Video & Transcript Research : 'longevity pay'

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NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

House Science, Technology and Energy (03/04/2025)

Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • I have one more thing I'd say on that just if you go ahead: When I first started paying attention to
  • I have one more thing I'd say on that just if you go ahead: When I first started paying attention to
  • I have one more thing I'd say on that just if you go ahead: When I first started paying attention to
  • When I first started paying attention to the triennial plans, it was the utilities that were providing
  • <00:37:18.400> for because the rate payers are paying for because the rate payers are paying
Keywords: 1189, house, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection - 04/28/26

Commerce and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:
  • . pay. pay.
  • That means family health insurance premiums would be taking 1/3 of my take-home pay before we pay our
  • take-home pay before we pay our take-home pay before we pay our mortgage,<01:33:31.760> buy
  • using the health insurance that they pay using the health insurance that they pay for. for. for.
  • something else that's going to pay something else that's going to pay better. better. better.
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 2/25/26

Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • including uh a new ability to pay including uh a new ability to pay provision,<00:04:31.520>
  • policy falls under the ability to pay policy falls under the ability to pay clause.<00:05:03.600
  • able to pay this fine? able to pay this fine?
  • a position where they forgot to pay a position where they forgot to pay their<01:07:48.559> pro
  • <01:08:13.599> our vehicle until we were able to pay our vehicle until we were able to pay
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Task Force on Homeowners and Commercial Property Insurance 9/10/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • <00:59:18.960> for<00:59:19.200> their pay the premium or to pay for their pay the
  • Um which we all pay for.
  • Um which we all pay for.
  • Um which we all pay for.
  • Um which we all pay for.
Keywords: 919, house, all
Summary: The task force held its first meeting on the insurance affordability crisis affecting single-family housing, common interest communities, and multifamily rental housing. Members and staff introduced themselves, including representatives from insurers, the Department of Commerce, housing advocates, affordable housing developers, and HOA/community association interests. Representative Steve Elkins was elected chair by roll call vote with 10 members in favor, after discussion that the Senate appointee’s formal appointment had not yet arrived; the group noted the intent to later move to co-chair leadership once that appointment is finalized. Staff reviewed the task force’s enabling statute and open meeting law requirements. The task force is charged with studying homeowners and commercial property insurance, property resilience and risk mitigation, liability laws and possible tort reform, notice and oversight issues, public reporting, and the state-supported insurance program, including possible expansion to a catastrophic reinsurance fund or self-insured pool. The final report is due February 15 and will go to the commissioners of commerce, housing finance, and employment and economic development, as well as relevant legislative committees. Members were also briefed on meeting logistics, a draft charter to be voted on at the second meeting, a resource page for shared materials, and the schedule of future meetings. The Department of Commerce then gave an overview of Minnesota’s property and casualty insurance market. Commerce described its regulatory role, the state’s competitiveness test, and how homeowners insurance is often filed under a “file and use” process rather than prior approval. The presentation emphasized that homeowners coverage has been under pressure for years: insurers have lost money in many recent years, premiums have risen, some consumers are taking on more risk through higher deductibles or reduced coverage, and some are moving into the surplus market. Commerce also highlighted the impact of severe weather losses, the growth in premiums since 2014, and gaps in oversight for homeowners associations and related policies. The meeting then shifted to brainstorming the problems the task force should address. Early discussion focused on climate and construction-related resilience, including hail and wind-driven rain damage, discontinued building materials, and whether stronger materials are reflected in insurance pricing. Members also raised the need to study programs like Alabama’s fortified roof model and Minnesota’s own Strengthen Minnesota Homes effort, along with questions about whether the construction industry is prepared to support broader resilience measures. No additional votes were taken during the discussion segment.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session - 04/07/26

Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Minnesotans are paying for this program. Minnesotans are paying for this program.
  • We and are paying their CEO $5 million.
  • Everybody would have to pay more.
  • Well, the answer was have to pay more.
  • rebasing, which is the rates that we pay rebasing, which is the rates that we pay for<01:08:50.040
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Apr 24th, 2025

Alabama House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • You you keep teachers by paying them You you keep teachers by paying them You you keep teachers by paying
  • them paying them more money and paying them paying them more money and paying them paying them more
  • . you're still getting principal pay. you're still getting principal pay.
  • Principles get their pay. There's a pay all that stuff. Principle There's a pay all that stuff.
  • and the 8% you pay 10% you may pay and the 8% you pay 10% you may pay and the 8% you pay online. online
DE

Delaware 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee Meeting Jun 23rd, 2026

Environment, Energy & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • bringing new energy resources onto the grid and pay for all the money.
  • So we want the impacts of that development to kind of pay for itself.
  • To folks maybe paying attention or in the industry, maybe not.
  • Delaware consumers and small businesses should not pay the price for that.
  • And how would Delmarva pay for these batteries?
Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on energy, public safety, and environmental cleanup. House Bill 455 would create a historic preservation license plate to raise funds and awareness for Delaware preservation efforts, and House Bill 471 would tighten rules and penalties for off-highway vehicles on shared private roads, with golf carts excluded. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 439, the Truth in E-Bike Marketing Act, would require clearer disclosures when selling electric mopeds and electric motorcycles so consumers understand classification, power, and licensing/insurance requirements. House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 407, related to the Hazardous Substance Cleanup Act and brownfields, would shift funding for brownfield cleanup from the original realty transfer tax approach to a dedicated share of the hazardous substance cleanup fund and raise civil penalties for fraudulent acts. The committee also approved the June 18, 2026 minutes once quorum was reached. Most of the meeting centered on House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill 233, as amended, a large-load/data center bill intended to protect ratepayers from costs tied to massive new electricity users. The sponsor and Public Advocate said PJM’s warnings about a coming reliability backstop auction made it urgent to establish a Delaware framework now, requiring large energy users to sign utility agreements, cover their share of transmission, distribution, and capacity costs, and comply with curtailment and other protections. Supporters from environmental groups and some labor and business voices said the bill was needed to prevent cost shifts to households and small businesses, while opponents argued it was being rushed, could deter investment, and might unintentionally affect other industries; several asked for more time and clearer definitions. No vote was taken in the portion provided. The committee also took up House Bill 470, which would authorize Delmarva Power, with PSC approval, to build and operate utility-owned battery storage and spread costs across the customer base. The sponsor and Delmarva said the bill would improve reliability quickly and help avoid outages, while the chair expressed concern that the state had not yet fully studied whether utility-owned or competitively procured storage is the best model, noting a recent SEU storage study and broader policy questions. Supporters said utility storage could be deployed faster and help with peak shaving, while others urged a competitive process; the transcript cuts off before any final action on HB 470.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Judiciary Committee Jun 9th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • Rights or have access to information about your pay.
  • Fair pay from the start doesn't just affect our paycheck today.
  • We all pay for it. It's not a victimless crime.
  • And patience pays off. See? Thank you, Mr. Chair, and members.
  • It would simply ensure that applicants know the policy before they pay to apply.
Keywords: 988, house, all
Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 99, which would require courts and law enforcement to better recognize military protective orders in domestic violence cases and allow civilian judges to consider those orders when reviewing restraining order requests. Supporters, including the Department of Defense and military-related organizations, said the bill would close jurisdictional gaps that leave military families vulnerable off base. The bill drew no opposition and was approved on a unanimous vote, with members also expressing support for the author’s request to be added as coauthors. Members then heard SB 1237, a pay equity reporting enforcement bill that would increase penalties for repeat noncompliance with California’s employer pay-data reporting requirements. The author and supporters from Power California Action and HOPE argued that stronger penalties are needed because the state is still missing pay data for hundreds of thousands of workers and wage gaps persist, especially for women of color. There was no opposition testimony, but one member voted no; the bill passed to Appropriations and was placed on call. SB 1387 followed, proposing to allow Jewish identity to be reported as an ethnic category in state demographic data collection. Supporters said the change would improve data accuracy and help identify discrimination, while opponents from Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish speakers argued the bill was unworkable, unnecessary, and could be harmful or exceptionalizing. The committee approved the bill on a unanimous vote to Privacy. The committee also approved SB 932, which would require assignees filing civil actions to identify the original party in the case caption, after testimony that the change would improve transparency and help courts, the public, and journalists track assigned claims. SB 988, an auto glass industry bill, drew the most extensive debate: the author and the National Insurance Crime Bureau said it would curb fraud, restrict certain assignment-of-benefits practices, and improve consumer safety, while independent glass shops and their associations warned it could restrict consumer choice and favor insurers or large networks. Despite those concerns, the bill passed to Appropriations. SB 1296, requiring landlords to disclose pet policies before collecting application fees, also passed after supporters described the bill as a narrow transparency measure and opponents raised concerns about pet addenda and eviction procedures. Finally, SB 747, the “No Kings Act,” would create a state cause of action for constitutional violations by federal officers; supporters cited abuses by ICE and Border Patrol and the need for accountability, while law enforcement groups warned about uncertainty around qualified immunity and retroactivity. The bill was supported by several members, but the transcript ends before a final committee vote is shown.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Labor and Industrial Relations May 13th, 2026

Labor & Industrial Relations

Transcript Highlights:
  • So we doctors right now have a... ...and then they're not paying.
  • The injured workers and the businesses who are paying the bills.
  • We’re paying more. We pay more. We’re not doing well. That’s good.
  • So with that negotiation, somebody's paying $70,000 for that bill.
  • So with that negotiation, somebody's paying $70,000 for that bill.
Keywords: 965, house, all
Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 408 by Senator Myers, a workers’ compensation overhaul creating an all-claims medical database, requiring electronic reporting and billing, and setting up confidentiality, rulemaking, and penalties. Senator Myers said the bill was meant to modernize a paper-based system, speed injured workers back to care and work, reduce disputes through a more predictable fee schedule, address outliers and abuse, and generate reliable data for future fee-schedule decisions. Representative Melarine then offered a large amendment package combining portions of House Bills 780 and 1101 into SB 408, adding preliminary-determination procedures, changes to benefit durations, fraud language, and a deadline for the department to establish a fee schedule if no agreement is reached. Supporters said the package would create a more complete reform; opponents argued the additions were rushed, not germane, and would harm injured workers, especially those without lawyers, by adding technical filing burdens and stricter fraud consequences. After debate, the committee adopted the amendment package, then adopted a follow-up amendment removing the word “potential” from a fines provision and deleting the fraud section, and finally reported SB 408 with amendments on a divided vote. Testimony on SB 408 was sharply split. Proponents, including Alton Ashy and Trey Mustian, argued the bill’s transparency and data-collection provisions were the most important part, that the system needs a modern fee schedule, and that the added reforms would help control costs and speed payment. Opponents, including Shannon Lindsay and another injured-worker advocate, said the original bill was a good compromise but the added provisions changed its character and would disadvantage pro se claimants, remove materiality from fraud law, and reduce benefits for seriously injured workers. Committee members also questioned the timeline for the database and fee schedule, the effect of historical data gaps, and whether the reforms would help employers and injured workers alike. The committee ultimately agreed the bill still contained its core goals of faster care, predictable fees, anti-abuse measures, and modernization. The committee then moved to House Bill 585 by Representative Chasson, a workplace-violence/safety measure for small-box discount retailers. Chasson explained that the bill had been narrowed to require retailers to submit an existing written workforce safety plan, or develop one if they do not already have one, with no penalties attached. The committee adopted a substitute bill incorporating prior amendments. Representative Glorioso noted continuing concerns about civil-liability implications and the duty to protect against third-party criminal acts, but the bill was advanced from committee after the substitute was adopted.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Transportation Committee Apr 27th, 2026

Transportation

Transcript Highlights:
  • You pay them back over time. They get the concession, 40, 50, 60... You pay them back over time.
  • Now, there are two ways you pay them back.
  • And if we pay... ...program through these private investors or pay them back, and if you pay them back
  • You're going to have to... ...pay for the relocation of our businesses.
  • You're going to have to pay for trench plate up and down our streets.
Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held an informational hearing on the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2026 draft business plan, with testimony from the authority, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the High-Speed Rail Inspector General. Chair Cortese framed the hearing around the project’s recent changes: a new CEO, revised delivery strategy, loss of federal funds, renewed interest in private financing and value capture, and proposed adjustments to the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. He also raised concerns about statutory compliance, transparency, and whether the draft plan fully reflects required elements and true costs and timelines. Authority CEO Ian Chaudhry said the project has made substantial construction progress in the Central Valley and is moving toward track installation, with the state’s $1 billion annual cap-and-invest funding providing a stable base. He argued the plan uses design optimization, direct procurement of materials, and revised sequencing to reduce costs and support an early operating segment by about 2032-33. He also promoted broader commercialization of the corridor through real estate, energy, broadband, logistics, and public-private partnerships, saying private sector interest is now real. Several senators pressed him on station locations, tax increment financing, utility relocation authority, permitting delays, transparency, and whether the project can realistically reach Los Angeles and San Francisco on the current timeline and budget. The LAO and Inspector General were more skeptical. LAO analyst Helen Kirstine said the draft plan assumes major scope changes, including a shorter segment, a Merced station outside downtown, more single-tracking, and several statutory changes that have not yet been enacted. She warned that the plan may not comply with recent legislative requirements, that funding may still be insufficient even for the reduced segment, and that borrowing against future cap-and-invest revenues is risky because those revenues are uncertain and volatile. Inspector General Ben Belknap said the draft plan fails to comply with newer statutory requirements, especially regarding the Merced-to-Bakersfield scope, the funding plan, and missing procurement milestone dates. He said the presentation obscures cost increases and schedule delays and limits the Legislature’s ability to compare current estimates with prior reports. Committee members generally supported continued oversight and some form of project delivery reform, but several expressed concern that the plan relies on legislative changes that have not been approved and on private financing that may not materialize. Chaudhry said the authority would address the Inspector General’s findings in the final business plan and continue to pursue federal grants, private capital, and corridor commercialization. No vote was taken at the hearing.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
  • taxes, and then down the road you said they don't pay privilege fees.
  • taxes and then you they don't pay privilege fees so aren't they one and the same okay can you please
  • To provide a sense of... ...paying event promoters for stadium events.
  • for That exceed its statutorily required cash reserve to pay for the authority's operating expenses,
  • As a result, the authority could reduce the amount of tourism revenues it distributes to pay for its
Keywords: 1182, all
Summary: The committee first heard the Arizona Auditor General’s sunset review of the Arizona Barbering and Cosmetology Board. The audit found some strengths, including timely licensing and complaint resolution in the sample reviewed and rules that matched statutory curriculum requirements, but it also identified a major finding that the board had imposed inconsistent discipline for similar violations and lacked documentation for deviations from its disciplinary guidelines. Other issues included missing reciprocity education requirements, weak application quality control, incomplete school and establishment oversight, and compliance concerns involving open meeting law, public records, and conflicts of interest. The report made 25 recommendations total, including two tied to the disciplinary finding and three suggested statutory changes on esthetics scope of practice, cease-and-desist authority, and eyelash technician training. The board’s executive director said the board agreed with the findings, had already implemented several recommendations, updated disciplinary policies and conflict-of-interest procedures, and was working on legislation and rule changes. After questions about enforcement consistency, licensing verification, cash handling, complaint volume, and conflict disclosures, the committee voted 7-0 to recommend the board be continued for six years, until July 1, 2032. The committee then took up the Arizona Department of Gaming, the Arizona Racing Commission, and the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission together. The Auditor General reported that the department correctly distributed more than $158 million in tribal contributions in fiscal year 2024 and issued event wagering licenses to reviewed applicants, but found several problems: the department did not consistently obtain and review independent audit reports for event wagering and fantasy sports operators, did not fully comply with conflict-of-interest disclosure requirements, and lacked comprehensive complaint-handling processes. The review also found delays in distributing Compact Trust Fund payments to some tribes, gaps in IT security and horse-racing license checks, and incomplete fee-setting and public-records practices. The report made 36 recommendations to the department, six to the Racing Commission, and 13 to the Boxing and MMA Commission, and all three entities said they agreed and would implement them. In response, the Department of Gaming director said the agency was already making changes, including a historical look-back on operator audits, updated guidance to operators, a new constituent services unit and complaint-tracking process, and improved conflict-of-interest training and forms. She also explained the Compact Trust Fund dispute, saying the department administers the fund but the beneficiary tribes must agree on the revenue baseline formula, which has been complicated by COVID-era closures; no Category Three distributions had yet been made. Committee members asked about possible revenue losses, penalties, and the status of 2024-2025 audits, as well as prediction markets and whether they are legal under Arizona’s event wagering framework. The director said the department had issued cease-and-desist letters to unlicensed prediction-market operators, would review licensed operators for suitability if needed, and would continue to enforce Arizona law. The transcript ends while questioning on prediction markets is still underway, before any vote on the gaming-related reviews is shown.
AL

Alabama 2026 1st Special Session

Alabama Senate Mobile County Legislation Committee Jan 28th, 2026

Mobile County Legislation

Transcript Highlights:
  • one fee when they should be paying a fee on each mobile home. >> Mhm. >> So, this would make it to where
  • at least each of those residents was paying that bill.
  • on one parcel and they're only paying on one parcel and they're only paying one<00:01:36.000>
  • <00:01:37.439> a<00:01:37.680> fee one fee when they should be paying a fee one fee
  • <00:01:45.280> that each of those residents was paying that each of those residents was paying
Bills: HB308, HB308
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government Apr 22nd, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • And in order to age in place, they have to be able to pay for their property taxes.
  • And in order to age in place, they have to be able to pay for their property taxes.
  • What we've already done, we think, already got 45% of the seniors and disabled paying no school tax.
  • We're going to have a supermajority of seniors not paying any tax because basically the combination of
  • Brazoria County, for you, Senator Middleton, that's 66% of seniors aren't paying any tax now, and with
Bills: SB23, SJR85
Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard testimony on Senate Bill 23 and its companion constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 85, both by Senator Bettencourt. The bills would increase the additional homestead exemption for elderly and disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000, which proponents said would significantly reduce property taxes and help seniors and disabled Texans age in place. Bettencourt and supporters described the measure as part of a broader property tax relief package, estimating combined savings of about $950 for over-65 and disabled homeowners when paired with other recent homestead exemption changes. Witnesses largely supported the proposal. Testimony in favor came from a lawyer, a private citizen, Texas Realtors, the Texas Silver-Haired Legislature, and the Texas Association of Builders, all emphasizing relief for fixed-income seniors, housing stability, and the ability to remain in their homes. Several witnesses noted rising property taxes, medical costs, and the challenges seniors face in moving or affording home modifications. One witness from Every Texan said a flat homestead exemption is the most equitable way to cut property taxes, but argued against additional tax cuts generally, favoring a circuit-breaker approach and warning that permanent tax cuts could reduce funding for schools and other needs. The committee also discussed data showing many over-65 homeowners already pay no school property taxes in some counties and that the proposed changes would increase that share. After closing public testimony, the committee voted on the measures. Senate Bill 23 was reported favorably to the full Senate by a 7-0 vote, and S.J.R. 85 was also reported favorably by a 7-0 vote. The transcript also shows Senate Bill 898 being laid out and passed unanimously earlier in the meeting, with a recommendation for the local and uncontested calendar.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee Apr 9th, 2025

Communications and Conveyance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Consumers are often shown one price, but pay a different price. bottom line amount monthly.
  • We don't have access to consistent data about what Californians are actually receiving or paying, but
  • Poor communities pay more for worse internet.
  • But with that, people have to get, you know, I think it's, there's a saying, you get what you pay for
  • , and this is also the pay for what you get.
Keywords: 988, house, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Senate Session (Part II): Joint Session Feb 26th, 2025

Texas Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Texas ranks, Texas ranks 48th out of 50 in terms of what we pay our district judges.
  • But more and more, it's hard to do that because of what we pay.
  • And the bottom line is this, you'll get what you pay for.
  • Higher pay means more highly qualified people will apply.
  • The legislature has not raised the base pay for district judges since 2013.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Floor Session 1/27/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • burning bush wasn't a miracle; it was a test that God wanted to find out whether or not Moses could pay
  • I think the trick then is to pay attention to what's going on all around you long enough to behold the
  • Whenever we pay attention, the problem is, as many scholars suggest, we live in what we call a disenchanted
  • pay attention to<00:01:37.600> something<00:01:38.159> for<00:01:38.399> more<00
  • attention to what's going on is to pay attention to what's going on all<00:01:46.600> around<
Keywords: 1183, house
Summary: The House convened with a chaplain’s prayer delivered by Pastor Ryan Brilley of Central Lutheran Church in Elk River, Minnesota. The prayer focused on wonder, attention, and noticing the “burning bushes” in everyday life, drawing on the story of Moses and quoting Abraham Heschel in asking for grace, awe, and mystery. The presiding member then noted that January 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and asked members to observe a moment of silence in honor of those who perished in the Holocaust. Members stood for the Pledge of Allegiance afterward. No legislation was debated or acted on. The clerk took the roll, and the House was informed that a quorum was not present. As a result, the House adjourned until 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Science, Technology and Energy (01/29/2026)

Science, Technology and Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • So they'll pay for the away.
  • of paying for those big storms. of paying for those big storms. >> Followup.
  • to pay for that storm.
  • rateayers have to pay it no matter what. rateayers have to pay it no matter what.
  • far as who else is going to pay. far as who else is going to pay.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Ways and Means (01/14/2026)

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • >> Well, in transfer tax um the buyer pays >> Well, in transfer tax um the buyer pays
  • What I need in Portsmouth is to pay our cops, to pay our firemen, to pay those that are driving the EMS
  • would ask, do we pay uh property taxes? would ask, do we pay uh property taxes?
  • <01:16:33.920> our is to pay our cops, to pay our our is to pay our cops, to pay our our firemen
  • that um when we're talking about paying that um when we're talking about paying our<01:17:43.199
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-06-02 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • that they have to pay for the medication, let alone for them to eat.
  • Those are profits that are going to corporations, mostly out of town, and CEO pay.
  • You are going to pay for these things.” “It’s taxes on your food, on your fuel.
  • “By gutting our counties and cities, we will pay more for lower quality services.
  • And it doesn't ask on the way in whether or not the patients can pay.
Keywords: 998, house, all
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2026-06-02 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • My next question is, counties pay a state-mandated share of Medicaid costs.
  • My next question is, counties pay a state-mandated share of Medicaid costs.
  • that they have to pay for the medication, let alone for them to eat.
  • You are going to pay for these things. It's taxes on your food, on your fuel.
  • And it doesn't ask on the way in whether or not the patients can pay.
Summary: The House met in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and adopted the special order report setting the day’s calendar. The chamber then took up CS/House Joint Resolution 1F, the Governor’s property tax proposal, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and restrict county and municipal ad valorem revenue to public safety and certain other uses. Sponsor Rep. Overdorf said the measure would return money to homeowners and give local governments flexibility, while opponents repeatedly argued the ballot language was misleading and that the proposal could create large local revenue shortfalls, shift costs to other taxpayers, and threaten local services and debt obligations. Members debated a series of amendments aimed at protecting specific programs from the bill’s effects. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to exempt Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was defeated 25-74 after supporters said those entities fund child care, mental health, aftercare, and family support, while opponents said local governments could still choose to fund them. Rep. Cross’s amendment to include water management districts in allowable uses of ad valorem taxes was also defeated, despite testimony that the districts are essential for flood control, water supply, Everglades restoration, and drought response. Rep. Eskamani’s amendment to require the Legislature to backfill public safety funding failed 25-71 after debate over whether the proposal could reduce police and fire budgets and response times. The House then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other aging services, and opponents saying the state already funds senior programs. Finally, Rep. Gant’s amendment to protect veteran services was introduced and debated, with members emphasizing housing, mental health, transition assistance, and homelessness concerns for veterans; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment. Throughout the debate, sponsors and supporters of the main resolution maintained that local governments would retain spending discretion and could use other revenue sources, while critics argued the measure lacked clear backfill provisions and could force cuts or tax shifts at the local level.