Transcript Highlights:

• That's generally how it would work.
• The general fund is $3.5 billion.
• All that interest goes to the General Fund.
• And you assume this generation is going to live longer, and you assume younger generations are going
• to live even longer than current generations.

Bills: HB188, HB52

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical treatment, access, affordability, income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have the Consul General of Armenia, the first woman Consul General of Armenia in Los Angeles,
• Ambassador, Madam Consul General, members of the committee. Thank you so much.
• Thank you, Madam Consul General. Very helpful, and an honor for you to be here as well.
• And then next to our consul general, thank you so much for being here.
• Thank you so much to our lieutenant governor, of course, our consul general, and Ms.

Summary: The inaugural meeting of the Select Committee on California and Armenia Mutual Trade, Art, and Cultural Exchange focused on strengthening California’s relationship with Armenia through trade, investment, education, culture, and diplomacy. Chair Harabedian and Assemblymember Caloza opened by emphasizing the Armenian-American community’s long history in California and the committee’s goal of expanding business opportunities, job creation, educational exchanges, and cultural preservation. The Ambassador of Armenia, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Consul General all described the relationship as a strategic partnership rooted in shared values, the Armenian diaspora, and growing cooperation in technology, energy, agriculture, and innovation. Testimony highlighted existing state-to-state ties, including the 2019 California-Armenia framework agreement, the California trade and services desk in Yerevan, and academic links such as the American University of Armenia and Armenian studies programs at California universities. Go-Biz reported that two-way trade with Armenia has grown significantly since 2019, with California exports rising sharply and activity supported by export promotion, investment outreach, and the trade desk. Witnesses also pointed to Armenia’s emerging tech sector and California-based companies with operations there, including Synopsys, AMD, Nvidia, ServiceTitan, and others, as examples of the partnership’s economic potential. Local leaders and business representatives from Glendale described the city as a gateway for California-Armenia ties, citing the Armenian American Museum, sister-city relationships, and the role of community institutions in diplomacy and commerce. ServiceTitan co-founder Vahe Kuzoyan and investor Armina Galstian of SmartGate VC/Hero House Glendale described how California capital, talent, and Armenian engineering networks are producing startups, jobs, and cross-border innovation in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and related fields. Several speakers urged the state to continue funding innovation hubs, expand trade and educational programs, and address discrimination against Armenian-owned businesses in procurement and supplier diversity programs. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing. Members asked questions about future priorities, including how California can better support trade, technology collaboration, and outreach to Armenian communities, and witnesses generally called for continued state investment, stronger institutional partnerships, and sustained official engagement with Armenia.

Transcript Highlights:

• Generation that their process supply chain employees are involved with in generating some level of hazardous
• The General Fund, I think, is the appropriate vehicle to support, not I don't know.
• More broadly, when the board is involved, the process is generally stronger.
• The people most affected by hazardous waste decisions over the next 40 years is my generation.
• We generate, this is my co-director, we generate reports, we come to every meeting, we sign every, I

Summary: The joint oversight hearing reviewed the five-year implementation of SB 158 and the Board of Environmental Safety’s role in DTSC reform, with members and witnesses focusing on transparency, accountability, fee-setting, permit appeals, community engagement, and the unfinished SB 673 regulations. The chair raised concerns about the board’s effectiveness, including whether it has been too passive, whether its authority is sufficient, and whether a recent board appointment created an appearance of conflict. Testimony from Earthjustice emphasized that DTSC remains too slow and that the board should be more willing to push the department, speak publicly, and use its authority more actively. The California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance supported the board as a forum for transparency and accountability, while also stressing the need for stable funding and cautioning against politicization. Community witnesses described the board as an important improvement because it created a public venue, ombudsperson, and permit appeal process that did not exist before, and because it has at times forced changes to DTSC’s hazardous waste management plan. At the same time, they argued that the board lacks leverage over budgets, staffing, and implementation, and that community input often does not translate into action. One witness urged statutory changes to align the director’s priorities, the hazardous waste management plan, and performance metrics, and to reconsider the current appeals process. Another called for stronger community engagement practices, more accessible public meetings, and outside help to redesign participation processes. Public commenters also asked for youth representation, stipends for participation, and a more direct role for the board in environmental justice matters. Board Chair Andrew Rakestra and DTSC Director Katie Butler said the reforms have produced measurable improvements. They cited greater transparency through public meetings and ombuds services, stronger accountability through public performance metrics and permit appeals, improved fiscal stability, reduced permit backlogs, increased enforcement, and progress on safer consumer products and Exide cleanup. Both acknowledged remaining challenges, including the board’s limited authority over budgets, the need for earlier and more meaningful engagement, delays in completing SB 673 regulations, and the structural deficit in the hazardous waste control account. They also noted that the hazardous waste management plan left major policy questions unresolved and that the board retained oversight of implementation. No formal votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• been discussed and debated and based on the funds generated by SB 151.
• My name is Lauren Vernon, and I represent Tri-State Generation and Transmission.
• Look at Texas: it is the number one state in renewable energy generation.
• Generation worldwide last year: solar, wind, and battery.
• It connects us to the land, to one another, and to future generations.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have a general foreman. I have a foreman. I have electricians and apprentices there.
• I’m a representative of General President Douglas McCarran, United Brotherhood Carpenters.
• The general contractor then helps with the collection.
• There’s hardly ever a loss; who hardly ever has to proceed against the general contractor.
• The general contractor said, "This is your chance.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on several labor-related bills, especially proposals to give legislative employees the right to organize and collectively bargain, close a prevailing wage loophole for off-site prefabrication work, and strengthen enforcement against wage theft. Committee chairs opened the hearing by explaining the hybrid format and asking witnesses to keep testimony brief. Multiple legislators testified in support of the legislative staff union bill, saying staff deserve the same bargaining rights as other public employees and that unionization would improve pay, benefits, retention, and workplace dignity. Witnesses also discussed how the bill would likely be structured, with separate House and Senate bargaining arrangements or locals, and emphasized that it would only create the option to unionize, not require it. A second major topic was the prevailing wage bill addressing off-site fabrication and prefabrication in construction. Union leaders, contractors, and workers described how more work is being shifted from job sites into shops, especially in sheet metal, HVAC, electrical, and pipefitting work, and argued that the law should treat that work the same as on-site construction when it is part of a public project. They said the current loophole lets some contractors underbid by paying lower wages off-site, while responsible contractors already pay prevailing wages in their shops. Supporters argued the bill would protect workers, preserve apprenticeship and training standards, improve safety and quality, and make enforcement easier through certified payroll and clearer definitions. The committee also heard testimony on wage theft legislation. Representative Dan Donahue, the Attorney General’s Fair Labor Division, AFL-CIO representatives, and carpenters’ union witnesses described wage theft, misclassification, labor brokers, and tax fraud as widespread problems that hurt workers, honest contractors, and public revenues. They supported giving the Attorney General stronger enforcement tools, adding contractor accountability up the subcontracting chain, and protecting workers from retaliation and from delays that can cause claims to expire. A separate witness supported a bill to extend the statute of limitations for Wage Act cases while AG investigations are pending, and another supported changes to help hospital workers enforce timely payment rights. No votes were taken during the hearing; witnesses repeatedly asked for favorable reports on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please pass along our well wishes to the Attorney General. The Attorney General. Great to see Mr.
• The State Land Office is funded through the earnings that we generate, so we are not a general fund agency
• We could generate more if we had more staff.
• Generate money, and you have record revenues; you need record staff to generate that.
• So it has an indirect general fund impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, one mill generates less than $5 million. One mill generates less than $5 million.
• But as a general rule, the $500,000, as long as the originating home was in the state that generated
• But that's the general approach.
• They are all following the same general process.
• taking, and I'm going to say generally because there are some conditions, you're generally You're generally

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm here from our tax policy section to talk about the bill in general.
• We love our General Counsel's letter.
• They generate sales tax, a significant amount of sales tax from that facility.
• And they're generating... $7.6 million in sales tax.
• Well, mostly for just general. Local entities? Yes, ma'am. General police and fire. Thanks.

Bills: HB134, HB135, HB 1109, HB 1243, HB1392, HB1399, HJR99, HB134, HB135

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, local tax, municipal tax, county tax, tax sourcing, place of business, principal business location, small business, retailer, marketplace seller, economic development agreement, Chapter 321, Chapter 323, Tax Code, Texas Comptroller, local sales and use tax, tax jurisdiction, order consummation, ship-to location

Transcript Highlights:

• The changes Prop 36 made can be grouped into three general categories: one, creating a treatment-mandated
• But this is all now going to be paid for from the General Fund.
• And so for 2025-26, for example, about half of the cost will be supported from the General Fund.
• But in 2024-25, we paid for costs using the General Fund. That's the exact same program.
• And again, working side by side with the Attorney General, Mr.

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on Proposition 36 and its implementation, with judicial and budget officials describing it as a major shift from misdemeanor to felony processing for repeat drug possession and certain theft offenses. Witnesses explained that the law creates a treatment-mandated felony process that can lead to dismissal if a defendant completes treatment, but also requires evaluations, court monitoring, and potentially long, open-ended supervision. Judicial representatives said the new law is already generating large numbers of filings, creating workload, staffing, courtroom, and facility pressures, and that access to treatment beds, housing, and evaluation capacity is limiting participation. Several speakers emphasized that collaborative courts are effective but are not a perfect fit for Prop. 36 because those programs are typically probation-based and serve different risk/need populations. Court officials from San Bernardino and Orange counties said the impacts vary by county but are severe, with some counties seeing hundreds or more filings in a short period and others moving more slowly to build treatment infrastructure first. They argued that Prop. 36 is effectively an unfunded mandate unless the state provides more resources for judges, staff, facilities, treatment, housing, and supervision. The Legislative Analyst’s Office noted that Prop. 36 will reduce the Proposition 47 savings that fund mental health and substance use treatment grants, but said the near-term reduction is relatively modest and that the full effect will take time to appear because of the way those savings are calculated. Members of the committee repeatedly raised concerns that the state is underfunding the courts and counties needed to carry out the new law. The committee also reviewed the Governor’s proposed trial court operations budget, including a partial restoration of a prior $97 million cut and additional ongoing funding. Judicial branch officials said the restoration helped avoid furloughs, hiring freezes, and service reductions, and supported cybersecurity, technology, staffing, and records management. The LAO recommended that the Legislature seek more detail on how midyear restorations are handled and consider clarifying language for transferring unspent trial court trust fund monies to the General Fund. Finance said the flexibility in the ongoing funding was intentional and would be taken back for consideration. In a separate item, the committee heard testimony on a $6.3 million increase for Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal appointed counsel programs. Judicial officials and appellate project representatives said the system is facing a crisis because indigent appeals have risen sharply while the number of panel attorneys has fallen, leaving many cases waiting months for counsel. They argued the proposed increase would help but is still below what is needed to recruit and retain attorneys and prevent delays that affect criminal, juvenile, and child welfare cases. The committee also discussed the Tracy courthouse project in San Joaquin County, where local officials said reopening a courthouse closed since 2011 is necessary to serve a growing population and relieve overcrowding elsewhere. The LAO and Finance both noted the project is next in line under the facilities plan, though LAO suggested the Legislature could consider whether other facility priorities should come first.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> actual federal funds but the general actual federal funds but the general fund<00:08:32.760><c>
• We'd like to just simplify it. honorable why it might be General on the honorable why it might be General
• I am a third-generation Army soldier, and that's what makes me qualified to work on this.
• </c><00:47:08.920><c> a</c> that we mainly work in so uh generally a that we mainly work in so uh generally
• We just want them to get their accreditation registered with the VA Office of General Counsel.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The government watchdogs have generally not done so.
• It's as have generally not done so.
• </c> if you were to ask the attorney general if you were to ask the attorney general to<00:46:26.640>
• </c><01:28:06.440><c> here</c> language that exists generally here language that exists generally here
• <c> understanding</c> exists generally if I'm understanding exists generally if I'm understanding correctly

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:10:36.519><c> fund</c><00:10:37.160><c> base</c> the general fund base the general fund base
• The Attorney General, in addition to their general fund appropriations, has what we call partner agencies
• The Attorney General, in addition to their general fund appropriations, has what we call partner agencies
• The Attorney General, in addition to their general fund appropriations, has what we call partner agencies
• </c> into the general into the general fund<01:01:48.079><c> uh</c><01:01:48.240><c> though</c><01:01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Similarly, at the Bay Area Air District, a consulting firm used AI to generate false public comments
• When an AI-generated public records request arrives at City Hall, our city clerk, Michelle, has 10 days
• Many of us fear being overwhelmed by AI-generated content.
• I don't know if I'd go that far, but yes, to the general point, yes.
• And if you are a bot, it's not difficult to generate a new one every day.

Summary: The Senate Judiciary Committee met to hear several bills, with the main discussion focused on SB 1159 by Senator Cabaldon and SB 932 by Senator Dato. SB 1159 would allow public agencies to treat AI-generated or bot-generated participation differently from human public comment and public records activity, in response to concerns that automated systems can flood local governments with fake comments and requests. Supporters, including Sierra Club California, the League of California Cities, county and city associations, and local officials, said the bill would protect genuine public participation and reduce burdens on clerks and agencies. Committee members raised questions about how agencies would detect AI-generated submissions, what enforcement would look like, and whether the bill could create First Amendment or liability issues if real human comments were mistakenly excluded. The author said the bill was intended to clarify that agencies are not required to treat bots as people and that detection standards and safeguards would need further work.

Transcript Highlights:

• on the general fund spreadsheet.
• on the general fund spreadsheet.
• She said MDE also has a general counsel, a lead general counsel, and an assistant general counsel, and
• She said MDE also has a general counsel, a lead general counsel, and an assistant general counsel, and
• She said MDE also has a general counsel, a lead general counsel, and an assistant general counsel, and

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> trunk highway fund and the general fund. trunk highway fund and the general fund.
• That’s in the general fund.
• > fund</c> from the general fund from the general fund reduction.<00:07:41.520><c> Line</c><00:07:42.360
• </c> that is canled back to the general that is canled back to the general fund.<00:12:44.880><c> The
• the general fund.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The rule incorporates legislative changes enacted by the General Assembly.
• The exemptions for general work requirements were also updated.
• So these changes generally implement those recommendations that were made by ACASO.
• I am the General Counsel of the State Insurance Department.
• Could I ask that you reach out to our surgeon general? Absolutely. Dr.

Summary: The Arkansas Administrative Rules Subcommittee met to review a large slate of agency rules and related reports. The chair announced that several items were stricken from the agenda and that the maternal health providers and remote monitoring rules were pulled by the agency. The committee filed reports on emergency rules, ALC subcommittee rule reviews, and administrative directives, then moved through agency rules from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce/Insurance, Department of Corrections, and multiple divisions of the Department of Human Services. Most rules were explained as technical updates or implementations of 2025 legislation and were approved without objection. Examples included repeal of obsolete equine ID-chip rules, updates to agriculture financing and pesticide rules, removal of duplicative workers’ compensation plan language, a unified visitation rule for correctional facilities, DHS marketing rules for PASS programs, a comprehensive DCFS policy manual revision, Medicaid-related changes for fictive kin, ABLE accounts, presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, SNAP work requirements and alien eligibility, coverage for certain incarcerated youth, nurse aide training updates, and permanent rules for state employee insurance and procurement. The committee also approved requests to exclude the Insurance Department from rulemaking requirements for Act 772 on forced organ harvesting and for restorative reproductive medicine, with the department saying it would issue rules later when more guidance is available. The most extended discussion concerned DHS’s dental Medicaid rate rule under Act 1025. Members and witnesses debated whether the statute’s language covered only oral surgeons or also general dentists performing oral surgery procedures, and whether the rate increase should apply more broadly to the services rather than the provider title. DHS said it was following the black-letter language of the law and could not confirm a broader interpretation without further approvals and funding, while legislators and a Dental Association representative said the intent was to increase payment for the services, especially in rural areas. Members also discussed the possibility of fixing the language in a future session or through a new rule if approvals and CMS review allow. Despite the concerns, the committee approved the rule. The meeting ended with approval of rule review reports and monthly updates, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a pathway to stability, ownership, and generational progress.
• It is a pathway to stability, ownership, and generational progress.
• 03:16.720><c> but</c><00:03:16.959><c> they</c> revenue generating businesses, but they revenue generating
• </c><00:03:23.920><c> wealth,</c><00:03:24.879><c> or</c> history, generational wealth, or history, generational
• Is it your first time requesting dollars from our general fund? >> Mr.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They used highway funds in the general fund.
• the monthly general fee.
• It's 10% of unrestricted general fund revenues for that year. Oh, 10% of their general fund.
• Can you pay $2,300 out of your general fund to the street fund annually?
• Can you pay $2,300 out of your general fund to the street fund annually?

Summary: The committee first approved a motion by voice vote, then received updates on delinquent private water and sewer reports. For the 2012 reports, staff said five additional 2024 reports had been received since the December meeting, bringing the total to 17 with escrow funds released and 26 still escrowed. For the 2023 delinquent reports, two more had come in, leaving five outstanding; both reports were filed without objection. The committee then focused on Act 709 repayment issues for the town of Daisy. Audit staff said Daisy had made unauthorized payments to a nonprofit and had used restricted street funds for fire-related expenses, and that the town had not yet adopted the required repayment ordinance. Mayor Lisa Cogburn said the council had not approved repayment because members disputed the amount, though she said the town had funds to pay. After discussion about the audit calculations and statutory repayment requirements, the committee adopted a motion requiring 10% repayment of the street fund under the statute and providing that failure to comply would result in withholding turnback funds. The Daisy report was then filed. The committee reviewed numerous additional audit findings from cities, counties, and water departments. Several local officials appeared and described corrective steps, including reconciliation work in Harrison and Carroll County, revenue-code corrections in Izard County, monthly bond-pending reviews in Alexander, fixed-asset documentation and receipt procedures in the town of 56, and bookkeeping/receipt improvements in Ozan and Lee County. Some matters were deferred, including several private water and sewer reports and Green Forest, while others were filed. Reports involving more serious issues were referred to the prosecuting attorney and Attorney General, including Bull Shoals, Lone Oak County, Beaver, Central City, Gravette, Ralston Water Department, Thornton Waterworks, and others. The committee also filed 19 reports with resolved findings and 53 reports with no findings, and adjourned with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• funding was below its general allocation on the funding formula.
• About 98% of our general revenue funding is dedicated to salaries and benefits.
• And it's about $6 million in general revenue and 28 new FTEs. That is it.
• The rates that we pay are established by the legislature in the General Appropriations Act.
• The total request is $1.32 million in general revenue, with $600,000.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A valid argument exists for both the general election or the primary election.
• I'm the general counsel of the Orange County Department of Education, and we're in opposition.
• Today and allows general law cities and counties to enact their own legislation.
• Same thing with the California Attorney General. Same thing with the district attorney.
• We are a general law city.

Keywords: 988, house, all