Transcript Highlights:

• You're predicting an unknown future. You're predicting an unknown future. Yes.
• Yes, H.R. 1 funded the program, but it did not ...provide a distribution formula.
• The first is admin costs in the SNAP program.
• We currently pay 50% of the admin of administering the SNAP program.
• Richard, I'm going to apologize. program last year.

Summary: The Committee of Appropriations met on January 21, 2026, and first considered House Bill 2116, which would appropriate $1 million in fiscal year 2027 to the Colorado River Litigation Fund. The sponsor and Arizona Department of Water Resources both supported the bill, describing it as a backup measure to protect Arizona’s Colorado River entitlements if post-2026 negotiations among the basin states fail. Members discussed how the bill relates to the governor’s separate Colorado River Protection Fund proposal, and staff clarified the two funds serve different purposes. The committee approved HB 2116 on a 17-1 roll call vote. The committee then took up House Bill 2053, which would provide $100,000 for updated stormwater recharge mapping and expand the work beyond state trust lands to private lands. An amendment in the chair’s name was adopted to extend the coordination timeline, broaden the agencies involved, and revise language about mapped sites and appropriable surface water. The sponsor said the bill is intended to identify more places to capture stormwater for recharge rather than letting most rainfall evaporate. ADWR testified neutrally, supporting the mapping effort but raising a concern about language that could be read as requiring the department to determine whether water is appropriable, which it said is a legal question for the courts. The amended bill passed 11-7. House Bill 2148, as amended, was then heard and approved 11-7. The bill would give the legislature authority to appropriate non-custodial federal monies and set requirements for those appropriations. The chair’s amendment excluded federal research grants to universities, university employees, and the Arizona Board of Regents. The sponsor framed the bill as a transparency measure, saying the legislature should know how federal funds are being spent. No outside testimony was offered, and the committee approved the measure after debate about legislative oversight of federal funds. After the bills, the committee received a lengthy JLBC presentation comparing the executive budget with the JLBC baseline. Discussion focused on revenue forecasts, tax conformity, sports betting, lottery and tourism revenue assumptions, SNAP administrative costs and error-rate penalties, developmental disability and Access caseload growth, and K-12 enrollment and ESA spending. Members repeatedly questioned the executive budget’s use of one-time funding for ongoing costs, especially for SNAP administration and DES staffing, and expressed concern about rising supplemental needs and the lack of long-term budget capacity. No votes were taken on the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so, as the Chair's... ...The Nature Conservancy, here in support of the bill.
• And this is an outcome the legislature said it wanted to avoid the cap-and-trade program.
• But the cap-and-invest program doesn't cover all of those emissions, right?
• Most of these barriers cannot be addressed directly through the cap-and-invest program.
• Simplot welcomes targeted funding for EITEs to cap-and-invest program revenues.

Bills: HB2537, HB2245, HB2296

Keywords: emissions, climate commitment act, environmental regulation, trade regulation, facility compliance, consumer-owned utilities, clean energy, port districts, market customers, energy transformation, distributed energy, renewable energy, energy resources, sustainability, energy policy, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The containers were added to the recycling program just two years ago.
• One, it would develop priority policies and programs.
• One, it would develop priority policies and programs.
• SB 1016 does not create a new program or expand Care Court.
• into law to allow future state treasurers to use and expand this program.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The commission is concerned that Senate Bill 1326, as amended, would significantly limit conservation
• We're an organization that tries to conserve, protect, and restore Idaho's wild and native trout.
• We're an organization that tries to conserve, protect, and restore Idaho's wild and native trout.
• Conservation officers are certified peace officers.
• This Powerful Pints program takes a percentage of their proceeds, along with a roundup program, and then

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will help reduce future emissions related to open burning or natural decomposition of forest
• Mark Fenstermaker for the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts in support.
• I'm Michael Jair with The Nature Conservancy.
• We have to take a look at the issues and make changes now to store water for our future.
• I'm Kristen Sicki, general manager of the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

Summary: The committee heard a long agenda of natural resources and water bills, beginning without a quorum and then proceeding after quorum was established. AB 706, by Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry, would create a fund to support projects that use forest biomass from wildfire mitigation in environmentally beneficial ways. Supporters said it would help reduce wildfire risk, avoid open burning, improve air quality, and support energy reliability; opponents from environmental groups raised concerns about biomass impacts and sustainability. The bill passed the committee 5-0 and was sent to Energy, Utilities and Communications. The committee then took up AB 2026, also by Aguiar-Curry, which would streamline permitting for groundwater recharge and allow more flexible diversion permits during wet periods. Support came from local water agencies, counties, and water associations, which argued the bill would help capture flood flows, reduce costs, and improve groundwater sustainability. Opponents, including Defenders of Wildlife, salmon and environmental groups, and several irrigation districts, argued the bill could harm fish, public trust resources, and downstream users by allowing diversions based on broad wet-year criteria. Members discussed the bill at length, with some supportive of the recharge goals but urging more safeguards; it passed 4-0 and was sent to Environmental Quality. Other measures included AB 2216 to expand the Delta Conservancy’s service area to additional portions of several counties and add Lake County, which supporters said would improve habitat, climate resilience, and watershed-scale conservation; it passed 4-0 to Appropriations. AB 2075 would clarify fire-safety equipment requirements for land-clearing operations and make employers responsible for compliance; farm and cattle groups sought more flexibility for rangeland, and the bill passed 3-0 to Appropriations. AB 1960 would allow Cal Fire wildfire prevention grants to fund community-level home-hardening projects and was sent to Emergency Management. AB 1808, dealing with Western Joshua tree conservation and local permitting/fee issues, drew support after opposition groups withdrew concerns and passed 3-0 to Environmental Quality. The committee also heard AB 550 on incidental take permits for species not yet listed, aimed at reducing delays for clean energy projects, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• consider HB 3305 by Richardson relating to the continuation of healthcare provider participation programs
• Today we honor their spirit and look forward to Asherton's bright future. Mr.
• Today we honor these students for their commitment to learning and for the future contribution of the
• Xavier Millen, who is a participant in the Texas State Legislative Program and a current Texas State
• graduate student in the MPA program.

Transcript Highlights:

• behind the tax credit program.
• behind the tax credit program.
• If we have programs to support them, and this program does that, we use it regularly.
• If we have programs to support them, and this program does that, we use it regularly.
• If we have programs to support them, and this program does that, we use it regularly.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• He's into programming. He knows four languages.
• The STEM programs that New Mexico Tech offers are quite amazing.
• The National Teacher of the Year program is the oldest and most prestigious national honors program in
• Requirements are for reporting back on the success of this program.
• Our kids are counting on us into the future.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They are our future leaders, our future doctors, our future service members.
• Workforce programs? Yes, the programs are for new employers that are coming into our region.
• Enrollment program.
• programming.
• We've got the continuing to fund our Medicaid program within this program.

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior day’s journal, and numerous introductions of visiting groups and guests, including schoolchildren, Republican women’s organizations, county commissioners, and family members of legislators. Members also suspended House Rule 98 to allow baseball apparel in celebration of opening day, with the motion passing 118-22. The chamber then took up the state budget bills. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2002, covering elementary and secondary education and child care, drew the most debate. Supporters said it maintained record funding for the foundation formula, transportation, and early childhood programs, while critics argued it still fell short of fully funding the formula and underfunded child care subsidies by about $51 million. After extended debate over statutory obligations, school funding, and child care policy, the bill passed 85-70. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2003, the higher education and workforce development budget, also prompted substantial debate over a proposed shift to an FTE-based funding model for colleges and universities. Supporters called it a fairer, more equitable system that follows students and encourages efficiency, while opponents warned it would sharply reduce funding for some institutions, including community colleges and regional universities. The bill passed 83-66. The House then passed House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2004, covering revenue and transportation, 91-50, despite objections over a public transit cut and constitutional concerns raised about MoDOT appropriations. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2005, the Office of Administration and employee benefits budget, passed overwhelmingly after members discussed state worker compensation, deferred compensation, and benefits funding. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2006, covering agriculture, natural resources, and conservation, passed 133-17 after members highlighted restored funding for agriculture business development and food insecurity grants, while others criticized cuts to natural resources and parks funding. The chamber then moved on to House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2007, covering economic development, commerce and insurance, and labor and industrial relations, with the budget chair introducing the bill and outlining its major departmental appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a couple points there: we are a loan program; we are not a grant program.
• Clackamas Soil and Water Conservation District, a local septic repair and conservation loan program.
• Our Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs, their programs, our Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs
• We do have business programs. We have loan programs for businesses.
• about the future and how we can think about the future better.

Summary: The task force met to focus on funding systems and incentive structures for a proposed regional waste infrastructure effort, including how a future WIPA framework might support solid waste planning in the Willamette Valley. Staff and members heard presentations from DEQ on the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, from Business Oregon on the Special Public Works Fund, and from Oregon State Treasury on state bonding capacity and the bond issuance process. Presenters explained how their programs are structured, how projects are scored or approved, what kinds of public entities and projects are eligible, and how interagency coordination and co-funding can work. DEQ emphasized that its revolving loan fund is driven by water-quality benefits and public-health criteria, while Business Oregon described a broader infrastructure loan program for public entities with no scoring system, and Treasury outlined the state’s debt-capacity process and the differences between general obligation and lottery bonds. Members used the presentations to discuss whether similar funding tools could support solid waste infrastructure, especially for transfer stations, regional hubs, and related facilities that may need to be built before Coffin Butte reaches the end of its lifespan. Several questions centered on whether public-private partnerships could qualify, whether equipment inside facilities could be financed, how repayment would work, and whether planning costs could be covered. DEQ and Business Oregon both said they could potentially collaborate on scoring or co-funding, but noted eligibility limits and the need for public ownership in many cases. Treasury said bond capacity is limited and competitive, especially for lottery bonds, and that project authorization generally runs on a two-year cycle, though unused authority can sometimes be reauthorized. In task force discussion, members debated whether the group should pursue a dedicated funding lane for the seven-county region rather than having local governments compete with other statewide needs. Some members stressed the importance of criteria to avoid stranded assets and to ensure funding is available when projects are ready, while others raised concerns about how cities and counties would generate revenue to repay debt during construction and early operations. The group also discussed flow control, system fees, and the need for regional collaboration among counties, cities, and haulers to create enough waste volume to support new infrastructure. Staff noted that pre-session filing materials for the legislature are due September 11, and the chair said the August meeting will focus on organizational structure and identifying partners. During public comment, Representative Kevin Mannix submitted written testimony supporting the WIPA concept and urging the task force to endorse it. Commissioner Bubba King of Yamhill County urged the task force to compare alternatives objectively and warned against adding bureaucracy before evaluating existing infrastructure and costs. Commissioners Kevin Cameron and Roger Nyquist of Marion and Linn counties described regional hub-and-spoke concepts, transfer stations, and intermodal options, emphasizing the need for planning, strategic siting, and collaboration with haulers and local governments.

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as this impact over the future, I think the strength of this model is that it adapts to what Future
• programs is getting $17,000.
• So for that soil and water conservation, Missouri Geological Survey, ...conservation in the Missouri
• Conservation Commission does.
• This is not a new, unproven program.

Summary: The committee heard extended discussion of the chair’s House budget substitute, especially House Bill 2 for elementary and secondary education and House Bill 3 for higher education. The chair said the operating budget leaves roughly $300 million in reserve, explained several cuts and restorations, and described proposed changes to child care, including cutting enhancement payments and keeping attendance-based rather than enrollment-based subsidy payments. Representative Fogle objected to the child care cuts and the proposed language limiting the department’s move to prospective payment and enrollment-based reimbursement; State Budget Director Dan Hogg testified that the governor’s office still intended to move to payment on enrollment in May if the budget language did not block it, while prospective payment remained under review because of federal funding concerns. The chair also explained a restriction on Parents as Teachers services for children already in public pre-K, and members debated whether that would reduce duplication or improperly limit services. The chair further proposed a new competitive Title I innovation grant program funded by a reallocation of some Title I dollars, with questions raised about what services would be reduced to offset it. The bulk of the meeting focused on a major higher education funding overhaul in House Bill 3. The chair and vice chair proposed replacing the current base-plus model with an FTE-based formula that would distribute the same overall state funding according to student credit hours, with community colleges funded on a 12-hour FTE, four-year undergraduate students on a 15-hour FTE, and graduate enrollment discussed as a separate issue. They said the goal was to make funding follow students rather than institutions and to reduce long-standing disparities between schools. Several members supported the idea as overdue and more transparent, while others warned it was being done too quickly and could harm institutions with high-cost programs, research missions, or smaller enrollments. Concerns were raised about possible closures, accreditation problems, and unintended effects on workforce programs such as nursing, engineering, and technical training. The chair and vice chair said there was no intent to force consolidation, but acknowledged that some institutions would gain and others would lose under the new model. Members also questioned how the formula would treat research and doctoral funding, especially at the University of Missouri, and whether graduate programs were properly counted. The chair said some special-purpose lines were retained, but a large portion of MU’s research and doctoral funding was folded into the broader pool and redistributed through the FTE model. Several members asked for clarification on whether graduate hours were counted at nine credits, and the chair said he was not certain and would seek follow-up from staff or the department. Community college representatives were discussed as having unanimously opposed the recommendation, and the chair noted that the institutions were briefed only shortly before the hearing. No votes were taken during the exchange, and the committee appeared to be gathering testimony and concerns ahead of markup and future action on the budget bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Greg Alvers, representing irrigation conservation district, surface water.
• Greg Alvers, representing irrigation conservation district, surface water.
• Greg Alvers, representing irrigation, conservation, Greg Elvers, representing irrigation conservation
• Thank you. ...with the Soil and Water Conservation District.
• I'm a registered lobbyist for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.

Summary: The committee heard several water-related bills and one memorial in a Saturday session near the end of the legislative term. House Bill 63, the annual NMFA Water Project Fund authorization bill, would authorize grants and loans for 113 eligible water projects across 28 counties. NMFA and municipal interests supported the bill, and members emphasized the need to move water infrastructure funding quickly. The committee voted unanimously do pass. House Bill 109 would temporarily remove the requirement for the legislature to separately authorize Water Trust Board-vetted projects through 2029, allowing the New Mexico Finance Authority and Water Trust Board to move projects forward more quickly. Sponsors and witnesses said the change would reduce a six- to 12-month delay, improve access for small and tribal systems, and allow more flexible application periods and technical assistance. Some members raised concerns about transparency, legislative authority, and equitable access, but the bill also received broad support from local governments, tribes, and advocacy groups. The committee voted unanimously do pass. House Bill 111 would modernize water enforcement penalties by increasing fines for illegal water use, including unlawful diversions, unlicensed well drilling, and failure to meter, while exempting valid water-right holders from monetary penalties for simple over-diversion and preserving existing adjudication orders. Support came from environmental groups, irrigation districts, the Interstate Stream Commission, the Pueblo of Laguna, and others, who said stronger penalties are needed to deter illegal use. Members questioned how the bill would affect farmers, acequias, service of notices, and existing water-right disputes, and sponsors said the bill had been revised to address prior concerns. The committee voted unanimously do pass. The committee also approved Senate Memorial 27, which urges state agencies to help publicize expanded federal RECA benefits for New Mexicans exposed to Trinity radiation fallout; supporters said the memorial would help eligible residents learn about and apply for compensation before the deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• And just as a little background about the program in broad strokes, how this works, the Land Conservation
• program.
• "Madam Chair, Representative Duncan, so when you do a conservation easement, the conservation value we're
• No extra, but it's not cutting any programs either.
• to give it a proof of concept so that they can see if that tax program works or that grant program works

Summary: The committee’s final day focused first on a historical overview of New Mexico tax packages by Pam Stokes of Legislative Council Services. She described how tax packages have alternated over the decades between tax relief, revenue raising, and tax reform, with examples ranging from the creation of the gross receipts tax in 1966 to major packages in 1981, 1986, 1991, 1994, 2005, 2019, 2022, 2024, and the vetoed 2025 package. Members discussed how tax policy often tracks revenue conditions, how packages can combine increases and decreases, and how local government gross receipts taxes and hold-harmless distributions have affected communities differently. Several members reflected on past packages, especially the 2004 food tax repeal and the 2013 film tax and manufacturing changes, and noted that tax policy can have major economic and political effects even when it is not “sexy” legislation. The committee then heard a proposal to expand the health care practitioner gross receipts tax deduction to include co-insurance, and to extend the sunset date. Sponsor Senator Figueroa said the bill was intended to help recruit and retain medical providers and build on prior deductions for co-pays and deductibles. Testimony explained that co-insurance is the patient’s share after the deductible, that providers currently absorb the gross receipts tax on those payments, and that the proposal would cost about $30 million to the state plus about $20 million to municipalities and counties, with the exact fiscal impact likely to be updated. Members raised concerns about the effect on local governments, whether insurers could be required to reimburse providers, whether the bill would actually attract doctors, and whether better evaluation measures and sunsets should be added. The sponsor said the bill was part of a broader set of efforts to address provider shortages and that the discussion would continue. Representative McQueen then presented a bill to update the Land Conservation Incentives Act. He and conservation partners said the program has protected more than 500,000 acres but has not kept pace with rising land values, especially for irrigated agricultural land in the Middle Rio Grande. The proposal would increase the percentage of conservation value eligible for the credit, raise the per-transaction cap from $250,000 to $2 million, and make the credit refundable rather than only transferable. Testimony emphasized that the program is voluntary, keeps land in private ownership and production, and helps land-rich, cash-poor landowners preserve farmland and water rights. Members asked about average credit amounts, how easements work, whether landowners could effectively buy land and then use the credit, and whether there should be inflation indexing or a statewide cap. The discussion also touched on water rights, fencing, and the role of conservation easements in protecting agricultural land and compact water deliveries. Finally, Senator Sharer previewed his 2% tax proposal with a historical presentation on New Mexico tax law, using props to illustrate the evolution from early territorial tax codes to the modern tax system. He argued that the state’s current tax structure is overly complex and that recent federal changes have disrupted the personal income tax base. The committee did not take any votes on the day’s presentations; the meeting was primarily informational, with members offering feedback and raising policy concerns for future sessions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Futures opened today down 400 points. The warning lights are everywhere.
• That is the legacy we honor and one future we are building together.
• I thought you guys were really conservative.
• No, I'm trying to save the programs.
• NO, I'M TRYING TO SAVE THE PROGRAMS.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 31, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the House of Representatives, House Joint Memorial 9 by the Resources and Conservation Committee,
• group, and also a government programs manager for that group.
• And one of her focuses has become program integrity over there.
• There are a lot of divisions within Medicaid and in health and welfare that need program integrity, and
• In the House of Representatives, House Bill 502, by the Resources and Conservation Committee.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida risks being left out of future federal funding and infrastructure investments that could improve
• I think will now lead generations of young conservative minds like myself, who he has trained.
• They adjust the work program every year, and I don't...
• those programs?
• Next, we have Kareem Golden, who is waving in opposition from the Nature Conservancy.

Transcript Highlights:

• The hour of 1:30 having arrived, the House Resources and Conservation Committee will come to order.
• I'm the Wildlife Program Associate for Idaho Conservation League. Thanks for your time today.
• This piece of legislation would allow the city to use the reasonably anticipated future needs statute
• Chairman and committee, my name is Ryan McGoldrick, and I'm here on behalf of Conservation Voters for
• So this is, I mean, the future of that aquifer is really up in the air.

Summary: The House Resources and Conservation Committee approved the February 13 minutes and rearranged the agenda to hear HJM 13, HB 737, HJM 14, and HB 676. HJM 13, a memorial urging implementation of the Sackett Supreme Court ruling on federal wetlands regulation, drew extensive testimony from Mike and Chantelle Sackett, who described their 20-year fight with EPA and the Army Corps over a home site they said was wrongly treated as wetlands. Supporters, including attorneys and water-user representatives, said the ruling is not being followed consistently and that clearer enforcement is needed. The committee voted to send HJM 13 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HB 737 would merge the Office of Species Conservation and the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources. Representative Boyle said the offices have similar permitting-related missions and could work more efficiently together. An Idaho Conservation League witness opposed the bill, arguing the offices have distinct roles and that merging them could create conflicts of interest and weaken species conservation funding. Several committee members spoke in support, saying the merger could improve coordination and help landowners and industry navigate federal permitting. The committee passed HB 737 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HJM 14, sponsored by Representative Fuhriman, urges federal cooperation on research, planning, and feasibility for expanding reservoir storage in East Idaho. It drew little opposition and was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HB 676, sponsored by Representative Petzke, would allow certain municipal geothermal heating systems to use the reasonably anticipated future needs process if the system is non-consumptive and reinjects water. Supporters from the City of Boise, water-user groups, geothermal experts, and conservation advocates said the bill would streamline expansion of geothermal heating and support renewable energy development. One water attorney urged tabling the bill for further discussion among aquifer users, but the committee ultimately voted to send HB 676 to the floor with a due pass recommendation before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• The hour of 1:30 having arrived, the House Resources and Conservation Committee will come to order.
• The Office of Species Conservation was put together by the legislature to deal with ESA species, and
• I'm the Wildlife Program Associate for Idaho Conservation League. Thanks for your time today.
• This piece of legislation would allow the city to use the reasonably anticipated future needs statute
• So this is, I mean, the future of that aquifer is really up in the air.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's about identity conservation and just about birds.
• It's about identity conservation and culture.
• program and sell.
• We found a way to win from a conservation easement from, you know, from the Florida forever program and
• Conservancy again Care.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was a highly effective program.
• bill proposes to govern: the human-wildlife coexistence program and the California Wolf Program.
• And we are talking about all three prongs of the program.
• conducting a home-hardening pilot program only in six counties.
• conducting a home-hardening pilot program only in six counties.

Summary: The committee heard SB 1135, which would reestablish the California Wildlife Coexistence Program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal strategies such as deterrents, conflict reporting, and outreach. The author and supporters said the program had been effective but lost funding in 2024, and they argued it would help communities, ranchers, and wildlife by preventing conflicts before they escalate. Support came from conservation, animal welfare, local government, and county groups, while the California Cattlemen’s Association and California Farm Bureau opposed unless amended, saying the bill needed clearer limits on when nonlethal measures are practicable and protections so compensation funds for livestock losses are not reduced. Members discussed wolf-livestock conflicts, compensation, and the need for continued collaboration. The committee voted 2-0 on call to send the bill to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1085, which would preserve water supply assessments for large housing and development projects even when those projects are exempt from CEQA. The author and sponsor EBMUD said the bill is needed to keep water planning tied to land-use planning and avoid “paper water” problems, especially as climate and drought conditions worsen. Supporters included water agencies, environmental groups, labor, and local governments. The California Building Industry Association opposed the bill, arguing that current law already requires verified water supplies, that the bill could add unnecessary process and litigation risk, and that it could slow housing production. Members raised concerns about duplication in cities that also operate their own water systems, but the author said the goal was better coordination, not more bureaucracy. The committee voted 4-1 on call to send the bill to Local Government. The committee also heard SB 1270, which would expand the state wildfire mitigation home-hardening pilot to the top 10 counties by wildfire risk and social vulnerability, adding Riverside, Calaveras, Los Angeles, and Tehama counties and prioritizing future funds for those areas. The author said the bill responds to recent destructive fires and aims to extend home-hardening assistance to more high-risk communities. There was no opposition, and members discussed how to scale funding, whether the program should be broader than the listed counties, and how to focus on cost-effective mitigation. The committee voted 5-0 on call to send the bill to Emergency Management. Finally, the committee heard SB 895, a major science funding measure that would place a $23 billion bond on the ballot and create a California Foundation for Science and Health Research to support research in the state. The author and supporters said California’s research sector is a major economic engine and that federal funding cuts and instability threaten jobs, talent retention, and scientific progress. There was broad support from UC, CSU, labor, health, and research organizations, with no formal opposition. Some members raised concerns about the role of sponsoring unions and the potential for politicization, but the author said the new foundation would operate under California law and that the measure is meant to protect science funding and collaboration. The committee discussion continued, but the transcript excerpt ends before a final vote on SB 895.