Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you.
• Let me also say, if you think billionaires and big corporations should get a tax break before hardworking
• Can you please stand so we can recognize you? Thank you.
• Can you please stand so we can recognize you? Thank you.

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a Republican governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, tax cuts, election integrity, school choice, and holding government accountable, while also highlighting cooperation on water policy and border security reimbursement. Senate President Warren Petersen said the legislature would pursue a major tax cut, send an election integrity measure to voters, defend women’s sports and school choice, and continue negotiations on Colorado River guidelines. Governor Hobbs framed her agenda around the “Arizona Promise,” stressing affordability, public safety, water security, housing, and economic opportunity. She highlighted prior-year accomplishments including job growth, medical debt relief, lower costs for child care and housing, public safety investments, and major business recruitment. She called for an immediate middle-class tax cut, more efficient government spending, and new initiatives including a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund financed in part by a nightly fee on short-term rentals. Hobbs also announced a new active management area for La Paz County to address groundwater depletion, defended her administration’s water and housing policies, and urged renewed funding for public schools while criticizing the ESA program for lack of accountability. She called for bipartisan action on disaster relief after floods in Globe and Miami, and condemned political violence. No legislative votes were taken; the joint session concluded with the governor’s address and the session was dissolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you're going to call me anything, call me Bossley. Ha-ha. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• If you're going to call me anything, call me Bossley. Ha-ha. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Good afternoon, lady.
• Thank you. That's what we call informed consent in social work.
• And that is written, and I don't know if you call them statutes or law, but it's what we all have to

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and took up House Bill 3174 by Representative Justice. Members adopted two committee amendments: one removed the bill’s mapping provisions so that the vendor-list portion could move forward separately, and another required schools to have at least one master key box for emergency responders. The amendments were rolled into a committee substitute, which the committee then voted do pass on a 10-0 roll call. A second executive-session bill was postponed until the following week because of a family emergency involving Representative Williams. The committee then heard Senate Bill 982, a cleanup and reorganization bill dealing with Missouri’s sex offender registry and related registration rules. Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman said the bill was intended to align the registry statutes with prior changes, clarify tiering and registration requirements, address offenders with ties to Missouri but living elsewhere, and improve information-sharing rules for law enforcement and victims, including notice when a registrant dies or moves. Testimony in support came from the Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration, which said the bill codifies case law and reduces administrative confusion for the Highway Patrol and registrants. No opposition was offered. The committee also heard House Bill 3414, which would create a state offense modeled on a federal online-fraud law to help law enforcement pursue internet-based fraud, including schemes involving credit cards, account numbers, telecommunication identifiers, and similar access devices. The sponsor and a law-enforcement witness said the bill would give investigators another tool against increasingly common fraud, including elder fraud and VoIP-based schemes; a Maverick convenience stores representative also supported it as a response to changing technology. No opposition was presented. Finally, the committee heard House Bills 2628 and 3460, the CARE Act, which would require hospitals and health facilities treating sexual-assault survivors to inform patients about emergency contraception, provide it if requested, test and treat for sexually transmitted infections, and seek reimbursement through the Department of Public Safety. Sponsor Jacqueline Zimmerman said the bill is meant to reduce trauma and prevent pregnancies resulting from rape, and witnesses from sexual-assault nursing, reproductive-health, anti-poverty, medical, and nursing organizations supported it as a way to standardize care, especially in rural areas. Several members raised questions about whether the bill would require abortion-inducing drugs, whether hospitals could opt out on conscientious grounds, and how reimbursement would work; the sponsor said she intended to add language excluding abortion-inducing medications and that the current DPS forensic-exam payment structure would not change. No votes were taken on the later bills in the portion of the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Any further questions on the process or what the documents that are before you seeing?
• Thank you. >> Thank you, Tim.
• Thank you. >> Thank you, George.
• If we can come some terms, I stand before you the opposition, a Navy veteran.
• Appreciate you know. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Representative Robinson.

Transcript Highlights:

• back</c> get to work are you talking are you back get to work are you talking are you back channeling
• </c> what you might do for those would you what you might do for those would you have<00:15:19.000><c
• You know, I think it's very interesting that right before the start of session, after fraud has been
• Do you think that was legal or constitutional for the governor to call that in that time frame?
• You know, the statute is very clear on how, due to an election contest, a special election is to be called

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House Republican leaders, led by Speaker-designate Lisa Demuth and Majority Leader Harry Niska, outlined their priorities for the upcoming Minnesota House session and said they intend to use an organizational majority to advance their agenda. They said their focus will be on stopping fraud, making government more accountable, reducing taxes and fees, and addressing affordability, energy costs, public safety, education, and permitting reform. Specific proposals mentioned included repealing the tax on Social Security benefits, rolling back automatic gas tax increases, repealing the nuclear moratorium, and changing state programs they said should be limited to people in the country legally. A central theme was the creation of a new House committee on fraud and agency oversight, which Republicans said will have subpoena power and be chaired by Rep. Kristin Robbins. They said the committee will investigate known fraud, review agency internal controls, and press agencies for information on staffing, office space, and cost savings. Rep. Jim Nash also described a proposed “fraud note” scoring system to rate agencies on whether they have implemented Office of the Auditor’s recommendations, with the goal of informing appropriations decisions. On education and public safety, Niska said Republicans want fewer mandates and higher standards in schools, citing low reading and math proficiency, and leaders said they want stronger accountability for repeat and juvenile offenders. They also said they expect committee chairs to be Republican, may reduce Democratic committee seats if Democrats do not show up, and are not planning a power-sharing agreement unless the chamber returns to a true tie. They discussed the pending court case involving Rep. Brad Tabke, a possible recall process for absent legislators, remote voting rules, and a special election timeline, while insisting they expect Democrats to appear on the first day of session and that they will proceed with organizing the House and electing a speaker on January 14.

Transcript Highlights:

• back in January, uh, you had leaders, city and state leaders, calling on businesses to shut down for
• Before you, I just want to add that we offered that as an amendment on the House floor, and Democrats
• &gt;&gt; Yeah.<00:09:18.000><c> Before</c><00:09:18.320><c> you</c><00:09:19.200><c> I</c><00:09:19.440
• Before you I just want to add that &gt;&gt; Yeah.
• Before you I just want to add that we<00:09:20.560><c> offered</c><00:09:20.800><c> that</c><00:09:20.959

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House Republican leaders outlined their agenda for the tied legislative session, saying their priorities are to stop fraud, make Minnesota more affordable, safer, and more competitive, and reduce mandates while raising education standards. They highlighted several planned bills, including an independent inspector general (HF 1), a “Fraud Isn’t Free” measure to impose consequences on agencies and commissioners that allow fraud, and statutory guidelines for high-fraud-risk programs. They also said they want to lower health care costs through a permanent reinsurance program and cost defrayal for new mandates, study property tax increases, conform state tax law to federal changes on tips, overtime, and scholarship tax credits, and avoid any tax increases. On public safety, Republicans said they will pursue tougher penalties for repeat offenders and repeat gun crimes, judicial accountability, and a school safety package that would support public and nonpublic schools, school safety personnel, and facility improvements. In education, they emphasized school choice tax credits, reading proficiency, and curriculum focused on basic academic fundamentals. They also said they want to protect and expand mining, reform permitting, end the nuclear moratorium, and make the state more attractive to businesses. On housing, one member said they are working on a more targeted affordable housing package rather than a broad sweeping bill. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on immigration and cooperation with federal authorities. Republicans said they want a statewide framework for local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, referencing House File 16 and saying they are open to changes and bipartisan work. They argued that local and state cooperation would improve safety and prevent situations where criminal suspects are released into the community. They also said Democrats have blocked similar efforts in committee and on the House floor. In response to questions, leaders said there is no current appetite for sports betting, bonding will be discussed but there are no promises, and they do not support the 2024 omnibus bill model. They said they are not interested in vaccine mandates, but will consider Medicaid funding impacts and other health-related proposals if bills are introduced. They also said election integrity measures such as voter ID, provisional ballots, and voter-roll cleanup will remain priorities. Throughout, leaders said they expect a bipartisan process in the tied House and expressed hope that both parties can work together on some issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Roll call will be had. >> Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and members.
• So, I stand here before<00:26:27.760><c> you</c><00:26:27.919><c> as</c><00:26:28.159><c> a</c><00:26
• you as a mother of four who before you as a mother of four who became<00:26:30.159><c> a</c><00:26:30.400
• You will not be shocked to learn that when I attended there, I was what you would call pro-life.
• So, Minnesota, I guess I'm on trial before you.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So before launching into The broader ecosystem, we wanted to give you a little snapshot of what quantum
• Especially cyber, how do you mitigate those threats with what I call the legacy?
• We're really excited about, you know, we call it...
• You know, dig a big hole and walk away.
• Would you like, before we go, real quickly, before we go to our next presenters, we're going to have

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. Are there any other questions? Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Are there any questions for the witness? Thank you. Thank you.
• You're welcome to dig all you want and take home with you.
• You're welcome to dig all you want and take home with you.
• Thank you, Representative. Thank you.

Committee: House Conservation and Natural Resources

Summary: The Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources heard House Bill 1624, sponsored by Rep. Sassmann, which updates Missouri’s invasive plant law. The bill makes clerical corrections to Latin plant names and extends the existing affidavit requirement, previously applied to nurseries and nursery dealers, to seed dealers so they cannot knowingly sell seeds of listed invasive species. Support came from the Missouri Municipal League, Sierra Club, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, an individual landowner, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri, all describing the bill as a needed cleanup and expansion of last year’s law. One witness from Armourvine opposed the bill, arguing the plants have medicinal uses and warning against broader restrictions on landowner choice. No vote was taken in the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 1736, sponsored by Rep. Wellenkamp, a disaster resilience measure focused on parks and flood mitigation. The bill would allow cities and counties to use existing sales tax revenue tied to parks to buy repetitive-loss properties, remove structures, and convert those areas into natural floodways, greenways, or other stormwater management spaces that still function as parks. The sponsor and several members discussed repeated flood damage in St. Charles, St. Louis County, and other river communities, emphasizing that the proposal would help with voluntary buyouts, reduce long-term losses, and avoid expensive concrete infrastructure. Members asked about eminent domain, funding limits, and how the land would be kept from future development; the sponsor said the bill is limited to voluntary sales and local discretion. Support for HB 1736 came from St. Charles County and the Sierra Club, which said the bill would clarify eligible park fund uses, support natural stormwater infrastructure, and protect environmental and economic resilience. Committee members from affected districts described local examples where buyouts and park conversions had worked or where flooded homes remain a burden. There was no opposition testimony, and the hearing concluded without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• So can you tell me a scenario somebody's brought to you that caused you to pursue this bill?
• So can you tell me a scenario somebody's brought to you that caused you to pursue this bill?
• Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, committee members.
• Thank you. Senator Westlin: Thank you, Mr.
• Thank you.

Committee: Senate Elections

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We always appreciate you coming before Ways and Means.
• all the questions that were pending before you.
• I know as you consider the ballot questions that are pending before you, you recognize the significance
• I can't come before you and not think about Rep.
• This is not my first time before you.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The hearing opened the FY27 budget process with remarks from the Senate and House Ways and Means chairs and testimony from Governor Healey and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz. The chairs emphasized fiscal caution amid choppy revenue growth, rising health care and education costs, and federal uncertainty, while the governor framed House 2 as a $62.8 billion budget that grows spending by about 1% without new taxes or fees and aims to protect core services while advancing affordability. The administration said the budget uses efficiencies, program integrity, and Fair Share surtax revenue to support education, transportation, housing, child care, health care, and public safety, and it also filed a supplemental Fair Share bill using surplus FY25 funds. Much of the questioning focused on the federal “OB3” tax law and the administration’s separate proposal to delay or phase in certain corporate tax changes, especially research and experimental deductions, to avoid in-year budget shocks. Members also pressed the administration on Fair Share allocations, with the governor and secretary explaining that operating-budget surtax spending is weighted more toward education while supplemental spending is more transportation-focused, and that combined spending is roughly balanced overall. The administration highlighted Chapter 70 aid, special education circuit breaker funding, rural school aid, local aid, child care, the MBTA deficit, regional transit authorities, and a new HHS transportation line item as part of the broader transportation strategy. Several members raised concerns about Chapter 70 equity, rural districts, municipal overrides, out-migration, housing affordability, public housing repairs, and the MBTA Communities Act. The governor and secretary said they are open to further discussion on school funding formulas, PILOT, and municipal aid, and stressed housing production, energy affordability, and workforce development as key responses to out-migration. On energy, the governor defended an all-of-the-above approach, including renewables, gas, and exploration of nuclear, while saying she would continue pushing utilities and regulators to reduce ratepayer costs. The governor also said fire safety grants would not be withheld for noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act, and members discussed public safety, housing, and local grant impacts in that context. Other topics included the Bright Act and higher education capital investments, with the administration saying it is preparing to support campus infrastructure across the public higher education system and that the bill is intended to strengthen Massachusetts’ competitiveness and retain graduates. Members also questioned cuts to the PCA program and EAEDC, and the governor responded that the state’s PCA program remains strong but is under pressure from large federal health care reductions. No votes were taken; the session was a hearing on the governor’s budget proposal and related policy bills, with the administration taking questions and offering explanations of its recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, you guys worked well past midnight to pass the budget. How did that feel?
• So, you know, can you talk to me about the decision to have a one-day special session?
• So, you know, can you talk to me that.
• Um, you said that you didn't agree with the budget.
• Uh, I'll give you an example.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't just call and say, have you been scammed? We don't audit.
• you can call 651 record to reflect that you can call 651 296 296 296 3353<00:12:24.240><c> and</c><00
• </c><00:13:55.560><c> call</c><00:13:55.800><c> Sooner</c> just say well why didn't you call Sooner just
• </c><00:14:02.839><c> you</c> couldn't handle it and so I called you couldn't handle it and so I called
• If you call that number, somebody from the Consumer Action Division is going to pick up the phone.

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• But if you develop it wrongly, you end up creating. calls.
• Thank you. Chair calls Terry Morrow and John Stover. Thank you. Thank you for watching.
• Thank you. I'm going to let y'all clear the room before I call the next. set of witnesses.
• Thank you, commissioners. Appreciate you all being here. Thank you. Chair calls Cy Ditzler.
• Chair calls Vanessa Puig-Williams. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Committee: House Natural Resources

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But serving on a school board before, going through declining enrollment before, you have to put a tourniquet
• But serving on a school board before, going through declining enrollment before, you have to put a tourniquet
• Some of you know this, some of you do not.
• Thank you. Final call for discussion. Oh, Representative Owens in under the bill. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you.

Keywords: 907, all

Summary: The Emergency Board met on June 17, 2026, and approved a series of subcommittee recommendations, mostly on consent, related to federal grant applications, agency funding adjustments, and position authority. Early actions included approval of four federal grant applications from natural resources agencies, three public safety grant applications, a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, retroactive approval for an AmeriCorps volunteer-generation grant, and a $7.5 million allocation to Southern Oregon University from a special appropriation for short-term financial stability. Members supporting the SOU item emphasized the university’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and the need for a long-term higher education plan; several members voted no or raised concerns about sustainability, but the motion passed. The board also approved a federal apprenticeship expansion grant for the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, a school nutrition equipment grant for the Department of Education, and an Oregon Health Authority request tied to Medicaid community engagement requirements under H.R. 1. Public safety items included funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a report on the stalled juvenile justice information system modernization project with a follow-up viability report due in 2026, and a statewide evacuation planning tool for emergency management. The evacuation tool drew strong support as a wildfire preparedness measure, with members noting it could significantly reduce alert times and save lives. A major point of debate was the Department of Justice request to add 16 permanent positions and increase other funds limitation for antitrust enforcement. Supporters argued the federal government has pulled back and Oregon needs capacity to pursue active cases and protect consumers; opponents objected to the process, the size of the expansion, and the incentive structure tied to settlements and awards. Despite those concerns, the motion passed. The board also approved Water Resources Department requests for the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement program, an assistant water master position in Washington County, and federal funding for Lower Umatilla Basin groundwater data collection. The water master item prompted questions about county cost shifts, but staff said the position would remain externally funded and would not be filled without those resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• And would the clerk please either call the roll or sound out names or whatever you need?
• Any questions before we say thank you? Thank you. Thank you very much for having us.
• </c> Any questions before we say thank you? Any questions before we say thank you?
• And just before she statistics for you.
• And so with that we have, you know, our rapid response access point, our 988 call line, call, text, chat

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met with DHS Chief Financial Officer Nathan White to receive an update on the department’s budget lapse and vacancy rates. White explained the difference between the “back-of-the-budget” reduction and lapse assumptions, saying DHS is facing a current biennium reduction of about $23 million and estimating roughly a $60 million general fund lapse in state fiscal year 2025, compared with about $13.5 million the prior year. He said DHS’s lapse is driven largely by program utilization, labor market conditions, contract spending, and statutory carry-forwards in areas such as Medicaid and developmental disabilities, which tend to produce a smaller lapse in the first year of the biennium and a larger one in the second year. He also noted that the House and Senate budgets differ on some operating items, including Medicaid rates, with the Senate having struck a House proposal to reduce rates by 3%. Members questioned White about whether DHS ever spends down lapse money on last-minute purchases. He said the department does not engage in that practice, though it does retain some flexibility in its facilities budget for emergencies. He also described the process for transferring funds within and between class lines, including the need for fiscal committee approval above statutory thresholds, and gave examples such as moving funds to cover overtime in the SYSC budget and to ensure Medicaid payments for nursing facilities. White said such transfers are public and transparent and are reviewed by the governor and Executive Council. The committee then discussed DHS staffing. White said the department has a little over 3,200 authorized positions, with a vacancy rate around 14.5%, and that a hiring freeze had been imposed a few months earlier while exempting direct care positions. He said DHS is planning for about a $30 million general fund reduction to personnel, equivalent to just under 400 positions, and is managing postings centrally to stay within budget by July 1. In response to questions about the loss of about $80 million in federal funds, White and Associate Commissioner Patricia Tilly said DHS avoided layoffs by shifting staff into vacant positions, but that the cuts affected community contracts, public health workers, laboratory work, and some IT/data projects. Tilly said roughly 20 positions were affected, most were reassigned, a few staff left voluntarily, and the department has less flexibility going forward if more federal funding ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee held an informational hearing on two early-action budget bills. AB 107 would make mostly technical corrections to prior budget acts, including extending deadlines, fixing fiscal language, moving $20 million for California travel and tourism promotion from Visit California to GoBiz, and making changes related to Proposition 4 climate bond funding. A key provision would exempt development of program guidelines and selection criteria for certain 2025 climate bond appropriations from the Administrative Procedure Act, which supporters said would speed implementation of wildfire prevention and other projects. Members raised concerns about oversight, competitive bidding, and whether vendors and safeguards were sufficient, while public commenters from water, climate, and conservation groups strongly supported the APA exemption and urged similar treatment for future allocations. AB 117 would authorize up to $590 million in short-term loans for four Bay Area transit agencies: BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit. Finance explained that the loan would be administered through MTC using Bay Area TIRCP funds that have been awarded but not yet allocated, making the structure cost-neutral to the state. The loan would run 12 years, with the first two years interest-only, and repayment would be secured through state transit assistance funds if needed. Several members questioned whether the proposal amounted to a bailout, whether it was fair to prioritize the Bay Area, and whether the structure adequately protected other projects, especially BART to Silicon Valley Phase 2; Finance and committee staff said safeguards and monitoring provisions were included and that no state funds were at risk. Public testimony was largely supportive of both bills. Transit agencies and local officials said the loan would provide bridge financing as ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels, while allowing service improvements and major events to continue. San Jose representatives and some members asked for possible cleanup language to better protect large regional capital projects. The chair said the committee anticipated hearing the bills on the floor later in the week, and the hearing was adjourned after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• And I'm before you today to offer assistance and feedback from our local election officials.
• But my main purpose in appearing before you today is to let you know that the MTCA is here.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Election Laws

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Election Laws held a hearing on several election-related bills, with most testimony focused on voting access, ballot administration, and election procedures. Senator Driscoll testified for S. 509, a Randolph home rule petition to require bilingual ballots in English and Haitian Creole, and Randolph officials and community members strongly supported it, saying it would improve access, confidence, and participation for Haitian Creole speakers. Other speakers, including advocates and residents, described language barriers as a form of voter suppression and urged favorable action. Leader Donato testified on H. 822, which would remove the word “physical” from the absentee voting disability standard, and on a bill to raise the signature threshold for creating political designations and allow dormant designations to be dissolved. Senator Rausch testified on several bills, including one expanding the State Ballot Law Commission’s jurisdiction over presidential primary candidate placement and a broader elections infrastructure bill that would change registration deadlines, primary dates, reporting systems, ballot design, mail voting procedures, and voter outreach. Representative Cattelda also testified on a bill to rename the ballot title for governor’s councilor to “governor’s counselor.” The Massachusetts Town Clerks Association, through Tom Joyce and Ben Kaufman, said it supported a number of the bills and offered local election administration expertise. Former Representative Lenny Mera and Sandra Cato testified for S. 536, a bill on accountability for defective and spoiled ballots, citing a disputed 2022 Revere recount and arguing that spoiled ballots should be documented and publicly inspectable so improperly rejected ballots are not lost. Emma Chinman of Partners in Democracy supported multiple reforms, including the elections infrastructure bill and a bill allowing unenrolled voters to serve on boards of registrars. After testimony concluded, the committee accepted written testimony by email and then adjourned without taking any votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• We're at the call of the chairs. I move for adoption of this report. Thank you.
• So that is—I don't want to dig through, and thank you for... ...out a plan to pay that back.
• So that is—I don't want to dig through, and thank you for the leniency here, but I don't want to, I guess
• Thank you. Thank you. I think you have a volunteer if you need something done.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard several audit-related reports. The executive committee report noted audit and special reports were scheduled for standing committees and the full Legislative Joint Audit Committee, with one requested report still in progress. The City, County, and Local report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, reinstatement of turnback funds for entities that filed required reports, and action involving the town of Daisy, which was directed to repay misused street funds at 10% of general fund revenue annually. The education and state agencies reports included higher education audits and state agency findings, with some reports filed and others deferred to the February meeting for additional information or corrective-action details. The committee then took up a special audit of the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at UA Little Rock. Legislative Audit reported that the program, funded with $10 million in desegregation money plus a $50,000 grant, awarded $1.87 million in scholarships to 379 students, with 116 graduates, but found numerous eligibility and disbursement problems, including scholarships to ineligible students, excessive awards, improper documentation, and unclear disposition of some assets. Committee members questioned UALR representatives about oversight, staffing, and whether funds were properly used, and also heard from Philander Smith College about its limited role in verifying enrollment. Members expressed concern about the program’s results and the lack of detail on accountability, and the committee voted to table the report until the next meeting for further review and requested additional information, including the federal court order and more detail on expenditures and oversight. Finally, the committee reviewed the annual disposition report on matters referred to prosecutors and the Attorney General for 2024. Staff said 164 matters were referred, with 28 resulting in criminal charges and convictions, 39 still under review, 96 not charged, and others dismissed or pending; 20 convictions produced fines, restitution, and audit-cost orders, and bond trust fund claims were paid in some cases. Prosecutor Coordinator and Attorney General representatives explained that some referrals do not meet criminal standards, may lack intent, or are otherwise not prosecutable, and members asked for more standardized reporting, clearer explanations of why cases are not charged, and more information on restitution efforts. The committee discussed possible templates, training, and better coordination, then voted to file the report and adjourned, with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, if you see that on your laptop, you can just click on that and refer to that, and also you might
• </c> here, you can say, "No, actually, you here, you can say, "No, actually, you not<00:05:22.440><c>
• The amount that this can save if we really dig down and find it is enormous, you know, probably more
• Thank you.
• Thank you.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Before you today is Senate Bill 1353.
• Senator, so I like the interesting idea of having a duplex or what do you want to call it, that each
• So I like the interesting idea of having a duplex or what do you want to call it, that each, the person
• If you want to come back and join us, committee, we have Senate Bill 1353 before us. Mr.
• So what you see before you today has contemplated and proposed a definition of what secure electronic

Committee: Senate Local Government and Taxation

Keywords: 989, all