Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an attorney by education and trade, and I spent three years here in Tallahassee working.
• In addition to my career in health care, I spent a decade as chief operating officer of our family's
• I spent 20 years in education in Pasco County as a special education teacher.
• state of Florida, and I've served as a City of Kissimmee engineering manager in the past, and I've spent
• staff monthly to review budgets and expenditures to ensure tax dollars are collected and are being spent

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The committee first heard CS/SB 270, which would extend Bright Futures eligibility by 12 months for certain students whose parent was serving overseas in public service and then retired, giving military and diplomatic families more time to return to Florida without losing scholarship eligibility. Senator Burgess also explained a late-filed amendment to set the bill’s effective implementation for the 2025-26 school year, and the committee adopted the amendment without objection. The bill received supportive testimony, including from Senator Smith, and was reported favorably by a roll call vote. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmation hearings for appointees to state college boards of trustees, with the chair emphasizing a new process of hearing from each nominee individually rather than taking a blanket vote. Nominees from Tallahassee State College, St. Johns River State College, South Florida State College, Broward College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, and Valencia College described their backgrounds and priorities, which largely centered on workforce development, nursing and health sciences, dual enrollment, fiscal responsibility, student retention, and partnerships with local employers and communities. Several nominees highlighted their own educational or professional ties to the colleges, and some noted the importance of serving rural or military-connected communities. One nominee, John Aloko for Pasco-Hernando State College, was not present because he was attending a conference in Hawaii and was deferred to a later hearing. After hearing all other nominees, the committee voted to recommend confirmation of the remaining appointees in a block vote, covering Tabs 2 through 22 except Tab 8, and the motion passed. Two members later asked to be recorded as voting in the affirmative on earlier items.

Transcript Highlights:

• He came to Pinellas County 10 days after Hurricane Helene came through, spent six hours with myself and
• We have spent an awful lot of time talking about affordable housing, and we feel that CRAs do incredibly
• They spent $17.5 million of CRA funds on affordable housing.
• I'd like to find a good landing place, you know, off of the 2019 bill that we all spent a lot of time
• You know, off of the 2019 bill that we all spent a lot of time on, and I'm going to vote for today, but

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met and took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with SB 262 on trust law technical changes. Senator Berman explained four clarifications involving trust decanting, successor trustee actions, ademption by satisfaction, and homestead/community trust definitions; a technical amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. The committee also approved SJR 174 and SB 176, which together would prevent certain homestead tax assessment increases when owners elevate flood-prone homes, and SB 180, a hurricane preparedness and response bill that included a strike-all amendment addressing FEMA reimbursement, mutual aid, hazard mitigation, and post-disaster rebuilding issues. Supporters from emergency management, beaches, counties, and local business groups testified in favor of SB 180, and it was reported favorably. Members then approved SB 608, which renames the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in Florida statutes, despite questions about cost and an appearance in opposition. SB 1002, dealing with utility service restrictions and local government limits on energy-related policies, drew opposition from Earthjustice and Florida for All over possible unintended consequences and fossil-fuel favoritism, but was still reported favorably. SB 466 on the Florida Museum of Black History generated extensive testimony, with strong support from St. Augustine, Florida Memorial University, pastors, local officials, and the museum foundation for locating the museum in St. Johns County; one witness argued for Eatonville instead, but the bill was reported favorably. The committee also passed SB 1128 on building permits for single-family dwellings after an amendment clarified local zoning review and added insurance and liability protections for design professionals. SB 582, increasing penalties for unlawful demolition of historic buildings and structures, was reported favorably with support from preservation advocates. SB 1202, extending family health insurance premium benefits to firefighters permanently disabled during training exercises, also passed without opposition. Finally, SB 1242 on community redevelopment agencies prompted the most debate: supporters argued CRAs can be valuable tools for affordable housing and redevelopment, while opponents warned the bill would effectively end all CRAs by 2045 and block new projects; after extensive discussion, the bill was reported favorably. At the end, senators recorded additional votes on several tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• did was look at that $3 billion, and I had my staff dig into where that money has gone and how we've spent
• Some of them are their contractual obligations in terms of the way that these funds can get spent.
• or from the required fees and typically are restricted by state laws in terms of what they can be spent
• resources that potentially would come to the institution, allowing for some additional revenue to be spent
• I spent some time talking about this earlier, and the sort of siloed process, and the Chancellor, I think

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to examine how Florida’s state universities are funded and to begin discussing a possible university funding model. The panel included the State University System chancellor and CFOs from FSU, UF, FAMU, FAU, UNF, and UCF. Members first reviewed major cost drivers, which the universities said are broadly similar across institutions: wages and benefits, equipment and supplies, financial aid, professional services, utilities, IT, and maintenance. Several institutions noted unique pressures from geography, growth, research intensity, and mission, such as UCF’s size and engineering focus, UF’s land-grant and research enterprise, FAMU’s need to recruit top talent while serving a high-Pell student population, and FSU’s large facilities and research obligations. The chancellor also summarized systemwide cost growth since 2012-13, including higher health insurance, retirement, and salary costs, while noting tuition had been held flat. The committee then discussed other revenue sources, including auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. University leaders explained that many of these funds are restricted to specific purposes, and some, like UF Health, account for a large share of operating expenses. Members also discussed the current performance-based funding process. University representatives generally praised it for transparency, accountability, and its focus on student success, but said the heavy use of one-time funds, nonrecurring appropriations, and unfunded mandates makes long-term planning difficult. FSU and others argued that rising employee costs, waivers, and facilities expenses are not fully covered, while FAMU said performance funding has improved outcomes but can disadvantage institutions serving more low-income students. In response to questions about improvements, the universities suggested more recurring and predictable funding, better coverage of mandated costs, more flexibility in fees, and continued investment in research and strategic priorities. The chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a version 3.0 of performance funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications. The committee also explored whether universities should have more flexibility to set out-of-state tuition and professional school tuition. Most university leaders favored giving boards of trustees more authority, while the chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or tuition too much could affect legislative support. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair thanking the panel and adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• So going forward, we hope that more time is also spent talking about these inefficiencies, highlighting
• as well as the DFL side that emphasize prevention and establish guard rails that the committee has spent
• forward, we hope that uh more time is forward, we hope that uh more time is also<00:09:03.839><c> spent
• </c><00:09:04.320><c> talking</c><00:09:04.640><c> about</c><00:09:04.880><c> these</c> also spent talking
• ><00:09:17.680><c> um</c><00:09:18.320><c> committee</c><00:09:18.560><c> has</c><00:09:18.800><c> spent

Transcript Highlights:

• The district has spent the last 75 years turning that vision into reality.
• Yet, he spent years of his life dedicated to the task. Anyway, Mr. Speaker, John Romo did...
• Robert spent 30 years as a resident of Orland, California, where he spent a career in the industry before
• There were $7 spent for those functionally under 18. That is almost reversed now.
• And we spent a couple moments. We walked... And we spent a couple moments.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they spent a lot of additional time making sure they had business process modeling done, making sure
• So they're calculating total man hours spent doing all of these things, how much of it is done doing
• A lot more technical questions, a lot more in-depth than the amount of time we spent here.
• So it was very well time spent.
• Our training: we’ve spent $10,000 bringing in external trainers.

Committee: Joint Information Technology Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal government spent $6.8 trillion. This is a huge problem.
• We have already spent enough money. at the state level.
• As it stands, we spent $11 billion on Governor Abbott's Operation Lone Star.
• Eleven billion dollars is been spent already.
• Those are funds that need to be spent on that one purpose, dedicated.

Bills: SB1 , HB500 , SB1 , HB1400 , HB 1094 , HB365 , HB 1109 , HB647 , HB500

Transcript Highlights:

• We are asking people who have spent years earning college and graduate degrees to spend the first decade
• c><00:05:10.800><c> people</c><00:05:11.080><c> who</c><00:05:11.200><c> have</c><00:05:11.280><c> spent
• </c> We are asking people who have spent We are asking people who have spent years<00:05:11.960><c> earning
• We spent one night in the hospital and we were charged over $2,000.
• In 2025, I spent over $17,000 on healthcare costs for my family.

Bills: HF3119

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And I have great respect for the people who spent so much time on it.
• And I'm a great respect to the people who spent so much time on it.
• But it's, we need to Student Opportunity Act, and I'm a great respect to the people who spent so much
• And how that money gets spent, how it's been spent, and how it will be spent in the future is incredible
• . ...that money gets spent, how it's been spent, and how it will be spent in the future is incredibly

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a public hearing in Lawrence focused on the governor’s proposed FY27 budget for education and local aid. Opening remarks from Senator Pavel Payano, Representative Pat Duffy, and local leaders emphasized the importance of education funding for Lawrence and other Gateway Cities, with Acting Mayor Giovanni Rodriguez and Superintendent Ralph Carrero highlighting the city’s high-need student population, Chapter 70 and Student Opportunity Act funding, early college and career pathways, and the need for sustained support to close achievement gaps. The Education Secretariat testified in support of the budget, with Acting Secretary Amy Kershaw outlining investments in early literacy, universal pre-K, student mental health, school meals, high school redesign, higher education affordability, and early childhood systems. Commissioner Noi Ortega described higher education proposals including expanded free community college, continued free tuition at public four-year institutions, student success funding, early college and dual enrollment investments, and the Bright Act and Drive Act. Commissioner Pedro Martinez detailed K-12 proposals such as full Student Opportunity Act funding, increased Chapter 70 aid, special education circuit breaker funding, transportation aid, literacy initiatives, and a new Accelerating Achievement Initiative aimed at schools with the greatest needs. Commissioner Kershaw also described early education proposals including funding for C3, child care financial assistance, CPPI, workforce supports, and administrative funding restoration. Committee members questioned the administration about the pending local contribution formula study, the final year of Student Opportunity Act implementation, and the need to address health care and other cost drivers in school funding. Officials said the local contribution report is expected by the end of June and that a draft will be shared for public comment after data analysis is complete. Members also raised concerns about Chapter 70 disparities between districts and urged a broader review of the formula. In response, the commissioners said the Student Opportunity Act narrowed funding gaps but further work is needed, and they pointed to the new achievement initiative, literacy efforts, and early college expansion as ways to improve outcomes. No votes were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Bray has spent a substantial amount of time and shared his vast experience to provide thoughtful and
• We have spent a lot of time, as Mr.
• </c><00:07:43.280><c> Elwood</c><00:07:43.759><c> noted</c> spent a lot of time as Mr.
• Elwood noted spent a lot of time as Mr.
• Um, I spent the last 34 years in issue.

Bills: SF1750 , HF704 , HF3479

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, you we just saw we just spent a ton of money in transportation seeing a report that we all knew
• I mean, you we just saw we just spent a ton of money in transportation seeing a report that we all knew
• She learned how to save and budget and had a FAME account and spent a couple of years really building
• She spent most of her first two months of life in the NICU.
• She spent those wife was persistent.

Bills: HF2135 , HF776 , HF1581 , HF1158 , HF2226

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• He said it would be helpful to have a breakdown of where the money was and was not spent, especially
• He noted that it is a pretty good chunk of money if more than half of it was not spent the year before
• last year and you're didn't get spent last year and you're reauthorizing<00:54:46.000><c> it</c><00:
• </c><00:55:20.200><c> if</c> where the money was and wasn't spent if where the money was and wasn't spent
• </c> billions of dollars that Americans spent billions of dollars that Americans spent for<01:44:15.800

Committee: Senate Environment, Climate, and Legacy

Transcript Highlights:

• But Lee and I may have spent more time with you and Cindy than maybe anybody in this chamber.
• And the more time I spent with you, the more I knew where your heart lay.
• We spent a lot of time with them in Volusia County.
• I know there's strong feelings about the issue, but we can't let taxpayer dollars be spent on this.
• They'll probably get public safety money spent toward it. They can do it if they want to.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and moments of silence, including tributes to fallen service members. The chamber then moved through a special order calendar focused on a series of bills, with most measures receiving unanimous or near-unanimous support after brief explanations and floor debate. Several bills were temporarily postponed, but the body took up and passed multiple others, often substituting identical House companions before final passage. The first major measure, SB 1062 on speech and debate education, drew extensive supportive debate from senators who described debate as a civic skill that builds confidence, critical thinking, and conflict resolution, especially for students in public schools and underserved communities. An amendment creating a Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, expanding access through public-private partnerships, and establishing coach training was adopted, and the bill ultimately passed 37-0. The Senate also passed SB 1072 creating an Anti-Semitism Task Force, with a late-filed amendment clarifying that the bill does not restrict criticism of Israel and is not intended to infringe First Amendment rights; that bill also passed 37-0. Other measures passed included a PFAS bill phasing out firefighting foam containing forever chemicals and setting testing, reporting, and enforcement requirements; an expansion of the My Safe Florida Condominium Pilot Program; student health and safety legislation expanding seizure-response training in schools; updates to funeral and cemetery regulation; protected cell captive insurance company legislation aimed at increasing insurance market capacity; nonprofit corporation updates; child welfare reforms streamlining foster-care medication approvals and related procedures; salvage title/e-signature changes; and forensic client services changes allowing certain APD clients to be housed with other secure forensic residents. Most of these bills were passed after substituting House companions and received unanimous votes. The most contentious debate came on SB 1134 regarding official actions of local governments and DEI-related activities. Senator Yarborough argued the bill would stop counties and cities from funding or promoting DEI practices he described as discriminatory or ideological, while several amendments sought to narrow the bill to spending only, add an intent requirement for penalties, and preserve local proclamations and observances such as LGBTQ Pride Month. Those amendments were rejected, and debate continued on the bill’s scope and exemptions, but the transcript ends before final disposition of SB 1134 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, they have spent their benefits on modest items they wouldn't necessarily have access to,
• My mother spent his benefits on things for my brother, but because I was in DCF custody, I couldn't save
• If DCF had saved my money, I would have spent the money on rent, food, and my household needs.
• If DCF have saved my money, I would have spent the money on rent, have saved my money I would have spent
• Prior to joining CPCS, I spent roughly six years as counsel for the Judiciary Committee.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities heard testimony on a wide range of bills affecting foster youth, child welfare oversight, homelessness services, juvenile justice, social work licensure, and human services workforce supports. Committee co-chairs Senator Robyn Kennedy and Representative Jay Livingstone opened the hybrid hearing by outlining testimony procedures and accessibility measures. Several members and legislators participated throughout the day, and many witnesses were invited to submit additional written testimony after speaking. A major portion of the hearing focused on House 227/Senate 105, which would protect federal benefits owed to children in foster care. Supporters, including advocates from Hopewell, the Disability Law Center, CPCS, the Children’s Law Center, More Than Words, Friends of Children, and youth witness Onyx Rosario, said DCF had already ended the practice of taking most Social Security and SSI benefits and now conserves them in accounts for youth, but argued the policy should be codified to prevent future reversals. Witnesses described how conserved benefits help with basic needs, housing, education, transportation, and transition to adulthood, and several noted the bill also adds financial literacy and transparency requirements. Senator Joan Comerford and others said the change would protect vulnerable youth, especially children of color, LGBTQ youth, and youth with disabilities. The committee also heard testimony on House 225, which would expand the grandparents-raising-grandchildren commission by adding appointments and helping with quorum and representation. The committee also took testimony on Senate 136, which would improve emergency housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness by easing documentation requirements, allowing use of existing state data to verify eligibility, requiring notice before benefit reductions, and creating an ombudsperson. Senator Adam Gomez and other supporters said the bill would reduce barriers for families in crisis. On House 262/Senate 148, an omnibus child welfare bill, witnesses supported provisions on data reporting, education coordination, and Office of the Child Advocate reforms, while CPCS raised concerns about expanded access to sensitive records and the OCA’s role in certain proceedings. The Office of the Child Advocate supported codifying current practices and also backed child fatality review changes in House 234/Senate 133. The committee additionally heard support for Senate 108, which would require attorneys and audio/video recording during juvenile custodial interrogations, and for House 247/Senate 116, which would update the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board to add supported lived-experience seats. Finally, the committee heard competing testimony on Senate 135, a bill to ensure parity in social work licensure. SEIU Local 509 and supporters argued the current exam requirement disproportionately harms Black, Latino, multilingual, and multicultural applicants and worsens workforce shortages, while the Association of Social Work Boards opposed the bill, saying the exam is a necessary public-protection measure and that removing it would conflict with interstate compact efforts. The hearing also included testimony in support of a loan repayment program for human service workers, with providers and workers describing low wages, high student debt, and the need to retain staff in essential services. No votes or final committee actions were taken during the hearing itself.

Transcript Highlights:

• It spent $12.5 million.
• And essentially, the plan right now seems to be to spend $5 billion and then, when they've spent that
• We spent about $273 million on consultants for the IBR.
• That's on top of $200 million that we spent more than a decade ago on the Columbia River Crossing.
• In addition, we spent about $130 million on the Rose Quarter.

Summary: The committee first received an informational update on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project from Carly Francis and Travis Brower. They described the project’s purpose as improving seismic resilience, safety, freight movement, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian access across the Columbia River, and said the updated cost estimate is $13.2 billion to $14.4 billion for the full corridor. They explained the increase from the 2022 estimate as driven by construction inflation, a more conservative inflation curve, schedule delays, more detailed engineering, and risk modeling. They also outlined the funding plan, including $2.1 billion in federal funds, $1 billion each from Oregon and Washington, and $1.5 billion in projected toll revenue, and said they are working to obligate federal funds by the end of September. The panel described a first funded phase that would include the bridge, highway connections, tolling infrastructure, bridge removal, and transit design, with light rail to Vancouver still intended but dependent on additional funding. Members questioned the risk of losing federal transit funds, whether bridge design decisions were being made with legislative input, and whether the space reserved for light rail could be used for buses if transit funding does not materialize. The committee then heard testimony on maintaining Oregon’s existing roads and bridges from representatives of Knife River, the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon, and CRH. Witnesses said pavement and bridge preservation is severely underfunded, with ODOT needing about $400 million per year for pavement preservation but receiving roughly $100 million annually. They showed examples of deteriorating highways such as U.S. 97 and I-84 and argued that delaying maintenance leads to much higher reconstruction costs, more safety risks, and higher user costs. Knife River described layoffs and reduced work in Oregon because of limited preservation funding, while witnesses also said rising wages, equipment costs, fuel, and permitting delays are increasing project costs. Committee members asked about the role of prevailing wage, diesel equipment, hauling distances, and whether preservation work could be prioritized more effectively. Finally, economist Joe Cortright presented on recent ODOT megaproject cost overruns. He said Oregon has experienced persistent overruns driven by overly optimistic revenue forecasts, heavy reliance on debt, consultant costs, inflation above forecast, and projects that have become much larger in scope than originally presented. He cited major increases in the Interstate Bridge, Rose Quarter, and Abernathy Bridge projects and argued that some designs are far wider and more expensive than necessary. Cortright said better accountability, clearer priorities, and more disciplined project sizing are needed, and committee members pressed him on why agencies proceed with larger designs even when consultants recommend narrower, less expensive alternatives.

Transcript Highlights:

• not real popular this year where we have a budget shortfall, but this is money that's going to be spent
• So the money is going to get spent.
• So the money is going to get spent. That's just a question of how it spends and who spends it.
• We just spent $15 million to renovate those buildings. There's wildlife.
• ...with the federal government, at the federal government's discretion, for those funds that were spent

Transcript Highlights:

• “I have spent a lot of time in the Orleans Parish jail dealing with post-escape issues and looking at
• and PSAs... $2 million had been spent on billboards and PSAs.
• In my misdirected youth, I spent a little bit more time than I should have away from school.
• In my misdirected youth, I spent a little bit more time than I should have away from school.
• What the Supreme Court spent— I don't know the particulars. Yeah.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• As a person who spent 28 months in Iraq, I spent a lot of time with—I was not there as military personnel
• But I spent a lot of time with people, young men, young ladies, As a U.S. veteran, I spent a lot of time
• Also, as a veteran of—this time I am a veteran of our law enforcement family—I spent 20-plus years in
• But if anyone here has ever had to send a child to an addiction center or something like that and spent
• I spent about six hours with my facilitator, who guided me through what we call a journey.

Committee: House Emerging Issues

Transcript Highlights:

• Our team spent several months engaging in in person. more serious behaviors.
• And finally, is there an audit mechanism to determine whether or not this money was well spent?
• But I applaud this effort, and I think it's worth a try and it's money well spent.
• And so as we think about growing this facility, we spent a lot of time working... ...challenge, and so
• as we think about growing this facility, we spent a lot of time working with both the programming team

Bills: SB5 , SB6 , SB8

Committee: Senate Senate Health & Public Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• are sitting back there, for all their hard work and the many hours and late nights that they have spent
• /c><00:50:12.319><c> that</c><00:50:12.480><c> they</c><00:50:12.720><c> have</c><00:50:12.880><c> spent
• </c><00:50:13.119><c> with</c><00:50:13.280><c> me</c> late nights that they have spent with me late
• c> with information on the amounts that with information on the amounts that were<00:51:41.920><c> spent
• So the go were spent in the CIP budget.