Transcript Highlights:

• That is the painful truth we've been forced to live with.
• report by saying that current laws are not sufficient, that the legislature must take much more forceful
• This would essentially force Floridians to put their personal information at risk in order to sign the
• people, many who just ...process, the sacred relationship between citizen and government, by forcing
• It forced citizens initiative organizations to go to paid signature gatherers.

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation. A substitute amendment was adopted that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used to the Office of Economic and Demographic Research, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate aviation flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and dedicate $10 million annually for a traffic signal modernization program. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales-tax transfer to the State Transportation Trust Fund, a bid-protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for CS for SB 628, Lucy’s Law, which strengthens boating safety penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless operation. After the sponsor withdrew a pending amendment, the committee heard emotional testimony from Lucy’s parents and others in support, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee next considered CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, under a strike-all amendment. The bill’s major provisions included removing non-purity additives from public water systems, requiring clearer labeling for meat, milk, poultry, and eggs, criminalizing drone harassment over farmland, updating agriculture disaster recovery programs, creating an honest services registry for charities tied to countries of concern, expanding FFA-related scholarships and school infrastructure, and allowing the state to repurchase certain former agricultural lands converted to solar fields. Testimony included strong support from agriculture and related groups, opposition from the Florida Bankers Association over a private right of action related to financial discrimination, and criticism from speakers opposed to fluoride removal. The bill was amended and then reported favorably despite some opposition. The committee also reported favorably SB 796, which authorizes DEP general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems to replace failing septic tanks. The committee then took up a large strike-all for CS for SB 1618, a K-20 education package. The amendment combined provisions on VPK flexibility, early grade success, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention, teacher assignment transparency, restrictions on spending public funds for political or social activism, emergency opioid antagonists, corporal punishment consent, teacher certification pathways, and other higher-education and workforce items from SB 1624, including guardrails for certain private religious postsecondary institutions. Members questioned the new prohibition on using public funds for political or social activism, with the sponsor saying it was intended to keep public schools from being a battleground for ideology; Equality Florida and the ACLU opposed that section. The amendment was adopted and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee began extensive debate on CS for SB 7016, a major initiative-petition reform bill. The sponsors said the bill responds to fraud and abuse documented in a large Office of Election Crimes and Security report and would impose tighter rules on petition circulators, including Florida residency and U.S. citizenship requirements, training, shorter submission deadlines, stronger penalties, new identification requirements on petitions, and a 25% invalid-signature trigger for investigations by election-crimes officials. Senators raised numerous questions about due process, public records, penalties, the treatment of volunteers and former felons, the verification process, and the practical effect of the new deadlines and thresholds. The discussion was ongoing when the transcript ended, and no final vote on SB 7016 is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is the painful truth we've been forced to live with.
• We have repeatedly faced the clear dismantling of fair civic processes here in Florida and are now forced
• This would essentially force Floridians to put their personal information at risk in order to sign the
• people, many who just ...process, the sacred relationship between citizen and government, by forcing
• It forced Citizens Initiative organizations to go to paid signature gatherers.

Summary: The committee first took up CS for CS for CS for SB 462 on transportation, adopting a substitute amendment that would require counties receiving transportation surtax proceeds to report how the money is used, prohibit certain airport fees tied to collegiate flight training, create a Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority pilot program, and fund a traffic signal modernization program with $10 million annually from the State Transportation Trust Fund. The amendment also removed several provisions from the bill, including a sales tax transfer to the trust fund, a bid protest-related contracting requirement, and repeal of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council. A late-filed amendment was tabled, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS for CS for SB 628, “Lucy's Law,” on boating safety, which would strengthen penalties for leaving the scene of a vessel accident and reckless vessel operation. Lucy’s parents gave emotional testimony in support, describing the fatal 2022 boating crash and urging stronger accountability. The sponsor withdrew pending amendments, and the bill was reported favorably. CS for CS for SB 700, the Florida Farm Bill, was next; the strike-all amendment covered a broad range of agriculture-related changes, including water fluoridation restrictions, labeling rules, drone restrictions over farmland, disaster recovery programs, an honest services registry, FFA-related provisions, and agricultural land preservation. Testimony included support from agricultural and gun-rights groups, opposition from banking, dental, and local-government advocates, and a lengthy public debate over fluoridation and financial discrimination. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. SB 796 on general permits for distributed wastewater treatment systems was reported favorably with little debate. The committee then took up CS for SB 1618 on K-12 education, adopting a delete-all amendment that combined a wide range of education provisions, including VPK flexibility, agriculture education, financial literacy, reading intervention requirements, teacher assignment reporting, restrictions on spending public funds on political or social activism, postsecondary and workforce-related changes, and other school and college system updates. Several speakers opposed the activism-related funding restriction, while the sponsor said the bill was intended to keep publicly funded schools focused on education; the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered SB 7016 on initiative petitions, adopting a strike-all amendment that would sharply tighten petition circulation rules and increase penalties. The proposal would require circulators to be Florida residents and U.S. citizens, impose training and registration requirements, shorten petition submission deadlines, require more identifying information on petition forms, limit sponsors to one amendment per election cycle, and create new enforcement and investigation triggers, including a 25% invalid-signature threshold. Sponsors argued the changes were needed to address fraud and protect the integrity of constitutional amendment petitions, while senators raised concerns about due process, public-records issues, burdens on volunteers, and the impact on voters and sponsors. The bill was not reported in the portion provided, and the discussion remained ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill affirms that women and girls should not be forced to surrender their private to men pretending
• Under this bill, state agencies would be forced to harass people based on their perceived gender face
• We are forcing our children to become become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
• It's about whether a 12 year old girl. should be forced to undress next to someone with male anatomy.
• Riley Gaines was forced to undress next to Will Thomas during swim competitions. a female teammate of

Bills: SB240, SB1183, SB1184, SB1577, SB2043, SB2051, SCR42, SJR68

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill affirms that women and girls should not be forced to surrender their private to men pretending
• In 2003, Texas values fought a battle at a Fort Worth charter school when activists attempted to force
• We are forcing our children to become. become comfortable with the uncomfortable.
• Should be forced to undress next to someone with male anatomy.
• So teachers and students are not forced to use the pro. Noun due to a student's gender preference.

Bills: SB240, SB1183, SB1184, SB1577, SB2043, SB2051, SCR42, SJR68

Keywords: biological sex, gender identity, public facilities, civil penalties, local government, EBT, electronic benefits transfer, food stamps, SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, TANF, temporary assistance for needy families, welfare benefits, benefit card fraud, fraud hotline, card replacement, photo ID, recipient photograph, HHSC, Health and Human Services Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the home of Laughlin Air Force Base.
• And those planes would take off from here in Texas. from here at Laughlin Air Force Base and that little-known
• Many are mothers with young children fleeing domestic violence. forced to choose between medical bills
• Patients are forced to use the less favorable and uncontrolled blood sources from whatever third party
• So if we rely on the current process of forcing locals to develop and fund Texas will not have a water

Bills: SJR 12, SCR 39, SB 7, SB 8, SB 27, SB 29, SB 125, SB 241, SB 371, SB 396, SB 406, SB 464, SB 568, SB 578, SB 608, SB 617, SB 660, SB 689, SB 693, SB 707, SB 731, SB 732, SB 763, SB 779, SB 836, SB 854, SB 857, SB 875, SB 878, SB 879, SB 906, SB 920, SB 921, SB 922, SB 942, SB 965, SB 985, SB 996, SB 1029, SB 1035, SB 1036, SB 1059, SB 1084, SB 1098, SB 1101, SB 1185, SB 1188, SB 1321, SB 1332, SB 1366, SB 1388, SB 1396, SB 1453, SB 1484, SB 1494, SB 1536, SB 1563, SB 1596, SB 1610, SB 1619, SB 1737, SB 1738, SB 1741, SB 1816, SB 1822, SB 1841, SB 1939, SB 2155, SB 2188, SB 2230

Keywords: parental rights, education, constitutional amendment, school choice, child education, border security, southern border, federal immigration policy, illegal immigration, cartels, transnational cartels, fentanyl, drug trafficking, human trafficking, Operation Lone Star, Texas border, National Guard, state guard, border wall, border barriers

Summary: In this meeting, significant discussions revolved around the passage and modification of various Senate Bills, including SB1388, which pertains to family support services under the Health and Human Services Commission. Senator Kolkhorst advocated for the bill, emphasizing its focus on pro-life, family-centered care. The committee passed the bill after thorough examination, showcasing a collaborative effort among the members to ensure its alignment with successful past initiatives. In another session, Senator Hughes presented SB942, aimed at retroactive child support linked to prenatal care, which sparked a constructive dialogue reflecting bipartisan support for maternal and child welfare.

Transcript Highlights:

• It makes no sense for Texas to be forced to resolve claims out of state under foreign laws.
• Claims, and ultimately raises the cost to consumers who are forced to purchase surplus lines policies
• National Consumer Law Center a couple of years ago that showed 99% of consumers have no idea that forced
• They were forced into the surplus line because the pricing for the standard market was way out of reach
• Lastly, we are concerned that Section D, as it is written, would force routine plans to cover services

Bills: HB139, HB1818, HB1942, HB1959, HB2221, HB2254, HB2563, HB2067, HB2275, HB3211, HB139

Keywords: HB 1818, Texas Insurance Code, Texas Department of Insurance, commissioner of insurance, health maintenance organization, HMO, insurer, utilization review, preauthorization, prior authorization, medical necessity review, health care services, medical care, insurance regulation, insurance examination, regulatory oversight, confidential records, public information exception, Chapter 843, Chapter 1301

Transcript Highlights:

• So, moving past TIA, slide 17, Governor Abbott asked with us to convene a teacher vacancy task force
• three years ago, I believe, and this was the set of recommendations. that came out of the task force
• So you'll see things related to that in the teacher vacancy task force recommendation.
• So some of the teacher vacancy task force are policy recommendation and they're useful broadly. which
• Could y'all provide a similar chart that shows the force. Oh yeah.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , you know, I think some of the provisions they had to do a ride-along, they had to do some use-of-force
• do a ride along they had to do some use do a ride along they had to do some use of<00:12:52.920> force
• training that you would have of force training that you would have you<00:12:55.920> know<00:
• 55.720> look<00:29:56.039> or We have accreditation commissioners assigned to a task force
• c> to<00:30:38.559> a<00:30:38.799> a<00:30:39.000> task<00:30:39.360> force

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Will you be a force for working with both sides of the aisle?
• And I hope that I can be a force multiplier.
• Many of these moves have. force plants to idle or stop production completely.
• They're being forced to make repetitive motions every day, forceful ones.
• As Secretary, yes or no, will you commit to using the agency's purchasing power to force these companies

Transcript Highlights:

• citizens to forcing law-abiding citizens to subsidize<00:35:18.720> violations.
• They preserve habitability, but they're effectively forced to act as uncompensated custodians of rental
• They preserve habitability, but they're effectively forced to act as uncompensated custodians of rental
• to act as but they're effectively forced to act as uncompensated<01:02:52.160> custodians<01:
• condo associations across the forcing condo associations across the state<01:31:35.920> of<01

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 2294, which would require condominium associations, boards, and managing agents to comply with declarations, bylaws, county ordinances, and state and federal laws, including mortgage lending requirements. The Community Associations Institute opposed the bill as redundant, arguing existing law already requires compliance and provides penalties. Supporters, including condominium owners and board members, said the measure would clarify that associations are not “self-governing” in a way that exempts them from outside laws, and cited examples where local officials or police told residents to take issues back to their boards. Several supporters said the bill would reinforce board responsibility for permits, safety, and legal compliance. The committee noted 27 pieces of testimony, with 10 in support and 17 in opposition, and then moved on without taking a vote on the measure in the transcript provided. The committee also took up SB 2298, which would require common interest community proxy forms to include additional language explaining proxy selection options. The Community Associations Institute opposed the bill, saying the proposed language was inaccurate and would not improve consumer clarity unless significantly revised. Supporters argued that proxy forms are confusing and that clearer instructions would help homeowners understand how their votes are being used. Opponents said the added language would make the forms longer and more confusing, and suggested a separate instruction sheet or other educational material instead. Testimony also raised broader concerns about proxy voting being misused in some associations, with one witness urging that proxy voting be eliminated altogether. The committee reported 29 written testimonies, including seven in support, 19 in opposition, and three with comments, and again did not record a final vote in the excerpt. For SB 2300, which would shorten condominium reserve cash-flow projections from 30 years to 25 years, the Community Associations Institute opposed the bill, saying it would not make housing more affordable, would reduce transparency, and would increase the annual burden by giving associations less time to save for long-life components. The group suggested that if affordability is the goal, lawmakers should consider allowing future loans or special assessments with guardrails. Supporters of the bill said the shorter projection period would better reflect practical budgeting and help associations plan more realistically, though some supporters also warned against relying too heavily on loans and emphasized accountability and fiduciary responsibility. Other testimony stressed that the impact of changing the projection period would vary by association and that many owners are already struggling with rising fees. The discussion remained focused on testimony and policy concerns, with no final action on SB 2300 shown in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're not forced to do that. No, 100%. Yeah. No, and I agree with that.
• There was a large masked police force that started arresting them.
• It forces these schools to actually report on the anti-Semitic incidents, which will then force them
• Its policies have disproportionately harmed Palestinians and forced them out of their homeland.
• Palestinians and force them out of their homeland.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The insurance task force was removed from this bill and may be moving separately in the commerce bill
• <00:52:37.440> was<00:52:37.760> removed uh the insurance task force was removed uh
• the insurance task force was removed from<00:52:38.400> this<00:52:38.640> bill<00:52:
• We use it as kind of a cover to say all allied forces, but they don't mention them out specifically,
• The language about the SGU forces was in the bill when we already passed it.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Not force hoteliers and our operators to hold ourselves to a standard that might be better placed in
• First part establishes a traffic fines task force to examine the Finnish tiered traffic fines system
• We have just a task force composition proposed friendly amendment. We strongly oppose part two.
• He added that the traffic fines task force was actually based on international models.
• She said these solutions and task forces are great, but ultimately the task force is an intermediary

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on SB 83, which would require hotel keepers to give adequate notice of service disruptions to guests and third-party vendors. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Office of Consumer Protection supported the bill but asked for amendments to restore remedies and add a nonwaiver provision, arguing that without penalties the measure would lack consequences and that consumers should not be able to waive the notice rights. Supporters, including Unite Here Local 5 and individual testifiers, said guests deserve transparency and meaningful recourse when disruptions occur, especially for labor disputes, construction, or other service interruptions that affect the experience they paid for. Hotel industry representatives, including the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, and hotel workers/testifiers, opposed the bill in its current form while offering amendments. They said the measure was too broad, difficult to implement, and could interfere with collective bargaining, third-party booking systems, and existing contracts. They also argued that some disruptions are not easily known in advance and that the bill unfairly singles out hotels compared with other industries. One testifier emphasized that notice should be required only for actual, known disruptions rather than potential events, and another raised concerns about applying the bill to properties not directly involved in a labor dispute. After the SB 83 testimony, the committee moved on to SB 2798, which would make permanent and expand statewide the agricultural enforcement pilot program created in 2025 and rename it the agricultural enforcement program. The chair introduced the measure and called on the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity as the first testifier, but the transcript excerpt ends before testimony or any vote on SB 2798.

Transcript Highlights:

• We also believe this is consistent with the Hawaii State Judiciary's criminal pre-trial task force and
• <00:49:11.599> and<00:49:11.720> their pre-trial task force and their pre-trial task
• force and their recommendations<00:49:12.559> issued<00:49:12.920> in<00:49:13.480>
• It's also a situation where people may be forced to choose between resolving their case on the merits
• <01:36:10.639> to situation where people may be forced to situation where people may be forced

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard testimony on several fireworks-related bills. On HB 550, which would allow law enforcement to use drone recordings to establish probable cause for fireworks arrests in public areas and appropriate funds for drones, the Department of Law Enforcement and Honolulu Police Department supported the measure. The Public Defender and some public testifiers opposed it, arguing that a statute cannot mandate probable cause and that the bill raises constitutional concerns. A prosecutor later explained that the bill is intended to address Hawaiʻi case law, especially State v. Kit, which limits aerial surveillance over homes under the state constitution, and suggested that changing “shall” to “may” could reduce constitutional problems. Members also questioned whether current law already allows video evidence of fireworks violations and whether the bill was necessary. Testimony included both support and opposition from individuals and organizations, and no vote was taken during the hearing. The committees then heard HB 806, which would appropriate funds for the Department of Law Enforcement to conduct sting operations on Oʻahu to enforce fireworks laws. The department and police supported the bill, while the Libertarian Party of Hawaiʻi opposed it, arguing that fireworks are already illegal and that the measure adds unnecessary enforcement powers and constitutional risk. Committee members asked what “sting operation” means and whether the term should be defined more clearly; the department said it refers to police or criminal investigations involving deception and agreed a definition would help guide use of the funds. The department also said the funding would support training, storage, and other operational costs for undercover investigations. Finally, the committees heard HB 1483, a broader fireworks enforcement bill that would create an adjudication system for fireworks infractions, revise definitions and penalties, establish new offenses, and increase penalties when fireworks offenses cause injury or death. The Attorney General’s office strongly supported the bill, saying it would improve enforcement by clarifying definitions and allowing cases to be proven without particle testing or expert witnesses when fireworks leave no physical evidence. The Department of Law Enforcement also supported it. The Public Defender opposed the bill, focusing on the bill’s penalty enhancements for offenses that are rarely enforced and its concurrent trial provision, which it said raises problems because of the differences between civil and criminal proceedings. No final committee action or vote was reported in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:55:40.720> to landlords that are just being forced to landlords that are just being forced
• out they'll at least have a fair forced out they'll at least have a fair shot<01:07:17.799> at
• When this bill passes, good people are going to be forced out of their homes for no good reason.
• In California, the state's largest corporate landlord, Invitation Homes, was forced to pay $2 million
• <01:38:29.480> to landlord Invitation Homes was forced to landlord Invitation Homes was forced

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• coercive contracts, including forced coercive contracts, including forced arbitration<03:19:53.760
• <03:35:03.760> to the lack of transparency and forced to the lack of transparency and forced
• Forced to nurse other people's children while they ached for their own.
• Many of them were forced Many of them were forced to<07:43:57.840> care<07:43:58.160> for
• Forced to while theirs were stolen.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To my outlawed by government force.
• It procedures through force or penalty.
• <02:17:34.559> to their children should be forced to their children should be forced to suffer
• force the risk of mandates on their<02:17:40.000> children.
• the driver is forced into a contract. the driver is forced into a contract.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , uh, county police force, to coordinate with ICE?
• police force? police force?
• So, uh that would that task force model.
• <02:14:12.560> and department or county police force and department or county police force
• We we're forcing this through quickly.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Thursday, January 29, 2026, 960, senate, all

Summary: The Senate reconvened after a snow delay, heard an invocation from Reverend Scott Shelton, and conducted several floor introductions and recognitions, including birthday wishes for staff, a welcome for a temporary office staffer, recognition of the Center for Urban Families, and introduction of the week’s pages. The chamber then approved the prior journal and moved through bill and bond initiative readings, referring the listed measures to their standing committees or the capital budget subcommittee. The first substantive action was adoption of a favorable committee report on Senate Bill 17, an emergency bill authorizing the Baltimore City Board of Licensed Commissioners to issue a related event promoters permit for the CIAA tournament. The floor leader said the bill had no amendments, no fiscal impact, and no opposition in committee. The Senate adopted the report without objection and ordered the bill printed for third reading. The Senate then took up Senate Bill 1 from the Judicial Proceedings Committee, which would require the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission to adopt a statewide policy on law enforcement face coverings, apply it to state, local, and federal officers in Maryland, and enforce violations through a civil citation and discipline. The committee report included two amendments: one technical and one making the policy statewide and preempting local policies. During extended debate, the bill’s sponsor argued that masks undermine transparency and trust and that the measure would create a uniform standard. A senator from Frederick County questioned whether the bill would effectively create a policy for federal agents without Maryland-specific training and raised concerns about enforcement, temporary detention, complaints, and possible conflicts with federal authority. The sponsor responded that officers would retain discretion, that the bill would be enforced through civil citations, and that similar civil enforcement mechanisms have been upheld in Maryland. No final vote on the amended report is shown in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Even 50 years after the fall of Saigon, the legacy of the Republic of Vietnam Forces lives on.
• of Vietnam Armed Forces Day or Nai<00:20:59.600> Wungluk.
• <00:21:07.760> We Republic of Vietnam Forces lives on.
• We Republic of Vietnam Forces lives on.
• trying to tear stand firm against forces trying to tear it<07:41:20.320> apart.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, July 14, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember when I was in the Air Force and medical care were free, people went there for every little
• <00:18:38.799> and remember when I was in the Air Force and remember when I was in the Air
• and force them all to take on VLTS. and force them all to take on VLTS.
• force electric vehicles to subsidize the others.
• Is that what... if on a task force or committee or commission taking a look at this?

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.