Transcript Highlights:

• You know, first of all, I want to thank them for not locking the door every time they see me approaching

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a housekeeping question: Do we have our dates locked in for the rest of the year?

Summary: The Virginia Disability Commission held its first meeting of the year on June 18, established a quorum, and introduced members. Senator Barbara Favola was elected chair and Delegate Amy Laufer was elected vice chair, both unanimously. The commission also reviewed and unanimously approved its electronic/remote participation policy, which mirrors last year’s policy and allows limited remote participation under Virginia FOIA rules. Staff then reviewed a package of 14 disability-related bills that passed last session and were signed into law. Topics included disabled veterans’ vehicle registration fee exemptions, open captioning requirements for movie theaters, guardianship/conservatorship order forwarding, service dog team definitions, education and transition planning for students with disabilities, Blue Envelope and driver communication training for law enforcement and driver education, deferred disposition and jury service protections, voting rights in guardianship cases, expansion of the Virginia Human Rights Act, continuation of a DD waiver eligibility change, and DMAS training authority for autism competency checklists. Members discussed implementation concerns, especially making the Blue Envelope/driver communication program more visible and considering a follow-up letter and DMV presentation. The commission then adopted its interim work plan unanimously, with discussion of possible presentations on DMAS and Medicaid waivers, DBHDS telehealth training implementation, SCHEV and VDOE transition planning, transition from institutions to community settings, criminal justice reform, transportation and parking accessibility, adult-sized changing tables, and school accessibility. Members also suggested adding EVV concerns, seclusion and restraint, rare disease issues, and insurance coverage problems for needed medications. Public commenters urged the commission to address burdensome EVV requirements for family caregivers, improve accessibility for local government meetings and documents, and explore a standardized credential/career pathway for direct support professionals. The chair said follow-up work would be assigned on EVV and implementation issues, and the meeting location would move to the Senate side of the Capitol going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just a housekeeping question: Do we have our dates locked in for the rest of the year?

Keywords: Disability Commission, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we can and we must require gun owners to do what responsible gun owners already do: lock your weapons

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: This was Governor Tim Walz’s final State of the State address to the Minnesota Legislature. He opened by recognizing legislative leaders, constitutional officers, tribal leaders, the judiciary, and members of his administration, then asked for a moment of silence for the Hortman family and spoke at length about recent tragedies, including the Annunciation Church shooting, political violence, the COVID-19 pandemic, and what he described as the impacts of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. He framed the address around resilience, unity, and the state’s response to grief and disruption. Walz reviewed major accomplishments from his time in office, emphasizing investments in education, child care, free school meals, housing, infrastructure, climate initiatives, paid family leave, voting access, and worker protections. He also highlighted tax cuts, rebate checks, Social Security tax relief, medical debt protections, and efforts to lower costs for families. Looking ahead, he proposed expanding the dependent care tax credit, cutting the statewide sales tax for the first time, adding housing and first-time homebuyer support, and providing aid to businesses and households affected by Operation Metro Surge. A major portion of the speech focused on public safety and fraud prevention. Walz said he wanted lawmakers to reestablish the binary trigger ban, pass additional gun violence measures including bans on weapons of war and high-capacity magazines, and strengthen safe storage and insurance requirements for firearms. He also urged passage of his anti-fraud package, which would increase penalties, create a centralized fraud prevention office, and restructure human services administration to improve oversight and program integrity. He closed by urging lawmakers to act on these proposals during his remaining months in office and said the next governor would inherit a fiscally strong state.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if we encounter any shortfalls or budgetary complications, these dollars are locked away, which again

Bills: HB1675, HB3242, HB1739, HB3320, HB3047, HB4434, HJR1089, HB4432, HB3718, HB3705

Keywords: emergency management, severe weather, youth camp, summer camp, overnight camp, day camp, outdoor education, adventure camp, wilderness program, campground safety, tornado preparedness, flooding, flash flood, high winds, hail, lightning, extreme heat, extreme cold, wildfire smoke, evacuation plan

Transcript Highlights:

• Normally, the office is locked up tight.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Lawmakers and manufactured housing residents discussed a Minnesota bill of rights for manufactured home park residents, aimed at addressing rent increases and private equity ownership of mobile home parks. Rep. Matt Norris and Sen. Liz Bolden described the proposal as a response to out-of-state investors buying parks, raising lot rents, and using enforcement gaps to pressure residents. The bill would define “reasonable rent,” give residents a stronger opportunity to purchase their parks when sold, and strengthen penalties and enforcement of existing protections. Bolden said it is a policy-only bill with no expected fiscal cost and noted it had bipartisan support in the Senate, with a plan to move it from the Commerce Committee to the Judiciary Committee and then to the Senate floor. Residents from Blaine International Village, Sylvan/Lake Elmo, and Cimarron described large rent increases, higher eviction rates, and what they characterized as predatory management practices by out-of-state private equity firms. Tammy Fry said her rent rose from $425 to $700 after her park was sold to Haven Park, while new residents were paying $1,000; Bree Mafee said Sylvan’s lot rent is $1,060 a month and has risen more than 35% in five years, with evictions increasing from about three a year to more than 40 since 2020. Speakers emphasized that manufactured housing residents are both homeowners and renters, and said the bill is needed to protect families from losing homes they own but cannot easily move. Several legislators voiced support. Sen. Judy Seeberger said she had seen predatory practices in Cimarron and would vote yes in committee. Sen. Jim Abeler, a Republican, said he had become aware of the issue and could not stay silent, calling the situation wrong and not a partisan matter. During questions, Bolden said the bill includes a reasonableness standard for lot rent increases, with an exception for health and safety needs, and said similar provisions exist in other states. She also said the bill stalled previously due to timing and moving pieces, not a substantive Senate defeat, and residents argued the issue is about housing stability rather than party politics.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are they are and— I saw Senator Heintzeman locked in, so Senator, welcome.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Let me debate, and then I'll I'm having trouble getting down and locking those numbers.

Bills: SB134, SB1356, SB1407, SB1611, SB1639, SB169, SB1722, SB182, SB1870, SB2039, SB432, SB609, SB715, SB716

Keywords: retirement, public employees, reemployment, benefit adjustment, Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, state government, OMES, Office of Management and Enterprise Services, Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Rehabilitation Services, civil service, human capital management, state employee disputes, whistleblower, veterans employment, veterans placement, fleet management, state fleet, motor vehicles

Transcript Highlights:

• project built over decades will not match its original conservation promise unless those promises are locked

Bills: S0330, S0354, S0504, S0506, S0526, S0594, S0840

Keywords: firefighter disability, law enforcement disability, correctional officer disability, correctional probation officer, presumptive disability, workers' compensation, line of duty presumption, heart disease presumption, hypertension presumption, tuberculosis presumption, public safety employees, first responders, physical examination, preemployment exam, medical specialist, Medicare reimbursement, employing agency, Florida Statutes 112.18, Florida Statutes 943.13, occupational disease

Summary: The committee took up several bills related to public safety, housing, disaster recovery, construction, and land use. SB 330 clarified the heart disease presumption for firefighters, law enforcement, and correctional officers, aligned the definition of heart disease with medical practice, and allowed a transferring law enforcement officer to rely on a prior physical if the new agency does not provide one. An amendment stating the act serves an important state interest was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously after supportive testimony from law enforcement and fire groups. SB 594 expanded local housing assistance eligibility to residents of mobile home communities, including SHIP rental assistance for lot rent and rehabilitation/emergency repair programs for the home itself; it also passed unanimously after support from manufactured housing advocates. SB 840 revised the hurricane-related land use limits enacted in prior legislation by sunsetting certain temporary restrictions on June 30, 2026, narrowing the affected area from 100 miles to 50 miles from a storm track, and exempting certain planning, water, wastewater, stormwater, and flood-related decisions. The sponsor said the bill was intended to fix unintended consequences of prior hurricane recovery legislation, and the measure was reported favorably on a unanimous vote. SB 526 addressed commercial construction projects by prohibiting “no damages for delay” clauses in public construction contracts, directing the Florida Building Commission to create a uniform commercial permit application, requiring permit fee reductions when private providers are used, and adding mitigation to product approval categories; county representatives raised concerns about implementation and fees, but the bill passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 504 and SB 506, both by Senator Burgess, creating a framework for code inspector body camera use and a related public records exemption for recordings. Both were described as optional for local governments and were reported favorably without opposition. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 354, a major “blue ribbon projects” bill creating a framework for very large developments that would reserve at least 60% of land for conservation, agriculture, recreation, utilities, and related uses in exchange for streamlined approval and state preemption over local land use controls. The bill drew extensive testimony both for and against, with supporters emphasizing housing supply and land preservation and opponents warning about local control, sprawl, infrastructure costs, and weak conservation protections. Two amendments were adopted to define reserve areas more specifically and address conservation easements, and the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote, with Senator Passidomo voting no.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's always a, it's a, you know, we get these contracts locked in, but they always have a 30-day clause

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Smith, locked and loaded. Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess the question finally came to me.

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the clerks of court. FDLE outlined 28 legislative budget requests for fiscal year 2026-27, including funding for a new Fort Myers regional operations center lease, technology and data system upgrades, moving several programs off uncertain federal grants, expanding the wellness office, cryptocurrency seizure efforts, cybersecurity, forensic equipment, digital forensics, criminal history modernization, training, and the SAFE fentanyl enforcement program. Members asked about the reported 79% increase in officer misconduct cases, the role of body cameras and masking, public records request burdens on local agencies, and the status of Fibers and the Uniform Arrest Affidavit systems. FDLE said the misconduct data covers all sworn officers and corrections personnel, that many cases would not be affected by body cameras because they involve off-duty conduct or internal matters, and that it is working with agencies and vendors to improve participation in reporting systems. DJJ Secretary Matt Walsh updated the committee on the Florida Scholars Academy, describing the new unified education system across 39 residential facilities. He reported first-year enrollment, course completions, graduations, and compliance results, and said the program now provides in-person and blended instruction, individualized support, mental health services, and career and technical education. He also discussed staffing shortages in some detention facilities, the need for more residential beds, and the importance of recognizing and supporting staff. In response to questions, he explained how the program addresses students with disabilities and behavioral needs through one-on-one instruction, paraprofessionals, and immediate mental health support. The clerks of court presented a budget request centered on funding shortfalls and rising costs. Clerk and Comptroller Stacey Butterfield said clerks are operating with outdated funding levels despite increased statutory duties, higher postage and staffing costs, and growing workloads in priority case types such as injunctions for protection and other high-risk matters. The clerks requested $22 million in direct appropriations, including support for due process costs, jury management, and staffing for 37 new judges approved last session. Members also asked about Senate Bill 532, which Butterfield described as a CPI-based measure to update court fines and fees that have remained unchanged since 2008. The committee took no votes on the presentations and adjourned after discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, if you live in a 'lock them up' district, a judicial district, you're S.O.L.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want us to all be locking arms.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard SB 63 by Senator Wiener, as amended and coauthored by Senator Arreguín, a Bay Area transit funding measure intended to avert major service cuts at BART, Muni, Caltrain, and AC Transit. The authors said the region faces a fiscal cliff and that without new revenue, BART could collapse and other systems could face severe reductions. They described the bill as the product of extensive negotiations among the five Bay Area counties and transit operators, with San Mateo and Santa Clara counties opting in during the process. Much of the discussion focused on accountability and governance. Supporters said the bill includes some of the strongest oversight provisions in recent memory, including a third-party efficiency review and ad hoc adjudication committees that can withhold a portion of funding if operators fail to correct problems. Assembly Member Papin and Assembly Member Lackey argued the measure amounts to a taxpayer bailout with insufficient representation and too much control left to MTC, while the authors responded that the bill gives affected counties direct complaint and enforcement authority and that MTC must follow the ad hoc committees’ recommendations. Several members asked about complaint procedures, withholding thresholds, opt-in/opt-out issues, and whether the funding would return to the source counties if withheld. Testimony in support came from SPUR, Caltrain, MTC, the Bay Area Council, BART, SamTrans, VTA, San Francisco MTA, transit coalitions, environmental groups, local governments, and labor. Supporters emphasized the risk of severe service cuts, the importance of preserving recent investments such as Caltrain electrification, and the need for regional self-help. There was no registered opposition witness, though some members spoke against the bill. The committee ultimately voted 11-5 to pass SB 63 as amended to the floor, with the committee amendments also removing urgency language.

Transcript Highlights:

• able to build up their balance sheet, keep loans and bonds outstanding longer, and that is the whole lock-in

Transcript Highlights:

• Parents will be told to trust the system while the facts are locked away.

Bills: SB7, SB14, SB 7, SB 14

Keywords: gender designation, civil penalties, private civil rights, multiple-occupancy spaces, Texas Women's Privacy Act, law enforcement, confidentiality, personnel files, employee records, misconduct, abortion, civil liability, abortion-inducing drugs, qui tam actions, Texas Citizens Participation Act, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, healthcare regulations, impact fees, water conservation, reuse projects

Transcript Highlights:

• and president of Our Duty, then began his testimony, asking the committee to imagine being a female locked

Summary: The Assembly Public Safety Committee met and adopted a consent calendar that included SB 4, SB 229, SB 385, SB 459, and SB 553. SB 221 was pulled by the committee and will return later. The committee then heard several bills, with members repeatedly noting the next hearing would be July 1 in Room 126. SB 281 by Senator Perez would require judges to use the exact statutory immigration-consequences advisement when taking pleas from noncitizen defendants. Supporters said judges have been deviating from the required language, creating confusion and harming defendants; opponents, including district attorneys, warned that the bill could affect plea withdrawals and appellate litigation unless amended. The committee discussed possible amendments, including a nonretroactivity clarification and language proposed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and the bill was passed on call. SB 337 by Senator Menjivar would strengthen protections against sexual abuse and misconduct in prisons, especially women’s prisons, by requiring documentation of searches, extending grievance timelines, limiting hiring of people with violent or sexual convictions, and improving investigation procedures. Supporters emphasized staff abuse, retaliation concerns, and the need for oversight; opposition testimony focused on transgender inmate placement and was criticized by committee members as not germane. The bill passed 9-0 to Appropriations. SB 379 by Senator Jones, dealing with oversight of sexually violent predator conditional release placements, passed to Appropriations after support from law enforcement and prosecutors and no opposition. SB 734 by Senator Caballero, which would provide due process protections for law enforcement officers affected by California Racial Justice Act findings, also passed to Appropriations with support from police and district attorney groups and no opposition. SB 551 by Senator Cortese, which would codify normalization and dynamic security principles in corrections, passed to Appropriations despite concerns from one member that it went too far in making prisons too home-like.

Transcript Highlights:

• Contractors, particularly smaller businesses that lack resources, face the risk of being locked into

Bills: HB34, HB128, HB621, HB748, HB2259, HB2960, HB3113, HB4749, SB835, HB128

Keywords: HB 128, sister city, sister-city agreement, international exchange, municipal diplomacy, local government, state agency, political subdivision, foreign adversary, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Taiwan, major non-NATO ally, cultural exchange, educational exchange, tourism, bilateral cooperation, foreign relations

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure others would, TCEQ find a way to make sure or make sure your... ...verifying that, I mean, locked

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ambassador to meet... with the officials and apply that pressure knowing that they should be more in step lock

Keywords: diplomatic nominations, foreign policy, ambassadors, U.S.-European relations, Bilateral relationships, security, trade

Summary: The meeting focused primarily on diplomatic nominations, featuring discussions about the implications of these roles on U.S. foreign policy. Notable was the introduction of nominees for key ambassadorial positions, including ambassadors to the Dominican Republic, France, and the Netherlands. Senator Shaheen emphasized the importance of U.S.-European relations, particularly in light of current global challenges, while other members voiced their concerns regarding the nominees’ qualifications and the impact on bilateral relationships. Public support for these nominations was evident, as was the committee's commitment to fostering stronger connections with allied nations, particularly in addressing security and trade issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a non-verbal client who was locked.

Bills: HB2510, HB3589, HB4611, HB4655, HB4665, HB4666, HB4670, HB4700, HB4730, HB4798, HB4838, HB5136, HB5243, HB5302, HB5539

Keywords: assisted living, healthcare, licensing, criminal offense, personal assistance, group home, regulation, health and safety, inspections, resident care, criminal background checks, adoption, parental rights, registry, vital statistics, disclosure, counseling, foster care, independent living, financial literacy