Transcript Highlights:

• If I may just add my thanks to the advocates who have supported this and support safe pedestrian access
• We in 350 strongly support four bills.
• There are three bills that I want to show support for today. Thank you.
• And we looked at it from more of the employer side.
• And so on behalf of our over 14,000 supporters in Massachusetts, I'm here to testify in support of House

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a wide range of transportation bills focused on rural microtransit, commuter rail fares and service, rail electrification, climate alignment, and safety. Several speakers supported H. 4054 and related microtransit proposals, arguing that rural communities need stable, permanent funding for services like the Tri-Town Connector and Quaboag Connector, which have strong ridership, high satisfaction, and measurable economic and health benefits. Testimony also supported a commission bill to study microtransit funding and definitions, with witnesses emphasizing that current grant programs are helpful but short-term and insufficient for long-term service planning. A major theme was commuter rail equity and expansion. Boston-area officials and advocates backed bills to make all Boston commuter rail stations Zone 1A, citing large fare disparities between nearby stations in Hyde Park, Roslindale, and Readville. Related testimony supported studying an Orange Line extension from Forest Hills to Roslindale Square and expanding The Ride to Foxborough, as well as restoring commuter rail service to Cape Cod via Middleborough to Buzzards Bay and beyond. Speakers said these projects would improve access, reduce car dependence, and better serve neighborhoods and regions that currently face limited rapid transit options. Multiple panels urged action on electrification and climate-focused transportation planning, including H. 3726, the Freedom to Move Act, and bills to electrify commuter rail, buses, school buses, and public fleets. Advocates from environmental, transit, and public health groups said transportation is the state’s largest emissions source and argued that statutory goals, coordinated planning, and streamlined permitting are needed to speed decarbonization while improving safety, affordability, and reliability. The committee also heard support for a bill to streamline rail electrification permitting, a bill to exempt certain transit projects from MEPA review, and a bill to improve commuter rail pedestrian safety with gates, fencing, and warning devices at at-grade crossings. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• and support of the legislative priorities.
• And then within that COC Continuum of Care, there's permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, supportive
• And then within that COC continuum of care, there's permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, supportive
• Services Program to support apprenticeship programs.
• then later appropriating funding to support construction.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'm in full support. Thank you, sir. Okay. All right. No further discussion.
• Employers, you know, only have a person or two.
• I will take anyone in support of House Bill 2215.
• The voters are supporting their local schools.
• Thank you for your support.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Kevin McCarthy, president of the Arizona Tax Research Association, here in support of the bill.
• We didn't testify in support of that for a number of reasons, but not the least it would have required
• Chairman, I'd be available for any questions or just support the bill. Any questions? Mr.
• Employers may change behavior based on what a worker is now receiving.
• Employers may change behavior based on what a worker is now receiving.

Bills: SB1638

Committees: Senate Finance , Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference

Keywords: taxation, income tax, internal revenue code, deductions, tax benefits, retroactive, standard deduction

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I hope that those changes will definitely provide better supports for those individuals.
• So, I hope that those changes will definitely provide better supports for those individuals.
• </c> definitely um provide better supports definitely um provide better supports for<00:13:53.200><c>
• So, I hope that those changes will definitely provide better supports for those individuals.
• </c><00:18:46.240><c> and</c> dollar for dollar in this employment and dollar for dollar in this employment

Committee: Senate Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• section of the Medical Freedom Act, it deals with some travel exceptions there in regard to how employers
• So this will make it so the employers won't be penalized for it.
• And then I'm looking at that last one for employment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for a question.
• And then I'm looking at that last one for employment.
• As an employment lawyer, I will say there are a lot of instances where state or federal law require you

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, good morning to the public and
• Public employment and retirement law is complex and very technical, and...
• Public employment and retirement law is complex and very technical, and CalPERS works very hard, even
• A combination of employer and employee contributions toward the pension promise and CalPERS investments
• for both employers and workers.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement and the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement held a joint hearing required by law to receive an independent report from the California Actuarial Advisory Panel on CalPERS. Opening remarks emphasized CalPERS’ role in providing retirement security for about two million members and the importance of pension funding to the state budget, especially amid economic uncertainty, market volatility, federal policy changes, and concerns about future fiscal pressure. Scott Tarando, CalPERS chief actuary and a CAP member, presented on the statutory disclosure requirements in Government Code Section 2029. He explained that CalPERS’ current discount rate is 6.8%, that lower investment returns increase contribution rates and unfunded liabilities, and that the plan uses a 20-year amortization period for new unfunded liabilities. He said CAP has recommended a reasonable amortization range of 15 to 20 years and that CalPERS’ longer smoothing period helps reduce volatility in employer contributions. He also explained the timing of actuarial data: the valuation used for current contribution rates is based on the prior fiscal year’s audited data, with the next year’s rates developed later in the annual cycle. Members asked about the relationship between average employee service life and amortization, whether current market and AI-related changes could justify using more current data, whether pension benefits change when valuations are updated, and how CalPERS’ funded status has changed over time. Tarando said retiree benefits do not change based on annual valuations, that the system’s funded status has improved from roughly the mid-60% range about a decade ago to around 80% or higher more recently, and that CalPERS is monitoring possible long-term workforce effects from AI but sees no immediate need to change assumptions. Michael Cohen of CalPERS said the system complies with information requests and is independently audited annually, but there has been no formal federal review released. In public comment, a representative of county governments praised the improved funded status and PEPRA reforms. The hearing concluded with remarks reaffirming fiduciary responsibility and the importance of protecting CalPERS beneficiaries.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I've been very supportive of this policy in the past.
• Please support. Thank you. Now it's red. Thank you. Yes.
• Because of the work on the CRP, we are in support of it.
• For these reasons, I strongly support HB 2523 and urge... of the funds were also supported sourcing ingredients
• And I'm here to testify in support of House Bill 2606.

Bills: HB2157 , HB2351 , HB2365 , HB2357 , HB2446 , HB2523 , HB2606

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI regulation, algorithmic discrimination, high-risk AI, machine learning, generative AI, synthetic content, impact assessment, risk management policy, consumer protection, civil rights, discrimination, facial recognition, automated decision-making, deployers, developers, Washington RCW, Title 19 RCW, employment, housing

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> for</c><00:02:27.760><c> the</c> support this appropriation for the support this appropriation for
• The number of schools we provide career advising support to will be significantly diminished.
• be advising support to will be significantly<00:03:54.959><c> diminished.
• Minnesota needs more support on our young people, not fewer, at this critical moment in time.
• Minnesota needs more support on our young people, not fewer, at this critical moment in time.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our support for education does not end, however, at the reservation border.
• I respectfully ask your support for AB 1579 when it reaches the Assembly floor.
• It supports long-term planning and self-reliance for our nation, provides additional support for limited
• Our tribal enterprise supports approximately 2,000 jobs.
• I encourage support for the ratification bill when it does reach the Senate floor.

Committee: House Governmental Organization

Transcript Highlights:

• I rise in support of SR 77.
• If you support rural health care, you support restoration of the Medicaid cuts.
• If you support rural health care, you support restoration of the Medicaid cuts.
• If you support rural healthcare, you support restoration of the Medicaid.
• If you support rural health care, you support restoration of the Medicaid cuts.

Transcript Highlights:

• I urge you guys' support. Thank you. I recognize the member from Hennepin, Representative Craft.
• </c> I urge you guys' support. Thank you. I urge you guys' support. Thank you.
• It's been serious enough that people who have engaged in it have had to rescind their employment.
• </c><00:14:45.400><c> State</c><00:14:45.600><c> your</c> &gt;&gt; order. their employment.
• State your &gt;&gt; order. their employment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that Washingtonians rely on the state government for many services and supports, including quality
• I know the governor supports it, but how much thought went into that?
• The cost of doing business as a state—a state is primarily an employer—and costs of providing good jobs
• The cost of doing business as a state, a state is primarily an employer.
• You know, good jobs for state workers with health care benefits continues to rise, just as employers

Summary: Senate budget writers, led by Chair June Robinson with Senators Noel Frame and Derek Stanford, rolled out the Senate operating budget and described it as a difficult supplemental budget shaped by flat revenue growth, rising maintenance costs, and uncertainty from federal actions, including H.R. 1 and tariffs. They said the proposal aims to preserve core services such as K-12 education, health care, food assistance, housing stability, and long-term care while making targeted reductions and avoiding broad-based tax increases like sales, property, or B&O tax hikes. A major focus of the discussion was how to pay for the Working Families Tax Credit and how to handle cuts in the Working Connections child care program. Robinson said the Senate budget uses policy changes, especially an attendance-based payment adjustment, rather than the governor’s proposed enrollment cap and waitlist, because lawmakers wanted to avoid destabilizing the child care workforce and reduce harm to families. She also said the Senate is open to negotiating with the House on the Climate Commitment Act use of funds for the tax credit, noting that the statute allows it, though some advocates oppose that approach. The senators defended using $750 million from the rainy day fund, saying it was preferable to deeper cuts and still leaves reserves above $1 billion in the near term. They also argued that Washington’s revenue system is too dependent on property and sales taxes and that a future “millionaires tax” could help stabilize funding, especially for education and other core services. In response to criticism from educators and Republicans, they said the state has made progress on school funding and that rising program costs reflect increased need and utilization rather than waste. No votes were taken in the transcript, and the event was a budget rollout and press Q&A rather than a formal committee action.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's a lot of ice absolutely support this bill. It's a good bill.
• But policy wise, it is the willing employers who will hire them.
• Nothing about employers who hire undocumented workers. No punishment for the employer.
• And the 3rd group comes here for employment opportunity.
• crisis and support the most heinous of criminal illegal immigrants.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so I urge you to please support this bill.
• unnecessary barriers to employment.
• One more thing that I will say: this is all why we support this, but it's also why businesses support
• unnecessary barriers to employment.
• One more thing that I will say, this is all why we support this, but it's also why businesses support

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held a public hearing on several bills related to driver’s license suspensions, junior operator training, online driver education, and regulation of e-bikes/scooters. A major focus was the Road to Opportunity Act (H. 3662/S. 2368), which would end license suspensions and registration holds for unpaid fines and fees unrelated to road safety, create hardship waivers and payment options, and replace suspension with nonrenewal in some cases. Supporters included the Attorney General’s office, ACLU, CPCS, Greater Boston Legal Services, transportation and anti-poverty advocates, and several affected residents who described job loss, housing instability, and difficulty paying toll and fee debts. They argued the current system punishes poverty, disproportionately affects Black and Latino residents, and is costly to enforce. Some testimony also noted that the bill would preserve suspensions for dangerous driving offenses. District Attorney Marion Ryan testified in favor of two bills: one allowing partial payment plans for certain RMV penalties and another closing a loophole that makes the penalty for violating a hardship license less severe than driving after a full suspension. Senator Sear and Representative Reed also spoke for the Road to Opportunity Act, while the AAG said the Attorney General supports it. Committee members asked about RMV implementation and whether the agency supports payment plans; Ryan said the RMV has been cooperative but believes legislation is needed. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on bills affecting young drivers. Senator Lovely and Representative Cruz supported a bill to create a junior operator license training fund, expand access for low- and moderate-income families, require refunds in some cases, and allow earlier passenger privileges. Another bill would make virtual instructor-led driver education permanent; AAA and several driving school owners supported it as an access and convenience measure, while other instructors opposed it, arguing in-person instruction is safer and more effective. Finally, Senator Collins and others testified for a transportation safety bill regulating motorized bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and mopeds, increasing fines, requiring insurance for commercial use, and requiring public hearings and accessibility review for new bike lanes. Advocates for blind and disabled pedestrians supported that bill, while some transportation and business voices backed it as a safety and planning measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh we recently had for the support.
• Uh we actually employers employees.
• </c> Commission with us as well to support Commission with us as well to support 98%<00:25:14.720><c>
• We've identified 325 employers others.
• </c> supports 54 students. supports 54 students.

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education heard presentations from the University of Louisville and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) on their strategic plans, enrollment trends, and budget priorities. University of Louisville President Bradley highlighted the university’s new five-year strategic plan, its R1 research status, community-engaged and opportunity college classifications, record enrollment of 25,005 students, and its role in serving first-generation, Pell-eligible, military-connected, and rural students. He also emphasized the university’s economic and workforce impact, including athletics, nursing, dentistry, and a recent Speed School building, and previewed major capital and program requests: a $142 million STEMH building, a $15 million one-time request for National Cancer Institute-related cancer research, and $5.3 million for the Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership. He also discussed a planned $260 million health sciences building and the university’s efforts to expand health care access beyond Louisville through regional sites and residency partnerships. Members responded positively, with Representative Tipton asking about agency bond projects and regional health outreach, and President Bradley saying the university is evaluating debt capacity and exploring smaller projects while noting that the STEM building request would rely on state-funded debt service. He described UofL Health’s expansion into places such as Bullitt County, Shelbyville, Madisonville, and Paducah, and its efforts to train physicians for rural practice. Representative McCool praised the university’s military-friendly designation and cancer research priorities and noted personal family ties to UofL. Michaela Aman, a sophomore from Letcher County, also testified about how UofL has supported her as a rural student and emphasized the university’s commitment to opportunity and social mobility. KCTCS President Ryan Quarles and CFO Todd Kilburn then presented the system’s enrollment, completion, and workforce-training results. They said KCTCS now serves more than 110,000 students, graduated a record 24,000 students last May, and has moved from 45th to 4th nationally in graduation rate. They also highlighted that over half of students are first-generation, 60% work while enrolled, 70% of graduates work in Kentucky, and 74% graduate with no student loan debt. KCTCS described its common-course-numbering agreement with Morehead State as part of a broader transfer simplification effort, and said it trains about 200,000 Kentuckians annually when including workforce training and firefighter instruction. The system also outlined efficiency measures, including property sales, a new bookstore contract projected to save $4.3 million over five years, and a new evaluation process for real estate and facilities. KCTCS’s budget and capital requests included operating funding tied to enrollment growth, support for the TRAINs program, the ECTC training facility at Glendale, continued support for Health Force Kentucky, three capital construction projects at Jefferson, Bluegrass, and Gateway, and asset preservation funding focused on safety and security upgrades. Quarles also referenced House Bill 5, saying it would expand KCTCS’s correctional education and re-entry work and could help reduce recidivism. Members asked about the bill and its impact, and KCTCS said it already provides instruction in jails and prisons and sees the proposal as an extension of that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• It adds $720,000 for employment and training services for SNAP recipients.
• It adds $720,000 for employment and training services for SNAP recipients.
• As you probably know, I'm a big supporter of the... I do. Thank you.
• Like I said, I'm a big supporter. I know you are.
• Number three, DFA Child Support Enforcement with Martha Crane.

Committee: All ALC-REVIEW

Summary: The subcommittee first considered a used tire program contract for Arkansas District 4, an $88,000 one-year contract with LTR Intermediate Holdings. Senators raised concerns that the tire district’s revised business plan had not yet been approved and that the contract could leave the district unable to pay. Questions also focused on solicitation language that excluded bidders under corrective action plans. On motion, the committee held the contract until next month and encouraged the tire board to appear. Members then reviewed and, without objection, moved forward a series of methods of finance, alternative delivery projects, and discretionary grants. These included multiple university and college projects such as renovations, roof replacements, a new UCA multipurpose arena, and a revised financing package for UA Fayetteville’s Maple Hill residence hall. The committee also reviewed DHS and Department of Health grants for aging services, substance abuse prevention, mental health, nutrition outreach, hearing-loss follow-up, HIV services, maternal health, and rural hospital quality improvement. The committee next handled contract items, including a UAMS ratification for FMLA Source after an amendment was not submitted for review and payments continued past expiration; UAMS said it had retrained staff and would review for other missed contracts. Members also reviewed numerous construction, intergovernmental, out-of-state, and in-state contracts across state agencies and universities. Questions were raised about an out-of-state aeronautics study, a U of A Fayetteville parking guidance system, and a Veterans Affairs nursing contract. Most items were reviewed without objection, and the meeting adjourned after informational reports on contract amendments and minor contracts.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to thank my vice chair for his cooperation and support. And with that, Mr.
• River, would you like... ...for his cooperation and support. And with that, Mr.
• SB 1059, Archuleta, employment training panel records, due pass as amended to limit the scope of the
• SB 1012, Smallwood-Cuevas, employment of inmates, do pass. That's out on an A roll call.
• SB 1284, Smallwood-Cuevas, Medi-Cal employer reports, holding committee.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• What we're talking about is an employer contribution.
• So they could withstand a reduction of that employer contribution.
• So it would take OPER's employer contribution to 9.5%.
• Over the years, what we've been doing is appropriating that employer contribution.
• Itself, and we're going to support it.

Bills: SB1177

Committee: Senate Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget

Transcript Highlights:

• We have people who have signed up in support of this bill—57 people have signed up in support, but we're
• I'm here in support of Senate Bill 6235.
• I'm here in support of Senate Bill 635.
• And for that, we need your support and funding. I urge you to support this bill. Thank you.
• I strongly support SB 6325.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on the Workforce Education Investment Act (WEA) Oversight Board, hearing from board co-chair Jane Broome and Joel Anderson of WASAC. They described the account’s origins as a public-private partnership intended to supplement, not replace, existing higher education funding, and emphasized the board’s role in oversight and outcomes. Members discussed the need for better data, especially outcome-based data, and concerns that recent budget actions have used WEA funds to supplant general fund support for higher education, particularly at the University of Washington. The presenters said WASAC staffing has improved transparency, but they urged the committee to preserve the original “do not supplant” intent and to keep WEA focused on high-demand programs, financial aid, and student success. The committee then held public hearings on three bills. SB 6251 would require public medical schools to use letter grades or a tiered grading system; the sponsor said the bill was meant to standardize grading, while both Washington State University and UW Medicine testified in opposition, arguing that pass-fail and competency-based systems better support collaboration, student mental health, and residency competitiveness. SB 6259 would make students ineligible for state aid and require repayment of aid if they are found by a court to have caused major damage to a public institution; the sponsor framed it as accountability for serious vandalism, while the lone testifier from WSU student government supported free speech but opposed the bill’s penalties as inequitable for lower-income students. SB 6235 would address the higher education “fund split” by requiring state funding of compensation and central services to return to 2023-25 levels over time and directing a study on essential student services; nearly all testimony from university, faculty, and community college leaders supported the bill, saying the current approach shifts costs to tuition, creates instability, and forces cuts to classes, staffing, and student services. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. It adopted proposed substitutes and gave do-pass recommendations to SB 5978, SB 6209, SB 6217, and SB 6227, sending them to the Ways and Means Committee. The committee did not take action on SB 6235 in executive session. The meeting then adjourned.