Transcript Highlights:

• In 1924, I suspect the benefactors of the Westbury Memorial Library knew that as they invested in a space
• IN 1924, I SUSPECT THE BENEFACTORS OF THE WESTBURY MEMORIAL LIBRARY KNEW THAT AS THEY INVESTED IN A SPACE
• every person, regardless of background, has equitable access to literacy, to information, and to spaces
• , providing workforce development resources, support for our small businesses, and providing even spaces
• , providing workforce development resources, support for our small businesses, and providing even spaces

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and discharged several identical Assembly/Senate bills from committee so they could be substituted on the calendar. The chamber then took up and previously adopted two commemorative resolutions: one designating April 2026 as Sikh Heritage Month and another honoring Korean War veterans. Senators from both parties spoke in support of the Sikh resolution, emphasizing the community’s contributions, service, and the need for recognition and inclusion; the resolution was opened for co-sponsorship and the Sikh guests in the gallery were recognized. The Korean War resolution drew remarks from members recalling family service and the sacrifices of veterans, with repeated calls to preserve their stories and honor their legacy. The Senate then moved through the calendar, passing a series of bills. Among them were measures related to charter bus safety and seat belt awareness, coverage for doula services under insurance, social services/EBT-related changes, education, navigation, highway, public service, and hospital-closure reporting. Several bills passed unanimously or with only one dissenting vote; the social services bill drew the most opposition, with Senator Murray objecting that New York should first address EBT chip technology and skimming before adding new vendor requirements. One bill on the calendar was laid aside for the day. The chamber also adopted a supplemental bill authorizing the South Country Central School District to finance certain deficits, described by Senator Murray as a necessary rescue to keep the district operating and pay staff. Senators discussed the state budget impasse during debate on an extender bill, with the sponsor explaining it was a “clean extender” to keep government running through May 4 and cover payroll, health, education, and other essential payments. Senator Helming raised concerns about the lack of rural health transformation funding and the consequences of the delayed budget for schools, local governments, and hospitals. The extender passed, and the Senate adjourned until Monday, May 4, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• These were women who not only pursued higher education, they created space for themselves and for every
• The coast provides access to open space that belongs to all Californians, not just those who live nearby
• The coast provides access to open space that belongs to all Californians, not just those who live nearby
• It is caused by perpetrators who exploit power, trust, isolation, vulnerability, and private spaces.
• As the resolution notes, 123,000 people are estimated to sleep on our streets and in our public spaces

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, one delivers UPK, the other administers a whole lot of other things in the child care space.
• But this is something that the department and all of the stakeholders in this space have been looking
• /c><00:40:43.280><c> the</c><00:40:43.359><c> child</c><00:40:43.680><c> care</c><00:40:43.920><c> space
• </c> other things in the child care space. other things in the child care space.
• have been looking to do in this space have been looking to do for<00:40:50.960><c> a</c><00:40:51.200

Transcript Highlights:

• scientists in New Mexico, when you have the defense with the labs allowing them to work in a secret space
• and by cloud space, and when you have everybody moving in one direction, I've never seen that before
• And everything is working, whether it's Castilian that needs rocket space, who has developed at the labs
• And so UNM is allowed to lease space from the labs.
• Three spaces, especially the two latter, that were uniquely positioned to take advantage of.

Summary: The committee first heard SB 20, as amended, which would limit prior authorization for certain medications used to treat serious mental illness and extend prior authorization approvals for other chronic maintenance drugs to three years. The sponsor and supporters said the bill would reduce treatment interruptions and administrative burden for patients, clinicians, and pharmacies, while opponents argued the three-year period could raise safety concerns, reduce annual clinical review, and increase costs and premiums. After public testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 7-2 vote. The committee then considered SB 21, as amended, establishing an annual Medigap open enrollment period with guaranteed issue protections for eligible Medicare beneficiaries already enrolled in Medigap plans. The Aging and Long-Term Services Department said the measure would give seniors more flexibility to change plans as their needs and premiums change, and OSI said premium impacts were expected to be limited. An amendment setting the effective date at January 1, 2027 was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously. Next, the committee heard SB 177, a large economic development package centered on quantum, advanced energy, defense, and related workforce and research investments. The sponsor and administration witnesses described New Mexico as uniquely positioned to attract major private and federal investment, while members raised questions about guardrails, reporting, use of the Research and Development Fund, and whether EDD could manage the spending and educational components. An amendment removed the public safety section, a technical title fix was adopted, and the bill passed 9-1. The committee also took up SB 189, which would protect existing coverage and expand insurance coverage for reproductive and gender-affirming care, including mid-year enrollment options for pregnancy and coverage for double electric breast pumps. Supporters said the bill would prevent abrupt coverage changes and ensure access to care, while opponents objected to abortion-related coverage and argued existing law and Medicaid already cover much of the care. A motion to table failed, and the bill then passed 6-4. Finally, the committee unanimously passed Senate Memorial 6 honoring golfer Nancy Lopez and her New Mexico roots and achievements.

Transcript Highlights:

• She explained that the goal is to put the product within the regulated space, identify that it needs
• the sections of the warehouse that are bonded and non-bonded, with physical separation between the spaces
• It's important that consumer protections are provided in the regulated substances space.
• or the brewery want to have anything to do with the kitchen, and they want to be able to lease that space
• of the things that I think folks really have a problem with is the smoking of it outside in public spaces

Summary: The Consumer Protection and Business Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2291, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, and then moved into executive session on several bills. Staff explained that HB 2291 would license kratom retailers and processors, set age 21 purchase limits, require labeling, child-resistant packaging, independent testing, an LCB-approved product directory, and an 11% excise tax, while banning certain synthetic or adulterated kratom products and restricting online/mail sales and public consumption. The prime sponsor said the bill was intended to regulate natural kratom while banning the synthetic or chemically altered forms, and several witnesses supported stronger youth protections and product standards. Others opposed the bill’s licensing fee, statewide preemption of local bans, or the regulatory approach, while some testified that natural kratom helps with pain or recovery. The hearing on HB 2291 was then closed without action. In executive session, the committee took action on multiple bills. HB 2439, dealing with cigarette, vapor product, and tobacco product policy, was amended and reported out with a do pass recommendation; the adopted amendments limited Consumer Protection Act enforcement to the Attorney General, adjusted coupon language, and restored state preemption over local retail regulation. HB 1078 on pet insurance, HB 1701 on shared liquor-license premises, HB 2207 on bonded beer warehousing, and HB 2501 on real estate oil-tank disclosure were all reported out with do pass recommendations, with HB 1701’s substitute removing a Public Records Act exemption and HB 2207’s substitute aligning beer warehousing more closely with spirits warehouse rules. HB 2361, which raises the maximum small loan amount, was amended to make inflation adjustments biennial and to change publication requirements, then passed out of committee. The committee also approved HB 1932, which would authorize cannabis consumption events in regulated environments. The substitute bill would create a cannabis consumption event organizer license, allow limited adult-use events subject to local approval, and establish permit and budtender training requirements; members discussed the bill as a way to provide lawful consumption spaces while others objected to expanding cannabis access. In the final votes, HB 2439 passed 12-3, HB 1078 passed unanimously, HB 1701 passed 14-1, HB 2207 passed 14-1, HB 2501 passed unanimously, HB 2361 passed 13-2, and HB 1932 passed 11-4, all with do pass recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm bringing in some new ideas around how environmental justice might intersect in this space as well
• I'm bringing in some new ideas around how environmental justice might intersect in this space as well
• I think that the J.R. space is a separate space from that.
• But it was a space where I kind of got to be away from everything that I was poured into.
• Human Services Committee a number of years ago as a young woman who is working in the mental health space

Summary: The Senate Human Services Committee held an evening hearing on several bills. Senate Bill 6249, sponsored by Sen. Torres, would require all people convicted of stalking to be supervised by the Department of Corrections. Staff explained current community custody rules and said the bill would make stalking convictions subject to DOC supervision; the fiscal note had been requested but not yet received. The sponsor and several survivors and advocates testified in support, saying stalking is dangerous, victims need ongoing monitoring, and supervision could help prevent future harm. No vote was taken. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6255, sponsored by Sen. Lovelett, which renames and updates the Legislative Executive Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force (LuPRO) as the Legislative Executive Economic Justice and Well-Being Task Force, expands membership, and revises duties to monitor and update the state’s 10-year plan to dismantle poverty. Staff said the bill has a partial fiscal note showing a $4,000 OSPI cost for a report, with no additional cost beyond that this biennium. Testimony from DSHS and a constituent supported the bill as a way to improve coordination and accountability in poverty reduction efforts. Senate Bill 6286, sponsored by Sen. Orwall, would authorize the Department of Health to fine private detention facilities that deny inspectors entry, with escalating daily fines and a new account to support people harmed by wrongful detention or ICE-related abuse. The sponsor and supporters framed the bill as a human rights and public health measure, citing complaints about food, sanitation, medical care, and mental health conditions in private detention facilities. The committee then heard Senate Bill 6224, sponsored by Chair Wilson, which would create a Children and Youth Behavioral Health Leadership Council to implement the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan and extend the existing work group. Supporters from state agencies, providers, parents, and advocates emphasized early intervention, cross-system coordination, and youth mental health needs; one witness opposed the bill, arguing it should focus more on non-psychiatric causes of distress. The hearing ended with no recorded votes or final action on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it no longer will ever be used as a church or a congregation space for that congregation.
• Our current plan envisions 100 to 130 affordable housing units, various community-serving spaces, and
• a smaller worship space.
• We want to show other congregations and developers how we can reimagine sacred spaces to meet urgent
• We want to show other congregations and developers how we can reimagine sacred spaces to meet urgent

Bills: HB1717 , HB1859

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: affordable housing, sales tax, housing programs, tax incentives, economic development, religious organizations, development, housing opportunities, land use

Transcript Highlights:

• But you were like an incubator or a space that allowed you? Yeah, it was an incubator.
• We've heard about the tremendous advances happening at companies in the space.
• That's really important for the meat flavor, texture, nutrition in the all-protein space.
• We've heard about the tremendous advances happening at companies in the space.
• That's really important for the meat flavor, texture, nutrition in the all-protein space.

Summary: The Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation held its first informational hearing to examine the state of alternative protein research, industry growth, and policy needs in California. The chair framed alternative proteins as meat, dairy, and eggs made from plants, fermentation, or cell cultivation, and emphasized California’s prior $5 million public investment in UC research, the state’s large concentration of alternative protein companies, and plans for future site visits and hearings around the state. The first panel focused on the climate, environmental, food security, and national security rationale for alternative proteins. Representatives from the Good Food Institute and CSIS argued that alternative proteins can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, methane, antimicrobial resistance, and supply-chain vulnerabilities tied to conventional animal agriculture. Members asked about pharmaceutical and disease risks in livestock systems, and witnesses said intensification of animal agriculture increases antibiotic use and disease transmission risks. The chair also raised the relationship between alternative proteins and traditional farming, and witnesses described the sector as complementary, with opportunities for California farmers to supply inputs such as nuts, legumes, and commodity crop side streams. The second panel featured industry leaders from Beyond Meat, Upside Foods, and Wildtype. They described plant-based, cultivated meat, and cultivated seafood products, argued that the products can match conventional foods on taste while improving health and environmental outcomes, and said misinformation and labeling battles have hurt public perception. They also discussed scaling challenges, the need for grants, low-interest loans, manufacturing support, and possible participation in cap-and-trade or other revenue-generating programs. The chair highlighted tasting events and efforts to educate legislators and staff, and noted that schools, hospitals, and prisons are important markets for healthier food options. The final panel featured UCLA and UC Santa Cruz researchers who described university-led advances in cultivated fat, publicly available datasets, and workforce development programs supported by state funding. They said the UC system is well positioned to provide foundational research, open-access data, student training, and extension support for farmers. The hearing ended with the chair saying the committee will continue its work through additional hearings, tours, and possible budget or legislative proposals, while acknowledging that the current budget climate makes additional funding uncertain.

Transcript Highlights:

• into Wapton, we've looked at various areas for development, and they are sitting in a lot of green space
• They have green space that's not developed into; it's now being farmed.
• minimum of 10%, which is the amendment, with a minimum of $20, which has not been changed for each adult space
• , and a minimum of 10% for each child space, with a minimum of $5 for each space, whichever is, or $10
• , and a minimum of 10% for each child space, with a minimum of $5 for each space, whichever is, or $10

Bills: HB1162

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1162, which would add the West Fargo mayor as a voting member of the Lake Agassiz Water Authority board. The sponsor and Fargo’s mayor argued West Fargo has grown into a major regional water stakeholder and should have a formal vote, while members questioned the board structure and why the change was not framed more specifically. The bill was supported in testimony, closed without opposition, and received a 6-0 do pass recommendation. The committee then took up House Bill 1259 on annual legislative sessions and session structure. Members adopted an amendment that left the structure and logistics of sessions to legislative management rather than prescribing details in statute, after discussion about flexibility, committee workload, annual versus biennial sessions, and concerns about preserving debate and committee process. The amended bill received a 4-2 do pass recommendation, with some members voting no because they preferred a different committee recommendation or had concerns about the broader change. House Bill 1254, which would allow any North Dakota resident to obtain a State Library card, drew supportive testimony from the bill sponsor and State Library staff. They said the change would align law with current practice and expand access to books, e-materials, and other resources statewide, including for military families and out-of-state state employees. The committee closed the hearing and approved the bill 6-0. The committee also considered House Bill 1469, which narrows financial disclosure requirements so only business or trust interests directly related to the office sought or held must be disclosed. After brief discussion that the change would reduce unnecessary disclosure burdens, the committee adopted the amendment and then gave the bill a 6-0 do pass recommendation. House Bill 1368, dealing with administrative rules and the standard for challenging them, was opposed by committee counsel as too broad and legally problematic; the committee rejected it on a 4-2 do not pass vote. Finally, House Bill 1219, which would reduce the required perpetual care fund set-aside for certain cemeteries from 20% to 10%, received supportive testimony from the sponsor, cemetery representatives, and local users, but also concern about long-term fund health. The committee ultimately recommended do pass on a 5-1 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• If y'all looked at what impact that the for lack of a better word I'll call the space industry has had
• We work very closely with the Space Commission.
• We keep them so close, we found some space for the Space Commission in our building over across the country
• We put together and prepared, working jointly with them, a Space Quarters report. looking at what are
• We have sea with three deep water ports. and we have space.

Committee: House S/C on Transportation Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• And I said if you won't go sit in front of people and do your town halls, we should open up that space
• Figuring out and trying to pass a bill so you can shoot somebody for taking your parking space.
• to let people should open up that space to let people speak<00:19:44.159><c> because</c><00:19:44.320
• </c><00:20:38.480><c> work</c><00:20:38.720><c> on</c> for taking your parking space work on for taking
• your parking space work on the<00:20:39.039><c> budget</c><00:20:39.679><c> do</c><00:20:39.880><c>

Transcript Highlights:

• So we wanted to establish a brick and mortar, our physical space that could address this maternal and
• And and that a collaborative and maternal and infant health and innovation are incubator space.
• As I mentioned, it will have space for innovation, incubator space.
• So what that looks like, it's basically we want to create space for early start up.
• So we want to support those companies by giving them co-working space or space within this facility as

Transcript Highlights:

• She wouldn't give up her A experience,' and she said, 'There's a lot of space there.
• So, we would not have a- shortage of space.
• We have a 32-acre campus, and there is definitely plenty of green space available on that campus, particularly
• But in addition to the green space, there would need to be, you know, some barns and some fencing and

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• There are a number of states that have similar per-dog limits to ensure that each animal has enough space
• My name is Jill Angelasanto. similar per dog limits to ensure that each animal has enough space.
• This bill ensures accessibility for disabled people in public spaces.
• , in person spaces in public.
• I care about protecting the right to wear a mask in public spaces because I use masks to protect not

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Summary: The committee held a lengthy hybrid hearing of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, with testimony spanning local board training, animal welfare and enforcement, municipal charters, water district dissolution, and other home rule matters. Chairs Rausch and Lewis set strict time limits because of the large number of speakers and explained that written testimony would also be accepted. Members heard from local officials, advocates, municipal employees, and residents, with many bills receiving broad support from municipal and advocacy witnesses. Several speakers supported bills requiring or expanding training for local boards and commissions, including pre-service training for planning, zoning, and other land use boards. Supporters said training would help volunteers understand complex laws, improve consistency, reduce legal challenges, and speed up housing and development decisions. Related testimony also backed a bill to modernize historic district commissions and another to allow associate planning board members to serve more broadly when needed to maintain quorums. A major portion of the hearing focused on animal legislation. Witnesses supported bills to expand citations for cruel conditions beyond dogs, update dangerous dog procedures, improve animal health inspections and breeder oversight, strengthen tethering rules, and protect pet consumers. Animal control officers, humane organizations, and some victims of dog attacks described enforcement gaps and the need for clearer standards, while several dog trainers and the American Kennel Club opposed parts of the dangerous dog bill and tethering restrictions, arguing they would limit humane training tools and professional discretion. The committee also heard strong support for a bill to create a statewide pet shop and consumer protection framework. The committee also heard testimony on several local home rule petitions. Medford officials and residents strongly supported a new city charter that would replace the current at-large council with ward-based representation and periodic charter review. Wayland representatives supported a bill to preserve the library’s Millennium Fund as intended, Cambridge officials backed creation of an employment and job training trust, and Carver officials supported dissolving the North Carver Water District due to compliance and financial problems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and follow-up materials.

Transcript Highlights:

• there to assure that before just collect unions, they're quite presence in many of the health care space
• So I think we are in a greenfield space when it comes to AI and the deployment of AI.
• Padilla here, who serves on this committee, has been such a leader in this space.
• Bauer-Kahan obviously had a bill in this space last year as well.
• Padilla's hard work in this space, his tenacity, his dedication.

Committee: Senate Privacy, Digital Technologies, and Consumer Protection

Transcript Highlights:

• In a safe space. So sweet. And I didn't have to worry about them.
• So there, you know, you could see some silver lining in that: there are more spaces.
• But getting families into those spaces, I think, is some of what you've heard.
• Getting families into those spaces, I think, is some of what you've heard here, is a challenge.
• We really appreciate the space.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Child Care Costs held its third hearing, focused on how transitional kindergarten (TK) fits into California’s mixed-delivery early learning system, with an emphasis on the Central Valley. Opening remarks stressed that TK and child care should complement each other, not compete, and that families need both part-day school-based options and full-day, year-round care. Committee members outlined hearing goals around aligning TK with existing programs, understanding family needs, and examining the economic impact of early learning on workforce participation and local economies. Panelists from the Legislative Analyst’s Office, Every Child California, Early Edge, Children Now, and others described TK’s rapid expansion to all four-year-olds, the growth in enrollment, and related changes to state preschool and after-school programs. Witnesses generally supported TK but warned that its expansion has shifted enrollment away from community-based providers, especially centers and family child care homes, creating financial strain, vacant classrooms, and staffing challenges. They urged stronger partnerships between school districts and community providers, more flexible licensing and facilities support, higher and more uniform reimbursement rates, permanent authority for state preschool to serve two-year-olds, and better compensation and training for educators across settings. Parents and providers testified about the importance of trusted, culturally and linguistically responsive care, the need for infant-toddler and home-based options, and the difficulty of affording child care when TK is not full-day or does not fit family schedules. Several speakers emphasized that many families still face long waits for subsidies and that reimbursement and payment delays threaten provider stability. Public comment echoed these concerns, with providers calling for true cost-of-care rates, more vouchers, support for transportation and nontraditional hours, and protection from insurance and facility costs that can force programs to close. State education officials said California’s UPK system works best when TK, state preschool, Head Start, and community-based providers are treated as a shared system, and noted that planning and implementation grants and local coordination efforts have helped build mixed-delivery partnerships. The hearing ended without formal votes or actions, but committee members indicated they would continue gathering input to inform future policy and budget decisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• excited to announce that we've named Karen Kincaid Brady the director of the New Mexico Museum of Space
• There's not the space, but it's just really great for the community in northern New Mexico.
• Are you also creating defensible space surrounding the home? Mr.
• Five-foot defensible space that's in those standards. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you for that.
• So we know that that's a vacant space in the state, regardless of what DOIT...

Transcript Highlights:

• Federal appropriation, and that work really helps to foster additional work in the ag technology space
• We're not intending to have our own test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.
• We leverage Grand Farm and Farm... ...test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.
• You know, we're not intending to have our own test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.
• We leverage, you know, Grand Farm and Farm. test spaces. We leverage other test spaces.

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• When I first started, there were seven, because nobody wanted to work in this space, and we have been
• You continue to be a leader in this space, and we'll continue working on this issue because...
• I've done work in the housing space by looking at how we can make our processes more streamlined and
• I'll say it again: I think we've done quite a lot in the housing space to get government sort of out
• As a practitioner in this space and as a former elected leader in the region, I find it important to

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of local government and housing-related bills, with the chair repeatedly noting the committee was operating without a quorum for much of the meeting. Several measures were heard with no opposition, including AB 2639 on Merced County flood control coordination, AB 1788 on allowing best-value contracting for general law cities and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, AB 2058 on reducing duplicative permitting and inspection costs for factory-built housing, AB 2576 on clarifying historic resource protections in a housing law, AB 2568 on increasing the compensation cap for water district board members, AB 2224 on updating county recorder fees and requiring electronic recording, AB 2469 on water-supply review and cost responsibility for data centers, and AB 2397 on requiring local governments to justify denials of certain housing-finance decisions. Most of these bills were presented as targeted fixes to improve efficiency, reduce delays, or modernize outdated statutes, and the authors generally requested aye votes and noted committee amendments where applicable. The most extended debate centered on AB 1751, which would streamline approval of qualifying townhome projects while setting a $28 hourly minimum wage floor for construction workers on covered private projects. Supporters argued the bill would expand homeownership opportunities, raise wages for largely non-union residential workers, and preserve existing prevailing wage law while adding enforcement tools and developer liability. Opponents, including several building trades and labor organizations, argued it would undercut prevailing wage standards, create a race to the bottom, and potentially affect wage-setting more broadly. Committee members asked detailed questions about land-use barriers, the relationship to prevailing wage, and whether the bill would affect unionized work; the author and supporters responded that it applies narrowly to private for-sale townhome projects and does not alter prevailing wage requirements. AB 2469 also drew a substantive split. Supporters said data centers should be required to provide water-supply assessments before approval, pay for infrastructure they trigger, and account for impacts on overdrafted groundwater basins and local ratepayers. Opponents from the Chamber of Commerce, Data Center Coalition, counties, and tech groups argued existing law already covers water planning, that the bill imposes unique and burdensome requirements on one industry, and that some reporting provisions could raise security concerns. The author responded that the bill is about front-end planning and local accountability, not daily reporting, and emphasized the hyperlocal strain data centers can place on small water systems. No final votes were taken during the hearing because the committee lacked a quorum, though members repeatedly indicated support or intent to vote aye once a quorum was present.

Transcript Highlights:

• If someone is parked in your space when you arrive, please check.
• Please just park in another space.
• </c> tomorrow in legislator parking spaces. tomorrow in legislator parking spaces.
• </c><01:10:04.280><c> when</c> If someone is parked in your space when If someone is parked in your space
• </c> Please just park in another space. Please just park in another space.