Transcript Highlights:

• auditor the legislative the legislative auditor the legislative reference<00:26:15.559> library
• library and the reviser of reference library and the reviser of statutes<00:26:18.520> uh<00:
• So we are the Legislative Auditor.
• The Legislative Auditor is appointed to a term by the Legislative Audit Commission, and again I'll get
• The legislative auditor is me.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee met on January 16, 2025, for an organizational and informational session. Members and staff introduced themselves, and Chair Jim Nash reviewed committee expectations, including that nonpartisan staff are to be used for factual information rather than political arguments. He also noted the committee rules were a blend of prior chairs’ rules and would be posted without a vote. Helen Roberts of House Fiscal gave a high-level overview of the committee’s jurisdiction and budget structure. She explained that the State Government Finance Committee oversees funding for major administrative agencies, the legislature, constitutional offices, and several boards, councils, and commissions. She emphasized that the committee’s general fund base for fiscal years 2026-27 is about $1.31 billion, less than 2% of the state general fund, and that the largest pieces are the Department of Revenue, the legislature, and pension aids. She also described how all-funds presentations differ from general fund views, highlighting internal service funds such as Minnesota IT Services, Department of Administration services, and other chargeback or reimbursement arrangements. Members asked questions about House and Senate budgets, debt service related to the Capitol Area building project and move costs, and how Minnesota IT Services is funded through fee-for-service chargebacks. Colby Sullivan of House Research then summarized a memo in the packet that outlines the entities within the committee’s jurisdiction and the constitutional and statutory provisions governing them. He pointed members to the memo as a reference and noted that the committee also has jurisdiction over the Legislative Coordinating Commission, the legislative auditor, the legislative reference library, the reviser of statutes, the Secretary of State’s budget and certain duties, and three gambling-related agencies, though gambling policy itself is generally handled by another committee. He offered to help members with bill drafting and amendments and to provide a linked electronic version of the memo. The Office of the Legislative Auditor then began an overview of its work. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall explained that the office is nonpartisan, serves all 201 legislators, and provides oversight through financial audits, program evaluations, and special reviews focused on state funds. She distinguished the Legislative Auditor from the State Auditor, noting that the State Auditor is an elected constitutional officer who focuses on county and local government funds. Randall said the office would also present a deep dive into its November performance audit of the Minnesota State Lottery. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• be found inexpedient to legislate. be found inexpedient to legislate.
• FN to inexpediate to legislate. FN to inexpediate to legislate.
• legislate on House Bill 1083 FN. legislate on House Bill 1083 FN.
• to legislate on House Bill 1201 carries. to legislate on House Bill 1201 carries.
• machine if this legislation is passed. machine if this legislation is passed.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , local libraries, local libraries, parks,<00:04:40.920> and<00:04:41.080> their<00
• We appreciate past legislative investments to support DNR's reforestation and forest stand improvement
• past legislative We appreciate past legislative investments<00:28:44.240> to<00:28:44.320>
• We would encourage the committee to support this legislation to continue infrastructure improvements
• this legislation to continue infrastructure<01:02:16.960> improvements<01:02:17.560> on

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• a printable absentee ballot application online or pick one up from any USPS post office or public library
• can find the forms online at elections.hawaii.gov, or you can also go to a post office or a state library
• or a state library and pick up a form. or a state library and pick up a form. uh<00:13:22.959>
• I >> mean<00:47:08.079> we<00:47:08.240> had<00:47:08.400> legislation<00:
• that would uh >> mean we had legislation that would uh provide<00:47:10.640> them<00:47

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need resources to pay legislators.
• <01:56:57.040> call person had to hear any legislator call person had to hear any legislator
• It is library day.
• this this legislative session. this this legislative session.
• It is library day. So, if you have year. It is library day.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Honorable legislators, thank you for hearing us today.
• So I would like to thank you, legislators, and my fellow Massachusetts taxpayers.
• They refer them back to us.
• The coalition is also working this legislative session with Rep.
• It also has professional development and a library of printable resources.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides. Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Curtis Ging, State Senator of the 14th Legislative District, runs from Yakima all the way down to Pasco
• Hi, Brandy Donaghy, State Rep in the 44th Legislative District, including Snohomish cities of Mill Creek
• Suzanne Schmidt, representative from the Fourth Legislative District, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, over
• That's what D.K. made reference to. There is post-processing of the model.
• So, some legislative ways that we feel could help mitigate some of the challenges we have.

Summary: The committee first heard an update on the Joint Transportation Committee study of transportation impacts if the Lower Snake River dams were removed. WSDOT and Jacobs described the study’s phases, including current work on geology, infrastructure risk, and a total logistics cost model. They explained that the study is examining how freight now moved by barge—especially wheat, fertilizer, and wood—could shift to rail and roads, and they outlined several scenarios ranging from no-dam future conditions to new unit-train terminals, short-line rail options, and a combined “many solutions” scenario. Members asked about irrigation, impacts in Idaho and Oregon, port capacity, emissions, competition, EV trucks, and whether the model could estimate transportation effects if grain volumes decline. The presenters said the study assumes current production levels continue, does not model irrigation changes or broader farm-economics impacts, but does account for transloading costs and can estimate transportation impacts under different volume assumptions. WSU’s independent review team said the model has improved substantially but still needed refinement, especially in routing, road data, and spatial detail, and that stakeholder engagement had been strong though delayed by model development. No votes were taken. The committee then received a presentation on the alternative sidewalk funding study. Staff and consultants said the study is exploring ways local governments could sustainably fund sidewalk maintenance, repair, and new construction, using a statewide survey, interviews, national research, and case studies in eight jurisdictions. They noted sidewalks are important for pedestrian safety and connectivity, but there is no dedicated funding source in Washington, and existing grants and local revenue tools are highly competitive or limited. The consultants highlighted sidewalk fees or utility-style charges as the most promising option to study, while a parcel tax was largely set aside because of state property-tax uniformity concerns. Members asked whether the study would duplicate existing funding or add to current taxes, and how a sidewalk fee would be collected; the consultants said the goal is to expand local options, not mandate adoption, and that fees would likely be billed through utilities rather than property taxes. A preliminary draft report is due December 15, with a final report due in mid-June. Next, staff gave a brief update on the ocean-going vessels study, which is examining shore power and emissions rules for vessels at berth. The presenter explained that federal Clean Air Act rules and California waiver authority create legal limits on how far Washington can go if it wants to adopt similar standards, and that deviations from California’s approach can increase litigation risk. The report will summarize stakeholder outreach and will be presented in draft form at the next JTC meeting. Finally, county engineers from Chelan and Douglas counties began a presentation on county transportation challenges, with the association’s director emphasizing collaboration with state agencies and local partners on issues such as fish passage barriers and infrastructure needs. The county presentation was only beginning when the transcript ended, and no committee action or votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Needed to ensure that the Texas State Library and Archives monitor its condition.
• The committee's substitute does the following: First, it clarifies that the State Library and Archives

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:54.880> in get to school and get to the library in get to school and get to the library
• ,<00:45:45.280> you're<00:45:45.359> referring<00:45:45.800> to people's reference
• , you're referring to people's reference, you're referring to the<00:45:46.480> graphic.
• <01:04:47.640> oversight and including legislative oversight and including legislative oversight
• legislative director at Sierra Club. legislative director at Sierra Club.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One example of the materials being offered is that each of them has a technology lending library, which
• that each of them have a technology is that each of them have a technology lending<00:05:42.240> library
• which<00:05:43.440> I'll<00:05:43.680> discuss<00:05:44.080> later lending library
• which I'll discuss later lending library which I'll discuss later in<00:05:44.800> the<00:05:
• And finally, it appears that the technology lending library may be underutilized.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call: 00:22 Office of Education Accountability Report: Early Childhood Regional Training Centers (RTCs): 01:22 Approval of July 14, 2025 Minutes 31:21 Office of Education Accountability: 2025 Study Agenda 32:35 Adjournment: 39:12, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard an Office of Education Accountability report on Kentucky’s early childhood regional training centers (RTCs). OEA said the centers provide valuable training, consultation, technical assistance, and materials for preschool personnel, especially for children with disabilities and at-risk students, and that the services align with state and federal requirements. However, the report found uneven student and teacher populations across regions, wide variation in per-student funding, some staffing data inaccuracies, and several fiscal oversight concerns, including inconsistent indirect cost rates, a building rental charge that may have been duplicative, and host districts recording RTC expenditures in a way that could blur them with district finances. OEA also said some documentation of progress toward goals was incomplete and that the technology lending library appeared underused. The report recommended stronger KDE oversight, uniform coding and accounting practices, review of budgets and expenditures, and an evaluation of whether the current five-center model remains the most efficient structure; OEA also suggested the General Assembly may wish to revisit KRS 157.318. Members asked about KDE’s response, whether the centers are required by federal law, how the centers operate, and whether changing the model would affect federal funding. OEA said KDE had only discussed the findings informally and had not issued a formal response, the centers are required by state law but not federal law, and changing the model would not jeopardize IDEA preschool funds. The committee accepted the report by motion. The subcommittee then approved the minutes from its July 14, 2025 meeting after initially delaying action because quorum was not yet present. After that, members turned to the Office of Education Accountability’s proposed 2026 study agenda. OEA said the three proposed topics are the annual district data profiles, facilities funding, and implementation of early literacy statutes. The district profiles would add an appendix showing the number and percentage of students moving to private school or homeschool by district and another appendix noting data-quality issues that affect comparability. OEA explained that district staffing data can undercount contract staff because those employees are not always entered into the system, and members expressed interest in tracking whether prior recommendations were implemented. One senator also raised a separate interest in reviewing whether KDE created and implemented regulations related to KFIX. The discussion remained informational, with no final vote on the study agenda shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's something that was flagged by legislative council service.
• House Bill 21 is a monumental piece of legislation that places our centuries-old Spanish land grants
• Madam Chair, Representative Mason, this is not a general fund piece of legislation.
• We're tied to severance tax bonding capacity, so legislation like ours is not in the budget bill.
• So we are in full support of legislation. Thank you. Thank you. Miguel Villarreal.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, in your packet, I'm just going to reference several things.
• We really try to listen on these visits during this legislative time to find out what...
• We really try to listen on these visits during this legislative time to find out what...
• They are showing up to their legislative sessions. They are voting.
• <00:57:08.319> sessions showing up to their legislative sessions showing up to their legislative

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• When we implemented the Military Veteran Peer Network, that was an important part of legislation that
• The bill also updates the Human Resources Code by... ... are replacing references to the Department of
• Yeah, I think this ties into a number of pieces of legislation that's moving this session.
• I'm also chair of the Texas Medical Association's Council on Legislation, which informs legislative policy
• This kind of builds on what was established in 2019, which was legislation passed by both...

Bills: HB35, HB138, HB754, HB1314, HB1612, HB2254, HB2510, HB2789, HB3560, HB3597, HB4224, HB4273, HB4643, HB4783, HB138

Keywords: peer support, first responders, mental health, confidentiality, emergency services, health impact analysis, cost analysis, coverage mandates, health insurance, legislative analysis, health care data, human trafficking, trafficking prevention, medical assistant training, health care facilities, hospital compliance, clinic compliance, anti-retaliation, whistleblower protection, employee reporting

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a state advisory council, referred to as a SAC, that we've had legislation on the last couple
• have a state advisory Council referred have a state advisory Council referred to<00:07:36.919>
• <00:07:39.560> the to a Sac that we've had legislation the to a Sac that we've had legislation
• administer and the Ida legislation administer and the Ida legislation originally<01:56:38.679>
• determined and expedient to legislate determined and expedient to legislate and<02:18:40.439>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and noted weather-related absences and a large number of new bills. The chair said a subcommittee would be formed to review three cell phone bills, and a full committee work session on bullying would be scheduled for the week after next. The committee then began a hearing on House Bill 121, which would create local special education advisory councils in school districts. Representative Glenn Cordelli, the sponsor, said the councils would be parent-driven, with parents of children with disabilities advising districts on education, safety, program development, evaluation, planning, policies, and communication with administrators. He said the bill would require at least quarterly meetings with district administration, an annual parent workshop, and a year-end report to the school board. He also cited federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on parent advisory councils and said the goal was to improve collaboration between parents and schools. Members raised questions about the use of “shall,” how councils would be formed in districts without PTAs/PTOs, whether the councils could function in very small districts, privacy concerns about parents disclosing their children’s disabilities, whether the councils should include guardians or educational professionals, and whether the councils would have any direct tie to the state advisory council. The sponsor said the requirement was intended to make the councils mandatory, that local districts could organize them organically if needed, that participation would be voluntary, that parents would not be required to disclose private information, and that the councils would remain advisory rather than determinative. He also said costs should be minimal. Testimony then began from Nicole Sheath, a pediatric occupational therapist and parent of four children with disabilities, who described her experience balancing advocacy, school collaboration, and the demands of her children’s therapies and education.

Transcript Highlights:

• a set of PowerPoint slides, I'm going to walk through this today to give you an overview of our legislative
• I'll start with on slide two is that what we attempted do at the agency is synthesize all of the legislative
• If the, I'll refer you back to this document.
• I don't think I understand the reference, what you're talking about in the latter, but if.
• Yeah That is what's referred to as the regular program offset.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• offered by this body like any other piece of legislation.
• That answer just captivated me, so I do want to refer back to the language on line 341 that you referred
• that's referred to by the federal government.
• I will refer to line 19.
• But we have the fiduciary duty as legislators.

Summary: The committee heard and approved several measures. HB 735 expanded Florida’s boating improvement program to fund parking for boat trailers at public ramps and offered a 10% sovereign submerged land lease discount for manufacturers using environmental best management practices; it passed unanimously. HB 4021 expanded the North River Ranch Improvement Stewardship District in Manatee County by 640 acres and was reported favorably. CS for HB 371, which promotes nature-based methods and green/gray infrastructure for coastal resilience, also passed unanimously after supportive testimony from resilience and environmental groups and committee members. The committee then took up HJR 1325, a proposed constitutional amendment to create an elected Commissioner of Government Efficiency (COGE) with authority to audit, investigate, and report on waste, fraud, and abuse in state and local government. The proposal would eliminate the lieutenant governor position, the Government Efficiency Task Force, and the legislature’s current auditor appointment, with many implementation details deferred to a future bill. Members debated the scope of the new office, its relationship to the Auditor General and inspectors general, whether it should cover the legislative and judicial branches, staffing, and the comparison to federal DOGE efforts. An amendment making a minor wording change was adopted, and the resolution passed 23-? with a favorable report after a split vote. The committee also approved two Gulf of America bills. HB 575 redesignated the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and CS for HB 549 required Florida’s academic standards and newly adopted instructional materials to reflect the federal designation for materials acquired on or after July 1, 2025. Both measures drew criticism from members who argued the renaming was politically motivated, historically insensitive, and potentially confusing for students, while supporters said Florida should align with federal action. HB 575 passed and CS for HB 549 passed 18-7. Finally, HB 4071, a local bill adjusting the boundary between Coral Springs and Parkland in Broward County by about 8.7 acres, was amended and reported favorably with support from both cities and the Broward delegation.

Transcript Highlights:

• request I would would support we refer request I would would support we refer and<00:33:45.080><
• before that's my 10 cents so so re-refer before that's my 10 cents so so re-refer on<00:39:00.920
• c> on<00:46:58.319> lines references on lines references on lines six n<00:47:04.440> uh
• <00:51:54.960> to<00:51:55.960> currently referring to currently referring to currently
• Make a motion to re-refer Senate 101? I have a motion to re-refer Senate 101.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 50 is the bill that we talked about last year about Imagination Library, and it's the Alabama
• And what it does, her Imagination Library sends a book a month once a child is born until they start
• And those conversations haven't had because we haven't had the legislation passed.
• <00:16:52.720> But haven't had the legislation passed.
• But haven't had the legislation passed.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• legislation that was proposed last year. legislation that was proposed last year.
• Not in reference to this bill.
• Not in reference to this bill.
• With all due inexpedient to legislate.
• um potentially making this legislation um potentially making this legislation in<02:02:23.599>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the school, the hospital, the library, and the wreck area.
• We have the school, the hospital, the library, and the wreck area.
• We have the school, the hospital,<00:29:47.120> the<00:29:47.480> library,<00:29:48.480
• > and<00:29:48.720> the<00:29:48.880> wreck hospital, the library, and the wreck
• I'd also like to thank Representative Wam for authoring this legislation.

Bills: HF1569, HF460, HF850, HF707, HF798, HF852, HF366, HF365, HF836, HF866, HF885, HF959, HF1196, HF1788, HF1349, HF2272, HF2652, HF1251, HF607

Keywords: transportation, bond issuance, capital investment, infrastructure, road improvements, HF460, Sibley County, Highway 21, County State-Aid Highway, bonding bill, state bonds, bond proceeds fund, transportation grant, infrastructure improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, stormwater, public works, local infrastructure