Transcript Highlights:

• Secretary of State's office is collecting, uh, when they collect these fees, they are directed by law to deposit
• directed by collect these fees, they are directed by law<03:41:10.479><c> to</c><03:41:10.720><c> deposit
• <c> then</c><03:41:12.000><c> in</c><03:41:12.800><c> the</c><03:41:13.200><c> general</c> law to deposit
• them then in the general law to deposit them then in the general fund.<03:41:14.479><c> And</c><03:41

Transcript Highlights:

• 261 to say any proceeds derived from the fraudulent conveyance may be ordered to be forfeited and deposited
• ordered to be conveyance may be ordered to be forfeited<01:59:56.080><c> and</c><01:59:56.320><c> deposited
• </c> forfeited and deposited in the title. forfeited and deposited in the title.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 28 senators present. The body agreed to excuse absent senators, dispense with reading and adopt the previous journal, and allow bills and committee reports to be introduced throughout the day. The presiding officer also recognized several guests on the floor and in the gallery, including an intern from the Lieutenant Governor’s office and guests of Senator Chambliss. Committee reports focused on confirmations for Alabama State University’s Board of Trustees. Patricia Anne Jones (Confirmation 79), Angela Star (Confirmation 80), and Bobby Singleton (Confirmation 78) each received favorable committee reports and were confirmed by the full Senate, with roll-call votes showing unanimous or near-unanimous support. The chamber spent considerable time in lighthearted debate and personal remarks during Singleton’s confirmation before adopting the motion and confirming him. The Senate also adopted Senate Joint Resolution 81 commending the Coach Safely Foundation for youth sports injury mitigation, and several other resolutions honoring individuals and organizations, including Johnny Williams, Jim America, Senior Trooper Hunter Woodruff, and retired Army Colonel Shawn Thomas Prricett. A resolution encouraging Alabama public high schools to form a consortium was also adopted. On local bills, the Senate passed Senate Bill 243 regarding Jefferson County and House Bill 532 regarding Shelby County, both by using the previous roll and with no opposition. The Rules Committee then reported a special order calendar for the 22nd legislative day, which the Senate adopted 30-0. The special order calendar included bills on the Board of Funeral Services, the Public Service Commission, tax abatements, electric utilities, child support, dogs, school lands, Chambers County, and real property. The first special-order bill taken up was Senate Bill 107 by Senators Figures and Gudger, concerning the Alabama Board of Funeral Services. Senators discussed the bill’s purpose of funding the board’s increased duties, the effect on funeral home license fees, and an amendment offered by Senator Bell to reduce certain fees. The amendment was adopted, and the bill was explained as not affecting pre-need funeral arrangements. Debate continued as members asked questions about costs to families and funeral homes, but the chamber had not yet reached final disposition of the bill by the end of the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We took depositions in that matter and obtained chemical invoices and so forth.
• We took depositions<00:57:09.760><c> in</c><00:57:10.000><c> that</c><00:57:10.160><c> matter</c><00:
• 57:10.559><c> and</c><00:57:10.880><c> obtained</c> depositions in that matter and obtained depositions

Bills: SF0035 , SF0090 , SF0072

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• that's coming from a housing situation, they don't necessarily have that first month's, last month's deposit
• necessarily have that first month,<01:08:56.080><c> last</c><01:08:56.400><c> month's</c><01:08:56.880><c> deposit
• </c><01:08:57.440><c> that's</c> month, last month's deposit that's month, last month's deposit that's

Bills: HB1721 , HB1714 , HB1718 , HB1732 , HB1740 , HB1777 , HB1842 , HB1919 , HB1701 , HB1923 , HB1741 , HB1734 , HB1739

Committee: House Housing

Summary: The House Housing Committee met on February 4 and heard testimony on several housing measures, beginning with HB1721, which clarifies insurance, indemnification, and certificate-of-occupancy requirements for expedited permits. Testimony on HB1721 was uniformly supportive from the American Council of Engineering Companies, the Grassroot Institute, and individual testifiers, who said the bill would fix insurance issues for design professionals and encourage more participation in the expedited-permit program. No opposition was heard and no questions were raised. The committee then heard HB1714, which would raise salary caps for the executive director and deputy executive director positions at the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and allow more autonomy in personnel matters, including employment contracts. HHFDC supported the bill, saying greater flexibility is needed to recruit and retain staff and that current pay ceilings are not the main issue because the agency lacks operating funds to reach them. The Department of Human Resources Development offered comments and raised concerns about autonomous personnel authority and employment contracts, saying state personnel matters are governed by existing statutes and collective bargaining rules; the Hawaii Public Housing Authority also offered comments, and one board member and one individual opposed the measure. Members questioned whether performance-based pay or existing incentive policies could address retention instead of statutory salary changes. The committee also heard HB1718, which would make permanent county authority to facilitate mixed-use developments and issue county bonds for low- and moderate-income housing projects. Support came from OPSD, HHFDC, the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Housing and Land Management, and Housing Hawaii’s Future, all emphasizing that permanent authority is needed to finance long-term mixed-use and transit-oriented projects. A member asked whether the sunset provision would make bonding impractical, and the city representative agreed that temporary authority would make financing difficult because development takes time. Later, the committee took up HB1732, establishing the Kamina Homes program to fund counties’ purchase of voluntary deed restrictions from eligible buyers. The Department of Taxation and several groups, including HHFDC, AARP Hawaii, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii Realtors, Holomua Collaborative, and others testified, with most supporting the bill as a way to help local families remain in Hawaii and age in place. Holomua said a recent survey found 75% of 3,200 working families were considering moving, and argued the bill could preserve housing for local residents. Members asked about the bill’s 8% cap on deed-restriction cost and why the program focuses on residency rather than resale restrictions; the bill’s proponents said the cap allows flexibility for county negotiations and that the measure is aimed at workforce preservation rather than land-trust-style appreciation limits. Finally, the committee heard HB1740, which would modify a prior HHFDC housing pathway by reducing the qualified-resident requirement from 100% to 80% and allowing more flexibility for long-term rental instead of owner occupancy. HHFDC and Holomua Collaborative supported the change, saying the earlier 100% requirement had produced no developments or applicants and that the revised standard would make projects more feasible while still preserving housing for local residents. The committee did not take final votes on these measures during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so there were two very large deposits put in the trust in '07 and '08.
• c><00:19:01.280><c> very</c><00:19:01.600><c> large</c><00:19:02.240><c> um</c><00:19:02.559><c> deposits
• </c><00:19:03.200><c> put</c><00:19:03.360><c> in</c> were two very large um deposits put in were two
• very large um deposits put in the<00:19:03.679><c> trust</c><00:19:03.919><c> in</c><00:19:04.160><c

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, the dramatic increase stems from prior-year surpluses that were deposited into the rainy day fund
• 01:35:52.960><c> were</c> from prior year surpluses that were from prior year surpluses that were deposited
• </c><01:35:55.760><c> Um</c> deposited into the rainy day fund.
• Um deposited into the rainy day fund.

Summary: The meeting focused on reaching consensus on official Kentucky revenue estimates for fiscal years 2026 through 2028, using updated S&P Global economic forecasts compared with the September presentation. Staff explained that the updated forecast relied partly on alternative data because of the federal government shutdown, and they walked through changes in national and Kentucky economic assumptions across control, optimistic, and pessimistic scenarios. The control forecast was described as slightly more optimistic in the near term but more cautious in fiscal 2027 and 2028, with GDP growth revised up for the current year and down somewhat in the outer years. The pessimistic scenario now assumed a two-quarter recession beginning in the current quarter, while the optimistic scenario was given a higher probability weight than before. The presenters highlighted several Kentucky-relevant variables that changed since September, including weaker manufacturing employment, weaker housing starts, weaker consumer sentiment, and lower expected non-farm employment in fiscal 2026. At the same time, wage and salary disbursements were revised upward in fiscal 2027, reflecting higher disposable income from tax changes, and real consumer spending was expected to be stronger in the near term. They also discussed assumptions about tariffs, business profits, the Federal Reserve, unemployment, oil prices, retail sales, vehicle sales, exports, and consumer sentiment, noting that some indicators were little changed while others shifted materially. Consumer sentiment was attributed to affordability concerns, tariff impacts, and a general sense of malaise, but was expected to improve in later years from a low base. Members asked follow-up questions about why the forecast worsened in later years and about the consumer sentiment assumptions. Staff responded that the forecast assumed larger take-home pay and refunds from tax withholding changes, along with some easing of tariff effects, which they believed would help offset a negative wealth effect from stock market declines. They also noted that S&P Global’s December forecast, which had already been published, was essentially consistent with the presentation and that the firm believed its earlier assumptions had tracked recent data well. No vote or final action was recorded in the portion provided, but the discussion was aimed at settling the revenue estimates that will underpin the upcoming branch budget bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• House File 4 ensures that when revenues exceed 105% of projected expenditures, that excess is deposited
• expenditures<00:46:11.119><c> that</c><00:46:11.359><c> excess</c><00:46:12.079><c> is</c><00:46:12.319><c> deposited
• </c> expenditures that excess is deposited expenditures that excess is deposited into<00:46:13.359><c

Transcript Highlights:

• Emergency Rental Assistance, RentHelpMN is the program that the state ran, that the checks were either deposited
• Emergency Rental Assistance, RentHelpMN is the program that the state ran, that the checks were either deposited
• Emergency Rental Assistance, RentHelpMN is the program that the state ran, that the checks were either deposited
• The checks were either deposited into the landlord's account or a check was written to the LLC that ran

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Any funds above the cost of the pilot program will be deposited into a work zone safety fund.
• Any funds above that cost would be deposited into a work zone safety fund, and the Legislature would
• Any funds above that cost would<02:21:41.439><c> be</c><02:21:41.600><c> deposited</c><02:21:42.240><
• c> into</c><02:21:42.560><c> a</c><02:21:42.800><c> work</c><02:21:42.960><c> zone</c> would be deposited
• into a work zone would be deposited into a work zone safety<02:21:43.840><c> fund</c><02:21:44.640><

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:24:39.360><c> would</c> kind of pause on that um it would kind of pause on that um it would deposit
• :41.600><c> from</c><00:24:41.799><c> these</c><00:24:42.000><c> EV</c><00:24:42.360><c> fees</c> deposit
• money from EV from these EV fees deposit money from EV from these EV fees into<00:24:43.320><c> this

Bills: HF198 , HF269 , HF185 , HF303 , HF305 , HF189

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• A million-dollar decrease to remove one-time deposits in the dyslexia fund and REAP fund.
• I would believe that it will be a deposit of some sort into that fund—that’s $773,000.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The committee met on March 17 to review the FY27 budgets for the Department of Education and several special schools and commissions. Fiscal staff outlined the Department of Education’s roughly $6.4 billion budget, noting that most funding goes to the Minimum Foundation Program and subgrantee assistance. Major changes discussed included the removal of one-time teacher pay stipends, increases for the LA GATOR scholarship program, and projected adjustments in early childhood funding. Members also reviewed the constitutional amendment proposal tied to using about $2 billion to pay down teacher retirement obligations and provide future teacher pay raises. Dr. Cade Brumley testified that Louisiana’s education outcomes have improved and answered questions on math performance, charter school funding, the LA GATOR scholarship, and the special education Choice program. Members pressed the department on the sustainability and balance of funding between LA GATOR and Choice, the number of applicants and current recipients, and outreach efforts. Brumley said charter schools are funded through the MFP like other public schools, that LA GATOR currently serves about 5,500 students with applications recently reaching about 17,000, and that the Choice program serves about 500 students with a waiting list of about 700 applicants. He also said the department would implement whatever funding levels the legislature approves. The committee then heard the special schools and commissions budget, including the Special School District, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, Thrive Academy, École Pointe-au-Chien, Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and BESE. Testimony focused on facility needs, enrollment, and program outcomes. LSU? No—LSM leaders described urgent roof and ceiling repairs estimated at about $800,000, while Thrive Academy highlighted student achievement, community service requirements, and economic impact. LPB said it is facing a federal funding loss of about $2.5 million and is responding with higher Passport fees, underwriting, and private fundraising. BESE’s small staff and administrative role were also explained, with members asking about board operations and the use of statutory dedication funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> Senate Bill 219, an act relating to deferred deposit transaction fees imposed by the Commissioner
• The way this would work is that the money would be deposited. The CPE would invest.

Transcript Highlights:

• When it came to housing, two places that I went to took my security deposit, knowing that they wouldn't
• When it came to housing, two places that I went to took my security deposit, knowing that they wouldn't

Committee: House Administration of Criminal Justice

Summary: The committee held an oversight discussion on Louisiana’s reentry landscape, with Chair Villio emphasizing that the hearing was informational only and that no bills were being considered. Department of Public Safety and Corrections officials outlined the state’s reentry mission and current programming in state facilities, local jails, regional reentry centers, and STEP facilities. They described services including literacy and GED preparation, career and technical education, industry certifications, postsecondary partnerships, mental health and substance abuse treatment, victim impact and trauma programming, and pre-release assistance such as state IDs, birth certificates, Social Security cards, Medicaid, SNAP, and driver’s licenses. Officials also discussed a new data-sharing MOU with DCFS for child support matters and a planned “return portal” with Louisiana Works to connect incarcerated people to jobs and training aligned with labor market needs. A major focus was the reentry court program at Angola for men and at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. Assistant Secretary DeLouche and Assistant Warden Easley explained that the program is limited to nine judicial districts, requires judge and district attorney consent, and includes a two-year institutional phase followed by three years of intensive supervised probation. Participants must earn a HiSET if needed, complete multiple certifications and life-skills programs, and then petition for resentencing; officials said the program’s current recidivism rate is under 14 percent. They also highlighted specialized offerings such as vocational mentoring, a Braille transcription and repair program, and family-focused events like a father-daughter dance. Testimony from employers and local officials was broadly supportive. Eric Lane described hiring formerly incarcerated workers through the parole project and said the program solved problems he had seen with halfway-house placements by helping people secure housing, IDs, and licenses before release. Sheriff Kevin Cobb said sheriffs are active partners, with 51 of 64 parishes offering some form of programming and more than 75 percent of local facilities providing services; he stressed that local jail programming has grown over time and that data collection is improving. Members repeatedly asked for more data on recidivism, employment outcomes, and what programs are available by parish, and several praised the department and sheriffs for the work already being done. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• some of this already, but the proposal in the bill is to take a revenue source that is currently deposited
• page four of the fiscal note under bill description, the money is in fact under current law being deposited

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And the bill contains the provisions to prevent double dipping that could otherwise happen.
• The committee on Ways and Means, to which is referred Senate Bill 60FN, an act relative to advanced deposit

Transcript Highlights:

• The proposal before the committee today contains three features that I believe will will greatly improve
• All being deposited into a trust and then spent on the grant programs, right? Correct. Okay.

Bills: HB512 , HB2248 , HB2679 , HB2832 , HB3112 , HB3368 , HB3490 , HB3512 , HB3623 , HB3666 , HB3700 , HB3711 , HB3770 , HB3963

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't have any fish in them because of the metals and the things that were deposited.
• It reinforces this bill, the levels of fail-safes inside the battery cells, batteries, and the containers

Bills: SB458 , SB819 , SB1238 , SB1642 , SB1643 , SB1644 , SB1791 , SB1810 , SB1824 , SB1825 , SB758 , SB1455 , SB1706

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• reminder, the state constitution provision caps the ESF balance. amount equal to 10% of general revenue deposited
• So what I'm wanting to know about is how much. of that is cost containment that was assumed and budgeted

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• The Department of Revenue should be forced to take, to consider any deposit, even if it's $500, because

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a hybrid hearing on several property and local tax bills. The main focus was H.56, the Municipal Empowerment Act, which the Healey-Driscoll Administration, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, and Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo supported as a package of local options and administrative reforms. Supporters said municipalities need more tools to relieve pressure on property taxes and fund services, citing proposed increases to local meals and lodging taxes, a new local vehicle excise surcharge, senior property tax relief, one-year override flexibility for emergencies, and central valuation of telecom and utility property by DOR. The administration said the bill was based on municipal listening sessions and was intended to give cities and towns optional, not mandatory, revenue tools. Opponents, including the National Federation of Independent Businesses, argued the tax increases would hurt restaurants, hotels, tourism, and small businesses and add to affordability concerns. The committee also heard testimony on H.3211, dealing with deeds excise receipts, from Norfolk County Commissioner Richard Staidi. He said Norfolk County is financially stable but needs additional revenue for major capital needs at its agricultural school, especially a new cafeteria and other aging facilities, and also to support county programs such as veteran transportation services. On S.2020, a bill to allow settlements of tax liability, Greater Boston Legal Services, the Asian American Civic Association, and several individual taxpayers urged creation of a more workable offer-in-compromise process at DOR. They said the current system is too subjective, requires an unaffordable $5,000 threshold, lacks clear standards and appeal rights, and leaves low-income taxpayers stuck with unmanageable debt, license suspensions, or business closures. Supporters said the bill would give both taxpayers and DOR a practical way to resolve liabilities and bring people back into compliance. The committee also took testimony on S.1966, which would require nonprofits selling property to disclose any back-tax obligations to buyers. Senator Peter Durant said the bill was prompted by a personal experience in which a tax bill arrived after a nonprofit property purchase was already completed, and he argued the disclosure would prevent buyers from being surprised by retroactive tax liability. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair closed the session after hearing from all scheduled witnesses.

Transcript Highlights:

• is the right to charge these What CCRCs are fighting for now is the right to charge these entrance deposit

Summary: The commission met to review its draft final report on continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), with most of the discussion focused on whether recommendations required unanimous consensus and how to handle disagreements in the report. Members agreed that consensus meant no stated opposition, and several participants argued that unresolved issues should still be described in the report rather than omitted. The chairs said the report would include agreed-upon recommendations, note areas without consensus, and preserve written comments or dissent letters submitted by members. The draft report’s findings and slides were reviewed charge by charge, including CCRC definitions, financial condition, entrance fee refunds, regulatory oversight, advertising practices, and closure/change-of-ownership procedures. Members suggested several factual and wording edits, including clarifying financial data sources, correcting a presenter’s name, refining language about entrance fee use and refund timing, and revising statements about Attorney General authority and CCRC advertising. There was also discussion about the need to distinguish nonprofit and for-profit CCRCs and to better explain how different care levels and licensing structures are described. On recommendations, the commission kept the proposal to advance the disclosure bill (S. 478) and update the consumer guide, but removed a recommendation for annual open board meetings after objections that it was inadequate. The group spent considerable time debating whether to recommend resident representation on CCRC boards, timely refund requirements for entrance fees, and possible state registration or definition changes for CCRCs, but no consensus was reached on those items. The chairs said the final report would be completed by the statutory August 1 deadline, with final written comments due before then and the report and meeting materials posted on the legislature website.