Transcript Highlights:

• current operating budget.
• These per diem costs are affecting our budget.
• We've been flat budgeted for the past 7 years or so because we didn't have a fee increase.
• We're paying for it with EOs versus a recurring budget.
• I am looking at that same budget line item as Representative Vincent is.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the uh legislative process in the budget the uh legislative process in the budget session<00:01:
• Um, yes, today is the opening day where we do markup of a budget. What's a budget?
• We mark up the budget. The governor gave us a budget a few weeks ago. It sits before us.
• We mark up the budget. The process. We mark up the budget.
• </c> reoccurring part of the standard budget. reoccurring part of the standard budget.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of that budget is in response to the passage of the federal budget bill last July, the thing that the
• We know that family budgets are under distress.
• Nearly half of that budget is in response to the passage of the federal budget bill last July, the thing
• We know that family budgets are under distress.
• We know that family budgets are under distress.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: A Senate DFL leader discussed the upcoming supplemental budget and said nearly half of it is being shaped by the federal budget bill passed last July, which he argued is driving hospital distress, higher county costs, and pressure on family budgets. He said the budget will focus on affordability, health care, and responding to federal actions, including an uncompensated care fund for hospitals in distress and possible one-time county technology upgrades to handle new Medicaid-related requirements. He estimated Senator Wiklund’s health and human services proposal includes about $50 million for those upgrades and said that item would likely be handled in an appropriation bill rather than a bonding bill. The leader also said bonding is a top priority this year and that public asset maintenance remains important, including projects tied to sports and civic facilities. On HCMC and broader hospital funding, he said he is confident the Legislature will act, but wants to address the hospital within the context of the statewide hospital delivery system. He also said the Senate has not yet taken a position on a proposed tax related to fraud restitution, but emphasized support for fraud prevention, an independent inspector general, and more resources for the Attorney General. School safety was another major topic. He said Senate Democrats plan to bring a comprehensive package to the floor that includes school safety funding, mental health care, and measures addressing weapons of war, and he expressed hope that some Republicans will support it. He said the Senate education finance bill already includes more school safety funding than the House GOP version, less funding for private school safety, and no weapons-of-war language, but that a broader package will come through the Finance Committee soon. He also said the Senate expects to take up a stand-alone building security package to cover ongoing screening and staffing costs, and he supported creating a special security response unit for threats against lawmakers. Other issues mentioned included support for banning NDAs for local governments, continued attention to public safety and accountability in response to federal immigration enforcement actions, and interest in a bill affecting Minneapolis sports-related taxes and PGA funding, though he said those proposals are still being worked on and may not pass this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• ... ...facing both workforce shortages and tight budgets, it's essential to focus resources where they
• in the 2025-27 budget.
• WEA was always about The 2025-27 budget. We're really concerned about that.
• We all work to manage our budget constraints, but please do move this bill forward.
• I believe what happened was that the part of the budget that funds our operating budgets for our higher

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on HB 2337, which would repeal the planned 2027 requirement that certain family-member long-term care providers complete annual continuing education. Rep. Barnard said the bill was intended to reduce burdens on relatives caring for one loved one and to avoid forcing them into courses that are often not relevant to the person they support. Supportive testimony from family providers and disability advocates emphasized that family caregivers already receive individualized training from doctors and therapists, that the available course library is often geared toward aging-related care rather than developmental disabilities, and that mandatory CE could create compliance barriers and risk losing caregivers. Opponents, including SEIU 775 representatives and family caregivers who support the current system, argued that continuing education improves care quality, helps caregivers stay prepared as needs change, and should remain mandatory; they also said the state had already responded to prior concerns by expanding the course catalog and allowing repeat courses for credit. No action was taken on HB 2337. The committee then heard HB 2311, a technical bill making administrative changes to the Workforce Education Investment and Accountability and Oversight Board. The bill would extend co-chair terms, allow more than four meetings per year, shift consultation on workforce investment effectiveness to the Student Achievement Council, and eliminate the requirement for a public data dashboard. The bill sponsor and supporters from WASAC, Microsoft, and the United Faculty of Washington State said the changes would improve board operations and oversight, while also raising broader concerns that WEA funds have been used to supplant general fund support for higher education. Testimony noted the dashboard had not been funded and that WASAC already tracks related metrics through other tools. No vote was taken on HB 2311 during the hearing. The committee then moved to executive action on HB 2132, which limits disclosure and retention of personally identifying information in WASFA records. An amendment by Rep. Levitt was adopted to allow the Student Achievement Council to share applicant information with entities beyond higher education institutions under binding data-sharing agreements. The committee then adopted the amended substitute bill and voted it out of committee. The final roll call was 9-8 in favor, and Substitute HB 2132 was reported out with a do pass recommendation. The committee also announced that executive action on HB 288 and HB 2148 would be delayed and that no action would be taken on those bills that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• of the state's budget picture.
• budget is and then what your all-funds budget is?
• No, just the base budget without the addition, and then the all-funds budget.
• is and then what your all funds budget is and then what your all funds budget budget budget is<01:41
• budget or would you like the<01:41:50.560><c> base</c><01:41:50.880><c> budget</c><01:41:51.199><c>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was reduced to eight hours in both the Governor’s budget and this budget, and there’s some argument
• </c> billion deficit because in one budget billion deficit because in one budget cycle,<02:08:25.280>
• And I think that we have missed opportunities in this budget, missed opportunities across the budget
• It's going to bankrupt the state. our educational budget. It's driving up our educational budget.
• </c> everyone who helped shape this budget. everyone who helped shape this budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And I was so happy when we got that budget proviso.
• “The budget proviso, our discussions about what the budget proviso was for, our long-term plans as an
• in wanting to put money in our budget.
• It just ends up in the budget.
• If there’s ambiguity in a budget proviso, yes.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The hearing concerned a Legislative Ethics Board complaint against Representative Tara Simmons in Washington State OAH Docket 401-645. The judge outlined the process, the two issues on appeal—whether Simmons violated RCW 42.52.020 and RCW 42.52.070, and, if so, what penalty should apply—and admitted a number of exhibits by stipulation or prior ruling, while taking one exhibit under advisement pending an offer of proof. The board also moved to sequester witnesses, which was granted, and the judge deferred ruling on a motion to exclude three defense witnesses until after hearing the board staff’s case. Opening statements followed, with staff alleging Simmons used her position to benefit an outside organization and to secure special privileges, and the defense arguing the conduct was lawful, technical in nature, and consistent with prior ethics guidance. Board staff then called Kimberly Gordon, an attorney and founding board member/treasurer of American Equity and Justice Group (AEJG), as its first witness. Gordon testified that AEJG used data dashboards to make justice-system data more accessible, received state proviso funding sponsored by Simmons, and also received two donations from Simmons—$10,000 and $40,000. She said the first donation was intended to help hire Antoine Coleman, whom Simmons had recommended and who was later identified as Simmons’s romantic partner, and that AEJG returned the $10,000 and declined the $40,000 after concluding there was a potential conflict of interest. Gordon also testified that AEJG believed Simmons’s involvement in the organization and her communications about Coleman created ethical concerns. Gordon further testified about a second proviso intended to expand AEJG’s work into education data and its subcontract with Equity in Education Coalition (EEC). She said EEC did not perform the expected deliverables, prompting repeated communications with the Administrative Office of the Courts and a meeting involving Chris Stanley, where AEJG raised concerns that EEC was not complying and that Simmons had intervened in the dispute. According to Gordon, Stanley ultimately directed the parties to rewrite the subcontract and continue, but AEJG later moved forward largely without EEC’s assistance. The board staff introduced AEJG’s complaint and related timeline exhibits during her testimony. After direct examination, the hearing recessed for lunch, and cross-examination by Simmons’s counsel began when the hearing resumed.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:43.440><c> the</c> a big part of the governor's budget the a big part of the governor's budget
• And just to put that in perspective, the governor's initial budget has for 2028-29 $8 of budget cuts
• </c><00:35:54.359><c> cuts</c> budget he has for 2829 $8 of budget cuts budget he has for 2829 $8 of
• </c><00:38:21.760><c> cuts</c> commissioner you said $8 a budget cuts commissioner you said $8 a budget
• </c> cannabis Aid the proposed Bud budget cannabis Aid the proposed Bud budget reduction<00:51:26.119

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Annual budgets, as well as all their adjustments and quarterly reports.
• budget.
• So yeah, Madam Chair, the budget request I think is very warranted.
• It's reflected in the budget that with Dr.
• Madam Chair, our budget comes through HED directly, and so we need to have HED include an increased budget

Transcript Highlights:

• >> Chair: THE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE WILL COME TO ORDER PLEASE CALL THE
• BECAUSE THIS IS A BUDGET COMMITTEE ON WANT TO FOCUS ON THE BUDGET.
• AND I WANT TO ASK HOW DO WE JUSTIFY DOUBLING THE BUDGET FROM 3.4 MILLION TO 6.2 DOUBLE THE BUDGET YET
• DOES THIS PRESENTATION AND THE BUDGET REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR ALSO INCLUDE INVASIVE PLANTS?
• THIS IS A SEPARATE BUDGET ISSUE. >> Chair: OKAY. VERY GOOD.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not balancing our state budget.
• Look, this bill that you're bringing forward won't balance the budget.
• Back paid family medical leave, that's not going to balance our budget.
• Rolling back earned sick and saved time, that's not going to balance our budget.
• Stopping fraud absolutely is crucial to our ability to balance this state budget and every state budget

Transcript Highlights:

• 7.2% of the statewide recurring base budget.
• and explains each entities purpose with any each budget entity.
• There's a line by line of the starting fiscal year base budget for all of our departments, the base budget
• Our starting point, we performer budget duty by making additions and subtractions from this budget.
• So each year we get appropriation with the budget.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ESD superintendents serve as members of budget review committees that review, alter, and approve budgets
• if malfeasance has occurred, and attend all school board meetings to provide budget guidance.
• When you get elected to a school board, your main focus is probably oversight of the budget.
• This bill also sets consequences for knowing or negligent budget violations.
• Equity in public education requires fully funding MSOC and rejecting budgets that balance the budget

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several education-related bills. Senate Bill 6130 would move public high schools’ voter registration events from Temperance and Good Citizenship Day in January to National Voter Registration Day in September, with schools offering Future Voter registration to eligible students in history or social studies classes. The sponsor, Sen. Krishnadasan, and supporters from King County Elections, Pierce County, OSPI, and the Legislative Youth Advisory Council said the change would better match student interest and improve youth civic engagement at no fiscal cost. A senator asked about community service opportunities, and the sponsor said that could potentially fit within existing community service recognition programs. Senate Bill 6247 would expand financial oversight and training for school districts, especially those in financial distress or binding conditions. It would require additional ESD involvement, add WASDA training on budgeting and financial health for school directors, and impose stronger consequences for knowing financial misconduct, including future employment bars and state reimbursement of certain unrecovered damages. Sen. Dozier said the bill responds to district financial problems, including Prescott School District. OSPI supported the bill, while the Association of Educational Service Districts, WSSDA, and WEA raised concerns about ESDs being placed in an oversight role, the need to align the bill with other pending training legislation, and whether some enforcement duties should instead rest with the state auditor. Senate Bill 6268 would require OSPI to keep an online record of final special education community complaint decisions for 20 years instead of the current five years on its website. OSPI supported the bill, saying it would improve transparency and help families, educators, and policymakers identify patterns and understand how complaints are resolved; the sponsor said the retention period may be amended. Advocates from Washington Autism Alliance, The Arc, and parent advocates testified in favor, saying the records help families avoid repeated disputes and reveal systemic issues. Senate Bill 6278 would change how PESB reviews teacher and principal preparation programs and adjust student-teaching field placement plan submission timing; the sponsor said the goal is to ensure educators are better prepared, and PESB testified neutral, saying many of the review elements already exist and the bill would add flexibility. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6260, a budget-savings bill affecting public education. It would lengthen school bus depreciation to 15 years, withhold up to 1.9% of MSOC funds to pay for the High School and Beyond Plan platform, and reduce Running Start funding from 1.4 to 1.2 FTE. OFM supported the bill as part of the governor’s budget approach, but many testifiers opposed it, arguing it would cut district resources, keep older buses on the road longer, shift costs to schools, and reduce access to Running Start—especially for low-income, rural, and technical-program students. School district, college, PTA, counselor, and student witnesses said the current 1.4 FTE model has expanded access and completion, while supporters of the bill emphasized state budget pressures and said the changes would preserve other priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their 2024-2025 budget was roughly $241 million.
• </c> gambling laws and their bi anal budget gambling laws and their bi anal budget for<01:16:39.800><
• </c><01:17:03.639><c> was</c> of crimes um their 20 2425 budget was of crimes um their 20 2425 budget
• Their 2024-2025 budget was $1.1 million.
• budget budget number<01:28:05.199><c> estimates</c><01:28:05.679><c> coming</c><01:28:05.920><c> out

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:09.879><c> deficit</c> looking at our impending budget deficit looking at our impending budget
• </c> billion budget billion budget deficit<00:04:19.959><c> we</c><00:04:20.079><c> need</c><00:04:20.239
• In November 2024, Minnesota Management and Budget forecast a state government budget deficit of $3.5
• budget forecast a<00:14:26.839><c> state</c><00:14:27.199><c> government</c><00:14:27.600><c> budget<
• forecast a state management and budget forecast a state government<00:15:03.560><c> budget</c><00:15

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you see a concern with, you know, how tight our budget is going to be in the future that by...
• Of our budget, then, and only then, could we access it?
• But if it equals the budget of the state... I'm sorry.
• Well, we do the budget for every time you move money.
• That's the budget chairman's job. He's going to ask that. Okay. All right.

Summary: The Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs held public hearings on three measures. House Bill 2289, sponsored by Rep. Owen, would create a real estate fund to let the state more quickly sell and buy property, with proceeds from sales and other monies deposited for future real property acquisitions. Rep. Owen and Office of Administration witness Hanna-Swan said the current process is too slow and cumbersome, especially when the state needs to consolidate or relocate offices; Rep. Walshmore raised concerns about siloing funds during tight budget years, while supporters said the fund would improve flexibility and efficiency. No vote was taken. The committee then heard House Joint Resolution 189, sponsored by Rep. Wellenkamp, proposing a Missouri sovereign wealth fund, or “Show Me Prosperity Fund.” Wellenkamp argued the state needs a long-term investment vehicle to address infrastructure and fiscal pressures, with the Treasurer investing in private markets under strict controls and the fund eventually replacing tax revenue once it matures. Members questioned the source of initial funding, the investment rules, the audit provisions, and whether the fund could be used for broader state spending; no witnesses testified in opposition or support, and no action was taken. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2906, sponsored by Rep. Mayhew, which would raise dollar limits for certain Office of Administration construction, renovation, maintenance, and repair contracts and authorize master agreements for architecture, engineering, and land surveying services. Mayhew and OA said the changes would account for inflation and reduce delays by prequalifying vendors for two-year periods instead of repeating the RFQ process for small projects. An engineering industry witness supported the bill as an efficiency measure, and committee members asked about the contract limits, the master agreement structure, and how the numbers were chosen. The hearing concluded without a vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Administration Budget Subcommittee will come to order. Missy, please call the roll.
• Welcome to the State Administration Budget Subcommittee.
• in our LBR, our budget requirements.
• And that won't cost anything. any more budget authority or money.
• Does the budget provide the funding for that? Yes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the budget. We also have the LSC summary here.
• What do we have in the budget for federal match leveraging federal match dollars?
• Will that have any impact on next year's budget, or is that gonna work? Mr.
• So we did not address it within the budget.
• It's the highest cost to every state budget across the 50 states.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am definitely voting for this budget. I am definitely voting for this budget.
• It's not my budget, it's not Representative Harrison's budget, it's not even Chair Bonham's budget.
• I would suggest this is not a liberal budget. It's not even a conservative budget necessarily.
• What it is is a responsible budget. It's not even a conservative budget necessarily.
• I'm going to vote for this budget because Representative Howard said, a responsible budget for the needs

Summary: The House met in a late-session floor session that began with prayer, pledges, quorum, and a series of excused absences and Senate messages reporting action on numerous bills, conference committee appointments, and conference reports. Members also adopted a memorial resolution honoring Mark James Hanna, a Capitol lobbyist and advocate for nurses, and a congratulatory resolution for Rishi Tarumalasetti, an eighth-grade civics bee winner from Katy. The chamber also received and recorded a parliamentary colloquy about an unusual Senate request on SB 293, with the Chair stating the House could not recede from only part of its amendments and could not suspend the rules because the bill had not been returned from the Senate. The bulk of the session was devoted to taking up conference committee reports and related procedural resolutions, especially the state budget. The House adopted a resolution allowing the SB 1 conferees to go outside the normal bounds, then adopted the SB 1 conference report on a 107-21 vote. Debate on the budget centered on public education funding, tax relief, health care, corrections pay, and judicial compensation, with supporters calling it a responsible compromise and opponents arguing it was overly expansive and insufficient on property tax relief. The House also adopted a technical correction resolution tying judicial pay increases in SB 1 to the House version of SB 293, and members discussed at length the relationship between judicial salaries and legislative pensions. The chamber then adopted a long series of conference reports on measures covering topics such as school library review and book challenges (SB 13), SNAP restrictions on sweetened drinks and candy (SB 379), hospital price transparency (SB 331), nursing home accountability (SB 457), school district personnel compensation conflicts (HB 3372), property notice rules (HB 2011), research and development tax credits (SB 2018), and several other bills affecting elections, permits, education, and criminal justice. Most reports passed by wide margins, though some drew significant opposition, especially SB 13 and SB 379. The House also granted several Senate requests for conference committees and introduced additional resolutions to suspend conferee limits on various bills as the session moved toward adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I don't know whether you're budget.
• </c> policy work in the budget. policy work in the budget.
• </c> work that should be done in the budget. work that should be done in the budget.
• No, I think there's going to be some language in the budget.
• There may be language in the budget.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all