Transcript Highlights:

• <01:18:31.199> It is an important thing to learn from.
• It is an important thing to learn from.
• And we've learned a lot about how to stop fraud over the course of that.
• And we've learned a lot about how to stop fraud over the course of that.
• And we've learned a lot about how to stop fraud over the course of that.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Early Learning Board and requires the Early Learning Board to invite the president of the Head Start
• Thank you very much. learning hi chair Taris Vice chair po learning hi chair Taris Vice chair po poy<
• The Early Learning Board on Zoom: Aloha from Maui.
• The Early Learning Board on Zoom: Aloha from Maui.
• The Early Learning Board on Zoom: Aloha from Maui.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard SB 104, which would restrict the use of restrictive housing or solitary confinement in state-operated and state-contracted correctional facilities, with specified exceptions. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation strongly opposed the bill, saying its existing policy already meets or exceeds ACA and National Institute of Corrections standards, and objecting to language they said would give the oversight commission operational decision-making authority. The Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission supported the bill, but also said it was not intended to run operations and described concerns about restrictive housing practices, including CoreCivic’s SHIP program at Saguaro. Supporters included the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Office of the Public Defender, the Disability Rights Center, ACLU Hawaii, Easter Seals Hawaii, and individual testifiers. They argued that Native Hawaiians are disproportionately impacted by incarceration, that solitary confinement is harmful and linked to depression, anxiety, suicidality, and poor reentry outcomes, and that confinement beyond 15 days is widely condemned under international standards. Several testifiers cited suicides and deaths in custody as reasons to codify limits in statute rather than rely on policy alone. The department responded that it already has 24/7 medical care, though not 24/7 mental health coverage at one facility, and explained that it uses four custody categories: disciplinary segregation, administrative segregation, protective custody, and placements for inmates seeking separation for safety reasons. Members questioned the department and commission about the SHIP program, whether the bill was based on other states’ laws, and how current policies compare with national standards. The director said the bill was too ambiguous in places and that the department was willing to work with the commission on policy changes, but still opposed the measure as written. The committee took testimony and questions; no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The students participate in competitions, service learning, and work-based learning leadership roles
• The students participate in competitions,<00:04:11.360> service<00:04:11.760> learning,
• <00:04:12.239> and competitions, service learning, and competitions, service learning, and work-based
• <00:04:12.959> learning<00:04:13.360> leadership<00:04:13.760> roles<00:04:14.080
• > as work-based learning leadership roles as work-based learning leadership roles as they<00:04

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Maryland Senate met on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, with a quorum present. The session opened with an invocation by Chaplain David Stadler, followed by journalization of his remarks and several introductions recognizing guests in the chamber, including dentists, an intern, a former legislative staffer, and representatives from the University System of Maryland and other groups. Senators also noted upcoming committee meetings and a Legislative Black Caucus photo the next day. The main floor action centered on a resolution honoring Maryland Career and Technical Student Organizations for Career and Technical Student Organization Week. The sponsor described the role of CTSOs in serving more than 12,000 students statewide and in building leadership, professional, and career skills. The resolution was read in full and adopted unanimously, with the Senate expressing congratulations and appreciation for the organizations’ work with young people. The Senate then took up layover items and calendar bills. Senate Bill 56, concerning Maryland Longitudinal Data Center external data sharing for multi-state reporting, was special ordered for one day after members raised privacy-related questions. Senate Bill 99, the Open Meetings Act/Local Board of Education Transparency Act measure, was also special ordered for one day after discussion of its committee amendment. The chamber also received administrative corrections from the Governor and referred them to the Executive Nominations Committee, and the majority leader later moved adjournment until February 19 at 10:00 a.m., which was adopted without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• We learned that in the field. We learned that through on-the-job training.
• What did we learn from that? What did the Water Board learn from that?
• So what have you learned from this?
• What have you learned?
• I want to ask what you could learn. You know that... what did you learn?

Keywords: flooding, emergency response, communication systems, first responders, disaster management, Texas Water Development Board, regional planning, public safety

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on discussions around the recent floods in Texas, specifically addressing emergency preparedness, response coordination, and recovery efforts. Officials from various agencies provided testimonies on the challenges faced during the emergency, including issues with communication systems among first responders. Notably, the need for improved inter-agency communication and technology integration was emphasized, with recommendations for establishing regional communications units for better coordination during disasters. The audience included local government representatives and emergency management partners, who shared insights and experiences from the recent flooding events.

Transcript Highlights:

• We learned that in the field. We learned that through on-the-job training.
• What did we learn from that? What did the Water Board learn from that?
• But we've learned...
• What have you learned?
• I want to ask what you would learn.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A review was done to identify the amount of learning time absent.
• A review was done to identify the amount of learning time absent.
• A review was done to identify the amount of learning time absent.
• A review was done to identify the amount of learning time absent.
• safe inclusive and nurturing learning safe inclusive and nurturing learning environment<01:26:22.280

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• And on my last slide, I have my contact information and our website, where you can learn a little bit
• What they’ve learned and what they’ve tasted at UCLA. You know, vegetables are good.
• If it’s an opportunity to learn and do something better, more sustainably, for our campus and for our
• And what we learned from that, which I didn’t mention, was that it was not just the marketing pitch.
• So we learned that that’s what drives the selection toward the vegetarian option.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its second informational hearing at UCLA, focusing on California’s alternative protein sector and the role of public institutions in expanding plant-based, fermentation, and cultivated protein options. Chair Ash Kalra opened by highlighting prior state investments in UC research centers, the importance of student engagement, and the hearing’s three panels: reducing the carbon footprint of institutional meals, addressing market challenges to scaling alternative proteins, and advancing future food research and workforce development. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan also briefly praised the committee’s work and its relevance to climate and health goals. The first panel featured Friends of the Earth, UCLA Dining, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Megan Jones described California school food efforts, including technical assistance and microgrants that helped districts expand plant-based meals, reduce water and carbon footprints, and improve student satisfaction. Pete Angelese explained how UCLA Dining uses concept-driven venues, sustainable purchasing, and marketing nudges to increase plant-forward choices, while Dr. Michelle Wood outlined Los Angeles County’s 2024–2025 board motions to expand plant-based options in county food venues and programs, including joining the World Resources Institute’s Cool Food Pledge. Committee members asked about costs, procurement, and how student and consumer behavior can be influenced. The second panel addressed market barriers to scaling alternative proteins. Zach Weston and Daniel Gertner emphasized that the sector faces a cost-and-scale trap, high capital needs, and financing gaps, and they recommended grants, tax credits, loan guarantees, procurement commitments, and workforce development. T.K. Pillen of Beyond Meat argued that the category has faced a recent downturn due to consumer skepticism, industry attacks on “fake meat,” and pricing pressures, and said the key to renewed growth is increasing demand through better taste, health, pricing, and messaging around “plant protein.” Panelists also discussed hidden subsidies and structural advantages for conventional animal agriculture, and committee members raised questions about iBank loan guarantees and supply chain challenges. The final panel highlighted UCLA’s research and training efforts. Dr. Amy Roet described the Future Food Fellows program, which trains students across disciplines in science, communication, leadership, and community-building, and supports research on scalable, safe, and nutritious alternative proteins. Corinne Smith shared her cultivated meat research and student leadership in the Alternative Proteins Project at UCLA. Dr. Janet Tomiyama presented consumer psychology findings showing that disgust, gender norms, and terminology strongly affect acceptance, with “plant protein” and “complementary proteins” testing better than “fake meat.” The hearing concluded with support for continued public investment, clearer messaging, and expanded education and workforce pipelines to help California remain a leader in alternative protein innovation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a number of different avenues, including the existing formerly student learning objectives
• or student learning goals, to ensure that teachers have outcomes.
• There's math on that that some of them have not learned yet.
• What it is at a particular school that's causing the disruption in student learning, and there are, we
• But there's a statewide professional learning for the transition to the science of reading across the

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Through the Braille Institute Library, I learned to read Braille because as I get older, my eyesight
• I can continue to do the work to help children learn to read in the ways that they need it.
• And the state, what we learned is that the state Has budgeted this way for a long time, but we've lost
• We have learned that there is no statute or regulations that require you to do it that way.
• Patel, the issue of transferability of what we learned through this process. Oh, absolutely.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to—I might even just take some classes just to see what they're like and what we're not learning
• So I would have done one of those majors, international studies, and as I learned in the military, to
• I do believe that not every child wants to learn Shakespeare and read it and be in place and never seen
• Via Opening Nights events and STEM areas through the Challenger Learning Center.
• And not every student learns the same way, wants the same degree, or can even be successful in the same

Summary: The subcommittee began with an informal “college day” exercise in which members described what careers and colleges they would choose if starting over, often citing factors such as program reputation, location, cost, graduation rates, employment outcomes, and family or personal interests. Members mentioned a range of possible paths including law, aviation, education, construction management, psychology, social work, criminal justice, nursing, intelligence studies, and the arts. Several also highlighted the value of historically Black colleges and universities, dual enrollment, and career/technical education. The chair used the exercise to frame the meeting’s broader focus on Florida’s higher education pathways and student outcomes. Dr. Kathleen Plinsky of Valencia College then gave an overview of the Florida College System and Valencia’s role in it, emphasizing Florida’s statewide articulation and transfer framework, open-access mission, affordability, and workforce alignment. She described Valencia’s record enrollment, high retention, large share of first-generation and working students, and partnerships such as Direct Connect to UCF, Osceola Prosper, and Open Door grants for short-term training. Members asked about guaranteed transfer, apprenticeships, enrollment trends, student demographics, out-of-state residency, county scholarship costs, dual enrollment outcomes, and barriers to expanding career dual enrollment. Dr. Plinsky said the system supports transfer and acceleration well, but funding constraints limit growth in some areas; she also noted that dual enrollment participation is high and that Valencia’s affordability and student support efforts have driven recent enrollment gains. Dr. Jim Clark of Florida State University followed with an overview of the State University System, describing its governance, performance-based funding, low tuition, and strong graduation and research outcomes. He highlighted FSU’s enrollment, research profile, transfer student success, FSU Health, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, partnerships with K-12 schools and Tallahassee State College, and efforts to expand nursing and medical education to address workforce shortages. After the presentations, the committee heard from a panel on student acceleration and mobility: Shannon Mercer of the Department of Education explained the Office of Articulation, the statewide course numbering system, FASTER records, the 2+2 transfer model, specialized AA transfer degrees, and credit for industry certifications, military, medical, and law-enforcement training. Panelists from Kaiser University, Florida State University, and Pinellas County Schools described their institutions’ roles in transfer, advising, career pathways, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment. No formal votes or bills were taken up in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is there any research that says the changes you're proposing do not cause any learning problem?
• Or is there anything that says the learning is exactly the same? Or is this just about money?
• But, I mean, I have not seen any material that said class sizes and daycare impact learning.
• I understand that learning is not the issue here, but what about safety?
• I understand that learning is not the issue here, but what about safety?

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, there's a lot of work-based learning, um, so you have, you know, facility visits, guest
• In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts shut down, virtual learning was utilized by teachers
• I believe it's important that our students are in the are in the school learning, excuse me here.
• I believe that it's important that our students are in school learning new skills and socializing with
• I just learned something, I, I think. So you said the state requires 171 days. But again.

Transcript Highlights:

• Up next is House Bill 549, HD3, SD1, relating to an early learning apprenticeship grant program for the
• You know, we do have to factor in workforce needs for early learning. passed to see if there's any money
• relating to an early learning relating to an early learning apprenticehip<00:04:11.120> grant
• :04:37.759> early factor in workforce needs for early factor in workforce needs for early learning
• Senate Bill 423, SD1/HD2, relating to the Early Learning Board.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I urge a no vote on this bill. learning to be a parent. learning to be a parent.
• same time, we have to learn. same time, we have to learn.
• learning themselves. learning themselves.
• There's a whole are we going to learn?
• That's why straight, you can't learn.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm looking forward to learning from all of our speakers today and using what we learn to redouble our
• It can affect the learning environment. It can affect our economy.
• It can affect the learning environment. It can affect our economy.
• It can affect the learning environment. It can affect our economy.
• And that's everything from fresh air to activities to learning opportunities and more.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Environmental Quality/Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials informational hearing focused on the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis, with members from both parties emphasizing that the problem is long-running, cross-border, and severe enough to require federal, state, local, and binational action. Opening remarks described the crisis as an environmental and public health emergency affecting beaches, air and water quality, marine life, tourism, and residents’ quality of life in South Bay communities. Assembly Member Boerner and Senator Jones both stressed the need for continued funding and cooperation, while Senator Padilla said the issue is underappreciated because of where it occurs but has major public health, economic, and educational consequences. Congressman Mike Levin’s office reported more than $650 million in federal funding secured for infrastructure and cleanup, along with federal legislation and requests for CDC and EPA involvement. Supervisor Paloma Aguirre gave a detailed overview of county efforts and the scope of the crisis, citing decades of sewage flows from Tijuana, nearly four years of beach closures, and the county’s expanded water-quality monitoring. She said the county is pursuing warning signs, an air purifier distribution program, an epidemiological study, soil testing, an economic impact study, and a feasibility analysis to remove the “hot spot” near Saturn Boulevard, which she described as a key local source of airborne pollution. She also pointed to binational funding for treatment plant upgrades and said the county is seeking state support, including from Proposition 4 cross-border river funds, to expand relief and mitigation efforts. Scripps researchers Dr. Sarah Giddings and Dr. Kimberly Prather presented scientific findings on water and air transport. Giddings described a high-resolution forecast model that predicts wastewater movement and beach closure risk up to five days ahead, using real-time observations and showing about 72% accuracy against county measurements. Prather said the main exposure route is through air, not just water, and reported that turbulence at the river hot spot aerosolizes pollutants, with hydrogen sulfide and other gases spiking at night and dropping when river flow is diverted. She said the team has identified thousands of gases and linked measurements closely to odor complaints, while also noting that air purifiers can reduce indoor exposure but are not a permanent solution. Dr. Paula Stigler Granados added that community health surveys and CDC assessments show widespread symptoms, sleep disruption, anxiety, and daily life impacts, especially during nighttime odor events. She said her team has found more than 900 contaminants in river water and 106 chemicals uniquely associated with the Saturn Boulevard hot spot, with passive air sampling showing similar chemical fingerprints in nearby homes. The panel discussion ended with questions about standards and accountability, and witnesses and legislators agreed that the crisis requires updated air-quality standards, more health research, and continued coordination to reduce exposure and address the source of pollution.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everything is always new and complicated, and you had to learn it as you went.
• What I learned about Tony that I think a lot of us could learn from is that he can be in a position,
• But that was one of the very first lessons I learned from you.
• So, you know I'm new and still learning.
• Somewhat, I've learned about them.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you very much, Director Yaman, DHS, and the Executive Office on Early Learning providing comments
• Yuki ARA Cross, Executive Office for Early Learning, in support.
• Elain Yamashita, Early Learning Board, in support. Please proceed. Aloha from Mai.
• <00:24:54.960> and executive office for early learning and executive office for early learning
• <00:25:00.880> board um elain Yamashita Early Learning board um elain Yamashita Early Learning

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several health-related bills. HB 72 on pharmacy drew only support, with testimony from the University of Hawaiʻi system, the Board of Pharmacy, pharmacists, and others; no questions were raised. HB 237 on peer support programs also received broad support from the Department of Health, DHS, early learning officials, families, and advocates, with testimony emphasizing the value of peer-to-peer mentoring and support for parents, youth, and people with disabilities; no opposition or questions were noted. HB 250, the prior authorization bill, generated the most discussion. SHPDA supported a revised version focused on reporting prior authorization practices and creating a nonbinding working group to develop automation standards, while PCMA, HMSA, Kaiser Permanente, and others raised concerns about duplicative pharmacy requirements, unintended consequences, and alignment with federal timelines and reporting. Several medical groups and individual patients supported the measure, describing delays and burdens caused by prior authorization. A committee member asked whether the bill’s working group differed from a similar group in Senate Bill 1449, and the witness said it was intended to be the same. HB 303 on health care preceptors was supported by the Department of Health, University of Hawaiʻi, nursing and health care organizations, and the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, which asked that pharmacists’ residency programs be specifically tied to national accreditation standards. HB 341, relating to issuance of SPURS to assist the Hawaii Island Community Health Association, drew support from the health center and related groups. HB 692 on Preschool Open Doors received extensive support from early learning, education, family, labor, and community organizations; testimony stressed the shortage of child care and preschool slots, especially on Kauai, and the need to expand access for families. Committee members asked about adding family child care providers and about licensing/certification barriers, and DHS said the bill was focused on current licensed child care facilities and that certification issues were a separate, broader problem. HB 700 on cognitive assessments also drew strong support, with the Department of Health, the Executive Office on Aging, disability advocates, the Alzheimer’s Association, caregivers, and others urging use of a validated cognitive assessment tool during annual wellness visits and asking that the age 65 threshold be removed; some witnesses supported keeping the data-collection portion as a pilot and emphasized early detection and reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I believe that students not only didn't learn, but they actually backed up.
• There was learning loss.
• four day school week on student learning. It's, it's bad. It's pretty unequivocal.
• And you should expect less student learning when there's a four-day school week switch.
• These are externships for teachers so they can learn more about the occupation.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's where I learned about other cultures, other people.
• Libraries and reading are where we learn empathy. It's where we learn empathy.
• It's where we learned. Libraries and reading are where we learn empathy.
• It's where we learn to be critical thinkers. It's where we learn to be curious.
• Some of us learn how to be cooks.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House began with routine ceremonial business, including the Pledge of Allegiance, adoption of several congratulatory resolutions, and suspension of Joint Rule 12 to send two petitions to committee. It then took up a supplemental fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill (H. 5393 / H. 5493), which Ways and Means reported at about $227.3 million for items including snow and ice costs, no-cost calls, substance use services, homeless programs, and technical changes related to lottery revenue and other outside sections. The bill was advanced through second and third reading and later passed to be engrossed after a roll call vote. The chamber also passed to engrossment a land transfer bill for the Town of Marion (H. 5388) and a Bolton alcohol licensing bill (S. 2628, as amended). The House also enacted two local bills: one further regulating special meetings of the Holyoke City Council and one amending the charter of the town of Reading. A major floor debate centered on S. 2726, an act regarding free expression, which was framed by supporters as a response to book challenges and censorship in public and school libraries. Supporters, including Representatives Garballey and Moran, argued the bill would protect librarians, require reporting of book challenges, preserve age-appropriate access to materials, and keep challenged books on shelves during review; opponents raised concerns about parental rights and local control. Several amendments were offered and rejected, including one that would have removed a criminal-law protection for librarians and educators, and another that would have shifted school review authority more directly to elected school committees. Two amendments were adopted: one clarifying that challenged material is considered in its entirety, and another narrowing who may initiate certain complaints to parents or guardians of a student in the school. The bill ultimately passed to be engrossed by a large roll call vote. The House also debated and passed H. 5491 / S. 1646, implementing recommendations of the Walsh Kennedy Commission on hot work safety after the 2014 Beacon Street fire. Supporters said the bill would require certification for hot work, strengthen penalties for repeated or reckless violations, and improve public notification and enforcement to prevent future tragedies; the bill passed to be engrossed unanimously or near-unanimously after roll call. In addition, the chamber advanced a local land transfer for the Yankee Doodle Bike Path in Billerica and a bill concerning ownership and maintenance of culverts and dams in Town Line Brook and Lindenbrook. The session included several recesses, quorum checks, and recognition of guests, including Danvers High School graduates, a former state representative, and WGBH representatives for Public Media Awareness Day.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think what I'm interested in learning is what was the impetus of the case? How did it start?
• I sought out this The responsibility to understand what happened and to ensure that we learned from it
• But what were the lessons learned by you regarding the Girardi situation? That's her.
• But it has been a fantastic learning experience for me.
• “It has been a fantastic learning experience for me.

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules established a quorum and first approved several items without required appearances, including the appointments of Rick Simpson to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Trinidad Solis, M.D., and Gerald Talbert, M.D., to the Medical Board of California, along with references of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments. The committee then heard testimony on two State Bar of California appointments requiring appearance: George Cardona, J.D., for Chief Trial Counsel, and Laura Enderton Speed, J.D., for Executive Director. Cardona described his first four years as chief trial counsel, emphasizing reforms after the Girardi matter, including stronger conflict-of-interest and gift rules, tighter trust-account investigations, more data tracking, and efforts to reduce case backlogs and discipline disparities. Senators questioned him about the John Eastman disbarment case, the office’s role and jurisdiction, racial and Latino discipline disparities, unauthorized practice of law by notarios, staffing vacancies, and the use of AI in pleadings and internal work. Public witnesses from the State Bar, SEIU Local 1000, and others supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 3-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate. Enderton Speed said she sought the executive director role to help restore public trust, strengthen discipline and admissions, and address the February 2025 bar exam problems. Senators asked about the State Bar’s budget deficit, hiring freeze, long-term fiscal stability, the bar exam audit and litigation, safeguards against conflicts and gifts, and the decision to move the February exam largely remote before returning to in-person administration for July. Public witnesses also supported her confirmation, citing leadership, accessibility, and a focus on core functions. The committee voted 5-0 to advance her appointment to the full Senate. The meeting ended with remarks honoring Senator Jones on his final day on the committee and a cake presentation before adjournment to executive session.