Transcript Highlights:

• Generally, sales tax is due on the total sales price without allowance for deduction.
• Generally, sales tax is due on the total sales price without allowance for deductions of cost of materials
• Generally, sales tax is due on the total sales price without allowance for deductions of cost of materials
• So the business inputs along the way end up kind of pyramiding or creating tax embedded in the price
• Collectively, we are most concerned about raising program prices during this time of rapid inflation,

Summary: The House Finance Committee held a work session that began with welcoming new member Rep. Janice Zahn, who introduced herself as representing the 41st Legislative District. The Department of Revenue then gave an update on the Antio-related legislation following the Washington Supreme Court decision and the 2025 session changes. DOR explained its voluntary disclosure program and the new expanded voluntary disclosure agreement for taxpayers with unreported investment income, including broader eligibility and interest/penalty relief, but said utilization has been minimal so far because additional implementation questions remain unresolved. The committee next received the annual update on the Working Families Tax Credit. DOR reported record participation in 2025, with about $205 million refunded through October and a major increase in applications after TurboTax added the credit to its filing software. Officials said most dollars went to households with children, outreach efforts remained important, and community partners and state agencies helped increase uptake. Members focused heavily on fraud concerns, especially tax preparers allegedly filing claims without applicants’ knowledge or diverting refunds; DOR said it is using fraud detection tools, training preparers, and trying to make applicants whole, but current law does not provide direct penalties against preparers. The final portion covered implementation of engrossed substitute Senate Bill 5814, which expanded sales tax to certain services. DOR described the new tax framework, its guidance process, and the large volume of ruling requests and outreach since the law took effect October 1. Committee members asked about fiscal assumptions, the scope of taxable services, and whether the department had revised its implementation estimates; DOR said the fiscal note assumed broad application absent explicit exemptions and that no expenditure revision had been made. In stakeholder testimony, Expedia and T-Mobile argued the law creates complexity and competitive disadvantages for Washington businesses, while a construction training provider said the tax raises tuition for workers seeking required certifications. School and nonprofit representatives said the tax will increase costs for special education services, arts programming, and other public-facing activities, and urged exemptions or further legislative fixes. The chair closed by noting the committee would revisit 5814 in the next session and then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are basic necessities, but the prices for these have increased across the board.
• And currently, for every increase of $1,000 on the price of a home, 9,000 families are being kicked out
• Impact fees, at the top, seemed to be the topic, because I think that's probably the highest price value
• I think in the state of Florida, based on our analysis, it's about 34% regulatory burden in the price
• So why can, and then there's no argument on is that really the price on the tangible impact fee if you

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee met for its first meeting of the 2026 session and took up impact fees, with an opening overview from Eric Poole of the Florida Association of Counties. Poole explained that impact fees are one-time charges on new development used only for new infrastructure capacity, not existing deficiencies or maintenance, and must satisfy the dual rational nexus test. He traced their history in Florida and described how comprehensive plans, concurrency, and later mobility fees relate to local infrastructure funding. He argued that impact fees are restricted, tied to capital improvements, and are one tool for paying for growth. Panelists representing counties, cities, builders, and community developers largely agreed that growth creates real infrastructure costs but differed on how those costs should be allocated. County and city representatives said impact fees are a necessary, targeted way to fund roads, water, sewer, fire, schools, and parks without spreading costs across all taxpayers. They pointed to long periods without fee updates, rising construction costs, and examples of large increases justified by studies. Builder and developer representatives argued that fees are often unpredictable, can be doubled or tripled, and contribute to housing affordability problems; they also said the system can be inconsistent across jurisdictions and may encourage sprawl. Several witnesses emphasized that fees must be transparent, proportional, and tied to actual benefits, and some suggested a statewide framework or mobility-fee model with more consistency and peer review. Members asked about how long local governments can hold fee revenue, whether fees can generate profit, what they can be spent on, and whether they can pay for police stations, fire stations, or other public safety facilities. Witnesses said the funds must be used for capital projects and cannot be used for salaries or unrelated purchases, and that refunds may be required if money is not spent within the local ordinance’s timeframe. The discussion also covered examples of local fee increases, the use of impact fees versus direct construction or “pipelining” of infrastructure, and concerns about level-of-service changes and extraordinary-circumstance increases. No votes were taken; the meeting ended after the panel discussion and member questions, with the chair noting the conversation would continue.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we brought one here, we kept the prices low, and thanks to Michelle's team on Sunday, it was even
• Then the bond pricing occurs on a specific day or two days.
• One thing I guess to talk about is how the bond pricing.
• And so, you're getting feedback in real time from the market as to whether you have priced the bonds
• You priced them, as they described, too cheaply.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay, as I think every American knows, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
• In my view, not only has the federal government not effectively regulated the price of prescription drugs
• This committee released the report that found that the average price of new treatments that NIH scientists
• Why do we pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs and what will you do if you are
• that they want, or should we attach to those contracts a reasonable pricing clause that says, hey, if

Keywords: NIH funding, healthcare research, chronic diseases, scientific integrity, public trust, pandemic response

Summary: The meeting of the committee focused on various healthcare and scientific issues, with significant discussions surrounding the impact of recent administrative actions on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its research agenda. Senators expressed concerns over funding cuts and personnel reductions, particularly the reported termination of over 1,200 NIH staff members, which could jeopardize ongoing and future research projects. The session included testimonies on the importance of supporting early-stage researchers and restoring public trust in scientific institutions following pandemic-related controversies. Additionally, the potential for future healthcare management based on diverse scientific ideas was emphasized as crucial to tackle chronic diseases effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• , processing cost data, environmental data, and finally, the downfall of many projects, commodity prices
• , or accommodating commodity prices.
• And there are, as he's also discussed, there are conditions that increase the price.
• And this is amplified by a global context in which mineral prices are volatile.
• But the price challenges remain.

Keywords: Greenland, acquisition, national security, Arctic, geopolitical, China, Russia, icebreakers, trade routes

Summary: The meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focused on the potential acquisition of Greenland by the United States. This issue, first raised by President Trump in 2019, has gained renewed significance amidst shifting global dynamics and the strategic importance of Greenland in relation to transatlantic trade routes and national security. The members discussed the geopolitical implications of Greenland's position, especially given the increasing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic region. Notably, the urgency to address military presence and icebreaker capabilities in the Arctic was a major point of contention, with a call for a new fleet to counter foreign dominance in the area.

Transcript Highlights:

• Other forms of energy prices will continue to come down while the cost of generating electricity from
• One of the things that I'm most concerned about, and I hear from them constantly, is the price of energy
• yes vote on this bill if we had an amendment to it that we agreed it wasn't going to increase the price
• harder and harder for people to afford the food that is ultimately going to see a huge increase in price
• That is to make sure that we don't price them into a spot where they can't afford to pay rent, utilities

Transcript Highlights:

• my side of the aisle, you'll hear about how we need to expand Medicare's ability to negotiate the price
• Those 10 drugs that were negotiated cut the price some third to two-thirds or more, including 79 percent
• And then we get the highest price, the highest price among the developing countries instead of the best
• fought very hard to do, what every other country does: have Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices
• Price, if it was estimated about 5.9 million families according to the National Consumer Law Center?

Transcript Highlights:

• And we had heard that there was a price raise.
• And so they were setting their prices to that higher hauling rate.
• do our best to respond quickly and get the resources out into the community and having to do this price
• operations and that that price be set pre-hurricane season so that this fluctuation doesn't happen in
• And you heard others talk about the price increases.

Transcript Highlights:

• price increases but this is out of hand.
• price increases but this is out of hand.
• insurance a generally I like price insurance a generally I like price increases<01:31:19.793>
• because I do very well with price because I do very well with price increases<01:31:23.760> but
• <01:36:23.840> a that maybe insurers are able to price a that maybe insurers are able to price

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• and diesel fuel is increasing, grocery prices continue to increase, and we're lowering the threshold
• So prices are increasing, the poverty threshold to qualify is decreasing.
• So prices are increasing, the poverty threshold to qualify is decreasing.
• And my demographic, with the high utility prices, high fuel prices, where transportation's our number
• prices, high fuel prices, where prices, high fuel prices, where transportation's<00:50:19.600>

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:41:27.920> all<00:41:28.160> of pay more than a particular price all of pay more
• than a particular price all of these<00:41:28.560> specifications<00:41:29.280> and<00
• So, I think the price point is something like 30, 35 grand where you can actually purchase a robot that
• So, I think the price point is something like 30, 35 grand where you can actually purchase a robot that
• So, I think the price point is something like 30, 35 grand where you can actually purchase a robot that

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we're working with them to eliminate incentive-based vendor pricing.
• We work with vendors to vendor pricing.
• <00:26:07.840> We're incentive based vendor pricing.
• We're incentive based vendor pricing.
• come July 1 for this refiling prices come July 1 for this refiling that's<00:30:09.120> happening

Keywords: 00:10 Call to order and Roll Call 01:06 Information Items and Introduction of Kentucky Court of Justice 03:02 Discussion of Interpreter State and National Contractor Rates 06:35 Discussion of Certifications 08:44 Discussion of AI use in Interpretation 13:56 Software Service Initiatives 16:47 Data Security and AV system Upgrades 24:38 Drug Court Issues 28:43 Discussion of Jefferson County Record Storage 35:33 Boyle County Courthouse Construction 39.26 KY State Police Driver Testing 45:22 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard a budget overview from the Kentucky Court of Justice focused on mandated services and several growth items in the judicial branch budget. Court officials said the requests were driven by legal and contractual obligations, including higher contractor rates for court interpreters and IT support, annual software-as-a-service costs, and upgrades to the court’s audiovisual record system (JAVS). They also discussed local facilities needs tied to Jefferson County lease space and the Boyle County Courthouse, though the bulk of the presentation centered on the court’s technology and service-delivery costs. Members asked detailed questions about interpreter services, including whether services are provided in person, by phone, or by Zoom, and whether Kentucky could train and certify more local interpreters instead of relying on contractors from around the country. Court officials said the certification process is rigorous, that the branch is working with the National Center for State Courts on an apprenticeship program, and that they believe Kentucky may have flexibility to develop state-level certification if it meets court needs. They also said they are exploring technology and AI tools for translation, but have not found a solution that reliably handles complex courtroom context. Representative Sharp asked whether cases had been delayed for lack of interpreters; officials said they could provide aggregated data later. The court also described its major IT modernization effort, including a statewide case management system, e-filing, and maintenance of many legacy applications. Officials said contractor rates need to be raised to compete for skilled labor during the implementation phase, but that those costs should decline once the new systems are fully built and only maintained. They explained that part of the request covers three SaaS initiatives: ongoing subscription costs for existing systems, annual fees for the CaseWorks system used in pretrial and specialty courts after federal grant funding ends, and adoption of DocuSign to streamline invoicing, procurement, and contract execution. In response to questions from Representative KC Carney, they said cybersecurity is taken seriously, that they recently conducted a tabletop exercise, and that some risk shifts to cloud vendors under contract, though no separate cybersecurity line item was included. A substantial portion of the discussion focused on the JAVS audiovisual court-record system. Court officials said not all courtrooms are on the same version, and they want funding to bring all locations up to the current version and prepare for version 9, which they said would standardize the system statewide and support the official court record. When asked about costs, they said each upgrade can cost about $70,000 to $80,000 per system, that they aim to upgrade about 50 per year, and that the request reflects the need to keep pace with a four-year refresh cycle. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The interesting thing about life insurance pricing is that you get one chance to price it, and that is
• putting it back into the uh uh price putting it back into the price<00:43:19.200> of<00:43:19.440
• And the price of their product.
• c> when<00:43:29.280> the chance to price it and that's when the chance to price it and that's
• or tighten coverage or add pricing or tighten coverage or add pricing solutions<00:47:54.880>

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You always say the more volume you buy, the cheaper the price you should get.
• So if you do more than a million dollars worth of sales, then your price goes up, not down. pool room
• 07.718> and to be added to the wholesale price and to be added to the wholesale price and so<05
• <05:03:45.878> that unilaterally increase their prices that unilaterally increase their prices
• They're going to say, hey, you know, you guys are ripping me off on the wholesale price.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The discussion focused on a cannabis legalization/regulation bill and whether it should be retained for further study or moved forward. Members debated the fiscal impact, with one side emphasizing that the bill would cost about $7.1 million in the first two years before generating revenue, while supporters argued the House should make a statement in favor of legalization despite likely opposition from the Senate and governor. There was also disagreement over strategy: some said retaining the bill until closer to the next election would give the issue more visibility, while others said delaying would only avoid sending a bill the Senate was unlikely to take up anyway. A major point of contention was whether cannabis should be regulated by a new cannabis commission or placed under the Liquor Commission. Supporters of the Liquor Commission argued it already has enforcement infrastructure, especially for age restrictions, and could handle cannabis more efficiently without creating a new bureaucracy. Opponents said cannabis is a different industry that would require specialized expertise, and they objected to expanding the Liquor Commission, which they described as unpopular and costly. The committee also discussed past versions of the bill, including concerns about limited licenses and the perception that the earlier approach favored large businesses. Members reviewed specific provisions such as licensing fees, THC limits, and cultivation categories. One member noted a $10,000 fee for retail cannabis stores and cannabis product manufacturers authorized to perform extractions, while a smaller tier-one cultivator fee was described as a lower-cost option for small growers. There was also discussion of whether the bill would allow sales through general retail outlets or only dedicated cannabis stores, and whether plants and seeds were covered. No final vote or action was clearly recorded in the excerpt, but the main procedural question was whether to retain the bill for more work or advance it as written.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if tariffs are already pushing that price up, then requiring businesses to keep up with every new
• In the realm of car sales, there have been a number of factors that have driven up the price of cars
• tariffs by past administrations, including the current administration, have not necessarily helped the pricing
• So we're at the mercy of what the manufacturers have to say is the price.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure held a public hearing on two bills: House Bill 5138, concerning consumer protections for cash transactions amid penny scarcity, and House Bill 5036, concerning consumer information related to tariffs. Chairs Tackey Chan and Senator Payano opened the hearing, noted the committee’s one-year anniversary, reviewed procedures, and explained that the Senate and House were both in session, with Senator Payano prepared to take over if needed. The committee heard from several industry and legislative witnesses, and the hearing was eventually closed by motion and voice vote. Supporters of H. 5138, including Senator Paul Feeney, the Massachusetts Package Stores Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, said the bill would create a clear statewide rounding standard for cash transactions if pennies become scarce. They argued it would improve operational efficiency, reduce confusion, provide legal clarity, and protect businesses and consumers by requiring notice and limiting the rule to cash payments. The Retailers Association of Massachusetts also supported the concept but suggested amendments, including changing mandatory rounding language to allow flexibility and clarifying that taxes and fees would not be affected. Witnesses were largely opposed to H. 5036. The Retailers Association, the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association, and the Massachusetts State Auto Dealers Association said tariff-related shelf or price disclosures would be difficult or impossible to implement because tariff costs change frequently and are hard to trace through complex supply chains. Auto dealers emphasized the challenge of calculating tariff impacts across thousands of vehicle parts and models, while retailers said the proposal would add burdens and could increase costs. No votes on the bills were taken during the hearing; the only formal action was adjournment of the hearing after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• any amounts used from the deposit for development and construction will be applied to the purchase price
• more product to the marketplace and and as we provide more housing to the marketplace, it brings pricing
• leader in housing production, uh, which is why despite rapid population growth, um, you know, housing prices
• Also, there's a real concern here about the availability of affordably priced housing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Used from the deposit for development and construction will be applied to the purchase price at closing
• And as we provide more housing to the marketplace, it brings pricing down for everybody. Thank you.
• model... ...leader in housing production, which is why, despite rapid population growth, housing prices
• Also, there's a real concern here about the availability of affordably priced housing.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• throughout Yolo, Sacramento, and other counties, and are able to pay farmers, like ourselves, a fair price
• Low commodity prices and high input costs also make it financially unsustainable for growers to maintain
• Coupled with low commodity prices, especially for tree nuts and vine crops, which have continued for
• no one wants to abandon an orchard or vineyard, it's unfair to the surrounding orchards to pay the price

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Agriculture met with an initial quorum delay, then heard four items: AJR 6 on protecting federal funding for the Local Food for Schools and Child Care program, AB 732 on abandoned agricultural land, AB 1042 on honeybee health, and consent item AB 1506. The chair reviewed hearing procedures and public comment rules before moving through the file in order. AJR 6, authored by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, urged federal officials to preserve funding for local food programs that connect California farmers with school meals and food banks. Supporters, including a farm owner and a school nutrition director, said the program benefits children’s nutrition, helps small farms, and strengthens local economies. There was no opposition, and the committee members who were present voted to adopt the resolution; later absent members were added, bringing it to eight votes and sending it out. AB 732, by Assemblymember Macedo, would give county agricultural commissioners a faster enforcement tool against abandoned or neglected orchards and vineyards by allowing civil penalties instead of relying only on liens. Testimony from growers and a county agricultural commissioner described pest infestations, economic losses, and high abatement costs tied to neglected land, and the bill was presented as a response to SGMA-related fallowing and low commodity prices. The committee voted due pass to the Judiciary Committee, and after absent members were added it also reached eight votes. AB 1042, by Assemblymember Ransom, proposed a Managed Honeybee Health Program with grants, research, technical assistance, and an expanded advisory committee to support pollinators essential to California crops. Witnesses from the fresh fruit and beekeeping sectors emphasized that bee declines threaten crop production and the broader agricultural economy. The committee voted due pass to Appropriations, and the bill ultimately received eight votes. The consent calendar item, AB 1506, was also approved and sent to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• And basic economics tells us that as the supply of legal services goes up, the price will come down for
• It also tells us that government regulation of a service drives up the price.
• the price of legal services.
• If we can agree that the average Texan has been priced out of the market for many legal services, then

Bills: SB26, SB28, SJR36, SB26, SB616, SB565, SB384, SB28

Keywords: teacher compensation, education funding, public school educators, teacher retention, teacher designation, lottery, gambling, internet gaming, mobile application, criminal offenses, aquifer, water management, Edwards Aquifer, sustainability, regulatory framework, SB 565, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, compliance agreement

Transcript Highlights:

• Hello, my name is Jordan Price, but I'll be reading the testimony of Sam Bartley. ... be reading the
• Jordan Price. It's number four on... ... Price. Jordan Price. It's number four on the list.

Bills: HB45, HB79, SB79

Keywords: Medicaid, colorectal cancer, screening tests, noninvasive tests, preventive care, off-label, pharmacists, medical treatment, state board of pharmacy, employment protection, sex-based terminology, gender identity, male, female, man, woman, boy, girl, single-sex spaces, women's rights