Transcript Highlights:

• Looking at the benefit regionally, Berkshire County, Senator Mark's district, would see a $5.3 million
• Franklin County is the most rural county in Massachusetts, a portion of which is also part of Senator
• In Franklin County, our towns get about $230,000 of Chapter 90 a year.
• Twenty-six percent of the roads in Franklin County are dirt and gravel.
• I'm Jeff Colby, the Yarmouth Public Works Director, and I'm also on the board of the Barnstable County

Keywords: 995, all

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:

• Also taking a second look at the procurement standards.
• taking a second look at the procurement taking a second look at the procurement standards.<00:29
• And that is with regards to the DOP and procurement.
• <01:23:18.400> of opinion in uh city and county of opinion in uh city and county of Honolulu
• This is with regards to the Department of Education and Procurement.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The joint Education and Higher Education committees met on February 10, 2026, first hearing HB 1676, which would create an AI and education task force, require documentation from AI vendors before procurement or use, and appropriate funds. The Department of Education, Public Charter School Commission, and University of Hawaii all supported the bill’s intent and described existing AI literacy efforts, teacher training, guidance for students and staff, and privacy/monitoring safeguards. DOE said it had already convened an AI task force, produced a report, trained over 10,000 educators, and embedded AI into computer science and broader curricular guidance. Members questioned DOE about student privacy, harmful content monitoring, personal devices, cell phone policy, teacher training, and whether AI literacy should extend beyond computer science into all subjects and across rural schools. After discussion, the chair announced HB 1676 would be deferred to Friday, February 13, and that a HD1 draft would be prepared. The chair said the committee would revisit the task force composition and procurement standards, with possible elimination of the procurement section, and circulate the revised draft before the next hearing. The committee then recessed and later reconvened for HB 1811, a student loan repayment program for educators. Testimony from the Department of Education, Public Charter School Commission, University of Hawaii, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, HSTA, and the Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus was generally supportive, with HSTA and the Teacher Standards Board emphasizing teacher recruitment and retention, student loan burden, and the need to address the teacher shortage. In decision-making on HB 1811, the committees adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the bill with amendments. The main amendment collapsed the repayment structure into a single disbursement of up to $25,000 after five years of service, with technical/non-substantive changes and a corrected effective date. Both the Education and Higher Education committees voted unanimously in favor. Later in the meeting, the Education Committee began hearing HB 1561 on student meals, which drew broad support from the Public Charter School Commission, Department of Health, HSTA, Hawaii Appleseed, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, and many individuals. Appleseed requested amendments to ensure charter schools are treated the same as other public schools if eligibility expands and to address reimbursement issues for schools already participating in the federal Community Eligibility Provision; members discussed those concerns but no action was taken in the portion of the transcript provided. The committee then moved on to HB 779, on expanding student meal coverage, where DOE supported the intent but said it could not support the bill in its current form because of fiscal constraints.

Transcript Highlights:

• The third biggest component is procurement and support services.
• The third biggest component is procurement and support services.
• Page 20 shows the benefits by county, how much goes into each one.
• As you would expect, in the more rural counties there's lower amounts, whereas the more urban counties
• :02:10.280> urban<02:02:11.079> Counties<02:02:11.920> have the more urban Counties

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Administrative Services presented an overview of its budget and operations, emphasizing that it is the lowest-spending agency in state government and that its general fund allocation has declined since 2019. Commissioner Arling House explained that DAS also handles back-office functions for several administratively attached boards, which has affected staffing and spending comparisons. He said the department’s current general fund spending is roughly split between retiree health and other operations, and that the presentation was based on adjusted authorized spending rather than the original budget figures. A major portion of the meeting focused on retiree health benefits and the long-term effort to control costs. Deputy Commissioner Cassie Keane described how the state moved from a projected deficit in retiree health to savings through a series of changes, including higher premium contributions, co-pay adjustments, and shifting Medicare retirees into Medicare Advantage arrangements to capture federal reimbursement. She said the state has about 12,500 retirees and spouses on the plan, with roughly 10,906 Medicare retirees and 1,580 non-Medicare retirees, and that the savings have depended heavily on federal funding and procurement decisions. She also noted that Medicare retirees pay Part B premiums and that the state has grandfathered older retirees from some premium contributions. Members asked about what the expenditures cover, why the state offers retiree health instead of simply giving retirees a payment to buy coverage themselves, and whether out-of-pocket costs changed under Medicare Advantage. Keane said the plan covers actual health claims or insurance premiums, that co-pays and maximum out-of-pocket limits remain in place, and that the state has no authority to change benefit details without legislative action. She explained that retiree health is a long-standing employee benefit that wraps around Medicare and is not collectively bargained in the usual sense, though its eligibility rules and cost-sharing have been tightened over time to better target the benefit to long-term state service. The discussion also covered vendor performance problems. Keane said Anthem recently won the contract back from Aetna, but its pharmacy subsidiary, Caroline, caused serious service disruptions. DAS responded by withholding payments, assessing more than $2 million in performance guarantees, and hiring a third-party auditor to review the pharmacy processes. The current contract runs through the end of calendar year 2026, and officials said they are watching federal Medicare Advantage reimbursement changes closely because future savings are uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• It affects every health care provider, every system in the state, every city, every county.
• Section 12 requires the cabinet to procure new Medicaid MCO contracts with an effective date no later
• 2020 section 12 requires the cabinet to 2020 section 12 requires the cabinet to procure<00:12:22.079>
• > Medicaid<00:12:23.000> MCO<00:12:23.880> contracts<00:12:24.880> uh procure
• new Medicaid MCO contracts uh procure new Medicaid MCO contracts uh with<00:12:25.079> an<00:

Keywords: Meeting start 00:00:00 Roll Call 00:00:15 HB 537 Discussion 00:01:30 HB 537 Vote 00:05:15 HB 695 Discussion 00:07:00 HB 695 Vote 00:23:15 HJR 31 Discussion 00:27:40 HJR 31 Vote 00:29:55, 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 537, as amended by PHS 1, which was described as a technical measure needed to ensure Kentucky can receive opioid settlement funds despite changes in bankruptcy court orders. The sponsor and Attorney General’s office explained that the bill does not change the settlement formula or substantive terms, but adjusts the mechanism for receiving the money. After brief discussion, the committee adopted PHS 1 and then passed HB 537 out favorably on a 17-0 vote, with one member recording attendance after arriving late. The committee then considered House Bill 695, also amended by PHS 1, a Medicaid stabilization bill. The sponsor said the measure is intended to hold the program steady while the legislature gathers more information and awaits work by a future Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board. The bill would limit new waivers, state plan amendments, and coverage expansions; require reporting and record retention; create a Kentucky Medicaid Pharmaceutical Rebate Fund; direct certain behavioral health and managed care changes; and include an emergency clause. Members raised questions about the rebate fund, work requirements, and whether the bill could affect coverage or funding, while supporters emphasized transparency, data collection, and preventing new expansions until oversight is in place. Several members spoke in favor of the bill’s goals but expressed caution about micromanaging a complex program and about possible unintended consequences for beneficiaries. Representative Fleming stressed the need for stronger oversight and noted the potential fiscal impact of federal Medicaid changes. Representative Stevenson voted pass, saying the committee should let the new oversight board handle the issue, and Representative Gentry also passed, citing concern about overreach and the burden of data collection. The committee ultimately reported HB 695 favorably on a 16-1 vote with three pass votes. Afterward, members recorded additional yes votes on HB 537 for the record.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're currently at 21 vessels, and with the current procurement... ...and 24 vessels.
• We're currently at 21 vessels, and with the current procurement that would have a vessel delivery in
• So I want to just make sure when we start thinking longer term that we are using the procurement and
• And Michael, on your third slide, I believe, about the current procurement and the contract at Eastern
• includes not only the work that happens in the field every day, but also the administration and procurement

Summary: The committee received a detailed staff presentation on Washington State Ferries’ capital needs, current fleet status, and long-range funding outlook. Staff described the current service pattern, ridership recovery since the pandemic, the aging fleet, and the state’s plan to add three new hybrid-electric Olympic-class vessels under the 2025 budget, with delivery expected around 2030-2032. Members also heard that the fleet is operating with no reserve vessel, that preservation time is below the desired level, and that terminal electrification and vessel conversion plans face timing, cost, and procurement risks. Questions focused on ridership trends, biofuel supply, design-risk allocation in vessel contracts, sequencing of terminal electrification with new vessel delivery, and the cost and feasibility of restoring international Sidney service, which would require a SOLAS-certified vessel. Staff then outlined ferry capital funding, saying recent spending and programmed needs are far above regular ferry-specific revenues and that the system relies on a mix of dedicated accounts, transportation package money, federal grants, and transfers. They said the near-term budget is balanced through 2027-29, but the longer-term capital outlook shows a shortfall of roughly $250 million to $300 million per biennium, with broader unmet needs much higher. The presentation estimated costs for future vessels, life extensions, terminal electrification, and additional Jumbo Mark II conversions, and noted that the current enacted plan does not fully fund fleet replacement, full electrification, or life extension of older vessels. Members asked for follow-up information on terminal seismic/environmental issues, contract options for additional vessels, and the timing and cost of alternative vessel designs. The committee then shifted to WSDOT maintenance and preservation. Pascoe Focktich described maintenance operations, including winter response, guardrail repair, facilities, equipment, and the effects of underfunding and inflation. He said most of the maintenance budget is fixed cost and labor, that material prices have risen sharply, and that many facilities are in poor condition with asbestos issues and deferred upkeep. He also noted growing guardrail damage, increasing pavement claims, and the burden of maintaining aging bridges and facilities. Members asked about prior planning for these needs, the role of asbestos, and whether more proactive sequencing could help budget decisions. Troy Suing then presented the highway preservation program, saying WSDOT is in the early stages of critical failure and has stretched preservation dollars as far as possible. He explained the distinction between pavement, bridge, and other highway asset preservation, said the department is largely reactive, and estimated that delaying work can make it three to five times more expensive later. He said about 40% of roadways are currently due or overdue for preservation, bridge conditions are nearing the federal poor-bridge threshold, and the department’s 10-year preservation need is about $8 billion. Members asked about the cost of deferring work, whether the department could do more if funded, how priorities are set, and whether other states face similar problems. Finally, Evan Grimm and Mike Fay briefed the committee on bridge strikes by overheight vehicles. They described recent incidents on I-90 near Cle Elum and SR 410 near White River, the damage and closures caused, and possible countermeasures such as public outreach, improved trip-planning tools, and a pilot warning system with sensors and flashing beacons. Fay explained the state’s financial recovery process for third-party damage, saying WSDOT recovers roughly $20 million per biennium and about 78% to 80% of billed damages, with money going to the motor vehicle fund. Members asked about prevention, insurance recovery, and whether the state uses claim data to inform future design or safety changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And whereas in the wake of their County.
• the now the municipality or the county the now the municipality or the county or<02:00:15.520>
• from the senator from Boulder County. from the senator from Boulder County. members.<02:23:57.359
• Craig, talked to the county Craig, talked to the county commissioners,<03:29:54.080> talked<03
• I think there is a discussion to be had around the procurement that CDOT uses and where that procurement

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• respective county building codes.
• In the absence of someone from the county or from the County Fire Department, maybe if we could call
• <00:01:19.920> building supersede all existing County building supersede all existing County
• Council approval repeals the county Council approval repeals the county authority<00:01:30.479><
• c><00:03:33.040> Fire county or from the County Fire county or from the County Fire Department

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 540, which would make the most recent state building codes supersede county codes beginning in 2028 and limit county changes without State Building Code Council approval. Grassroot Institute testified in support, while IBEW Local 1260 strongly opposed the bill as written, warning it could let counties weaken state minimum standards and create problems for fire code and sprinkler requirements. Members discussed the need for consistency in building codes and the impact of the State Building Code Council’s status, and the chair said the measure would be deferred indefinitely. The committee also heard SB 626 on disaster preparedness, which would prohibit planting large trees along evacuation routes and require HEMA to identify and remove obstructive trees. Testimony included comments from DLNR, HEMA, and others, with HEMA opposing the measure. The chair said more coordination was needed between DLNR and HEMA and deferred the bill. SB 692, regulating retail and wholesale spray paint sales and assigning jurisdiction to the Department of Law Enforcement, drew opposition from the Retail Merchants of Hawaiʻi, which said the bill would impose costly storage and reporting burdens on small retailers and raise identity-theft concerns. The committee deferred that measure as well. In a separate decision-making segment, the committee considered SB 9 on fireworks and recommended passage with amendments. The amendments narrowed or removed several sections, increased certain penalties from $500 to $1,000, adjusted forfeiture allocations, accepted an Attorney General amendment, added an appropriation for community safety education programs, and changed the effective date to July 1, 2077. The motion to pass with amendments was adopted by a vote of 2-1. Later, in a joint hearing, SB 1102 on the aircraft rescue firefighting unit drew support from DOT but opposition from the Hawaiʻi Firefighters Association, which asked that the bill be held. SB 41, establishing Hawaiʻi Disaster Drill Day on August 8, received support from HEMA and a public testifier. SB 1570, addressing Molokaʻi air service disruptions and a possible runway expansion, drew strong public support from Molokaʻi residents and service providers, while the Attorney General raised separation-of-powers concerns about the emergency declaration language and DOT noted the high cost and feasibility issues of runway expansion.

Transcript Highlights:

• The delegate from Scott County, Delegate Kilgore. Thank you, Mr.
• The delegate from Buckingham County, Delegate Garrett. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• Is locality a county or a city? Locality is a county or a city? Mr.
• The delegate from Montgomery County, Delegate Franklin. Mr.
• Delegate from Loudoun County, Delegate Seines. Mr.

Keywords: March 14, 2026 - Regular Session Part 2, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Review Subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed proposed procurement law rule changes from the Office
• of State Procurement, methods of finance, discretionary grants, RFQ requests, ratifications, service
• The review subcommittee met on Tuesday when reviewed proposed procurement law rule changes from the Office
• of State Procurement, methods of finance, discretionary grants, RFQ, request. the Office of State Procurement

Summary: The Arkansas Legislative Council met and first adopted the previous meeting minutes, then honored Lori McDonald of the Department of Human Services for nearly 28 years of state service. Members read a resolution recognizing her legislative, constituent, and leadership work at DHS, and the council adopted it unanimously. McDonald thanked members for their support, and the Senate also presented her with a citation, a flag flown over the Capitol, and a commemorative coin. The council then received the May 2026 revenue report, which showed gross adjusted collections of $7.76 billion year-to-date, up 4.4% from the prior year, and net available for distribution of $6.36 billion. The Bureau of Legislative Research noted collections were running above last year and that the updated forecast reflected a surplus. The Executive Subcommittee report was adopted after members were told it had approved captive insurance premiums and deductibles, a claims administration contract, emergency DHS rules, waiver requests, committee fund allocations, and the cancellation of the regular July ALC meeting in favor of only meeting for urgent matters. Several subcommittee reports were then adopted, including Administrative Rules, Game and Fish and State Police, Hospital/Medicaid/Developmental Disabilities, Lottery Oversight, Occupational Licensing Review, Peer Review, Review, State Insurance Programs Oversight, and Personnel. During the Administrative Rules discussion, members questioned the Department of Education about delays and vendor performance under the ClassWallet contract; department officials said they were meeting regularly with the vendor, keeping expense review in-house, and would consider other options if needed. In Personnel, the Department of Commerce clarified that a reallocation request was part of a broader departmental realignment and shared services move, not the Arkansas Workforce Connection waiver. The council also reviewed and took action on several communications, including filing retirement system investment summaries as reviewed, approving rural community grant funding, giving favorable advice for state park acquisitions/expansion, approving special maintenance funding for state parks, and filing proposed Office of State Technology service rates as reviewed before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Review Subcommittee met on Tuesday and reviewed proposed procurement law rule changes from the Office
• of State Procurement, methods of finance, discretionary grants, RFQ requests, ratifications, service
• The review subcommittee met on Tuesday when reviewed proposed procurement law rule changes from the Office
• of State Procurement, methods of finance, discretionary grants, RFQ, request. the Office of State Procurement

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is vitally important to the county. Thank you.
• County?
• Some of the large counties like Los Angeles County aren't even using the sealers to check on their EV
• Some of the large counties like Los Angeles County aren't even using the sealers to check on their EV
• In order to do it, the county has to invest in these machines to do the testing, and many of the counties

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, if nothing else, there's two counties involved.
• There's at least two counties. >> There's a couple of counties, there's like nine different towns, um
• counties involved. counties involved.
• There's At least two counties. There's At least two counties.
• County, Merrimack, and we share with Sunapee, New London, and Sunapee share.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee held a work session on House Bill 592, which concerns regional conservation and energy resources planning for habitat strongholds and wildlife corridors, and a commission to study transferring ownership of the Winnipesaukee River Basin Program to another authority. Jason Stock of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association said his group was fine with the bill as printed, especially after Senate language clarified that habitat stronghold designations are for information gathering and not regulatory purposes. Ted Diers of the Department of Environmental Services strongly supported the bill’s Winnipesaukee River Basin provisions, saying the state’s role in operating the wastewater system is outdated and that the communities are now capable of taking more control; he also supported creating a higher-level engineering/director position to oversee aging infrastructure and help manage a possible transition. Committee members asked about the facility’s location, capacity, costs, staffing, the possibility of private operation, the commission’s membership, and whether the six-month study timeline was realistic. Diers said there would be no state savings beyond administrative time, that the communities already pay the costs, and that a report in six months should provide useful next steps even if it would not resolve everything. The chair closed the work session on HB 592 and announced a brief recess before later action, while a member indicated interest in proposing an amendment to change the commission’s membership.

Transcript Highlights:

• San Mateo, Alpine, and Mono counties are the current counties that are the exception, because the system
• My county, San Mateo County, specifically has a unique mix of high property values and low student enrollment
• as the urban counties of California, the rural county representatives of California, and my colleagues
• It probably comes off as Napa being a very wealthy county.
• on behalf of California's 58 counties.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Comparing San Juan County to McKinley County, it seems to be moving a little bit better in San Juan County
• McKinley County is a little bit different.
• County.
• It's more of a partnership with Luna County.
• Our service area is Cibola County, all those I As Kurt mentioned, ACMA also has lands in Socorro County

Transcript Highlights:

• got five counties in southwest Virginia. got five counties in southwest Virginia.
• procure<00:15:22.639> those<00:15:22.800> long I said, we'll procure procure those
• long I said, we'll procure procure those long lead<00:15:23.360> investments<00:15:24.079>
• We're in 117 of our 120 counties.
• I did learn the difference County.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:10 Approval of Minutes 00:01:19 Helping Power Kentucky's Growth (LG&E/KU) 00:01:39 Update from Kentucky's Electric Cooperatives 00:47:35, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the previous meeting, and then heard a presentation from LG&E and KU representatives Caroline Clark and John Bevington on economic development, energy demand, and the utility’s role in supporting Kentucky’s growth. Bevington described the company’s service territory, generation fleet, and recent economic development activity, including 76 projects supported in 2024, more than $2.8 billion in private investment, and over 3,000 new jobs. He emphasized that data centers are now the dominant driver in the pipeline, with 22 data center projects representing about 8.7 of the 9.7 gigawatts of potential demand, alongside other manufacturing and commercial projects. A major focus was how data centers choose sites and how utilities respond. Bevington explained that hyperscale data centers typically approach utilities first because they need transmission-level access, and that utilities then conduct internal analyses, estimate infrastructure needs, and require financial security before proceeding. He said the company is working through formal transmission studies and long-lead infrastructure planning, and noted that Kentucky’s sales tax exemption for data centers helped attract interest. He also outlined the economic benefits of data centers, citing an announced Louisville project of 525 megawatts and about $11 billion in investment, with an estimated $500 million in new tax revenue over 10 years, plus broader job and GDP impacts. Members asked about whether data centers could generate their own power, the reliability of the pipeline numbers given confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, and cybersecurity concerns. Bevington said the company does not assume all pipeline projects will materialize in Kentucky and instead assigns probabilities to avoid overbuilding. He also said he was not the right person to address cybersecurity in detail but offered to return to a committee focused on IT or security. In response to questions about future supply, he said LG&E and KU are adding generation through a 120-megawatt solar facility in Mercer County, a 120-megawatt solar purchase in Marion County, and a 645-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle plant in Louisville, with PSC approval recently granted for additional generation and related system upgrades.

Transcript Highlights:

• County Rural Assistance Program and $20 million for the Small County Outreach Program.
• Is that for all 67 counties, or do some of the counties have it now and some of the counties do not?
• , and rural counties.
• But when it says in a county where the Seminole Tribe operate two or more casinos in the same county,
• county commissioners that they couldn't do something or that the BOC of that particular county was telling

Summary: The Senate took up the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27, with Chair Hooper and the appropriations chairs walking through the $114.5 billion budget. Major highlights included pay increases for state law enforcement, firefighters, park rangers, and correctional officers; funding for teacher salary increases and K-12 enrollment stabilization; workforce and university funding in higher education; major Medicaid, nursing home, waiver, and opioid-related investments in health and human services; corrections and prison-capacity funding; transportation, housing, and emergency management spending; and large environmental appropriations for Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, and water quality projects. Members then asked detailed questions about specific items. Senators pressed on the Hamilton Center at UF, the difference between assistant state attorney and public defender pay, declining student enrollment funding, private school scholarship vouchers, mental health funding in schools, the lack of preeminence funding, APD’s iBudget waiver wait list and provider rates, ADAP premium assistance and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, prison staffing and air conditioning, Florida Forever land-buying versus easements, SNAP and Sun Bucks funding, Hope Florida, election audit funding, and the IDD managed care program. Chairs generally explained the negotiated compromises, noted where funding was flat or omitted, and in several cases said items would be revisited next year or depended on agency implementation. Several senators used debate to praise the budget while also criticizing major policy choices. Leader Berman argued the state should have expanded Medicaid, invested more in public schools instead of vouchers, and accepted federal summer EBT funds. Other senators highlighted local wins such as Biscayne Bay restoration, Tri-Rail, housing assistance, ADAP funding, and declining enrollment support. The transcript ends with debate remarks thanking Chair Hooper for his work on the budget; no final vote is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• These can be created by cities, counties, multi-counties, or by special law.
• <00:02:48.640> multi can be created by cities counties multi can be created by cities counties
• <00:25:11.520> we've funding um through Ramsey County we've funding um through Ramsey County
• We serve not only Duluth but also Lake County and Cook County, and these vouchers include Housing Choice
• that adds a lot of costs to it. keep Contracting and procurement local keep Contracting and procurement

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention heard presentations focused on public housing and related funding needs, with testimony from Minnesota NAHRO and several local housing authorities. Melissa Taphorn described the role of housing authorities statewide, including public housing, vouchers, CDBG/HOME funds, Bridges, and HEAT, and emphasized that public housing serves over 36,000 low-income Minnesotans, many of whom are seniors, people with disabilities, or children. She said federal operating and capital funds are insufficient, creating deferred maintenance backlogs, and noted that Minnesota’s public housing capital needs over a five-year period were about $500 million, with nearly $200 million unmet. She also discussed federal uncertainty, including a recent HUD funding freeze notice, possible changes to fair housing requirements, RAD repositioning options, and Build America, Buy America costs. Committee members asked about tenant rent calculations and the populations served. Testimony clarified that public housing residents generally pay 30% of monthly income, with utility allowances factored in, and that the average tenant rent in Minnesota is about $399. Members also heard that about 65% of public housing households are seniors or people with disabilities, while about 35% are families. The committee then heard examples of how state POP grants have been used to preserve public housing stock. Kurt Kina of the Red Wing HRA described multiple POP-funded projects that replaced windows, upgraded heating and cooling, and modernized electrical systems in a 100-resident high-rise, saying the work was essential to keep the building viable. Louise Siba of the St. Paul PHA testified that St. Paul’s authority serves nearly 22,000 people through more than 4,200 public housing units and over 5,200 vouchers, with most townhomes and high-rises serving elderly or disabled residents. She said St. Paul PHA has received nearly $16 million in POP funding since 2012, including about $8.5 million last year, and that those funds enabled major life-safety and modernization projects such as the Denan Terrace renovation and boiler, plumbing, and interior upgrades in high-rises. Jill Keers of the Duluth HRA described a broader set of housing programs, including vouchers, rehab loans, emergency repair funds, construction training, and development. She said Duluth HRA is adding 128 housing units between 2023 and 2025, including mixed-income rentals, senior housing, and family townhomes, and stressed that state investment through POP and other programs is necessary to keep housing affordable and safe.

Transcript Highlights:

• County Rural Assistance Program and $20 million for the Small County Outreach Program.
• Is that for all 67 counties, or do some of the counties have it now and some of the counties do not?
• , and rural counties.
• But when it says in a county where the Seminole Tribe operate two or more casinos in the same county,
• I think it is important, though, just to understand this procurement on managed care has been This procurement

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved to the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27. Budget chairs presented the major spending areas, describing a $114.5 billion overall budget that they said was fiscally responsible and below the prior year’s spending. Highlights included pay increases and retirement adjustments for public safety employees, education funding for K-12, higher education, health and human services, criminal justice, transportation, environmental programs, and agriculture/regulatory agencies. Members then questioned chairs on several items. In education, senators discussed K-12 declining enrollment funding, teacher salary set-asides, private school scholarship spending, mental health funding, preeminence funding for universities, the Hamilton Center at UF, and charter school PICO funding. In health and human services, questions focused on the iBudget waiver waitlist, provider rates, ADAP/HIV funding and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, KidCare, rural health funding, SNAP-related IT and error reduction efforts, and the IDD managed care program. In criminal justice, senators asked about correctional officer pay, prison staffing and infrastructure, air conditioning in prisons, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement recruitment, and court system funding. Environmental and transportation questions covered Florida Forever, water quality, state parks, water projects, housing, elections funding, and emergency management. Several specific actions and explanations were given during debate: the budget includes $8.8 million for state attorney competitive area differentials but no funding for public defender CAD requests; assistant state attorneys will start at $70,000 and assistant public defenders at $65,000; the battery disposal issue was described as a temporary study/preemption approach; and the Senate said the budget does not fund Medicaid expansion, preeminence funding, or the SunBucks Summer EBT state share. Senators also noted that some proposals discussed in committee did not make it into the final budget. The transcript ends with debate statements from members praising the budget process and Chair Hooper, while also expressing concerns about public schools, health care access, affordability, and the lack of funding for certain priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I had been a judge for 14 years at the bottom of the pile as a county court judge, and we all know
• As a result of that, as the county judge in my county, in the south end of the county, when distraught
• People in larger cities don't understand sometimes that our state is so big that we have counties that
• by county so you can see that information.
• We do that by county. We do have a Baker Act dashboard so we can see in real time.

Summary: The Human Services Subcommittee met to review implementation of House Bill 7021, the recent overhaul of Florida’s Baker Act and Marchman Act, and to hear from DCF Assistant Secretary Erica Floyd Thomas about how the department is using the $50 million appropriation tied to the bill. Representative Maney, the bill sponsor, gave a lengthy background on why he pursued the reforms and emphasized that the goal was to improve access, reduce unnecessary crisis interventions, and give agencies the resources needed to carry out their responsibilities. He and the chair both noted that the bill was the product of many years of work and broad bipartisan support. DCF reported several early outcomes and implementation steps, including a statewide reduction in Baker Act initiations over the past five years, strong diversion rates from crisis through 988, mobile response teams, care coordination, and forensic multidisciplinary teams, and the creation of new tools such as a Baker Act dashboard and the first annual Marchman Act report. The department described key statutory changes: law enforcement discretion in initiating Baker Acts, a single-petition process, remote appearances, stronger discharge planning, interim services, updated parent notification and hold-period rules, an ombudsman office for children’s behavioral health, and regional collaboratives to identify local service gaps. DCF said it has updated manuals, FAQs, trainings, and rules, and that the managing entities have begun contracting for services. Members asked about how the $50 million was allocated, why much of it went to crisis capacity rather than outpatient care, how much has been spent so far, whether administrative costs are capped, and how the department will measure success. DCF said most of the money was used to preserve and expand crisis beds, detox beds, CSU beds, short-term residential treatment, discharge planning, and outpatient supports, with $1.3 million for the ombudsman and regional collaboratives and $48.3 million to managing entities. The assistant secretary said the department tracks readmissions, utilization, provider capacity, and monthly and quarterly reports from managing entities, but it is still early to see full effects because contracts were only recently executed. Members also raised concerns about children, families, veterans, workforce shortages, transparency, and gaps for hard-to-place individuals, including those with developmental disabilities or dementia. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after questions were completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're still in the midst of the state procurement process to select an external campaign partner...
• We were just with a startup company in the space industry who's based in Los Angeles County.
• Could be procurement or exporting. Yeah. So lots of stuff.
• Maybe they got a procurement opportunity with a foreign government.
• We are a community development financial institution based in LA County.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an informational update from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development on the state’s Jobs First economic development strategy and related budget requests. Go-Biz described its regional planning process, priority sectors such as ag-tech, space defense, life sciences, and semiconductors, and requests including an extension of the CalCompetes tax credit, support for export promotion, additional film commission staff, innovation and emerging technology capacity, and a California brand campaign. Members questioned the campaign’s purpose, with some supporting efforts to counter misinformation about California and others warning it should not obscure regulatory and business-climate concerns. Go-Biz said the campaign would be nationally focused, could include business attraction efforts, and was intended to complement—not replace—policy work on permitting and workforce development. The item was informational only. The committee then heard from the California Office of the Small Business Advocate on the California RISE program, the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, and the Technical Assistance Program/Capital Infusion Program. CalOSBA reported that California RISE’s first round awarded $16.9 million to 61 employment social enterprises, which collectively increased revenue, secured contracts, and employed thousands of people facing barriers to work; a second round is being launched with a new administrator and expanded services. For the performing arts payroll fund, the office said all 100 awardees had been paid, but demand far exceeded available funding, and the program was oversubscribed within days. California for the Arts testified that the sector remains fragile after COVID and urged statutory changes to simplify eligibility and stretch dollars further. SBDC representatives described TAP/SIP as a statewide network supporting small businesses, capital access, and disaster recovery, emphasizing their role in underserved communities and the leverage of federal matching funds. Committee members focused on whether these programs produce durable outcomes and reach smaller or disadvantaged businesses. Questions centered on long-term job retention in California RISE, outreach to ethnic and community media in the civic media program, and whether TAP/SIP are accessible to entrepreneurs with limited capital or capacity. CalOSBA and its partners said they rely heavily on local community organizations for outreach, provide one-on-one counseling and training, and are working to collect more longitudinal data. The committee also discussed the film and television tax credit program, for which Go-Biz requested funding for three permanent positions and ongoing program support. Film Commission staff said the expanded program is tracking demographic and career-pathway data, with most productions opting into new diversity provisions, and that a formal report to the Legislature is expected in 2027. The item concluded without a vote, as the hearing was for oversight and budget discussion.