Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the chief nursing officer for our Bismarck Market and the executive sponsor for our behavioral health
• But as we go to execute and implement, we realize that we should have put some in the operating line.
• But as we go to execute and implement, we realize that we should have put some in the operating line.
• ...go to execute and implement, we realize that we should have put some in the operating line or we
• We do have to make sure that we're not in the execution phase.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the March 18 minutes, and then received a series of updates on major health-related projects and programs. CHI St. Alexius representatives reported progress on behavioral health buildouts in Bismarck, Williston, and Grand Forks, including demolition and construction milestones, staffing plans, and timelines. The Bismarck project remains on track for completion in June 2027 with about $346,500 spent to date. Williston reported construction underway, a $750,000 unbudgeted air handler replacement, active recruitment for psychiatrists and other staff, and a projected substantial completion in early 2027. Grand Forks reported about 30% completion, weather-tight status expected in August, and continued staffing ramp-up as the facility expands from its current 24-bed operation. The Department of Health and Human Services then reviewed a set of technical line-item transfers, emphasizing that they were administrative corrections with no net change in funding. The department also walked through the Salaries and Wages Block Grant and FTE counts, noting overall staffing remained within appropriated limits and that behavioral health staffing had increased. Members asked about vacancies, consultant use, and the mix of in-state versus out-of-state expertise for the Rural Health Transformation Program. HHS said it had posted 12 funding opportunities, received 422 applications, obligated $8.4 million so far, hired 26 people, and was preparing additional grant rounds and a CMS budget submission. The department said the program is structured around workforce, prevention/healthy living, care closer to home, and technology/data, with ongoing stakeholder engagement and community forums. The committee also heard on the certified community behavioral health clinic implementation plan, SNAP payment error rates, and the state laboratory project. HHS said CCBHC certification is being implemented in four regions—Williston, Minot/North Central, Fargo/Southeast, and Dickinson/Badlands—with care coordination expanding and baseline data still being collected. On SNAP, the department reported a 2025 payment error rate of 9.89%, acknowledged cost impacts under HR1, and said it is using training, system changes, and pre-authorization quality checks to reduce errors toward a 6% target over the next 6 to 12 months. Finally, Public Health reported the state laboratory reached substantial completion on June 12, with total costs at $69.95 million of the $70 million budget, though a service elevator issue will require a new lift to be added using contingency funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• De Manakami, executive director, Boy...
• De Manakami, executive director, Boy Housing Finance and Development Corporation.
• That there shall be appointed an executive director and an executive assistant who will serve at the
• And I think my follow-up question is, um, can you clarify: was Max sitting in that executive assistant
• Um, it's so from my understanding that there's no executive director or executive... >> Correct.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• appointments not required to appear, starting with item 2C, the appointment of Anthony Surich as Executive
• Item 2C, the appointment of Anthony Surich as Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency
• Tia Fleming, Executive Director of the California Water Efficiency Partnership, in strong support.
• James Piper, Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority, in strong support.
• Vance Staplin, Executive Director of the Golden State Salmon Association, in opposition. Thank you.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The committee first handled several governor’s appointments not required to appear, approving Anthony Surich to lead the California Housing Finance Agency, Craig Snelling to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, Nicholas Mueller to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, and the referral of bills to committees, each by 4-0 votes. It then heard testimony on the appointment of Jereen DiDamo to the State Water Resources Control Board. DiDamo highlighted priorities including water-use efficiency, SGMA implementation, groundwater recharge, ecosystem restoration, and expanding safe drinking water access, noting the number of Californians without safe drinking water had fallen from 1.6 million to 800,000 since 2019. Senators focused heavily on the safe drinking water program, consolidation of failing systems, funding, domestic wells, SGMA, and the Bay-Delta plan. Supporters praised her practical, collaborative approach and work on drinking water; opponents from environmental and tribal groups argued the board had favored agricultural and urban interests and had not acted quickly enough to protect the Delta and fisheries. The committee ultimately voted 4-0 to advance the appointment to the full Senate. After a brief recess, the committee took up the appointment of Siva Gunda to the California Energy Commission. Gunda said California is managing three major transitions at once—decarbonizing the grid, electrifying transportation and buildings, and winding down petroleum and natural gas—and emphasized planning, transparency, and coordination across agencies and the West. Senators questioned him about Kern Energy and the impact of refinery compliance burdens, the state’s transportation fuels plan, Diablo Canyon, fuel imports, and affordability. Gunda said the Energy Commission has supported exemptions or potential exemptions for small refineries, that current planning assumes Diablo Canyon retires in 2030 without creating reliability problems if new resources continue to come online, and that most new capacity has been storage and solar. He also said California still imports a significant share of crude and refined products, with costs affected by global markets and shipping. The committee approved his appointment 4-0 to move to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• for the residents of Frankfurt and Franklin County to meet with the General Assembly and for the executive
• the<00:45:35.760> legislative<00:45:36.240> branch<00:45:36.640> to executive
• and the legislative branch to executive and the legislative branch to uh<00:45:37.119> get<00
• :47:10.560> the speaker, uh Vincent Evans, who's the speaker, uh Vincent Evans, who's the executive
• director of the Congressional executive director of the Congressional Black<00:47:12.560> Caucus.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the pledge, called the roll, excused absent members, and approved the prior day’s journal. The chamber then received House messages noting passage of House Bills 1, 422, 568, and 627, and heard second-reading reports for several measures, including bills on the state dog breed, mortgage loan income limits, virtual currency kiosks, agriculture, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Committee reports also advanced a number of bills from Appropriations and Revenue, Health and Services, Natural Resources and Energy, and State and Local Government, with many sent to the Rules Committee for further action. New bills and resolutions were introduced, including measures on transportation, tobacco/nicotine/vapor products, Public Schools Week, and honoring Joseph H. Mattingley Jr.; the Rules Committee later posted several bills for the next day and committee referrals were announced. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 98, relating to welding safety. The sponsor explained that the bill requires inspections by American Welding Society-certified personnel on certain projects where those standards apply, citing a prior school structure collapse in Kentucky as the public-safety rationale. After debate, the bill passed by a vote of 33-4. The chamber next considered Senate Bill 122, which updates alternative sentencing law to allow judges to consider caregiving responsibilities when sentencing defendants. A floor amendment, developed with input from judges, broadened and clarified the caretaker definition and moved the language into the existing sentencing statute while preserving judicial discretion. Supporters said the bill is intended to help keep families together without mandating probation or reducing penalties; after the amendment was adopted, the bill passed 35-2. Later, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 57 honoring Father Patrick McDow on his ordination, and Senate Resolution 60 was read in full to honor the YMCA on its 175th anniversary in the United States, highlighting the organization’s history and Kentucky service. Members also announced upcoming committee meetings, including a special Health Services Committee meeting on artificial intelligence in rural health, and other committee schedules. The session concluded with the Senate in recess for committee meetings and then returning to report additional committee referrals and announcements.

Transcript Highlights:

• joined here today by Tanya Henry, who is our DCI budget director, as well as two members of our executive
• I wanted to know if you could talk a little bit about the executive...
• I wanted to know if you could talk a little bit about the executive order that you, well, not executive
• In addition, some members of our executive team are also here today.
• The Missouri Commission on Human Rights, headed by Acting Executive Director Shannon Thompson, has 24.7

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Smith, who was the executive director; I was told by staff that he may not be able to join us.
• And I don't have data; I was hoping that our executive director would be here today.
• Parks, who is our Interim Executive Director, on the last page.
• We get advice from the executive director, and we've gotten advice from their general counsel.
• The negotiator, which is the executive director.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the Executive Director. We're actually going to start our presentation off with Tara.
• Yes, I'm Steve Chovina, Executive Director at El Cali Pursuit Kitchen.
• And we would work with our executive and NMFA partners to develop this proposal and bring it back to
• Coordinating with the executive in order to complete projects should maybe be a requirement.
• Requirement with a timeline, and the timeline should apply to the executive too.

Transcript Highlights:

• And while this body has come together, the executive branch of our federal government...
• While this body has come together, the executive branch of our federal government threatens to erode
• Benedetto, Executive Director of ScholarShare 529 Investment Board; Stanley Zetto, Deputy Director of
• Especially while we wait for safety assessments from the executive branch.
• This bill also makes sure there will be real data analyzed by the safety experts in the executive branch

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file with numerous guest introductions and recognitions, including tributes to outgoing University of California President Michael Drake, student and community advocates, and visitors connected to foster care, military appreciation, and college savings. The chamber also took up several procedural items, including concurrence in Senate amendments to ACR 75 on California Farm Week, which passed 59-0. Members then adopted AJR 7 on protecting federal special education funding and services for students with disabilities, with broad bipartisan support and a 65-0 vote after 63 co-authors were added. The Assembly also adopted ACR 82 recognizing Foster Care Month and ACR 85 recognizing 529 College Savings Day by voice vote after adding co-authors, and ACR 89 recognizing Military Appreciation Month, also adopted by voice vote after co-authors were added. These resolutions featured testimony and remarks emphasizing support for vulnerable children, foster youth, military families, and access to higher education. On policy bills, the Assembly passed AB 929 on groundwater and managed wetlands (41-14), AB 1026 on utility connection timelines for housing projects (52-0), AB 1332 on direct shipment of medicinal cannabis under specified conditions (55-0), AB 1356 on follow-up reporting in DHCS death investigations at treatment facilities (54-0), and AB 671 on streamlining restaurant openings through self-certification of certain plans (62-0). The chamber also approved AB 715 on anti-Semitism and school climate after extensive debate and cross-caucus support, 64-0, and AB 33 on autonomous vehicle deliveries requiring a human safety operator, 52-6. Later, AB 5 on election ballot-counting timelines passed 66-0, AB 27 and AB 28 addressing the Chiquita Canyon landfill disaster passed 61-0 and 44-6 respectively, and the Assembly began consideration of AB 43 to extend state authority over wild and scenic rivers.

Transcript Highlights:

• And with me is Rebecca Norton, the executive director of our Office of Financial Management.
• And with me is Rebecca Norton, the executive director of our Office of Financial Management. Okay.
• And with me is Rebecca<00:01:59.520> Norton,<00:02:00.399> the<00:02:00.560> executive
• <00:02:01.200> director Rebecca Norton, the executive director Rebecca Norton, the executive
• I'm the executive director, the new executive director.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard capital plan presentations from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Personnel Cabinet, and the School Facilities Construction Commission. The Justice Cabinet described its large portfolio of more than 900 facilities across the state and said decades of underfunded maintenance have created a backlog of repairs. Requested projects included a high-acuity mental health treatment facility for juvenile justice youth, two female detention centers to support the regional detention model, major corrections repairs and replacements, a new kitchen at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, a new dormitory at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, completion of a new Eastern Kentucky prison, DOCJT training facility upgrades in Richmond and Madisonville, State Police radio system replacement and post construction, a combined Frankfort headquarters/Post 12 facility, and expanded crime lab and storage capacity. When asked about the high cost of the EKCC kitchen project, staff said construction inside an operating facility raises costs and that building a new adjacent kitchen would be more economical in the long run. The panel also asked about Fish and Wildlife officers training at DOCJT; staff said they do and that the training is funded through the CLEFT fund. The Justice Cabinet also said the recently enacted Senate Bill 4’s AI inventory and registry requirements would be part of its enterprise application and AI inventory system work. The Personnel Cabinet requested funding to replace CHRIS, the state’s human resources and payroll system, which supports payroll and benefits for about 48,000 employees and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan for roughly 192,000 members. Staff said the current SAP-based system went live in 2011, is approaching end of support in 2030, and has not received functionality enhancements since 2016. They said the replacement is estimated at $151 million, with most of the cost tied to professional services and software, and that the project would begin in July 2026, go live by July 2030, and require a stabilization period through 2032. In response to questions about outsourcing payroll or reusing existing systems, staff said the complexity of state HR, payroll, tax updates, and integrations with other agencies makes outsourcing or partial reuse impractical. The School Facilities Construction Commission introduced its role in helping all 171 school districts address unmet facility needs, focusing on core school facilities such as roofs and elementary buildings rather than athletic projects. No votes or formal actions were taken during the excerpted discussion; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations of requested projects, and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so with that, I would like to turn over to our witnesses: David Bacarsley, Executive Director of
• My name is David Bacarsley, and I'm the Executive Director of JPEC, a coalition of nearly 40 major Jewish
• I'm Lori Lander Goodman, the Executive Director of LEAP, a nonprofit in Santa Barbara County that serves
• I'm Lori Lander Goodman, the executive director of LEAP, a nonprofit in Santa Barbara County that serves
• I'm on the Executive Board of the Union for Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish movement in North America

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee held a special hearing on AB 715, with the authors presenting the bill as a response to rising anti-Semitism in K-12 schools. The authors said the measure is intended to strengthen protections for Jewish students, improve district accountability, expand the uniform complaint process, clarify protections related to religion and nationality, and create a state-level anti-Semitism coordinator. They emphasized that the bill was developed through collaboration with the Black, Latino, AAPI, and Jewish caucuses and argued it is meant to protect all students from hate while preserving legitimate classroom discussion. The hearing included extensive public testimony. Supporters, including students, parents, rabbis, Jewish organizations, and some educators, described harassment, biased curriculum, delayed or ineffective school responses, and fear among Jewish students and families. They urged the committee to act to make schools safer and more responsive. Opponents, including teachers, ethnic studies advocates, civil liberties groups, Palestinian rights advocates, and some Jewish parents, argued the bill was rushed, vague, and could chill academic freedom, censor discussion of Palestine and Israel, and expand complaints against teachers and school districts. Several witnesses said existing complaint and anti-discrimination systems already address these issues. Committee members then questioned the authors and witnesses about implementation, definitions, and possible effects on curriculum and school boards. The authors said the bill is still intent language and that details would be refined in further negotiations with stakeholders. Representatives from the California School Boards Association and California Teachers Association raised concerns about the new language and possible unintended consequences, while ACLU California Action said it had concerns but wanted to keep working on the bill. The transcript does not show a final vote or action taken on AB 715 during this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first was on the executive summary just to add additional info, things like maybe the original award
• You'll note on the executive summary, I noted the GSF increases.
• This again, all of the highlighted pieces are noted in the executive summary with the changes. executive
• Again, noted in the executive summary. And with that, I sample any questions that you have.
• We'll create a note about it, and we'll provide pictures for the executive summary report.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Representative Myers, House File 135, which establishes consecutive or executed sentences for
• This is Representative Myers, House File 135, which establishes consecutive or executed sentences for
• This is Representative Myers, House File 135, which establishes consecutive or executed sentences for
• This is Representative Myers, House File 135, which establishes consecutive or executed sentences for
• This is Representative Myers, House File 135, which establishes consecutive or executed sentences for

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm an executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, which is a nonprofit advocate for
• is Annie levenson Faulk I'm an executive is Annie levenson Faulk I'm an executive director<00:03
• My name is Amanda Macky, and I'm the executive director of Minnesota Valley Action Council.
• <00:09:24.839> director<00:09:25.160> of macki and I'm the executive director of macki
• and I'm the executive director of Minnesota<00:09:25.800> Valley<00:09:26.120> Action<

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House File 771, as amended, was laid over for possible inclusion. The bill would create a state supplemental grant program to build on LIHEAP, with the goal of expanding energy assistance beyond the winter season to cover summer cooling needs and reduce utility shutoffs. Representative Craft said the proposal would use existing LIHEAP systems, help more eligible households, and support related services like weatherization. The committee adopted the author’s amendment, DE2, without objection. Supporters testified that energy costs remain unaffordable for many Minnesotans, especially in rural areas and among low-income households, seniors, and people using delivered fuels. Annie Levenson-Faulk of the Citizens Utility Board said only about a quarter of eligible households receive assistance, summer shutoffs are common, and cooling needs have grown significantly. Trisha Leite of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, Amanda Macky of Minnesota Valley Action Council, and Ken Schum of the Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association all supported the bill, saying year-round assistance would help households, reduce disconnects, stabilize demand for aid, and ease pressure on utility rates. Michael Schmitz of the Department of Commerce said Minnesota has received about $112 million in LIHEAP funds so far this year and is awaiting additional federal money; he also noted recent funding has been lower than in prior years and inflation has reduced its value. Members discussed the scale of utility shutoffs, the increase in cooling demand, and whether the bill addresses root causes or serves as a temporary fix. Representative Weiner argued that the state should focus on keeping more money in taxpayers’ pockets and reducing the need for subsidies, while Representative Craft responded that the underlying issue is low incomes and widening wealth inequality, and that policies like the child tax credit are better ways to address poverty. The chair also asked how LIHEAP dollars flow, and Commerce said most benefits are paid directly to utilities on behalf of households rather than as direct cash payments to recipients.

Transcript Highlights:

• I’m Craig Nakamoto, Executive Director for the Hawaii Community Development Authority.
• As a reminder, I’m the executive director of Hua Collective and Collaborative.
• <00:16:16.720> director<00:16:17.000> of<00:16:17.120> Hua I'm the executive
• director of Hua I'm the executive director of Hua Collective<00:16:17.959> and<00:16:18.120><
• Craig Nakamoto, Executive Director of HCDA.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Committee on Water and Land opened with housekeeping remarks about testimony limits, video availability, and that decision-making would follow the hearing. The committee then heard and considered several SCRs authorizing long-term nonexclusive easements over state submerged lands for existing public or private infrastructure on Oahu, including stormwater outfalls, shoreline protection structures, concrete stairs, seawalls, and a rock revetment. DLNR supported each measure and generally requested only technical or clarifying amendments; for SCR 3, DLNR asked that the title be clarified to specify the easement would be granted to the City and County of Honolulu. After discussion, the committee adopted the chair’s recommendations, passing SCR 3 with amendments and SCRs 4, 6, and 7 unamended, while SCR 5 was passed with technical, non-substantive amendments. Senator Meli noted general concerns about seawalls and hardening but said he would support the measures because they involved repair of existing structures and public access, though he indicated a reservation on SCR 6. The committee then took up governor’s messages for HCDA appointments. For GM 58, Gerald Gordner was nominated to the Kalaeloa district seat; HCDA’s executive director and another supporter praised his urban planning, housing, zoning, GIS, and collaborative skills, and Gordner described his interim service and background in housing affordability and disaster recovery. Members also discussed a former military hangar in Kalaeloa and possible future uses, with Gordner noting he understood there had been restrictions that were later lifted, while the chair raised concerns about airport operations and modular housing use. The committee also heard support for GM 559, nominating Micki Lidstone as cultural specialist; HCDA said she had been an active and reliable board participant and cultural resource, and Lidstone said she valued learning from Native Hawaiian testimony and helping balance community perspectives. Finally, GM 688 nominated Deborah Kabibi to the Leeward Oahu/Maui district seat; HCDA said her community ties would be valuable for South Maui planning, and Kabibi said she had learned a lot from the board’s collaborative process and was eager to represent her community. The transcript ends during discussion of GM 688, before any vote on the nominations is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• :03:06.560> Johnson one of our great dogs Jeff Johnson one of our great dogs Jeff Johnson executive
• director of K do K9 which executive director of K do K9 which resides<00:03:09.840> in<00:03:
• I serve as the executive director for Heartland Lakes Development Commission in Hubbard County.
• I'm the executive director of the Minnesota Association for Small Cities.
• I'm the executive director of the Minnesota Association for Small Cities.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We will operate as a federally funded, state-managed, but locally executed entity.
• And that, honestly, that is why we assign not just executive leadership, but our bureau chiefs and our
• Yeah, I'm Robert Kynok, Deputy Executive Director of the Department.
• I should note that the contract was executed with the vendor in late August of 2024.
• In fiscal year 2024-25, the agency executed a contract with the vendor for the operations and maintenance

Summary: The subcommittee heard updates on several state technology modernization efforts, beginning with the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Enterprise Business Solution (DEMS). FDEM said DEMS is about 50% complete, with some grants and finance functions already live, and is intended to replace manual disaster and grants processing with a cloud-based system. Officials described faster reimbursement timelines after recent storms, major return-on-investment claims, and a planned final phase focused on design, testing, communications, data governance, and additional functionality. Members asked about the total cost, the role of Florida Digital Service, deliverables-based contracting, and how much of the system is live; FDEM said the project is expected to cost about $16 million to $16.8 million and finish by June 2027, with some follow-up information to be provided. The Department of Legal Affairs presented its Office of Attorney General Modernization Program, a follow-up to an earlier effort that failed after spending about $26 million. Acting Attorney General John Gard said the department has now moved to an off-the-shelf case management product, LawBase, and is in development and testing, with the Office of Statewide Prosecution already live and full implementation expected by the end of the fiscal year. The request includes funding for staff augmentation, cloud storage, the LawBase license, redundancy through a backup site in Orlando, and OnBase support. Members questioned the prior failure, the use of Florida Digital Service standards, data location and cloud migration, and the redundancy plan; Gard said lessons learned included better scoping and that the current effort is on track. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles then updated the committee on Motorist Modernization, including the Orion system and the MyDMV portal. Officials said Phase 1 and Phase 2 have modernized driver license and motor vehicle services, with Phase 2 statewide rollout scheduled to begin in April 2025 and Phase 3 proposed at $16.5 million for dealer services, data warehouse improvements, and call center modernization. Members asked about payment options, organ donor questions, staffing, cybersecurity, cloud strategy, and the digital driver license program. The agency said the portal already allows some sanctions to be cleared online, an ACH option is being developed, the digital driver license vendor has changed with a fall go-live anticipated, and the department is using security testing and a managed security service provider. Officials also said the system is currently on an on-prem private cloud, with future workloads expected to move to public cloud where appropriate. Finally, Florida Commerce presented on the Reemployment Assistance modernization system, Reconnect, and the FLWINS workforce system. Commerce said Reconnect is hosted in the Azure Government Cloud, has reduced claim filing time, improved fraud detection, and increased appeals capacity, and now needs $4.9 million in recurring funding to cover ongoing operations, cloud hosting, licenses, and staff augmentation. Members asked about adjudication issues, wait times, fraud prevention, and whether the system stores caller identifiers; Commerce said the average wait to speak to a representative is about 18 minutes and claims are generally processed in four to six weeks. The committee then began hearing about FLWINS, which is intended to create a “no wrong door” workforce portal under the REACH Act, but the transcript cuts off before that presentation concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, usually their executive function is so impacted um they're not in a condition to work.
• Basically meeting a clock um showing up to work on time um as executive functioning begins to heal.
• to work on time um as executive to work on time um as executive functioning<01:38:40.480> begins
• <05:24:06.560> session We will be going into executive session We will be going into executive
• That concludes all of the bills we had scheduled for executive session today.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm enclosing a copy of the executive order I have issued. Sincerely, Joseph R. Biden Jr.
• order that takes additional an executive order that takes additional steps<02:44:06.760> to<02
• <02:44:09.840> order Emergency declared in executive order Emergency declared in executive
• <02:44:22.600> order activities as amended by executive order activities as amended by executive
• I'm enclosing a copy of the executive I'm enclosing a copy of the executive order<02:45:46.359><

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <05:24:03.920> session it is I'll close the executive session it is I'll close the executive
• <05:30:03.840> session but I will open up the executive session but I will open up the executive
• I exe session on the executive session.
• > session<05:57:11.120> till mean recess the executive session till mean recess the executive
• I'll close the executive that is.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• How is the executive order to withdraw from the outer continental shelf, has that had any impact on,
• Our office was established by the governor in an executive order at the beginning of the administration
• But I think it's clear that if you look across both what the Trump administration has done through executive
• actions and cuts... ...what the Trump administration has done through executive actions and cuts, what
• order from the federal government or some other policy edict... ...to either an executive order from

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The inaugural hearing of the newly named House Committee on Federal Funding, Policy and Accountability focused on how federal policy changes could affect Massachusetts, especially in education, health care, research, infrastructure, climate, and business conditions. Chair LaNatra said the committee was created to monitor federal funding decisions and their impacts on state programs and services. Members introduced themselves, then heard testimony from Doug Howgate of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Sarah Mills of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and Quentin Palfrey, the governor’s Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure. Howgate argued that the Trump administration and new Congress pose ideological, practical, and process-related risks to Massachusetts, citing proposed cuts to Medicaid, education, research, and other domestic programs. He said federal dollars make up about a quarter of the state operating budget and capital plan, warned against using one-time reserves to backfill ongoing federal cuts, and urged the state to prioritize core services while protecting areas where Massachusetts is especially strong, such as higher education and research. In response to committee questions, he said the House Medicaid proposal would still cost Massachusetts hundreds of millions and that international student and NIH-related changes could harm the state’s labor force and innovation economy. He also advised that the state communicate clearly without overreacting to daily federal developments. Mills testified that AIM members are most concerned about uncertainty, tariffs, Medicaid cuts, and NIH reductions. She said tariffs are raising costs, disrupting supply chains, and hurting small and medium-sized businesses, housing construction, and exporters, with AIM’s business confidence index falling to its lowest level since the pandemic. She said Medicaid cuts would raise employer health costs, reduce productivity, and strain the health care system, while NIH cuts would threaten Massachusetts’ life sciences and academic research ecosystem. In questions, she said AIM has increased federal outreach, is coordinating with the U.S. Chamber and the Massachusetts delegation, and is hearing concerns from employers about immigration compliance and workforce disruptions. Palfrey described the Healey-Driscoll administration’s efforts to maximize federal funding, including a biweekly interagency council, a municipal partnership effort, and a statewide roadshow. He said Massachusetts has secured nearly $9 billion from major federal laws for projects such as the Cape Cod bridges, Allston Multimodal, grid modernization, clean-energy school buses, and broadband. He also said the administration launched a public website to track federal impacts and is working with municipalities, nonprofits, and the Attorney General on grant changes, legal issues, and litigation. In response to questions, he warned that cuts to NOAA, NSF, Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs could affect services and the state budget, and said the administration is tracking changes to federal grant applications and conditions. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational only.