Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 628 by Representative Landry authorizes a school board to engage in a cooperative
• endeavor with a licensed early learning center to operate a micro center at a school.
• But I think getting a cooperative endeavor agreement with a local school board opens up so many doors
• But I think getting a cooperative endeavor agreement with a local school board opens up so many doors

Bills: HCR47, HB628, HB737, HB1008, HB1062, HB1079, HB1112

Keywords: mandatory reporter, child abuse training, online training, Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Education, educator requirements, early childhood education, microcenter, school board, cooperative endeavor, economic disadvantage, vaccination, meningococcal disease, school entry, immunization requirements, public health, academic freedom, free speech, retaliation, faculty rights

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill is to actually encourage collaboration, collaboration and cooperation.
• The bill is to actually encourage collaboration, collaboration and cooperation.
• Edmonston, provides relative to parent-driven learning cooperatives. Thank you so much, Rep.
• We operate as a parent-driven learning cooperative.
• School boards, in their cooperative endeavor agreements with businesses, will determine all of the rest

Bills: HB624, HB1022, HB1203, SB82, SB206, SB305, SB376, SB441

Keywords: school safety, emergency operations plan, crisis management, active shooter, drills, training, classroom security, primary health services, behavioral health, school health providers, medical necessity, student health care, education, school week, instructional time, public schools, performance score, student athletes, cardiovascular health, sudden cardiac arrest

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, House Bill 1209 places a pause on the issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface
• Issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing

Bills: HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HB1209

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety

Summary: The Senate Natural Resources Committee met on March 27 with a quorum present, approved prior minutes, and then took up several resolutions and one bill related to wildlife, water resources, and conservation. H.C.R. 79, as amended, urged the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to work together to allow the use of dogs for hunting in Kisatchie National Forest; supporters described it as a traditional hunting practice that has been restricted for years and could benefit local hunters and businesses. H.C.R. 104, as amended, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and modernize the collection, retention, and access to subsurface data, with members emphasizing the need to avoid sharing company-specific information. H.C.R. 87 was reported favorably to support correspondence from U.S. Sen. Kennedy regarding duck flyway management, H.C.R. 54 was reported favorably to study the impact of flooded corn on migratory waterfowl and restore an enforcement mechanism related to hunting over intentionally flooded crops, and H.C.R. 94 was reported favorably to require annual boating safety reports to legislative committees. The committee then heard HB 1209, which would have paused new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing agreements to continue and be renewed through December 31, 2036. The author said the bill was intended to give the state time to develop a more comprehensive, data-driven surface water strategy and to address invasive species such as giant salvinia, which he said has severely affected waterways in his district. Members and witnesses acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, but there was concern that the bill was too complex to move quickly in the session. The committee discussed converting it into a study resolution instead, and the bill was deferred without objection. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1209 places a pause on the issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water
• House Bill 1209 places a pause on the issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water

Bills: HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HB1209

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Yes, cooperatives own the poles.
• I don't want cooperatives to lose $1.
• For years, if you've seen one electric cooperative, you've seen one electric cooperative.
• Cooperative against House Bill 3448.
• Blake Moore, CEO of Lamb County Electric Cooperative, representing Lamb County Electric Cooperative and

Bills: HB3445, HB3448

Keywords: telecommunications, electric cooperative, rights-of-way, infrastructure, provider access, right-of-way, pole attachment, regulatory access, 1184, house, all

Keywords: This meeting is taking place on location at the Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension Building Room 238 using on site equipment., 958, all

Summary: The interim Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met at Kentucky State University and heard a presentation from President Kofi Aapo and Vice President Michael Dorsy on the university’s role as an HBCU and its current priorities. They emphasized Kentucky State’s impact on Black student outcomes nationally, its focus on workforce development, civic leadership, innovation, and economic mobility, and its efforts to grow enrollment, expand dual-credit partnerships, and launch a prison education program. They also described House Bill 250’s role in prompting program review and the creation or expansion of market-aligned offerings, including manufacturing engineering, agricultural engineering, biological and agricultural engineering, social work, criminal justice, and expanded online programs through “Thoroughbred Global.” A major topic was Kentucky State’s move toward STEM and applied programs. President Aapo said the university is diversifying beyond liberal arts to meet workforce demand and cited plans for a PhD in agroecology, which he said would help farmers adapt to climate conditions and would be federally funded. He also discussed the nursing program as the fastest-growing on campus, partnerships with health systems that pay tuition and guarantee jobs, and the need for a new nursing facility. He said the current nursing space is inadequate and that a new building could double or triple enrollment in the program. He also described a mobile health initiative intended to bring preventive care and health education to underserved areas of the state. Members asked questions about the nursing building, STEM strategy, teacher preparation, dual credit, prison education, and student readiness. Senator Bledsoe asked about the shift toward STEM, and Aapo said the strategy is based on student demand and data from House Bill 250. Senator Berg requested a list of dual-credit partners and encouraged long-term tracking of prison education participants to study outcomes such as recidivism; Aapo said the university has not yet begun that research but intends to. Senator Tidner asked about remedial needs, and Aapo said KSU found more than 100 students with zero GPAs when he arrived and is using co-requisite support and tutoring to address English and math deficiencies. Representative Brown and others highlighted the historical and ongoing value of HBCUs, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• read the bill: House Bill 285 by Chairman Bacala, which authorizes a school board to engage in a cooperative
• endeavor with a credit union to operate a branch at a high school.
• I assume there are constraints and ethics and those types of things when the cooperative agreements are
• If you look at the bill as written specifically, it says any cooperative agreement shall provide for

Bills: HB28, HB50, HB196, HB268, HB271, HB285, HB316, HB649, HB807

Keywords: teacher certification, certification appeals, BESE, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Certification Appeals Council, educator licensure, teaching license, teacher licensure, appeals process, certification denial, administrative appeal, special meeting, board president, retroactive application, education board, Louisiana teachers, Department of Education, statutory entities, re-creation, termination date

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 2461 will also allow for greater flexibility in cooperative arrangements.
• Third, it supports resident-owned cooperative models.
• My name is Emily Stewart, Associate Director at the North Country Cooperative Foundation.
• It means cooperatives.
• Absolutely no standards of good faith or good conscience conduct on the cooperatives.

Bills: HF1143, HF1548, HF1340, HF2549, HF2559, HF1673, HF2740, HF2507, HF2461, HF2381, HF2695

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI

Transcript Highlights:

• Third, it supports the resident-owned cooperative model.
• Third, it supports the resident-owned cooperative model.
• Third, it supports the resident-owned cooperative model.
• Third, it supports the resident-owned cooperative model.
• </c><01:36:09.280><c> this</c> resident-owned cooperatives this resident-owned cooperatives this provision

Bills: HF1143, HF1548, HF1340, HF2549, HF2559, HF1673, HF2740, HF2507, HF2461, HF2381, HF2695

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI

Bills: HF3220

Keywords: school safety, school security, emergency access, law enforcement access, master key box, secure key box, entry device, school grants, education finance, Department of Education, charter schools, school districts, cooperative units, appropriation cancellation, one-time appropriation, school safety plan, emergency preparedness, public safety, school building security

Transcript Highlights:

• The LPG Gas Commission asked that if the Department of Agriculture and Forestry would, through a cooperative
• endeavor agreement, That if the Department of Agriculture and Forestry would, through a cooperative
• endeavor agreement, facilitate the marketing, development, and promotional activities of the commission
• And so they asked us if we would undertake this through a cooperative endeavor agreement.
• House Bill 685 allows Louisiana entities to use the cooperative procurement process authorized under

Bills: HB345, HB503, HB511, HB590, HB655, HB685, HB692, HB707, HB715, HB748, HB776, HB856, HB860, HB868, HB887, HB888, HB896, HB999, HB1000, HB1086, HB1233

Keywords: rail infrastructure, ports, Class II railroads, Class III railroads, transportation, HB 503, Act 554, Golden Meadow, utility terrain vehicle, UTV, recreational off-highway vehicle, ROV, golf cart, low-speed vehicle, road shoulder travel, local ordinance, municipal traffic regulation, vehicle registration decal, municipal general fund, insurance requirement

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and favorably reported several bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts to use the Seymours program for certain hospital construction projects, and HB 715, which requires aerial applicators operating from public airports to have a transponder and radio; an amendment removing language about airport use of ADS-B data for fees was adopted after sponsors said the issue would be handled in another bill. HB 999 was reported favorably to allow impoundment of out-of-state vehicles operated in Louisiana without liability insurance, and HB 692 was amended to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with a narrowing amendment limiting one-source procurements and assurances that local bidders would not be disadvantaged. The committee also advanced HB 511, creating a grant program for pursuit intervention technology in response to officer safety concerns, and HB 590, which would let OMV issue specialized envelopes or notices for drivers with autism or other disabilities so officers are alerted during traffic stops. HB 503 was reported favorably after a local cleanup change to a golf cart bill for Golden Meadow, and HB 655 was approved to let DOTD use cost-plus contracts for operation and maintenance of state-owned ferries. HB 748 clarified that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls, and HB 860 would allow fillable electronic bids for local government procurement. Later, the committee approved HB 896, a major tolling-related cleanup bill for Plaquemines Parish that addresses customer service center access, administrative fees, and exemptions, with members and local officials criticizing the toll structure and its impact on the parish. HB 1000 was reported favorably as a cleanup measure tied to highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. HB 887 established a more consistent scoring and ranking process for Seymour projects, with an amendment to avoid conflict with changing FAA grant rules. HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags, was amended with added security features and then reported favorably. HB 1086, a broad electronic title and registration modernization bill, received a lengthy amendment set but was voluntarily held over for a week so members could review the new language. The committee also advanced HB 776 to expand the Port Priority Program to larger projects, with amendments clarifying flexibility and removing private projects from the bill. HB 707 was reported favorably to let the Department of Agriculture and Forestry handle promotional activities for the liquefied petroleum gas commission through a cooperative endeavor agreement. HB 868, a farm safety bill requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified equipment on trailers, was reported favorably after testimony about a fatal accident and assurances it would not change engineering standards beyond existing manufacturer requirements. Finally, HB 856 was amended to authorize indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, then reported favorably, and the committee later corrected the record on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing one technical amendment set so further floor cleanup could be made. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• The LPG Gas Commission asked that the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, through a cooperative endeavor
• So they asked us if we would undertake this through a cooperative endeavor agreement.
• House Bill 685 allows Louisiana entities to use the cooperative procurement process authorized under
• the federal... ...entities to use the cooperative procurement process authorized under the Federal FAST

Bills: HB345, HB503, HB511, HB590, HB655, HB685, HB692, HB707, HB715, HB748, HB776, HB856, HB860, HB868, HB887, HB888, HB896, HB999, HB1000, HB1086, HB1233

Keywords: rail infrastructure, ports, Class II railroads, Class III railroads, transportation, HB 503, Act 554, Golden Meadow, utility terrain vehicle, UTV, recreational off-highway vehicle, ROV, golf cart, low-speed vehicle, road shoulder travel, local ordinance, municipal traffic regulation, vehicle registration decal, municipal general fund, insurance requirement

Summary: The Senate Committee on Transportation and Public Works met with five members present and approved the April 29, 2026 minutes. The committee then heard and reported a series of bills, including HB 1233, which lowers the contract threshold for hospital service districts using the Seymours program; HB 715, requiring aerial applicators operating from public airports to have transponders and radios and removing proposed ADS-B fee restrictions in favor of separate legislation; and HB 999, allowing impoundment of uninsured out-of-state vehicles. It also advanced HB 692 to let parishes and municipalities use group purchasing organizations, with an added sole-source procurement amendment for certain repairs and parts, and HB 511 to create a pursuit-intervention technology grant program, using a technical amendment to establish the fund structure. The committee also reported HB 590, creating a program to help law enforcement identify drivers with autism or other mental/physical disabilities through special envelopes and related notice technology; HB 503, a local bill cleaning up golf cart and utility terrain vehicle definitions in Golden Meadow; HB 655, authorizing DOTD cost-plus contracts for state-owned ferries; HB 748, clarifying that school board-owned or leased vehicles are exempt from tolls; HB 860, allowing fillable electronic bids; HB 896, addressing tolling rules and fees in Plaquemines Parish and requiring a nearby customer service center; and HB 1000, a cleanup bill on highway priority program reporting and local district contract limits. Later, the committee reported HB 887, which establishes a more consistent scoring and ranking framework for certain procurement processes, and HB 888, a cleanup bill on temporary tags and temporary license plates with added anti-counterfeiting and safety features. HB 1086, a major overhaul moving Louisiana toward a fully electronic vehicle title and lien system, was amended but voluntarily held for a week so members could review the extensive new language. The committee also reported HB 776, expanding port priority funding to larger projects and allowing flexibility in annual amounts, HB 707, shifting LPG commission promotional work to Agriculture and Forestry, HB 868, requiring safety chains or other manufacturer-specified safety equipment on farm trailers, HB 856, authorizing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting for DOTD maintenance and construction work, HB 345, adding rail infrastructure at ports to the rail improvement program, and HB 685, allowing transit agencies to use FAST Act cooperative procurement for buses and other rolling stock. At the end, the committee corrected its action on HB 856 by reconsidering and withdrawing the technical amendment set 2332 for later floor work, while leaving the bill reported with the department’s substantive amendments.

Bills: SB1864

Keywords: eggs, ungraded eggs, egg grading, poultry, farm products, local food, small farmers, direct-to-consumer sales, wholesale food sales, food safety, refrigeration requirements, sanitation standards, occupational license, dealer-wholesaler license, Texas Department of Agriculture, restaurants, small grocery stores, cooperatives, farmers cooperative, agricultural regulation

Bills: HF3220

Keywords: school safety, school security, emergency access, law enforcement access, master key box, secure key box, entry device, school grants, education finance, Department of Education, charter schools, school districts, cooperative units, appropriation cancellation, one-time appropriation, school safety plan, emergency preparedness, public safety, school building security, 1183

Bills: HF3422, HF3461, HF2904

Keywords: state grants, grant oversight, grants management, executive agencies, Minnesota Department of Administration, commissioner of administration, fraud prevention, waste prevention, grant monitoring, financial reconciliation, grant compliance, state government, public funds, grant recipients, competitive grants, grant administration, administrative oversight, monitoring visits, grant policy, legislative leave

Bills: SB2339

Keywords: wildfire mitigation, utility liability, strict liability, electric utility, public service commission, PSC, rural electric cooperative, municipal utility, transmission provider, vegetation management, power lines, reclosers, electrical safety, wildfire prevention, grid reliability, public safety, first responders, ANSI A300, National Electrical Safety Code, community outreach

Summary: The Energy and Natural Resources Committee continued work on House Bill 1459, which concerns rare earth and critical mineral recovery from North Dakota lignite coal. Testimony from UND researcher Dan Ludo and industry representative David Straely focused on the urgency of developing the process quickly, the technical differences between extracting minerals from coal versus ash, and the potential value of elements such as terbium, dysprosium, gallium, germanium, and synthetic graphite. Straely argued the bill is constitutional, limited to minerals within the coal seam, and needed to avoid years of quiet title litigation and provide certainty for development and compensation to royalty owners. Committee members raised questions about landowner rights, compensation levels, possible amendments from the Department of Trust Lands, and whether the bill should be modified to address constitutional concerns or sunset provisions. No final action was taken on HB 1459; the chair said parties could work on language until Monday before the committee revisits it. The committee then returned to House Bill 1579, a high-load study bill with a possible energy infrastructure investment amendment. Jody Smith of the Retirement and Investment Office presented updated language adding guardrails for in-state infrastructure investing, including requiring approved projects to be underwritten and managed by a qualified investment manager or financial institution and to follow the Legacy Fund investment policy. Members discussed whether the amendment had been shared with the House sponsor and noted that the related bill 1330 was still pending, so HB 1579 was being held for the time being. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 1566, which had an amendment from the Agriculture Commissioner’s office. The committee adopted the amendment 7-0, then passed a due-pass motion on the amended bill and referred it to Appropriations, also by a 7-0 vote. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal impact, including an estimated $580,000 for two FTEs over two years, and clarified that the study component remains in the bill. Senator Gerhardt was assigned to carry the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their focus today is not going to be on multifamily housing or even on cooperatives, which is another
• He continued that a cooperative is simply an entity owned by a corporation, and the people who live there
• are shareholders in the corporation, which entitles them to live in a unit in that cooperative.
• If you've driven around the metro area and seen a cooperative, that's what it is: there's a corporation

Bills: HF1865, HF2014, HF2028

Keywords: mortgage, qualified mortgage, QM, points and fees, conventional loan, consumer lending, home loan, residential real estate, lender fees, service charge, finance charge, closing costs, Minnesota Statutes 47.20, housing finance, borrower protections, cooperative apartment loan, contract for deed, real estate lending, foreclosure, notice requirements

Bills: HF4133, HF3419

Keywords: homeowner's insurance, peace officer, property damage, just compensation, exclusion policy, corporate powers, entity law, business corporations, nonprofit corporations, LLC, limited liability company, cooperative, partnership, trust, foreign entity, campaign finance, election spending, political spending, ballot measure, ballot initiative

Transcript Highlights:

• First up, we have virtually Bev Adrian, president of Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative.
• I'm president of the Board of Directors of Woodlawn Terrace Cooperative in Richfield, Minnesota.
• In its first five years, MHCR awarded over $20 million to cooperatives in our network.
• I've worked with 10 cooperatives on more than 35 major infrastructure projects.
• </c><01:13:38.520><c> that</c> mostly in newer cooperatives that mostly in newer cooperatives that haven't

Bills: HF3279, HF1879, HF1417, HF2462

Keywords: housing, sales tax, homeownership, rent assistance, community stability, education, counseling, financial assistance, housing development, culturally appropriate services, HF1417, manufactured home parks, manufactured housing, mobile home parks, housing development fund, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, infrastructure grants, infrastructure loans, affordable housing

Bills: HB309, HB487, HB503, HB590, HB606, HB679, HB693, HB695, HB707, HB720, HB728, HB733, HB746, HB777, HB846, HB849, HB856, HB868, HB873, HB875

Keywords: pedestrian safety, cellphone usage, crosswalk regulations, traffic laws, distracted walking, red light, traffic signal, traffic-control signals, traffic violation, traffic safety, road rage, shoulder lane, turn lane, passing stopped vehicle, overtaking at intersection, intersection safety, motor vehicle, driver fine, citation, Louisiana traffic law

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met on March 16 with a quorum present and first deferred three local bills at the sponsor’s request: HB 590, HB 679, and HB 873. The committee then advanced HB 503, which cleans up prior local language for Golden Meadow by removing a reference to electric golf carts and updating the definition of utility terrain vehicles; the technical amendment set was adopted and the bill was reported with amendments. HB 720, dealing with tacit dedication of roads and preserving historic public access to waterways and related access points, was reported favorably after members agreed to continue working on the amendment language before floor debate. The committee spent substantial time on HB 309, which originally made it a crime to walk in a crosswalk while looking at a cell phone. After amendments converted the proposal to a $25 civil fine and added a rebuttable presumption of liability for damages, members from both parties raised concerns about enforceability, tourism and urban pedestrian patterns, free-will and overreach arguments, and the lack of data tying the conduct specifically to crosswalk crashes. The author argued the measure was intended to promote situational awareness and reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities, but after opposition testimony the bill was voluntarily deferred. Members then reported HB 856, which expands DOTD’s use of indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracting and adds the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, after technical amendments clarified the contracts are for construction-phase work. HB 487, increasing penalties for drivers who use shoulders or turning lanes to bypass red lights, was reported with a technical correction after police support testimony. HB 846, prohibiting license plate coverings or films that obscure plates, was reported favorably after law enforcement support and discussion of clear frames versus obscuring covers. HB 733 and HB 875, both tied to OMV fee and lapse-of-insurance recommendations from the Legislative Auditor, were reported with amendments adjusting grace periods and offense timing. The committee also took up HB 695 on consensual non-commercial towing permits. After extensive questioning about whether the bill applied to multiple vehicles, interstate travel, OMV implementation, and the practicality of an honor-system QR code permit, the sponsor agreed to amend the bill to cover multiple vehicles and then voluntarily defer it for further work with OMV and State Police. HB 777, requiring a driver’s license renewal knowledge exam, was amended at the department’s request and then voluntarily deferred for further review. HB 868, prompted by a fatal trailer accident involving a farmer’s wife, would require trailers to meet safety-chain and braking standards consistent with manufacturer specifications or federal standards; after concerns from members and the Agriculture Commissioner about impacts on older farm equipment, the bill was reported with amendments. Finally, HB 707 moved the LPG Commission’s marketing functions to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and was reported with a technical amendment, HB 693 on legislative district highway signs was voluntarily deferred after amendments, and HB 746 on local oversized trucking permits opened a broader discussion about parish-by-parish permit disparities, with the sponsor proposing a one-year moratorium on new local standards while stakeholders work toward a more uniform system.