Transcript Highlights:

• And welcome to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4.
• These reflect errors in the budget change proposal.
• We do expect a level of increase to our fiscal year budgets.
• That is why we support the governor's proposed budget.
• So we support the governor's budget without any hesitation.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Don Richards, Legislative Service Office, Budget Fiscal Administrator.
• cycle within their budget each budget cycle within their budget documents.
• So, um, that budget load puts it into the budget as a top number, and that's as far as we can go.
• However, that budget load was not input what EGI requested it to be.
• So, for example, if the budgets are tight and we're trying to do a rate increase, if the budgets are

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The budget was signed. We had some conversations off and on.
• And at that... ...that time, I was even paid out of a state budget.
• I went over the proviso and the budget as I would...
• I can't remember the exact date, but it was during budget week.
• I can't remember the exact date, but it was during budget week.

Summary: The hearing resumed in the Legislative Ethics Board matter involving Tara Simmons after the board confirmed no ex parte communications had occurred overnight. Respondent’s counsel moved to dismiss two allegations at the close of the board staff’s case: that Simmons pressured the Administrative Office of the Courts to alter a contract in favor of her employer, and that she violated ethics rules by combining legislative support for AEJG with a personal donation to the organization. Board staff opposed the motion, arguing the evidence showed Simmons’s legislative and personal dealings were intertwined. After a recess for deliberation, the board denied the motion to dismiss, and the hearing moved into the defense case. The first defense witness was Sharon Navas, executive director of the Equity and Education Coalition (EEC). Navas testified that she met Simmons in 2018, later hired her, and took steps to separate Simmons’s legislative duties from her work for EEC. She said Simmons was never paid for lobbying or legislative acts, that her compensation came from unrestricted funds, and that the organization used written ethics-compliance language and a formal scope of work. Navas also described the proviso-funded dashboard project involving Anthony Powers and Chris Stanley, testifying that Simmons was not involved in the project’s day-to-day work, did not attend the meetings about the dispute, and was not part of the alleged contract disagreement. On cross-examination, staff focused on the contract documents, the dashboard work, and whether the scope of work matched the parties’ understanding. Tara Simmons then testified in her own defense. She described her background, legislative career, disability accommodations, and extensive efforts to seek ethics guidance from House counsel and board-related materials before taking outside employment or supporting provisos. She said she relied on prior ethics advice when separating her legislative role from outside work and when seeking provisos for AEJG and EEC. Simmons also addressed her relationship with Anthony Powers, describing it as a friendship rooted in criminal justice reform work and prior collaboration. The hearing was still in the middle of Simmons’s direct testimony when the transcript excerpt ended, with no final ruling on the merits or disposition of the allegations.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> authority</c> MDS is requesting budget authority MDS is requesting budget authority $139,82,496
• This provides um for for budget year.
• Thank you. >> If I understand you, if I look at the budget, you're increasing your budget, your salary
• You know, it should be a lot of budget.
• I realize this is your budget hearing, but their budgets and their planning need to be impacted that

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 210; 14 January, 2026: 3:30 PM, 925, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I wished we'd had this when we did the review for the budget. was done by executive order but if
• </c> budgeting process. budgeting process.
• </c> authority of the legislative budget authority of the legislative budget assistant<00:35:10.400><
• </c> very difficult to budget because it's very difficult to budget because it's not<00:39:07.920><c>
• </c> that's you know sitting on the budget that's you know sitting on the budget committee<00:40:05.280

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first accepted the minutes from the April 4 meeting, then moved to a discussion of potential audit topics and follow-up on prior performance audits. Christine Young, Director of Audits, and Jay Henry, performance audit supervisor, walked members through a spreadsheet showing the status of roughly 30 performance audit reports from the past 10 years, including the number of observations, whether agencies concurred, how many observations were fully addressed, and when each report was last updated. They explained that “fully addressed” only means the agency addressed the observations it agreed with, and that some reports include rejoinders when the audit office disagrees with an agency’s response. Members also discussed how some audits have been updated and others have not, including an example from the prescription drug monitoring program, which moved from the Board of Pharmacy/OPLC to HHS and was recently updated after staff contacted HHS. A major focus was the mental health workforce licensing audit, which was described as having little or no follow-up in the spreadsheet. Several members said this was especially concerning given the ongoing mental health crisis and argued that the committee should require a response. The committee agreed to start by sending letters to the chairs of the boards listed under that audit, asking the chair or designee to appear at the next meeting or respond in writing about what has been done and what remains unresolved. Members noted that the current process is voluntary and self-reported, which can lead to long delays or no response, especially for boards that meet only monthly and may have changed membership or leadership since the audit was issued. The committee also discussed other audit follow-up issues, including the liquor commission division of enforcement and licensing, which staff said was farther along than its percentage suggested, and a recently released human rights report that was not yet due for update. Members raised the possibility of using future budget reviews to ask agencies what they have done about old audit findings. In addition, the committee briefly discussed future audit topics, including a possible audit of local school districts related to special education, and staff explained that the statute allows the LBA to audit a limited number of non-state entities over a five-year period. The motion to authorize the chair and LBA to draft and send letters to the mental health workforce licensing boards passed by show of hands with one abstention. The next meeting was tentatively set for June 6 in State House 100, with staff to confirm the room and schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> confirmed</c> Kentucky state budget director confirmed Kentucky state budget director confirmed
• ,</c><00:18:22.320><c> or</c> project is on schedule, on budget, or project is on schedule, on budget
• They probably deal with maybe a thousand projects out of the budget that we budget, and they're given
• :40.880><c> given</c><00:29:41.120><c> the</c> we budget and they're given the we budget and they're
• </c> budget director about this project? budget director about this project?

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call- 00:00:01 Staff Report on Statewide Emergency Responder Voice System- 00:01:09 Kentucky State Police and Finance and Administration Cabinet Response to Staff Report- 00:48:37 Adjournment-01:34:512, 958, all

Summary: The committee heard a staff report on Kentucky’s statewide emergency responder voice system (SERVS), a multi-phase project intended to improve interoperable radio communications for first responders. Staff said Kentucky State Police did not appear to have violated statutes or regulations, but the project lacked an overall master plan, clear milestones, and consistent documentation, which contributed to delays, spending issues, and deployment problems. The report recommended updating the Kentucky Field Operations Guide to reflect SERVS and noted that the project has been funded in phases since 2018, with appropriations totaling roughly $216 million across 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024, while about $109 million had been spent by the end of fiscal year 2025. The report raised concerns about project sequencing and oversight. Staff said most spending was concentrated in special mobile equipment, with Motorola accounting for about two-thirds of all SERVS expenditures and the top four vendors making up 81 percent of spending. They also said a sample of Motorola payments suggested possible late payments, though they could not confirm whether interest was paid. Staff criticized the use of master agreements for a project of this size, the lack of a centralized ledger, and the absence of a documented timeline or risk mitigation plan. They recommended stronger procurement and planning requirements, including possible legislative changes requiring approved master plans for large capital projects and additional funding conditions tied to SERVS master agreements. Land acquisition and deployment progress were identified as major bottlenecks, especially in Eastern Kentucky. Staff said the project began in western Kentucky using existing tower sites, but the remaining work is concentrated in harder-to-acquire areas, with more than 95 percent of new towers still incomplete. They said the Division of Real Properties did not begin formal contract work on acquisition until October 2024, despite earlier coordination, and recommended earlier consultation on future projects. Staff also noted that the Kentucky Wireless Interoperability Executive Committee had not been active in oversight, and survey results showed limited awareness and involvement among first responders. Committee members agreed that the lack of an initial implementation plan and the continuing need for funding reflected broader planning problems, and they discussed the need for a clearer end-to-end game plan rather than continuing to fund the project without a defined completion path.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education will come to order.
• lower than what we estimated at the Budget Act.
• We don't have a proposal in the Governor's budget.
• We talked about almost 60% of the state's budget going towards education.
• The Senate Budget Committee No. 1 on Education is adjourned.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education will come to order.
• lower than what we estimated at the Budget Act.
• The Governor's budget proposes to subsidize before-, after-, and summer school.
• We don't have a proposal in the Governor's budget.
• The Senate Budget Committee, Number One, on Education is adjourned.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on universal school meals, the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), and community schools, with the Kitchen Infrastructure and Training Grants Program also discussed. For universal meals, the Department of Education supported continued investment, citing high student meal need, reported gains in meal participation and service efficiency from prior kitchen grants, and concerns that federal changes and underreporting could affect funding. The Department of Finance outlined $1.8 billion Proposition 98 General Fund for universal meals and an additional $100 million for a fourth round of kitchen grants, while the LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the allowable uses are broad. Members raised questions about federal matching requirements, Summer EBT, and whether immigration-related federal policy changes could reduce meal counts and state/federal reimbursements. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund plus $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended modifying the proposal to fully fix Tier 2 at the current $1,579 rate and tie future changes to program requirements, while CDE supported the Governor’s approach and said the added stability would help districts plan. Committee discussion focused on whether ELOP should remain a standalone before- and after-school program or be folded into LCFF, with some members and witnesses arguing for more local flexibility and clearer outcome measures, while others emphasized the value of guaranteed expanded learning access, especially for elementary students and working families. CDE noted new CalPADS reporting will provide more data beginning with the 2025-26 school year. For community schools, the Governor proposed $1 billion ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund to expand the model to thousands more schools and sustain existing ones, along with stronger technical assistance and future accreditation/self-certification. The LAO recommended continuing the current one-time grant approach instead of creating a new ongoing categorical program, citing concerns about scalability, administrative burden, and the need for earlier planning and clearer accreditation timelines if ongoing funding is adopted. CDE strongly supported the ongoing investment, saying community schools have improved attendance, suspensions, and achievement, and that technical assistance and county office support are essential for expansion. Members and public commenters largely supported community schools, with some urging stronger accountability, more support for county offices and MTSS, and debate over whether non-classroom-based charter schools should be excluded from eligibility. No formal votes were taken in the portion provided; the committee heard testimony and moved through the agenda items and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you so much, Chair Hart, and other members of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee.
• , through the budget window into 2029-30 even.
• , you know, through the budget window into through 2930 even.
• This is under my budget sub five, so we will be having follow-up questions.
• Obviously, we have a challenging budget environment that we're going to have to navigate.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We still don't know what our budget is going to look like in the Higher Education Committee.
• We still don't know what our budget is going to look like in the Higher Education Committee.
• Would it do better standing alone than rolled into a bigger budget bill? Well, much support.
• We will get our budget target, we will put our budget bill together, and we will pass that out of our
• Target we will we will get our budget Target we will put<00:23:55.080><c> our</c><00:23:55.240><c> budget

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the budget analyst for the Railroad Commission.
• Today we're budgeted in today's budget with $22.75 million a year in OGRC funds to plug 1,000 wells in
• You all have that in our base budget at this point.
• Question on the budget real quick.
• This was a, a writer that was added to our budget.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum present to hear Article VI Natural Resources agency budget recommendations, beginning with the Railroad Commission. LBB staff summarized the commission’s 2026-27 base recommendation at $458.7 million, down from the prior biennium, with an increased FTE cap. The presentation highlighted reduced federal IIJA funding, volatility in oil and gas regulation account 5155, continued support for IT modernization, and rider changes. The commission’s major exceptional items were then presented, including requests for produced water and injection data reporting, an authorized pit registration system, regulatory filing/permitting upgrades, an underground injection well investigation team, site remediation support, and especially $100 million for orphan well plugging. Members asked about biennium-to-biennium comparisons, salary biennialization, the scale of orphan well risks, federal funding delays, bonding, and whether the state should rely more on industry or general revenue for plugging costs. Commission leadership explained that orphan wells can threaten water and public safety, that plugging costs have risen sharply, and that current funding is insufficient to keep up with emergency wells and the backlog; they also said the agency is moving to cloud-based systems with cybersecurity protections and that the proposed performance measure may need adjustment if funding does not increase. The Railroad Commission testimony was followed by LBB and agency testimony for the Texas Animal Health Commission. LBB described a $42 million recommendation for 2026-27, an increase overall, but with a reduced FTE cap due to turnover and salary reallocation. The recommendation maintained funding for cattle fever tick work, chronic wasting disease, lab testing through an MOU with Texas A&M’s veterinary diagnostic lab, and a new $5 million spay-and-neuter pilot program, while deleting a capital budget rider and adjusting riders tied to entry point inspection stations and clinical trials. Agency leadership then outlined the commission’s mission to protect livestock health and the state’s $22 billion animal industry, and described major disease threats including highly pathogenic avian influenza, cattle fever ticks, New World screwworm, and chronic wasting disease. Their exceptional items focused on recruiting and retaining veterinarians, replacing fleet vehicles, creating an ectoparasite identification lab, adding field staff and IT support, improving records and epidemiology reporting, strengthening central administration, supporting secure food supply planning, expanding chronic wasting disease work, and staffing the new spay-and-neuter program. Members asked about field identification of ticks, the use of disinfectants and PPE, fleet management, the scale of cattle fever tick risk, and chronic wasting disease; the agency explained its current inspection and lab-confirmation process, its reliance on field disinfecting and biosecurity, and the need for more staff and better data systems to keep pace with growing workloads and disease threats.

Transcript Highlights:

• I usually see your back in budget. That's about it. Which is better.
• Can I just say it's not when we get into critical budget years. We're already there.
• We're seeing it every day in budget. And then the other piece...
• As we know, our budget's going to be in a, at a budget. Think about moving forward.
• He noted that in the state budget that is an enormous percentage, while in a trillion-dollar budget it

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is very, very similar to what we've done during the budget.
• As you know, in Texas, we have a balanced budget.
• Now, Article 11 is only in the budget. That's SB1.
• Budget Day, Appropriations Day, and we will do the budgets. Here in the House.
• No, I would suggest. they tighten their budgets. I'm sorry?

Bills: HJR1, HJR2, HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392, HB195, HB 13, HB143, HB135, HJR1, HJR2, HB9, HB22, HB908, HB1392

Keywords: constitutional amendment, property tax, ad valorem tax, tax exemption, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property, equipment exemption, machinery, local government finance, school district revenue, county taxes, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, tax relief, commercial property, death tax, inheritance tax, estate tax, property transfer

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> status, but then what are your budget status, but then what are your budget requests?
• </c> what the budget request for it was for. what the budget request for it was for.
• Anything further for you folks to present about this budget topic, budget requests, and plans to address
• </c> the decision made by the next budget the decision made by the next budget year.<01:03:36.559><c>
• budget requests related and then there's budget requests related to<01:42:22.239><c> this</c><01:42:

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a budget analyst at the LBB, and I'll be discussing the budget recommendations for the Historical
• presentation on budget, Porter Wilson.
• presentation on budget, Porter Wilson.
• LB budget budget presenter James Kessler, the executive director Gary Gibbs.
• Charlie Smith, Legislative Budget Board.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations from the Legislative Budget Board and agency officials on several agencies, starting with the Texas Historical Commission. LBB described a large biennial reduction driven mainly by the removal of one-time funding and discussed capital projects, rider changes, and exceptional items including Presidio La Bahia and the National Museum of the Pacific War. Senators asked about heritage trails, courthouse grants, unexpended balance authority, and the status of historical-site funding. Historical Commission leadership emphasized preservation, courthouse restoration, heritage tourism, coordination with the Alamo and other Texas Revolution sites, and requested additional IT, staffing, and vehicle funding. No votes were taken. The committee then reviewed the Pension Review Board and the Employees Retirement System. The Pension Review Board’s budget was largely unchanged aside from IT maintenance and salary adjustments, with an exceptional item for additional IT enhancements. Members discussed the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s funding dispute and the need for a workable restoration plan. ERS presented a much larger budget, including funding for the retirement system, the group benefits plan, and the legacy payment intended to reduce unfunded liability. Senators focused heavily on pension investment returns, benchmark comparisons, and rising health-care costs, especially pharmacy spending driven by GLP-1 drugs; ERS said the plan covers about 540,000 lives and that premiums would rise 8% while benefits remain unchanged. ERS also said it had no exceptional items, and committee members requested more detailed benchmark information. The committee also heard from the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. TESSORS reported an unfunded liability, an infinite amortization period, and requested additional state support, staffing, and IT funding, including a statutory change to allow a higher contribution level; the agency warned that without more funding it may have to cut benefits. CEPRIT’s presentation covered its bond-funded cancer research and prevention portfolio, revenue-sharing from funded projects, and a request to increase salary limits for its CEO and chief scientific officer. Senators questioned CEPRIT’s accomplishments and return on investment, while CEPRIT cited screening, prevention, and research outcomes, including tens of thousands of detected cancers and precursors and hundreds of thousands of first-time screenings. The meeting ended after these presentations and questions, with no recorded committee action or vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, this is March 19, 2006, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.
• Colleen Gill with the Office of Planning and Budget, presenting agenda item number one.
• statement and five-year baseline budget.
• Ramiya, here with the Office of Planning and Budget, presenting B.A. 7 agenda item number two, L.D.H.
• Office of the Secretary requests to increase their federal funds budget authority by $24 million.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget met on March 19, 2006, and first received a fiscal status statement and five-year baseline budget from the Office of Planning and Budget, with no changes reported. The committee then approved several BA-7 budget adjustments, including additional funding for the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism’s Cultural Development Program, a $24.4 million federal funds increase for the Louisiana Department of Health’s Rural Health Transformation Program grant, and a $1 million statutory dedication for reimbursement related to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. All of these items were recommended for approval by both OPB and the Legislative Fiscal Office. The committee also approved a Facility Planning and Control request for the Louisiana Military Department to add $9.1 million to the Jackson Barracks cyber warfare operations project to incorporate a SCIF, bringing total authority to $29.7 million. Members then approved several interpretations of legislative intent to correct or clarify prior appropriations, including parish and local-government recipients and purposes in St. Mary Parish, Catahoula Parish, Lafourche Parish, East Feliciana, and the Wind Foundation of Louisiana. In addition, the committee approved one-year extensions and added funding for Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism tourism advertising contracts, and approved a final extension of the Office of Risk Management’s contract with Sedgwick Claims Management Services. Later, the committee reviewed but did not require action on a change-order report and heard presentations on two university-related agreements. Louisiana Tech University described a plan to shift campus utility service from its aging cogeneration system to local utility providers, requiring new chillers and boilers but projected to save more than $1.6 million annually in operating costs, with estimated debt service of about $1.2 million. The committee also heard an extension request from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for consulting services supporting its Banner ERP system. The meeting concluded with adjournment after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't know. ...and she's working on the statewide budget ask.
• But this sector is not just those big budget projects.
• And at the end of the day, this is almost a $350 billion budget.
• Please give our budget request. 23% completion rate.
• Please give our budget request. 23% completion rate.

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Arts held an informational hearing on California’s first sector-specific creative economy strategic plan, developed under AB 127 by the California Arts Council with an interagency work group and outside research support. Committee members and panelists described the plan’s purpose as strengthening the state’s creative workforce, stabilizing creative businesses, expanding equity and access, and building infrastructure for long-term implementation. The opening presentation highlighted major forces shaping the sector over the next decade, including AI, climate disruption, affordability, access to capital, and social cohesion, and outlined six action areas: workforce preparation, business growth, cultural tourism and identity, cross-sector incentives, ROI/data tracking, and state capacity-building. Testimony from the California Department of Education and the Workforce Development Board focused on existing workforce pipelines, including updated arts/entertainment/design CTE standards, the Entertainment Equity Alliance, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways, and High Road Training Partnership investments. Speakers said these efforts are producing strong placement outcomes, including paid on-the-job training, union placements, and support for workers facing barriers, while also emphasizing the need for entrepreneurship training and wraparound supports. Committee discussion also centered on a major unresolved issue: how to define and measure the creative economy consistently across agencies, since current labor data often misses gig, contract, nonprofit, and business activity. A second panel of practitioners and advocates described local examples of the plan in action. The Handy Foundation, Arts for LA’s Creative Jobs Collective, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, and the California Arts Council chair all argued that artists and creative workers should be treated as essential contributors to education, community health, local economies, and resilience, not as peripheral workers. They urged stronger school partnerships, more arts access, and better recognition of creative careers. Members also discussed AI’s impact on creative work, with panelists saying it should be treated as a tool that requires guardrails, training, and union and educator involvement rather than as a replacement for human creativity. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members expressed support for continued implementation, better data systems, and additional funding in future budget and policy actions.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, over the last couple of years, there have been pretty big budget cuts.
• Each of those buckets by itself is greater than our entire annual budget.
• Thank you for the opportunity to present on this next budget change proposal.
• I think this is the smallest budget ask that I've seen before me.
• I also have with me our budget director, Abel Escobar.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> system by exploring a CFSS budget model. system by exploring a CFSS budget model.
• ,</c> just quickly on the governor's budget, just quickly on the governor's budget, Mr.<00:16:51.560>
• But it's the governor's budget.
• But it's the governor's budget.
• </c> it was budget neutral. I'm impressed. it was budget neutral. I'm impressed.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, here with me is Denise Daset, who helps us with our budget in case there are any budget-specific
• </c><00:02:15.040><c> in</c> helps us with their bud our budget in helps us with their bud our budget
• . budget. budget.
• budget? budget?
• </c> and and y'all have our budget request. and and y'all have our budget request.

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 15 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all