Transcript Highlights:

• And so today, on behalf of Illinois's Third Congressional District, I'm proud to commend Reverend Sierra
• </c><00:34:35.520><c> Reverend</c><00:34:36.079><c> Sierra</c> I'm proud to commend Reverend Sierra I'm
• proud to commend Reverend Sierra Bates<00:34:37.040><c> Chamberlain</c><00:34:37.760><c> for</c><00:
• And so on behalf of Illinois's third congressional district, I am proud to commend Ahmed Rahab for his
• </c><02:10:33.840><c> Ahmed</c> district I am proud to commend Ahmed district I am proud to commend Ahmed

Transcript Highlights:

• So I commend it and ask for your approval. ...good work that we do on the stewardship side.
• So I commend it and ask for your approval. Are there any questions for Brian?

Committee: Joint Legislative Evaluation & Accountability Program

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the June 18, 2025 minutes, and heard four proposed budget format changes. Washington State Parks requested a structural change to separate and better track its Stewardship Services Division, including cultural and natural resources, environmental planning, and Climate Commitment Act investments. DCYF proposed moving direct service functions now housed in program support into the child welfare program so operational costs and direct services would be reported separately; members asked how this would help avoid across-the-board reductions affecting direct services, and the agency said the change would improve transparency and prevent that problem. The Department of Transportation sought to create a new Ferries Program Support sub-program to consolidate four related projects and two existing sub-programs into one administrative/project support structure, while the Department of Veterans Affairs requested only a title change for Program 20 from Field Services to Veteran Services and Counseling and Wellness. The committee voted unanimously to approve all four changes. Kevin Feltis then gave an interim work plan and staffing update for LEAP. He said the office is continuing work on the rewritten capital budget application (BuildSUM), updating the transportation bond model, completing carry-forward levels for the 2027-29 biennium, publishing 2026 legislative budget notes, updating 2025 salary data, and participating in a LegiTech AI pilot for system development within the legislative network. He also noted LEAP’s role in supporting the new Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Budget Transparency and Fiscal Sustainability. Staffing remained steady at 11 FTEs, with no retirements or staffing changes in the past year, though one vacancy may be filled later and two retirements are anticipated over the next four to five years. The committee also discussed updates to the fiscal.wa.gov website. Planned work includes streamlining how budget data is updated when budgets are released, converting more than 100 reports from Microsoft Reporting Services to Power BI because support is ending, and evaluating whether the site’s search tool should be improved or replaced. Senators and representatives raised concerns about the number of clicks needed to reach capital and transportation project maps and about making public-facing budget information easier to find and understand. Staff said the website redesign was based on prior user testing and that they would look at ways to make maps and other top-level information more accessible. Finally, the committee elected new officers under its alternating-chair rule. Representative Gregerson was nominated and elected chair, and Senator King was nominated and elected vice chair. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Resolution 1038 is a resolution to recognize April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Arkansas and to commend
• Happy to answer any questions. ...commend the Court-Appointed Special Advocate programs.

Committee: All HOUSE MANAGEMENT

Summary: House Management considered a series of House resolutions honoring individuals, teams, and organizations. Resolutions passed recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month and commending CASA programs, the Mountain Home Bombers’ boys and girls cross-country championships, a corrected honor for a girls’ team roster, Mount St. Mary Academy’s state golf title, Central Arkansas Christian High School Choir, a local candy shop, Joe T. Robinson’s football and swim/dive state championships, Arkansas Tech University’s Golden Suns and their cross-country team, and North Little Rock’s girls basketball championship. One resolution honoring the Passion Play was pulled from the agenda and moved to regular session. Most of the honors were approved without opposition after brief presentations and no questions. The committee then took up House Resolution 1052, which drew extended discussion. Sponsors and several legislators argued that many Arkansas girls selected for Girls State were being denied participation because school counselors missed an application deadline, despite the students meeting requirements and similar deadline flexibility having been granted in prior years. They said the issue affected roughly 150 girls statewide, that the American Legion Auxiliary board had not been responsive to calls or requests for a meeting, and that the legislature was offering to help with space, funding, or volunteers if needed. Supporters framed the resolution as a matter of fairness, civic opportunity, and not punishing students for adult mistakes, especially since Boys State deadlines had been extended in some cases. Committee members asked about the impact on girls whose brothers were allowed to attend Boys State and whether the situation sent a negative message about equal opportunity. Sponsors said the girls were being treated unfairly and that the resolution was intended to urge the Auxiliary to allow participation. After discussion, the committee voted to pass the resolution. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, I commend him for all of his work all these years on the opioid epidemic response advisory
• "I commend him for all of his work all these years on the opioid epidemic response advisory council.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to briefly commend you and everyone around the horseshoe, especially the education chair.
• I just want to briefly commend you and everyone around the horseshoe, especially the education chair.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• We commend the...
• We commend the intent behind this legislation, which seeks to ensure that school boards better reflect

Summary: The House Education Committee held public hearings on two bills. House Bill 1662 would move several education-related boards and commissions—the State Board of Education, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the Financial Education Public-Private Partnership, and the Charter School Commission—toward operational independence from OSPI by July 1, 2027, including separate administrative services, asset and employee transfers, and transition planning by OFM. The prime sponsor and supporters said the bill would improve transparency, fiscal accountability, and agency flexibility, while OSPI-related testimony emphasized that small agencies need more nimble administrative support. No one testified in opposition; the hearing record noted 2 pro, 1 con, and 5 other sign-ins, and members were told the bill was substantively the same as the version passed the prior year except for date changes. The committee then heard House Bill 1683, which would require most school districts with 2,000 or more students to elect at least some school board members from director districts rather than entirely at-large, with larger districts needing more district-based seats and districts under 2,000 students exempt. The sponsor and supporters argued the change would improve geographic and demographic representation, especially for lower-income communities and communities of color, and would help ensure school boards reflect the students and families they serve. Opponents, including a school directors association representative, said the bill would be an unfunded mandate, reduce local control, and create added election costs and recruitment challenges; one witness also suggested the bill should consider broader proportional-representation options. Staff noted that 23 districts would currently be out of compliance, and the hearing record showed 12 pro, 163 con, and 2 other sign-ins. No executive action was taken on either bill during this portion of the meeting. At the end of the hearing, the chair reminded members that several bills heard that week would be on next Thursday’s executive session agenda, urged prompt amendment requests, and announced that the committee would adjourn to caucuses.

Transcript Highlights:

• to continue to ensure compliance with both the PRA and the OPMA while mitigating legal risk, and I commend
• Again, I commend the commission for this annual refresher.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 7, 2025, with quorum present. The commission approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and then received its annual open government refresher from the Attorney General’s office, which reviewed key requirements under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including record retention, response deadlines, exemptions, and meeting notice rules. Staff then provided a 2025 legislative session update, noting that the legislature passed 23 tax-preference-related bills, with several signed by the governor and others pending. Highlights included bills that extended or repealed certain preferences, added reporting requirements for newspaper and digital content exemptions, authorized JLARC to adjust its work plan when data is unavailable, and created a new exemption for zero-emission buses. The commission approved updates to the 2026 tax preference review schedule, which includes eight preferences in seven reviews, and approved unchanged testimony questions for 2025. The commission also received the 2025 expedited preference review report covering 52 tax preferences, presented as an interactive table drawing on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies. Staff then outlined the process for developing the next 10-year review schedule for 2027-2036, including surveying the legislature, incorporating new and repealed preferences, and considering a possible rolling 10-year schedule. No public comment was registered. The meeting ended with acknowledgments of Ron Buing’s long service on the commission and an announcement that the next meeting would be held August 6, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• HR number 224 by Holt, commending Michael Fozzie-Tarabay of Sour Lake for his acts as an organ donor.
• Goode, please stand. ... .... today we We commend Michael Tarabay for his life-saving act.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> WE TRY TO DO IT BACKWARD AND I COMMEND SENATOR BOYD HE WAS TRYING IN EARNEST TO GET ME COMMITTED
• TO TRIED TO COMMEND SENATOR BOYD HE WAS TRYING IN EARNEST TO GET ME COMMITTED TO TRIED TO EXPEDITE WITH

Transcript Highlights:

• We did this Somalia thing, and so I, uh, the Somali day we chatted there, and so somebody commended their
• We did this Somalia thing, and so I, uh, the Somali day we chatted there, and so somebody commended their
• And so somebody commended their non-Somali neighbors, and my joke was, "I guess I'm a non-Somali neighbor
• I think 30-plus years is to be commended. Did Mr. Schumacher beat you? Senator Swedzinski? No.
• and then the is really to be commended and then the ability<00:59:33.920><c> to</c><00:59:34.720><c>

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Also want to commend the House and Senate chairman who've just done a phenomenal job hosting hearings
• Also want to commend<00:03:46.000><c> the</c><00:03:46.159><c> House</c><00:03:46.480><c> and</c><00:
• 03:46.720><c> Senate</c><00:03:47.760><c> chairman</c><00:03:48.720><c> um</c> commend the House and
• Senate chairman um commend the House and Senate chairman um who've<00:03:49.280><c> just</c><00:03:49.440
• </c> and the executive directors, I commend and the executive directors, I commend their<00:05:23.919

Committee: Joint Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• and you communities that you represent, and you should<00:56:40.319><c> be</c><00:56:40.400><c> commended
• </c><00:56:41.520><c> Um,</c><00:56:42.240><c> and</c><00:56:42.480><c> I</c> should be commended for
• Um, and I should be commended for that.
• ><01:10:17.840><c> know</c> was introduced um and I I you know was introduced um and I I you know commend
• the the subcommittee to look at commend the the subcommittee to look at the<01:10:20.400><c> timing<

Committee: Senate Rules and Administration - Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, somebody's birthday. For a special occasion. Good. Yeah, somebody's birthday. Not mine.
• Well, happy birthday, whoever.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, somebody's birthday. For a special occasion. Good. Yeah, somebody's birthday. Not mine.
• Well, happy birthday, whoever.

Committee: Joint Government Finance Committee

Summary: The committee first received a general fund and revenue update from the Office of Management and Budget. Staff reported that the state started the biennium about $176 million above prior estimates, but year-to-date revenues were now running below legislative forecast, mainly due to lower individual income tax and sales tax collections. The budget stabilization fund was above its cap, the legacy fund continued to grow, and oil revenues were slightly above forecast overall. Members also asked about federal funding uncertainty and mineral leasing variability, and OMB said agencies would be asked to address potential federal reductions case by case during budget preparation. The committee then reviewed compliance reports and trust fund analysis materials, followed by a bill draft for a fixed-route city transportation grant program. Testimony from transit officials in Fargo and Minot supported the proposal, saying state aid would help match federal transit funds and support operations, but members raised questions about the funding source, fare structures, and whether the program should be limited to the current four fixed-route cities or allow future eligible cities. Several members asked for more time to study the formula and possible funding options before moving the bill forward. Next, the committee approved a bill draft repealing obsolete language related to a proposed North Dakota-South Dakota bi-state authority. Staff explained the provision had been unused for about 30 years and that existing law likely already allowed joint powers agreements without the specific language. The committee voted to adopt the repeal bill draft. The Department of Commerce and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site then provided an update on uncrewed aircraft system initiatives, including the Vantis radar data enclave, the drone replacement program, and future revenue models. Officials said North Dakota had received FAA approval to operate the radar data pathfinder, had begun replacing non-compliant drones from restricted foreign sources, and was working on phased procurement and cost-recovery plans. Members asked about deadlines, funding, supply-chain issues, and how the system would be used; staff said the federal restrictions were already in effect and that Vantis was being positioned as infrastructure for future beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Finally, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presented on the design of a new minimum-security prison and on a reentry housing task force. The new facility is planned for the penitentiary grounds, with a reduced estimated cost of about $263 million, 600 beds initially, possible expansion to 732 beds, and completion projected around 2031 if funded in 2027. The reentry housing task force described a data-driven effort to identify housing needs for people leaving incarceration, with the goal of reducing homelessness and recidivism through targeted housing support and possible subsidies. Members asked about staffing, site selection, housing duration, and whether employment and transportation needs would be included in the assessment.

Transcript Highlights:

• She had a daughter with a birthday. Yeah, they sure did. Two minutes apiece. Mr.
• My son's birthday. All right. Ready? Ready? That's birthday. All right. Ready? All right, Mr.

Summary: The committee heard a long series of bills, beginning with AB 2026 on groundwater recharge. The author and supporters said the bill would streamline permitting for recharge projects, codify long-standing CEQA exemptions for flood diversions to recharge, and add tribal consultation and other guardrails. Water agencies and local districts supported the measure as a way to capture high-flow water and reduce groundwater subsidence, while environmental groups and some irrigation districts opposed it, warning that the bill’s exemptions and broader diversion authority could harm rivers, Delta resources, and public trust values. The bill was discussed but not voted on because the committee lacked a quorum at that point. The committee then took up AB 1577 on data center energy accountability, which would require monthly reporting of energy-use data and permit-related estimates of energy and water demand. The author and the Little Hoover Commission argued the bill would improve transparency, help protect ratepayers, and give regulators better information for grid planning. Data center industry representatives opposed it as duplicative, burdensome, and uniquely targeted, while local governments, environmental groups, and some utilities supported it or supported it if amended. The bill was later reported out with a due pass recommendation once a quorum was established. Members also heard AB 2245 on a producer responsibility program for lubricant products and containers, AB 2170 on CEQA language-access and environmental review protections for overburdened communities, AB 2059 on rural transportation and VMT mitigation, AB 1808 on Western Joshua tree permitting and fee relief, AB 2182 on industrial energy efficiency program changes, and AB 2231 on streamlining two hospital projects. Testimony was mixed on most of these bills: supporters emphasized affordability, local control, environmental justice, or project urgency, while opponents raised concerns about CEQA scope, regulatory duplication, costs, and environmental impacts. Several measures received due pass recommendations and roll-call votes, including AB 2170, AB 2059, AB 1808, AB 2182, and AB 2231, with some members voting no or not voting and some bills left open for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• years within 30 days of<01:20:21.720><c> the</c><01:20:21.840><c> offender's</c><01:20:22.240><c> birthday
• </c><01:20:22.640><c> rather</c><01:20:22.920><c> than</c> of the offender's birthday rather than of
• the offender's birthday rather than their their their um<01:20:24.800><c> date</c><01:20:25.000><c> of

Committee: House Human Services & Homelessness

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 963, which would make crimes against elders age 60 and over strict liability offenses by removing the requirement that the perpetrator knew or should have known the victim’s age. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing that removing the state-of-mind element would create unfair and subjective results and suggesting sentencing enhancements or broader vulnerability-based language instead. Supporters, including Sandy Wong and another testifier with elder-abuse experience, said the current knowledge requirement creates a loophole that lets offenders avoid the elder enhancement even when they target vulnerable older adults. No vote was taken on the measure in the portion provided. The committee also heard HB 384, which increases penalties for promoting minor-produced sexual images, extends probation terms for felony obscenity offenses, tolls the statute of limitations during a victim’s minority, and requires sex offender registration for certain felony obscenity offenses involving minors. The Public Defender opposed the bill as overly broad and warned of absurd results, while the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney supported it, saying the bill addresses sextortion and other exploitation cases where adults solicit images from minors and that the 3-year age-gap threshold preserves ordinary teen relationships. Committee members questioned whether the bill was aimed at adults only and whether the age-gap carveout was narrow enough; the prosecutor said it was intended to cover adult predators and not consensual peer conduct. No final action was reported. HB 1100, which renames the Neighbor Islands Blind and Visually Impaired Service Pilot Program to use “low vision” instead of “visually impaired,” was supported by the Department of Human Services and disability advocates, who said the current term is derogatory and that the change responds to the blind community. The department said it was beginning work on administrative rules and expected to seek an appropriation, with implementation hoped for in 2026. The committee then heard HB 1283, exempting paternity proceedings from mediation when domestic abuse is alleged; the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and others supported it as consistent with divorce law and important for survivor safety. HB 689, creating safe harbor protections for survivors of sexual exploitation who seek medical or law enforcement help, drew support from HPD, Emua Alliance, the Judiciary, and others, who said it would prevent traffickers from using prostitution charges to silence victims. Finally, HB 383, reinstating mandatory minimum jail terms for successive violations of protective orders and removing the court’s ability to suspend those minimums, drew opposition from the Public Defender, who said some repeat violations stem from mental health or substance use issues, and support from the Prosecuting Attorney, who argued the bill treats protective orders like temporary restraining orders and preserves judicial discretion within a misdemeanor framework.

Transcript Highlights:

• looks like, um, saying that, you know, the dog has to be altered by a certain age, by the second birthday
• looks like, um, saying that, you know, the dog has to be altered by a certain age, by the second birthday
• looks like, um, saying that, you know, the dog has to be altered by a certain age, by the second birthday
• looks like, um, saying that, you know, the dog has to be altered by a certain age, by the second birthday
• Like, um, saying that, you know, the dog has to be altered by a certain age, by the second birthday,

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• It was my birthday. We were going to play games. We had Settlers of Catan all set up.
• It was my birthday. We were going to play games. We had Settlers of Catan all set up.
• So, um, I'd be happy to take any questions, and if not, I got to go to a birthday party.
• So, um, I'd be happy to take any questions, and if not, I got to go to a birthday party.
• So, um, I'd be happy to take any questions, and if not, I got to go to a birthday party.

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, I want to commend the court system for the family treatment courts.

Summary: The meeting began with committee process reminders from the chair, including rules for questioning witnesses, time limits for testimony, and how motions and committee reports are handled. The chair also discussed the committee’s history, emphasized a cooperative approach with agencies and the Judiciary, and noted that a special committee on the Family Division of Circuit Court had previously done useful work; he said a new subcommittee could be appointed later to continue looking at judicial-system issues. He also mentioned that the Speaker’s office was expected to name members to the DHHS oversight committee by Friday at 1. The substantive presentation was from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Child Support Services. Attorney John Williams introduced the bureau team, and Bureau Chief Lisa Dekowski described the program’s mission: encouraging responsible parenting, family self-sufficiency, and child well-being by locating parents, establishing paternity, setting or modifying support orders, and enforcing court-ordered child and medical support. She said the bureau operates statewide under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, works with courts, employers, and other partners, and serves both in-state and out-of-state cases, with some international and tribal coordination. She also cited program scale, saying the bureau dispersed about $76 million to families in New Hampshire in fiscal year 2023 and that most collections go directly to families. Members asked about enforcement tools, especially passport denial. In response to a question about a case involving a very small shortfall, the bureau said the federal passport-denial threshold is $2,500 in arrears, not a few cents, and that denial remains in place until the balance is resolved or an arrangement is made with the agency, with hardship factors potentially considered. The bureau also explained that either parent can apply for services when a child support order exists and that the bureau can help initiate income withholding orders. No votes or formal actions were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I have an affinity for commission work, and I commend each of you for what you are doing and what
• I</c><00:35:58.880><c> must</c><00:35:59.119><c> say</c><00:35:59.520><c> I</c><00:35:59.839><c> commend
• </c><00:36:00.240><c> the</c> I must say I commend the work of our sister institution here at Kentucky
• It is important to note, and I say this candidly, that I want to commend our sister institution.
• </c> want to commend our sister institution. want to commend our sister institution.

Summary: The interim Commission on Race and Access to Opportunity met at Kentucky State University and heard a presentation from President Kofi Aapo and Vice President Michael Dorsy on the university’s role as an HBCU and its current priorities. They emphasized Kentucky State’s impact on Black student outcomes nationally, its focus on workforce development, civic leadership, innovation, and economic mobility, and its efforts to grow enrollment, expand dual-credit partnerships, and launch a prison education program. They also described House Bill 250’s role in prompting program review and the creation or expansion of market-aligned offerings, including manufacturing engineering, agricultural engineering, biological and agricultural engineering, social work, criminal justice, and expanded online programs through “Thoroughbred Global.” A major topic was Kentucky State’s move toward STEM and applied programs. President Aapo said the university is diversifying beyond liberal arts to meet workforce demand and cited plans for a PhD in agroecology, which he said would help farmers adapt to climate conditions and would be federally funded. He also discussed the nursing program as the fastest-growing on campus, partnerships with health systems that pay tuition and guarantee jobs, and the need for a new nursing facility. He said the current nursing space is inadequate and that a new building could double or triple enrollment in the program. He also described a mobile health initiative intended to bring preventive care and health education to underserved areas of the state. Members asked questions about the nursing building, STEM strategy, teacher preparation, dual credit, prison education, and student readiness. Senator Bledsoe asked about the shift toward STEM, and Aapo said the strategy is based on student demand and data from House Bill 250. Senator Berg requested a list of dual-credit partners and encouraged long-term tracking of prison education participants to study outcomes such as recidivism; Aapo said the university has not yet begun that research but intends to. Senator Tidner asked about remedial needs, and Aapo said KSU found more than 100 students with zero GPAs when he arrived and is using co-requisite support and tutoring to address English and math deficiencies. Representative Brown and others highlighted the historical and ongoing value of HBCUs, and no votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.