Transcript Highlights:

• <03:45:29.840> So, inflation in these out years? So, inflation in these out years?
• Housing being inflated, stock markets being outrageous, P/E's, excuse me, housing is inflated.
• Housing being inflated, stock markets being outrageous, P/E's, excuse me, housing is inflated.
• Housing being inflated, stock markets being outrageous, P/E's, excuse me, housing is inflated.
• Housing being inflated, stock markets being outrageous, P/E's, excuse me, housing is inflated.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 110, as amended by the Senate, which would establish fees for alteration-of-terrain applications and direct the Department of Environmental Services to adopt rules for a permit-by-notification process for certain projects. Trisha Milo introduced the bill for Senator Lang and noted that the department had worked on the amended language. Matt Mayberry of the New Hampshire Homebuilders Association said the industry strongly supported the bill, describing it as a public-private partnership that would speed review for developers without affecting local control, with builders paying the costs rather than taxpayers. Members focused heavily on how the bill’s fee structure and permit thresholds would work, especially for projects near shoreland, wetlands, and protected water bodies. Representative Opel raised concerns about whether the bill reduced review of habitat and shoreland impacts or shifted costs unfairly; Philip Trobridge of DES explained that the bill does not eliminate those reviews and that shoreland projects still receive greater scrutiny. He said the bill creates different tiers, with the permit-by-notification process applying to certain projects between 100,000 and 150,000 square feet that are not in protected shoreland, while larger or shoreland-affected projects remain under the standard review process. He also said the proposed fees were based on sustaining the program, covering added habitat and species review responsibilities, and keeping reviews efficient. Trobridge said the new fee structure would generate about $1.2 million in additional revenue and help fund additional staff and related program costs. He stated that the department had worked with the regulated community and believed the fees were fair and reasonable, though he acknowledged the bill’s wording was confusing and that the threshold could be revisited later if the new process works well. Members also discussed how the state process interacts with local approvals, and Trobridge said both state and local approvals are required before a project can begin. No vote or final action was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• threshold to the Federal Aviation Administration's simplified acquisition threshold, which is tied to inflation
• threshold to the Federal Aviation Administration's simplified acquisition threshold, which is tied to inflation
• acquisition threshold which is<00:04:34.560> tied<00:04:34.800> to<00:04:34.960> inflation
• > we<00:04:35.639> won't<00:04:35.880> have<00:04:35.960> to is tied to inflation
• so we won't have to is tied to inflation so we won't have to keep<00:04:36.320> coming<00:04:

Keywords: Roll Call 00:20 Approval of Minutes 01:00 SB 87 Discussion 01:23 SB 87 Vote 09:45, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the minutes from the February 12 meeting, and then took up its only agenda item, Senate Bill 87. A committee substitute was adopted before testimony. Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer presented the bill with representatives from CVG, describing it as an efficiency measure for Kentucky’s aviation sector. The bill’s main provisions would streamline procurement rules for Kentucky’s three largest commercial airports by tying the acquisition threshold to the FAA’s simplified acquisition threshold, which adjusts with inflation. Testimony also explained that the bill directs the Council on Postsecondary Education and the Transportation Cabinet to study workforce needs in aviation, especially the shortage of air traffic controllers, and to examine ways Kentucky postsecondary institutions could help create a path to additional training and possibly a second site for final credentialing. Committee members and the Senate President spoke in support of the bill’s workforce and aviation goals. The President said CPE should be doing this kind of planning without needing extra funding, and noted the bill fits CPE’s coordinating role. The chair announced the fiscal note on the underlying bill showed no impact, though it may change with the substitute. The committee then voted to report Senate Bill 87 favorably with the committee substitute attached, and adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've also been asked about our assumptions about medical inflation trends.
• For each of those various years, they had projected inflation from 5.125% to 6.75%.
• > uh,<00:34:56.480> if<00:34:56.720> it inflation, very importantly, uh, if it inflation
• And inflation, including, you know, premium inflation in the KHP, would certainly be one of those factors
• We saw a pretty inflation reduction act.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:35 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:55 Approval of Minutes: 00:02:56 Deferred Compensation Authority Update: 00:03:12 Retiree Health Update - TRS: 00:15:58 Retiree Health Update - KPPA: 00:56:13 Adjournment: 01:20:33, 958, all

Summary: The Public Pension Oversight Board received updates from the Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority and the Teachers Retirement System. Chris Biddle reported that deferred compensation assets had grown to about $4.787 billion with roughly 88,000 participants, crediting auto-enrollment, targeted marketing around pay raises, and retiree-focused services. He said the board’s self-directed brokerage account, authorized by last year’s legislation, is being designed around a $40,000 account-balance threshold with up to 25% transferable into the brokerage window, tentatively for July 1 of the coming year. He also described the free financial planning program, which has been used by about 3,300 to 3,500 participants with an 87% return rate, and noted that the plan is currently in a fee holiday; members asked about the fee structure and whether the CFP service is provided through Nationwide, which Biddle confirmed. Board members praised the deferred compensation program’s growth and asked for the legislation referenced by Biddle. He said the plan’s annual fees are capped, with a $1 monthly fee plus other charges up to a $225 cap, for a maximum of $237 per year absent a managed account. He also said the program is seeking unified payroll access to expand participation, especially among teachers, and that prior lineup changes saved about $6 million annually in participant fees. Bo Barnes of TRS then addressed retired teachers’ health insurance, first clarifying a prior question about declining federal contributions to the retirement annuity trust. He explained that federally funded school positions generated contributions that rose from $72 million in 2019 to $109 million in 2022, then fell to $85 million this year, with a projection of $80 million over the next three years; if those dollars do not come from federal sources, they would have to be replaced through the SEEK formula. Barnes then reviewed TRS health coverage, explaining that the statutory contract guarantees access to group coverage but not fixed premium levels, and that TRS administers two retiree plans: KEHP for retirees under 65 or otherwise not Medicare-eligible, and MEHP for retirees 65 and older or Medicare-eligible. Barnes said TRS completed RFPs for the 2026 plan year, retaining Express Scripts for prescription drugs and switching the Medicare Advantage medical provider from UnitedHealthcare to Humana, while keeping plan design, provider access, out-of-pocket costs, and benefits materially unchanged. He noted a modest hearing-aid improvement of $500 per ear beginning in 2026. He also reported that the TRS Board approved the maximum state contribution for KEHP at $1,044.96, up from $930.76, an 18% increase that he said would require about $15 million to $16 million more annually, while the MEHP premium would drop from $210 to $200 per month because of the new contract. Using the 2024 valuation, he said the KEHP increase would slightly reduce the health trust funded ratio from 80.4% to 80.1% and raise unfunded liability from $4.036 billion to $4.051 billion. Barnes closed by reviewing the 2010 shared-responsibility reforms that shifted retiree health costs away from a pay-as-you-go model, including phased employee and district contributions and Commonwealth stabilization funding. No votes were taken beyond approval of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Constitution requires us to increase it at a rate of inflation or 2%, whichever is less.
• The Constitution requires us to increase it at a rate of inflation or 2%, whichever is less.
• The Constitution requires us to increase it at a rate of inflation or 2%, whichever is less.
• Inflation was 29%. Thank you. Inflation was 29% over that same period.
• The General Appropriations Act just suspends the inflation adjustment for the specific capital improvements

Summary: House Republican caucus met on April 29 to review the FY 2027 budget package and several related “budget implementation” bills, with Chairman Livingston noting that HB 2415 was being held. Staff and members walked through HB 4138, the General Appropriations Act (“feed bill”), which appropriates about $17.96 billion from the general fund and includes one-time fund transfers, 5% lump-sum reductions for most agencies, funding for the state health insurance plan, school facilities, child care, correctional officer stipends, public safety, and other prior-year items. Members emphasized that the budget reflected House and Senate negotiations after the governor left budget talks, and Republican leaders framed it as a package that lowers taxes, shrinks government, and funds priorities such as K-12, child care, foster care, and public safety. The caucus then reviewed a series of mostly standard budget bills: HB 4139 on gaming/racing assessments; HB 4140 on federal monies, the budget stabilization fund, and ACE initiative savings reporting; HB 4141 on capital outlay, highway construction, airport funding, and rural transportation match funds; HB 4142 on commerce and lottery distributions; HB 4143 on corrections reporting; HB 4144 on environmental provisions and water-related fund uses; HB 4145 on state employee health insurance premiums and DES reforms; HB 4146 on higher education funding provisions; HB 4147 on SNAP administration and error-rate reduction; HB 4148 on K-12 inflation adjustments, school facilities, and ASDB property-sale oversight; HB 4150 on county expenditure flexibility and state office rent rates; HB 4151 on the Department of Revenue’s integrated tax system funding and related charges; HB 4152 on tax conformity, deductions, and repeal of several renewable-energy tax preferences and the Rio Nuevo diversion; and HB 4153 on transportation reporting. Discussion repeatedly centered on health plan solvency, SNAP/ACCESS eligibility and fraud controls, school funding, rural transportation, and tax conformity and relief. The caucus also took up several blue-sheet bills: HB 2035 on extended-family placement notifications in child welfare cases; HB 2170 restricting certain PRC-controlled companies from state IT contracts; HB 2249 expanding Parents’ Bill of Rights provisions; HB 2573 on DUI interlock/restricted-license rules and psychotherapy definitions; and HB 2873, which was amended to allow withdrawal of referendum petitions before ballot qualification. HB 2415 was held. The Speaker closed by praising the caucus for its budget work, saying the package delivers tax relief, protects vulnerable populations and public safety, and reflects months of Republican negotiations, and the meeting adjourned to the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• pattern will have steady but slow increase over a three-year period versus huge spikes caused by inflation
• heard over the last 6 months with conversations around the state is how these county budgets have inflated
• Common inflation is really the product. The product of Florida's inflation is a product of COVID.
• They are not stretching the way that they used to because we're facing massive amounts of inflation.
• To remind everybody, Floridians as well as everyone across the country has been hurting from inflation

Transcript Highlights:

• First, insurers are paying more in claims cost because of inflation.
• And I know that it's hard for us to be able to do changes. on this with your point making out that inflation
• was the number one cause. of this and we know that inflation is not one that we can control. the state
• We don't really. control inflation, at least not in this committee, and also the increased cost. homes
• Inflation and economic uncertainty contribute to that, I think, in large part.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or a 1% inflator.
• Or maybe you want a 2% inflator.
• or a 1% bounce between a 3% inflator or a 1% inflator.<00:09:50.680> Or<00:09:50.800> maybe
• Or maybe you want a 2% inflator. Or maybe you want a 2% inflator. inflator. inflator.
• <00:13:48.320> factor, inflation factor, inflation factor, that<00:13:50.000> premium<00

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And we will also take into account inflation. We have updated inflation tables.
• We will also take into account inflation, and we have updated inflation tables that have taken into account
• what's happened in construction inflation over the last years.
• We will run simulations with all those added factors, along with the updated base estimate, inflation
• , and schedule, to get outputs and ranges for... ...estimate, inflation, schedule, to get outputs and

Summary: The committee met jointly with the Washington-Oregon Legislative Action Committee for an update on the Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement (IBR) program. Members first adopted the proposed committee rules, then received program updates from staff on environmental review, permitting, design, tribal consultation, and public engagement. Staff said the project remains in the supplemental EIS process, with a final supplemental EIS and amended record of decision expected in early 2026, which would allow construction to begin. They also described ongoing work on Coast Guard navigation clearance, Section 106 historic-property coordination, and architectural guidelines for the bridge and five-mile corridor, emphasizing that the visualizations shown were conceptual and that public and partner feedback has already influenced design considerations such as accessibility and shared-use path connections. Members raised concerns about schedule delays, rising costs, and whether the project is being designed to be functional, safe, and economical. Staff acknowledged that the timeline has slipped from earlier expectations and said the delay reflects the complexity of the environmental and federal review process, as well as the need to avoid redoing steps. They said the updated cost estimate is being prepared now that design has advanced to roughly 30 percent, and that it will account for inflation, risk factors, and both fixed-span and movable-span options. Staff estimated a movable span would add more than $400 million and said the first construction work after environmental approval would likely be preliminary freeway and retaining-wall work in late 2026, followed by the bridge procurement. The committee also received funding and tolling updates. Staff reported that major federal grants have been executed, including Mega and Bridge Investment Grant agreements, and that state STIP amendments are advancing to allow access to federal funds. The tolling team described Level 3 traffic-and-revenue work, a bi-state tolling subcommittee process, and possible toll scenarios aimed at supporting either about $1.24 billion or $1.6 billion in toll revenue. Members questioned low-income toll relief timing, truck toll rates, and the effect of tolls on freight users. Staff said low-income discounts are being analyzed for both revenue and operational feasibility, that tribal exemptions and other policy exemptions are under review, and that the commissions expect to move into public outreach on toll rates and policies in 2026, with tolling on the existing bridges currently projected to begin in spring 2027.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is also taking the gas tax automatic inflator on gas taxes and getting rid of that.
• We support continuing to index the gas tax to inflation to help keep up with rising costs.
• And so the indexing of the gas tax to match inflation, as well as capping it at 3% a year if inflation
• And so the indexing of the gas tax to match inflation, as well as capping it at 3% a year if inflation
• Because if we don't index it to an inflation, our purchasing power goes down.

Bills: HF5

Keywords: tax modification, transportation funding, electric vehicle tax, Social Security subtraction, retail delivery fee, motor vehicle registration, state budget, transportation policy, 1183, house

Summary: The Transportation Committee resumed consideration of House File 5, which would reduce transportation-related revenues while also providing tax relief, including a subtraction for Social Security income, elimination of the delivery fee, and a cap on automatic gas tax indexing. The committee adopted the A1 author’s amendment, which added the phrase “using existing resources,” and then proceeded to public testimony. Representative Joy described the bill as making Minnesota more affordable, while several members and testifiers raised concerns about the impact on transportation funding and road maintenance. MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Doppenberg testified that reductions in planned transportation investments would worsen pavement, bridge, and roadway conditions, reduce construction projects and jobs, and add to an already large funding gap. Committee discussion focused on the estimated revenue losses from the bill, including about $45 million in fiscal year 2026 and $55 million annually from repealing the delivery fee, plus additional losses from capping gas tax indexing, for a combined transportation revenue reduction of about $131 million in the 2026-27 biennium. Members also asked about bridge aesthetics, paint, transit impacts, and whether other mandates and cost increases should be considered alongside revenue reductions. Supporters of the delivery fee repeal, including the Minnesota Grocers Association and Minnesota Retailers Association, argued the fee is costly to administer, confusing to consumers, and disproportionately burdens small businesses and lower-income or disabled consumers who rely on delivery. The Minnesota Association of Townships and the Minnesota Transportation Alliance emphasized that rural and local governments face major road and bridge funding needs and warned that reducing revenue would shift costs to property taxpayers or leave projects unfunded. No final vote on the bill was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee continued with testimony and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Inflation is slightly elevated. The Fed at this time is expected to cut rates.
• A weakening economy is expected to outweigh inflation concerns.
• Inflation and interest rates are shown on slide thirteen.
• Shelter and housing continue to be a driver of inflation at 3.8% growth.
• So inflation does raise revenues.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, there are periods where the inflation-adjusted revenues per pupil have gone negative from
• uh using the Consumer Price inflation uh using the Consumer Price Index<00:24:53.679> general
• <00:25:38.679> adjusted periods um where the inflation adjusted periods um where the inflation
• relative to a kind of historical average annual inflation amount.
• but the the decrease in inflation but the the decrease in inflation adjusted<00:28:49.440> Aid

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:47:24.240> in Congress gave us the worst inflation in Congress gave us the worst inflation
• There was no inflation. Tremendous growth.
• There was no inflation. money. There was no inflation. Tremendous<01:12:06.159> growth.
• And record-setting inflation that cost the typical family $34,000 in just a speck of time.
• I'm also ending the wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs like has never happened before.

Keywords: Presidential address to the Joint Session of the United States Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Later higher inflation and job losses.
• <01:26:08.960> And metric of inflation is going up. And metric of inflation is going up.
• > consumer Inflation is going up, consumer Inflation is going up, consumer confidence<04:57:36.000
• They inherited a government in January of '21 with 1.4% inflation, and they delivered 9.1% inflation
• As my that increased the inflation.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They hold back, waiting until the case is settled, but over-inflate the medical bills.
• I'm having difficulty with this idea that it's doctors' bills that are inflated.
• present those inflated bills to a jury. as though they were undisputed truth.
• They deserve the context to distinguish fair pricing from inflated claims.
• As fraud or inflation of prices.

Bills: HB4806

Keywords: civil action, damages, health care services, noneconomic damages, negligence, legal standards, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Inflation has really deteriorated what? ...been looked at or increased.
• Inflation has really deteriorated what the group that works with early childhood special education is
• I think staffing has become less over time because of inflation, taken away from the funding.
• Inflation has really deteriorated what the group that works with early childhood special education is
• I think staffing has became less over time because of inflation, taken away from the funding.

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the research found Arkansas moms are working and want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing flexible hours were the most requested workplace support, 69% of moms identified child care costs as a barrier, and many families spend a large share of income on care. Members asked about labor force trends, what flexibility means in practice, and the cost and age structure of child care assistance programs. The presenter also noted child care affects economic development and workforce recruitment, and mentioned a Department of Commerce option that may help pay child care for people seeking training. Department of Education and Office of Early Childhood staff then gave updates on internal dashboards for enrollment, applications, and provider participation in School Readiness Assistance (SRA), saying the tools are now live for internal use and should improve transparency and data access. They said CLASS transition funding from the PDG grant would be released soon to providers who completed observations, and clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work. They also warned providers about a payment interruption during the transition to a new system: June 26 would be the last day to submit SRA payments for processing, payments would stop June 30, and billing would continue without processing from July 1 to 13, with back payments expected when the system resumes around July 14. Members raised concerns about provider cash flow, early childhood special education funding, an overpayment appeal involving a child care center, and whether CLASS data would be public; staff said the data is FOIA-able but not used by the department to set current quality or rates. The department also said it is reviewing audit requirements tied to Head Start and SRA, that Early Head Start children remained in their facilities after a closure, and that a market rate survey/cost analysis is still in procurement. Staff reported that the QRIS process will begin with a June 23 webinar and that CLASS will be part of a broader quality system still being developed with provider and parent input. They also said the local lead network was re-competed and will cover all counties starting July 1 with 23 local leads, and that the PDG partner group has been formed to provide ongoing stakeholder feedback. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I brought this quarter because the inflation since 2019, the last time teacher raise was is is is is
• For too long, we've asked our educators to do. more or less while inflation erodes their salaries.
• Adjust the basic allotment to at least keep up with the rate of inflation.
• Adjusted for inflation it should be $1,300 or more. This is not school finance reform.
• But that also includes things like. to learning services, which the prices have increased with inflation

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• It's a pretty simple bill taking into account population growth and inflation.
• So essentially, in the first year it's like an inflation factor, and then in a subsequent year it looks
• and then in subsequent years inflation and then in subsequent years shall<00:03:47.200> be<00
• factor and then in a like an inflation factor and then in a subsequent<00:04:01.599> year<00:
• index published by the the inflation index published by the United<00:04:13.599> States<00:04

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• this modification would exempt the lobby compensation thresholds in Government Code 305.005 from inflation
• Currently, the lobby compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data
• Compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data into the lowest threshold
• This modification would ensure that the inflation adjustments would be rounded, either to the 10, 100

Summary: The Sunset Advisory Commission met for its final meeting of the biennium, established a quorum, and approved the December 11, 2024 minutes. Members then voted on staff recommendations for several agencies, including the Angelina and Netties River Authority, Lower Netties Valley Authority, and Trinity River Authority of Texas, adopting all recommendations for those entities without modification. The Texas Ethics Commission received the most discussion. Members adopted a modified recommendation to exempt lobby compensation thresholds from inflation adjustments and another modification to round inflation-adjusted amounts. The Commission also adopted a series of new recommendations addressing TEC customer service staffing, late filing penalties, post-election reporting penalties, waiver of penalties when notice cannot be produced, review of the substantial compliance standard for corrected reports, review of the definition of principal purpose for campaign finance reporting, more prominent public posting of delinquent penalties, and clearer training and guidance on lobbying registration and filing requirements. The Commission also adopted two previously omitted Texas Department of Criminal Justice recommendations, 6.5 and 6.6. The Commission then took its required final record vote to forward all recommendations adopted during the biennium to the 89th Legislature; the motion passed with nine ayes. Sunset staff provided a status update on implementation of 2023 Sunset recommendations, reporting that the State Auditor found 89% of selected management actions fully implemented and that Sunset staff found 68% of 163 statutory and related changes fully implemented, with the remainder mostly in progress. The meeting also noted the recently completed evaluation of the Texas Lottery Commission and ended with closing remarks from the chair and vice chair before the Commission recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• This modification would exempt the lobby compensation thresholds in Government Code 305.005 from inflation
• Currently, the lobby compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data
• Compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data into the lowest threshold
• This modification would ensure that the inflation adjustments would be rounded, either to the 10, 100

Summary: The Sunset Advisory Commission met for its final meeting of the biennium, established a quorum, and approved the December 11, 2024 meeting minutes. Members then voted on staff recommendations for several agencies, including the Angelina and Nettie River Authority, Lower Nettie Valley Authority, and Trinity River Authority of Texas, adopting all recommendations without objection. For the Texas Ethics Commission, the Commission adopted staff recommendations, including two modifications to recommendation 1.2: one to exempt lobby compensation thresholds from inflation adjustments and revert them to statutory levels, and another to round inflation-adjusted amounts to practical increments. The Commission also adopted eight new Texas Ethics Commission recommendations. These addressed late filing penalties, including limiting accrual for eight-day reports through election day, excluding the first post-election semiannual report from daily penalties, waiving penalties when notice cannot be shown, reviewing the definition of substantial compliance for corrected reports, reviewing the definition of principal purpose to reduce unnecessary campaign finance reporting burdens, improving public access to delinquent penalty information on the TEC website, and expanding training and plain-language guidance on lobbying and filing requirements. The Commission also adopted two previously omitted Texas Department of Criminal Justice recommendations, 6.5 and 6.6. By recorded vote, the Commission unanimously forwarded all recommendations adopted during the biennium to the 89th Legislature, with nine ayes. Sunset staff then reported on implementation of 2023 Sunset recommendations, stating that the State Auditor found 89% of selected management actions fully implemented and that Sunset staff found 68% of 163 statutory and related changes fully implemented, with most remaining items in progress or partially implemented. The Commission also briefly noted receipt of a Texas Lottery Commission evaluation concerning executive leadership and potential regulation of lottery ticket courier companies, but no further action was taken on that item. The meeting concluded with closing remarks and a motion to recess subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rent by an additional $23.75 a month, exceeding inflation by 1.5 percentage points instead of settling
• What good is new supply if algorithms artificially inflate all prices?
• In the epicenter of an ongoing pandemic, it must be designed to inflate rent prices.
• It allows rent increases of no more than inflation or 5%, which is a... ...tool.
• Capping rent increases at the rate of inflation or 5% is not radical; it's humane.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Housing held a hybrid hearing on a broad slate of landlord-tenant and home rule bills, with most testimony focused on rent stabilization, tenant opportunity to purchase (TOPA), tenant fees, access to counsel, algorithmic rent fixing, and tenant protections in subsidized housing. Chairs Cyr and Haggerty outlined the hearing procedures and noted that written testimony could also be submitted. Several members and invited speakers emphasized that the committee was hearing from both local officials and residents affected by housing instability, especially in Somerville and other communities facing high rents and displacement. Supporters of rent stabilization and local-option rent control argued that Massachusetts needs tools to prevent displacement while new housing is built. Senator Eldridge, Senator Jalen, Somerville officials, tenant organizers, and residents described steep rent increases, no-fault evictions, and the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing. Somerville’s home rule petition was described as allowing annual increases tied to CPI plus 2%, capped at 5%, with exemptions for owner-occupied two- and three-family homes and a 15-year exemption for new construction. TOPA supporters said it would let tenants or their designees buy buildings before speculative buyers, preserving affordable housing stock; opponents, including small landlords and property managers, argued rent control would reduce supply, discourage investment, and that TOPA could delay sales and harm properties. The committee also heard testimony on bills to curb junk fees and regulate tenant charges, including limits on late fees, lease renewal fees, payment portal fees, attorney’s fees, and other add-on charges. Advocates said these fees can add hundreds of dollars a month and disproportionately harm low-income renters and renters of color. Another major topic was algorithmic rent fixing: Senator Moore and Representative Sabadoza said landlords should not use software such as RealPage to coordinate pricing, citing federal antitrust actions and arguing that competition is essential to lowering rents. Additional testimony supported a statewide right to counsel in eviction cases, with legal services providers saying representation dramatically improves outcomes and can save the state money, and a bill to create an office of tenant protections to better enforce sanitary code violations. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.