Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> James,</c><00:29:27.360><c> working</c><00:29:27.679><c> with</c> today, working with James, working
• How is this going to work?
• </c> of our work over the coming years. of our work over the coming years.
• </c> that we work with. that we work with. &gt;&gt; Okay. &gt;&gt; Okay. &gt;&gt; Okay.
• </c> I don't work for the office. I don't work for the office.

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And then out of that, we created four work groups. And these are the four work groups.
• And then out of that, we created four work groups. And these are the four work groups.
• So this work wasn't new.
• So congratulations on this great work.
• And I know a lot of the work for BCCI is focused on work early, expect success and thinking about it

Summary: The Employment Subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities met on April 27 and approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation was from the Lawrence Partnership for Transition to Employment (LPTE), a five-year grant project focused on improving transition outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Lawrence. Presenters described the project’s community conversations, consortium, and four work groups, with emphasis on the family-partnership work group and a family survey designed to better understand engagement barriers and transition needs. The survey results showed that family participation increased sharply when Lawrence Public Schools helped distribute the survey, rising from about a dozen responses to more than 200. Key findings included barriers such as scheduling conflicts, language access, childcare, and limited understanding of the IEP and transition process. Many families said they wanted their children to pursue college or employment after high school, but fewer reported access to pre-employment training, suggesting a gap between expectations and awareness of available services. The Lawrence team also described a bilingual transition website, workshops offered at different times with interpretation and childcare, and efforts to make transition planning more visible and accessible. Committee members responded with questions and comments about cultural barriers, early transition planning, college and community college pathways, trades, summer youth employment, and how to reach families earlier, especially in middle school. Presenters said Lawrence has a strong transition team and existing resources, but needs more real-world work experiences and better communication so families understand and use them. The meeting ended with thanks to the presenters, a note that committee members would meet with SEED later in the week about Massachusetts as a model employer, and an announcement that the May meeting would feature the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you want to work, you're going to work. And for me, the money and all that didn't matter anyway.
• It doesn't work like that.
• It's sort of a never leave work, but stop working full time. It's a program.
• Never leave work, but stop working full-time.
• I want to thank Representative DeWitt for working and deferring it so we could work this out over the

Committee: House Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• How does that work?
• How does that work?
• Again, working document. We're going to be working on this bill some more.
• Again, we've worked on legislation in the past and always willing to work with.
• And then the way that the waivers work, is what works for us here in Missouri.

Committee: House General Laws

Transcript Highlights:

• She just comes in and does the work, and she believes in the institution and she believes in the work
• Thank you for all the hard work.
• We worked really hard.
• We did work very tirelessly.
• We did work very tirelessly.

Transcript Highlights:

• But they've worked, and they're working in classrooms, and they're working in the special education field
• So try to partner and work with our friends within the system, work with tribal campuses, work with some
• previously worked at DSU.
• NDIT did the similar work.
• to work.

Committee: Joint Higher Education Institutions Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• But they've worked, and they're working in classrooms, and they're working with kind of in the special
• So try to partner and work with our friends within the system, work with tribal campuses, work with some
• of work.
• to work.
• I worked as a registrar.

Summary: The committee met on the Minot State campus for a presentation from President Shirley and several university leaders on enrollment, academics, workforce initiatives, and partnerships. Shirley reviewed the university’s financial audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings in recent years, and highlighted Minot State’s major programs, specialized accreditations, and ties to Minot Air Force Base and NCAA Division II athletics. Members asked about education workforce shortages, athletic tuition waivers, dual credit incentives, and the university’s in-state tuition policy for all students. Shirley also discussed the university’s recruitment efforts, including the Hometown Pride and Academic Excellence scholarships, campus visit growth, and the Emerging Scholars dual-credit reimbursement program. A major focus was workforce development and new academic offerings supported by legislative Workforce Education Innovation Funds. Shirley described the new Innovation Engineering program, which was developed with industry input to train broadly skilled engineers for western North Dakota, and said it had already drawn more applicants than expected. Dr. Crystal St. Peter presented a new master’s program in counseling that integrates mental health and addiction counseling to address statewide provider shortages, with a hybrid format to reach rural students. Members asked about licensure requirements, internship hours, and job placement for graduates. Shirley also outlined a new nursing simulation center and health sciences space in downtown Minot, made possible by state support and the purchase of the former Trinity Health Center West building. The committee also heard about Minot State’s efforts to build pipelines into education and special education, including the Aspire program for rural high school students and an online paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Shirley said these programs, along with new articulation agreements and a large Bush Foundation grant, are intended to address teacher shortages and keep students in North Dakota. No formal committee votes or actions were taken during the presentation; the session consisted of informational updates and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• works.
• can work.
• Maybe that would work.
• Or how does that work?
• If 911 can work, sharing information can work.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• Without this amendment, we leave a huge gap of Floridians who are working, working hard.
• The answer to the question is yes, we'd meet the work requirements because we're working.
• And they work hard.
• They do such amazing work.
• You know I work hard. I gave up Bills. So what would we do? You know I work hard.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Eagan Police Department, who has worked Eagan Police Department, who has worked on<00:16:51.920>
• And so thank you for that work.
• It also talks about for that work.
• It was good work.
• </c><00:27:27.120><c> People</c> keep working. People love you. People keep working.

Transcript Highlights:

• This allows them to work in this position for up to two years while they work to meet the 12-unit requirement
• This allows them to work in this position for up to two years while they work to meet the 12 unit requirement
• So thank you for all your work on that.
• So thank you for all your work on that.
• I wanted to touch specifically on work-study.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard a long agenda of bills focused largely on child welfare, foster care, child care, CalWORKs, mandated reporting, and public benefits. Early items included AB 890, which would ease county transfer rules for nonminor dependents in extended foster care; AB 461, which would replace punitive truancy-related penalties with supportive services for families; and AB 753, which would create an interim associate teacher pathway to help address the child care workforce shortage. Testimony on these bills emphasized barriers faced by foster youth, low-income families, and child care providers, and members expressed support for the general policy direction. The committee also heard AB 926 on foster care visitation, AB 563 on early childhood planning and reporting, AB 601 on standardized mandated reporter training, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification aid, AB 822 extending the Commission on the State of Hate, AB 970 creating a Los Angeles County mandated reporter pilot, AB 1161 protecting public benefits during disasters, AB 1172 allowing trained staff to administer emergency seizure medication in community care settings, and AB 363 expanding CalWORKs student supports and work-study. Witnesses generally supported these measures as ways to reduce trauma, improve reunification, modernize reporting and training, and expand access to services. County welfare and child welfare groups, advocacy organizations, and providers largely testified in support, while some bills drew concerns from county representatives about implementation or needed amendments. Several bills were voted out of committee, often unanimously and sometimes as amended, including AB 926, AB 563, AB 601, AB 1074, AB 822, AB 970, AB 1161, and AB 1172; AB 1172 was reported on call. The committee also took up consent items and later voted on subcommittee-held bills AB 461, AB 753, and AB 890, leaving them on call. At the end of the hearing, the committee heard AB 1211, which would protect CalFresh benefits from federal cuts and require a feasibility study on increasing benefits and eligibility; testimony stressed rising food insecurity and the economic importance of food assistance, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to thank you guys for your work on this.
• I think, as I keep saying, the regions are where the work happens, the local communities where the work
• Amazing work is happening in the state of California.
• Work, why they work, and how successes can be adapted and replicated in other regions.
• I'm thrilled to work with them.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, zoom in here and get that to work.
• What do you need to continue this work financially?
• and how this will work.
• everyone's work on this.
• Provide input that works for both parties and appreciate everyone's work on this. Thank you. Great.

Bills: HB2201 , HB2154

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: urban growth, city planning, county regulations, development standards, land use, land ownership, conservation districts, property rights, regulatory authority, environmental policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, appreciate the nominee's willingness to work with us, work with stakeholders, visit California
• When budgets are cut, work often slows down.
• Should the work, should the federal government be paying for the work?
• It has worked. It has speeded things up tremendously.
• Because those are the folks that are doing the work.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Keywords: presidential nominations, EPA, environmental policy, Fish and Wildlife, committee meeting

Summary: The committee meeting focused on the presidential nominations of Brigadier General Brian Nesvick as Director of Fish and Wildlife and Jess Kramer and Sean Donahue as assistant administrators at the EPA. Each nominee presented their qualifications and experiences in their respective fields, with an emphasis on their commitment to uphold the laws passed by Congress. The discussion highlighted the nominees' dedication to addressing environmental issues and their proactive stances on regulatory matters. After deliberation, votes were held to report the nominations favorably, despite some members voicing concerns regarding their qualifications and potential conflicts with environmental interests.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it was all working fine.
• They're working on it.
• They're working on it.
• We worked with Remy Starns and Ms.
• We worked with Remy Starns and Ms.

Committee: Senate Judiciary B

Transcript Highlights:

• I am humbled by the incredibly hard work and dedication of those who work in this industry, and I am
• I am fortunate to work with an excellent team at the ALRB that works each day to uphold our critically
• it's not working.
• it's not working.
• My mother worked in a preschool...

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• While fine might work for some communities, fine does not work for me.
• So we've been working to accommodate both those views.
• Public work is all work, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement other than ordinary maintenance
• Counties can have public works undertaken by county employees, but outside of emergency work, these works
• I'm happy to work with the proponents in that regard.

Bills: HB2313 , HB2451 , HB2298 , HB2566 , HB2517

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: grocery stores, public ownership, food accessibility, community services, economic development, tax increment financing, local government, municipal finance, public infrastructure, property title protection, land record fraud, county auditors, voluntary program, real estate, procurement, contracting, transparency, financial oversight, municipal permitting, transit projects

Transcript Highlights:

• While fine might work for some communities, fine does not work for me.
• Public work is all work, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement other than ordinary maintenance
• Counties can have public works undertaken by county employees, but outside of emergency work, these works
• I'm happy to work with the proponents in that regard.
• I'm happy to work with the proponents in that regard.

Summary: The committee first heard HB 2517, which would give regional transit authorities, especially Sound Transit, more flexible permitting tools for high-capacity transit projects. Staff and the bill sponsor said the goal is to let permit applications and technical reviews proceed concurrently with property acquisition and land use decisions, reducing delay and uncertainty for large transit projects. Sound Transit testified that the bill could save as much as nine months, while a city representative from Bothell asked for an amendment requiring notice to property owners before permits are advanced on land not yet owned or controlled by the agency. The committee then took testimony on HB 2313, concerning publicly owned grocery stores in underserved areas. The bill would let cities acquire land, build or rehabilitate stores, seek capital grants, and create tax increment financing areas for grocery access projects, with annual reporting requirements. Supporters, including the sponsor, Food Lifeline, and Northwest Harvest, argued that grocery closures and food deserts are real problems and that local governments need tools to fill gaps when private grocers leave. Opponents, including grocery industry groups and several students, warned that public stores could undercut private grocers, burden taxpayers, and create operational and property-rights concerns; some testimony also questioned the need for government ownership and the use of tax increment financing. A proposed substitute removed eminent domain and tax increment financing provisions and narrowed the bill to grant-funded stores in underserved areas. Next, the committee heard HB 2451, a major rewrite of local tax increment financing rules. The bill would tighten notice, consultation, reporting, and mitigation requirements for TIF areas, strengthen the “but-for” test, limit where increment areas can be located, and protect existing taxing districts by excluding certain levies and requiring negotiation, mediation, or arbitration when impacts are significant. Cities, ports, counties, libraries, fire chiefs, and hospital districts largely described the bill as a negotiated compromise that improves transparency and addresses unintended impacts, though some local governments said they still wanted more flexibility or protections for existing projects. One city testified against the bill, arguing the new restrictions would make TIF much less useful for large redevelopment efforts. The committee then heard HB 2298, which would authorize county auditors to create voluntary property title protection programs to help prevent land-record fraud by allowing owners to record a protection instrument that delays recording of a title transfer for up to five business days unless identity verification is provided. Auditors, treasurers, and county officials strongly supported the bill as a practical response to rising deed fraud, while title and foreclosure industry representatives said the proposal was too limited, could interfere with foreclosures or other transfers, and would only delay—not prevent—fraud. The final bill heard was HB 2566 on local government procurement, which would raise certain small-purchase and small-public-works thresholds for counties, remove some differences between larger and smaller counties, and give counties more options when no bids are received. County representatives supported the bill as a needed update to procurement rules and a way to reduce bureaucracy and keep pace with inflation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that work continues.
• learning and work-site learning.
• learning and work site learning.
• We've been working with the U.S.
• question of modernization work.

Summary: The House Education Committee received status updates on career and technical education (CTE), including OSPI’s work under 2024 legislation on allied health pathways and a statewide CTE task force, an update from Core Plus Maritime, and findings from an Education Northwest longitudinal study of Washington CTE access and outcomes. OSPI described development of allied health guidance such as a home care aide to nursing assistant bridge, model curricula, updated course equivalency frameworks, and coordination with health agencies and employers. It also reviewed Core Plus framework work, task force expansion under later legislation, and the timeline for recommendations due in November 2026. Committee members asked about health profession outreach, equitable access for rural districts, data updates, and employer support for local programs; OSPI said it continues to work with agency and industry partners and that local labor-market alignment varies by region. Core Plus Maritime presenters described expanding maritime career exploration into middle school through low-cost ROV curriculum, student visits to ferries and vessels, Sea Scouts partnerships, and ship-based safety and welding experiences. Industry representatives from the Northwest Marine Trade Association, American Seafoods, and Vigor Marine Group emphasized the maritime sector’s economic importance, aging workforce, and need for hands-on training to build the pipeline for family-wage jobs. A teacher from South Kitsap High School said the program gives students a clear pathway and has helped connect them to careers in shipyards, fishing, and related trades. Vigor also noted support for a student welding competition and equipment donations for a Rainier Beach shop. Dr. Sam Riggs of Education Northwest presented a longitudinal study using state data from 2013-14 through 2023-24. The study found CTE access has been relatively steady statewide, but offerings vary by school size, locale, and income, with rural and lower-income schools generally offering fewer pathways. Participation is high: nearly all students earn at least some CTE credit, and more students are accumulating multiple credits over time, though fewer go deep within a single pathway. Students who earned more CTE credits, especially within pathways such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction, were more likely to graduate on time and later had stronger postsecondary certificate attainment and earnings. Riggs recommended addressing local barriers to participation, considering whether the CTE graduation requirement should better encourage depth while preserving flexibility, and aligning offerings more closely with labor-market needs. Committee members asked about COVID-era trends, student motivation, early workforce entry, delivery settings such as skill centers, and how to interpret the comparison groups used in the analysis.

Transcript Highlights:

• > long</c><00:02:03.360><c> as</c> and will continue to work on as long as and will continue to work
• </c> "Hey, why are these people working "Hey, why are these people working tomorrow?
• </c> have not worked for Henipin Healthcare. have not worked for Henipin Healthcare.
• It rides on the backs of the people doing the work. We have to be the people doing the work.
• </c><00:29:59.679><c> to</c><00:30:00.000><c> make</c> work with is working working to make work with