Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, public collaborative day programs in Massachusetts run between $50,000 and $90,000 a year
• We worked collaboratively to update the charter and ensure that it met legal standards.
• Out of necessity, the two libraries began working more collaboratively.
• Many public safety personnel balance second jobs, family responsibilities, or child care obligations
• Many public safety personnel balance second jobs, family responsibilities, or child care obligations

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee opened its hearing with procedural remarks, including a strict three-minute testimony limit, livestream instructions, and a July 1 deadline for written testimony. Chairs Lewis and Rauch then heard testimony on a wide range of municipal home rule petitions and related bills, with many local officials and advocates being taken out of order because of the large turnout. A major topic was firefighter residency. Representatives of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts and Sen. Keenan supported H. 2260/S. 1449, which would replace the current 15-mile residency rule for non-civil-service fire departments with a negotiable standard, generally allowing residency within 15 miles and permitting expansion through collective bargaining. Supporters said the change would improve recruitment and retention amid the housing crisis and create parity with civil-service departments. Acton Fire Chief Anita Arnhum and Sen. Senna also backed H. 4168 for Acton, making similar arguments about recruitment, paramedics, and the need for local flexibility. The committee also heard strong support for charter overhaul petitions for Somerville and Lynn. Somerville officials, including Rep. Barber, Mayor Ballantyne, Councilor Jake Wilson, and charter committee member Beverly Schwartz, described a years-long public process to replace an 1890s-era charter with a modern document emphasizing transparency, public participation, clearer governance, and a possible change to the mayor’s term length. Lynn Mayor Nicholson similarly supported a charter update to modernize city operations and financial procedures. Cambridge-related charter and procurement reforms were also briefly endorsed by Rep. Cabral. Other bills discussed included a proposal by Sen. Eldridge and Rep. Scarsdale to create a state grant program for municipal sustainability directors, and regional school finance bills supported by Rep. Lanatra and Jason Frazier to expand special education reserve funds and create a regional school assessment reserve fund. Acton witnesses also supported library governance changes and a checkout bag charge proposal. The committee heard sharply divided testimony on Quincy’s H. 3897, a 50-year lease extension for Quarry Hills/Granite Links: Quincy officials and business supporters praised the public-private partnership and future investment potential, while residents argued the lease was too long, should be competitively bid, and deserved more oversight and auditing. The hearing also included testimony on Boston trash truck noise restrictions and a PEG access/cable funds bill supported by Mass Access, as well as a Southwick petition to elect part of the Conservation Commission, which one select board member opposed as contrary to current law and good governance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you all for your indulgence as I took care of other business today. Welcome back.
• Thank you all for your indulgence as I took care of other business today. Hello.
• Yeah, and we, you know, there are some experts in the state that we can collaborate with.
• Yeah, and we know there are some experts in the state that we can collaborate with.
• You don’t really care whether you’re being... Compliance that’s not really fair.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing with testimony on a range of environmental bills. Early testimony focused on H. 1018, which would update management of the Commonwealth’s water resources and limit new conditions on historic water registrations. Water officials from Wellesley and the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission supported the bill, arguing that drought-related restrictions on registered withdrawals are difficult to administer, create customer confusion, and can undermine utility revenue needed for infrastructure upgrades. A Massachusetts Waterworks Association representative also backed the bill, saying registered systems have long operated within their allocations and should not have those withdrawals conditioned by regulation. A major portion of the hearing centered on H. 1040, which would ban tire-derived materials on playgrounds and playing fields. The bill’s petitioner, environmental advocates, and an environmental chemist testified that crumb rubber and other tire-derived infill can release chemicals into soil and water and may pose risks to aquatic life and public health. Committee members asked about alternatives and costs; witnesses said natural grass and some organic infills are available, though more research is needed on some substitutes. Rep. Schwartz also testified on CSO-related bills, describing combined sewer overflows as a public health and environmental problem and saying the bills set deadlines but leave implementation methods to local and regional officials. Rep. Chacolo supported H. 909, a grant program for low-noise, low-emission landscape equipment, citing worker health, noise, and emissions concerns, and Sen. Cyr testified for bills addressing coastal and environmental acidification and nutrient pollution. The hearing also included extensive testimony on H. 4040, which would prevent discharge of radioactive materials from the Pilgrim decommissioning process. Speakers including a Sierra Club representative, a physician, and the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association opposed Holtec’s plan to dispose of radioactive wastewater through evaporation or discharge, citing public health, transparency, and economic risks to fisheries and coastal communities. Another large block of testimony addressed CSO legislation, especially H. 1046 and related bills for the MWRA service area. Environmental groups, residents, and river users described sewage overflows into the Charles, Mystic, and Alewife Brook, impacts on health and recreation, and the need for a timeline to eliminate or sharply reduce overflows. Industry representatives opposed the CSO and waste bills, arguing they would be costly, duplicative, and disruptive, while waste facility operators said they already use continuous emissions monitoring and comply with existing regulations. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your leadership and collaboration inspired this process to be both productive and joyful.
• Your<00:25:06.240> leadership,<00:25:06.880> collaboration<00:25:08.120> inspired
• > Your leadership, collaboration inspired Your leadership, collaboration inspired make<00:25:09.360><
• I am very grateful to your good work and taking care of my constituents back home as well.
• <00:36:41.920> of is my CLA and has taken so good care of is my CLA and has taken so good

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our members really do care about delivering on climate change and fulfilling California's climate goals
• So we're talking about the three pillars here that our members care about: jobs, climate, and affordability
• Those ties between our two states represent a shared past and a collaborative future together in policies
• This resolution emphasizes diplomacy independent of federal policy shifts, highlighting collaboration

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact heard AB 2516 by Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, which would create the California Grid Manufacturing Initiative within GO-Biz. The author and supporters said the bill is intended to address supply chain delays and rising costs for critical grid equipment, speed clean energy deployment, improve reliability, and encourage in-state manufacturing and high-road jobs. Support came from labor and industry representatives including UAW, IBEW, the California Labor Federation, CWA District 9, BlueGreen Alliance, California Labor for Climate Jobs, TURN, and Ingersoll Rand; no opposition was registered. Committee members raised affordability concerns, and the bill was moved to Appropriations and passed 7-1. The committee also heard ACR 173 by Assemblymember Carrillo, which would formalize a sister-state relationship between California and Jalisco, Mexico. Carrillo emphasized cultural, economic, and demographic ties, cooperation on issues such as agriculture, labor, technology, and education, and immigrant protections. There were no witnesses in opposition, and the resolution was adopted. The consent calendar included AB 2163 by Gonzalez and ACR 164 by Bains and ACR 166 by Avila Farías, all of which were approved. After quorum was established, the committee took roll, recorded multiple aye votes from absent members, and then adjourned after reporting all items out.

Transcript Highlights:

• in order to improve access to care.
• That surgeon went home and left him in the care of a nurse who had never worked critical care.
• Providing good care.
• Medicaid claims that cross over from Centennial Care to Turquoise Care.
• So, those are some health care quality measures in the health care setting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We all collaborate very well together.
• Senator Kolkhorst: ...care for the prisoner.
• The cost of our correctional mass care is about $20 a day.
• The cost of our correctional mass care is about $20 a day.
• Speaker: ...that you have a community care clinic there.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee heard a Legislative Budget Board presentation and then testimony from the Department of Public Safety on the Article 5 public safety budget. LBB said DPS’s 2026-27 recommendation totals $3.7 billion, down from the prior base, while FTEs rise by 856.7. Major items included increased funding for driver license services and customer support, new trooper funding and recruit schools, crime lab operations, border security, and reductions tied to one-time facility, vehicle, and aircraft spending. The committee also discussed new riders, including one to lapse unused trooper funds and require reporting after recruit schools. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, questioning why prior staffing increases and a prior efficiency study had not solved long wait times, high call abandonment, and appointment delays. DPS and LBB said the agency receives about 22,000 calls per day, answers only about 9 percent, and is seeking more staff plus technology upgrades such as automation, kiosks, and better online processing. Senators also raised concerns about rural access, REAL ID document requirements, and whether the department should rethink its processes rather than simply add employees. DPS leadership then described needs for the Williamson County training academy, additional troopers, Capitol and Alamo security, border operations, aircraft and vehicle replacement, and regional headquarters in El Paso and San Antonio. Members asked about Operation Lone Star costs, overtime, pursuit safety, border crime, oilfield theft, and sexual assault kit and toxicology backlogs. DPS said border deployments remain focused on criminal threats, that overtime is partly driven by deployments and staffing shortages, and that the sexual assault kit backlog is down to 118 cases with a goal of zero by April. The committee later recessed and began the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission budget presentation, where LBB outlined a $115.1 million recommendation and noted ongoing costs for the AIMS technology project.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:54:12.240> collaborative<00:54:12.800> and<00:54:13.040> create healthc
• care collaborative and create healthc care collaborative and create healthc<00:54:13.680> care
• for our healthc care opportunities for our workforce. workforce. workforce.
• So what Futurity is, was initially a collaboration between KDE, CPE, and KY Stats to meet a need that
• a collaboration between KDE, CPE,<00:57:21.200> and<00:57:21.520> KY<00:57:22.079>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met and approved the July 15, 2025 minutes before hearing a presentation from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA/KIA) on student financial aid ahead of the January biennial budget session. KHEAA outlined its role administering 17 state-funded grant and scholarship programs, 529 plans, and outreach services, and emphasized that net lottery proceeds after a $3 million literacy appropriation are statutorily dedicated to student aid. The agency focused on the major need-based programs—College Access Program (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG), and KEES—along with dual credit, Work Ready Kentucky, teacher scholarship, and National Guard tuition assistance. Officials said the new federal FAFSA methodology created a major increase in eligible students, especially for CAP, and thanked lawmakers for adding substantial funding this biennium to meet the higher demand. Staff explained that CAP is for Pell-eligible, low-income students, while KTG is a need-based grant for students at private Kentucky colleges; both use FAFSA data, but schools verify final eligibility. They said CAP awards are first-come, first-served and that the higher funding level allowed the program to last the full 21-month application cycle in FY 2024-2025, compared with much shorter periods in earlier years. KHEAA reported about $232 million spent on CAP for roughly 72,000 students last year, with current applications running about 10% ahead of the prior year. Members asked about the difference between applicants and recipients, the effect of lower lottery revenues, and whether recent federal legislation would affect state aid; KHEAA said it does not expect major impacts on grants and scholarships, though student loan changes could affect graduate students. The committee also discussed KEES and dual credit. KHEAA said KEES has been fully funded since its creation and that its forecast was within $76,000 of actual need last year. For dual credit, staff said a recent bill consolidated work-ready dual credit and career/technical education under one scholarship program, and KHEAA will seek growth funding because participation and costs continue to rise. The agency said FY 2025 dual credit spending reached $26.4 million across dual credit and work-ready funding, requiring transfers from Work Ready Kentucky to keep dual credit fully funded. Members asked about transferability of dual credit hours and whether the program reduces later college costs; KHEAA said it does not have hard data on every credit transfer, but it does see higher bachelor’s completion rates and lower student debt, suggesting positive effects. No votes were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• dialogue between the State of Arizona and Taiwan, deepening economic, cultural, and technological collaboration
• Therefore... ...cultural and technological collaboration.
• look ...they have various price points, and I see this as three categories when we look at access to care
• : are people receiving the care they need?
• Senate Bill 1164, Section 369-49-43, A.R.S., relating to the Arizona long-term care system.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Here are a few collaboration ideas that can translate into tangible results and visible progress on our
• Here are a few collaborations ideas that can translate into tangible results, and visible progress on
• So it's something that we really care about, and we would like to help that industry or that economic
• So it's something that we really care about, and we would like to help that industry or that economic
• As I've heard, they rarely go because obviously they're very busy, and that's not that they don't care

Bills: HB2746, HB2751, HB2752, HB2753

Keywords: trade offices, committee, Arizona commerce authority, stakeholder input, efficiency, Arizona competes fund, economic development, fund repeal, state finances, state appropriations, Arizona Commerce Authority, job creation, business incentives, commerce authority, public-private partnership, business regulation, Arizona governance, 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, when you provide total care for 21,000 folks, that gets a little bit expensive, but as you
• And this is one inmate... to do, and this is one inmate's medical care because several of the systemic
• lawsuits deal with medical care and mental health care.
• Visitation, commissary, health care—those types of things.
• We collaborated to develop an agreement between us, the city of Montgomery, the county, the ATF, and

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It'll say a health care facility with a hospice unit shall allow.
• It'll say a health care facility with a hospice unit shall allow.
• where we define the healthc care where we define the healthc care facility.
• returning to care as usual. returning to care as usual.
• The benefit of ivagane standard of care.

Keywords: Public Health and Welfare - Room 216, 25 February, 2026; 3:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first handled House Bill 612, which had been laid on the table because of questions about section one. Senator Tate explained that section one would allow the state, counties, and municipalities to enter interlocal agreements to provide installation support services on military installations, mainly road and infrastructure work such as paving and dirt work, and that section two would add Coast Guard medics to an existing provision allowing trained military medics to sit for LPN certification. After questions about the breadth of “installation support services,” the committee adopted the motion for title sufficient, due pass, with opposition noted, and the bill was reported to the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. House Bill 942 was then passed over at Senator McMahon’s request until Tuesday. The committee then took up House Bill 1034, which would allow terminally ill hospital patients to use medical cannabis gummies. The sponsor said the bill is intended to help terminally ill patients who already qualify for medical cannabis but are denied access in hospitals, and that it prohibits smoking or inhalation. Members raised concerns about whether the bill was too broad, whether it would interfere with hospital and physician judgment, possible drug interactions, federal law issues, liability for hospitals and doctors, storage and disposal requirements, and whether hospitals would incur costs or be forced to handle cannabis on their premises. The sponsor responded that the patient’s use would be logged in the chart, that the caregiver is generally responsible for the lockbox and disposal, and that the bill includes language allowing a facility to opt out if compliance would jeopardize federal funding or licensing. The bill’s author also described the measure as arising from a Coast Guard family’s experience in which a terminally ill patient was denied access to medical cannabis at one hospital but allowed at another, and said the goal is to prevent similar denials for terminally ill patients. He said he was not aware of other drugs treated this way in hospitals, but argued that terminally ill patients should have access to most anything they want. The discussion ended with Senator England asking whether changing the bill’s requirement that a facility “shall” allow medical cannabis to “may” allow it would better protect hospitals and preserve discretion, but no final action on House Bill 1034 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Institute of Research on Poverty, and other places where we think a lot about child support and child care
• The idea, I mean, and we don't have the data to explore this, and I try to be careful not to move beyond
• parents climb out of this debt trap and ideally be able to support their children with more direct care
• which I'm sure you did, he mentioned that this is high-stakes adversarial litigation and not a collaborative
• Unfortunately, there are a lot of attorneys who treat it as collaborative. ...therapy session, do not

Bills: SB629, SB1015, SB2501, SB2933

Keywords: child support, interest accrual, family law, delinquency, financial judgment, statutory probate courts, probate court fees, judicial fund, county reimbursement, comptroller, Texas Government Code, Local Government Code, court fees, fee allocation, excess contributions, judicial education and support fund, presiding judge salary, county finance, court administration, Texas judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• Wilma Franco from the Sala Collaborative, the Southeast L.A. Collaborative.
• Collaborative.
• Health care providers and health care workers continue to be the front lines between ICE and immigrant
• Warburton, on the Care Act Working Group, advises jail inmate health experts to file CARE petitions for
• Warburton on the Care Act Working Group advises jail inmate health experts to file care petitions for

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The administration usually cared that much about intent language in the world. So I, um, what?
• The administration usually cared that much about intent language in the world.
• The first time I was six years old, which led to my placement in foster care.
• This is trust being built in communities that have long been left out of the systems of care.
• Hate care coordinators receive extensive cultural competency and trauma-informed care training so that

Summary: The subcommittee heard an extensive presentation on the administration’s housing reorganization proposal, which would centralize multifamily affordable housing finance under the new Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) and align it with the Governor’s trailer bill language. Administration officials said the plan is intended to create a one-stop application and award process, reduce duplicative timelines and costs, and pair state subsidy with private activity bonds and federal tax credits more efficiently. They also described proposed changes to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, including shifting a larger share of funding toward housing-related awards while preserving a portion for sustainable communities investments. The Legislative Analyst’s Office generally supported the streamlining concept but recommended changes to the proposed bond set-aside timing and urged flexibility for integrated applications and future reporting on demand. Senators, especially Senator Cabaldon, raised concerns that the proposal could weaken the original climate-and-transportation purpose of the sustainable communities program and that the reorganization would be undercut by the lack of new housing production funding in the budget. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then received a report from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee on federal and state housing tax credits. Staff explained that the federal H.R. 1 change lowering the bond-financing threshold from 50% to 25% greatly expanded the number of projects able to use the 4% federal tax credit, allowing California to fund many more projects and units. They also described the state low-income housing tax credit as an important gap-filling tool for projects that still need additional subsidy, and noted existing set-asides for rural, homeless, at-risk, and extremely low-income projects. Members discussed rehabilitation as well as new construction, and the item was informational only. Finally, the Civil Rights Department reported on the effects of federal civil rights policy changes and on three programs facing expiration: California vs. Hate, the Community Conflict Resolution Unit, and Investigations and Conciliation Enhancement. Director Kevin Kish said federal cuts and policy shifts have reduced support for fair housing and other civil rights functions, while CRD’s caseload has grown from about 8,700 open matters a year ago to more than 12,000, with a six-month wait for interviews despite overtime triage efforts. Senators expressed strong support for continuing the programs and concern about the broader federal rollback of civil rights enforcement. The department said it is using overtime, intake triage, and outreach partnerships to manage the workload and direct Californians to appropriate state, local, and nonprofit resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to thank the committee staff for their collaboration and their work on this bill as well.
• and experience and making this a better bill I also want to thank the committee staff for their collaboration
• And I think the committee will see with this in my next proposal that I care a lot about how campaigns
• The committee will see with this in my next proposal that I care a lot about how campaigns are financed
• We really do care deeply about all of the goals shared by the author and the advocates in this space

Summary: The Assembly Elections Committee met on July 1, 2026, heard a full agenda of election-related measures, and took final votes on several bills and one resolution. The committee also adopted two consent items, SB 1429 and SB 1430, without opposition. Members and the chair repeatedly noted committee membership changes and the final meeting of the session, and the chair emphasized the committee’s focus on protecting democracy and election integrity. Among the bills heard, SB 1369 would shorten the signature-gathering period for judicial recalls in larger counties and require paid gatherers to disclose they are compensated; supporters argued it would protect judicial independence, while the chair and some members noted the need to balance recall rights with county differences. SB 900 would reformat campaign disclosure language on large print ads and billboards to improve readability while preserving transparency, with broad support from outdoor advertising, clean money, and good-government groups. SJR 18, which condemns Citizens United and urges action against corporate spending in elections, drew support from reform advocates but also concerns about the resolution’s focus and scope; it was advanced on a party-line split with some members voting no. The committee also advanced SB 1164, a major voting-rights measure expanding California protections against vote dilution and voter suppression, adding preclearance-style review for some jurisdictions, and directing courts to interpret election laws in favor of voting access. Local government representatives opposed it unless amended, citing uncertainty, loss of safe-harbor protections, and implementation concerns, while civil-rights and labor groups strongly supported it. SB 1360, which expands language-access requirements for voters with limited English proficiency and lowers coverage thresholds, was supported by voting-rights and immigrant-advocacy groups but opposed by elections officials unless amended; the committee acknowledged the need for further work on county-level implementation and data standards. The committee also approved SB 1418, which extends protections against seizure of election records and voting systems beyond voted ballots, and SB 884, which creates a buffer zone around polling places and vote-by-mail drop locations to prevent interference with voting and ballot custody, though sheriffs and police groups opposed the arrest restrictions. SB 46, which would give the Secretary of State clearer authority to remove constitutionally ineligible presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the ballot, and SB 715, which moves candidate ballot-designation challenge deadlines earlier, also advanced. Most measures were sent to Appropriations or otherwise held on call for absent members, and the meeting ended with final roll calls and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I take note of the fact that you're going slow and wanting to be careful.
• There's collaboration with WSDOT because the North Spokane Freeway connects in East Central and has big
• And we've really collaborated with our information.
• So the other partnership that has also been a collaboration with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission
• partners like this Spokane County Health District, our medical providers like Providence and Multi-Care

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe this proposal<00:14:54.240> requires<00:14:54.720> careful,<00:14:55.360>
• thorough proposal requires careful, thorough proposal requires careful, thorough examination<00:
• <00:15:07.440> we<00:15:07.680> will discussion and collaboration we will discussion
• and collaboration we will will<00:15:08.079> arrive<00:15:08.320> at<00:15:08.480>
• Collaboration of contract terms is, by its nature, anti-competitive, and under this structure the price

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• councils like the Governor's Tribal Leaders Social Services Council, the Governor's Indian Health Care
• And we collaborate with other states and federal agencies.
• And, in collaboration with tribal leaders, state agency liaisons, and state leadership, as mentioned,
• And so have you been working collaboratively with the Office of Equity, again, to help roll these out
• And our thanks go to the Department of Social and Health Services for their collaboration.

Summary: The committee heard a work session on voting access on tribal lands, beginning with a presentation from Dr. Chelsea Jones of the Brennan Center. She described barriers affecting Native voters and voters on tribal lands, including long travel distances to polling places and drop boxes, nontraditional addresses, unreliable postal service, language access, and limited broadband. Citing research, she said turnout on tribal lands trails turnout off tribal lands by about 10 percentage points nationally and about 10% in Washington, with larger gaps in some convenience voting measures. Members asked about the meaning of “lost votes,” the role of tribal leadership and community trust, and whether outreach by election officials and candidates could help; Dr. Jones emphasized that the study measured missed voting opportunities, not missing ballots, and that partnerships with trusted community leaders are important. The University of Washington Elections Database then presented data on voter registration, turnout, signature challenges, curing, and ballot rejection for voters whose addresses fall within tribal reservation boundaries. The presenters said registration on reservations increased from about 107,000 in 2010 to 137,000 in 2024, turnout on reservations remained about 8 to 9 percentage points lower than outside reservations in recent general elections, and signature-challenge and rejection rates were generally low but somewhat higher in off-year elections. They reported that about 60% to two-thirds of signature-challenged ballots are cured, with cure rates similar inside and outside reservations, and that late return is the most common reason for primary ballot rejection while signature mismatch is the leading cause in general elections. A question was raised about USPS postmarking issues and how those might affect future data; the presenters said they plan to track return method and cure timing more closely. The committee also received an overview of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs. Staff reviewed the office’s history, the Centennial Accord, the Millennium Agreement, and related state-tribal frameworks, and GOIA Director Tim Rainan described the office’s role as a bridge between the state and tribal governments, including consultation, policy coordination, training, and convening work groups. He said GOIA now has six positions, is part of the governor’s executive cabinet, and is working on a statewide tribal relations training module and consultation handbook. In response to a question, he said tribal voting is not a major topic at the Centennial Accord but is discussed more extensively through ATNI. The committee then shifted to contracting equity, hearing from WSDOT, DES, OMWBE, and the Office of Equity. WSDOT described its race-neutral small business and veteran goals, mentorship and support programs, and its response to the federal suspension of the DBE program; DES discussed statewide contracting spend, the EDGE pilot for small construction firms, and efforts to improve procurement access; OMWBE reported growth in certified firms and about $371 million in state spend with certified firms in the most recent year, while noting ongoing impacts from federal DBE changes; and the Office of Equity outlined its broader work on agency consultation, dashboards, and systems change. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The study will also examine how these strategies can affect health care equity and access to care.
• care and reducing the growth of health care costs.
• care.
• health care spending to primary care.
• health care spending to primary care.

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It doesn't care if it's Republican or Democrat; that mentality led Republican Senator Zack Duckworth
• Katie Pratt is the director of the state's Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution, which oversees
• Katie Pratt is the director of the state's Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution, which oversees

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on Minnesota’s civility caucus, a bipartisan effort led by Republican Sen. Zack Duckworth and DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild. Katie Pratt, director of the state Office of Collaboration and Dispute Resolution, described the caucus as a small time commitment that brings senators together for lunch, speakers, and relationship-building exercises designed to help them see one another as people and improve communication across party lines. Pratt and Duckworth said the caucus is intended to build trust and empathy rather than produce immediate bipartisan policy deals. The idea is that stronger personal relationships can create a better foundation for future policymaking, especially in a polarized environment. Duckworth said the caucus can help legislators who may be new to divided government or who need to rebuild relationships after a difficult end to the previous session. Duckworth said joining the caucus reflects a belief that civility and courage are both important in legislative work, even if constituents sometimes expect lawmakers to be combative. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the segment.