Video & Transcript Research : 'TOPS'

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HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

EDN Info Briefing - Mon Jan 13, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST

Hawaii House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The authority, and we just like to start off each year with top-level information and to try to get a
  • The top graph shows our ranking in 2022, the most recent results that are publicly available.
  • Our reading scores have surpassed the national average and now rank in the top 10 states.
  • You know, at the top of it is our building envelope, which is the roof, right?
  • I don't have it off the top of my head, but I can get that for you.
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The Committee on Education held an informational/budget briefing with presentations from the State Library System, the School Facilities Authority, and the Department of Education. The chair opened the meeting by outlining the order of presentations and noting that members would hold questions until after all three agencies had testified. The discussion focused on each agency’s priorities for the upcoming biennium and their budget requests. State Librarian Stacy Aldridge described library usage and services, emphasizing strong demand for physical and digital materials, internet and Wi-Fi access, programs, Kanopy streaming, and PressReader. She highlighted digital literacy classes, RFID self-check and smart shelving improvements, and the role of libraries as community hubs. The library’s budget request included an additional $1.2 million for security guards, $48.484 million for FY 26-27 to support popup libraries during temporary closures and other needs, $500,000 for repair and maintenance, $2 million for Kap planning and design, and $25 million each year for lump-sum capital funding. Mallerie Fujitani said the lump-sum funding is needed to keep roughly 50 projects moving and to avoid delays in construction. School Facilities Authority Executive Director Ricky Fujitani explained the agency’s startup history and its programs for preschools, Central Maui schools, and workforce housing. He said the authority is using standardized, prefabricated, programmatic approaches to speed delivery and improve maintainability, citing prior preschool renovations as a successful model. He reported that of $389 million appropriated, $106 million was released, with $81 million for preschools, $20 million for Central Maui schools, and $5 million for workforce housing; he also noted the workforce housing program was reduced after Maui fire-related reallocations. He said the pilot workforce housing site at Mililani High School has been awarded and pointed to University of Hawaiʻi student housing projects as a model. Superintendent Hayashi then began the Department of Education presentation, introducing DOE leadership and outlining the department’s mission to support academic achievement, character development, and student well-being. He noted the department serves more than 152,000 students in 258 public schools and employs over 42,000 people, with nearly 54% of students facing significant challenges. He framed the budget request around the department’s strategic plan to prepare graduates for college, careers, or military service. The transcript ends during the DOE presentation, before any committee votes or formal actions are taken.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • We are not anywhere in the top echelons of these data points, and that's okay.
  • We are in the top six nationally in terms of overall investment in 2025.
  • We've continued to be a top five state per capita relative to economic development projects in our state
  • At the very top, you know, we do have a written incentive agreement on any incentive that we use.
  • of the three and of a refundable on top of the three and a<00:26:28.240> half%<00:26:28.640><
Summary: The subcommittee met with Secretary Jeff Null and General Counsel Matt Wing of the Cabinet for Economic Development for an overview of the cabinet’s main economic development tools, strategy, and compliance practices. Null said the cabinet uses a data-driven approach focused on competitiveness, site readiness, wages, workforce training, and long-term assets such as roads, rail spurs, water, and sewer improvements. He emphasized that the cabinet tries to balance attracting new employers with supporting existing businesses, and said compliance is a core value of the agency. Null walked members through several programs, including the closing fund, Kentucky Business Incentive (KBI), Bluegrass State Skills Corporation training support, and the KIA sales-tax refund tool for construction materials and equipment. He said the closing fund has received $80 million over two years for projects generally involving at least $10 million in investment, though some flexibility exists. He also explained that Bluegrass State Skills funding is typically about $2,000 to $3,000 per job and can be used flexibly for training, including sending Kentucky workers to be trained elsewhere or paying trainers to come to Kentucky. He described KBI as a pay-as-you-go, incremental tax credit tied to actual jobs and investment, and said the legislature’s tiered refundable credit structure allows more targeted use of incentives in heritage and non-heritage counties. A substantial portion of the presentation focused on compliance and monitoring. Null said incentive agreements are written with commercial terms and spell out jobs, investment, wages, and training commitments. The cabinet requires regular reporting, invoices, and sampling, and can use clawbacks or suspend benefits if companies fail to meet obligations or lose required environmental permits. He said the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority reviews incentive applications in public meetings and often requires company representatives to answer questions before preliminary approval is granted. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And right on time and right at the top is Assemblymember Zabur, AB 1693.
  • And right on time and right at the top is Assemblymember Zbur, AB 1693.
  • Furthermore, to ensure patient safety remains the top priority, the bill explicitly requires physical
  • Madam Secretary, please take it from the top for those who are still out on the bills.
  • Madam Secretary, please take it from the top for those who are still out on the bills.
Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of bills, with members repeatedly noting the lack of quorum while testimony continued. AB 1693 by Assemblymember Zbur would streamline local permitting for retail tenant improvements by allowing qualified professional certifiers to review plans and requiring local action within set deadlines; the California Retailers Association supported the bill, citing lengthy permit delays, and there was no opposition. AB 2010 by Assemblymember Soria would expand access to high-volume spay and neuter services, including mobile clinics, to address pet overpopulation; supporters said it would improve access in rural and underserved areas, while opponents and the Veterinary Medical Board raised concerns about safety standards and asked for amendments. AB 2195 by Assemblymember Rodriguez would stop automatic occupational license suspensions for low-income parents behind on child support; supporters argued the policy is counterproductive and hurts earning capacity, while the California Child Support Association and others said license suspension is an effective enforcement tool that brings parents to the table. The committee also heard AB 2311 by Assemblymember Chiu, which would let public health care district hospitals directly employ physicians; supporters said it would improve recruitment and access to care, while medical groups warned about physician autonomy and institutional influence. AB 1796 by Assemblymember Jackson would create a licensure pathway for professional interior designers and add an interior designer to the California Architects Board; supporters framed it as a public safety and professional recognition measure, while opponents said it would create confusion, unnecessary regulation, and no demonstrated public harm. AB 1739 by Assemblymember Ward would make it a crime for clergy providing therapeutic services to engage in sexual contact with a counselee, closing a gap in existing law; it drew strong support from survivor advocates and no opposition. Finally, AB 2497 by Assemblymember Johnson began testimony on modernizing the physical therapy practice act, with the author noting committee amendments that removed imaging and other provisions, but the transcript cuts off before testimony or action on that bill was completed.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Business and Professions Committee Apr 21st, 2026

Business and Professions

Transcript Highlights:
  • And right on time and right at the top is Assembly Member Zabur, AB 1693. ...and right on time and right
  • at the top is Assembly Member Zabur, AB 1693.
  • Furthermore, to ensure patient safety remains the top priority, the bill explicitly requires physical
  • Madam Secretary, please take it from the top. ...are good to go.
  • Madam Secretary, please take it from the top for those who are still in the out on the bills.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • So that's very much top of mind.
  • That's top of mind of the council, and it's a big focus of the work that we're doing.
  • What would you say are the top five areas of the concentration of these funds?
  • So small businesses, we know, underpin this economy; that holds true of all of the top five economies
  • It's why we are the top, if not for Texas and oil, we're the top exporting state.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
Summary: The subcommittee heard informational updates and budget requests from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (Go-Biz), the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), and the California Film Commission. Go-Biz Director D.D. Myers described the California Jobs First strategy, including regional economic planning, sector working groups, and investments in priority industries such as ag-tech, space and defense, life sciences, semiconductors, and microelectronics. She also outlined budget proposals for a five-year extension of the CalCompetes tax credit, support for export promotion, additional staffing for the film tax credit program, innovation and emerging technologies work, and the new California brand campaign. Senators questioned the campaign’s purpose, its relationship to tourism promotion, and whether it could obscure regulatory and business-climate concerns; Myers said it was intended to counter misinformation, promote California’s economic strengths, and support business attraction and retention, not to shut down debate about policy challenges. CalOSBA Deputy Director Claire Whitmer and program partners reported on the California RISE program, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and technical assistance/capital infusion programs. CalOSBA said RISE’s first cohort awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, which collectively expanded operations and employment for people facing barriers to work; a second round is being launched with updated services and a new grant administrator. The Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund fully distributed $11.6 million to 100 recipients, but witnesses said demand far exceeded available funding and that the sector remains fragile after the pandemic and AB 5-related cost increases. The technical assistance and capital programs were described as serving more than 112,000 businesses in the last year, helping start 3,780 new businesses and leverage significant loan and equity capital, with emphasis on outreach to women-, minority-, veteran-, rural-, and low-wealth-owned firms. Committee members focused on whether these programs produce durable outcomes and reach underserved communities. One senator asked for longitudinal data on employment social enterprises and whether jobs created through incentives persist over time; CalOSBA said it would provide prior studies and future tracking. Another senator pressed for more outreach and support for small businesses at different stages of development, especially those in disadvantaged communities that may struggle to access capital. The California Film Commission then presented a request for three permanent positions and ongoing funding to administer the expanded film and television tax credit program. Commissioners said the program is tracking demographic and career-pathway data, with about 90% of productions opting into new diversity provisions and reporting due to the Legislature in 2027. The LAO supported the film commission staffing request given the larger program size and expanded applicant pool. No votes were taken; the items were informational or budget requests under review.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

House Legislative Administration (02/25/2026)

Legislative Administration

Transcript Highlights:
  • who sponsored that particular bill, and I'm in favor of everything in it except for having it up on top
  • Um, and all the challenges that came with it. times that the flags on top of the state times that the
  • flags on top of the state house<01:03:38.880> change?
  • <01:03:57.599> Uh when the flag changes across the top.
  • Uh when the flag changes across the top.
Keywords: 1189, house, all
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • Finance has contracts with the engineer, who is, I guess, tier one—the top—then everything goes down
  • People are answering their way back up to the top to answer to finance.
  • is the I guess tier one I'll call it who is the I guess tier one I'll call it the<00:24:20.240> top
  • > everything<00:24:22.000> goes<00:24:22.320> down<00:24:22.480> below the top
  • to answer to finance is is up to the top to answer to finance is is uh<00:24:40.960> finance<
Summary: The committee received an update from Kentucky State Police on the SERVE radio system project, with David Barker and consultant Brandon Marshall explaining progress across multiple phases. They reported that Mayfield PD fire/EMS and Graves County Sheriff are fully operational on the system, Phase 2 is 77% complete with 48 existing sites finished and 13 new sites pending acquisition, and Phase 3A remains funded but not yet complete. They also said router upgrades are complete, radio dispatch positions and mobile/portable rollout are complete, and microwave replacement is nearly finished, with one remaining site delayed by weather. A major part of the discussion focused on why the project has taken so long and why equipment is being purchased before some sites are built. KSP said the project began as a radio system upgrade but expanded as they discovered additional infrastructure needs, including routers and microwave links that were not in the original scope. They explained that equipment must be purchased in advance to match versions and preserve warranty coverage, and that older existing tower sites are being refurbished rather than replaced to make use of existing public-safety infrastructure. They also said all expenditures are tracked in inventory and accounting records and that the project remains transparent. Members pressed for a master plan and timeline, with Representative Smith arguing the project needs clearer structure and fewer layers of decision-making. KSP acknowledged the need for a timeline, said they had plans but not a full timeline earlier, and stated that if the remaining funding is approved they expect to complete the remaining existing sites and 25 new sites by June 30, 2027. They said 56 new-build sites remain, identified as the yellow-dot sites on the maps, and that some sites may be able to use existing Demar/National Guard tower locations. The committee did not take a vote on the project during this portion of the meeting.
NM

New Mexico 2026 Regular Session

House - Appropriations and Finance Jan 24th, 2026 at 09:09 am

House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • So I can't think off the top of my head what programs exist within Cultural Affairs.
  • And then also on top of that, providing recurring funding to the tune of about And then, also, on top
  • Page three, top line.
  • Yeah, and so on the top of page 11 there, Mr. Chair, you'll see another grow item.
  • Yeah, and so on the top of page 11 there, Mr.
Keywords: 996, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • a workload analysis to help them identify how many additional staff they needed in order to stay on top
  • What would be top, you know, two, three priorities that you think the department really needs to drill
  • I'm really disappointed that throughout this hearing, those two things were not at the top of the list
  • I'm really disappointed that throughout this hearing, those two things were not at the top of the list
  • On top of that, we know that there are federal changes coming to federal OSHA and other protections.
Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and the audit team described serious workplace tragedies, argued that California’s worker protections are not being adequately enforced, and said the audit was prompted by concerns that Cal/OSHA was too often relying on letters instead of inspections, delaying investigations, and closing cases without enough documentation. Members repeatedly emphasized that the issue was not just staffing, but also outdated policies, weak oversight, and inconsistent enforcement. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on hard-copy files, outdated or unclear policies, and inconsistent decision-making in complaints, accidents, citations, and fine reductions. He said Cal/OSHA conducted on-site inspections in only about 20% of complaints, used letter investigations more than 80% of the time, often lacked evidence that hazards were corrected, and sometimes failed to inspect serious injury cases on time. The audit also found weak documentation for fine calculations and settlement reductions, with some penalties reduced substantially without clear explanations. Parks said the agency had accepted the findings and would provide progress updates later in the year. Committee members pressed the auditor on vacancy rates, the use of letter investigations, the low rate of criminal referrals, and whether fines were being reduced too often. Cal/OSHA and DIR officials responded that the vacancy rate had fallen to 12% partly because 66 vacant positions were eliminated in a statewide budget reduction and partly because of hiring; they said 126 people had been hired in the first half of the year. They also said they had hired a policy writer, were updating several policies, were planning periodic internal audits, and were developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. On fines, officials said Title 8 sets base penalties and allows adjustments based on factors like employer size, history, and good faith, with appeals and informal conferences also affecting final amounts. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight May 28th, 2025

Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • down payment assistance that we offer, which is 4% of the sales price and an additional $10,000 on top
  • have a presentation later on in one of the future meetings on the needs, but, uh, I'll just off the top
  • So I know Representative Matthews and Representative Dow are on top of those issues as well as I, as
  • Do you know that off the top of your head so that I can mark it?
  • The Little book Top 5.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Apr 9th, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • power to be able to collect that. that money from you, and then with cutoff fees, and that's all on top
  • We truly appreciate her commitment in making drainage a top priority for not only our community but the
  • For more information, visit www.fema.gov You know, I don't have a number off the top of my head.
  • No one's gonna dispute that, but where and how. of a state park on top, lake at the bottom, child care
  • ranks in the top five of all counties in the state.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Health and Human Services Apr 8th, 2025

Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • And so, you know, we're adding, the top of my head, I think, 634 beds that are state beds. and, you know
  • I don't have that available off the top of my head, but I assume it's many.
  • I don't have that available off the top of my head, but I assume it's many.
  • I don't have that available off the top of my head, but I assume it's many.
  • I don't have that available off the top of my head, but I assume it's many.
Summary: The committee first took up several pending bills and reported them favorably: SB 968, SB 636 as substituted, SB 1137, and SB 1138 as substituted. Each was advanced by roll call vote, and the committee also recommended the approved bills for the local and uncontested calendar. The chair then moved to the posted agenda and heard SB 719, a mental health bed-capacity study bill by Senator Eckhart, with a committee substitute that refined the data collection to distinguish state and non-state beds, child and adult beds, include two point-in-time counts, and capture jail diversion data. Testimony on SB 719 was largely supportive from Integral Care, NAMI Texas, and the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas, all of whom said Texas needs better data on inpatient psychiatric capacity, workforce needs, and future demand. Several witnesses described long waits for beds, especially for forensic restoration, and argued the study would help target future investments. Senator Perry and others noted the state has already made major investments in new beds and urged the bill to account for beds already coming online; the committee ultimately withdrew the substitute and left SB 719 pending after public testimony closed. The committee then heard SB 1864, which would allow small egg producers to sell ungraded eggs more broadly, including to restaurants and retailers, with the substitute increasing the weekly sales threshold and addressing sanitation and labeling. Supporters said grading is about size, not safety, and that the bill would help small farms reach new markets; opponents from the Texas Poultry Federation argued grading and candling help identify cracks and defects that can affect safety and quality. The committee adopted the substitute and left the bill pending. It also heard SB 1467, requiring DSHS to share death record information with hospitals for record accuracy and quality review, and SB 912, which would modernize continuing education tracking for health licensing agencies; both bills drew supportive testimony and were left pending. Finally, the committee heard SB 2023, which would create an HHSC grant program to help counties pay for indigent burial costs, with county representatives testifying in support.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Their, um, top pay band for their bureaucrats is. Completely indefensible.
  • Top over a million.
  • in the foot as a state by continuing to let so many other agencies, and, and you're not one that's top
  • Basically what happened is OAG and PUC, uh, last biennium got an additional 10% raise on top of the,
  • As you can see the top line item, that's our exempt position.
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Ways and Means (04/30/2025)

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • So the next slide, um, so the top part of that is the residential gross sales.
  • So then the next slide, uh, you'll see that's this is past 10 years in terms of the top is the closed
  • Puts Senate language on top of replacing the House bill, which again, Representative V already.
  • Puts Senate language on top amendment.
  • 4 at the top 4 at the top of<02:16:47.599> page<02:16:48.120> two,<02:16:49.120>
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
NH

New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session

Senate Energy and Natural Resources (04/15/2025)

Energy and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • The second reason why now is the right time is because the governor has made this a top priority.
  • And number two, this is a top priority for the governor, and I think we are in a good position to get
  • governor has made this a top priority. governor has made this a top priority.
  • And on top of that, I know, you know, in terms of diversion, it's part of HB 2 trailer bill.
  • adviserss include the state's top adviserss include the state's top wetlands,<00:49:41.359> hydro
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Business and Professions Committee Jun 30th, 2026

Business and Professions

Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Secretary, please take a minute, collect thoughts, and then take it from the top.
  • All right, we're going to take it from the top and add on absent members. You may call the roll.
  • Madam Secretary, can you please take it from the top for my friends on the other side of the aisle who
  • Madam Secretary, will you please take it from the top? On the consent calendar, Chen, Chen, aye.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Madam Secretary, please take a minute, collect thoughts, and then take it from the top.
  • All right, we're going to take it from the top and add on absent members. You may call the roll.
  • Madam Secretary, can you please take it from the top for my friends on the other side of the aisle who
  • Madam Secretary, will you please take it from the top? On the consent calendar, Chen, Chen aye.
Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, consumer protection, and sunset-review bills. Early items included SB 1148, which would let aspiring security guards complete all required training before a guard card is issued; SB 342, which would soften the penalty for contractors who were licensed during part of a project but had a brief lapse; and several sunset bills for boards and bureaus, including the Board of Registered Nursing (SB 1302), the Board of Naturopathic Medicine (SB 1303), the Respiratory Care Board (SB 1304), the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology (SB 1363), and the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board (SB 1368). The committee also heard SB 1311, which makes various updates to DCA boards and programs, and SB 1314, which restricts new tobacco retailers from locating within 600 feet of schools or daycare centers and bans nitrous oxide sales and related paraphernalia. Testimony was generally supportive on the training, sunset, and licensing cleanup bills, though several measures drew “opposed unless amended” or neutral positions over scope and implementation details. On SB 1314, supporters including prosecutors and school administrators argued it would reduce youth exposure to tobacco, while gas station, convenience store, cigar lounge, pharmacy, and business groups raised concerns about impacts on existing businesses, transferability of tobacco licenses, and possible de facto limits on future stations; some public health groups shifted to neutral after amendments. On SB 1302, nursing groups supported the board sunset bill, while the California Medical Association objected to allowing out-of-state nurse practitioner transition-to-practice experience to count without a California attestation process. On SB 1304, health facilities and long-term care groups supported the board extension but sought broader clarification so LVNs could perform respiratory tasks consistently across settings. After quorum was finally established, the committee voted to send the consent calendar bills SB 1376, SB 1391, SB 1416, and SB 1315 to Appropriations, and then approved SB 342, SB 1148, SB 1302, SB 1303, SB 1304, SB 1311, SB 1314, SB 1363, and SB 1368, all moving forward to the Committee on Appropriations. SB 1314 passed with some no votes, while the other measures advanced with broad support. The hearing ended after additional members were added on the record and the committee adjourned.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session (Full Formal with Calendar) Jun 21st, 2026 at 10:06 am

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Having high-quality, well-funded... ...public schools in each of our communities is no doubt one of the top
  • priorities, if not the top priority, for each and every one of us.
  • And as I said at the outset, I know that is a top priority, if not the top priority, for every one of
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • So based on this, we're going to make sure that those top issues are front and center in our work plan
  • I'm going to get right over to these were, these were just, you know, and just quickly, some of the top
  • But I think a lot of the complaint and consumer issues that float to the top are from living residences
  • I believe that actually, I'm not sure off the top of my head. Let me get back to you on that.
Keywords: 995, all
Summary: The Joint Committee on Aging and Independence commission meeting focused on continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), with members and presenters discussing how the model works, consumer protections, and areas for future review. After member introductions, Jennifer Fuller summarized survey results showing the top priorities as financial viability and affordability, consumer protections and rights, and regulation/monitoring standards. The commission said those issues would guide its work plan, while also keeping staffing, definitions, and federal support on the radar. Alyssa Sherman of LeadingAge Massachusetts and Jim Freiling of Brookhaven at Lexington gave a detailed overview of CCRCs, explaining that they combine housing with health-related services under long-term contracts and typically require entrance fees plus monthly fees. They described the three common contract types: Type A/life care, where costs stay relatively stable if residents need more care; Type B, which offers some included or discounted care with higher costs later; and Type C, fee-for-service, with lower entrance fees but higher costs if care needs increase. They also discussed nonprofit governance, resident involvement, and the role of state and Attorney General disclosure requirements. Several members raised concerns about affordability, refund timing, and the need to distinguish true CCRCs from other senior housing marketed similarly; presenters said refunds are often tied to reoccupancy and that their organizations are collecting data on refund timelines and contract terms. The discussion also covered resident rights and governance, including whether residents should have seats on nonprofit boards. Christine Griffin said her community lacks resident board representation and urged the commission to consider a state requirement, while others said resident associations and direct engagement with boards can be more effective than mandatory board seats. Members also discussed transparency around monthly fee increases, financial screening before admission, and the importance of clear marketing so consumers understand what they are buying. No votes were taken. The meeting ended with logistical updates, including a tentative public hearing date of June 3, 2025, a note that the next meeting would focus on regulation and monitoring standards, and a reminder that the commission would continue refining its work plan based on survey feedback.
OK

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

Energy REVISED Apr 9th, 2026 at 09:30 am

Energy

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, if if the governors stick around for a little bit longer, he might hit the top 10 in this in
  • On top of that, I hope everybody understands the Part of the explanation has already been given by Senator
  • Believe that PFOS has been found at the top of mountains. I was opposed. It's very possible.
  • Chairman, did you realize that your shoes are right now on the top of a whole lot of PFOS right now?