sales.
• And so we're talking about a very small amount of wine relative to these stores' annual sales.
• small amount of wine uh relative to small amount of wine uh relative to these<01:01:53.799> stores
• Small or medium-sized retailers just don't have the opportunity to do that.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a lot of small-scale employers that are constantly asking us how they can help.
• We have a lot of small-scale employers that are constantly asking us how they can help.
• Many of our customers run small bingo games, while others are much larger.
• Many of our customers run small bingo games, while others are much larger.
• It has always run a small game there.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• for small businesses.
• I live in southeast, and I see this as another way to stop small business. Small business is...
• This is another way to stop small business. Small business is the backbone of this state.
• Have you talked to any of the small businesses? ...small businesses a lot of money.
• The small... Citizens do.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• million investment for HAP, and we know that these dollars mean something, as I said, not only to small
• It's about the small businesses and workers who are... It's not about red carpets.
• It's about the small businesses and workers who rely on the good-paying, family-sustaining jobs that
• Members, I want to share a small piece of our dairy community with each of you.
• Mukhtar immigrated to the United States from a small village in Yemen with his family as a young child

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're small.
• I mean, do we have people in these small schools that are going for this merit program?
• I'm Vern Poen, and we're very small.
• I do the one-on-one, and then it gets less because I start putting them into small groups.
• Does that make district, but it's not going to show up overall because of the small number.

Summary: The committee first approved the March 9 and 10 minutes, then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship Program featuring three third-grade teachers from Poyen, Drew Central, and Cabot, along with Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long collaboration among 23 merit-pay recipients from across the state, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about teacher experience, how the fellowship information is shared locally, the role of merit pay, and how teachers are addressing third-grade reading and retention concerns under the ATLAS assessment system. The teachers emphasized early intervention, relationships with students, small-group instruction, progress monitoring, and communication with families; they also described community supports such as churches, food backpacks, and local donations. Several members raised broader questions about poverty, trauma, social services, DHS involvement, and whether similar professional learning should be expanded to more teachers. Secretary Oliva said the fellowship is a small subset of a larger merit-pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is working to improve literacy supports, clarity, and alignment across grades. He also said ATLAS results are now available to schools and families much faster than in the past, often within 24 to 72 hours, and that the state is using the data to identify at-risk students earlier and support intervention before retention decisions are made. The committee then moved to the adequacy/resource allocation presentation from the Bureau of Legislative Research. Staff explained that the report is part of the statutory adequacy review and focuses on state funding sources beyond foundation aid, including categorical and supplemental funds. They noted that districts and charters spent more than $7 billion in the 2025 school year, with roughly 49% from foundation funding and 51% from other sources over the last three years. The presentation outlined the four categorical funds—Alternative Learning Environment, English Learners, Enhanced Student Achievement, and Professional Development—describing their restricted uses, student-based funding formulas, and the ability of districts to transfer some money among categoricals while keeping it within allowable purposes. Staff said categorical funds account for about 4% of total spending, or less than $300 million, and reviewed superintendent feedback on whether those funds met district needs, with responses varying by category and district.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm small. We're small.
• I mean, do we have people in these small schools that are going for this merit program?
• Yes, I'm from Poe, and we're very small. We're...
• I do the one-on-one, and then it gets less because I start putting them into small groups.
• I think that we have the benefit of a small school.

Summary: The committee approved the March 9 and 10 minutes and then heard a presentation from the Arkansas Department of Education on the Arkansas Excellence in Teaching Fellowship, featuring three third-grade teachers from Cabot, Poyen, and Drew Central who are also teacher merit pay recipients. The teachers described the fellowship as a year-long Zoom-based collaboration with about 23 educators statewide, focused on sharing classroom strategies, data use, and professional support. Members asked about the teachers’ experience, how they share what they learn with their districts, the range of grades represented in the fellowship, and the relationship between the fellowship and merit pay. The teachers emphasized building relationships with students, using data to drive instruction, early intervention, and collaboration across grade levels, while the secretary said the program is intended to identify and elevate high-performing teachers and spread their practices. A major portion of the discussion focused on third-grade reading, retention, and the new ATLAS testing system. Teachers and the secretary said students are screened and progress monitored throughout the year, families are notified early if students are at risk, and schools are using interventions, tutoring, and individualized reading plans. They said ATLAS results are now available much faster than in the past, often within 24 hours or a few days, allowing teachers and parents to respond quickly. Members asked about the impact of poverty, trauma, foster care, DHS involvement, IEPs, and critical shortage areas; teachers said relationship-building, small-group instruction, and coordination with counselors and special education staff are key. The secretary said the fellowship is a small subset of a broader merit pay program, that participation was voluntary, and that the state is trying to build a coherent system with literacy coaches, high-impact tutoring, and clearer standards rather than teaching to the test. Members also discussed broader policy issues, including the need for more positive public messaging about public education, teacher input in decision-making, and support for early childhood education. Several legislators asked whether the state should expand funding for early learning and whether more literacy or academic coaches are needed in districts that improve and then lose eligibility for state support. The secretary said the state has committed literacy coaches to D and F schools and is still working through how to sustain support as schools improve. He also said the administration would look at data and return on investment before supporting additional funding, and he encouraged legislators to help recruit eligible teachers into future fellowship cohorts. After the teacher panel concluded, the committee moved on to the adequacy resource allocation study, where Bureau of Legislative Research staff began a presentation on state and local education funding sources, categorical funds, and district spending patterns.