Transcript Highlights:

• It looked like a padded jail cell.

Summary: The committee opened by explaining that several bills had been removed from the agenda because the Senate must physically possess a bill before holding a public hearing. The chair said the missing bills would be rescheduled for Tuesday. The committee then waived the five-day notice rule for considering substitute House Bills 1705 and 32010, and proceeded to hear substitute House Bill 2219 and substitute House Bill 1795. House Bill 2219, on child care operational efficiency, would allow longer mixed-age ratio periods in child care centers, waive repeat DCYF orientation requirements in certain cases when staff have recently completed the same training, and require licensing standards to include a zero-tolerance policy for imminent physical harm involving high-potency synthetic opioids and related drug residue or paraphernalia. The prime sponsor and supporters said the bill would help child care providers manage staffing shortages, take breaks, and reduce duplicative licensing burdens. Testimony was strongly supportive, with advocates and providers describing the bill as a low-cost way to improve retention and flexibility. Questions focused on how the fentanyl language would apply to prescribed medications. House Bill 1795 would narrow and update state law on restraint and isolation in public schools and other public educational programs. The bill prohibits mechanical and chemical restraints and restraints that restrict breathing or blood flow, bars planned isolation in IEPs and 504 plans, limits planned restraint to cases with parent request and medical necessity, and prohibits new construction or remodeling of spaces intended primarily for student isolation. Supporters, including disability advocates, educators, school psychologists, principals, and state education groups, said the bill is a needed step toward reducing trauma and disproportionality and cited demonstration sites showing reductions in restraint and isolation. Some educators and paraeducators raised concerns about staffing, training, and what tools remain available in crisis situations, while others asked for future work on professional development and resources. No vote was taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then they, you know, go to jail for drug trafficking, right?

Bills: HB2408, HB2434, HB2725, HB2728, HB2729, HB2730, HB2731, HB2732, HB2733

Keywords: nursing board, regulatory actions, disciplinary actions, expungement, healthcare professionalism, controlled substances, prescription monitoring, opioid crisis, healthcare regulations, patient safety, prescription drugs, opioids, healthcare, pain management, utilization controls, AHCCCS, Department of Economic Security, social services, welfare programs, vocational rehabilitation

Transcript Highlights:

• because there's been some concern and some confusion that youth as young as 15 are being sent to adult jails

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• She noted that several populations have difficulty returning their ballots, including people in jails

Bills: HB2356, HB2574, HB2572, HB2460, HJR4212, HB2631, HB2333, HB2462, HB2419, HB2176, HB2491

Keywords: homicide, public records, transparency, law enforcement, victim rights, election, ballot, candidates, deceased, voting law, voting access, military voters, overseas voters, Native American voters, disabled voters, election reform, accessibility, ballot measures, vacancies, elected offices

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the populations that I've done some work with in the past have been individuals who are in jails

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills. HB 2356 would let a homicide victim’s next of kin seek a court injunction to block examination of law enforcement records in homicide cases; staff explained current Public Records Act rules, the sponsor said the bill was intended to protect families and children after especially graphic cases, and open-government testimony opposed the measure as an unnecessary secrecy expansion. HB 2460 and HJR 4212 would change vacancy-filling rules for partisan offices so an appointee must be from the same party only if the former officeholder had declared a party preference; the sponsor said this would address vacancies involving no-party-preference officials and avoid delays or litigation. HB 2631 would create a pilot to extend the governor’s customer-experience initiative to the Secretary of State, Fish and Wildlife, and the Insurance Commissioner, with deadlines for liaisons, metrics, reports, and service-improvement plans; the sponsor and supporters emphasized better service and accessibility, while agency representatives raised concerns about cost, autonomy, and whether participation should be optional. HB 2574 would streamline procedures when a candidate dies before or after ballots are printed, allowing removal from ballots or noncounting of votes based on a death certificate; the sponsor said it would avoid unnecessary recounts and costs. HB 2572 would require county-tribal election meetings and create an electronic ballot return portal for certain voters, including tribal voters on reservations, military and overseas voters, and voters with disabilities; county auditors and election officials supported the tribal outreach and access goals but stressed the need for security testing and careful implementation of the portal. In executive session, the committee considered five bills and adopted amendments on two of them. For HB 2333, which addresses protections against political violence for elected officials, candidates, election officials, and criminal justice participants, the committee adopted amendment Omley 307 to allow P.O. boxes or ACP addresses in campaign-related filings and contributions, then advanced the substitute bill on a 4-3 vote. HB 2462, concerning authority to counter unpiloted aircraft systems, was advanced 5-2. HB 2419, which expands the address confidentiality program to certain administrative law judges and Office of Administrative Hearings employees, was amended to include the chief administrative law judge and then advanced 5-2. HB 2176, exempting collaborative drug therapy agreement information from the Public Records Act, advanced 4-3 after debate over privacy versus transparency. HB 2491, exempting personal information submitted to Washington Technology Solutions for digital experience platform services, also advanced 5-2. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• because, you know, those folks are the folks who are the most difficult, usually not getting out of jail

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee heard public testimony on Senate Bill 5977, which would require DCYF to publish child near-fatality review reports within 180 days and post them publicly, with confidential information redacted as allowed by law. Senator Nikki Torres said the bill is intended to improve transparency, accountability, and child protection. There was no public testimony on the bill, and the hearing was closed. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6184, an Office of Homeless Youth request bill sponsored by the chair. The bill makes technical and policy updates to OHY programs, including replacing the term “street youth” with “unaccompanied homeless youth,” allowing certain flexible funds to go directly to youth or vendors, renaming and making permanent the H-Sync program, expanding eligibility and housing options in the Independent Youth Housing Program, and clarifying shelter and reporting provisions. Testifiers from Commerce, advocates, school support organizations, and a youth advocate all supported the bill, emphasizing that the changes would improve access, consistency, and housing stability for unhoused youth. The hearing was then closed. The committee moved into executive session on seven bills. SB 5681, concerning intellectual and developmental disability services at age 20, had Amendment A1 fail and the proposed substitute was adopted and sent to Ways and Means. SB 5917, regarding abortion medication in DOC, saw one amendment adopted and multiple Christian amendments rejected before the bill was sent to Rules. SB 5942, renaming the DCYF Oversight Board as the DCYF Accountability Board and revising its duties, had only Amendment C16 adopted; the amended bill passed to Rules. SB 6024, on duplicative audits for community residential providers, passed without amendment. SB 6036, concerning adult family homes and foster care licensees, had Amendment D1 adopted and the bill passed to Rules. SB 6085, on the DOC institutional welfare account, had Amendment E1 adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means after several other amendments failed. In each case, the committee voted to advance the bill after considering amendments, with most of the proposed changes from Senator Christian failing except where noted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, it could certainly touch an individual who is released, you know, from jail or prison, but it does

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard budget presentations from Legislative Services analyst Morgan Poloni and Department of Health and Welfare Director Juliet Sharon on the Division of Early Learning and Development, the Division of Public Health Services, and Family and Community Partnerships. Major topics included the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP), the Idaho Home Visiting Program, the Idaho Immunization Assessment Fund, HIV and hepatitis prevention, ARPA-funded public health projects, kinship navigation services, and proposed agency reorganizations and transfer authority changes. Poloni explained that several divisions were recently reorganized, making year-to-year comparisons difficult, and outlined the governor’s and agency’s FY 2027 requests, including additional federal and dedicated funds for child care capacity, public health programs, and prevention services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are the kind of people that, and she did go to jail, those are the kind of people that have to

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the prior meeting, and heard budget presentations from the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and the State Auditor. The Secretary of State’s office described its FY27 budget, emphasizing efficiency gains from technology, election security work, and business services. It said it is operating with fewer staff than a decade ago, but rising costs and outdated statutory fees are creating deficits in service of process and other operations. The office asked the committee to consider either increasing fees or allowing it to retain a larger share of business-service revenue, and it also proposed creating an Office of Entrepreneurship to help small businesses navigate state government, grants, permits, and related services. Committee members questioned the Secretary of State’s office about fee increases, the current 50-50 split of certain revenues with general revenue, and whether the proposed entrepreneurship office would duplicate existing services. The office said it would complement, not replace, Commerce, SBDC, or grant programs, and would report metrics and policy recommendations to the legislature. The Attorney General then requested a one-time $2 million special revenue appropriation to hire additional lawyers and support staff, citing increased litigation, federal and state legal work, and the need to defend new laws. He also discussed embedded DMV lawyers handling DUI revocation hearings and said the arrangement costs the office just over $200,000. The State Auditor reported that his office is largely self-funded through special revenue and said he wants to reduce reliance on general revenue over time. He highlighted savings from renegotiated leases and an open government contract, discussed the need for more auditors in the Chief Inspector’s Division, and described fraud recovery and P-card operations. A major topic was delinquent land sales: the auditor said the office sold about 17,000 parcels last year and believes online bidding and better marketing could generate substantially more revenue, with the surplus potentially shared among counties, the state, and other programs. Members also asked about securities fee changes, fairness hearings, fire department audits, IT/cybersecurity, and how surplus proceeds from delinquent land sales should be handled. The committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We are building a county jail, and we need to fund a new ferry to Lummi Island, and we will be borrowing

Summary: The committee first received a JLARC work session on the 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine tax preferences and recommending legislative action on eight. JLARC reviewed natural gas transportation fuel preferences, travel agent and tour operator B&O rates, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, and several shorter reviews including senior center property tax relief, a disabled veteran adapted housing remittance, trade convention nexus treatment, wholesale sales of fertilizer/pesticides/seed, a hazardous substance tax exemption for pesticides stored for out-of-state shipment, and three energy-related preferences for a silicon smelter. JLARC generally recommended continuing preferences that met stated or inferred objectives, modifying some to improve reporting or performance metrics, and allowing the unused silicon smelter preferences to expire. The Citizen Commission endorsed JLARC’s recommendations, and committee members asked a few clarifying questions, including about trends in travel agent/tour operator beneficiaries and the housing exemption’s performance metric and data issues. The committee then heard a work session and public hearing on Senate Bill 5754, which would create a Washington State public bank. A presentation from California public banking advocates and the Bank of North Dakota described public banks as government-owned financial institutions intended to keep public funds working locally, support lending for housing, infrastructure, and community development, and partner with community banks and credit unions. Committee questions focused on leverage, liquidity, constitutional issues, and how the model would interact with existing state investment and debt structures. Staff summarized the bill’s structure, including activation conditions, governance, powers, and fiscal impacts, noting the fiscal note was largely indeterminate and startup costs could be significant. Public testimony on SB 5754 was divided. Supporters included statewide elected officials, county and city officials, labor, educators, community advocates, and residents, who argued the bank could lower borrowing costs, improve access to capital, keep public money in Washington, and help finance infrastructure, housing, and disaster resilience. Opponents included community bankers and county treasurers, who warned about risks to safety and liquidity of public funds, questioned the need for a new institution given existing programs, and argued the proposal lacked a proven track record in Washington. The hearing concluded with no vote taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And even in jails and population-driven budgets. Minister Wolf: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee opened its session with roll call, confirmed a quorum, and introduced new co-chairs, members, pages, and legislative staff. Committee leaders emphasized the heavy workload ahead, the role of JFAC as the legislature’s budget-writing committee, and the importance of using LSO staff, impact team analysts, and other resources. Staff then reviewed the committee’s website tools, budget publications, session record, budget highlights, and the 10-week hearing schedule, including upcoming presentations on the governor’s budget, LSO analysis, health insurance costs, the economic outlook, and the first budget hearings. Administrator Lori Wolf of the Division of Financial Management presented Governor Little’s FY 2026 and FY 2027 budget recommendations, describing them as balanced and built around “enduring Idaho values.” She said the budget responds to slower revenue growth and economic uncertainty with early action, including a 3% holdback, vacancy reductions, and one-time transfers of unused balances and interest earnings to the general fund. Major proposed reductions included ongoing cuts across state agencies, no change in employee compensation, higher employee health insurance costs, reductions to Medicaid, changes to virtual school and Idaho Digital Learning Academy funding, and no transfer from the budget stabilization fund. She also outlined support for rural health grants, graduate medical education, and implementation of Medicaid reforms and federal tax conformity beginning January 1, 2026. Committee members questioned the assumptions behind the revenue forecast, the use of one-time funds, the impact of higher health insurance costs on employees, the size and timing of tax conformity, and the proposed cuts to online education and IDLA. Several members raised concerns that the budget relied too heavily on projected revenue and policy changes, while Wolf and co-chair Groh said the budget was intentionally conservative, preserved reserves, and avoided using stabilization funds. No votes were taken during the meeting; the committee concluded after the budget presentation and questions, with plans to continue hearings the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• how much do we pursue trying to get—I agree that not everything needs to end up with people going to jail

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard several audit-related reports. The executive committee report noted audit and special reports were scheduled for standing committees and the full Legislative Joint Audit Committee, with one requested report still in progress. The City, County, and Local report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, reinstatement of turnback funds for entities that filed required reports, and action involving the town of Daisy, which was directed to repay misused street funds at 10% of general fund revenue annually. The education and state agencies reports included higher education audits and state agency findings, with some reports filed and others deferred to the February meeting for additional information or corrective-action details. The committee then took up a special audit of the Charles W. Donaldson Scholars Academy at UA Little Rock. Legislative Audit reported that the program, funded with $10 million in desegregation money plus a $50,000 grant, awarded $1.87 million in scholarships to 379 students, with 116 graduates, but found numerous eligibility and disbursement problems, including scholarships to ineligible students, excessive awards, improper documentation, and unclear disposition of some assets. Committee members questioned UALR representatives about oversight, staffing, and whether funds were properly used, and also heard from Philander Smith College about its limited role in verifying enrollment. Members expressed concern about the program’s results and the lack of detail on accountability, and the committee voted to table the report until the next meeting for further review and requested additional information, including the federal court order and more detail on expenditures and oversight. Finally, the committee reviewed the annual disposition report on matters referred to prosecutors and the Attorney General for 2024. Staff said 164 matters were referred, with 28 resulting in criminal charges and convictions, 39 still under review, 96 not charged, and others dismissed or pending; 20 convictions produced fines, restitution, and audit-cost orders, and bond trust fund claims were paid in some cases. Prosecutor Coordinator and Attorney General representatives explained that some referrals do not meet criminal standards, may lack intent, or are otherwise not prosecutable, and members asked for more standardized reporting, clearer explanations of why cases are not charged, and more information on restitution efforts. The committee discussed possible templates, training, and better coordination, then voted to file the report and adjourned, with the next meeting set for February 12, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I agree that not everything needs to end up with people going to jail, but I do think restitution has

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But yeah, we we get the applications filled out or us or call clerk staff can or sometimes jail staff

Transcript Highlights:

• If you commit crimes, you go to jail.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• appropriations last a few fiscal of legislative sessions, those parties have diverted 70% of individuals from jails

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to hold them accountable and potentially send them to jail, have a criminal conviction.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have people in jail in Texas for third-party involvement and other related charges.

Bills: SB 2, SB 5, SB 10, SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, HB17, HB7, HB7, HB15, HB15, HB27, HB1, HB7, HB15, HB18, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, HB17, HB27, HB1, SB8, HCR13, SB2, SB5, SB10

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate the comments about vacancy savings; this shouldn't be seen as a get-out-of-jail-free card

Transcript Highlights:

• place to take people if they need to be treated, but it's a, it's a way for folks not to be sent to jail

Transcript Highlights:

• This is necessary to provide support for community level interventions, house arrest and county jail,

Keywords: 988, house, all