Transcript Highlights:

• And then also having a viable market for our operators. That does...
• Has made rollout more challenging, and I think our operators would suggest that.
• It still feels like we are operating from a standpoint of change.
• Matt Kremens here on behalf of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
• Matt Kremens here on behalf of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Frank Damrow Jr. to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board, Michelle Eddger to the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and David Galavis to the State Park and Recreation Commission, each by 4-0 vote. The committee also approved a rule waiver to allow SB 1447 (health) to be heard after the policy committee deadline, and took up floor acknowledgments before moving to appointments requiring testimony. The committee then heard from Clint Kellam, nominee to lead the Department of Cannabis Control. Members focused heavily on cannabis labeling, youth protection, attractive-to-children packaging, the SB 540 educational pamphlet, and the department’s efforts to steer consumers from illicit to legal products. Kellam said the department’s role is not to promote increased consumption but to move existing consumption into the regulated market, and he described enforcement against illicit cultivation and retail, consumer education efforts, and a possible AI tool to help licensees review packaging. He also said the department would consider tighter packaging rules, including one-serving packaging, but emphasized the need for research and legislative collaboration. The committee voted 4-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate. The committee next heard from Jennifer Osborne, nominee to direct the Department of Industrial Relations. Questions centered on DIR’s handling of Cal/OSHA audit findings, labor commissioner backlogs, PAGA enforcement, staffing shortages, IT modernization, and how her administrative background would help address those issues. Osborne said DIR is working on revised Cal/OSHA policies and procedures, additional staffing and intake changes, new IT systems, and possible use of outside administrative law judges to reduce delays. She also clarified that the Civil Rights Department is not under DIR, but said she would follow up on concerns raised. Public commenters from employer groups, labor, and industry largely supported her nomination, and the committee approved her appointment 4-0 to move to the full Senate for confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would like to continue to encourage funding for our emergency management operations.
• This is simply not enough space to conduct operations, especially after a disaster.
• We brought in tanker trucks from Hillsborough County to help keep these hospitals operational.
• Those operations are impacted.
• or other county operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• faces a backlog of $9 million for paving and $3 million for culverts, or one-third of our annual operating
• faces a backlog of $9 million for paving and $3 million for culverts, or one-third of our annual operating
• MBTA buses operate on municipally owned and operated streets, and many of those who take either the rapid
• This past year, our team launched the Grant Central platform.
• Our annual municipal operating budget is $47 million.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Summary: The Joint Committee on Transportation held its first hearing of the session on H. 53, Governor Healey’s Chapter 90 proposal to increase state funding for municipal roads, bridges, sidewalks, and culverts. Committee chairs outlined the hybrid hearing process and invited testimony from municipal officials, labor groups, regional planning organizations, contractors, and administration officials. Across the hearing, speakers consistently supported the bill, emphasizing long-deferred maintenance, inflation in construction costs, climate-related flooding, and the need for more predictable, multi-year funding so cities and towns can plan projects and take advantage of the construction season. The administration described H. 53 as part of a broader $8 billion transportation package, proposing to raise annual Chapter 90 funding from $200 million to $300 million for five years, with the additional $100 million distributed by road mileage to better support rural and small communities. They also highlighted $200 million for culverts and small bridges, plus other transportation investments, and said the five-year authorization would provide certainty for municipal capital planning. Municipal witnesses from places including Carlisle, Beverly, Granby, Hatfield, Newton, Nahant, Gardner, Beckett, and Yarmouth described local road and culvert backlogs, rising asphalt costs, and the difficulty of maintaining infrastructure on limited local budgets. Labor and industry witnesses from the AFL-CIO and MAPA said the bill would support good-paying jobs and provide stability for contractors and producers. The MBTA Advisory Board and regional planning representatives also backed the proposal, noting the connection between local roads and the broader transportation system. Committee members asked questions about the road-mile formula, culvert needs, asphalt costs, and the rationale for a five-year authorization. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then, of course, at the very end of February, President Trump launched the attack on Iran, killing the
• So through the amendments of the PIDA made in SBX1-2, refinery operators in California are legally required
• The law, however, does not specify what type of operations they need to do during that time.
• We've seen the ability to operate because there's certainty. 2019 to 2026, we weren't getting any drill
• We've seen the ability to operate because there's certainty.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the chief operations officer for Restore Hope and Restore Hope Housing, and we currently serve 19
• Essentially, you've got three government entities that are operating these continuums of care when the
• There's really not, in practice, a significant change because we've been operating under the law since
• And so as long as we're operating off of their priority list that they've approved, then we don't see
• And we've previously been operating under the $50,000. So that's what this is doing. Yes, sir.

Summary: The committee first approved a motion, then heard a lengthy presentation on homelessness in Arkansas, with a focus on unsheltered homelessness, untreated mental illness and substance use, public safety, and the role of local law enforcement and shelters. Presenters from law enforcement, homeless service providers, mental health, and policy groups discussed federal Continuum of Care funding, the need for better data and accountability, and proposals such as statewide camping enforcement, stronger treatment access, and consolidating or reworking the continuum-of-care structure. Much of the discussion centered on the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model, with witnesses describing it as a way to expand crisis services, treatment, and coordination with housing and justice systems. They also discussed homelessness among sex offenders, family homelessness, workforce supports, and how to scale successful local programs statewide. No formal action was taken on the homelessness proposals during the discussion. The committee then reviewed several Department of Energy and Department of Health/Board of Nursing rules. The energy rule updated solid waste post-closure cleanup thresholds from $50,000 to $2 million to match Act 791 of 2025. Nursing-related rules added fees for the new dialysis patient care technician registration created by Act 198 of 2025, updated contact-information requirements, implemented APRN authority under Act 862 of 2025, clarified durable medical equipment language under Act 431 of 2025, and incorporated delegation changes from Act 959 of 2025. Additional nursing rules updated certified medication assistant training and duties under Act 265 of 2025, and corrected rules for full independent practice to include clinical nurse specialists under Act 872 of 2023. Each rule was reviewed without objection. At the close of the meeting, members received an update that UAMS had completed its NCII designation submission for the Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institute, which was described as a major milestone. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• relating to speed limits, to provide that the speed limits for vehicles with five or more axles operating
• So they, at the same time that I was doing all this research, they were launching their historic theater
• And having an operational theater would significantly impact Boville's economy and incentivize new businesses
• Shaheen is focused on the inclusion of beef genetics in dairy operations and the management performance
• work at the University of Idaho shows Idaho dairymen are using it; at least 78% of Idaho dairy operations

Transcript Highlights:

• as my colleague that I went to school with does, efforts to look at structural changes to how we operate
• want to get too deep into it because we're giving that brief coming up, but Access, DES, DCS, the operational
• So our reading of the bill is a major operational shift.
• Marquez may believe, I do not always pass because I'm planning to launch some sneaky attack on the Bidempsi
• Finally, the amendment outlines penalties to an educational institution's general operating budget if

Committee: House House Federalism, Military Affairs & Elections Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met with all members present, temporarily replacing Vice Chair Keshel with Representative Taylor, and held HB 4014 at the sponsor’s request. It then heard HB 415, which would extend existing state rules on paid petition circulators and initiative/referendum disclosures to municipal and county measures, require paid circulators to display identifying information, and require local measures to disclose expenditures and revenue sources. The sponsor and supporters, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, argued the bill would improve transparency and keep initiatives driven by Arizona residents; the bill passed 5-2. The committee also heard the mirror resolution, HCR 2051, which passed 4-3. The committee next considered HCM 2010, urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment repealing the Seventeenth Amendment and returning selection of U.S. senators to state legislatures. The sponsor argued it would restore state sovereignty and accountability, while opponents raised concerns about direct democracy and the practical problems that led to the Seventeenth Amendment. The motion initially appeared to pass 4-3, but after a vote correction and a present vote, the measure ultimately failed. The committee then took up HB 2940, a complex AHCCCS/DES bill aimed at tightening eligibility verification, expanding competition in managed care contracting, and creating a unified eligibility rules engine. The sponsor said it would improve fiscal discipline and competition; AHCCCS and health plan representatives said many verification steps already exist, some provisions would add cost or duplicate federal/state processes, and the bill would significantly alter the managed care model. Despite those concerns, HB 2940 passed 4-3. Later, HB 2874 passed unanimously 7-0. That bill would ease termination requirements and penalties for candidate committees, PACs, or parties that never received contributions and later file termination statements. The committee then heard HB 467, which would require county recorders to display certain voter status information in precinct registers, signature rosters, or electronic poll books; after testimony from county officials and the Association of Counties, the committee adopted a verbal amendment changing “shall” to “may” and passed the bill 5-2. Finally, HB 2775, as amended, passed 4-3. The bill would bar state and local governments from using state resources to implement or enforce rules or policies of international organizations, and the amendment added restrictions on Arizona public universities’ dealings with certain foreign entities, with ABOR given review authority. Supporters framed it as a sovereignty and anti-foreign-influence measure, while the amendment’s removal of rulemaking authority was cited as important to the vote in favor.

Transcript Highlights:

• with governments around the world to enable leaders to provide customer-centric service and drive operational
• This bill addresses this head-on by seeking to launch a pilot, and it really does create three critical
• relating to details for the next regularly scheduled election and details around the establishment and operation
• look at the technology first, including cybersecurity features, the software available, and how it operates
• We want to look at the cyber security features that are out there in the world and how they operate.

Bills: HB2356 , HB2574 , HB2572 , HB2460 , HJR4212 , HB2631 , HB2333 , HB2462 , HB2419 , HB2176 , HB2491

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: homicide, public records, transparency, law enforcement, victim rights, election, ballot, candidates, deceased, voting law, voting access, military voters, overseas voters, Native American voters, disabled voters, election reform, accessibility, ballot measures, vacancies, elected offices

Transcript Highlights:

• How long has that office been in operation?
• I guess he's from the conflict; he was in Operation Enduring Freedom, so it's fairly recent and He's
• I mean, we had 20 years of combat operations from 9/11 to August of 2021.
• Something Arizona does that we should note is they've launched of PTSD and wellness grant programs for
• And then also, as far as the Thoreau Veterans Center, I know you were having problems with operational

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, this is my bill relating to the civil liability of a commercial motor vehicle owner or operator
• independent act of negligence and does not require a finding of negligence by the employee who is operating
• As you know, the business... ...Organization Code governs the creation and operation of Texas corporations
• Behavioral health services do not currently operate any type of programmatic oversight for something
• It's a transition from owning space shuttles to acquiring launch as a service.

Bills: HB5621 , HB4904 , HB5067 , HB5076 , HB5081 , HB5354 , HB4862 , HB3847 , HB4088 , HB4157 , HB2966 , HB2287 , HB4203 , HB4803 , HB4737 , HB5093 , HB783 , HB5411 , HB4281

Committee: House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Keywords: HB 5621, consumer protection, Deceptive Trade Practices Act, DTPA, Business & Commerce Code, attorney general, consumer protection division, district attorney, county attorney, local prosecutor, civil investigative demand, CID, voluntary compliance, financial institution records, bank records, privacy, protective order, in camera review, trade secrets, insurer

Transcript Highlights:

• Last month the governor also launched a new website accountability.ca.gov The portal provides a county-by-county
• has been expended, and it also gives you the categories where that funding has been invested with operating
• Operating subsidies for housing being the highest, the highest piece of the puzzle at this point, which
• To our community shelter inventory over the next few years, while continuing to operate the only warming
• accountability because I've been playing with your site I'm wondering like what what are these operational

Transcript Highlights:

• My students launched payloads from Spaceport America, and it was due to funding like this.
• what we find now, and when I look at the total outlays, which include the capital outlays in the operating
• budget, it appears that you've got between your operating budget and your revenue a shortfall of about
• 'As soon as practical' is vague and creates operational challenges for industries like child care, health
• Allowing employees to call in up to two hours after their shift creates serious operational challenges

Committee: House House Commerce & Economic Development Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas the County Clerk operated a transparent and successful presidential election in 2024.
• And whereas the County Assessor has incorporated electric vehicles into daily operations.
• And whereas Bernalillo County operates a juvenile detention facility that serves 23 other counties and
• And whereas Bernalillo County operates the Metropolitan.
• near and dear to my heart as a retired Air Force officer. retired Air Force officer and a nuclear launch

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the key operating language here is that line eight: substantial and unjustifiable risk of bodily
• </c><00:52:32.319><c> language,</c><00:52:33.040><c> which</c> language, the operating language, which
• language, the operating language, which is<00:52:33.760><c> substantial</c><00:52:34.480><c> and</c>
• and what are the lessons that operated and what are the lessons that we<01:49:22.960><c> can</c><01:
• I almost had failure to launch, but I finally launched. Um, good afternoon.

Committee: House Children and Family Law

Transcript Highlights:

• IT GIVES VETERANS Furthermore, this legislation includes clear protections to ensure the program operates
• OPERATE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF PUBLIC TRUST.
• Yet those who speculate we should invade and take Greenland by force are operating with Vladimir Putin
• YET THOSE WHO SPECULATE WE SHOULD INVADE AND TAKE GREENLAND BY FORCE ARE OPERATING WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN
• Meanwhile, Jessie Zhou, its operator, was receiving unexplained payments via wire transfer from Chinese

Bills: HB3123 , HR980 , HB1458 , HR658 , HR988 , HB3497

Keywords: veterans, benefits, death, pension, family payments, estate, wildfires, natural disaster, California, anniversary, emergency response, rebuilding, first responders, community support, education, assistance programs, independent study, Department of Veterans Affairs, nonprofit, National Nonprofit Day

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also having a viable market for our operators. That does...
• And I think our operating...
• Has made rollout more challenging, and I think our operators would suggest that.
• It still feels like we are operating from a standpoint of change.
• Matt Kremens here on behalf of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee approved several non-appearing gubernatorial appointments and routine agenda items by 4-0 votes, including Frank Damrow Jr. to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board, Michelle Eddger to the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and David Galavis to the State Park and Recreation Commission. The committee also approved bill referrals, a rule waiver to allow SB 1447 to be heard after the policy deadline, and floor acknowledgments. The committee then heard the appointment of Clint Kellam as Director of the Department of Cannabis Control. Members focused heavily on cannabis regulation, especially illicit market activity, consumer education, labeling, and youth protection. Kellam said the department’s goal is to shift consumption from illicit to legal sources, not increase use, and described efforts such as the Real California Cannabis website, the required educational pamphlet for new users, inspections, and package review. Senators raised concerns about attractive-to-children packaging, high-dose beverages, and the need for tighter labeling rules; Kellam said the department is open to legislative changes, is working on an AI tool to help licensees review packaging, and uses recalls, citations, and administrative actions when products violate rules. He also described enforcement efforts against illegal cultivation and retail, including the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force and cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies. The committee voted 4-0 to advance the appointment. The committee next heard Jennifer Osborne’s appointment as Director of the Department of Industrial Relations. Osborne described her background in state administration and said she aims to remove barriers, improve systems, and support workplace safety, wage enforcement, workers’ compensation, and apprenticeship programs. Senators asked about PAGA enforcement, Cal/OSHA audit findings, backlogs, staffing shortages, and complaint handling. Osborne said DIR’s role in PAGA is limited, but the department is working on Cal/OSHA policy revisions, training, additional investigation staff, centralized intake, IT modernization, and possible use of outside administrative law judges to reduce delays. She also said the department is addressing vacancy and backlog issues through classification changes and new hiring strategies. Public commenters from employer groups and labor organizations spoke in support, and the committee approved the appointment 4-0 for full Senate confirmation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also having a viable market for our operators.
• And I think our operating...
• Has made rollout more challenging, and I think our operators would suggest that.
• It still feels like we are operating from a standpoint of change.
• Matt Kremens here on behalf of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several gubernatorial appointments and procedural items. It unanimously approved three appointments not required to appear: Frank Damrow Jr. to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board, Michelle Edger to the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, and David Galavis to the State Park and Recreation Commission. The committee also approved bill referrals, a rule waiver to allow SB 1447 (Health) to be heard past the policy deadline, and floor acknowledgments, all by 4-0 votes. The committee then heard testimony from Clint Kellam, nominee to lead the Department of Cannabis Control. Senators focused on illicit cannabis activity, consumer education, youth protection, labeling, and packaging that may be attractive to children. Kellam said the department’s goal is to shift consumption from illicit to legal sources, not increase use, and described efforts including the Real California Cannabis campaign, the SB 540 pamphlet, inspections, a package-review team, and an AI image analyzer for licensees. He also discussed enforcement against illicit cultivation, coordination with local, state, and federal agencies, and the department’s role in helping bring legal market compliance and access into balance. The committee voted 4-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate. The committee next heard from Jennifer Osborne, nominee to direct the Department of Industrial Relations. Questions centered on Cal/OSHA audit findings, workplace safety, PAGA-related litigation, case backlogs, staffing shortages, and how her administrative background would help manage the department. Osborne said she would focus on fixing systemic issues, improving staffing and classification rules, modernizing IT systems, adding intake and investigative capacity, and addressing the Cal/OSHA audit recommendations. She also said DIR would continue working on worker safety, compensation, and apprenticeship programs, and would follow up on some questions about natural-disaster-related enforcement and backlog metrics. Public commenters from employer groups and labor organizations spoke in support, and the committee approved her appointment 4-0 for consideration by the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm in charge of operations and have overseen this project from the beginning.
• I'm in charge of operations and have overseen this project from the beginning.
• I'm in charge of operations and have overseen this project from the beginning.
• </c><00:04:44.479><c> this</c> operations and have overseen this operations and have overseen this project
• And so um and this type of operation.

Bills: HF3650 , HF1791 , HF3489 , HF4231 , HF4232 , HF4269 , HF4270 , HF3490

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: student career pathways, education framework, experiential learning, employer engagement, career technical education, career and technical education, CTE, postsecondary scholarship, postsecondary grant, school district funding, cooperative unit, Minnesota high school, apprenticeship, certificate program, tuition assistance, workforce training, military transition, education finance, student aid, career pathways

Transcript Highlights:

• and sustain a could independently launch and sustain a cosmetology<01:20:29.600><c> program.
• bill um be be operative if if section<01:31:49.360><c> two</c><01:31:49.600><c> was</c><01:31:49.760
• </c> actually yes it would be operative actually yes it would be operative without<01:32:02.960><c> adding
• </c><02:04:03.040><c> Is</c> for operating that that district? Is for operating that that district?
• the district come the money to operate the district come from<02:04:39.600><c> the</c><02:04:39.680>

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• The Ponderay Valley Railroad has been owned and operated by the Port of Ponderay since 1984.
• Our day-to-day operations require qualified and certified railroad employees.
• The Pondere Valley Railroad has been owned and operated by the Port of Pondoree since 1984.
• Our day-to-day operations require qualified and certified railroad employees.
• What we truly need is a completely nonprofit system that operates for the good of our communities in

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on January 20, 2026, hearing several bills related to retirement systems, school employee health coverage, port district pensions, environmental fee accounts, developmental disability services, legislative budget transparency, and a new Apple Health employer assessment. Early in the meeting, the committee heard SB 5834, which would make permanent a temporary expansion allowing certain retirement trust fund earnings to pay broader administrative expenses, and SB 5835, which would raise the lump-sum retirement allowance threshold for Plan 2 members from $50 to $250. Both bills were presented by Department of Retirement Systems staff and supported by the department, with questions focused on the scope of the administrative-expense language in SB 5834 and the technical nature of SB 5835. The committee then entered executive session and moved three bills without recommendation to the Rules Committee: Substitute SB 5249, allowing kit homes as emergency housing; Substitute SB 5053, allowing certain counties to include school district boundaries when forming a public facilities district; and Substitute SB 5203, directing state agencies to develop a wildlife habitat connectivity strategy and creating related accounts. After returning to public hearing, members heard SB 5883 on SEBB eligibility for school employees in their second school year of employment. Supporters, including labor representatives and individual school workers, said the bill would reduce coverage gaps and improve recruitment and retention, while school district officials and administrators argued it would create an unfunded mandate, increase costs, and add administrative burden. No action was taken on the bill. The committee also heard SB 5905, which would exclude certain port district employees from PERS if they are covered by the federal Railroad Retirement Plan or a collectively bargained defined benefit pension plan. Port representatives, labor stakeholders, and the Department of Retirement Systems described it as a narrow technical fix to avoid duplicate pension coverage and retroactive liabilities, and the bill drew support. SB 6151 would create dedicated accounts for Ecology fee revenue tied to laboratory accreditation and landfill methane work; Ecology and county representatives supported the measure as a way to reinvest fees in the programs that generate them. SB 6163 would require the Individual and Family Services waiver for developmental disability services to be budgeted at maintenance level; advocates said it would stabilize services and prevent waitlists, and no opposition was heard. The final two bills were SB 6177, which would require LEAP’s budget website to display additional budget detail such as carry-forward data, program and subprogram expenditures, and balance sheets for all public accounts, and SB 6173, which would create an Apple Health employer assessment on larger private employers with workers enrolled in Medicaid expansion coverage. SB 6177 was framed as a transparency measure, while SB 6173 drew extensive testimony both in support and opposition: supporters said it would help offset expected Medicaid losses after federal work requirements take effect and stabilize the health safety net, while opponents argued it would be an unfunded tax, create administrative and legal complications, and could discourage hiring or reduce hours. The committee heard no final votes on the public hearing bills, and staff reminded members that signature sheets would be held for 24 hours under Senate rules.