Transcript Highlights:

• Still more work is needed.
• It works. This works. When you invest in programs like this, it works.
• You get to work in a kitchen or work on a construction site.
• I believe luck is made by hard work, and these students work incredibly hard.
• work that East L.A.

Summary: The hearing opened the Select Committee on Effective Postsecondary Career, Technical Education, and Workforce Development Programs at Santa Ana College, with Assemblymember Mike Fong emphasizing the need for affordable, accelerated pathways into high-demand careers and noting his bill AB 1098 creating the California Interagency Education Council. Chancellor Marvin Martinez welcomed the committee and urged changes to AB 927 to remove the “duplication” barrier for community college bachelor’s degrees, arguing that applied baccalaureate programs can lead to high-wage jobs and expand access for low- and middle-income students. The first panel focused on statewide workforce trends and policy. California Community Colleges Vice Chancellor Anthony Cordova highlighted credit for prior learning, Strong Workforce funding, dual enrollment, and apprenticeship growth, asking the Legislature to restore and increase Strong Workforce funding and expand applied baccalaureate degrees. LAEDC’s Josep Bilayo described regional labor market data showing growth in health care, education, construction, bioscience, and clean energy, while stressing the need for employer-led, data-driven programs, wraparound supports, and flexible funding. Andrew Gonzalez of the Building and Construction Trades Council argued that registered apprenticeship must be paid, combine classroom and on-the-job training, and end in a portable credential; he also promoted apprenticeship readiness programs, community workforce agreements, and stronger exposure to trades starting in K-12. Eric Morrison Smith of the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color discussed the California Opportunity Youth Apprenticeship Grant Program and related youth apprenticeship recommendations, including bridge programs, intermediary infrastructure, reduced employer barriers, and better coordination of state funding. A later panel highlighted Santa Ana College’s fire technology and firefighting academy programs. President Annabelle Neri and Vice President Jeffrey Lamb said the college is one of the state’s largest fire training providers, with strong partnerships with local fire agencies, law enforcement, and the U.S. Forest Service, and with high job placement and six-figure starting salaries for some graduates. They also described related certificates, advanced officer training, wellness services, and workforce preparation such as mock interviews and sponsorships. Throughout the hearing, members and panelists repeatedly stressed the importance of aligning education with labor market demand, expanding apprenticeships and work-based learning, and using regional collaboration to connect students to living-wage careers.

Transcript Highlights:

• One worked for motion picture, one worked for television.
• And as hard as it is to work long hours in a dark room, it's harder to not work.
• They continued to work at home. When the strikes happened, our members continued to work.
• In our business, I can't even go to work. Because there's no work available.
• We only work when there's child actors or background actors, minors working on set.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think about the work.
• and thorough in her work.
• Even the legislator that worked hard to get here. And the path and the work was actually ugly.
• how much work we have to do.
• And that's work in action.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• increased work um in in their state. increased work um in in their state.
• instituting work requirements. instituting work requirements.
• We are working really, really quickly to pull together the work plan.
• We are working really, really quickly to pull together the work plan.
• We are working really, really quickly to pull together the work plan.

Bills: HR1

Keywords: January 6 insurrection, pardon, law enforcement, violent crimes, public safety, justice system, political accountability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Of a 28-day, 160-hour work period. The union is proposing a 7-day, 40-hour work period.
• Article 23 is hours of work. We think our current schedule is working well.
• by defining work schedules and implementing a work period that is fair to all.
• It doesn't work like that.
• It doesn't work like that.

Summary: The Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining met for an informational public hearing on several state employee bargaining units at impasse. The Department of Management Services outlined negotiations for the FDLE special agents, security services/correctional officers, sworn law enforcement officers, Florida Highway Patrol troopers, and Florida State Fire Service units. Across the units, the state said most contract articles had been resolved, with remaining disputes centered mainly on wages, hours of work, grievance language, safety, grooming, travel, and other housekeeping items. The state repeatedly emphasized proposed 2% competitive pay increases plus specialty or special pay increases in some units, insurance held harmless with no added employee cost, and its desire to keep current scheduling practices and remove outdated grievance language referencing the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. No votes were taken. Representatives for the Florida State Fire Service Association argued that firefighters are being asked to perform work far outside their job descriptions, including major construction, and said the state’s work-schedule and on-call practices unfairly avoid overtime and underpay firefighters. They also sought higher on-call compensation, a stronger wage plan with incentives and certification-based increases, restoration of a pay differential for firefighter-EMTs, and added PPE, decontamination, and cancer-prevention protections. The PBA’s Florida Highway Patrol unit said troopers need a larger career development plan, veteran stipends, updated grooming/tattoo rules, safer and newer vehicles, and better pay to address turnover. The PBA’s law enforcement unit focused on vehicle safety, performance evaluation language to prevent case-presentation quotas, and a $7,000 across-the-board raise, while disputing whether certain articles were timely opened. The security services unit said correctional officers, probation officers, and ISS officers need an $8-per-hour starting pay increase, retention bonuses, special pay for death row and close-management assignments, and overtime pay for lieutenants and captains who currently receive comp time and sometimes work beyond their limits. The committee heard the presentations, asked a brief question about correctional officers’ overtime, accepted written materials from the FOP special agent unit, and adjourned without action.

Transcript Highlights:

• They are working extra. They overtime. They are working extra.
• and work long hours?
• <00:35:13.359> overtime to work overtime to work overtime and<00:35:15.200> work<00
• bills is to help working-class families. bills is to help working-class families.
• , you're working child care.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee took up House File 3524 and House File 3525 and laid both over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill, with no amendments adopted and no vote taken at this stage. HF 3524 would conform Minnesota law to the federal overtime tax deduction, and HF 3525 would conform to the federal tip-income deduction. The author argued both bills would help workers keep more of their earnings, simplify tax filing, support labor-force participation, and provide relief to workers in hospitality, trades, health care, and other industries. The committee heard testimony in support from a restaurant owner, Sandra Weiss of the Finnish Beastro in St. Paul, who said the bills would help tipped workers keep more of their income and would support hospitality businesses. She described her staff as roughly half men and half women, including students and long-term employees, and said front-of-house tipped workers and back-of-house workers face different pay levels. She also said Minnesota’s tip rules and lack of a tip credit create challenges for the industry. During questioning, members discussed wage disparities, the makeup of her workforce, and the practical effects of the proposals. Opposition testimony came from Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project and Eric Bernstein of We Make Minnesota, both of whom argued the bills are regressive, poorly targeted, and costly. They said the deductions would mainly benefit higher earners, violate horizontal equity by treating similar incomes differently, and could encourage compensation restructuring. They also warned the combined cost would exceed $500 million over the 2028-29 biennium and could pressure funding for health care, education, and other public services. Mark Havenman of the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence similarly criticized the bills on tax fairness and administrative grounds, noting the federal tip deduction framework is still under development and could create enforcement issues. Nonpartisan staff provided revenue estimates showing HF 3524 would reduce general fund revenue by about $365.9 million in fiscal 2027 and HF 3525 by about $126 million in fiscal 2027, with smaller ongoing impacts in later years. Members also raised questions about how the bills would be paid for and what income would qualify under the overtime deduction.

Transcript Highlights:

• go out and work. So yes. go out and work. So yes.
• . working. working.
• do some work or or not? do some work or or not?
• >> some kind of work. >> some kind of work.
• would be working. would be working.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have a lot of work left to do.
• important work.
• Ray does fabulous work.
• Ray does fabulous work.
• Farmers working in the...

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held a hearing on natural and working lands, carbon sequestration, and related provisions in Governor Healey’s $3 billion Mass Ready Act. EEA officials described the bill’s investments in flooding, land protection, tree planting, wetlands restoration, biodiversity, dams, seawalls, and coastal resilience, along with permitting reforms intended to speed ecological restoration projects. They also outlined current programs on resilient lands, healthy soils, forest climate solutions, forest reserves, and urban tree planting, and said the administration expects natural and working lands to offset up to 7 million metric tons of residual emissions by 2050, while acknowledging that additional strategies will be needed to close the gap to the state’s 10-million-ton offset target. Committee members pressed EEA on the cost of reaching the 30% conservation-by-2030 goal, the loss of a federal USDA grant of about $22 million, the adequacy of current sequestration estimates, and whether the state should consider regional approaches or statutory changes. EEA said current state conservation spending has been about $35 million to $40 million annually, that the Mass Ready Act is intended to help double the pace of conservation, and that federal funding remains uncertain. Senators also raised concerns about PILOT payments for state-owned land, the management of state forests, and the proposed Chapter 91 general license for restoration projects. EEA said the bill’s forest reserve language is meant to create a more durable designation process while still allowing limited active management. Advocates from The Nature Conservancy and Mass Audubon supported stronger investment in land conservation and restoration, saying natural and working lands are a cost-effective climate strategy that also provides biodiversity, water quality, and public health benefits. They urged passage of legislation to increase funding, improve PILOT equity, and strengthen land-use planning and mitigation requirements. They also backed removing Chapter 91 licensing requirements for ecological restoration, arguing that the current process adds cost and delay. In a later panel, a forest scientist and an urban forestry advocate emphasized the carbon and cooling benefits of mature trees, called for greater protection of older forests, and supported bills to expand municipal reforestation and modernize public shade tree law. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this person wants to work. Like he does. He wants to work.
• And we added a work requirement. So he tries to get a job. And now he can't work.
• And this person wants to work. Like he does. He wants to work.
• And we added a work requirement. So he tries to get a job. And now he can't work.
• Who are capable of working.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , his ability to review that work.
• , his ability to review that work.
• How many of these working groups still have work to do? What's still left?
• Working groups do you believe are still stuck and not finished with their work?
• And so that work is very well.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Legislative leaders said budget negotiations were still underway in working groups, with public meetings planned or already held for several committees, including Environment, Education, Transportation, and Jobs. They said the remaining major issues were health and human services and taxes, while bonding was also still unresolved. One speaker said Republicans were not engaging on bonding, though another later said House Republicans were interested and that the target remained $700 million. The governor was expected to review completed bills and then call a special session, likely early to mid next week if the remaining work could be finished in time. A major point of discussion was whether coverage for undocumented immigrants would move separately from the larger health bill. One participant said the undocumented healthcare measure would travel separately, while another said that had not yet been fully decided because the health package was not locked down. The speakers also discussed layoff notices tied to the budget delay, saying nurses and some staff at MState and Minstate would receive notices first, with the rest following on June 9, and that leaders were trying to minimize stress by getting a date for the special session and final bill drafts posted quickly. The speakers emphasized that the negotiations were still active and not broken down, though they acknowledged a few sticking points and said some work had been slowed by the need to bring together House and Senate dynamics in a closely divided legislature. They said the process remained transparent because the same committee chairs and working groups were still involved, and that public meetings were being requested for Senate chairs. One speaker also noted that Senator Mark Johnson had been invited into the talks earlier but was not currently in the meetings because he had not signed the deal being implemented.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then you have the Minnesota work.
• > with<00:14:59.040> school working in coordination with school working in coordination
• get to their work. And we can do better. get to their work. And we can do better.
• You heard working together.
• Have you worked with the agencies.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• 1065 the mission of the DNR is to work 1065 the mission of the DNR is to work with<00:03:16.239>
• people to do this work.
• Working with others who are doing similar work, trying to determine that.
• And we work with North Dakota, they work with us. We work with Manitoba, they work with us on that.
• with Dakota they work with us we work with Dakota they work with us we work with Manitoba<01:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• One in five are working parents.
• We are working internally within the system on some task force work groups that are focused on how we
• that work.
• that work.
• how the work is done differently.

Summary: The committee held a work session on the state of Washington’s community and technical college system with State Board executive director Nate Humphrey and Tacoma Community College president Ivan Harrell. They described the system’s open-access mission, 34 colleges serving more than 307,000 students, relatively low tuition, enrollment growth over 12 consecutive quarters, and strong outcomes such as more than 46,000 credentials awarded last year. They also highlighted system initiatives including guided pathways, I-BEST, dual enrollment, tribal partnerships, a new program search tool, and six colleges named Aspen Prize finalists. At the same time, they emphasized major challenges: high rates of student food, housing, and homelessness insecurity; sharply rising emergency aid requests; and federal funding disruptions affecting TANF, BFET, adult basic education, Carl Perkins, NOAA-related tribal work, and several federal grants. Members asked about SNAP impacts, declining high school graduates, and how BFET and TANF interact with other aid programs. The presenters also discussed system priorities such as AI, Workforce Pell, capital planning, nursing accreditation alignment, and the Washington College Grant. The committee then heard testimony from AFT Washington and the Washington Association of Higher Education on faculty and staff conditions in the community and technical college system. Jackie Kane and Suzanne Sutherland argued that classified staff, professional staff, and contingent faculty are essential to student success but face low pay, instability, and weak retention, and they urged lawmakers to protect existing funding and avoid further cuts. They said working conditions for faculty and staff are student learning conditions, and that underfunding leads to reduced services, shortened advising, and program instability. Marina Parr of the Workforce Board presented on federal H.R. 1’s new Workforce Pell provisions and the updated Career Bridge website. She explained that Workforce Pell would allow federal aid for short-term training programs of 8 to 15 weeks, with high completion, employment, and earnings thresholds and a requirement that credentials be stackable and portable. She said Washington is well positioned to implement the program because of its existing eligible training provider evaluation system and Career Bridge, which now has a redesigned public portal, digital portfolios, multilingual access, and performance data on programs. Members asked about rulemaking, possible gaps in state services, and how the wage and completion standards would be applied. The Washington Student Achievement Council then briefed the committee on the new Washington Completes FAFSA campaign created by executive order. Staff described an advisory board with statewide representation, a pilot that used microgrants and other supports at 25 priority schools, and a new goal of 46,000 FAFSA or WASFA completions this year. They reported that completion rates were tracking slightly ahead of last year, with 24% of high school seniors having completed a FAFSA by the end of November, and they showcased a public dashboard with subgroup data and a WIAA-based leaderboard. Members asked about outreach to rural and homeschool students, legislative communications, Pierce County representation, and barriers to FAFSA completion, and staff said they would provide toolkits and continue expanding outreach. The committee then began hearing from student presenters about affordability, access, equity, and student experience.

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to work for it.
• Thank you for that work.
• So we're trying to work on that.
• these state basin work groups.
• We have existing NRCS working groups. They're already working on this together.

Bills: SB1082, SB1200, SB1335, SB1336, SB1559, SB1761, SB1762, SB1785, SCM1007

Keywords: petting zoos, animal encounters, public health, handwashing, supervision, sanitization, safety regulations, civil penalties, water supply, groundwater, Phoenix, certificates, long-term storage credits, water conservation, municipal provider, replenishment obligation, water banking, annual report, Arizona Water Banking Authority, water supply management

Transcript Highlights:

• work of the office. work of the office.
• <01:11:50.159> to<01:11:50.400> be work and I consider our work to be work and I consider
• 05.920> worked<01:20:06.080> as<01:20:06.239> the know, I've worked I worked as
• This is our work. We do our work and you’re willing to do that work.”
• This is our work. We do House position. This is our work.

Bills: SF856, HF3168, HF3528, HF389

Keywords: Inspector General, fraud prevention, state audit, public funds, misuse, transparency, government accountability, ethnic councils, diversity, governance, state participation, community representation, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, Minnesota Historical Society

Transcript Highlights:

• I am paid fairly for my work.
• Where do you work? I work like a cafe, and what do you do there?
• I work at CK Energy.'
• But we got other people who work upstairs and work in the community too.
• And then, I worked for Gatesway Foundation for a few years. I really loved working there.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• worked so hard to put this together. worked so hard to put this together.
• work and appreciate your testimony. work and appreciate your testimony.
• So, you do good work. Uh, older piece. So, you do good work.
• just done and working of work that's just done and working with<00:57:20.559> farmers<00:57:21.200
• So whatever we do, you all do two times the work or three times more the work.

Bills: HF2563

Keywords: HF2563, legacy finance bill, Legacy Amendment, outdoor heritage fund, clean water fund, parks and trails fund, arts and cultural heritage fund, Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, Clean Water Council, Minnesota legacy funds, habitat conservation, prairie restoration, wetland restoration, forest conservation, riparian buffers, water quality, groundwater protection, drinking water, septic systems, watershed planning

Transcript Highlights:

• groups through the development of that work.
• that are a bit more bite-sized for them to work through.
• CPIs work to keep children safe from abuse and neglect and work to establish strong, resilient families
• CPI's work to keep children safe from abuse and neglect and work to establish strong, resilient families
• These are the hardest kids, I understand, to work with.

Summary: The committee heard three presentations focused on child welfare workforce development and the needs of children in Florida’s dependency system. First, the Florida Institute for Child Welfare described its Grow Center and related initiatives, including academic curriculum enhancements, simulations, virtual reality training, coaching, on-demand learning, advanced certifications, and the planned Tallahassee learning lab opening in January 2026. Members asked about conflict resolution, domestic violence, addiction, and microcredentials; the presenter said the institute is expanding training in those areas and is working with DCF to align advanced certifications with the department’s career ladder. The Department of Children and Families then presented on the Continue the Mission initiative, which recruits veterans, military spouses, and former law enforcement officers into CPI, API, and case management roles. DCF said it has held more than 240 hiring events and hired 372 such workers since launch, while also improving recruitment and retention through higher starting pay, streamlined hiring, rebranding, wellness supports, and enhanced pre-service training. Senators asked about PTSD concerns, staffing levels, caseloads, hotline vacancies, and salaries; DCF said it had not seen direct PTSD issues from the hiring effort and provided figures including a $50,000 starting salary for CPIs, $37,000 for APIs, and average caseloads of 12 to 15 investigations for CPIs and about 10 for APIs. Finally, DCF discussed the increased acuity of children in the dependency system, explaining that fewer children are entering care overall but those who do often have more complex behavioral, mental health, developmental, or medical needs. The department highlighted a new Behavioral Qualified Residential Treatment Program (BQRTP) designed for youth who need more intensive support than traditional foster or group home settings but do not require inpatient psychiatric treatment; one facility is licensed with 12 of 14 beds filled, and DCF said it is seeking funding for placement for 230 youth total. Members pressed for details on licensure timelines, standards, funding, and the handling of crossover youth and lockouts, and DCF said it uses braided funding and works with DJJ, APD, and lead agencies through local and state review teams. A representative of the Florida Coalition for Children also testified, saying the issue is complex and multi-year, and that the coalition is working on possible legislative and programmatic solutions. The committee took no formal votes and adjourned after the presentations and discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• this work.
• But how does it work?
• So these are people who could go work at Intel, who could go work at Sandia, or who could go work for
• work.
• Outstanding work to both everyone doing all this work.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:01.919> as<00:05:02.200> a I work at Division of Indian Work as a I work at
• Um, even today in the work that I do, a lot of students that I work with and families that I work with
• Um, even today in the work that I do, a lot of students that I work with and families that I work with
• at work every day. at work every day.
• I will just say we work at both work on.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all