Transcript Highlights:

• “This, too, we feel confident would survive a full faith and credit analysis.
• But in the analysis that we did pursuant to that law, we looked at other definitions of a desert, in
• Much unlawful behavior can be traced to resentments, whether personal or class-based.
• This is a pattern of abusive behavior.
• When a party engages in this obstructionist behavior, the other party must incur legal fees.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on several Judiciary bills, with the largest portion focused on S. 1178/H. 2052 to reduce mass incarceration and end life without parole. People incarcerated at MCI Framingham, MCI Norfolk, and NCCI Gardner described personal growth, rehabilitation, restorative justice work, family separation, and the belief that parole eligibility after long sentences would better reflect public safety and human development. Speakers emphasized that life without parole removes hope and can undermine rehabilitation, while supporters argued that many lifers are older, less likely to reoffend, and could contribute positively if given a chance at parole review. Committee members did not take votes during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1139 to restore the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims involving tobacco use, with Sen. Keenan explaining that a recent SJC decision had cut off claims where the injured person did not sue within three years before death. He said the bill would restore families’ ability to seek redress in cases involving long-latency tobacco harms like COPD. Another major topic was S. 1205, which would add abusive litigation to the definition of coercive control in domestic violence law; Sen. Michael Moore said the bill would stop abusers from using repeated court filings to harass and financially burden survivors. The committee also took up S. 1114 on automatic record sealing, with Sen. Friedman and others arguing that the current petition-based process is slow, burdensome, and disproportionately harms people with criminal records, especially Black and Latino residents. Testimony also supported H. 1965/S. 1132 on compensation for wrongful conviction, with advocates and sponsors describing a faster administrative claims process, transitional support, and higher compensation without the current cap. Sen. Payano testified for S. 1241 to expand educational programming for incarcerated emerging adults, saying education reduces recidivism and improves reentry outcomes. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on S. 2522, an update to Massachusetts’ shield law for reproductive and gender-affirming care. Sen. Friedman, the Attorney General’s office, and DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said the bill is needed to strengthen protections against out-of-state legal attacks, protect patient and provider data, clarify enforcement authority, and add a state-level EMTALA-style emergency care requirement. Committee members asked detailed questions about prescription labeling, the prescription monitoring program, attorney discipline, custody and full faith and credit issues, and whether the bill’s enforcement language could create unintended limits or conflicts. The Attorney General’s office said it would provide follow-up written testimony on several technical questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been no thoughtful analysis done of what is going to happen should this pass.
• of course, just echo the points made that we have seen this executive branch practice unethical behavior
• to get what they want from the, practice unethical behavior to get what they want from the voters.
• I was reading through the ballot language and the 75 words, and then I went to the staff analysis that
• to see how the legislature can even make such a statement on the ballot when it says in the staff analysis

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.

Transcript Highlights:

• It appeared to me when I read the bill and looked through the analysis that it is a true cost-saving
• The problem I have is this bill is the first bill in Texas or anywhere that uses the risk analysis assessment
• up exponentially; you're going to have 200,000 people, and another... anywhere that uses the risk analysis
• about them than the typical sex offender that would warrant an evaluation to see if they do have a behavioral
• And if they're found to have the behavioral abnormality, they either go to trial to fight, go into civil

Bills: HB240

Keywords: tax exemption, farm products, ad valorem taxation, tax code, producer ownership

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of county and regional government bills, with most measures left pending after testimony. HB 2097 would let counties that opt in give sheriff’s deputies an alternative appeal route for certain discipline cases through an independent hearing examiner instead of the Civil Service Commission. The author and a CLEET witness said it would be faster, cheaper, and fairer; questions focused on why the bill was needed and whether sheriffs could already use such a process. No opposition testified, and the bill was left pending. HB 4642 drew extensive testimony after the author said it was prompted by a death involving an out-of-state jail contract. The bill would require counties contracting with out-of-state jail facilities to include Texas-like jail standards and oversight provisions. The author, a former detainee held in Louisiana, his wife, and a Texas Jail Project advocate described poor conditions, lack of accountability, and multiple deaths of Texans housed out of state. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards director said five counties are currently housing 1,251 Texas inmates out of state, mostly because of staffing shortages, and said the bill would give the commission more authority and oversight. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4350, which would allow peace officers to request redaction of personal information from online real property records. Supporters said officers face retaliation risks and should have protections similar to judges and other officials; a title industry witness cautioned that redaction should not compromise the integrity of land records. The bill was left pending. HB 3687 would require county fire marshals in counties over 100,000 to meet specified training and certification standards, and HB 4105 and HB 4205 would give Harris County preferences in construction contracting and require pay parity for comparable law enforcement ranks within the county, respectively; all drew support from county officials and were left pending. HB 5403 would repeal a special rule requiring Dallas and Tarrant county sheriffs to get commissioners court approval for commissary disbursements, and it was also left pending. Later, HB 4462 would let elected county officials in large counties choose outside counsel in civil cases involving them, rather than relying solely on the county attorney. Supporters argued this would reduce conflicts of interest and protect officials’ reputations; questions centered on who qualifies and whether it could conflict with county interests. Finally, HB 240 would restore a five-member quorum requirement for Harris County tax levies, effectively requiring all commissioners to be present before a new tax rate can be adopted; supporters framed it as a taxpayer protection, while the Conference of Urban Counties opposed it as giving one member a de facto veto and potentially disrupting the budget process. Both bills were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• To be able to at least give us some level of analysis on where we might deploy them best.
• It was indexed on behavior. It required some sort of behavior in order for some sort of support.
• It required some sort of behavior in order for some sort of support mechanism to trigger.
• Officer presence changes driver behavior in ways that cones alone cannot.
• We often like to do our own analysis of our data. So that's something that we're working on.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The act goes on to describe many behaviors and actions that violate our public waters, and it states
• and actions that violate our behaviors and actions that violate our public<03:20:50.359> Waters
• So raising fines from $5,000 to $15,000 was an assumption rather than based on data-driven analysis of
• So raising fines from $5,000 to $15,000 was an assumption rather than based on data-driven analysis of
• It's an absolute last resort to chronic cat scratching behavior.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• spoken over 800,000 people, the majority being kids between the ages of 8 and 16, about changing behavior
• And we're not doing that for a cost-benefit analysis approach, but it does provide us that.
• We're doing it because A cost-benefit analysis approach, but it does provide us that.
• And we even looked into staffing analysis using resources from the National Institute of Corrections.
• We hired an outside expert to come in and look at our salaries and do an internal analysis and also look

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held its sixth public hearing on the Governor’s H-2 budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, focused on public safety and judiciary agencies, at the Foxborough Community Center. After opening remarks and local welcomes, the committee heard first from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, led by Secretary Gina Kwan, who outlined a $1.72 billion budget, up $69.8 million from FY26. She said the proposal emphasizes core operations, readiness, and partnerships with municipalities, and highlighted work on firearms-law implementation, State Police reform, DOC reentry efforts, hate-crimes prevention, emergency response, and planning for major events including the World Cup. Members also raised concerns about DNA backlog reporting, State Police academy boxing and training standards, ICE communication, disaster relief funding, crime lab staffing, EMS placement, and diversity in public safety leadership. Several exchanges focused on specific operational issues. Secretary Kwan and her team said the State Police are tracking the influx of forensic work from local sheriffs, that the boxing program remains suspended pending an IACP review and likely will not return in its prior form, and that EOPS has no direct communication with ICE but supports law-enforcement coordination where appropriate. On disaster preparedness, officials said the new disaster relief fund is being developed with MEMA and A&F, currently capitalized at $14 million with another $14 million expected, though members urged a more permanent funding source. On the crime lab, staff said the roughly $4.5 million increase is intended to cover core operations and a structural funding gap rather than expand services. The secretary also said EOPS is not ready to absorb OEMS from DPH at this time, though she would keep an open mind. The committee then heard from district attorneys, led by Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden, who said the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association is seeking a 10% increase in operating budgets, including about $16.7 million for staffing salaries, to recruit and retain prosecutors, advocates, and support staff. He said the request reflects rising workload and the need to keep the criminal justice system functioning efficiently and fairly. The hearing was recessed briefly after the district attorneys’ opening remarks, with additional testimony expected to continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is literally alter their behavior.
• not sufficient to prevent the behavior. not sufficient to prevent the behavior.
• so that's a case-byase analysis so that's a case-byase analysis Senator<03:01:33.279> Balden<
• I'm not minimizing any predatory behavior that is going on out there.
• I'm not minimizing any predatory behavior that is going on out there.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• debate issues and give speeches generally tend to do better in life because they've adopted the behaviors
• I want to thank staff for the incredible staff analysis.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several education-related measures. CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate, sponsored by Senator Brodeur, was amended with a delete-all and rewritten to create a Speech and Debate Hall of Fame, designate Florida Speech and Debate Week, authorize a teacher endorsement and FLVS institute, direct statewide coursework and credentials, and require annual district reporting. Supporters, including parents, the Florida Debate Initiative, and school representatives, praised the bill’s funding and statewide expansion of debate opportunities. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also heard and reported favorably SB 1718 on educator preparation and certification, which aims to reduce administrative delays for initial certification and reinstatement while maintaining standards; an Orange County school administrator suggested adding language to allow educators to bank professional learning hours. SB 1646 on educational facilities was presented as revising the funding formula and priorities for school capital projects, with added attention to safety, maintenance, and planning, and it was reported favorably. CS/SB 564 on student volunteers at polling locations was amended to clarify that pre-registered or registered high school students may volunteer at polling places and count the hours toward graduation or postsecondary financial aid; election officials and civic groups supported the bill, and it was reported favorably. SB 1340 on coordinated screening and progress monitoring was also reported favorably. It requires school districts to screen students for characteristics of dyslexia and dyscalculia, place identified students on support plans, and use evidence-based interventions, with the sponsor emphasizing early identification and intervention. The committee then recommended confirmation of Laila Collins to the State Board of Education, and the meeting concluded after a birthday recognition and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• you've heard here, Mike Harper does a great job for the committee and thank you, Mike, for doing the analysis
• <00:37:37.839> If<00:37:38.000> you<00:37:38.079> will the analysis that we've
• If you will the analysis that we've got.
• Uh, when you're talking about grooming and the definition is, uh, means to engage in a pattern of behavior
• that seeks to prepare, induce behavior that seeks to prepare, induce or<00:44:04.240> persuade

Bills: SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB255, SB199, SB47, HB605, HB216, HB621, HB148, HB389, HB509, HB248, SB336, SB293, SB43, HB420, HB60, HB188, HB106, HB105, HB11

Keywords: SB255, cannabinoid, hemp, hemp-derived THC, THCa, delta-8 THC, HHC, CBD, THC, novel cannabinoid products, hemp products, intoxicating hemp, delta-8, retail license, Department of Revenue, Department of Agriculture and Industries, testing and labeling, third-party laboratory, product safety, public health

Transcript Highlights:

• OUR ANALYSIS SHOWS OVER 110,000 TEENS UNDER 18 AND FLORIDA'S LABOR FORCE OVER 95,000 ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
• ORGANIZATION WE TAKE SERIOUSLY OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT EVERY PERSON CAN THRIVE IN YOUR OWN BILL ANALYSIS
• CONFLICT WITH FEDERAL LAW AND HINDERS THE DIGITAL LITERACY INSTEAD OF TEACHING RESPONSIBLE ONLINE BEHAVIOR

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• PARKING ISSUE AND I THOUGHT MAYBE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU COULD CONSIDER LOOKING AT IN YOUR ANALYSIS
• MARCH 25 AND YET ANOTHER BILL USES A TERM MENTAL ALERT, PROHIBIT BEHAVIOR AND CONDUCT OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS
• CHAIR PROGRAM GUIDE AND OFTEN TIMES BY THE STOP ANALYSIS OF THESE BILLS AND THERE ARE NUMBER OF CONCERNS

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And the study found in their analysis, those about 5% of students actually for whatever reason performed
• making sure we've got, you know, our kids in school, right being and make sure that kids have the behaviors
• information that was requested, I would also request that there be some distinction and possibly analysis

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I just want to note here, according to the LFC analysis, it says estimated legal costs range from
• It's a constitutional right; it is a limitation on the government's behavior.
• They say that in the FIR, and they also Say that in the House Committee analysis report.

Transcript Highlights:

• :42.079> integration<01:02:42.720> and and behavioral health integration and and behavioral
• Uh we that was part of a analysis that.
• So, without the analysis, and I think we told you this, you need the analysis if we're going to invest
• So, we have the market analysis, I believe. But is it done? Is the analysis done?
• ,<02:55:08.080> but it was based on market analysis, but it was based on market analysis,

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas she pursued employment focused on fiscal and data analysis in both the public and private
• This has effects on behavior, life, and outcomes.
• An analysis of service quality improvements; 3.
• include: an assessment of cost effectiveness compared to alternative service delivery models; an analysis

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with devotional remarks and then handled several procedural items, including referring Senate Bill 223 on Vermont water quality, which carries an appropriation, to the Committee on Appropriations. The chamber also read and recognized three House Concurrent Resolutions: honoring Maria Blair for nearly four decades of service in the Joint Fiscal Office; designating April 11–17, 2026 as Black Maternal Health Week in Vermont; and congratulating the 2025 Green Mountain Council class of Eagle Scouts. Members offered brief tributes to Blair’s institutional knowledge and service, and to the importance of addressing racial disparities in maternal and infant health. Guests connected to the resolutions were recognized in the gallery, and the House also heard announcements introducing visitors and upcoming meetings. The main legislative action was on Senate Bill 255, which would establish a pilot law enforcement governance council in Windham County. Committee members described it as a limited, voluntary pilot intended to improve regional public safety governance and funding without imposing a statewide mandate or new tax. Testimony came from legislative staff, local officials, sheriffs, police, the Vermont State Police, and municipal representatives. The Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee reported the bill favorably with a 9-0-1 vote and a small amendment adding an additional report-back requirement; Ways and Means found no fiscal impact to state revenue and reported it favorably 10-0-1. The House then agreed to propose the amendment and ordered the bill to third reading. The final action item was House Bill 956, approving Burlington’s charter amendment to formally establish the Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging as a permanent city office. The sponsor explained that Burlington voters had already approved the change and that the bill would codify existing duties, including equity strategy, policy advice, representation of underserved communities, and community engagement, with the director reporting to the mayor. The Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee reported the bill favorably 10-0-1, and the House ordered it to third reading. Later, Ways and Means reported favorably with amendment on Senate Bill 327, an economic development bill carrying an appropriation, and it was referred to Appropriations under House Rule 35A. The House then adjourned until April 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I testified just a second ago, since 1951, the legislature 76 77 analysis with the Texas Court of
• the possibility of the time served, jail time, and it also makes it very obvious that this type of behavior
• And Senator Bettencourt in his bill analysis he pointed out that there were like 120 polling places that
• A part of that first amendment analysis, because that bill was challenged by a variety of sexually oriented

Bills: SB108, SB318, SB507, SB511, SB533, SB1026, SB1386, SB1433, SB1434, SB1596

Keywords: elections, Election Code, poll workers, election clerks, presiding judge, alternate presiding judge, polling place, central counting station, county chair, political party, gubernatorial election, vote counting, election administration, Texas elections, precinct officials, ballot counting, county election officials, election integrity, election fraud, Attorney General

Transcript Highlights:

• glad that you are worried about the seizure and abuse of children, because that was the kind of behavior
• I mean, I'm reading the current analysis of the bill, and the Senate amendment still says that..."
• Leader Gallagher: "I'm reading the current analysis of the bill, and the Senate amendment still says
• won't be overburdened with costly litigation, removing the appeals process and the ban on predictive behavior
• encourages a child to harm themselves in some way, or if it's going to engage in explicit sexual behavior

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance recognizing 9/11. Members then moved through a long daily file and concurrence calendar, with many items passed without debate or temporarily retained. The chamber also took procedural actions, including re-referring AB 1152 to the Public Safety Committee, suspending rules for guest access and file-item handling, and later taking a roll-call vote to allow a late-filed journal letter request. Among the major Senate bills taken up on third reading, the Assembly approved SB 385 on peace officers’ rights, SB 753 on shopping cart recovery, SB 838 on housing and hotel projects, SB 643 on carbon dioxide removal grants, SB 645 on jury peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 761 on CalFresh access for students, SB 774 on real estate licensing sunsets, SB 400 on renewable energy labor tax incentives, SB 24 on utility spending transparency, SB 37 on attorney advertising ethics, SB 258 on spousal rape involving disabled spouses, SB 364 on outdoor advertising near new freeways, SB 403 removing the sunset from medical aid in dying, SB 770 on HOA barriers to EV charging, and SB 22 on gift certificate cash redemption values. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition; SB 403 and SB 770 drew more divided votes, while SB 24 was briefly delayed by a call before passing. The Assembly also concurred in numerous Senate amendments on Assembly bills covering a wide range of topics, including service of process (AB 747), local clean energy planning (AB 39), firearms (AB 1078), workers’ compensation (AB 1336), public health (AB 1487), survivor leave protections (AB 406), solid waste (AB 70), water reporting for data centers (AB 93), Diwali recognition (AB 268), wildfire workforce recovery (AB 338), educational equity (AB 419), civic education (AB 422), office-to-housing conversions (AB 507), cannabis tax relief (AB 564), privacy/browser opt-out rules (AB 566), housing element transparency (AB 610), tenant appliance requirements (AB 628), code enforcement penalties (AB 632), homelessness and LGBTQ-related policy (AB 678), energy (AB 740), DEIA review in state government (AB 766), inmate firefighter wages (AB 247), children’s health (AB 798), real estate (AB 851), COVID-era rehiring protections (AB 858), hazardous materials (AB 961), real property and housing covenants (AB 1050), aging (AB 1069), health care facilities (AB 1172), endangered species protections (AB 1319), CalWORKs modernization (AB 1324), cannabis access for seriously ill patients (AB 1332), foreign labor contractors (AB 1362), and downtown revitalization financing (AB 1445). Several of these passed overwhelmingly, while a few drew notable opposition, including AB 93, AB 403, AB 770, AB 851, AB 1050, and AB 1319. The transcript also included extended debate on SB 34, which was presented as a compromise measure on air pollution and port operations in the San Pedro Bay area. Supporters said it narrowed the scope to protect union jobs while preserving AQMD authority, while opponents and supporters alike noted the underlying distrust between labor and environmental stakeholders. The Assembly passed SB 34, SB 515 on disaggregated demographic data collection, and then began taking up AB 495 on immigration, with the sponsor describing family separation and immigration enforcement trauma before the transcript cuts off.

Transcript Highlights:

• Analysis from the Boston Globe in 2023 found little to no improvement on English and science MCAS scores
• The community school strategy has completely revolutionized our data analysis district-wide to help us
• In my previous roles, I found myself standing at the intersection of behavior, trauma, and equity.
• This foundation of safety and security prevents chronic absenteeism, reduces behavioral barriers, and
• Students who struggle tend to have more behavioral problems and are less likely to graduate high school

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education heard testimony on several bills centered on school accountability, receivership, graduation requirements, charter school access, community schools, school libraries, and student voting rights. Much of the discussion focused on the Thrive Act, S. 374, which would end state receivership and change the state’s accountability approach. Supporters, including educators, parents, advocacy groups, and students, argued that receivership has not improved outcomes in districts such as Lawrence, Holyoke, Southbridge, Boston, and the Dever, and that local communities should have more control, with greater emphasis on community schools, wraparound services, and broader measures of school quality. They also supported related bills on community schools and school library standards, and several witnesses backed a bill to expand student representative voting rights on school committees. Opponents of S. 374, especially charter school leaders, parents, students, and some education advocates, focused on Section 4 of the bill, which would change the charter school net school spending cap in the lowest-performing districts. They argued that the provision would reduce access to charter seats in communities where families are seeking more options, and that schools such as Roxbury Prep, Excel Academy, Brook, Veritas Prep, and Libertas Academy have produced strong results for students, including students of color, low-income students, and students with special needs. Several witnesses said the section would force schools to shrink or close and would remove opportunities for families in districts with long waitlists. Committee members questioned witnesses on both the effectiveness of receivership and the charter school cap language. Chair Lewis and Chair Gordon emphasized the need for a better accountability system and noted concerns about whether current measures, including MCAS-based designations, accurately reflect school quality. Some witnesses said they had discussed the possibility of removing Section 4 from the Thrive Act and suggested it might be addressed in separate charter reform legislation. No votes were taken during the hearing; testimony was received and the committee later closed testimony on S. 374 and several related bills before moving on to the student voting rights bill, S. 367.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's Orwellian that we're talking about retaliatory behavior in terms of the arts.
• We're talking about retaliatory behavior in terms of the arts.
• We have very different changes in audience behavior, right?
• grant in this round, so it's very interesting, but I don't think there's enough data yet to do an analysis
• I saw on your summary sheet here as well that, you know, your analysis calculates the impact that we

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on how recent federal actions are affecting arts, culture, humanities, libraries, museums, and the creative economy in California. Chair Ben Allen and Vice Chair Chris Ward opened by describing the hearing as a response to proposed and ongoing federal cuts to the NEA, NEH, IMLS, and public broadcasting, as well as grant terminations and leadership changes at cultural institutions. Several members emphasized the economic and civic importance of the arts, while one Republican member argued for greater ideological diversity in the arts and noted the loss of music programs in small schools. Testimony from Aaron Harky of Americans for the Arts and Jolie Fisher of SAG-AFTRA described the impact of federal policy on grants, jobs, and production. Harky said executive orders and the FY 2026 budget proposal threaten arts agencies and arts education, and that rescinded grants are causing hiring freezes, shutdowns, and losses for small organizations, especially in rural and underserved communities. Fisher focused on runaway film and television production, outdated tax rules, and the need for federal incentives, intellectual property protections, and action on AI and digital replicas. Members also discussed bipartisan support, the role of business and tourism partners, and the need to include more diverse voices in arts advocacy. The second panel featured Rick Noguchi of California Humanities, Greg Lucas of the State Library, and Danielle Purcell of the California Arts Council. Noguchi said NEH funding was cut immediately, putting California Humanities’ grantmaking and documentary programs at risk and prompting consideration of litigation and possible state support. Lucas reported that IMLS funding for California libraries was briefly canceled but partly restored, though a budget gap remains. Purcell said the California Arts Council is still awaiting federal award language for state partnership funds, but NEA grant terminations and the proposed elimination of federal cultural agencies create major uncertainty; she also said the council is assessing the damage and tracking impacts on grantees. Members asked about measuring outcomes, AI’s threat to creative work, documentary funding losses, and possible state and national strategies to protect cultural institutions and jobs.

Transcript Highlights:

• The next one is a, um, increase for a rate increase to continue on for applied behavioral analysis, which
• The next one is a, um, increase for a rate increase to continue on for applied behavioral analysis, which
• The next one is a, um, increase for a rate increase to continue on for applied behavioral analysis, which
• <03:29:37.520> analysis<03:29:38.120> which<03:29:38.279> is for Applied behavioral
• analysis which is for Applied behavioral analysis which is as<03:29:39.040> a<03:29:39.359>

Keywords: 912, senate, all