Video & Transcript : 'prevailing wages' :
Page 194 of 400
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- like Walla Walla, data centers are one of the few industries capable of delivering sustained family-wage
- The construction phase alone created hundreds of union family-wage jobs, including 130 union electricians
- The construction phase alone created hundreds of union family-wage jobs, including 130 union electricians
Committee:
House Finance
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Finance Mar 4th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- like Walla Walla, data centers are one of the few industries capable of delivering sustained family-wage
- The construction phase alone created hundreds of union family-wage jobs, including 130 union electricians
- The construction phase alone created hundreds of union family-wage jobs, including 130 union electricians
Summary:
House Finance held public hearings on three Senate bills. SB 6129 would raise cigarette taxes, replace current nicotine/vapor product taxes with a 95% tax on nicotine products, and adjust revenue distributions to the Andy Hill Cancer Research account, the Foundational Public Health Services account, and a youth prevention account; staff and supporters said it would correct an unintended loss of public health funding and reduce youth nicotine use, while opponents argued it would be highly regressive, harm retailers and wholesalers, and push sales into illicit markets. SB 6231 would repeal the data center sales tax exemption for refurbishment and end replacement server equipment eligibility; the sponsor and staff said it would raise roughly $200 million and remove an obsolete preference, while labor, port, business, and data center representatives opposed it, citing lost jobs, reduced investment, and concerns about upsetting existing contracts and rural economic development. SB 6228 would repeal the preferential B&O rate for warehousing and reselling prescription drugs and create a lower preferential rate for critical access pharmacies; the sponsor said it would restore horizontal equity in the tax code and offset impacts on rural pharmacies, but pharmacy groups, wholesalers, retailers, and business organizations warned it would raise medication costs, worsen pharmacy closures, and be passed through to patients.
The committee heard extensive public testimony on all three bills. Supporters of SB 6129 included public health, cancer, pediatric, and emergency medicine advocates who emphasized youth prevention, cessation funding, and long-term health savings; opponents included tobacco, vape, retail, and business groups who said the bill would increase black-market activity and burden small businesses. SB 6231 drew opposition from construction trades, ports, local governments, chambers, and data center interests, who argued the tax preference supports ongoing construction, permanent jobs, and local tax bases, while committee questions focused on whether the bill would affect existing refurbishment contracts. SB 6228 was opposed by pharmacy associations, independent pharmacists, wholesalers, grocery retailers, and AWB, who said the tax increase would be passed through and could accelerate pharmacy desert conditions; the sponsor and supporters framed the bill as a correction to an outdated preference and a way to protect critical access pharmacies. No votes were taken; each hearing was closed, and the chair announced amendment requests were due Thursday at 5 p.m. and amendments posted by Friday at 5 p.m.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Feb 18th, 2026
Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice
Transcript Highlights:
- is Amy McCord, and I want to make it abundantly clear that I believe everyone should make a living wage
- is Amy McCord, and I want to make it abundantly clear that I believe everyone should make a living wage
- She said she takes pride in fighting for workers, their wages, their benefits, safe working conditions
Keywords:
foreclosure, court clerks, budget management, judicial sales, Florida statutes, bail bonds, pretrial release, forfeiture, criminal justice, bond conditions, surety, attorney fees, litigation costs, court jurisdiction, equitable awards, financial resources, domestic violence, protective injunctions, electronic monitoring, enhanced penalties
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
Senate - Health and Public Affairs Feb 17th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- So, Madam Chair and members of the committee, do we know the wage rate of other...
- Do we know the wage rate of other states that have entered these compacts? Are they all equal?
- more of a comment that even as we enter these compacts, or if we do so, if we are not on top of the wage
Summary:
The Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee heard several measures focused on health and child welfare. House Bill 65 would codify and fund CYFD’s foster care plus short-term stabilization pilot for children in state custody with behavioral health needs, using clinical experts and specialized foster parent training to reduce office stays, hotel placements, and multiple placements. CYFD and child welfare advocates supported the bill, while senators raised concerns about cultural competency, ICWA/IFPA compliance, LGBTQ youth placement, and the need to spell out protections in statute. The bill passed 9-0 to the next committee.
The committee then considered House Bill 13 and House Bill 14, joining the occupational therapy compact and the dentist/dental hygienist compact. Both bills drew support from health agencies, chambers of commerce, and professional groups as workforce tools to improve licensure portability and recruitment. Members, however, were uneasy about late-arriving amendments, venue provisions, commission authority, and how much control New Mexico would retain over compact rules and enforcement. After debate, HB 13 advanced 6-3 and HB 14 advanced 7-3, both to Judiciary.
House Bill 256, which would require school emergency response plans to include cardiac emergencies during athletic activities, received support from the American Heart Association and nursing advocates, who cited survival benefits from rapid AED use and CPR. Questions centered on travel across state lines, private and religious schools, homeschool athletics, and enforcement, but the bill passed 10-0. House Bill 66, which updates the health care professional loan repayment program to increase physician awards and broaden recruitment incentives, was backed by provider groups and business organizations; dentists noted concerns about equity, but the bill passed 5-0.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Twenty Two - Tuesday, February 17 -Morning Session-
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Those decisions include hiring and firing authority, wage setting, Essential employment decisions include
- hiring and firing authority, wage setting, compensation structure, scheduling and hours of work, or
- If you're in control of the hiring, firing, wage control, scheduling, and all that stuff, something happens
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal by roll call vote, 126-0. Members then offered several points of personal privilege and introductions, including recognition of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, a tribute and moment of silence for the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, and greetings to various visiting groups such as manufacturers, FFA students, university graduate students, and the Lewis and Clark Fife and Drum Corps for an America 250 event.
The chamber then moved through first reading of several bills and took up multiple measures for perfection and printing. House Bill 2596, dealing with multiple employer self-insured health plans for small businesses, received supportive testimony from members who said it would help small employers recruit and retain workers and modernize outdated law; it was adopted and ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1644, establishing a franchise-specific joint employer standard, drew extensive debate over liability, franchisor control, and whether it would protect small franchise businesses without limiting legitimate claims; it was also adopted and ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 2423, updating consumer credit licensing fees for the fee-funded Division of Finance, was presented as a way to keep the agency self-funded and maintain consumer protection staffing, and it too was ordered perfected and printed.
The House also considered House Bill 2641, which would regulate intoxicating hemp products and align state law with federal changes set to take effect on November 12, 2026. The bill’s sponsor said it was intended to protect children, provide clarity, and create a coordinated enforcement framework, while opponents argued it was unconstitutional because it would effectively reclassify hemp products under the marijuana framework in Article 14 of the Missouri Constitution and could harm lawful hemp businesses. An amendment and a technical amendment were adopted, and the bill was then adopted and perfected and printed as amended. The House later announced committee meetings and other notices before voting to recess until 2 p.m.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- they've got signs up, most of them that you go through, and they say, 'Start, apply now, starting wage
- , $15 an hour minimum wage,' or '$15 an hour to start.'
- But again, can you work 30 hours at $15 an hour minimum wage and still get that? I'd say yes.
Committee:
House Health and Welfare
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Local Government Jan 15th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Local Government
Transcript Highlights:
- costs to others in the supply chain and to the public, to do the same work with fewer workers at lower wages
- is efficient, but it is also job erosion and four less families raising their kids on solid union wages
- rural areas, where many traveling longshoremen like myself live, depend on the good family-supporting wages
Committee:
Senate Local Government
Keywords:
cemetery districts, elections, local governance, public policy, administrative procedures, fire protection, districts, emergency services, funding, legislation, tax exemption, land transfer, governmental entity, property tax, current use classification, zero emission, cargo handling, port district, environmental impact, grant allocation
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
JLARC – Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee Jan 7th, 2026 at 10:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- And we also looked at the wage data from ESD, and in our sample, we estimated...
- And we also looked at the wage data from ESD.
- We've identified that the cost and the driver... ...wages tend to seem to be a barrier, and so taking
Summary:
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on January 7, 2026, approved the December minutes, and adopted an amended work plan. Staff proposed moving the drug take-back program sunset review up to 2026 and delaying the thermal energy network pilot review to 2028, which would free capacity for new studies. Members also discussed active bills that would eliminate two recurring JLARC reports, including one on lodging tax revenue data collection, and the committee adopted the work plan without objection.
JLARC staff then outlined new performance measures for the committee itself, covering effectiveness, efficiency, and quality. The measures include member and legislative satisfaction surveys, presentations to other committees, recommendation follow-up, staff retention, on-time report delivery, peer review results, and national recognition. Members praised the effort and did not take formal action, treating the measures as an ongoing process.
The committee also heard a proposal to improve JLARC’s review of tax preference performance statements by adding a standard rubric in fiscal notes to assess whether a metric matches the policy objective, is measurable, uses reliable data, and allows enough time for evaluation. Members supported the pilot approach. Staff also described planned changes to public records reporting guidance, including opt-outs for low-volume metrics, better validation, targeted outreach to nonreporting agencies, and a survey of records officers.
Two preliminary reports were presented. On ignition interlock devices, JLARC found that only 41% of drivers with a requirement had installed a device, with installation rates rising sharply with income; financial assistance reaches only about 11% of users, and JLARC recommended clearer program goals and stronger coordination between the Department of Licensing and State Patrol. On the drug take-back program, JLARC found that the fee structure tied to operator expenditures limits the Department of Health’s ability to recover oversight costs and recommended public reporting of oversight spending and a statutory change to better align fees with actual costs. Agency representatives generally agreed with the findings, described current coordination and administrative changes, and said they would consider the recommendations. No formal votes were taken on the reports, which will return in final form later in the year.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Oct 8th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- So a lot of those targeted industries where we see high wage, high income opportunities for students,
- So a lot of those targeted industries where we see high wage, high income, opportunity.
- So a lot of those targeted industries where we see high wage, high income opportunities for students,
Summary:
The Higher Education Appropriations Committee met for its first meeting of the session and heard presentations focused on workforce education in the Florida College System and district technical colleges. Members introduced themselves and discussed their personal connections to higher education, then heard from Department of Education senior chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, South Florida State College president Fred Hawkins, and Pinellas Technical College representative Mark Hunt. O’Farrell outlined the department’s budget request, including increases for adult education, Florida College System program funds, workforce development capitalization grants, apprenticeship and teacher apprenticeship programs, Open Door scholarships, and CAPE industry certification funding. He emphasized record growth in enrollments, completions, dual enrollment, and program offerings, and described grant-funded expansion in fields such as health sciences, manufacturing, logistics, aerospace, and AI-related programs.
Committee members raised concerns about whether current programs match actual labor-market demand, how artificial intelligence may reduce future human labor needs in some fields, and how the state should avoid unwarranted duplication of programs. O’Farrell said the department uses economic forecasts, employer demand data, and a CTE audit process to review programs and phase out those that do not meet performance thresholds. Members also asked for more detail on the teacher apprenticeship model, the transition from technical college clock hours to college credit, job placement and salary outcomes, and the LPN-to-RN pathway. O’Farrell said he would provide additional information later.
Hawkins described South Florida State College’s rural service area, low college-going rates, and difficulty recruiting and retaining faculty and staff because salaries lag behind local market alternatives and nearby school district pay. He said the college has had to turn away students in high-demand programs due to staffing and operational limits, while also noting strong outcomes in nursing, dental hygiene, EMT/paramedic, and radiography. Hunt said Pinellas Technical College serves about 5,000 students annually, including many dual-enrolled high school students, and reported a placement rate above 90% and strong local economic returns. He said many programs have waiting lists and that additional operational funding is needed to meet demand, maintain equipment, and keep pace with salary and cost increases. The meeting ended after public comment was opened and no further business was brought before the committee, and the committee adjourned.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Fraud Committee Meeting - 2025-07-08
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Equifax, also known as The Work Number, is used to verify wages.
- The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is used to verify wages and unemployment
- We have huge opportunities for jobs across the state to make great wages and to get jobs with employers
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration Apr 8th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- If they create all those jobs, if they pay their new employees the wages that they committed to, if they
- situation, they would have, and they, but let's assume they met all of their other milestones, their wage
- that shows the number of jobs that they committed, create their industry, where they're located, the wages
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House/Senate DFL Press Conference 3/3/25
Transcript Highlights:
- When combined with three months of lost wages and loan interest, my maternity leave totals at a cost
- and medical leave then, I would not have had to be raising my child alone under these conditions. wages
- and loan interest my maternity wages and loan interest my maternity leave<00:13:39.760><c> totals</c
AL
Alabama 2025 Regular Session
Alabama Joint Legislative Budget Hearings (2) Feb 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Schools, and we cannot attract those people if we aren't paying comparable wages.
- for people who have some college and no degree to come back and get credentials in high-demand, high-wage
- This is for the majors or the careers for which we have targeted for the high-demand, high-wage re-engage
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education Feb 5th, 2025
Appropriations Committee on Higher Education
Transcript Highlights:
- But if it's a non-degree, it must not only meet demand, but be associated with wages.
- So the occupation or the training program is connected to an occupation, and that occupation has wage
- that not only are you earning a credential, but it's a credential that will get you to a medium-high wage
Summary:
The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received an overview of Florida’s career and technical education (CTE) system from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell, who described the state’s CTE pathways, program types, enrollment and completion growth, quality audit metrics, and the Master Credentials List used to identify credentials of value. He highlighted record postsecondary CTE enrollment and completions, strong statewide performance in talent attraction, and several funding tools supporting expansion, including Open Door, the Florida First Responder Scholarship, Workforce Development Capitalization grants, Perkins funding, CAPE performance incentives, and apprenticeship grants. Senators asked about eligibility for Open Door and first responder aid, top industry certifications, and the teacher apprenticeship initiative.
A panel of college and technical school leaders then described how state and federal funding has supported local program growth and facility expansion. Santa Fe College, Palm Beach State College, North Florida Technical College, Lake Technical College, Florida Gateway College, and Manatee Technical College each cited increases in enrollment, high placement or licensure pass rates, and new or expanded programs in nursing, welding, CDL, automotive, manufacturing, public safety, and apprenticeship. Several speakers emphasized partnerships with hospitals, employers, school districts, and local governments, and noted that grants helped fund equipment, renovations, and new training hubs. Palm Beach State also raised a request to broaden line funding beyond nursing to other health science fields, and multiple presenters asked for more flexibility, multi-year support, and continued or increased funding to sustain growth.
Members discussed broader challenges, including the difficulty of sustaining grant-funded growth after initial awards, the lag between enrollment growth and funding formulas, and alignment problems for dual enrollment and technical programs with high school schedules. Senators also noted the need to balance support for high-demand core programs like nursing and welding with the ability to respond quickly to emerging industries such as AI and space. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond adjournment after Senator Davis moved to adjourn.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
Commerce and Tourism Feb 4th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- As many of you know, manufacturing is cornerstone in any stable Rezaian economy contributed to high wage
- And those wages are not, you know what they should be.
- diversifying our economy because Orlando so known to be tourism based economy and along with that a low wage
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Health and Human Services - 04/07/26
Health and Human Services
Transcript Highlights:
- ,<00:37:22.080><c> the</c><00:37:22.600><c> motion</c><00:37:23.000><c> does</c><00:37:23.160><c> prevail
- </c><00:37:23.640><c> and</c><00:37:23.760><c> the</c> votes, the motion does prevail and the votes,
- the motion does prevail and the A3<00:37:24.240><c> amendment</c><00:37:24.680><c> is</c><00:37:24.800
- And the motion<01:29:19.000><c> does</c><01:29:19.200><c> prevail,</c><01:29:19.880><c> and</c><01:29
- :20.120><c> Senate</c><01:29:20.320><c> file</c> motion does prevail, and Senate file motion does prevail
Committee:
Senate Health and Human Services
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- "Okay, seeing none, the prevailing motion is interim study. All in favor say I. Any opposed?" "No."
- </c><00:13:02.079><c> motion</c> Okay, seeing none, the prevailing motion Okay, seeing none, the prevailing
- So, the prevailing motion is ITL. Is there any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor say I.
- So, the prevailing >> Okay. All right.
- So, the prevailing motion<00:13:50.639><c> is</c><00:13:51.279><c> um</c><00:13:51.600><c> ITL.
Committee:
Senate Judiciary
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 3/17/26
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The motion prevails, and the minutes are approved.
- Motion prevails and the amendment is adopted.
- Motion<01:14:57.520><c> prevails</c><01:14:58.080><c> and</c><01:14:58.320><c> the</c><01:14:58.480><
- c> amendment</c><01:14:58.960><c> is</c> Motion prevails and the amendment is Motion prevails and the
- </c> There not being nine votes, the motion does not prevail. Um, therefore, it'll be laid over.
Committee:
House Energy Finance and Policy
Keywords:
climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, financing, sustainability, environmental policy, renewable energy, Minnesota Climate Innovation Financing Authority, earned incentive release credit, release credits, supervised release, corrections, Minnesota Department of Corrections, sentence reduction, good time, prison time, incarceration, violent offenses, murder, criminal sexual conduct, sex offenses
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Energy Finance and Policy Committee 2/20/25
Energy Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- The motion prevails, and the minutes from February 11th are approved.
- The motion prevails. Rep. Baker, your bill is amended.
- </c><00:01:13.560><c> in</c> I I those oppose the motion prevails in I I those oppose the motion prevails
- </c><00:02:33.959><c> rep</c><00:02:34.200><c> Baker</c> opposed the motion prevails rep Baker opposed
- the motion prevails rep Baker your<00:02:34.599><c> bill</c><00:02:34.959><c> is</c><00:02:35.280><c
Bills:
HF845
Committee:
House Energy Finance and Policy
Keywords:
net metering, distributed generation, solar energy, rooftop solar, renewable energy, utility rates, electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, public utilities, Public Utilities Commission, net billing, bill credits, cost of service study, standby charge, qualifying facility, energy policy, clean energy, customer generation, interconnection, Minnesota Statutes 216B.164
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- So the prevailing example: administration time for supervision of a lunchroom can't be tied to this account
- </c><00:51:35.319><c> example</c> account so the prevailing example account so the prevailing example
- A theme that has prevailed across my entire career in education is the impact of the special education
- ><01:12:49.600><c> theme</c><01:12:49.920><c> that</c><01:12:50.120><c> has</c><01:12:50.360><c> prevailed
- </c> Minnesota a theme that has prevailed Minnesota a theme that has prevailed across<01:12:51.199><c
Committee:
House Education Finance