Transcript Highlights:

• Please continue. Thank you, Mr.
• And I just want to emphasize again how this measure is necessary to ensure that federal funds continue
• work on wildfire funding.
• Not one Republican voted last year to fund Cal Fire. Not one of them voted to fund Cal Fire.
• We can fund a year-round CAL FIRE policy, CAL FIRE, do you mind? We can fund CAL FIRE year-round.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As our events continue to grow, we are requesting $350,000 from the Legacy budget to assist with funding
• We'd like to encourage you all to continue the funding for this organization and this festival.
• <00:58:26.280> the encourage you all to continue the encourage you all to continue the funding
• we continue this work.
• we continue this work.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises
• we have made to continue a program that we don't have to continue?
• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises
• we have made to continue a program that we don't have to continue?
• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On this path, I continue to be his voice.
• So that's state funding. And then UC and CSU both match the funding for that program, too.
• “So then there is funding available to sort of expand the pool of the funding that’s available.
• It continues upon the work to continue to expand access to higher education, removing barriers for students
• to invest in, if students continue to ...be great programs in place that we should continue to invest

Summary: The committee first adopted its 2025-26 rules on a 7-0 roll call, then approved three consent items—AB 88, AB 240, and AB 313—on a due-pass motion to Appropriations. The hearing then moved to AB 648, which would give community college districts the same zoning authority as the UC and CSU systems to build student and staff housing on property they own or lease. The author and supporters argued the bill would help address severe housing insecurity and homelessness among community college students, while opponents and some members raised concerns about local control, zoning exemptions, and the impact on nearby communities. AB 648 passed the committee on a 5-2 vote and was sent to the Local Government Committee. The committee next heard AB 466, which would require California Community Colleges and CSU campuses to provide organ and tissue donor registry information during student orientation, and request UC campuses to do the same. Supporters shared personal stories about transplants and donation, saying college orientation is a good opportunity to increase registrations. Some members worried about information overload during orientation and suggested campuses have flexibility in how they present the material, but the bill advanced on a unanimous 7-0 vote to Appropriations. AB 326 followed, proposing campus-by-campus external audits of the CSU every three years and public release of the audits. The author, faculty supporters, and a student argued that systemwide audits do not provide enough transparency about how money is spent at individual campuses, citing examples of financial mismanagement and fee increases. CSU opposed the bill, saying it already conducts annual consolidated external audits and that campus-level audits would add cost without added benefit. After extensive discussion about transparency, audit scope, and implementation, the bill passed 6-1 to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 335, which would create a California Black-Serving Institution Grant Program to support Black student success and broader underserved student services; supporters emphasized persistent equity gaps and low completion rates, while an opponent argued the bill needed to be carefully amended to comply with Proposition 209 and equal protection requirements. The transcript ends during that item’s discussion, before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Before we dive into the Education Finance budget, we'll look at the all-funds budget, the general fund
• The remaining 1% of the E-12 education budget is from the special revenue fund, permanent school fund
• , and gift fund.
• 00:49:32.400> fund all general fund all general fund expenditures<00:49:35.640> as<00:49
• <00:55:10.119> is program the community service fund is program the community service fund

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 21 with a quorum present for the first meeting of the 2025 biennium. The co-chairs described the temporary power-sharing arrangement in the tied Senate, introduced committee staff and pages, and had members briefly introduce themselves and share what subject they would teach. After the introductions, the committee moved to a presentation from State Demographer Susan Brower. Brower reviewed Minnesota’s school-age population trends and projections, noting that the state had just under 1 million children ages 5 to 17 in 2023 and that, for the first time, the older adult population exceeded the school-age population. She said the school-age population is concentrated in the Twin Cities metro and other regional centers, and projected an overall decline of about 5% over the next 15 to 20 years, driven mainly by declining birth rates and long-running net outmigration of young adults. She also explained that growth is expected in some areas, especially along the I-94 corridor north of the metro, while northern regions are projected to see the largest declines. She clarified for members that her figures measure resident children, not school enrollment, and that boundary changes are not reflected in the district-level data. The presentation also covered demographic change among students. Brower said about 35% of Minnesota children ages 5 to 17 are children of color, with growing multiracial populations and increasing linguistic diversity. She reported that about 20% of school-age children have at least one foreign-born parent, and about 18% of enrolled students speak a language other than English at home, with Spanish, Somali, and Hmong the largest home languages. She also discussed child poverty, saying Minnesota’s rate is just under 10%, below the national rate of about 15%, and that poverty is concentrated in Minneapolis-St. Paul, some first-ring suburbs, and parts of northern Minnesota, including districts with larger Native populations. Members asked questions about whether the projections accounted for migration and whether open enrollment affected the figures; Brower said the data reflect where children live, not where they attend school, and that the projections are based on recent migration and birth patterns, with future changes more likely to come from international immigration than from domestic migration.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can't have continuity in service, you can't have continuity of care, you can't deliver high-quality
• So if we don't get those FTE and the funding associated with those FTE, overtime will just continue and
• continue to escalate.
• As far as funding, we do have legislative funding appropriated for both the inpatient and outpatient
• That was a program that we have funded out of our inmate welfare trust fund dollars, and we are continuing

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• to support support their funding to support support their continued<00:16:30.079> Effectiveness
• vset funding is continued Effectiveness vset funding is critical<00:16:32.480> to<00:16:32.680
• We're going to continue that funding, but like I said, I'm going to withdraw this now and hope that we
• We're going to continue that funding, but like I said, I'm going to withdraw this now and hope that we
• We're going to continue that funding, but like I said, I'm going to withdraw this now and hope that we

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• also fund balance itself.
• Federal, state, Funding sources reside from four areas, federal, state, our district, and then also fund
• or some other funding source.
• That doesn't mean we're not continuing to fund them.
• So we're continuously battling bots.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from the Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida water management districts for FY 2026-2027. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and priorities within the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Common themes included reduced budgets from the prior year due to completion of major projects, continued reliance on state appropriations and ad valorem revenue, rising construction and maintenance costs, and the need to maintain aging infrastructure while advancing alternative water supply, springs restoration, flood control, and land management projects. Committee members repeatedly asked how much of each district’s budget and personnel were devoted to the core missions, how maintenance and operating projections were developed, and how projects were selected. The districts generally said most spending was tied to core responsibilities, with administrative overhead relatively small, and explained that budgets are built through a mix of staff analysis, governing board direction, strategic basin planning, and cooperative funding with local, state, and federal partners. Several districts highlighted specific projects, including Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Taylor Creek Reservoir improvements, Crane Creek, Everglades restoration, and various springs and watershed projects. The districts also noted challenges from hurricanes, inflation, cybersecurity, and aging water control structures. South Florida Water Management District’s presentation focused on Everglades restoration and the large-scale infrastructure needed to move, store, and clean water in South Florida. The director said the district’s $1.05 billion preliminary budget is largely for flood control, water supply, ecosystem restoration, and maintenance of extensive canals, levees, pumps, and reservoirs, and emphasized that recent restoration investments are producing measurable water quality and salinity improvements. No votes were taken on the district budgets, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• also fund balance itself.
• Funding sources reside from four areas: federal, state, our district, and then also fund balance itself
• or some other funding source.
• That doesn't mean we're not continuing to fund them.
• So we're continuously battling bots.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from all five water management districts for FY 2026-2027: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and how most of its spending is tied to the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Several directors noted budget reductions from the prior year largely because major projects were completed or because grant/appropriation funding is not yet fully reflected in preliminary budgets. Committee members repeatedly asked how districts project operations and maintenance costs, how projects are selected, and what share of staff and spending is devoted to core missions versus administration or regulatory work. Northwest Florida Water Management District said its preliminary budget is $93.4 million, down about 15%, with 97% of spending tied to core responsibilities and a request for additional regulatory services funding. Suwannee River Water Management District presented a $70.4 million budget, emphasized its rural/agricultural character and spring protection work, and highlighted the Water First North Florida reclaimed-water recharge project; members also discussed its need for an additional FTE to handle consumptive use permit reviews tied to a new lower Santa Fe rule. St. Johns River Water Management District presented a $181 million budget, highlighted major water supply, water quality, flood protection, and land management projects such as Taylor Creek Reservoir, Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Crane Creek, and Lake Jessup restoration, and said about 93% of its budget supports core missions. Southwest Florida Water Management District presented a $227.6 million budget, with major spending on alternative water supply, water control structure repairs, watershed projects, and land management; officials said 93.4% of the budget supports core missions and discussed rising construction costs for aging infrastructure. South Florida Water Management District presented the largest budget at $1.05 billion, focused on Everglades restoration, flood control, water supply, and ecosystem recovery; the director described major reservoirs and treatment projects, the EAA Reservoir, and ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore flows to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The committee took no formal votes on the district budgets and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• these funds.
• price. whether funding sources paid for the appropriate projects, whether restricted highway funds were
• and working at a taxpayer-funded agency.
• And then we have funding.
• That's a daunting amount of different funding sources.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, considering in future years to add that back to the base or add it to the base and continue funding
• As a state, we can't afford not to continue to fund FIG.
• At least we can continue to fund the program, um, while we move forward.
• to<01:27:25.840> fund<01:27:26.159> the least we can continue to fund the least
• we can continue to fund the program<01:27:27.280> um<01:27:27.600> while<01:27:27.840>

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2312 and first adopted the DE1 amendment, after which the amended bill was discussed. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the spreadsheet and explained the bill’s higher education budget changes, including increases for state grants and tribal college assistance, unchanged funding for several existing programs, and reductions or eliminations for items such as state work study, summer academic enrichment, student loan counseling, concurrent enrollment, and the student parent support initiative. Staff also noted transfers to special revenue funds, the cancellation and reappropriation of ALS research funding, and a new licensing/registration revenue item. The committee was told the bill met the committee’s zero target overall, with a net general fund change of zero relative to the February forecast, while also adding some non-general fund expenditures for program licensing and registration. Members asked several questions about the transfers and specific line items, including whether any new special revenue accounts were being created, the foster care wraparound services line, and the treatment of the University of Minnesota and Centric Care partnership. Staff explained that the transfers generally did not create new accounts, that some items were not in the base, and that the U of M/Centric Care partnership was a one-time appropriation in the prior bill but was now being built into the base at a different amount. The University of Minnesota section also included new or continued funding for medical school development, health training restoration, emergency assistance grants, ALS research, and a weather resiliency program, while the Mayo Foundation section eliminated funding for Mayo Medical School and the Mayo family medicine residency program. The policy portion of the DE1 was then introduced. It included a maximum tuition and fee amount for state grants, direct appropriation of emergency assistance grants to Minnesota State, a juvenile justice appropriation for Metropolitan State University, and the ALS research reappropriation to the University of Minnesota. It also contained repealers for unfunded programs, including a delayed repealer for the student parent support initiative. In the higher education policy article, the bill would allow Minnesota State to offer applied doctoral degrees in cybersecurity, make technical changes to hunger-free campus and sexual misconduct procedures, extend pregnant and parenting student protections to private institutions, allow OHE to retain up to 10% of certain competitive grants for administration, consolidate reports, change the state grant formula so negative FAFSA contributions count as zero, and reduce the state grant lifetime credit cap from 180 to 120 credits. The Northstar Promise provisions would limit tuition and fees to resident rates and require MnState, and request the University of Minnesota, to ensure eligible students receive the benefit.

Transcript Highlights:

• aid program uh which sent uh EMS funding aid program uh which sent uh EMS funding to<00:04:03.760
• members this bill is a continued members this bill is a continued discussion<00:20:11.440> on
• However, we do need a long-term, sustainable funding model to ensure the continued viability of EMS services
• This bill represents funding certainty and a guarantee from the state that Minnesotans can continue to
• sustainable funding model to ensure<00:29:23.640> the<00:29:23.799> continued<00:29:24.320

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• cancel to the general fund. cancel to the general fund.
• funding is received. funding is received.
• service fund.
• I'm here today to testify in favor of continued state funding for unemployment insurance.
• Increased funding for ELM will allow this vital program to continue and update its offerings.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of those funds.
• Can also solicit these funds.
• We lobbied for funding.
• HCA has funded UNM to continue that for the foreseeable future, and UNM also had one year SAMHSA funding
• The surtax funding which provides funding to the Healthcare Affordability Fund (HCAF).

Transcript Highlights:

• can see how the Getting to Work funds can see how the Getting to Work funds are<00:05:19.400>
• I hope you will provide renewed funding for these grants so that agencies like ours can continue to provide
• I hope you will provide renewed funding for these grants so that agencies like ours can continue to provide
• I hope you will provide renewed funding for these grants so that agencies like ours can continue to provide
• I hope you will provide renewed funding for these grants so that agencies like ours can continue to provide

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• students in indigenous Health funding students in indigenous Health funding for<00:01:34.399>
• forward we're asking today for funding forward we're asking today for funding for<00:03:05.879><
• continues its crucial work.
• continues its crucial work.
• So funding for this program is self-contained, so the projects, the funding over 98% of the funding that's

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor continues to recommend a significant portion of his bonding bills go to fund state agency
• trunk highway funds.
• trunk highway funds.
• trunk highway funds.
• fund is not available in the in the fund fund is not available in the in the fund at<01:25:13.679

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard from the Minnesota Department of Administration on the governor’s capital budget requests. Commissioner Tamara Grundal described the state’s deferred maintenance backlog, saying Minnesota owns more than 4,800 buildings across 19 agencies, with an estimated replacement value of $11.2 billion and about $2.2 billion in deferred maintenance. She urged continued bonding support for asset preservation, CAPRA emergency repair funding, Capitol Complex security upgrades recommended by the ACAS advisory committee, and a budget-neutral account to help leverage federal funds for renewable energy storage and electric vehicle projects at state facilities. Members asked follow-up questions about prior security spending and CAPRA use. The commissioner said some 2018 security funds were used for items such as bollards, projectile-resistant glass, key card readers, and security kiosks, but specific details would be provided offline. On CAPRA, staff said recent projects included public safety upgrades, correctional facility repairs, water main and sewer work, roof repairs, lift station repairs, and boiler and steam trap replacements. The commissioner said the account has recently been used heavily, with about $1.9 million remaining, and estimated a typical target range of roughly $3 million to $5 million based on past spending and expected emergencies. A staffer said they did not know whether bonds had been issued ahead of time to fund the reserve and would follow up. The committee then heard from the Department of Public Safety on BCA capital projects. Commissioner Bob Jacobson and Superintendent Drew Evans said the governor’s proposal includes a new Southern BCA regional office and laboratory in Mankato, expansion of BCA regional office and lab space, and a new Minnesota State Patrol headquarters using trunk highway cash. Evans said the Mankato project is needed because of growth in DNA analysis, digital evidence, controlled substances, cyber tips, and sexual assault kit testing, and because the current St. Paul facility is over capacity. He said the new regional facility would improve turnaround times, reduce travel for scientists and law enforcement, support training, and improve evidence intake and crime scene response in southern Minnesota. Senator Pappas questioned the increase in the Mankato project cost from about $48 million to $68.6 million. Evans said the increase was driven by rising construction costs and additional specialized laboratory and support-space needs identified during design work with the Department of Administration. No votes or formal actions were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• or our personal funds for.
• We'll continue to do that.
• to obtain federal funding.
• to obtain federal funding.
• cost, especially as local governments continue to struggle with their general funds as we've seen across

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with testimony often centered on regional coordination, permitting reform, and local control. SB 802 by Senator Ashby would require Sacramento-area jurisdictions to form a joint powers authority to coordinate homelessness and housing response; supporters argued the region has long lacked accountability and coordination, while Sacramento County, Folsom, and others opposed the mandate as an unprecedented state-imposed JPA. The bill drew extensive support from local officials, business groups, service providers, and advocates, and opposition from county, city, and nonprofit representatives who said a local process was already underway. Committee members expressed support for the concept, but the bill was held pending a quorum and later discussed again with strong encouragement for regional collaboration. The committee also heard SB 222, SB 677, SB 908, SB 226, SB 828, and SB 1193. SB 222 would streamline permitting for residential heat pump and water heater installations; supporters said it would lower costs and speed clean-energy adoption, while local government groups argued the main barrier is upfront cost, not permits. SB 677 would curb what the author described as abusive appeals and delays in affordable housing approvals, with developers testifying about frivolous subdivision map appeals and TEFRA hearing delays; the California Native Plant Society sought an amendment to preserve appeals on habitat lands. SB 908 would simplify permits for energy-code-compliant window replacements, and SB 226 would clarify financing authority for a West Sacramento baseball stadium proposal; both passed unanimously. SB 828, prompted by the Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion, would tighten fireworks storage and licensing rules, expand inspection and seizure authority, and increase fines; it also passed unanimously after testimony from fire officials and a pyrotechnic operator who opposed it unless amended. SB 1193, a county-specific Alameda County transparency bill, generated the sharpest debate. The author argued it would prevent waste, favoritism, and conflicts of interest in discretionary spending by requiring board approval, a public spending log, and clearer whistleblower procedures. Alameda County and county associations opposed it as overly broad and burdensome, saying existing processes already provide transparency and that the bill would reduce flexibility during fiscal stress. After committee questions about the bill’s purpose and the county’s current practices, the measure passed 7-0, with the author indicating willingness to accept an amendment restoring a four-fifths vote threshold. The committee then moved out of order to SB 1090, which would impose a temporary moratorium on state housing density laws in Altadena through 2030 in response to post-fire displacement concerns. The author said the bill is intended to protect long-term residents from investor-driven redevelopment after the Eaton Fire, while acknowledging amendments to align the moratorium with affordable housing development timelines. The transcript cuts off during the presentation of this bill, so no final action is shown for SB 1090 in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Eighty percent of the Navajo Nation's non-governmental funds, funds that were coming in from industry
• our general fund budget.
• There is an ACD fund within the Department of Cultural Affairs that hasn't been funded historically.
• Funding out right away if we don't have funding guaranteed in the future, and kind of playing on what
• We need to fund you, and we need to fully fund you so that we can all benefit from that.

Transcript Highlights:

• MOVE FORWARD BUT I THINK WE CAN ALSO CONTINUE OUTREACH TO MAKE SURE THAT AS THE PROGRAM CONTINUES YEAR
• AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
• THROUGH THE USE OF ADDITIONAL FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING AND LOCAL FUNDING THE DEPARTMENT ISSUED A TOTAL OF
• IS IT A LACK OF FUNDING? ARE WE NOT ACCURATELY FUNDING IT?
• WE ARE LOOKING AT LOCAL FUNDING.

Keywords: 999, senate, all