Senate Bill 2018 passed the Senate 36-9 with one senator absent after floor debate and multiple committee adjustments to funding levels for Department of Commerce programs.

Senator Dwyer, sponsor for the Appropriations Committee’s Government Operations Division, told the Senate the department oversees economic development, tourism, small-business supports, workforce programs, native American economic initiatives and housing incentives. Two non-funding amendments were highlighted: a new semiannual reporting requirement to Budget Section for all state-funded grant programs (section 11) and renaming the Office of Legal Immigration to the Office of Global Talent (section 12).

Committee funding changes reduced the Senate’s recommended total for Commerce from figures presented by the governor and earlier drafts. Dwyer said the colored summary sheet showed a Senate Bill total of $169,000,000, Governor Armstrong’s recommendation at $143,000,000, and the Senate Appropriations Committee’s package set at $95,000,000 — a $48 million reduction from the governor’s level to the committee’s recommendation.

Program-level notes from the floor: the committee combined two tourism line items into a single pool instead of $5 million apiece; tourism destination development grants were raised from $15 million to $20 million by the Government Ops committee; the bill retains funding for Native American business and workforce programs and for regional workforce impact grants and entrepreneurship funds. Dwyer emphasized that economic development investments often require multiple bienniums to measure success and that the reporting requirement is intended to increase transparency.

Senator Meyer stated a recusation under footnote 9 because his employer receives an appropriation in the bill; the Senate allowed him not to vote. The clerk recorded final passage as 36 ayes, 9 nays, 1 absent not voting; the bill is passed.