Transcript Highlights:

• lowest paid institution of the council presidents colleges and, say, for example, it's Central or Eastern
• So, for example, Central was lower than others or maybe it was Eastern just a few years ago.
• institution when Western may be the lowest now, but maybe two years from now, it's Central or it's Eastern
• We, the regional universities—Central, Western, and Eastern—all provide a tremendous service to the state
• Eastern had the lowest total per-student funding in the years prior to that.

Bills: HB2070 , HB2671 , HB2617 , SB6258

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Keywords: funding, education, higher education, Western Washington University, state funding parity, financial aid, state funding, student support, educational reform, university procedures, academic policy, student success, Washington Medical Commission, medical license, license relinquishment, voluntary surrender, nondisciplinary pathway, physician regulation, health professional licensing, disciplinary database

Transcript Highlights:

• are attending universities in many of our districts across the state, from western Washington to eastern
• Eastern Washington. These are institutions that are vital to our state.
• Attending college in Eastern Washington has already allowed me to give back to the region that raised
• Spokane Community College serves over 12,000 square miles in eastern Washington.
• Spokane Community College serves over 12,000 square miles in eastern Washington.

Summary: The Postsecondary Education & Workforce Committee held courtesy hearings on three bills before moving to executive session. House Bill 2443 would create an Armed Forces Reserve post-secondary education grant for members of the Armed Forces Reserve and their spouses or dependents, with repayment required unless the reservist serves one year for each year of benefit received. The prime sponsor said the bill is intended to extend educational support similar to what Washington National Guard members already receive. Testimony was generally supportive, emphasizing military readiness, recruitment, and fairness to reservists; one clarification was made that the bill applies to Armed Forces Reserve members broadly, not just the Army Reserve. House Bill 2567 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship award amounts for students attending four-year private, not-for-profit institutions. The sponsor and many students, school leaders, and private college representatives argued the 2025 cuts were inequitable, harmed low-income and first-generation students, and limited student choice. Supporters said the state’s dedicated financial aid account has grown and that the cuts disproportionately affected students at private institutions. Opponents, including representatives from public universities, argued state dollars should prioritize public institutions and questioned whether aid should be shifted away from state schools. Testimony was mixed but heavily pro, with sign-ins reported at 1,584 total, including 1,572 in support. House Bill 2498 would change nursing education oversight by limiting the Board of Nursing’s authority where programs are nationally accredited and by expediting approval for new programs. The sponsor and several community college leaders said the bill would reduce unnecessary barriers, speed program expansion, and help address the nursing shortage, especially in rural areas. The Board of Nursing, nursing educators, employers, and professional associations opposed the bill, arguing that state oversight is needed for public safety, Washington-specific workforce needs, and consistent standards, and that the board is already revising its rules through an open process. The committee then took executive action on two other bills: it passed Second Substitute House Bill 2363, allowing supervised music therapy practice for up to six months while exam results are verified, with an amendment delaying implementation to January 1, 2028; and it passed Substitute House Bill 2422, shifting private security guard license fees from applicants to employers and delaying implementation to November 1, 2026, by a 9-7 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would really like to figure out how folks like Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky, Western
• I would really like to figure out how folks like Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky, Western
• I would really like to figure out how folks like Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky, Western
• I would really like to figure out how folks like Northern Kentucky University, Eastern Kentucky, and
• Northern Kentucky looks a lot different than what you have in Western Kentucky and what you have in Eastern

Summary: The committee met without a quorum at first, so it began with an informational presentation from Dr. Kristen Goodell, executive director of LifeKY, about innovation infrastructure and a proposed grant program to support life sciences and other startup facilities. She argued that Kentucky’s research investments only translate into jobs and companies if startups have access to physical lab and equipment space, and said shared facilities can serve many companies over time. Goodell described LifeKY’s Northern Kentucky facility as a proof of concept, noting it has attracted companies from other states and Japan, secured a Thermo Fisher Scientific partnership, and could be replicated elsewhere in the Commonwealth. Members asked about university pipelines, local talent development, sustainability, and how the grant program would measure return on investment; Goodell emphasized public-private partnerships, earned revenue, philanthropy, internships, and STEM programming as part of the model. The committee then took up Senate Bill 76, sponsored by Senator Bledsoe, which would limit school board occupational license tax increases by raising the population threshold for such increases from 300,000 to 500,000. Bledsoe said the bill was intended to respond to Fayette County’s recent tax controversy, restore public trust, and provide stability for employees, employers, and the school system. He argued that occupational taxes affect many commuters who work in Fayette County but live elsewhere, and said the measure would give time for community buy-in before any future increase. Supportive comments came from Senator Nunn and others, while Senator Boswell asked about the tax rate and cautioned against local tax increases offsetting state income tax reductions. After discussion, the committee called the roll on SB 76. The bill advanced on a roll-call vote, with Senator Armstrong explaining a no vote because he did not want to take tools away from local government and preferred local control. The transcript indicates the measure moved forward from committee after the vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're going to be hosting all the soccer tournaments across eastern Washington in Quincy because of the
• companies in the world that need more data center capacity, processing capacity, and our communities in eastern
• Washington ...processing capacity, and our communities in eastern Washington would relish the opportunity
• When you hear stories about Quincy and other eastern Washington ...communities having this innovation

Summary: The committee heard and advanced several bills related to energy, environmental regulation, and utility policy. House Bill 2436, on escort tug horsepower requirements for oil tankers, was described as a technical cleanup measure and passed unanimously. House Bill 2605, which exempts low-level naturally occurring fibrous silicate materials in aggregates, asphalt, and concrete from certain asbestos-related labeling, use, and inspection restrictions, also passed unanimously. House Bill 2301, expanding the paint stewardship program to additional paint products and adjusting collection standards, passed 19-1 after members noted it was industry-driven and popular with constituents. The committee also considered House Bill 2296 on meter-mounted devices and portable solar generation devices. The portable solar section had been removed in the substitute, leaving meter-mounted device provisions; two amendments were offered, one making utility cost recovery mandatory and another restoring local government authority to prohibit installations, but both failed. The substitute bill then passed 14-7. House Bill 2496, requiring government-to-government consultation with tribes during site certification reviews and exempting those consultations from the Open Meetings Act when no deliberation occurs, passed 15-6 amid comments supporting tribal consultation but raising concerns about public meetings and process details. House Bill 2212 on microfiber filtration requirements for washing machines was briefed with a proposed substitute and amendments, but no action was taken on it during the meeting. House Bill 2515, addressing emerging large energy use facilities such as data centers and cryptocurrency facilities, drew the most debate over fees, taxation, energy use, water impacts, and economic development; despite concerns from some members that it was not ready or could discourage investment, the substitute passed 11-10. The committee then adjourned after reporting out the bills noted above with due pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year was a banner year for this problem. 2025 saw extremes on both ends: the wettest spring for eastern
• Over 39 consecutive days, not a drop of rain falling out of the sky for eastern Missouri.
• Not the whole state, but eastern Missouri.
• My entire eastern border is the Mississippi River.
• My entire eastern border is the Mississippi River.

Committee: House Conservation and Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• exceeding deaths, you'll kind of see it's, you know, the same kind of belt of population growth in the eastern
• center, eastern part of the state.
• center, eastern part of the state.
• 2020 to the projected population in 2030, and you can see growth pretty much across the board in eastern
• You can see a lot of the urban municipalities in eastern Massachusetts continuing to grow, with more

Committee: Senate Senate Committee on the Census

Summary: The Senate Committee on the Census, chaired by Senator Will Brownsberger with Senator Liz Miranda and other members participating, held a hearing on mid-decade population estimates and projections for Massachusetts. Susan Strait of the UMass Donahue Institute presented the latest Census Bureau estimates and explained the main components of population change: births, deaths, domestic migration, and international migration. She said Massachusetts has continued to grow, but much more slowly than in the immediate post-2020 period, largely because net international migration has fallen sharply after a pandemic-era surge. She also reviewed fertility and aging trends, noting that births are concentrated among women in their 30s, that the state’s population is aging, and that the share of residents 65 and older is projected to rise substantially, increasing the dependency ratio. Strait and committee members discussed the role of immigration in Massachusetts’ population growth, the concentration of immigrants in Greater Boston and other regions, and the effect of immigration on births and the labor force. They also discussed domestic out-migration, especially among young adults, and the possibility that housing affordability is a major driver. Senators raised questions about how the Census counts people in group quarters such as prisons and dormitories, and Strait explained that the Census counts incarcerated people where they are housed and generally does not treat dormitory residents as migrants in the same way as household residents. She said the Census Bureau is still working on methodological issues such as extending a “college fix” to more areas. Jesse Partridge Guerrero of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council described how MAPC uses Donahue Institute population projections, household headship rates, and UrbanSim to allocate projected households down to regional, municipal, and sub-municipal levels. He said the projections used for MassDOT’s long-range transportation plan anticipated slower statewide growth and regional decline in the Cape and parts of western and central Massachusetts. Tim Reardon of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities then explained how those projections feed into the statewide housing plan, including three population scenarios and associated housing needs. He said the plan estimates a need for about 115,000 homes to address existing shortages and another 73,000 households even under a low-growth scenario, with total housing needs rising to roughly 222,000 units under the middle scenario and 262,000 under the high scenario. Members pressed him on whether the scenarios may understate future need given the recent drop in immigration and ongoing affordability problems, and he said the state is also pursuing housing production, rental assistance, shelter response, seasonal conversion prevention, and infrastructure support for communities. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We represent non-union contractors in eastern Washington, wholeheartedly in support of this bill.
• When I talk to the owners of the contracting companies over in eastern Washington, they all feel like
• They would like some of the contracting companies over in eastern Washington.
• I'm a business representative with Teamsters Local 760 in eastern Washington.
• Logue, here on behalf of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inland Pacific Chapter, over in eastern

Bills: SB6053 , SB6134 , SB6147 , SB6106 , SB6045 , SB6135 , SB6128 , SB6282 , SB6068 , SB6303 , SB6290

Committee: Senate Labor & Commerce

Keywords: SB 6053, domestic workers, domestic worker rights, labor protections, minimum wage, overtime, private household employment, nanny, home care worker, personal care provider, housekeeper, cleaner, cook, gardener, household manager, wage theft, retaliation, anti-discrimination, immigration status, privacy rights

Transcript Highlights:

• When we look at what's happened all through the Commonwealth, Eastern Kentucky is kind of the perfect
• When we look at what's happened all through the Commonwealth, Eastern Kentucky is kind of the perfect
• When we look at what's happened all through the Commonwealth, Eastern Kentucky is kind of the perfect
• the look at what's happened all through the Commonwealth,<00:13:31.200><c> um</c><00:13:31.680><c> Eastern
• , um Eastern Kentucky is kind<00:13:32.639><c> of</c><00:13:32.720><c> the</c><00:13:32.959><c> perfect

Committee: House Economic Development & Workforce Investment

Transcript Highlights:

• We as an Eastern District in the state of Missouri, and I'm not even speaking for the Illinois side,
• over the last 50 years, there's been a decay in a lot of the Eastern District.
• over the last 50 years, there's been a decay in a lot of the Eastern District.
• Like, because you're a little bit on the eastern part of St.
• This would never touch my district, but up on the eastern part of St. Charles County.

Committees: House Transportation , House Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• are attending universities in many of our districts across the state, from western Washington to eastern
• Eastern Washington. These are institutions that are vital to our state.
• Attending college in Eastern Washington has already allowed me to give back to the region that raised
• Spokane Community College serves over 12,000 square miles in eastern Washington.
• Spokane Community College serves over 12,000 square miles in eastern Washington.

Bills: HB2498 , HB2443 , HB2567 , HB2363 , HB2422

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Keywords: nursing education, nursing program standards, board of nursing, state board, national accreditation, accreditation body, nursing school, nurse educator, clinical simulation, simulation director, lead nurse educator, NCLEX, licensure exam pass rate, corrective action plan, technical assistance, higher education, program approval, Washington RCW, professional development, nursing licensure

Transcript Highlights:

• Commissioners represent Eastern and Western Washington and bring a diversified statewide perspective.
• Commissioners represent Eastern and Western Washington and bring a diversified statewide perspective.
• I have a commissioner friend who lives in an orchard town in Eastern Washington.
• I have a commissioner friend who lives in an orchard town in Eastern Washington and somebody with the
• I have a commissioner friend who lives in an orchard town in eastern Washington.

Bills: SB6253 , SB6311 , SB6262 , SB6335

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: public transportation, governing bodies, transit authorities, local government, community planning, pedestrian safety, construction, accessibility, public safety, urban planning, vehicle weight, transportation, fees, public infrastructure, funding, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities

Transcript Highlights:

• Kentucky at hidden valley and uh eastern Kentucky at hidden valley and our<00:09:49.040><c> teamis</
• We’re renovating the parking lot at Eastern Kentucky as well.
• We’re renovating the parking lot at Eastern Kentucky as well.
• </c> renovating the parking lot at uh Eastern renovating the parking lot at uh Eastern Kentucky<00:24
• </c> Waters in the 2022 and 2025 Eastern Kentucky flood events.

Summary: The Capital Planning Advisory Board met with a quorum, approved the May 21 minutes, and welcomed a new executive branch member, Secretary Keith Jackson of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. The board also received two informational items: agency responses to prior questions and amendments made to capital plans after the last meeting. It then heard the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s report on executive branch IT capital project scoring, which reviewed 16 IT requests totaling about $330.5 million. COOT said projects were ranked through an independent panel using standardized criteria focused on feasibility, statewide alignment, readiness, impact, and risk; the CIO recommended moving an enterprise application and artificial intelligence inventory system from rank 11 to rank 4 because of its enterprise-wide impact and connection to Senate Bill 4. The Department of Military Affairs presented its capital plan, describing 43 million in projects for the current period and 13 projects totaling $65 million for 2026–2028, with most funding coming from federal sources and restricted agency funds and no general fund request in the latter period. Its projects included maintenance pool adjustments, a statewide Army master plan, the Somerset readiness center, Shelbyville and Ashland armories, a future home for the Kentucky Army National Guard band, and other facility upgrades. Members asked about the Somerset project’s cost growth and federal delay; the department said the project remains in conceptual design, is awaiting federal MILCON action, and would require a state match of about $9.8 million against $29.6 million federal funding if it is approved. Members also asked about staffing levels, and the department said state employee and Title 32 numbers have been relatively steady, while technician positions have declined. The Department of Veterans Affairs outlined seven projects for 2026–2028, led by a Radcliff Veterans Center HVAC replacement that needs an estimated additional $16 million to finish phase two after phase one was already funded. Other requests included a maintenance pool increase, renovations and exterior upgrades at Eastern and Western Kentucky veterans facilities, a cooling tower replacement at Thompson Hood, and parking lot and lighting improvements. The department said some projects were already in the six-year plan and that the Radcliff phase two could be bid in June 2026 if funded. Members confirmed that a columbarium wall project at Grayson is federally funded. The Kentucky Infrastructure Authority presented its six-year capital plan, citing more than $3 billion in loan commitments since 1988 and over $5 billion in supported infrastructure projects. KIA requested $298.439 million in the first biennium, including $27.742 million in state match for federal clean water and drinking water revolving funds, $25 million for its state Infrastructure Revolving Fund, $185.697 million in federal capitalization grants, and $30 million in leverage bond authorization for each year of the two federally assisted loan programs. Members asked about drinking-water quality, and KIA said that function is handled by the Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Division of Water, not KIA. KIA also said its loan rates currently range from 0.5% to 2.25%, averaging just under 1%, and that its revolving loan programs have had no defaults. The Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet began its presentation at the end of the transcript, with staff identifying themselves, but no project details or board action from that presentation were included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:01:09.320><c> Shoshone</c> Wayland Large from the Eastern Shoshone Wayland Large from the Eastern
• So, we're going to go ahead and um call up uh the Eastern Shoshone Business Council.
• So, that Eastern Shoshone Indian Days.
• I'm the tribal liaison to the Eastern Shoshone tribe at Governor Gordon's office.
• I am an Eastern Shoshone woman.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a few airports in rural areas, for example in eastern Kentucky, where they have some internet
• We have a few airports in rural areas, for example in eastern Kentucky, where they have some internet
• And then Greenup, in far eastern Kentucky, [questionable: able to] replace their equipment that they
• And then Greenup, in far eastern Kentucky, [questionable: able to] replace their equipment that they
• And I imagine we have Eastern Kentucky.

Summary: The Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation met on July 15, 2025, approved the June 4 minutes, and heard updates on aviation and riverport funding programs. Commissioner Mark Carter of the Kentucky Department of Aviation reported on the $200,000 grants for general aviation airports included in House Bill 1, saying the money is being used mainly for hangar projects, fuel trucks, parking lot resurfacing, airport equipment, crew cars, and public education efforts. He said about 25 hangar-related projects were reported, with an estimated 60 T-hangars and four or five box hangars supported, and noted that the grants are often used to match federal funds. He also said the state’s jet fuel tax revenue generates about $23 million annually, up from about $19 million in 2021, and that most airports are now compliant with the ADS-B/VOR-related reporting system required in budget language, which has improved reported operations and may help airports qualify for FAA grants. Members asked about the pace of airport projects, the limited number of contractors for hangar construction, and whether airports could finance hangars themselves. Carter said timing has generally been good, though federal projects have slowed somewhat and contractor capacity remains a challenge, and he said there is no statute preventing airports from financing part or all of a hangar project. Questions also focused on the long-term need for hangars and the effect of the jet fuel cap, with Carter saying general aviation airports still have significant hangar demand and rely on state assistance because hangars are a key revenue source. Jeremy Edgeworth of the Transportation Cabinet and Brian Wright of the Kentucky Association of Riverports then reviewed riverport projects funded through House Bill 265 and House Bill 1. Edgeworth said the cabinet’s riverport grant program awarded $500,000 in each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026 for 13 projects under an 80/20 match, and that House Bill 1 provided $7.5 million per year for public riverports with no local match. He described completed or underway projects at multiple ports, including equipment replacements, dock and road repairs, material handling upgrades, mooring cell rehabilitation, and a waterline loop at Owensboro. He said $12.6 million of the KPRCM funds had been awarded across 20 projects, with about $2.4 million still to be awarded later in the fall. Wright said the riverport investments are helping ports replace aging assets, expand capacity, and match federal dollars, but he also said the statewide capital need remains large, with the current list of top projects already in the $90 million range and longer-term needs still estimated at $60 million to $90 million. Members asked about timelines and future needs, and Edgeworth said many of the larger projects will take two to five years because of permitting and coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it is crucial with all three groups because you look across the state in Eastern Kentucky with the
• Kentucky</c><00:15:02.880><c> with</c><00:15:03.199><c> the</c><00:15:03.600><c> uh</c> state in Eastern
• Kentucky with the uh state in Eastern Kentucky with the uh the<00:15:04.160><c> child</c><00:15:04.480
• :21:35.280><c> from</c> talking about children children from talking about children children from eastern
• Kentucky children from the urban eastern Kentucky children from the urban areas<00:21:37.760><c> of<

Committee: Senate Families & Children

Transcript Highlights:

• Run a line up the side of eastern New Mexico into Colorado, where, as you know, since we're in Tucumcari
• The eastern interconnect is the same thing. So, the problem...
• So it sounds like you have a plan, and I'm assuming it's going to be on the eastern side of New Mexico
• So, Madam Chair and presenters, there was, or is, a plan for a line here in eastern New Mexico.
• But I'll point out that we did have investments at Santa Fe Community College, as well as Eastern New

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• technology sectors; and whereas Senator Banke has consistently championed the needs of the Tri-Cities, Eastern
• And whereas Senator Banke has consistently championed the needs of the Tri-Cities, Eastern Washington
• workforce development, energy leadership, and steadfast advocacy for the Tri-Cities and the people of Eastern
• get with Senator Banke is a deep, deep passion and a deep commitment for rural Washington State and Eastern
• Washington. ...deep, deep passion and a deep commitment for rural Washington State and Eastern Washington

Bills: SCR8410 , SCR8410

Keywords: returning bills to house of origin, sine die, end of session, legislative procedure, Rules Committee, third reading, unfinished business, pending bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, joint memorials, special session, bill numbering, legislative records, House of Representatives, Washington Legislature, session adjournment, procedural resolution

Transcript Highlights:

• Police Association chapter president for District 6, which covers the Idaho Falls area and much of eastern
• like to share what this issue looks like from the perspective of troopers working on the ground in eastern
• District 6 covers a large... ...troopers working on the ground in eastern Idaho.
• District 6 covers a large portion of eastern Idaho, including interstate corridors and heavily traveled
• Recently, we held a recruiting event at a local college in eastern Idaho.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• university Eastern Kentucky University will<01:23:18.480><c> be</c><01:23:18.639><c> getting</c><01:
• along with Eastern Kentucky University are<01:23:39.600><c> directed</c><01:23:40.960><c> by</c><01:
• Kentucky in the done a lot for Eastern Kentucky in the way<01:47:58.159><c> of</c><01:47:58.320><c>
• <01:56:08.000><c> Kentucky</c><01:56:08.480><c> University</c><01:56:09.520><c> to</c> Eastern Kentucky
• University to Eastern Kentucky University to coordinate<01:56:10.560><c> a</c><01:56:10.800><c> search

Transcript Highlights:

• Foresight from Baltimore County, District 7, a student at Eastern Technical High School. >> Michelle
• </c><00:07:35.680><c> a</c><00:07:35.919><c> student</c><00:07:36.160><c> at</c><00:07:36.400><c> Eastern
• </c> District 7, a student at Eastern District 7, a student at Eastern Technical<00:07:37.280><c> High