Transcript Highlights:

• Attorney General.
• Attorney General. Have you proceed? Thank you, Mr. Attorney General. Have you proceed.
• Attorney General Ellison, yeah, Mr.
• Attorney General Ellison, yeah, Mr.
• > you<01:15:18.040> thank general General Ellison thank you thank general General Ellison

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a bill that establishes an office of inspector general.
• <00:05:20.000> to new office of inspector general to new office of inspector general to investigate
• So, we made the general to do that.
• inspector general himself or herself? inspector general himself or herself?
• Should it go forward general right now.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to be hearing their general fund estimate and we have folks.
• funds to the general fund.
• Dollars go to the general fund in blue.
• The investment earnings in the general fund are growing faster than other revenues in the general fund
• That's the general fund amount.

Transcript Highlights:

• non-public um when the Inspector General non-public um when the Inspector General completes<00:14
• <00:20:44.200> under investigative data generally under investigative data generally under
• criminal or a civil context generally criminal or a civil context generally the<00:20:50.120>
• <01:26:36.719> must seven that the inspector General must seven that the inspector General
• currently calls their Inspector General currently calls their Inspector General are<01:43:32.560

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Did you vote to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2023?
• First Speaker: There were dozens of Attorney Generals before and there will be dozens of Attorney Generals
• So the Attorney General wrote this bill? What's that? So the Attorney General wrote this bill?
• Attorney General can't prosecute independently.
• The Attorney General and the District Attorney can have a dialogue.

Bills: HB8, HB12, SB 3, HJR1, SB 11, SB 16, SB 14

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• He previously served as Deputy General Counsel, Principal Deputy General Counsel, and Acting General
• As General Counsel, Mr.
• General Counsel.
• He previously served as Acting General Counsel, Principal Deputy General Counsel, and Deputy General
• And absolutely, it's been in his family for generation after generation after generation and they love

Keywords: USDA, nominations, Judge Vaden, Tyler Clarkson, agriculture policy, rural America, tariffs, farmer advocacy

Summary: The meeting focused on the nominations of Judge Stephen Alexander Vaden for Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Mr. Tyler Clarkson for General Counsel at the USDA. Members expressed concerns regarding the challenges farmers and ranchers face, especially in navigating the impacts of recent tariffs imposed by the President. Significant attention was given to how these nominations could influence agriculture policy and support rural communities amidst economic uncertainty. The committee emphasized the necessity for strong leadership in the USDA to advocate for farmer needs and ensure the proper implementation of assistance programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned the general intelligence, artificial general, is not around to our knowledge.
• You mentioned the general intelligence, artificial general, is not around to our knowledge.
• AI is very general purpose.
• FERC does not mandate generation. It doesn't permit generation.
• FERC does not mandate generation. It doesn't permit generation.

Summary: The committee held its first meeting on artificial intelligence and data centers, established a quorum, and heard introductory remarks from Majority Leader Hogue and the chair about the committee’s charge. Members said the goal was to build a factual foundation on AI, hear from experts and stakeholders, and develop practical North Dakota-focused recommendations rather than simply produce a large volume of bills. Legislative Council also reviewed interim committee rules and procedures before the informational presentations began. Staff and NCSL presenters then gave overviews of AI concepts and the state and federal policy landscape. The background memo and presentations covered AI categories and terms, state laws in areas such as consumer protection, algorithmic discrimination, deepfakes, chatbots, children’s safety, health, education, and government use, as well as data center siting and economic impacts. NCSL described a growing number of AI bills introduced and enacted across the states, with comprehensive laws in places like Utah, Colorado, Texas, California, and Illinois, and noted recurring issues around transparency, privacy, liability, and protections for minors. A major focus of the discussion was federal preemption and the tension between state regulation and national AI policy. NCSL said a recent White House executive order and related federal framework seek a light-touch, innovation-friendly national standard, with possible challenges to state laws and possible funding conditions tied to compliance, though no broad federal preemption has yet been enacted. Members asked about Commerce Clause concerns, industry pushback, oversight models, and whether AI policy is bipartisan; presenters said the issue cuts across party lines, with broad agreement on child safety and deepfake restrictions but more disagreement on broader regulatory approaches. No votes or formal actions were taken at the meeting, and the committee recessed briefly for technical issues during the second presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:47.120> fund institution's 2526 regular general fund institution's 2526 regular general
• <00:09:45.360> fund uh 2025 2026 net general fund uh 2025 2026 net general fund appropriation
• And the adjusted net general fund is the net general fund minus mandated program funding.
• percent of that general fund is zero. percent of that general fund is zero.
• <00:37:32.480> however Uh there is general agreement however Uh there is general agreement

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its fifth and final Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education meeting, but did not initially have a quorum and approved the minutes later when enough members were present. The Council on Postsecondary Education, represented by President Aaron Thompson and Vice President Bill Payne, opened with condolences for the UPS crash victims and then presented higher education budget recommendations for the 2026-2028 biennium. Thompson emphasized the return on investment from state support for higher education, citing gains in retention, enrollment, persistence, graduation, reduced time to degree, lower student debt, and expanded dual credit participation, while noting that affordability and access remain priorities. Payne outlined CPE’s operating funds request, including $43.3 million in the first year and $86.6 million in the second year for inflation adjustments, plus $30 million and $45 million for performance funding. He said the inflation request would apply across the board to institutions to offset rising costs, and that the KSU land grant match would not need additional funding because the state has already met the matching requirement. He also explained that state support for educating students has not kept pace with inflation over time, creating pressure on institutional budgets and tuition, though tuition increases have been held to historic lows in recent years. A major portion of the discussion focused on the performance funding model and how it affects smaller institutions. CPE proposed two approaches to address institutions that have received little or no performance funding, especially Kentucky State University and Morehead State University. The first approach would create a $20 million minimum distribution pool, providing $1.95 million to each university and $4.4 million to KCTCS, with the goal of giving smaller and rural institutions a base level of support. The second approach would provide direct appropriations totaling a little over $5.6 million to Kentucky State, Morehead State, and five community colleges that have not been receiving performance funding. Members, especially Representative Tipton and Senator West, questioned how the model had treated small schools over time, and CPE officials explained that the original small school adjustment was not large enough to prevent KSU and Morehead from effectively being left out of the distribution. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• money for these items from the general money for these items from the general fund<00:09:37.760>
• So, the total uh, general fund to that.
• So after you subtract out the general So after you subtract out the general fund<00:19:37.679>
• that's an 198,000 from the general that's an 198,000 from the general fund.<00:26:27.120> The
• <00:43:34.079> fund are already stretched by general fund are already stretched by general

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The conference committee on the Environment budget for Senate File 2077 met to introduce members and staff, then walked through the Senate and House budget spreadsheets side by side. Nonpartisan staff explained that the Senate budget was built around a smaller general fund increase and more use of environmental and dedicated funds, while the House met its target through several reductions, including cuts to DNR, PCA, and Board of Water and Soil Resources appropriations. The committee reviewed major agency items for the Pollution Control Agency, DNR, the Metropolitan Council, the Minnesota Zoo, and other accounts, including operating adjustments, permit-related funding, and transfers between funds. Several major differences were highlighted. For the PCA, the Senate included operating adjustments, permitting efficiency funding, composting grants, outreach funding, and a closed landfill investment fund approach that repeals an expiring statutory appropriation, while the House instead extends that appropriation for four more years. For the DNR, the Senate included operating adjustments, groundwater and AIS fee increases, aquatic invasive species funding, trail grants, outdoor schools for all, abandoned watercraft enforcement, and a sustainable foraging task force; the House had fewer of these fee and policy items and used reductions to meet its target. The committee also noted Senate-only policy provisions on outreach to diverse communities, field citations and mercury certification for skin-lightening products, disabled veteran license fee changes, and a moratorium on foraging rulemaking until July 1, 2027. Agency testimony followed. The MPCA commissioner praised both chambers for recognizing core agency work and urged adoption of operating adjustments, the closed landfill fund access, and the air appropriation increase. The DNR assistant commissioner supported operating adjustments, groundwater and AIS fee increases, and the veteran license proposal, but raised concerns about the Senate’s foraging task force language, saying it overweights consumptive users and could limit the agency’s ability to manage foraging without clear data. He also noted support for the land transfer funding and said the agency would continue working with the committee on unresolved issues. No votes were taken in this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• just in general fund de decreases. just in general fund de decreases.
• If there's any the general fund.
• Um the uh change to the LBR was general Um the uh change to the LBR was general fund<00:13:30.560>
• Some of that's general funds, $112,000 and change is general funds.
• Final Senate action would be $9,648,150. is general funds. The rest is federal is general funds.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 12 March, 2026; 10:30 AM, 925, all

Summary: The committee began by noting the plan to suspend the rules later that afternoon so several measures could be taken up on the floor, including bills that may be on final passage or contain reverse repealers. Members were reminded to clearly identify which bills were final passage measures so the chamber would know it might be the last opportunity to vote on them. The committee then moved through a series of appropriations bills. In the education and judicial budgets, Senator DeBar explained House Bills 1928, 1933, 1935, 1936, and 1937, covering the legislative operations budget, DFA buildings reappropriations, K-12 education, MPB, and the library commission. He described increases for teacher pay, special education supplements, testing contracts, ELC coaches, financial literacy, ESA funding, and other adjustments, along with reductions in some areas and a decline in student enrollment affecting the funding formula. The bills were adopted by title sufficient, do pass, with strike-all motions where applicable. Senator Wiggins presented House Bills 1924, 1926, 1927, 1930, and 1931, covering the Attorney General, Capital Postconviction Council, district attorneys and staff, the Office of State Public Defender, and the Supreme Court/AOC budget. He highlighted salary increases for agency attorneys, human trafficking funding, new district attorney positions from judicial redistricting, public defender support for family defenders and the rural legal services pilot, and major court-system items such as judicial salary increases, youth court intake, CCID courts, and the MyCIDS replacement system. Questions focused on the meaning of personal services, vacancy funding, and possible use of opioid settlement funds for AOC; the committee was told those issues could be handled through the reverse repealer or other vehicles. The bills were advanced, with the committee noting which ones contained reverse repealers and which were final action. Subcommittee 5 and 6 then handled human services, health, licensing, and transportation-related measures. House Bills 1906, 1909, 1912, and 1921 covered Child Protective Services, Human Services, Medicaid, and Rehabilitation Services, with explanations for new attorney positions, salary and vacancy funding, SNAP administration, Medicaid agency funding, and restoring positions in rehab services. House Bill 1908 for the Department of Health added money for Jackson water litigation and public health priorities such as obesity management, remote monitoring, cancer screenings, and maternal-infant health. House Bills 1913, 1914, 1915, 1917, and 1918 were taken up together for licensing boards, with most changes described as cloud services, PIN restoration, or vacancy funding; only the Board of Medical Licensure bill had a reverse repealer. Finally, Senator Thompson handled special fund and transportation bills, including the Port Authority, waterway and river districts, Yellow Creek, and MDOT. He noted overtime concerns at the Port Authority, special-fund increases for contractual services and capital improvements at the water districts, and MDOT increases for salaries, commodities, equipment, and the three-year highway plan. Senator Wiggins raised a question about utility relocation costs in transportation projects, saying some municipalities were being told to pay those costs themselves; Senator Thompson said he would follow up with MDOT.

Transcript Highlights:

• . ...bills with amendment be taken from their place on general file and be placed at the top of general
• The bill is ordered to general file.
• at the top of general file.
• of general file.
• Be taken from its place on General File and be placed at the top of General File.

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So it dwarfs our general revenue. So while... So it dwarfs our general revenue.
• Just some general speaking points here... Just some general speaking points here.
• Sending general revenue to roads, that's a strain on general revenue, but the governor understands it
• Generally, there's one-time items down below, and there's some other adjustments, but that's generally
• So that's a decrease for general revenue. So that helps general revenue.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 21.880> um under the general fund um under the general fund um uh<00:04:23.000> bill,<00
• for Heroes, this is from the general for Heroes, this is from the general fund,<00:14:01.520>
• Uh general fund uh Hub, 4 million.
• Paul, for a water tower, $4.5 million from the general fund. From the general fund.
• The general fund transfer and the registration tax and the general fund bill below that.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The committee took up a large bonding bill and reviewed the final spreadsheet of capital investments. Chairs and members repeatedly thanked staff, House and Senate negotiators, and the Governor’s team for a collaborative process. The bill was described as a statewide package rather than a partisan one, with major funding for higher education asset preservation, DNR projects, public safety, transportation, the Met Council, veterans facilities, corrections, DEED/local projects, and a large water infrastructure section. House Fiscal staff and Senate fiscal staff walked through the bill line by line. Highlights included University of Minnesota and Minnesota State asset preservation, education and language immersion school funding, DNR trail and flood mitigation projects, public safety facilities, local road and bridge grants, Met Council parks and I/I grants, veterans home and armory funding, corrections projects including the Faribault vocational expansion, and many local economic development and public facility projects across Greater Minnesota and the metro. The bill also included Public Facilities Authority water and wastewater grants, housing rehabilitation funding, historical society grants, a Minnesota Zoo operating transfer, airport appropriations, and several cancellations of prior appropriations to help finance the package. Members generally praised the bill and the bipartisan work behind it. Some Republicans emphasized the one-time license fee reduction and affordability, while also saying DEED’s business development infrastructure funding was too low. Senator Nelson highlighted long-awaited transportation projects such as Highway 14 and township roads. Senator Dibble supported the transportation investments but criticized the bill for having no transit funding, calling that a major omission. No vote was recorded in the excerpt, but the discussion centered on final review and support for moving the bonding bill forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the general fund.
• These are generally principles or concepts that are generally accepted.
• Generally, we're talking about the general fund.
• General government is also growing.
• economy and can generate more taxes.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:09:31.800> I provide the information so generally I provide the information so generally
• Generate also might work to generate an intimate part, generate an image of...
• Generate also might work to generate an intimate part, generate an image of...
• Generate also might work to generate an intimate part, generate an image of... and it could be generate
• <01:09:17.400> also Generate also might work to generate an intimate part, generate an image

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• flag is that moving these generators flag is that moving these generators from<01:16:44.560>
• c> generators operate and how they generate generators operate and how they generate electricity<01:18
• They compare them not just to generators in this state, but similar generators that generate in a similar
• ask for. generators.
• generators, at a lower rate.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on HB 302, which would add precious metals and digital assets as potential investment options. State Treasurer Monica Misipelli said she took no position on the bill and did not see an immediate fiscal impact or operational problem, but explained that the state’s operating funds and rainy day fund require liquidity and stability, so they would not be suitable for volatile assets like precious metals or digital assets. She said the only funds that might potentially use such investments would be certain trust funds held in perpetuity, which are managed by an outside investment advisor under a contract and investment policy. Members asked about the treasurer’s current investment practices, including the types of funds managed, the role and discretion of the investment advisor, the state’s risk profile, and whether the bill would affect existing authority. Misipelli said the office follows RSA 11 and related statutes, with different objectives ranging from conservative to aggressive depending on the fund, and that the advisor meets with the office regularly, with formal performance reviews on a quarterly basis. She also said the office recently centralized management of about 40 trust accounts totaling roughly $60 million into five combined portfolios under a five-year contract with an RFP-selected vendor. When asked whether precious metals or digital assets are already indirectly available through mutual funds, she said that was possible for some mutual funds, but she was not certain about digital assets. Representative Ammon, the bill’s sponsor, said similar legislation had passed the Oklahoma House, the Texas House and Senate, and had advanced in Arizona. He argued the bill was intended to give the treasurer more tools to help balance portfolios and hedge inflation, noting concerns about federal debt and inflation. No vote was taken in the excerpt, and the chair ended the questioning after thanking the treasurer and asking her to remain available in case further questions arose.

Transcript Highlights:

• or not we have an A dfl attorney general or not we have an A dfl attorney general or<00:16:11.519
• or we have a republican attorney general or we have a republican attorney general and<00:16:14.160
• friend from the attorney general friend from the attorney general General's<00:19:29.080> office
• <00:20:11.480> in Special Assistant Attorneys General in Special Assistant Attorneys General
• was a more General conversation about was a more General conversation about the<00:46:45.280> attorney

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• And that's just general funds.
• And that's just general funds.
• In general government, we have nine total general government agreements, but three of them have interest
• In general government, we have nine total general government agreements, but three of them have interest
• I would say that generally we're looking for, can we provide a general wage increase to all of our state

Summary: The Joint Committee on Employment Relations met for work sessions on supplemental bargaining for Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA) agreements in general government and higher education, followed by an overview of the collective bargaining process. OFM staff explained that bargaining for the 2025-27 biennium began in 2024, reached tentative agreements, was not ratified in time for the October 1 deadline, resumed, and ultimately produced ratified agreements in August 2025 that were submitted for financial feasibility review under RCW 41.80.010. Staff outlined the tentative agreements’ costs and covered employee counts, including roughly 2,500 FTEs in general government and 2,100 in higher education, with estimated 2025-27 total fund costs of about $22.25 million and $13.5 million respectively. Staff then gave a broader briefing on how state collective bargaining works, including the bargaining calendar, the role of class and compensation review, the June revenue forecast, interest arbitration, and the October 1 submission deadline. They described the groups OFM bargains for, including general government, higher education, health care coalitions, and certain non-state provider groups such as adult family home providers, child care providers, and language access providers. In response to a question from Senator King, staff said the legislature requires bargaining for those non-state provider groups and has also provided interest arbitration for them. Staff also discussed bargaining priorities such as general wage increases, targeted classification adjustments, recruitment and retention, low-wage worker increases, and maintaining the health care premium split. In executive session, the committee voted to keep the current co-chairs, Senator Robinson and Representative Couture, through 2026. Members also voted to recognize that the committee met twice in 2025 and to set the 2026 meeting schedule at two meetings. The motions passed without opposition, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• and has more renewable generation.
• dispatchable generation.
• I understand there's generation, but outside the generation. Heinz: Yeah.
• - "bring your own new generation."
• We do need new generation as well.

Summary: The Committee on State Affairs convened to discuss data centers and their impact on Texas's energy infrastructure. The meeting featured testimony from key representatives of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and ERCOT, who outlined the evolving landscape of energy generation and the challenges posed by the rapid growth of data centers. Notably, ERCOT reported over 450,000 MW of generation resources planned for connection, with a significant portion attributed to data centers, which now represent around 87% of new large load interconnection requests. The committee explored proposed changes to the interconnection process, including a new 'batch study' approach aimed at streamlining the approval of multiple projects simultaneously. This change is intended to address the challenges of managing numerous simultaneous requests and to provide more certainty for developers regarding their energy needs. Testimonies emphasized the importance of ensuring that the costs of infrastructure upgrades are borne by the data centers rather than residential ratepayers, with discussions around the financial commitments required from developers. Several data center developers also provided testimony, highlighting the economic benefits of their projects, including job creation and increased local revenues. They expressed concerns about the potential for a moratorium on future growth due to the new interconnection rules and emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to address water usage and environmental impacts. The committee plans to continue discussions on these topics in future hearings, with a focus on balancing economic growth with energy reliability and resource management.

Transcript Highlights:

• I hope the Auditor General—and I know the Auditor General feels as strongly about this as I do—I hope
• Yes, the assistant attorney general. And who does the assistant attorney general work for? Ms.
• So with that, the Auditor General—this is the third year that the Auditor General has placed Antelope
• Student count declining, decline enrollment, budget, general budget limit deficits, and general budget
• fund deficit, gave the general fund, and turned the general fund into a positive.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard the January 2026 follow-up to the special audit of the Arizona State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The auditor’s contractor reported that the board had implemented or was in the process of implementing most of the 28 recommendations from the 2024 audit, but three remained unimplemented: resolving complaints within 180 days and two open meeting law recommendations. The follow-up also identified new concerns about outdated or incomplete public disciplinary records and the lack of a complete public records request log and response procedures. Committee members pressed the board on open meeting compliance, complaint delays, transparency, and lobbying activities, while the executive director said the board had adopted new policies, added staff and investigators, created an intake committee, improved complaint prioritization, and was transitioning to a new licensing platform. She also said the board had ended broad subpoenas, improved conflict-of-interest tracking, and was working to formalize its practices in rule. The committee did not take a vote or other formal action in the transcript provided. The committee then received the Arizona school district financial risk analysis for January 2026. The Auditor General’s office reported that the number of highest-risk districts increased from two to nine, and districts approaching the highest-risk category increased from seven to nine. The presentation explained the financial risk measures used, common risk patterns among the highest-risk districts, and the district action plans posted on the report website. Tucson Unified School District was used as an example of a highest-risk district, and Scottsdale Unified as an approaching-highest-risk district. Members asked about declining enrollment, reserve balances, negative fund balances, and the use of capital monies for operations. Sierra Vista Unified School District then presented its response to being identified as financially at risk. The superintendent said she had recently taken over and was implementing a turnaround plan that included a school closure, staffing reductions through attrition, spending freezes, tighter purchase controls, a three-year sustainable spending plan, and efforts to stabilize enrollment through outreach, customer-service changes, and alternative program offerings. She also said the district was redirecting some capital assistance to operations, renegotiating contracts, and improving communication with families and staff. Committee members questioned the district about declining enrollment, instructional spending, school safety, academic performance, and whether the action plan adequately addressed those issues. No formal vote or action was taken on the school district item in the transcript provided.