Transcript Highlights:

• uh Luger this is the worst uh prosecutor uh Luger this is the worst Minnesota<00:05:29.400><c> is</c
• But clearly, paying for items or services when there's no legal entitlement to that would be abuse.
• Representative Davis: When it comes to state dollars, it's the taxpayer that always pays for it.
• </c> agencies or will these who who's paying agencies or will these who who's paying these<01:40:40.000
• </c><01:40:48.440><c> for</c> it's the taxpayer that always pays for it's the taxpayer that always pays

Bills: HF1 , HF2

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• new to this job, but I enjoy the different people that reach out when they see something online or pay
• Like, all the things that we struggle to pay for, you know, particularly with our roads.
• I don't like raising taxes, but if you want to put an extra tax on this and then it goes to our roads
• out than you have paying in, potentially.
• Now, now everybody else who's elected further down the line will get two more years, but they'll pay

Transcript Highlights:

• Under either option, they're going to pay.
• I hear that either way they're going to pay.
• I also want to raise, and we've talked to you about this, the concerns raised by the building trades,
• for this event here, I want to pay for... ...impacting—you know, I want to pay for this event here,
• I want to pay for this park upgrade here, I want to do this here.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee began with housekeeping and then took up SB 753 by Senator Cortese, a bill to update California’s shopping cart recovery law. The author and supporters from San Jose, the League of California Cities, counties, and water districts argued the bill would let local governments retrieve abandoned carts immediately, return them directly to retailers, and recover documented costs, rather than storing carts for 30 days. Retail groups and grocers opposed the measure, saying carts are stolen property, that the bill could create a new revenue stream for cities, and that retailers should retain a first right of retrieval without added fees. Members debated notice periods, cost caps, and local control, and the author agreed to continue working on amendments. The committee adopted the bill as amended and passed it 6-0. The committee then heard SB 445 by Senator Wiener, which would speed up third-party permits and approvals for high-speed rail projects. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier broader transit proposal and now focuses on requiring early engagement, clear rules, and binding arbitration to prevent utilities, cities, and other entities from delaying a state-approved project. Supporters said permitting delays add major costs and can hold projects hostage; opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts said they were concerned about impacts on safety, reliability, affordability, and local authority, though many said they were willing to keep working on amendments. The committee sent SB 445 to the Utilities and Energy Committee on an 8-1 vote. Finally, the committee heard SB 9 by Senator Wiener, a narrower housing bill dealing with accessory dwelling units. The bill would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards apply if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings within the required time. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the measure would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition testimony, and the committee passed the bill 6-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• The opposition has cited that they pay some pharmacies more than they pay their own.
• We pay our taxes.
• told them to pay.
• from long-term housing stock and raise rents.
• right now to put in a fund to help the agencies pay.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills, beginning with SB 41 by Senator Wiener, which would regulate pharmacy benefit managers by increasing transparency, banning patient steering and spread pricing, and requiring full pass-through of rebates. Supporters, including independent pharmacists and health advocates, said PBM practices are driving up drug costs and closing neighborhood pharmacies. Opponents from PBM and health plan groups argued the bill overlaps with recently enacted licensing and reporting requirements, would not lower consumer prices, and may be preempted by ERISA. Members discussed confidentiality issues, consumer savings, and the relationship between SB 41 and the new budget trailer bill; the author asked for an aye vote. The committee then took up SB 378, also by Senator Wiener, aimed at online marketplaces that advertise illegal intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Supporters from labor, public health, and the licensed cannabis industry said online sales are undermining regulated businesses and exposing children to unsafe products. Opponents from tech and hemp industry groups warned the bill is overbroad, could sweep in general-purpose platforms and lawful hemp wellness products, and raises Dormant Commerce Clause and First Amendment concerns. The author said he would narrow the bill, remove industrial hemp references, and address strict liability and standing issues; members largely focused on how to target illegal products without capturing lawful marketplaces. SB 243 by Senator Padilla addressed AI companion chatbots, with supporters including Common Sense Media and transparency advocates warning that these systems can be addictive, manipulative, and dangerous for minors and vulnerable users, citing studies and the death of a Florida teenager. The bill would require disclosures, anti-addiction design limits, self-harm protocols, audits, reporting, and a private right of action. Tech and business groups opposed the measure as overly broad and said its definitions could sweep in general-purpose AI tools; several members supported the goal but questioned the breadth of the definitions and the private right of action. Finally, SB 522 by Senator Wahab would extend just-cause eviction protections to rental units that were previously covered by the Tenant Protection Act but were destroyed in disasters and later rebuilt. Supporters, including Los Angeles city officials and tenant advocates, said the bill would help keep displaced renters housed after wildfires and other disasters. Apartment and realtor groups opposed it, arguing it would remove a key exemption needed to finance rebuilding and could discourage post-disaster reconstruction. Members expressed support for tenant protections in disaster areas, and the author asked for an aye vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• awareness of presence as ACLU to raise awareness of presence of<00:57:17.520><c> ICE</c><00:57:17.920
• Uh, raising the caps, um, to 60, um, encourages large-scale productions that provide long-term stable
• cap to raise to $60 million<01:09:13.199><c> per</c><01:09:13.520><c> production.
• from 17 million to 60 because raising from 17 million to 60 because then<01:09:34.960><c> per</c><01
• This committee recognized that amendments are needed to address concerns raised in testimony.

Bills: HB1838 , HB1870 , HB2445 , HB2540 , HB1886 , HB1839 , HB2269 , HB1939 , HB2037 , HB1635 , HB1941 , HB1576 , HB2568 , HB2267 , HB2590 , HB2266 , HB2597 , HB2499 , HB2500 , HB2502 , HB2607 , HB2137 , HB2357 , HB1782

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Summary: The committee opened testimony on House Bill 1838, relating to visas. Testifiers from the State Health Planning and Development Agency, the legal clinic, the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the ACLU, CARES, and immigrant-rights groups strongly supported the bill, saying it would bring Hawaii into compliance with federal law, standardize and speed up certification for U and T visa applicants, and better protect survivors of crime and trafficking. Supporters emphasized that delays in certification can leave eligible survivors waiting years for federal visa access and can undermine public safety by discouraging victims from reporting crimes. The chair announced there were 103 testimonies in support and one in opposition, and the committee then moved on without taking a vote on the bill in the hearing. The committee next heard House Bill 1870, concerning protected locations and immigration enforcement. Testimony from the Hawaii Coalition for Immigrant Rights, ACLU of Hawaii, educators, students, and community advocates supported limiting immigration enforcement at schools and other essential-service sites, arguing that families should be able to access education, health care, shelters, libraries, and social services without fear. The Department of Education said it had already issued guidance in March 2025 for how staff should respond when law enforcement comes onto campus, and the Public Charter School Commission noted implementation would need to occur at the school level. Testifiers said the bill would create standardized protocols and protect students and families from fear and disruption; the chair reported 142 testimonies in support, one in opposition, and five comments. The committee then took up House Bill 2445, relating to student safety and law enforcement on campus. The Department of Education again said it had already rolled out statewide guidance and described its process for staff to notify administration, verify law enforcement identification and purpose, and route matters through the complex area superintendent and attorney general, while noting emergencies would be handled differently. A committee member questioned whether the procedures were sufficiently standardized and whether staff were trained for unusual situations. Student and community testifiers supported the bill, saying schools should remain safe havens and that clear procedures are needed if federal immigration enforcement appears on campus. The Department of Law Enforcement testified in opposition to parts of the measure, raising concerns about masking requirements, vehicle markings, officer safety, doxxing, retaliation, costs, and possible supremacy-clause conflicts, and suggested more exemptions and a compromise approach. The chair reported 106 testimonies in support, two comments, and no opposition for the bill before moving on to the next measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• They ask the vendors to pay the county again, but really it's going to the scammers.
• They also ask the county to pay the vendors, and of course it goes to the scammers.
• Border Patrol in ways that raise several serious privacy, constitutional, and private trust concerns
• Uh, just very brief follow-up on some of the points that have been raised.
• The data-sharing issue that ACLU and others have raised was intended to be dealt with in the original

Summary: The committee approved the October 15, 2025 minutes and then held a broader discussion on current challenges with data retention and government transparency. Judy Randall of the Office of the Legislative Auditor said historical data is essential for post-audits, which often look back three to five years, and that retention decisions must balance audit needs with the burden of separating public and nonpublic data. She described the records-retention panel process as informal and largely based on individual judgment, noting she had objected to a proposed 60-day email retention period and generally uses a three-year guideline, though she said that standard is not grounded in a formal rule. Members discussed whether auditing standards should set retention periods, with Randall saying auditing is a good starting point but other offices, including the attorney general, also have needs, and that some agency discretion is unavoidable because of the gray area between official records and non-records. Representative Elkins raised the related principle of data minimization, arguing that government should not keep data longer than needed and citing a University of Minnesota legacy data warehouse breach as an example of the risks of retaining unnecessary sensitive information. Randall agreed that data no longer needed is a liability and said her office purges workpapers after five years. Representative Scott pressed whether three years is enough for fraud investigations and financial records; Randall responded that a reasonableness standard is needed and that longer retention can produce diminishing returns, though she said she would follow up on whether financial records should be treated differently. Tanya Tacker of the Rum River Special Education Cooperative testified in support of updating Minnesota’s data-retention laws for schools. She said districts want to protect student information and maintain transparency, but the current general retention schedule dates to 1985 and 2000 and does not reflect digital records, modern systems, or the volume of special education data. She urged modernizing the schedule, clarifying what must be kept in paper versus digitized form, aligning state rules with IDEA and other federal requirements, and providing practical guidance and tools. Members praised the specificity of her recommendations. Dr. BB Newman testified that retention failures in St. Anthony Village have made it difficult to obtain routine municipal and police data, with records delayed, missing, or inconsistently produced and no clear explanation of what systems were searched or whether records were destroyed. Newman argued these gaps undermine statutory access rights and force residents into costly litigation, and recommended stronger retention auditing, documentation of destruction, mandatory disclosure of systems searched, and consequences for noncompliance. In response to questions, Senate counsel said there is generally no direct penalty, but affected parties may seek mandamus, Data Practices Act claims, or informal mediation/opinions from the Data Practices Office. The discussion closed with calls for clearer standards and possible legislative updates to improve compliance and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• to this discussion and look forward to further deliberation on the matter. committed as a former prosecutor

Bills: SB36 , SB2202 , SB 36

Committee: Senate Border Security

Transcript Highlights:

• I was raised in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Derek talked about paying off your fines on the back end.
• So once I pay this, about $1,200, once I pay that, I'm doing something...
• So once I pay this, about $1,200, once I pay that, I'm doing so great on probation that my P.O., for
• That is not my experience as a prosecutor.

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met to approve prior minutes and then heard extensive testimony focused on reentry, programming, and the differences between Department of Correction facilities and county sheriff programs. Much of the testimony came from incarcerated or formerly incarcerated people describing how county facilities offered education, treatment, work release, identification documents, housing help, and reentry planning that they said were often unavailable or harder to access in state DOC settings. Several witnesses emphasized that these programs helped them obtain sobriety, employment, family reunification, and parole readiness, while others said they needed more time, mentoring, or transitional support before release to make the most of those services. Witnesses from Hampshire, Barnstable, Hampden, and Franklin counties described specific programs such as high school/GED completion, college courses, culinary arts, vocational training, recovery groups, therapeutic treatment, and community-based reentry centers. Many said staff treated them with dignity and that the facilities’ culture encouraged accountability and personal change. A few witnesses also noted that some programs were not a fit for their needs, especially for people without substance-use issues or for those whose mental health needs were not adequately addressed. One Barnstable witness said she returned to custody within 48 hours of release because she was not mentally prepared for reentry, and another from Framingham said mental health support was insufficient and visitation restrictions worsened her experience. Commissioners asked follow-up questions about DOC access to programming, classification barriers, reentry preparation, and visitation policies. Several witnesses said DOC programming was limited by sentence length, classification status, or program waitlists, and that some people were steered into programs that did not match their needs. A number of commissioners and the sheriff present responded by stressing the importance of wraparound services, individualized planning, and hiring formerly incarcerated staff. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes and receiving testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're worried about paying property taxes.
• They're worried about paying property taxes.
• They're worried about paying property taxes.
• They're worried about paying property taxes.
• </c> including paying shift differentials. including paying shift differentials.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh<00:10:51.600><c> it</c><00:10:51.760><c> also</c><00:10:52.160><c> raises</c><00:10:52.640><c> the
• I know on the percentage of pay that they can receive.
• </c> how to plant a garden or how to raise how to plant a garden or how to raise flowers,<00:35:07.359
• We have, again, elderly people on fixed incomes that they just cannot pay the rates.
• </c><01:08:16.200><c> your</c> it's paying your it's paying your electric<01:08:18.240><c> bill</c><01

Summary: The House convened with 98 members present, declared a quorum, approved the prior journal, and received Senate concurrence requests on Senate Bills 263, 281, and 324. The chamber then moved through second readings and committee reports on a range of measures, including education, agriculture, banking and insurance, judiciary, licensing, and task force resolutions. Among the reported bills were measures on KEES scholarships for non-certified schools, a residential safe room rebate program, dual credit scholarships, impeding a first responder, motor vehicles, tallow-based cosmetic products, animal health emergencies, mortgage loan income limits, deferred deposit fees, child protection, Attorney General operations, corrections operations, school leadership, school transportation, advanced mathematics coursework, and task forces on charitable gaming and early childhood education governance. The House passed House Bill 642, a Teachers' Retirement System housekeeping bill, after adopting House Committee Substitute 1. The sponsor said the bill updates survivor benefit documentation, raises the daily earnings limit for retired members returning to work from $170 to $200, removes an unused early-return provision, reinstates a pension waiver program, clarifies benefit tier calculations using an earlier participation date in another state system, and allows a parent member to manage payments for a disabled child without a court order. Members asked about substitute teaching limits, retirement penalties, budget impact, and a removed provision involving index funds; the sponsor said he would follow up on the day limits and stated he did not believe the bill would add to unfunded liability. The bill passed 96-0. The House also passed House Bill 780 on recording commissioner’s deeds, after adopting a floor amendment that removed fines and penalties. The bill allows a city to petition circuit court if a deed is not recorded within 30 business days, and the court may compel filing and award costs and attorney’s fees. Members discussed whether the bill effectively created a lawsuit-based enforcement mechanism rather than a fine, and supporters said it would help local governments identify responsible property owners and address code enforcement and public safety issues. The bill passed 96-0. House Bill 541, concerning peace officers, also passed after a committee substitute; the sponsor said it cleans up Kentucky Law Enforcement Council procedures, strengthens certification standards, clarifies revocation language, and reflects input from law enforcement groups. It passed 95-0. House Bill 195, the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, passed after a committee substitute and floor amendment. The substitute added Kentucky State University Cooperative Extension alongside UK Cooperative Extension, and the floor amendment changed the pilot’s implementation date to January 1, 2027 and adjusted the program’s term timing. Supporters said the bill would expand urban agriculture education, connect youth to food systems and career pathways, and help students in urban counties learn practical agricultural skills; it passed 97-0. The House then took up House Bill 794 on financial exploitation, which expands protections to all adults age 65 and older, adds felony penalties for knowingly, wantonly, or recklessly exploiting those adults, allows the attorney general to seek extradition from another state, and requires investment advisers to complete three hours of continuing education on financial exploitation. Members cited real-world scam experiences and urged stronger penalties, but the bill passed 96-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• Good pay.
• It's outdoors. good pay.<00:21:30.559><c> But</c><00:21:30.720><c> what</c><00:21:30.960><c> many</c>
• 21:31.200><c> don't</c><00:21:31.440><c> know</c><00:21:31.600><c> is</c><00:21:32.080><c> it's</c> pay
• But what many don't know is it's pay.
• HRO, harassment restraining order, or a DAKO, which is a domestic abuse no contact order, when a prosecutor

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><02:23:41.600><c> are</c> critiques that have been raised are critiques that have been raised are
• ,</c> Meaning, if an owner is not paying, Meaning, if an owner is not paying, there's<02:44:35.279><c
• I would also point out for paying.
• </c><02:44:59.120><c> and</c> to pay any attorney's fees or costs. and to pay any attorney's fees or
• </c> stopped um and give them time to pay stopped um and give them time to pay back<02:45:06.399><c>

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay over $300,000 on this tax in 2025 alone and are projected to pay almost $400,000 this year.
• We pay over $300,000 on this tax in 2025 alone and are projected to pay almost $400,000 this year.
• Standby pay is something that, a long time ago, was considered pay for not working, and you'll still
• They do have to pay for them.
• They do have to pay for them.

Bills: SB6294 , SB6211 , SB5650 , SB6033 , SB6297 , SB6343 , SB6067 , SB6082 , SB6323 , SB6324 , SB5862 , SB5923 , SB6151

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: local government finance, Washington state, RCW, real estate excise tax, REET, sales and use tax, property tax levy, county tax, city tax, affordable housing, housing services, behavioral health, mental health, developmental disabilities, children and families services, youth services, utility tax, low-income utility assistance, veterans assistance, homelessness

Transcript Highlights:

• But you've been paying the pay increase, right? >> Yes.
• And sometime it's like pay raise and those kind of things come through the union.
• </c> the pay increase, right? the pay increase, right?
• pay raise and and And sometime is like pay raise and and those<00:25:00.320><c> kind</c><00:25:00.480
• </c> pay off this um reception. Correct. pay off this um reception. Correct.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that Representative Markel raises an excellent point about who gets this information and how
• </c><00:40:37.920><c> an</c> but Representative Markel raises an but Representative Markel raises an
• Under SNAP benefits, the recipient is obligated to pay back all those benefits that they received in
• </c><01:01:58.240><c> all</c><01:01:58.480><c> those</c><01:01:58.799><c> benefits</c> obligated to pay
• back all those benefits obligated to pay back all those benefits that<01:01:59.599><c> they</c><01:01

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:34:22.720><c> And</c> pay taxes, they pay politicians. And pay taxes, they pay politicians.
• </c> their pay. their pay.
• </c> asks us to pay them less. asks us to pay them less.
• It's<03:09:13.520><c> paying</c><03:09:14.080><c> them.</c> It's paying them. It's paying them.
• . pay. pay.

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay over $300,000 on this tax in 2025 alone and are projected to pay almost $400,000 this year.
• We need to pay attention to the financial stability, and I want you to pay attention and not advance
• Stand-by pay is something that a long time ago was considered pay for not working.
• When we were all working in those days, the pay was very low, as was pay for most women at that time.
• They do have to pay for them.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a public hearing on multiple bills, beginning with a motion to suspend the five-day notice rule for a long list of Senate bills, which passed on a voice vote. The committee first heard Substitute Senate Bill 6026, a governor-request housing bill that would require cities and counties over 30,000 population to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones, limit mixed-use/ground-floor commercial requirements in some areas, and allow added height where such requirements are imposed. The lieutenant governor testified strongly in support, arguing the bill would add needed housing capacity without requiring ground-floor retail burdens. The hearing on SB 6026 was then suspended so the committee could move through the agenda. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6294, a broad local government finance measure with eight parts, including expanded uses for certain REET revenues, a new county public utility tax, a new local sales tax for children and family services, expanded housing-related tax uses, changes to county levy structure, longer lid lift periods, and expanded use of rental car tax revenue. Local government, housing, and public health witnesses largely supported the bill, emphasizing flexibility for affordable housing, rental assistance, children’s services, and county fiscal stability. Opponents, including wireless industry, water/sewer district, auto dealer, realtors, energy, and cannabis representatives, objected to specific tax provisions as regressive, costly, or likely to raise consumer prices. Several witnesses requested amendments, including adding public health clinic funding and flood recovery language from House bills. The committee also heard Substitute Senate Bill 5400 on local news sustainability, which would create a state grant program funded by a surcharge on large search engines and social media platforms to support journalism jobs and the Murrow Fellowship program. News organizations, the League of Women Voters, open government advocates, and local journalism supporters testified in favor, saying local news is essential to civic life and that the bill would help sustain reporting without using general fund dollars. Technology industry representatives opposed the bill, arguing it unfairly singles out tech companies and could face legal challenges. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6211, which would let opt-in GMA jurisdictions impose REET-2 without voter approval; cities and counties supported it as a parity and infrastructure funding measure, while Realtors opposed the loss of voter approval. Senate Bill 5650, authorizing local cannabis excise taxes, drew support from some local officials but strong opposition from cannabis businesses, which argued Washington’s cannabis taxes are already too high and drive sales to the illicit market. Senate Bill 6033, waiving penalties and interest for taxpayers who failed to collect new sales tax on certain services, was supported by NFIB as a compliance and fairness measure. Senate Bill 6297, exempting temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health providers from sales tax, drew strong support from behavioral health organizations citing workforce shortages and unsustainable costs. Finally, Senate Bill 6343, extending and expanding tax relief for disaster-damaged property and repairs, was presented as aid for flood recovery; local officials testified in support. No final committee votes on the bills were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Who's paying for it? Good idea; just trying to figure out who's paying for the no fiscal note.
• And what I found out was me paying...
• I actually have to pay to get my food manager's card.
• I believe the threshold needs to be raised above $50,000.
• And that's only, like I said, for uninsured or self-pay.

Bills: HB3000 , HB2622 , HB2283 , HB541 , HB1776 , HB1803 , HB1669 , HB2588 , HB220 , HB3415 , HB50 , HB1314 , HB 107 , HB220 , HB50 , HB107

Committee: House Public Health

Keywords: ambulance service, rural healthcare, grants, financial assistance, qualified counties, mental health, patient transport, female attendants, security measures, healthcare regulation, epinephrine, anaphylaxis, health care, school safety, training, emergency response, direct patient care, healthcare, physicians, medical services

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Um, but give the discretion to a prosecutor later on.
• makes is that when we were reviewing the hearing report for this bill, the concern that the chairman raised
• makes is that when we were reviewing the hearing report for this bill, the concern that the chairman raised

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So we would be paying, right? So we would be paying, right?
• And so we've asked to get that pay to there. In the beginning on page, ...get that pay to there.
• And so I have some extreme concerns when it... ...had to pay it, right? We just had to pay it.
• currently paying versus what we should be paying.
• raise in the 2027 operating budget.

Committee: House Budget