Transcript Highlights:

• You’re right, special education.
• We have... ...a lot of our students, whether they’re in early childhood education or in special education
• So it’s really an opportunity for statewide growth in us to continue to be able to educate special education
• work more closely with BSC in more bachelor-type programs in education and teacher education.
• So try to ...types of programs in education and teacher education.

Summary: The Higher Education Institutions Committee met on the Minot State University campus for presentations on campus operations, enrollment, and new academic initiatives. President Shirley reviewed recent audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings, and highlighted MSU’s broad academic offerings, specialized accreditations, athletics, and partnerships with Minot Air Force Base and the MSU Development Foundation. Members asked about declining interest in teacher education, tuition waivers for athletes, dual credit incentives, and how MSU decides when to launch new programs and avoid duplication within the university system. Shirley also discussed several workforce-focused initiatives supported by the Legislature’s Workforce Education Innovation Funds, including the purchase of the Trinity Health Center West building for a downtown health sciences hub, a new daycare/preschool partnership near campus, the Aspire program to recruit rural students into teaching, and a paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Enrollment data showed overall headcount was flat at just under 2,750, but full-time equivalent enrollment rose slightly and new student numbers increased, including the largest freshman class in 15 years. The committee also discussed Minot State’s in-state tuition rate for all students, its dual credit “Emerging Scholars” scholarship, and concerns about the share of high school graduates who do not immediately pursue postsecondary education. Faculty then presented two new programs funded in part by WEAF: an Innovation Engineering degree and a master’s program in counseling with an integrated addiction studies focus. The engineering program was described as industry-driven, designed with broad early coursework, hands-on learning, and local employer input to prepare students for western North Dakota workforce needs; officials said it had already drawn more applicants than expected and would use renovated library space and donated or grant-funded equipment. The counseling program will be mostly face-to-face with hybrid options, aims to address shortages in mental health and substance use providers, and is structured to help students meet licensure requirements. Committee members asked about startup costs, licensure supervision hours, and whether the programs would be on campus rather than online, and presenters said both programs had recently received required approvals and were moving forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:29:51.840><c> this</c> with the department of education this with the department of education
• It's truly education in a classroom.
• The community outreach has been amazing.
• The community outreach has been amazing.
• What we have found continued education.

Summary: The committee heard first from Kentucky Farm Bureau leaders, who outlined the organization’s current priorities and recent work on farmland transition. Eddie Melton said Farm Bureau is working through 983 county and advisory committee resolutions and highlighted support for the updated selling farmer tax credit, now law through House Bill 775, as well as Senate Bill 28’s agriculture economic development provisions. He said Farm Bureau’s likely priorities include maintaining the 50% share of the tobacco settlement fund for agriculture, protecting funding for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, preserving sales tax exemptions on farm inputs, keeping property taxes controlled, and exploring additional tools to keep farmland in active farmers’ hands, including possible loan or inheritance-tax changes. He also raised concerns about eminent domain transparency, nuisance deer permits, and access to agricultural inputs and crop protection products. Alita Bots described the farmland transition initiative in more detail, saying the revised state tax credit is generating strong interest and that a new federal tax provision now allows eligible land sales to actively engaged farmers to spread capital gains taxes over time. She said the initiative has reached 22 counties and more than 1,300 people this year through outreach and meetings, and that Farm Bureau is pairing policy work with resources to help farm families plan transitions and prepare wills and other estate documents. Drew Graham added that the effort is also meant to bridge the rural-urban divide and support rural communities, and Farm Bureau invited members to its annual meeting in early December. Members asked about rising insurance costs and deer damage. Farm Bureau representatives said severe convective storms, inflation, and higher repair and material costs have driven insurance rate increases, citing five major storm events since 2021 and a recent Owensboro hailstorm that caused about $350 million in losses; they said the company is moving toward percentage deductibles to help moderate increases. On deer, they said crop-loss totals are hard to quantify but acknowledged the problem and discussed possible coordination with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Hunters for the Hungry. Commissioner Jonathan Shell then began the Department of Agriculture presentation, reporting gains from the department’s school agriculture outreach program, including a 23% increase in county participation between March and September and improved teacher-reported student learning, before continuing into the department’s legislative priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• and education division; and a legal affairs division, which will facilitate public engagement, education
• Mitch Steiger with CFT, a union of educators and classified professionals, also in support.
• Board of Education.
• These young people are future engineers, educators, doctors, and entrepreneurs.
• I want to clarify a couple items to educate me.

Committee: House Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard several bills, beginning with SB 27, a CARE Court cleanup measure by Senator Umberg. The bill would require courts to consider CARE referral for certain misdemeanor defendants found incompetent to stand trial, combine some hearings, expand data sharing among licensed medical professionals, and broaden eligibility to include mood disorders with psychotic features. Supporters said the bill would clarify the meaning of “clinically stabilized,” streamline the process, and help more severely ill people get treatment; opponents argued it would greatly expand the program without enough housing, staffing, or resources and could sweep in people who can make their own decisions. The committee members raised concerns about scope and resources but ultimately voted to pass SB 27 to the Health Committee, with the bill placed on call. The committee then took up SB 82, which would limit consumer arbitration clauses to disputes arising from the specific product or service the consumer agreed to buy, aimed at stopping “infinite arbitration clauses” that force unrelated claims into arbitration. The author and supporters described cases where consumers were compelled to arbitrate claims involving corporate affiliates or unrelated incidents, while opponents warned the bill was too restrictive and should be clarified on retroactivity and construction. Members generally supported the bill, and it passed on a do-pass motion, with several votes recorded and the bill placed on call. Next, the committee heard SB 437 and SB 518, both related to California reparations efforts. SB 437 would direct CSU to develop an evidence-based, reproducible genealogical methodology for verifying descendants of enslaved people, with supporters emphasizing oversight, transparency, and a framework for using the $6 million already allocated in the budget; opponents argued the work was unnecessary, duplicative, and should be done by existing genealogists rather than CSU. SB 518 would create a Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery within state government, with divisions for genealogy, property reclamation, outreach, and legal affairs; supporters called it the infrastructure needed to implement reparations recommendations, while opponents objected to housing the bureau in the Department of Justice, overlap with SB 437, and the inclusion of other communities. Both bills advanced on do-pass motions to Appropriations and were placed on call. Finally, Senator Perez presented SB 52, the End AI Rent Hikes Act, which would make it illegal to use algorithms to collude and artificially inflate rental prices. The author and supporters said landlords and AI companies are using pricing tools to share competitive data and fix rents in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, and that the bill would clarify protections and create enforcement mechanisms. The transcript cuts off during testimony on SB 52, before any vote or final action is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• proof of residency rules, standardized training, additional staffing where needed, robust public education
• proof of residency rules, standardized training, additional staffing where needed, robust public education
• The second is something we have focused less on, but that I also mentioned, which is the voter education
• It's not just something up to towns and municipalities, but we need active public outreach and public
• education campaigns to inform voters about what is and is not possible, to try to manage their expectations

Summary: The Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions held a hearing on Initiative Petition 25-01, H.5-001, an act relative to election day registration. The co-chairs explained the Article 48 initiative process and noted that the committee must report on the petition to the legislature. The hearing focused on how election day registration differs from same-day registration, how it is used in other states, and what implementation would require in Massachusetts. Three expert witnesses testified in support of the concept. A Northeastern University political science professor said the research shows election day registration would likely increase turnout, especially among younger voters, renters, recent movers, and other underrepresented groups, while requiring planning, training, and funding. A National Conference of State Legislatures policy analyst described how election day and same-day registration work in other states, including proof-of-residency and ID requirements, provisional ballot options in some states, and the need for updated voter systems and staffing. An MIT election administration professor said the proposal is mainstream, likely popular with Massachusetts voters, and administratively workable if the state addresses workload, wait times, and system integration. Committee members asked about costs, residency documentation, use of Real ID, provisional ballots, rural polling places, and whether election day registration could increase lines or discourage advance registration. Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin and volunteer proponent Norma Shulman testified in favor of the petition. They argued that election day registration would help eligible voters who miss deadlines or move before an election, reduce reliance on provisional ballots, and improve participation. Galvin said the proposal includes a 10-day reconciliation period and would likely require additional staffing and possibly technology, but he viewed the reform as worth the cost and consistent with broader election reforms. Shulman said voters she encountered during the signature drive strongly supported the measure and viewed it as common sense. In questioning, Galvin said the measure would help voters who move within a community or arrive at the polls unregistered, and he said many provisional ballots are not counted because of eligibility or registration problems. Opponents from the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association argued that while expanding access is important, election day registration would add to already heavy workloads for local clerks, who are managing early voting, vote-by-mail processing, and election-day operations with limited staff and resources. They said any major election change should be developed through the traditional legislative process with direct input from local officials, and they urged caution until municipalities receive more administrative and financial relief. The hearing then moved into the public testimony section, beginning with a representative from Mass for Fair Elections.

Transcript Highlights:

• It spans education, with Corps members advancing their academic credentials while they serve.
• I can pursue higher education, and it's very likely that I'll have a career in the natural resources.
• are consistently stretched to meet operational demand, Corps members lose access to training and education
• Permanent staffing ensures continuity of inspections, public education, and enforcement under Public
• This includes coordinated outreach with local governments, fire safe councils, tribes, and community-based

Transcript Highlights:

• financially from the Eaton Fire, they have done so without sufficient standards and timelines for advance outreach
• I did bring in a couple of our colleagues in the fall to just educate them on AI technology, as well
• We would like to see all of these things that are going to educate us on this particular tool, industry
• My name is Janice Lynn, and I'm the founder of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, an educational nonprofit
• ask that as this bill moves forward, to consider making sure that at the table, as we're getting educated

Summary: The Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications heard a long agenda of energy, water, housing, and technology bills. SB 952 (Laird, presented by Perez) would give the Department of Water Resources more flexibility to meet the State Water Project’s 100% clean energy procurement goal by 2035 while managing costs; it drew support from the State Water Contractors and California Municipal Utilities Association and no opposition. The committee also heard SB 1417, which would extend transparency, notice, and public meeting requirements to mutual water companies’ rate increases; Senator Perez and supporters tied the bill to post-Eaton Fire recovery in Altadena, while the California Association of Mutual Water Companies opposed it, citing conflicts with tenant billing laws, privacy concerns, and burdensome meeting requirements. SB 1417 was approved on a split vote and the roll was left open. Members then considered SB 924, a low-income utility assistance/weatherization bill by Hurtado, which would require measurable affordability outcomes and better tenant-focused benefits; it passed to Appropriations with broad support from clean energy and community groups and no opposition. SB 925 (McNerney) would direct the California Energy Commission to develop a statewide roadmap for fusion energy; supporters from General Atomics, Clean Air Task Force, and TAE Technologies argued it would help keep fusion investment in California, and it passed unanimously to Environmental Quality. SB 1011 (McNerney) would require CPUC standards for human review and labor consultation before utilities deploy AI in operations; labor and utility engineer witnesses supported guardrails, while business and utility groups opposed or sought more review, warning of overregulation and overlap with other laws. The bill passed to Privacy, Digital Technology and Consumer Protection on a divided vote. The committee also advanced SB 1168 (McNerney), a study bill directing the CPUC to examine how data centers can pay their fair share of grid costs; data center and utility groups were opposed or neutral pending amendments, while climate advocates supported it, and it moved to Revenue and Taxation. SB 1196 (McNerney) would speed utility hookups for ADUs and JADUs by allowing earlier applications and setting timelines and penalties; housing advocates supported it and it passed to Local Government. SB 1350 (McNerney) would allow renewable portfolio standard credits for power plants using green hydrogen, drawing strong support from hydrogen, labor, utility, and local government interests, but opposition from TURN over greenwashing and tracking concerns; it passed to Environmental Quality. Finally, SB 1158 (Stern) would expand quarterly reliability reporting by the CEC and CPUC to include transmission and grid upgrade status; it was presented as a common-sense reliability measure and moved forward with support.

Transcript Highlights:

• financially from the Eaton Fire, they have done so without sufficient standards and timelines for advance outreach
• I did bring in a couple of our colleagues in the fall to just educate them on AI technology, as well
• We would like to see all of these things that are going to educate us on this particular tool, industry
• Senator McNerney, my name is Janice Lynn, and I'm the founder of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, an educational
• that, as this bill moves forward, you consider making sure that, at the table, as we're getting educated

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• We continue of course to support local governments through technical assistance on laws, education and
• As soon as, if this were to be approved, we would immediately begin that outreach and the development
• our oversight into the integrity of the California horse racing industry, alcohol regulation and education
• ensure that there is focus on one of the smaller components, the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education
• As the current higher education landscape is shifting with the federal administration, we want to ensure

Transcript Highlights:

• And then also, um, giving the and I—we have had contact with courts and have outreached to the district
• And then also, um, giving the and I—we have had contact with courts and have outreached to the district
• And then also, um, giving the and I—we have had contact with courts and have outreached to the district
• </c><00:20:51.120><c> to</c><00:20:51.440><c> the</c> courts and um have outreached to the courts and
• um have outreached to the district<00:20:51.919><c> court</c><00:20:52.159><c> judges</c><00:20:52.559

Bills: HF3676 , HF3683 , HF3395

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Our agency works to be inclusive both in our workplace and in ensuring outreach to all our communities
• The storm was a good 10 days where we were responding with outreach and operations and an operations

Bills: SB5989

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: aircraft fuel tax, tax revenue distribution, aviation funding, transportation, state revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• call a prep report, which I will go into on the next slide, some success guides, and doing a lot of outreach
• There's a lot of outreach that went with that as well.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The committee heard presentations on the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and recent permitting reforms affecting local governments. Department of Ecology staff explained SEPA’s purpose, the review process, exemptions, planned actions, and recent housing-related changes, including transit-oriented development exemptions and SEPA appeals protections for certain local ordinances. Members asked about repeated SEPA reviews, cultural and historic resource review, and how SEPA interacts with NEPA. Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections said recent SEPA exemptions have reduced the number of reviews for residential projects and supported more housing permitting, and the city is considering raising exemption thresholds further. The State Building Code Council provided an update on code adoption timelines and implementation of legislative housing measures. Council staff said the 2024 code cycle is delayed administratively, with final adoption moved to May 15, 2026 and implementation targeted for May 1, 2027 unless legislative or administrative changes allow the current November 1, 2026 implementation date to remain. They also reported progress on code updates for single-stair buildings, multiplex housing, dwelling unit size, and temporary emergency shelter standards, with draft language underway. The committee then reviewed recent permitting legislation and implementation. Commerce staff summarized bills from 2023 and 2025 that set permit processing deadlines, limited pre-application requirements, restricted design review to clear and objective standards, changed historic designation rules, and expanded middle housing, ADU, lot split, passive house, self-certification, transit-oriented development, and parking-related requirements. Commerce also described its studies, guidance, grants, and reporting work under SB 5290, noting that 2024 data showed mixed performance and that local governments need better checklists, digital tools, staff training, and clear application standards. Issaquah and Kitsap County described local efforts to streamline permitting through code updates, pre-application meetings, software improvements, and a 2x6 review process, while also warning that staffing shortages, complex site conditions, coordination with state agencies, and reporting burdens continue to slow permits. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• hoping that there might be one coming down the pike, and in that case, we would employ the public outreach
• Again, we only have dollars when we reach a settlement, but we do employ outreach, and I have always

Transcript Highlights:

• I once had the misfortune of being at a public library trying to fill out papers for an outreach agency
• Fortunately, during this time, local outreach groups brought food, water, a tent, and some hope.

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills and moved most of them forward. SB 655 (Stern) would establish a state policy that residential units should be able to maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature, with supporters citing extreme heat deaths and the need for statewide guidance. Members raised concerns about the lack of a specific temperature standard and possible impacts on the electric grid, but the bill passed the committee 8-0 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 634 (Perez), which would bar state and local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances that punish people or organizations for providing basic survival services to unhoused people. Supporters, including people with lived experience and homelessness advocates, argued that criminalizing food, water, blankets, and outreach prolongs homelessness and harms vulnerable residents; opponents from some cities and counties warned about limits on local control. The bill passed 8-2. SB 772 (Cabaldon) would continue and expand the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program by better supporting walkability, transit, and climate-resilient infrastructure for infill housing; it passed 8-0. The committee also considered SB 838 (Dutraslo/DeRazzo), which would keep the Housing Accountability Act focused on housing by excluding transient lodging from housing streamlining protections. Supporters said some developers have used housing laws to fast-track hotel projects instead of homes, while opponents worried the bill could be too broad and limit mixed-use financing. After discussion about possible clarifying amendments, the bill passed 8-2 to Local Government. Several consent items—SB 484, SB 489, SB 686, and SB 724—also passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• It provides essential local opportunities for wildlife education and recreation, such as public hiking
• The other part of the proposal involves an education center.
• The proposal involves an education center.
• Such programs educate and support community and property owner efforts to reduce and remove attractants
• So we need to have money in order to do those education programs, either to be on the ground in these

Summary: The committee heard several wildlife and water-related bills. SB 872, by Senator McNerney, would create a Delta Levees and Canal Subsidence Fund and allow waiver of local cost-sharing for Delta levee repairs to protect the State Water Project and Delta infrastructure. Supporters from water agencies, environmental groups, counties, and agricultural interests said the bill is needed to address levee failure and canal subsidence; there was no opposition, and the bill was held open until a quorum was present, with broad support expressed. SB 1108, by Senator Caballero, would establish the Grasslands Ecological Area Conservancy in the Central Valley to coordinate conservation, habitat restoration, public access, and voluntary easements in a region described as the largest remaining wetland/grasslands complex west of the Mississippi. Support came from the Grasslands Water District, Audubon, conservation groups, and local stakeholders, who emphasized the area’s importance to migratory birds, wildlife corridors, and land-use transition under groundwater sustainability. There was no opposition, and the bill received favorable committee support. SB 1135, by Senator Blakespear, would reestablish and strengthen the statewide wildlife coexistence program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal deterrence, education, and compensation for livestock losses. Supporters cited rising wildlife incidents, wolf depredation, and the need for proactive tools; opponents and some committee members raised concerns about rural impacts, funding, and the absence of law enforcement/public safety as a specifically named advisory role. After discussion and amendments that moved the cattlemen and Farm Bureau to neutral, the bill passed out of committee on a due-pass motion, though some members voted no or abstained. SB 1305, by Senator Richardson, would direct CDFW to study the feasibility of grizzly bear reintroduction and prepare a roadmap, with tribal consultation and stakeholder engagement, but would not itself authorize reintroduction. Tribal sponsors and conservation groups supported the bill as a planning and cultural restoration effort, while hunting, ranching, and county groups opposed it, arguing California already faces major wildlife-management and funding challenges and that the proposal would create new conflicts. Committee members debated costs, appropriations, and whether the study should include funding estimates; the bill was amended and passed on a due-pass motion. The committee also heard SB 1250, by Senator Cortese, which would require Caltrans to incorporate wildlife connectivity into transportation planning; supporters said it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity, and the bill was presented in support as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• As educators and union members, we fight for higher wages so we can afford to live in the communities
• I used my international law and policy degree to educate on public international law.
• I used my international law and policy degree to educate on public international law.
• We've already begun some of the outreach process, and our priority is to make sure no one slips through
• As an educator with a doctorate in education leadership and policy studies, I look at this through both

Bills: SB5439 , SB6109 , SB6304

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: investment, thermal coal, divestment, state investment board, fossil fuels, environmental impact, renewable energy, detention facilities, state funds, privatization, criminal justice reform, Washington State Investment Board, responsible investment, sustainability, corporate governance

Transcript Highlights:

• And one of the pieces that came out of the analysis that we have seen was from the Early Childhood Education
• We should invest in workforce development by addressing labor shortages and expanding trade education
• During my time conducting outreach across the state, I've spoken with countless small businesses who
• That is education you do not recover.
• That's how absurd our education is getting with the shortage of teaching staff.

Committee: House House Health & Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• President Milliken is no stranger to large public higher education institutions.
• President Milliken is no stranger to large public higher education institutions.
• The Chicano movement itself was a transformative force in American history, fighting for educational
• And Cesar Chavez, to countless organizers, educators, and artists whose names history books too often
• It demanded access to education so the farm workers' children could hold books in their hands instead

Summary: The Assembly met after initially lacking a quorum, then proceeded with prayers, the pledge, journal approval, and a series of guest introductions and recognitions. The chamber honored the 2025 Science and Technology Policy Fellows and the 2024-25 Jesse Marvin Unruh Assembly Fellows, and members also recognized guests including Brad Webb, youth advocates supporting AB 1231, the Live Oak Lady Lions softball team, UC President J.B. Milliken, and the Rohnert Park Cal Ripken All-Star team. Several ceremonial resolutions were then taken up, including ACR 12 designating November 1 as Fernando Valenzuela Day, and H.R. 56 recognizing August 2025 as Chicano Heritage Month; both drew extensive floor remarks about cultural pride, immigrant stories, and community representation before being adopted. The Assembly also adopted ACR 101 naming a portion of Highway 46 the James Dean Memorial Highway, and approved a series of concurrence items with Senate amendments, including AB 359 on political reform, AB 594 on student health insurance protections, AB 1085 banning license plate obstruction devices, AB 1286 on future employment disclosure for public officials, and AB 1505, the Agriculture Committee omnibus bill. AB 359, AB 594, AB 1085, AB 1286, and AB 1505 all passed on roll calls with no opposition recorded. The chamber also adopted HR 50, proclaiming November 25, 2025 as Elimination of Violence Against Women Day, after testimony emphasizing the prevalence of gender-based violence and the need for survivor support and prevention. Two major joint resolutions generated substantial debate. AJR 14 urged federal agencies to consider the impact of tariffs on California ports; supporters argued tariffs were harming cargo volumes, jobs, and supply chains, while an opponent said trade negotiations should be left to the federal government. The resolution passed by roll call, 44-1. AJR 17 urged Congress to modernize immigration law and create a pathway to lawful permanent status for long-term undocumented residents; supporters framed it as a humane and economically necessary response to an outdated system, while the debate highlighted family separation, labor contributions, and fears of deportation. AJR 17 passed 47-7. The Assembly also adopted ACR 108 recognizing Sacramento County’s 175th anniversary, and began consideration of ACR 11 on Military Sexual Trauma Awareness Day, with the author and a veteran member describing the prevalence and harms of MST and the need for trauma-informed support.

Transcript Highlights:

• The moment this measure was introduced, banks and financial institutions were already outreaching and

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• these SOT funds for includes grants to veterans service organizations like the VFW, American Legion, outreach

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division

Transcript Highlights:

• Even before this measure was introduced, banks and financial institutions were already outreaching and

Committee: House Banking and Finance