Transcript Highlights:

• Some will require funding, and who knows how long that could take.
• So those are just challenges, you know.
• There are ongoing challenges, and we just keep fighting those same challenges.
• For instance, in North Carolina, it's state funded.
• But it's state funding that goes to local... ...it's state funding that goes to local re-entry councils

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:08:57.279><c> to</c> are appropriated federal funds to are appropriated federal funds to co-manage
• :13:21.519><c> be</c><00:13:21.760><c> an</c> challenging often times to be an challenging often times
• </c><00:41:43.280><c> to</c> our local BIA, uh, is challenging to our local BIA, uh, is challenging to
• . we did not receive any our funds. we did not receive any funding funding funding for<03:55:54.800><
• </c> an update on higher education funding. an update on higher education funding.

Committee: Joint Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Transcript Highlights:

• Unfortunately, the funding was cut for this current year.
• Although a significant portion of that funding was cut for this current year, with the remaining funds
• So just having some of those challenges to that fast track grant.
• That funding should support... ...going to be the best use of some of those policies.
• I'm currently on the school funding monetization task force, so that's an exciting group.

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Funds to ...Funds to extend Medicare insolvency and improve Medicare through dental, vision, and hearing
• But what we do know is that wildfire funding... ...wildfire funding could very well be slashed under
• funding from health care in order to fund tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations.
• How about we fund health care? How about we fund food aid?
• And if we And the trust funds are empty.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it goes to the school fund.
• And it goes to the school fund.
• So Title I funding, like they just paused all federal payments.
• And so that's another example of just funding instability.
• So the timing of when their state funding would hit versus when their tax funding would hit, this is

Committee: House Special Committee on Tax Reform

Summary: The Special Committee on Tax Reform met in executive session and first adopted a substitute and then gave do pass recommendations to H.J.R. 115, which would align homestead language with the Senate version by changing the acreage limit from 2.5 acres to 5 acres, and to HB 2869, which was amended to tie a $500,000 threshold to CPI and use assessed value rather than market value. The committee also voted HB 3303 do pass without amendment after brief discussion about its purpose and potential tax implications. In regular hearing, the committee heard HB 2234 from Rep. Tricia Burns, which would change how surplus proceeds from tax foreclosure sales are handled. Burns and witness Tamara Rucker explained that when a home is sold for more than the delinquent taxes owed, the surplus can currently escheat to county revenue after three years; the bill would move those funds to the unclaimed property division and improve notice to property owners or heirs. Members discussed how the process works, the lack of uniform notification and payout standards, and the amount of surplus involved in some counties. No opposition testified. The committee also heard HB 2964, another bill from Rep. Burns, to move property tax bill mailing and delinquency dates later in the year, from early December/January to late February/April. Burns said the change would ease hardship around the holidays and help seasonal residents. Testimony from the Missouri School Boards Association raised concerns that districts would need to carry an additional 60 to 90 days of reserves, or roughly 15 to 20 percent more, to bridge the delayed revenue, though the witness said the impact would vary by district. The hearing concluded with no further business, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would you please, what is the biggest challenge facing farmers in your district? Thank you.
• The biggest challenge facing farmers in your district?
• The biggest challenge facing farmers in your district?
• a growing challenge of financial strain facing older Californians late in retirement.
• Future administrations or legal challenges could create uncertainty where none should exist.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• economic and social challenges, and essentially is to build a type of infrastructure, civic muscle our
• You recognized this and funded a solution, and we're delivering that solution: a comprehensive and scalable
• We must treat publicly funded residential construction with the same seriousness and scrutiny that we
• We're here to let me. ...do acknowledge the challenges facing the state.
• There were a number of challenges throughout the adoption process.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee work session focused first on Civic Commons’ “starter home production plan,” a statewide strategy intended to increase production of homes affordable to households roughly between 60% and 120% of area median income. Presenters said the Covenant Home Ownership program will not succeed without more starter homes, and outlined recommendations including a temporary cross-sector crisis task force, a developer network, new financing tools, public seed funding, and a multi-site demonstration program to test off-site construction and standardized designs. Committee members asked about silos in the current system, the role of off-site and modular construction, target income ranges, and where the plan would be most useful. Civic Commons said the plan is meant to be statewide, community-informed, and respectful of local context, with pre-approved plans and standardized approaches for both single-family and multi-unit housing. The Department of Labor and Industries then gave an update on factory-built housing oversight. Officials said residential factory-built structures are a small but important part of their work and described progress in prioritizing residential plan reviews, which they said has reduced review time from months to about two days. They also reported creating a plans examiner supervisor position, moving forward with rules for third-party plan review and inspection, and beginning analysis of national standards from the Modular Building Institute to see whether they align with state code. Committee members and L&I discussed the value of standardized plans, real-time tracking for applicants, and the role of state inspection in reducing local jurisdictional variation. The Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council testified that it supports efforts to reduce permitting delays and increase housing production, but warned against weakening safety standards or labor protections. The labor representatives said prefabrication and modular construction can help if the workforce is protected, wages and apprenticeship opportunities are preserved, and projects use tools such as community workforce agreements. They also raised concerns about wage theft, misclassification, and unlicensed contractors in residential construction, and suggested stronger front-end contractor education or licensing. Committee members responded that the goal is to expand production without sacrificing safety or good jobs. The committee also heard city perspectives on local housing reforms. Olympia described its affordable housing emergency ordinance, which gives qualifying projects priority in the permitting queue, and said success depends on communication among housing staff, planners, engineers, and developers. Walla Walla, an early adopter of middle housing, reported increased ADUs, duplexes, and smaller-lot development after eliminating single-family zoning and expanding tools such as MFTE and ADU flexibility. Des Moines described adopting middle housing and ADU ordinances in June 2025 after a lengthy public process, while Poulsbo described proactive code changes including duplexes on corner lots, unit lot subdivisions, manufactured home protections, expanded ADU allowances, and pre-approved ADU plans shared with neighboring jurisdictions. No votes were taken during the work session.

Transcript Highlights:

• The purpose was to determine the amount of funding to serve under BEAD, what that funding looks like,
• </c> so not to be confused with our challenge so not to be confused with our challenge process<00:51:
• locations that do not already funding locations that do not already have<00:51:43.839><c> funding</c
• <00:57:49.280><c> representative</c> funds representative funds representative Fred<00:57:51.359><c>
• um we can allocate allocate funding um we can allocate funding<01:05:04.559><c> for</c><01:05:04.799

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• with those funds.
• current funding period.
• funding operational models that can reduce reliance on those grant fundings as well.
• state funding for these services.
• state funding for these services.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that housing is also not an issue unique to Minnesota, but what are some of the challenges that
• We know that housing is also not an issue unique to Minnesota, but what are some of the challenges that
• We had federal funds that came in to help us with that, but just keeping people in their homes during
• that came in to uh we had federal funds that came in to help<00:04:02.200><c> us</c><00:04:02.439><c
• And I know work was done during the interim to look at those challenges and address them.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nevertheless, despite those challenges.
• Collecting those funds.
• We were funded, but that was a complicated...
• I think that this current scenario it's very challenging.
• Slide 7 is an update on the Texas Energy Fund.

Committee: House State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• , and fund the community-based...
• , and fund the community-based...
• , and fund the community-based...
• , and fund the community-based...
• It is really to close prisons, redirect those funds, and fund the community-based organizations that

Transcript Highlights:

• We're funding the family empowerment scholarship as a separate state-funded categorical, as we like to
• In addition to the increase in FEPF funding, the proposed budget provides funds for other key Pre-K-12
• through their funding model.
• ... ...now, you know that in the past, because of resource challenges and funding challenges that we've
• arbitration trust fund.

Summary: The Senate took up the 2026-2027 budget and related implementing bills. Appropriations Chair Hooper presented a $115 billion General Appropriations Bill, saying it reduces overall spending from the prior year, preserves reserves, and includes a 3% raise for state employees and 5% raises for state law enforcement, firefighters, correctional officers, and park rangers. Committee chairs then outlined major budget areas, including K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/tourism/economic development, and environmental/agricultural agencies. Highlights included increased funding for school safety, teacher and scholarship funding, workforce education, Medicaid and kid care, corrections operations, judgeships, affordable housing, hurricane recovery, Everglades and water quality projects, and arts and cultural grants. Members asked detailed questions about several items. Senators discussed the Emergency Management Trust Fund, cultural arts grant allocations, Florida Forever land acquisition versus conservation easements, teacher salary support, charter school capital outlay funding, Bright Futures and EASE funding, New College funding, DOC deficits and inmate health care/food service costs, the ADAP HIV drug program, Medicaid reductions for non-critical access hospitals, and the use of opioid settlement and COVID relief funds. Chairs explained that some apparent reductions reflected shifts below the line or reclassification, that the ADAP appropriation would only cover about six months, and that some vacant positions were being removed as part of a right-sizing effort. Questions also covered lottery staffing, concealed weapons permit processing, elections security funding, and arts grant selection and proviso language. The Senate then substituted House bills for the Senate budget and implementing measures, amended them into the Senate posture, and passed them. HB 5001 (the appropriations bill), HB 503 (implementing bill), HB 5201 (collective bargaining), and HB 5205 (retirement) all passed 36-0 and were sent to conference. Other budget-related bills also passed, including SB 2506 on fuel taxes, SB 2508 on the state agency law enforcement radio system surcharge, SB 2510 on court trust funds, SB 2512 creating 13 circuit and 12 county judgeships, SB 2514 on K-12 education, SB 2516 on higher education, and SB 2518 on health. Most of these passed unanimously, with the Senate requesting the House either pass the Senate versions or include them in budget conference.

Transcript Highlights:

• Infrastructure Fund.
• of the Broadband Infrastructure Fund.
• Actual grant funding...
• And that the federal funds in there and we have state funds. Yes, sir.
• Those are federal funds, but they are matched with some of the state funds.

Bills: SB 1 , SB1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:04.320><c> Um</c> a that that is a realistic challenge.
• Um a that that is a realistic challenge.
• other than general funds.
• I am pretty protective of those funds to stay within transportation needs.
• other than general funds.

Bills: HF3919 , HF3791 , HF1781 , HF3908 , HF4233 , HF3966 , HF3430

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• So this has been a challenge there.
• Uh, the SEEK funding—who gets the SEEK funding for these young scholars?
• funding funding who who gets the seek funding for<01:09:30.400><c> these</c> for these for these &gt
• </c><01:58:53.760><c> It</c> than funding desk and buildings. It than funding desk and buildings.
• </c> education's performance funding models. education's performance funding models.

Summary: The meeting focused on Kentucky school choice and innovation, with discussion of the state constitution’s “common schools” requirement and how that has been interpreted alongside newer education models. Chairman Tipton described model laboratory schools, Gatton and Craft Academies, magnet and virtual programs, and said these options show that Kentucky has long expanded opportunity through innovation. He then turned the discussion to Senate Bill 207, which he said was designed to support schools of innovation. Senator Steve West reviewed the history of Kentucky charter schools and explained that SB 207 was modeled on a South Carolina approach. He said the bill allows a local school board to contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, seek waivers from certain state rules, and receive SEEK funding while also allowing outside private investment. He emphasized that the district initiates the process, that the school remains public, and that the bill includes accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school is not performing. Members asked about the difference between SB 207 and the earlier charter school law, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the new model is tied to an existing school rather than a new charter, cannot cherry-pick students, and keeps teachers as district employees. Representative Brown raised concerns that charters and exceptions could leave some children out, especially lower-income students, while West responded that the proposal is intended to expand choice for families who may not otherwise have it and cited examples from other states where similar models improved low-performing schools. No vote or formal action was taken during the discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• They have also benefited from state enrollment growth funding.
• They'll have the funding, right?
• Our funding mechanism isn't, you know, we're not getting the funding that we need.
• Funding mechanism isn't, you know, we're not getting the funding that we need.
• prioritizing funding our institutions.

Summary: The committee heard SB 998, which would define and expand the roles of discrimination prevention coordinators in the Office of Civil Rights, including a new disability-focused coordinator and a deputy coordinator on anti-AAPI discrimination. The authors and supporters, including representatives from LGBTQ, Black, Latino, and AAPI caucuses, argued the bill would help schools proactively address discrimination, improve student safety and belonging, and support learning. Opposition from the California Faculty Association and SEIU California focused on the appointment structure and preference for regular civil service hiring, while some members questioned whether the bill duplicated existing anti-discrimination law and whether it would add government bloat. The committee ultimately voted SB 998 out on a due pass basis to the Senate Judiciary Committee and placed it on call. SB 1082 was then presented as a measure to streamline inter-district transfer appeals by requiring more timely district action, allowing concurrent review, and clarifying that a district’s failure to respond is not treated as a denial. The sponsor, the Association of California County Boards of Education, and supporters from Families in Action for Quality Education said the bill would reduce delays, improve fairness, and help families make timely educational decisions without changing districts’ authority to approve or deny transfers. The California School Boards Association had previously been opposed unless amended and said it would re-evaluate after the committee changes. The committee supported the measure, and SB 1082 was voted out as amended to the Senate Appropriations Committee and placed on call. The committee also took up SB 960, which would revise the rules for community college baccalaureate degrees by tying authorization to local access gaps and impacted CSU programs rather than a blanket statewide prohibition. Supporters, including the Campaign for College Opportunity and several community college and education groups, argued the bill would expand access for place-bound and adult learners and better align programs with workforce needs. CSU representatives and the California Faculty Association opposed the bill, warning it could duplicate CSU offerings, worsen enrollment and funding pressures, and affect faculty jobs. Members debated the Master Plan for Higher Education, impaction, and whether the state should instead fully fund CSU capacity; the committee nevertheless recommended SB 960 for passage as amended to Appropriations and placed it on call. Finally, SB 965 was heard, a bill to make it easier for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain public library cards without a parent or guardian physically present. The author and supporters said the bill would remove an unnecessary barrier to educational resources while preserving local library control over checkout policies and liability rules. The California Library Association expressed support for the goal but said details matter and urged language that preserves local discretion while encouraging reduced in-person requirements where feasible. The transcript ended during that testimony, before any committee vote on SB 965.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll lose the inheritance if you challenge it.
• This legislation creates the Missouri Expungement Fund, which would be a permanent, dedicated funding
• So then this fund is out there.
• What's the risk if we don't create this expungement fund?
• My question goes back to the funding, like the marijuana funding.

Committee: House Financial Institutions

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:36:47.880><c> that</c> funding or some public funding that funding or some public funding that
• </c> research funds from federal entities. research funds from federal entities.
• We fund some salaries related to that through that funding.
• We fund some salaries related to that through that funding.
• I’m a fan of C funds.

Bills: HF4698 , HF4608

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We need a regular and reliable source of funds to solve this challenge, and with full funding of our
• or if we will receive funding. ability for us to predict either how much funding the university will
• However, without funding for it, we are looking to the legislature or some other funding source to complete
• Either way, funding for demolition is a challenge, and we hope that you can help us solve this problem
• State operating funds and tuition, the only other sources of funding available, paid for the operating

Bills: HF3220

Committee: House Capital Investment