4:24 → 4:56(32s)
Committee staff called the roll and confirmed remote participants (chair or clerk handling sign-ins). Several people identified themselves as present or remote; Chair (procedural leader) invited the first public commenter.
A legislative Finance and Revenue Committee heard public testimony on House Bill 4134, a proposal to increase the state lodging (transient lodging) tax by 1.25 percentage points to create a dedicated fund for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, wildfire workforce programs and wolf compensation. Supporters—wildlife rehabilitators, conservation groups, ranchers and tourism-linked businesses—argued the modest tax would provide stable, tourism-linked funding; opponents, mainly small hoteliers and some landowners, warned of cumulative tax burdens on lodging and unclear administrative assessments. The committee voted to move HB 4134-A to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.
