Transcript Highlights:

• They could be slipped in at any point in time during that special session.
• </c><00:04:31.680><c> Realistically,</c><00:04:32.160><c> isn't</c> special session.
• Realistically, isn't special session.
• How would you say the power-sharing agreement went for this legislative session?
• I am looking forward to the governor calling us back into this special session.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:43:27.920><c> uh</c> and complies with all special uh and complies with all special uh approval
• </c><00:54:07.680><c> um</c> I think absent um other legislation um I think absent um other legislation
• </c> region uh around our our special region uh around our our special district.<01:00:55.680><c> Uh<
• /c><01:01:10.640><c> options</c> special district, our funding options special district, our funding
• </c> care of with regard to um um session. care of with regard to um um session.

Bills: HF4343

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: sales tax, use tax, advertising tax, taxable services, digital advertising, online marketing, marketing services, search engine marketing, lead generation, internet advertising, ad agency, media buying, campaign planning, Minnesota tax law, service tax, broadening tax base, web advertising, promotional services

Transcript Highlights:

• session for the compliance part and the tools.
• So the findings and any recommended legislation will be delivered, obviously, during the next 70th Legislative
• So the findings and any recommended legislation will be delivered, obviously, during the next 70th Legislative
• So we bought that with some of the funding from this last special session.
• our agencies are joining those sessions.

Committee: Joint Information Technology Committee

Summary: The committee received a series of informational reports from NDIT and DPI on major IT projects, cybersecurity, and the K-12 student information system transition. Justin Data reviewed the quarterly major project portfolio, noting 111 projects totaling about $542.8 million, generally under budget and slightly behind schedule overall. He highlighted three schedule-red projects: Bed Management System and Vital Records, both now complete and being closed out, and the Roadway Capital Planning Project, which is delayed due to vendor bug fixes after user testing. He also summarized new project startups, including the Attorney General’s Victim Notification System, HHS Medicaid correctional facilities data exchange, Highway Patrol’s motor carrier e-permit system, and additional RIMS work, and answered questions about project timing, funding, and whether work had begun on legislatively funded IT projects. Chris Gurgan, NDIT’s chief information security officer, reported on mandatory cybersecurity incident reporting under HB 1314. He said 77 incidents have been reported since August 2021, with 47 meeting the statutory definition of a cybersecurity incident; phishing remains the most common type, followed by email quarantine alerts, XDR detections, and malware. He emphasized that most incidents are resolved, but that timely reporting is critical for any chance of recovering funds in business email compromise or ransomware cases. He also described several notable incidents since the last report, including the PowerSchool breach, a SimpleHelp intrusion at a school district, a court intrusion, a WSUS vulnerability, a business email compromise at a K-12 district, and a recent ransomware report involving a non-state critical infrastructure entity. Members asked about smishing, MFA, conditional access, security awareness training, and recovery of lost funds; Gurgan said state systems use phishing-resistant MFA and conditional access, training is provided to state employees and offered to political subdivisions on an opt-in basis, and broader cybersecurity maturity assessments are underway. Craig Falkley gave brief reports on coordination with political subdivisions and higher education, including shared networking, cybersecurity, radio/911, PeopleSoft, and co-location services. He also explained distributed ledger technology as a tool for decentralized, secure data sharing, but said the state has limited use for it and would likely frame future reporting more broadly around emerging technologies. The committee then heard from Tony Ambrose of DPI on the statewide Infinite Campus implementation. He said district implementations are underway, but the project had to terminate its original data migration vendor for poor performance and replace it with Aurora Educational Technology, which had experience with a similar North Carolina migration. He also said DPI is moving special education data from Tynet into Infinite Campus, is still working through how to preserve e-transcripts and Choice Ready-type functionality after the PowerSchool transition, and is developing identity, authentication, and data-sharing arrangements for the summer cutover. Members raised concerns about procurement timing, summer school disruption, and whether some functions would be ready by July 1.

Transcript Highlights:

• session, anything that's appropriated by law that needs to be funded, any new program that is Legislative
• session.
• And then the next district that we'll go over is the Pulaski County Special School District.
• One question is special education high-cost occurrences.
• Um, one question is, um, special education high cost occurrences.

Summary: The House and Senate Education Committee first approved minutes from February 2 and 3, then took up an interim study proposal on adult education and the Excel Center model. Representatives from Goodwill Industries of Arkansas, the Excel Center network, and the University of Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities testified that roughly 300,000 Arkansans over age 19 lack a high school diploma or GED, and argued that the Excel Center provides a supported diploma pathway for adults who struggle with GED testing. Witnesses highlighted wraparound services such as free child care, transportation assistance, tutoring, life coaching, and career services, and cited outcomes including high retention, growing enrollment, and research showing higher employment and earnings and lower criminal justice involvement for graduates. Committee members raised questions about the state’s role, existing adult education programs, and how the study would be structured; the motion to adopt the ISP passed, though there was some procedural disagreement about when questions should have been taken. The committee then heard a detailed adequacy funding overview from BLR staff Katie Walden and Adrian Beck on Arkansas K-12 education finance. They reviewed national funding principles and explained Arkansas’s system, including state and local revenue sources, the Public School Fund, the Educational Excellence Trust Fund, the Educational Adequacy Fund, and the Facilities Partnership Program. Staff said K-12 state and local revenues totaled $6.6 billion in 2025, with foundation funding making up the largest share of district and charter funding, followed by additional, categorical, and supplemental funds. They also explained the matrix-based foundation formula, the role of the uniform rate of tax, and how categorical and supplemental funds support areas such as alternative learning, English learners, special education high-cost cases, teacher salary equalization, declining enrollment, and student growth. Members asked several follow-up questions about how specific funding categories are defined and used, including student support staff, instructional aides, special education high-cost occurrences, ALE funding, teacher salary equalization, and the inclusion of Excel Center amounts in state-local funding totals. Staff said some of those details would be addressed in a later presentation and offered to provide additional records, including district lists and historical information. The meeting ended after the funding overview, with no additional votes or actions beyond the ISP adoption and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because increasingly, they need special levies just to cover these things.
• My name is Alan Acosta with the Veterans Legislative Coalition.
• I am also a member of the Veterans Legislative Coalition.
• The bill is to establish a legislative task force on the Public Records Act.
• Let's begin executive session. Welcome back. Let's begin executive session.

Summary: The House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee heard testimony on House Bill 2514, which would create a work group to plan a Global War on Terror Memorial on the Capitol campus. The prime sponsor and supporters, including veterans, Gold Star family members, and military advocates, said the memorial would honor Washingtonians who died in Iraq and Afghanistan and those who later died by suicide, while helping secure private fundraising and a concrete plan for the project. No opposition was recorded during the hearing, and the bill was later closed without a vote in the transcript excerpt. The committee also heard House Bill 2661, which would create a temporary task force to study public records request abuse, including frivolous, retaliatory, or harassing requests, and consider possible reforms. Supporters from cities and school-related organizations said some agencies face heavy costs, legal review burdens, and repeated or overly broad requests, especially in schools. Opponents from open-government and media groups argued the bill misdiagnoses the problem, could restrict access, and should instead focus on better staffing, training, technology, and compliance. The hearing ended without a vote in the excerpt. In executive session, the committee voted to advance several bills. It reported out proposed substitute House Bill 2637, which expands Public Records Act exemptions for certain personal information, on a 4-3 vote; House Bill 2632, which updates terminology for noncitizens, on a 4-3 vote; proposed substitute House Bill 2499, on conservation district governance and disclosure rules, on a 4-3 vote after rejecting two amendments; House Bill 2198, concerning the statewide credential catalog and online repository, on a 6-1 vote; and House Bill 2520, allowing emergency meetings outside a county seat and clarifying Open Public Meetings Act procedures, on a 7-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• As a member of the General Court, he authored major legislation which addressed health care.
• This amendment is a technical update to the firearms modernization legislation.
• This amendment is a technical update to the firearms modernization legislation that we passed last session
• That legislation, along with our other gun safety laws, has given us the lowest rate of gun violence
• The House now stands adjourned to meet tomorrow at 11 a.m. in informal session. Thank you.

Summary: The House met with several welcoming and ceremonial items at the start, including recognition of visiting school groups and a special order to escort Representative-elect Hannah L. Bowen to the Governor’s Office to be qualified. Members also observed moments of silence honoring former Senator Louis P. Bertinazzi and former Representative Evelyn B. Chesky, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s notice of the 6th Essex District special election results was placed on file, with congratulations extended to Representative Owen of Beverly. The main business was consideration of House 4150, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill totaling about $529.8 million. The House suspended rules, advanced the bill through second and third reading, and later passed it to be engrossed. A consolidated amendment was adopted by a vote of 149-1, and the bill itself passed to be engrossed by 149-1. The House also took up Senate 2508, establishing a sick leave bank for Andrew Cetra of the trial court, and ordered it to a third reading. Two floor amendments drew debate and were adopted by roll call. Amendment 61, offered by Representatives Peisch and Moran, codified protections and practices for English language learners and students with disabilities, including district responsibilities for identification, services, assessments, and nondiscrimination; it passed 148-1. Amendment 27, offered by Representative Rogers, clarified that post-certified law enforcement officers at private colleges and universities are included in firearms-related exemptions under the state’s firearms modernization law; it passed 151-0. The House then adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. and adjourned in memory of Representative Chesky.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, over the course of the legislative session.
• So last legislative session, we were granted $200 million and tasked with creating 200 beds, and it was
• Last session was my first session as executive director and you made a significant investment.
• I'm so glad I'm on this committee this session.
• We've got about an hour until session begins. We've got about an hour until session begins.

Committee: House Criminal Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:

• Opening session.
• session.
• The 153rd General Assembly is convened in special session. Mr. Chief Clerk, please call the roll.
• The quorum being present, the House is officially in special session.
• I only say that because the Secretary of State came here during special session and she laid out a lot

Transcript Highlights:

• Oh, for special education? For special education. It's up to age 22 now?
• Special education urgently needs an overhaul to properly support these students, whose needs to Special
• We've worked with stakeholders prior to session and during session, and we believe a narrow bill is..
• We've worked with stakeholders prior to session and during session, and we believe a narrow bill is a
• positive step forward during the short session.

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We are. ...are in a special session.
• I don't know how many of the bills still would have time in a special session, but this committee is
• In the last legislative session, the 89th session, you funded a A project, for example, the city of Brownsville
• As we maybe move into the next legislative session. Thank you. Thank you. Mario Cantu.
• I think it's so important, and I don't think we could wait until the next legislative session to make

Bills: HB48 , HB66 , HB68 , HB71 , HB75 , HB164 , HB171 , HB254 , SB 3 , SB 18 , HB123 , HB149 , HB117

Committee: House Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select

Transcript Highlights:

• I encourage us: we're both in session today, and we'll be in session for many, many days in the month
• with clean slate legislation.
• Now it's our turn to pass this type of legislation.
• This legislation or pass on to the next generation.
• So I ask for your favorable report today on this legislation.

Bills: H5085 , H5286

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hybrid hearing on miscellaneous bills, including H. 5286, which would require DCF to consult a medical professional when a parent presents evidence of a pre-existing diagnosis that could explain symptoms mistaken for abuse or neglect. Representative Brian Mario said the bill would give DCF another tool in difficult cases. Jennifer Fernandes testified about her family’s experience with her grandson being removed after doctors initially suspected a skull fracture that later proved unfounded, saying the bill could help prevent similar outcomes. Committee members expressed sympathy and indicated interest in further discussion. The committee then heard extensive testimony on H. 5085/S. 3095, the omnibus “An Act Significantly Alleviating Poverty.” Supporters described the bill as a comprehensive anti-poverty package built from the Poverty Commission’s work, combining higher cash assistance grants, matched savings, baby bonds, a guaranteed stipend for youth aging out of foster care, expanded tax credits, language access, clean slate record sealing, and worker protections. Senator Eldridge, Senator Miranda, Representative Decker, and many advocates argued that poverty is tied to housing instability, child welfare involvement, health harms, and racial and gender inequities, and that the bill would help families meet basic needs, build wealth, and reduce the benefits cliff. Witnesses from social service, legal aid, labor, immigrant advocacy, and public health groups strongly supported the bill’s provisions. Several focused on specific sections: child support pass-through and a broader good-cause exception for TAFDC recipients; extending the state EITC to ITIN filers; creating baby bonds and matched savings programs; automating criminal record sealing; improving language access at state agencies; and ending the subminimum wage for farm workers. Former foster youth and service providers said the guaranteed stipend would help young adults avoid homelessness and transition more safely into adulthood. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chairs repeatedly noted the limited time and encouraged written testimony and follow-up conversations.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the same legislative session where Future residents.
• In the same legislative session where we're voting on this bill, this body is considering reducing local
• That was just some of the special times, special moments of my entire life.
• We do not wait for next session. We do not wait for special sessions. We act today.
• this piece of legislation.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a quorum present, then adopted the special order report for the day. The chamber took up House Bill 167 on former phosphate mining lands. Sponsor Rep. McClure said the bill removes strict liability for previously mined phosphate lands if a Department of Health study is completed at the owner’s request and the former mining status is recorded publicly. Opponents, led by Rep. Cross and others, argued the bill relies too heavily on buyer-beware principles and does not adequately notify future buyers or renters. The bill passed 87-24 after debate. Members then considered House Bill 145 on suits against the government. Rep. McFarland said it updates Florida’s sovereign immunity caps, raising them to $500,000 per person and $1 million per incident, with a later automatic increase, while preserving the liability shield and improving access to compensation for people harmed by government negligence. The bill also aligns the statute of limitations with private claims and allows entities to settle above the cap. After brief debate, the House passed the bill 104-7. The House next debated CS/HB 289 on wrongful death for an unborn child, which would expand Florida’s Wrongful Death Act to allow claims involving unborn children and their parents. The bill prompted extensive questioning and debate about damages, definitions, medical care, surrogacy, and whether the measure could affect abortion access or expose doctors, friends, family members, and surrogates to lawsuits. Multiple amendments sought to carve out protections for mothers, health care providers, abortion care, perinatal professionals, surrogates, and victims of rape, incest, or human trafficking, but each was defeated. The final vote on the bill itself was 33-78, so the motion failed and the bill did not advance.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> childhood programs under special childhood programs under special education<00:09:04.640><c> are
• MSRS legislators plan.
• Line 216 authorizes OA to conduct special reviews to follow up on prior special reviews, and this is
• reviews to follow up on conduct special reviews to follow up on prior<00:36:56.880><c> special</c><00
• Last session, we passed a notices.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Wyoming is truly special. So let state. Wyoming is truly special.
• We debated it last session. We’ve debated it this session.
• We debated it last session. We’ve debated it this session.
• </c> We're not doing thoughtful legislation. We're not doing thoughtful legislation.
• </c> in legislation? in legislation?

Transcript Highlights:

• 2023 legislative session.
• </c><00:01:47.000><c> and</c> established by state legislation and established by state legislation and
• <00:01:50.400><c> session.
• </c> legislative session. legislative session.
• We've seen this legislation.

Committee: Senate Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• On behalf of the Legislative Women's Caucus, I rise in support of ACR 195.
• I rise on behalf of the new California Legislative Christian Caucus.
• You see it as anti-LGBT legislation.
• I will specifically speak to the parents' rights legislation.
• The session schedule is as follows: Tuesday, May 19, check-in session; Wednesday, May 20, check-in session

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call and opened with a prayer and pledge, then held a ceremonial observance for Jewish American Heritage Month. Assembly Concurrent Resolution 195 by Assembly Member Gabriel was presented with extensive remarks from members of multiple caucuses highlighting Jewish Californians’ contributions, the importance of solidarity amid rising antisemitism, and themes of tikkun olam and tzedakah. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after 67 co-authors were added, and the chamber then recognized 14 honorees for their service in public life, philanthropy, media, faith leadership, education, and civic engagement. The floor also featured guest introductions and a procedural vote on Assembly Constitutional Amendment 9 by Assembly Member Borrero, which would add affordability as a required consideration in CPUC rate-making, remove telecommunications from the commission’s portfolio, create an office of broadband, and expand legislative appointments. The amendment was adopted. The Assembly then moved through a long third-reading file, passing measures including AB 1697 delaying implementation of a 2025 employment law, AB 2322 on stormwater permit definitions, AB 1653 on hearing-illness education, AB 2274 closing a loophole involving secrecy in trafficking cases, AB 2512 on Anaheim Angels naming language tied to a land exemption, AB 1956 prioritizing young men and boys in suicide prevention, and AB 2273 addressing prosecutorial handling of a local sexual abuse case. Additional bills passed included AB 1809 extending job order contracting for school and community college districts, AB 1970 banning step therapy for serious mental illness and substance use disorder medications, AB 1973 expanding practice authority for advanced practice clinicians, AB 2055 updating vessel law, and AB 2059 narrowing CEQA vehicle-mile-traveled mitigation for certain rural highway projects. The Assembly also adopted ACR 186 designating May 2026 as California Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being Month and H.R. 11 recognizing the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia after a lengthy debate that included support from several caucuses and some disagreement over the resolution’s framing of current threats to LGBTQ+ communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> executive session. executive session.
• to legislate.
• </c> be found inexpedient to legislate. be found inexpedient to legislate.
• </c> FN to inexpediate to legislate. FN to inexpediate to legislate.
• </c> legislate on House Bill 1083 FN. legislate on House Bill 1083 FN.

Committee: House Election Law

Transcript Highlights:

• That was enacted during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
• That was enacted during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
• That was enacted during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
• </c> Kristen Scott and I'm a special Kristen Scott and I'm a special education<00:41:54.040><c> per</
• I think maybe last session or the session before we provided a presentation on our Comprehensive Mental

Bills: HF6 , HF52 , HF53

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: education, literacy, science of reading, school performance, funding flexibility, innovation zones, equity and inclusion, HF52, New Germany, wastewater treatment, wastewater facility, sewer infrastructure, capital investment, bonding bill, state bonds, Public Facilities Authority, municipal infrastructure, water quality, sanitation, sewage treatment

Transcript Highlights:

• I am Chairman Blackman, and I represent Legislative District 7.
• This is my first session. Welcome. All right, Kyle.
• Legislative District 23.
• What's special about it is that it's red.
• One, it's concern with the expense to the city of working on the special audit or responding to the special

Bills: HB2056 , HB2202 , HB2207 , HB2224 , HB2303 , HB2344 , HB2532 , HB2759 , HB2798

Committees: House Appropriations , House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Keywords: brackish water, groundwater, desalination, water resources, feasibility study, environmental impact, dementia care, telementoring, healthcare education, rural communities, grant funding, braille, disability access, education funding, state corrections, inclusion, produce incentive, agriculture, economic support, funding

Transcript Highlights:

• What are the needs that the state can address before the 2027 legislative session?
• Because that's what these sessions or these meetings are for. ...2027 legislative session, because that's
• on, what's happening, what can we do that's coming in the 2027 legislative session, which starts in
• Is that something moving forward in the 2027 legislative session that you guys will be looking at, or
• And so, We're going to bring some bills back again this next legislative session.

Summary: The Tribal and State Relations Committee met at Standing Rock with tribal council members, state legislators, and agency representatives to discuss state-tribal coordination and local priorities. Early discussion focused on process concerns, including the short agenda time and the need for better communication, more advance notice, and more relevant state department staff at future meetings. Tribal leaders asked for lists of state tribal liaisons and bills affecting tribes, and state members said they would follow up, share grant and deadline information, and plan another meeting in Bismarck with program experts and agency staff. A major portion of the meeting centered on health, child welfare, law enforcement, housing, infrastructure, and sovereignty issues. Tribal speakers said rural health transformation funding and other state programs often do not fit direct-service tribes or IHS-funded systems, and they raised concerns about Medicaid, ICWA, foster care delays, human service zones, housing shortages, and the placement of Native children off-reservation. They also discussed missing and murdered Indigenous people, search-and-rescue cooperation, cross-deputization, extradition and banishment ordinances, and the need for stronger law enforcement partnerships that respect tribal sovereignty. Other concerns included poor roads, water and sewer needs in Sioux County communities, census accuracy, and the impact of data centers and other development on water and health. Economic development and regulatory issues were also discussed. Standing Rock representatives raised concerns about charitable gaming and e-pull tabs, saying the machines function like Class III gaming and have harmed tribal revenue while spreading into local businesses. They also described problems with county-issued fireworks permits and state/county liquor licensing rules that they said undermine tribal authority within reservation boundaries. In response, legislators said the committee would continue to look at these issues, and one member suggested possible legislation such as limiting e-tabs near tribal lands. The committee also heard from Joseph McNeil of Sage Development Authority about a 235-megawatt wind project on tribal, allotted, and fee land; he said federal permitting delays have stalled the project and asked for state support to help move it forward. The meeting concluded with a presentation from Dave Archambo of Wojou, a nonprofit focused on land regeneration, buffalo, food sovereignty, cultural programming, and youth wellness. He described the organization’s work on buffalo processing, gardening, fishing, hunting, language, and arts programs, and framed it as a response to historical trauma and community healing. The committee then broke for lunch and planned to resume with the Wojou presentation after the recess.