Transcript Highlights:

• We need to support small grocers, small business owners who provide produce and give them the resources
• Chromosomes are small packages of genes in the body.
• CHROMOSOMES ARE SMALL PACKAGES OF GENES IN THE BODY.
• All the other expenses that stress small businesses.
• They are small little local water districts.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then processed a series of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate bills, which were so ordered. Several bills were also recalled from the Assembly, had reconsideration votes taken, and were restored to the third reading calendar after receiving 58 ayes. Amendments were received on a number of bills, and those measures retained their place on the calendar. The main business of the day was Privileged Resolution 2318, sponsored by Leader Stewart-Cousins, honoring Senator Michael Gianaris with the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader’s Legislative Legacy Award. The resolution and floor remarks reviewed his long career in the Assembly and Senate, his role as Deputy Majority Leader and floor leader, and his work on housing, criminal justice, voting rights, labor, environmental, consumer, transit, animal welfare, and other major legislation. Members from both parties spoke at length, praising his strategic skill, mentorship, humor, and influence, while also noting his support for younger members and his commitment to family. Several senators described personal experiences showing Gianaris’s mentorship and political guidance, and many referenced his Greek American identity, Queens roots, and interests such as Star Wars and the Mets. Senators also emphasized that he was leaving on his own terms to spend more time with his wife and daughters. The resolution was adopted with broad support, and Gianaris then spoke in response, reflecting on nearly 30 years in state government, the major laws passed during his tenure, and the relationships he built in the chamber.

Transcript Highlights:

• systems, reduce inflow and infiltration, and support future residential and commercial growth in that small
• And for a small city like Beulah, projects of this scale are not possible without state partnership.
• And this is not a small issue.
• agencies, or or prohibitive for small agencies, or or non-existent. non-existent. non-existent.
• Um and with the uh such a small town.

Bills: HF4156, HF3835, HF3995, HF4383, HF4091, HF4084, HF4311, HF198, HF4486, HF4302, HF4309, HF4032, HF3855, HF3673, HF4265, HF4012, HF4339, HF4298, HF3852

Keywords: infrastructure, wastewater, stormwater, Buhl, state bonds, appropriations, economic development, water infrastructure, grants, capital investment, funding, state regulation, Frazee, North River Drive, infrastructure improvements, HF4383, Minnesota capital investment, bonding bill, Department of Natural Resources, DNR

Transcript Highlights:

• conservation partners legacy small conservation partners legacy small grants<00:09:55.760> program
• Um again, these small protect protected.
• Um again, these small CPL<00:10:23.440> small<00:10:23.920> grants<00:10:24.959> has
• Instead of taxes, you get a small stipend.
• Instead of taxes, you get a small stipend.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's a very small population of the undocumented population.
• Just that small population? We don't get it for anything else.
• So we're talking about a relatively small subset.
• They are basic operating infrastructure for the modern small business.
• We ask that AB 122 be amended to include real small business protections, a small business exemption,

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What's considered a small contract?
• When you talk about small contracts, did you answer how much are you talking about small contracts in
• Even if you have small companies that they can do some subwork, try to find Even if you have small companies
• In our area, the city of the village of Loraville, city of Generet, very small communities, very small
• And the Bayou Pioneer looks like a small paper.

Bills: HB248, HB249, HB997, HB1052, HB1193, SB1, SB161, SB218, SB220, SB289, SB435

Keywords: Compensation Commission, elected officials, salary evaluation, government accountability, Louisiana legislature, compensation, independent commission, salary adjustment, consumer price index, official journal, public notices, government transparency, local government, municipal website, school board notices, parish council, police jury, special districts, levee district, drainage district

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 1, which would authorize electronic voting by public bodies under the Open Meetings Law and apply the change retroactively to validate prior electronic votes. Senator Jenkins said the bill would align the law with current practice and reduce litigation risk; members asked about best practices for announcing votes and recording them in minutes. The committee reported SB 1 favorably without objection. House Bill 1052 by Representative Spell was then heard and reported favorably. The bill would exempt certain child advocacy center and multidisciplinary investigative team records—such as forensic interviews, medical records, and related work product—from public records disclosure. Testimony from child advocacy advocates emphasized protecting sensitive child abuse investigation materials, limiting disclosure through in-camera review and protective orders when records are needed in court, and preventing misuse of records in civil or custody disputes. The committee also considered Senate Bill 289, as amended, dealing with confidentiality of certain university records in public records requests. Senator Abraham’s amendments narrowed and clarified protections for applicant materials, donor confidentiality, proprietary research, and industry negotiations, while preserving disclosure of top finalists and limiting confidentiality periods for some negotiations. The amended bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 218, allowing the State Board of Election Supervisors to approve alternative election-official certification training programs, and Senate Bill 220, a technical correction regarding the official journal of the state, were also reported favorably. Senate Bill 161, repealing a 2013 requirement that certain high-salary unclassified state employees register vehicles in Louisiana, was reported favorably after questions about its scope. House Bill 1193, authorizing CPRA to use indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracts for smaller maintenance and emergency-related coastal projects, was amended to make proposal materials unavailable for public inspection until selection is complete and to clarify the bill does not apply to design-build contracting; it was then reported favorably as amended. House Bill 249, which would have created a constitutional compensation commission to set compensation for elected officials with CPI-based adjustments, failed on a roll-call vote of 6 yeas and 9 nays. Because the constitutional amendment failed, the companion enabling bill, House Bill 248, was deferred. The committee also heard House Bill 997 on local government public notices on websites; after amendments narrowing the bill to parishes, municipalities, and school boards, members continued debating it, with supporters arguing it would reduce duplicate publication costs and opponents raising concerns about public notice transparency and newspaper access.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, for example, we're developing a small 20-unit project.
• Those range from very small 20-unit developments to much larger, over-a-hundred-unit developments.
• It's a very small hit on state and local taxes in return for a really big benefit. Thank you.
• A small gas tax... An enterprise agency that purely survives on money that they can generate.
• We are hundreds of small business owners, small gas station owners, small convenience store owners in

Bills: SB36, SB88, SB92, SB97, SB48, SB55, SB58, SB76, SB93, SB89, SB60

Keywords: quantum technology, tax credit, infrastructure, economic development, New Mexico, corporate tax, research and development, innovation, foster care, income tax, guardianship, youth services, financial relief, affordable housing, gross receipts tax, tax deduction, construction materials, multifamily housing, low income, tax credits

Transcript Highlights:

• The business community has a Go-Biz and the Office of Small Business Advocate to help companies navigate
• So just as the state leverages Go-Biz to ensure the business sector thrives, we need a small, nimble
• My family started our small winery 10 years ago. We don't own vineyards.
• By contrast, the Type 84 permit for small breweries has no estate-grown requirement, and it lets the
• SB 917 brings that same modern framework to small wineries.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The other thing that has changed is we originally started with the small purchase threshold being at
• So what you have before you today is a local procurement bill related to again raising that small purchase
• originally started with the small originally started with the small purchase<00:08:03.919> threshold
• Again, it would also allow for an independent evaluation of small non-evaluative pieces of equipment
• <00:09:03.839> non-evaluative<00:09:05.279> or<00:09:05.519> or evaluation of small

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll call: 01:22 HB 577 discussion: 03:04 HB 577 vote: 05:26 HB 392 discussion: 06:55 HB 392 vote: 09:54 HCR 16 discussion: 11:00 HCR 16 vote: 14:07, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment met for its first meeting, reviewed housekeeping procedures, and established a quorum. The committee first considered House Bill 577, relating to economic development. The bill sponsor and a representative from Blue North said it would modernize Kentucky’s economic development statutes to better support startups and high-growth companies, rename the innovation center program as the Kentucky Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub program, clarify statutory definitions, expand the Kentucky Enterprise Fund, allow certain out-of-state companies to qualify if they commit to becoming Kentucky-based within 180 days, and broaden the angel investment program to include pass-through entities. The committee approved HB 577 with a favorable expression. The committee then took up House Bill 392, relating to local public agency transactions, and adopted a committee substitute negotiated with stakeholders including the Kentucky Press Association and the Kentucky Association of General Contractors. The sponsor said the substitute removed the original bill’s best value and reciprocal bidder provisions, lowered the small purchase threshold from $60,000 to $50,000, and would increase that threshold by $10,000 every five years to account for inflation. It would also allow local governments to use certain state contracts with price ranges, permit independent evaluation of some small non-evaluative equipment, and exempt law enforcement vehicles and related equipment from procurement code requirements. HB 392, as amended by committee substitute, passed with a favorable expression. House Concurrent Resolution 16 was then heard. The sponsor, who had co-chaired the Air Mobility and Aviation Economic Development Task Force, said the task force held six meetings and heard from airports, aviation and education stakeholders, logistics companies, and others. She said the group found there was no real strategic plan for advanced air mobility and recommended that state agencies study infrastructure needs and that the General Assembly develop a strategic plan and legislation for AAM vehicles. Members discussed airport and drone-related issues, and the resolution passed with a favorable expression. Finally, House Bill 593, relating to data centers, was announced but passed over for a later hearing, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• "Uh, small government means just what it says.
• And so it's a small portion.
• And so it's<00:05:21.440> a<00:05:21.680> small<00:05:22.240> small<00:05:22.560
• <00:05:23.039> It's<00:05:23.440> uh it's a small small portion.
• It's uh it's a small small portion.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For both of my jobs, I use my car for a small portion of the day to go to different places.
• Earlier this year, on a regular day with my participant, I had a small accident while in the community
• So imagine a small group of three or four doctors over this time saying, we canceled this contract long
• So imagine a small group of three or four doctors over this time saying, we canceled this contract long
• Insurance plays a critical role in the recovery from climate disasters, but many households and small

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Insurance met as a subcommittee and heard several bills related to workers’ compensation, insurance access, climate resilience, and farmworker protections. AB 815 would prevent social service workers who use personal vehicles to transport clients from being misclassified as commercial or for-hire drivers under personal auto policies; supporters said the current practice leads to unaffordable premiums and denied claims, while no opposition testified. AB 1329 would revise the Subsequent Injury Benefit Trust Fund to reduce litigation and medical-legal costs and lower employer assessments; insurers and business groups opposed unless amended, citing concerns about eligibility standards and the QME process, but the bill advanced after amendments were discussed. AB 1048 would allow disputed unauthorized payment reductions for medical providers to be reviewed through independent bill review; supporters framed it as a transparency measure, while opposition argued IBR is the wrong forum and existing contract dispute processes should control, though the bill also passed. AB 1236 would create a Department of Insurance grant program for climate and sustainability risk-reduction projects, with broad support from the department, environmental groups, and insurers, and it passed unanimously. The committee also heard AB 1336, the Farmworker Heat Illness Prevention Act, which would create a rebuttable presumption that a heat-related injury arose out of employment when an agricultural employer fails to comply with heat illness prevention standards. Supporters, including United Farm Workers, argued the bill would help protect farmworkers amid extreme heat and enforcement gaps; opponents from the workers’ compensation and agricultural sectors said the measure improperly uses the compensation system to enforce OSHA rules and could create unclear adjudication and delay issues. Members discussed Cal/OSHA enforcement limits, undocumented workers’ reluctance to report violations, and the relationship between the bill and existing workers’ compensation procedures. Despite opposition, AB 1336 passed on a divided vote. The committee also took up a consent calendar including AB 1125, AB 1293, and AB 1398, which were approved together. Roll calls were held open and later completed, and the bills that advanced were sent to the Committee on Appropriations. The meeting concluded with the committee adjourning after final votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The amount that gets paid out and the small number of people that...
• The amount that gets paid out and the small number of people that ever get to the max out of pocket,
• I know a lot of farms that are in these small groups are $25,000 to $30,000 premiums.
• And this is a small, small shift.
• And this is a small shift. ...in the past, and this is a small shift.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee met to consider four policy bills and discussed a possible later return to handle DOCR amendments and budget work. They first took up HB 1327, funding for the Agricultural Diversification and Development Fund, and adopted an amendment striking language that would have capped up to $10 million for agricultural infrastructure grants to political subdivisions. The bill was then passed as amended on a 22-0 vote, with Rep. Belts assigned as carrier. Next, the committee considered SB 2256, the Research Technology Park grant. Rep. Stemen offered an amendment reducing the appropriation amounts from the original figures to $10 million and $5 million levels, citing available funding; the amendment passed 19-3. The bill then passed as amended 22-0, and Rep. Stemen agreed to carry it. The committee then debated SB 2093, which combined a retired peace officers/surviving spouses benefit with an added income tax reduction. Rep. Munson moved to remove the income tax portion, and the committee agreed 17-4. The remaining peace officer benefit portion was then passed as amended 21-0, with Rep. Kempenich carrying it. Finally, the committee considered HB 2160, changing the state health plan from grandfathered to non-grandfathered status. Members discussed cost shifting, employee retention, out-of-pocket exposure, and the updated fiscal note; the committee adopted an amendment updating the appropriation figures to match the current PERS/Deloitte analysis, then passed the bill as amended 15-7-1, with Rep. Worry originally the carrier.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've taught in large districts, started my career at Mesquite ISD, I've taught in small districts and
• If we do not act now, this crisis will move beyond the critical issue, especially for our small... all
• and mid-sized adjustment. for a small school district that will that will that will change and so when
• I, in my position, work with five small school districts where we over see and provide their special
• I serve rural Parker County, so all the small districts outside of Weatherford ISD.

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a very small wording change, but currently right now our boxing clubs, uh, for our young men and
• <00:02:13.720> wording Gap in the law it's a very small wording Gap in the law it's a very
• small wording change<00:02:14.920> but<00:02:15.080> currently<00:02:15.560> right<
• <00:02:27.599> needed<00:02:27.879> a<00:02:28.080> very<00:02:28.440> small
• amateur bouts and we needed a very small amateur bouts and we needed a very small um<00:02:29.920

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met on March 4, 2025, with a quorum present and several members absent or marked not voting during roll calls. The committee first heard Senate Bill 133, sponsored by Senator David Yates, which makes a small wording change to clarify sanctioning bodies for boxing and wrestling exhibitions. Yates said the bill is intended to close a legal gap affecting amateur boxing and wrestling clubs, especially those not affiliated with schools, and to ensure charitable and exhibition events remain properly sanctioned and safe for youth participants. The bill received a favorable recommendation after a roll-call vote. The committee then considered Senate Bill 190, sponsored by Senator Mike Nemes, on charitable gaming. Nemes explained that the bill would allow certain groups to run three bingo sessions per week instead of two and increase volunteer participation limits from four to six times per week; he emphasized that the measure does not involve horses or casinos. The committee approved the bill favorably after a brief question from Senator Berg about why volunteer limits exist. Finally, the committee took up House Bills 261 and 262, both related to certified public accountants. HB 261 would allow retired CPAs to provide certain uncompensated public or nonprofit services, provided they complete a retirement-based continuing education waiver; members asked for clarification that the authority applies after retirement, not while active. HB 262 would let a CPA firm keep its name when the last remaining owner is left after another owner’s death or retirement, rather than requiring a name change; Senator Meredith asked about protections if an estate objects or if the prior name is associated with misconduct, and the board representative said remedies remain available and there is no time limit on enforcement. Both bills passed with favorable expression, and the committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 20 is a very small change in the law.
• It's squeezing small businesses, and it's... Sending farmers out of business.
• Minnesotans and small businesses who are filing complaints, giving information, and helping build the
• These small businesses are terrified.
• Of those small businesses. It's interesting; we just heard about that today.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's been a great success and now we're coming back to make a couple of small, small, small tweaks to
• We only have a few small changes that we're requesting to this legislation.
• So it's a small amount that would actually revert, and this would allow it to happen.
• The bill goes to HFC next, so I'll check with Chairman Small [ID: member_12971] on that language.
• As pointed out by Representative Mason, we're in the small rural communities.