Transcript Highlights:

• One chart we don't have on this is sort of the inverse of this, which is chronic absenteeism.
• Chronic absenteeism, which is defined as students missing 10% or more of the school year, is actually
• What's promising on the left side is that we do see chronic absenteeism rates declining, meaning more
• Students may feel safer; they may attend more, essentially reducing your chronic absenteeism.
• A real problem with absenteeism, and we don't have any solutions.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So there will be an accounting from the receipt of the absentee ballots to election day.
• And then the accounting of election day on absentee ballots is already done except for the part that
• So there will be an accounting from the receipt of the absentee ballots to election day.
• And then the accounting of election day on absentee ballots is already done except for the part that
• of the absentee ballots to election<00:43:25.599><c> day.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• on a Minnesota Public Radio story saying he was happy about the work that they were doing on the absenteeism
• about the work that they were doing on about the work that they were doing on the<00:25:01.320><c> absenteeism
• 02.320><c> task</c><00:25:02.720><c> force</c><00:25:03.159><c> and</c><00:25:03.279><c> he</c> the absenteeism
• task force and he the absenteeism task force and he thought<00:25:03.600><c> it</c><00:25:03.720><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• what we are assuming we will see from this initiative is that there will be a change in chronic absenteeism
• Chronic absenteeism is also defined in state law.
• And to how we calculate chronic absenteeism within statutory requirements, regardless of this being the
• well as our local state MESA assessments, and a look at our historic graduation rates, chronic absenteeism
• First of all, it's the absenteeism rates that teachers and parents struggle to keep.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, Representative Thayer has left an absentee vote of aye. Representative Wasserburger. Aye.
• Uh, Representative Thayer has left an absentee vote of aye. Representative Wasserburger, aye.
• Representative Yin has left an absentee vote of aye.
• </c> absentee vote of I. absentee vote of I.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Representative Yen has left an absentee &gt;&gt; Representative Yen has left an absentee

Bills: HB0003 , HB0117 , HB0041

Committee: House Labor, Health & Social Services

Transcript Highlights:

• students who are struggling with attendance: excused absences, unexcused absences, tardies, chronic absenteeism
• students who are struggling with attendance: excused absences, unexcused absences, tardies, chronic absenteeism
• students who are struggling with attendance: excused absences, unexcused absences, tardies, chronic absenteeism
• students who are struggling with attendance: excused absences, unexcused absences, tardies, chronic absenteeism
• Next we have Ashley Hightower. absences tardies chronic absenteeism absences tardies chronic absenteeism

Transcript Highlights:

• when the House is acting as a committee of the whole, and enter the following: the names of all absentees
• member's pro rata share of the costs incurred by the Sergeant at Arms to secure the attendance of absentees

Committee: House House Administration

Transcript Highlights:

• Nationwide, the community school system has shown to increase attendance, reduce chronic absenteeism,
• At Ford Elementary, we saw chronic absenteeism decrease by over 8% between the 2024 school year and the
• In just one year as a community school, we delivered a 9.7% decrease in chronic absenteeism last year
• This foundation of safety and security prevents chronic absenteeism, reduces behavioral barriers, and
• Chronic absenteeism drops, parent engagement increases, additional resources are secured, and student

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Education

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

Transcript Highlights:

• We should be talking about reducing chronic absenteeism.
• We would love to talk with you about our plans for addressing chronic absenteeism in our state.
• need programs that are proven, like phonics and the science of reading and dealing with chronic absenteeism
• That are proven, like phonics and the science of reading and dealing with chronic absenteeism, and that's
• We have to address chronic absenteeism.

Summary: The joint Senate Education and Budget Committee hearing focused on the Governor’s proposed education governance overhaul, which would shift day-to-day management of the California Department of Education from the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction to a new appointed education commissioner, while giving the Superintendent new voting roles on the State Board of Education and the Community College Board of Governors. Chair Perez opened by stressing that the proposal raises major policy questions beyond the budget process and should be evaluated for its effect on students, local control, and accountability. Brooks Allen of the State Board of Education argued the change would unify policymaking and implementation, reduce fragmented authority, and create clearer accountability, citing decades of reports criticizing California’s “crazy quilt” governance structure and noting the proposal is timed for the 2026 transition. Amber Alexander of the Department of Finance outlined the fiscal and staffing transfers, describing the plan as largely cost-neutral and explaining how positions would shift between the State Board, the Department, and the new Superintendent’s office over 2026-27 and 2027-28. Sarah Cortez of the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the LAO supports shifting management to an appointed commissioner but recommended several refinements: preserving legislative oversight, requiring Senate confirmation of the commissioner, clearly defining the Superintendent’s duties as a public representative/advisor/evaluator, and refining the State Board’s role to focus on major policies requiring public input. She also said the fiscal plan should be cost-neutral and more fully specified. Senators raised concerns about the timing during an election year, the constitutional status of the Superintendent, whether the proposal should instead be a constitutional amendment, and whether governance changes actually improve student outcomes or simply rearrange the org chart. Some members questioned whether the proposal would confuse voters and undermine democratic accountability, while others said the current structure is already confusing and that the reform could improve clarity for districts and local boards. The discussion also covered how curriculum is set, with LAO explaining that the Legislature has broad authority but has delegated much curriculum work to the State Board and the Instructional Quality Commission. Members asked how the new structure would affect local districts, who they would call for guidance, and whether the commissioner would have authority over policy; the presenters said policy authority would remain with the State Board, while the commissioner would handle administration and implementation. No votes were taken during the panel discussion, and the hearing was organized to continue with additional panels and public comment later in the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill provides greater flexibility for cities administering absentee voting, standardizes the use
• The bill provides greater flexibility for cities administering absentee voting, standardizes the use
• It allows cities that are designated as absentee voting to conduct absentee voting for just 18 days instead
• It allows cities that are designated as absentee voting to conduct absentee voting for just 18 days instead
• voting um to conduct as absentee voting um to conduct absentee<01:31:16.239><c> voting</c><01:31:17.040

Bills: HF3698 , HF4243 , HF4239 , HF4241 , HF4242 , HF4240

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• For absentee members. Thank you. Thank you. We will in fact take up the consent calendar now.
• We'll leave the roll open for absentee members. Is this yours? I don't have my pink holders.

Committee: House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Uh, Representative Wharff left an absentee vote of I. >> I, Mr.
• Left an absentee vote of I, and Chairman Locke. I. Mr. Chairman, that is eight ayes, one conflict.
• representative warf &gt;&gt; representative warf &gt;&gt; left<00:40:58.560><c> an</c><00:40:58.800><c> absentee
• ><00:40:59.599><c> I</c><00:41:00.160><c> and</c><00:41:00.480><c> chairman</c> &gt;&gt; left an absentee
• vote of I and chairman &gt;&gt; left an absentee vote of I and chairman lock lock lock &gt;&gt; I &gt

Bills: SF0079 , SF0080 , SF0039

Committee: House Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• They're also tracking school climate measures, proficiency rates, and chronic absenteeism with high frequency
• They're also tracking school climate measures, proficiency rates, and chronic absenteeism with high frequency
• Those are in the RFA, so graduation rates, absenteeism.
• In 2025, chronic absenteeism is down three points from the prior year.
• With chronic absenteeism and declining enrollment plaguing districts statewide, these connections are

Transcript Highlights:

• They're also tracking school climate measures, proficiency rates, and chronic absenteeism with high frequency
• They're also tracking school climate measures, proficiency rates, and chronic absenteeism with high frequency
• Those are in the RFA, so graduation rates, absenteeism.
• In 2025, chronic absenteeism is down three points from the prior year.
• With chronic absenteeism and declining enrollment plaguing districts statewide, these connections are

Summary: The joint informational and oversight hearing focused on community schools in California, with members emphasizing that the purpose was to examine effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability rather than the Governor’s budget proposal. The California Department of Education described the California Community Schools Partnership Program, created in 2021 and funded with more than $4 billion, including planning, implementation, extension, and county coordination grants. Officials said nearly 2,500 schools are participating and highlighted the statewide technical assistance structure, including the State Transformational Assistance Center, eight regional centers, county offices, and CDE support. Researchers from the Learning Policy Institute and UCLA presented early findings and implementation data. LPI reported reductions in chronic absenteeism and suspensions, along with gains in math and English language arts, with especially large benefits for Black students and other historically underserved groups. UCLA described the Annual Progress Report as a statewide improvement tool showing growth in capacity-building, shared decision-making, whole-child supports, and continuous improvement. Members asked about how the reports measure outcomes, how to interpret outliers, and how to distinguish community schools effects from other concurrent initiatives; presenters said matched comparison methods and deeper case-study work are being used, with additional statewide findings expected in June. Panelists from Oakland Unified, LAUSD/UTLA, San Diego Unified, and advocacy organizations described key elements of success: integrated student supports, strong family and student engagement, collaborative leadership, community partnerships, and school-site decision-making. They gave examples such as wellness centers, dual enrollment, student senates, parent leadership, and community campaigns that built trust and increased participation. Members also raised concerns about sustainability, implementation fidelity, and whether community schools improve participation in LCAP processes. Presenters said major barriers include unclear early guidance, the need for a mindset shift away from top-down models, and uncertainty about long-term funding for coordinators and other staff. The panel’s recommendations centered on stable ongoing funding, stronger technical assistance, shared governance, and embedding community schools practices into district and county systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Chairman Heiner left an absentee and he voted I.
• &gt;&gt; Chairman Heiner left an absentee and he voted<00:21:27.440><c> I.
• Chairman Hiner left an absentee and he voted I. Uh, this is a due pass 8001. Wonderful.
• &gt;&gt; Chairman Hiner left a absentee and he voted<00:42:40.560><c> I.
• Chairman Heiner left an absentee vote. Chairman Heiner left an absentee vote. That was yes.

Bills: HB0075 , HB0128

Committee: House Minerals, Business & Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• I had an agenda item for absentee vote.
• I had an agenda item for absentee voting, but it doesn't appear that absentee voting is going to be needed
• joining us before the end of our meeting—so I don't think it's going to be necessary to have any absentee
• joining us before the end of our meeting, so I don't think it's going to be necessary to have any absentee
• So that will be the rule for absentee voting. Are there other questions, Commissioner Fuller?

Summary: The commission held its 16th and final meeting to review and vote on revisions to its draft report on combating antisemitism. After roll call, members approved the prior meeting minutes, adopted a procedure for handling substantive and technical edits, and authorized limited technical corrections after the meeting. Senator John Velis’s letter was read into the record noting his military deployment and support for the final report, and the commission discussed the scope of the report, including its 118 findings and recommendations and the large volume of testimony received over the year. Members then worked through a series of amendments to the report. The chair’s prefatory statement was revised to restore language and data about Massachusetts Jews’ relationship to Israel and the impact on the commission’s work. Commissioner Liken’s proposal called for DESE guidance and teacher training to support intellectually diverse K-12 classrooms; members debated how to ensure it could not be used to justify biased or false material, and the amendment passed with discussion about existing guardrails. Commissioner Hay’s technical edits were adopted, and commissioners also discussed whether DESE’s new reporting system should anonymize data; the language was revised to specify anonymized data and approved. Additional amendments were adopted on public safety and higher education, including clarifying support for nonprofit security grants and personnel grants, refining language on academic boycotts, and adding references to Zionist identity and presumed Zionist identity as possible bases for antisemitic treatment. Commissioner Kipnis’s revisions to the prefatory statement were also considered, with some members objecting to the removal of language about minimization and traumatic invalidation and others supporting a more concise, fact-driven tone. The commission also approved language strengthening recommendations by changing several “should” statements to “must.” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg then delivered closing remarks praising the commission’s work and sharing personal family history to illustrate the persistence of antisemitism in Massachusetts. She said the report offers a practical roadmap, including bias reporting in schools, security coordination, and broader anti-discrimination training, and emphasized that the recommendations will help all communities. Commissioners thanked her for her leadership and testimony. The meeting continued with further amendments, including one on law enforcement security grants and another on higher education findings and recommendations, and the commission repeatedly voted by roll call, generally approving the revisions unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• Without absentee voting, these people would not be able to make it to polling stations without taking
• Without absentee voting, these people would not be able to make it to polling stations without taking
• no answer to a question about what's right at the top of this bill that states that it abolishes absentee
• Does it abolish absentee voting? Senator, I'll go ahead, if you wish. Is that a yes or no?
• This bill changes nothing with absentee ballots.

Bills: HB45 , SB1540 , SB2225 , SB2284 , SB2382 , SB2487 , SB2514 , SB2595 , SB2876 , SB2877 , SB3031 , SB2753

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Summary: The committee first adopted a committee substitute for Senate Bill 30 and then voted to report the substituted bill favorably to the full Senate; the roll call showed six ayes and one nay, with later unanimous-consent corrections noted for additional aye votes. The committee also reported Senate Bill 801 favorably to the full Senate by an eight-to-one vote. Both bills were left with no further action in the meeting after the votes. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2595 by Senator Middleton and Senate Bill 2876 by Chairman Hughes, both aimed at addressing masked harassment and riot-related conduct. Supporters said the bills would deter intimidation, protect public order, and respond to recent protests and anti-Semitic incidents, while opponents from civil rights, disability, and advocacy groups argued the measures were overly broad, could chill peaceful protest, and would burden people who wear masks for religious, medical, or disability-related reasons. Public testimony was taken on both bills, and both were left pending after testimony closed. Senate Bill 2753, by Senator Hall, proposed consolidating early voting and election day into a single continuous in-person voting period with common procedures and equipment, while preserving countywide voting and mail voting. The Secretary of State’s office said the bill could improve ballot secrecy and simplify administration, though witnesses raised concerns about ballot privacy, logistics, and access for disabled voters; some county election officials were neutral or supportive of the concept, while others opposed it as confusing or potentially burdensome. The bill was left pending after extensive testimony. The committee also heard Senate Bill 2225 on allowing spirit-based ready-to-drink beverages to be sold in grocery and convenience stores, with supporters arguing the law should focus on alcohol content rather than the source of the alcohol and that the bill would modernize an outdated code. Later, Senate Bill 1540, which would add election officials and related workers to confidentiality protections, drew support from county election officials who described threats and harassment, though one witness suggested the bill’s language may need technical adjustment to better match its intent. Finally, Senate Bill 2382, concerning statewide voter registration systems and offline counties, drew opposition from county election administrators and vendors who warned about capacity, cybersecurity, and single-point-of-failure risks, while others suggested a phased approach or API-based integration; the transcript ends with testimony still open on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we talk to kids and counties, and we're just trying to get a handle on excessive absenteeism and
• </c> And we talk to kids and counties, and we're just trying to get a handle on excessive absenteeism
• Punitive repercussions that do little to address the root causes of absenteeism.
• I've heard Representative Bakeberg make a claim in talking about chronic absenteeism.
• The issue of absenteeism learning.

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• She said 14 states, including Washington, permit mailed and absentee ballots sent and postmarked before
• So a total of 14 states, including Washington, permit ballots, mailed and absentee ballots that were
• proactively mail ballots to all active registered voters, so that includes Washington, all states do send absentee
• That list would be of all those individuals who are being mailed an absentee ballot.

Summary: The House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee held a virtual work session focused first on federal actions affecting elections. A representative from NCSL reviewed recent U.S. Supreme Court and pending cases, including a redistricting/Voting Rights Act case and a case on whether mailed ballots received after Election Day can be counted. She also discussed a Trump executive order directing USPS to draft mail-ballot rules, the federal SAVE system’s expanded use for voter list maintenance, DOJ requests for unredacted voter rolls, and reduced federal election-security support. Committee members asked about proof of citizenship requirements, whether DOJ requests are compulsory, and how federal election funding and grants may be changing. The Attorney General’s Office then described Washington’s litigation challenging two election-related executive orders and DOJ’s lawsuit seeking unredacted voter registration lists. State lawyers said courts have already enjoined parts of the executive orders, including documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements and voting-system changes, and have upheld Washington’s ballot-receipt deadlines so far. They said DOJ’s voter-roll demands have been rejected by multiple courts and that Washington’s position is that state law limits disclosure of sensitive voter data. Members asked about the legal basis for DOJ’s requests, the risk of immigration-enforcement use, and whether attestation on registration forms counts as proof of citizenship; the office said it does under state law and that no evidence of mass voter-fraud problems in Washington has been shown. Deputy Attorney General Todd Bowers then gave a broader overview of the Attorney General’s federal litigation, saying Washington has filed 61 cases since January 2025, often with other states, and has had notable success obtaining preliminary injunctions and favorable summary judgments. He highlighted cases involving election rules, environmental and energy disputes, public health funding, student loans, housing, and data privacy, and said many challenges involve executive-branch conditions added to congressionally appropriated funds. He also described a growing number of federal audits and inquiries directed at state agencies. Finally, Office of Equity Director Megan Matthews discussed how federal actions are affecting state and local equity work, community organizations, and public confidence. She said the office is coordinating more closely with the Attorney General, governor’s office, other agencies, and local governments through the immigration subcabinet, while also working on data privacy, Keep Washington Working compliance, and community outreach. Committee members asked about the office’s human-trafficking work and how it is encouraging agency compliance; Matthews said the focus is on clearer guidance, technical support, and consistent expectations across agencies. The committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Medford High School has been using recess to keep kids in class, and it's reduced their chronic absenteeism
• class and it's reduced<00:18:11.840><c> their</c><00:18:12.480><c> chronic</c><00:18:12.960><c> absenteeism
• </c><00:18:13.840><c> by</c><00:18:14.240><c> 12%</c> reduced their chronic absenteeism by 12% reduced
• their chronic absenteeism by 12% in<00:18:14.960><c> the</c><00:18:15.120><c> last</c><00:18:15.360>

Summary: The Committee of Conference on Senate Bill 578 met to reconcile differences in a bill concerning recess times for children and related early learning provisions. The Senate sponsor described two compromise amendments, both based on the Senate version, that would restore play-based learning through third grade and replace guided reading with interactive shared reading; the only difference between the two was whether recess would extend through fifth grade or eighth grade. The sponsor argued the changes were supported by studies, existing state investment in play-based learning, and examples from schools using recess to improve attendance and behavior. House members opposed the amendments, saying they were concerned about creating an expensive or unfunded mandate and about limiting local control over curriculum decisions. One House member said the state lacked enough fiscal support and implementation time for districts, and another said the proposal should perhaps be studied further before expanding it beyond kindergarten. Supporters countered that the state had already invested in training, that the proposal was a teaching method rather than a new curriculum, and that play-based learning and recess improve mental health, classroom behavior, and student engagement. The committee voted on the 2084S amendment, and it failed on a divided vote. After further discussion, the House reiterated that it would stick with its position and oppose the Senate amendments. The chair then stated that the committee was at an impasse and that the bill was effectively dead, with no further action taken.