Transcript Highlights:

• During the COVID period, MIMA had contracted with a group called SNAP Nurse for Services, and there was
• As most of you know, the SNAP error rate is a big issue for our state.
• And I think I mentioned that out here on the floor on another bill that we need to get our SNAP error
• As most of you know, the SNAP software.
• As most of you know, the SNAP error<00:36:38.079> rate<00:36:38.480> is<00:36:38.720>

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 24 February, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, received the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, and approved dispensing with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles. The chamber also welcomed several guest groups, including members of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Land Committee, the Stone County Republican Party, Mississippi State University Student Association leaders, the first graduating class of the Mississippi LEAD program, Montgomery County 4-H leaders, and Mississippi Young Bankers. Floor privileges were granted to Alice Marie Johnson and her guest. The Senate then took up Senate Resolution 28 honoring Alice Marie Johnson of Olive Branch, recognizing her work on clemency and second chances after her own pardon and appointment to a White House pardons-related role. Johnson addressed the Senate, describing her personal history, her time in prison, and her advocacy for people impacted by incarceration and harsh sentencing. Representative Kimberly Remak also presented a House recognition in her honor. The resolution and presentations emphasized redemption, justice reform, and Johnson’s Mississippi roots. On the calendar, the Senate passed Senate Bill 3104, a deficit appropriation bill for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, after Senator Hopson outlined numerous funding items. Those included payments related to wrongful incarceration claims, attorney general litigation, a MIMA settlement, claims involving educational television and the community college board, Medicaid deficit funding, emergency management and county disaster assistance, repairs and relocation needs tied to the Bolton building, AOC pass-through and judge-related costs, licensing board and Marine Resources special funds, student financial aid, and DHS income-verification software to reduce SNAP error rates. The bill passed by morning roll call. The Senate also passed Senate Bill 3105, a placeholder deficit vehicle with no dollars attached, and then passed and retained several later items, including Senate Bill 3053 on IHL general support, after discussion of performance metrics and higher education accountability.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whereas on the SNAP side, it's reverse. It's the client-initiated renewal.
• On the SNAP side... client has to initiate the renewal.
• He's got $1,000 worth of SNAP benefits on these SNAP cards and they go into retailers...
• , if they're They're intentionally getting a SNAP card from two different states or SNAP benefits from
• The SNAP program allows that. You don't ID somebody for SNAP.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a SNAP benefit program that you can apply for if you're a SNAP beneficiary and you've lost your
• <00:25:03.600> There<00:25:03.840> is<00:25:04.000> a<00:25:04.240> SNAP<
• There is a SNAP who've lost food.
• There is a SNAP benefit<00:25:05.200> program<00:25:05.679> that<00:25:05.919> you
• beneficiary and you've if you're a SNAP beneficiary and you've lost<00:25:09.120> your<00:25:

Keywords: Appropriations - Room 216, 2 February, 2026; 1:30 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2189, described as a transfer bill that brings forward code sections tied to the various funds used to compose the budget. With no questions, the committee adopted a title sufficient do pass motion and reported the bill. The committee then considered Senate Bill 2190, which would raise Mississippi’s rainy day fund cap from 10% to 15% of general fund revenue. The chair explained that the change would gradually build the reserve over time to a little over $1 billion, and clarified in response to questions that the figure did not include money being used for PERS or capex. The bill received a title sufficient do pass recommendation. Next, Senate Bill 2717 was presented as a modernization of the My Kids youth court information system, which was described as 35 to 40 years old and antiquated. Senator Wiggins said the bill follows an audit and would support an $8 million replacement effort, with a three-year implementation and training period, and that the new system would be cloud-based and allow better data sharing among youth court-related agencies while preserving county-level protections. Senators raised concerns about prior ARPA funding, disclosure of youth court records, and the effect of a repealer in current law; Wiggins and others said related disclosure issues were being addressed in separate Judiciary A bills. The committee then voted title sufficient do pass. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 2896, a DPS-requested measure tied to pay increases for highway patrol, Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Investigation personnel, with the chair saying the proposal would keep the bill alive through a reverse repealer in the committee substitute. Finally, the committee considered companion bills Senate Bills 2898 and 2924 to provide $20 million to MEMA’s Disaster Assistance Trust Fund in response to the recent ice storm and to cover state disaster expenses. Members discussed federal disaster reimbursement rules, the distinction between individual assistance and public assistance, insurance requirements, and the need for local governments to document eligible expenses. Both bills were adopted by title sufficient do pass, and the committee also passed Senate Bill 2917, which changes Mississippi Valley State University’s request from a new residence hall to repair and renovation of existing residence halls. The chair then set remaining bills aside for a later meeting and the committee rose and reported.

Transcript Highlights:

• Things like access to food, like our SNAP program, access to health care through our medical assistance
• Things like access to food, like our SNAP program, access to health care through our medical assistance
• Things like access to food, like our SNAP program, access to health care through our medical assistance
• Things like access to food, like our SNAP program, access to health care through our medical assistance
• 30.839> are There are things called error rates that are within some of the programs like the SNAP

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The discussion focused on the need to modernize Minnesota’s human services software systems, especially MAXIS and related county-administered eligibility tools used for programs like SNAP and Medical Assistance. The senator described seeing a Ramsey County demonstration of the MAXIS system, saying the process was tedious, repetitive, and based on outdated green-screen technology that is difficult for workers to learn and use. The outdated systems were said to create long wait times for residents seeking basic needs assistance and to make it harder for counties to keep up with application volume. The senator said the old, siloed systems also create program integrity problems because they do not communicate well with one another, making it harder to detect fraud and more likely that errors will go unnoticed. Counties reportedly need to hire more staff just to process basic applications, and those added costs can ultimately affect county budgets and property taxpayers. The senator also said modernization is important to maintain federal funding and avoid penalties tied to error rates and compliance requirements in programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Senate File 4719 was presented as a short-term bill to create a Human Services System Steering Committee made up of county representatives, state agencies, DHS, DCYF, and MNIT to develop recommendations and prioritize improvements collaboratively. The senator said the committee could begin meeting within a couple of months after enactment, with the goal of getting work started quickly this biennium. A longer-term proposal, Senate File 5020, would establish an IT funding account and require MNIT to develop a modernization plan for larger system investments. No vote or formal committee action was taken in the exchange.

Transcript Highlights:

• But it's primarily right now with DHS and SNAP.
• But it's primarily right now with DHS and SNAP.
• now<00:09:15.920> with<00:09:16.160> DHS<00:09:16.640> and<00:09:16.880> SNAP
• <00:09:17.440> They<00:09:17.680> have right now with DHS and SNAP.
• They have right now with DHS and SNAP.

Keywords: Medicaid - Room 216, 29 January, 2026; 2:00 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee considered five bills. SB 2567, the Mississippi Pediatric Access to Critical Health Care Protection Act, would allow a border hospital to accept Medicaid patients and payments; it was moved as title sufficient and reported, with one member opposing. SB 2571, the Foster Youth Earn Benefit Protection for Success Act, would require Social Security survivor or disability benefits for foster youth to be used for the child rather than reimbursing the state for foster care costs; the sponsor said the bill follows federal guidance and other states’ practices, and it was reported after a title-sufficient motion, with one opposition. SB 2708 would require insurers to cover postpartum depression screenings. Senator Boyd said most insurers already do this, and he offered an amendment to strike lines 364-368 because of concerns about step-therapy language; the committee adopted the amendment and then reported the bill. SB 2765 would open code sections related to DHS and Medicaid income verification so Mississippi can respond to federal error-rate penalties tied to SNAP and related programs; Senator Sparks said the state’s 10.69% error rate could trigger about $128 million in annual penalties, and members discussed whether the state’s change-reporting rules may be inflating that rate. The bill was reported. The final bill, SB 2746, the Older Mississippians Act, was described by DHS as a cleanup measure that updates aging-services statutes, formally designates Mississippi as the state unit on aging, and removes obsolete program references. After brief discussion, it was reported on a title-sufficient motion. At the end of the meeting, Senator McMahan publicly thanked the chair for his work, and the committee then moved to rise and report.

Transcript Highlights:

• /c><00:54:27.760> benefits<00:54:28.720> doubles<00:54:29.599> and administer SNAP
• The amount of work that they have to put in, the extra certifications, people losing their SNAP, and
• ,<00:58:07.119> just<00:58:07.280> one what is happening with SNAP, just one what is
• happening with SNAP, just one example,<00:58:08.559> is<00:58:08.960> completely<00:58
• , and they were very clear in SNAP, and they were very clear in saying,<00:58:19.200> "We<00:58

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are looking at people losing $60 a month in SNAP bump.
• Okay, so the legislators eliminated the continuing the SNAP to lawfully present residents, eliminated
• So, SNAP education has been abolished, so that funding is no longer there.
• For this SNAP education program, their funding source has been entirely eliminated.
• But if we're giving them SNAP benefits, they still need to walk into a grocery store and get the food

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, in the big, beautiful bill that's being debated in Congress, there's a cut proposed for SNAP
• Right now, in the big, beautiful bill that's being debated in Congress, there's a cut proposed for SNAP
• Right now, in the big, beautiful bill that's being debated in Congress, there's a cut proposed for SNAP
• Right now, in the big, beautiful bill that's being debated in Congress, there's a cut proposed for SNAP
• Right now, in the big, beautiful bill that's being debated in Congress, there's a cut proposed for SNAP

Summary: The House met on the final day of session, swore in Representatives Boyles and Hodgers, and observed a moment of silence for the Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as for Representative Rosenwald’s father. The chamber then moved into final budget work, with leaders outlining the plan to take up H.J.R. 5019, HB 7031, HB 5017, HB 5015, and then the general appropriations act once the Senate transmitted it. H.J.R. 5019, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand the budget stabilization fund, was explained and amended to raise the rainy day fund cap, require annual deposits, and allow withdrawals for critical state needs by a two-thirds vote; it passed 100-1. The House then adopted the conference report on HB 7031, the tax package. The bill repeals the business rent tax and aviation fuel tax, delays the natural gas fuel tax, creates or expands several sales tax holidays and exemptions, including permanent exemptions for disaster-preparedness items, hunting/fishing/camping items, and ammunition and firearms-related purchases, and makes changes to property, corporate income, local tax, and economic development provisions. Members debated the removal of recurring housing trust fund and transit-related revenue streams, the new ammunition exemption, and the data center tax changes; supporters argued the package reduces taxes and preserves annual budget flexibility, while opponents raised concerns about housing, transportation, and gun violence. The conference report passed 93-7. HB 5017, creating a debt reduction program funded by a recurring transfer to retire state bonds early, passed unanimously. HB 5015, the state group insurance conforming bill, which directs DMS to develop a formulary management plan and codifies the administrative health insurance assessment, also passed. The House then began explanation and questions on the fiscal year 2025-26 general appropriations act, described as a $115.1 billion budget that is down $3.8 billion from the current year and includes more than $12 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs summarized major spending areas, including pre-K-12 funding increases, health care funding for Medicaid, KidCare, nursing homes, opioid treatment, and mental health, transportation and economic development funding, environmental and water projects, higher education, state administration, justice, and information technology. Questions focused on school vouchers, inflationary pressures on school districts, and the adequacy of funding for housing, transportation, and other priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• One other state so far has implemented a chip card into their EBT SNAP system, and within a period of
• number four is a 25.5 million dollars request for the SNAPD Historically, the administration of the SNAP
• And then, just switching gears a little bit on SNAP, I know that the error rates that are probably going
• So, I would say fifty-seven million The SNAP admin rate increase, I think you could say that was federal
• The SNAP admin rate increase wasn't anything that we started adding on during the pandemic.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• which has to do with um MFIT and SNAP which has to do with um MFIT and SNAP benefits<00:06:46.560
• It looks into the SNAP employment program.
• It looks into the SNAP employment program.
• It looks into the SNAP employment program.
• It looks into the SNAP employment program.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• down the government, to harm Minnesotans, forcing Americans to wait in security lines, shutting down SNAP
• Americans to wait in security lines lines lines shutting<00:04:25.680> down<00:04:25.920> snap
• c> to<00:04:27.000> stick<00:04:27.240> it<00:04:27.320> to shutting down snap
• just to stick it to shutting down snap just to stick it to Donald<00:04:27.760> Trump.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• through programs like SNAP or Medicaid. through programs like SNAP or Medicaid.
• They're their about are not on SNAP.
• reduced meals, but they're not on SNAP reduced meals, but they're not on SNAP and<05:22:31.520><
• >> Well, this bill actually has nothing to do with SNAP. It wouldn't sign them up for SNAP.
• It works similar to SNAP.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not a correlation between any kind of data analytics support in the management of the SNAP program
• As far as the SNAP program overall, if you want to talk about fraud, waste, and abuse, the big reason
• and new tools to DCF on top of the base management funding that we give them every year to manage SNAP
• and new tools to DCF on top of the base management funding that we give them every year to manage SNAP
• facing a bill of about a billion dollars in next year's budget based on the federal changes to the SNAP

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• most critical supports, Yet despite the increasing need, access to one of our most critical supports, SNAP
• required 2026, nearly half, 49% of applicants who were required to speak with a caseworker to get their SNAP
• One of the biggest changes is the increased importance of the SNAP payment error rate that measures how
• responsive to the need for the appropriate number of DTA workers dealing with benefits, particularly SNAP
• . number of DTA workers dealing with benefits, particularly SNAP.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Senate considered a supplemental appropriations bill and a series of amendments focused on education, health, transportation, tax administration, and oversight. Senator Kennedy spoke in support of increasing funding for DTA caseworkers to improve SNAP access and reduce delays, but then withdrew the amendment by unanimous consent. Senator O’Connor’s amendment adding $500,000 for Free Period to provide free menstrual products in public schools was adopted, as was Senator Miranda’s $1 million METCO transportation and student support amendment. Senator Collins briefly proposed extending paid family and medical leave and unemployment insurance coverage to graduate student workers, but withdrew that amendment for later discussion. Several amendments were debated and either adopted or rejected. Senator Tarr’s proposal to create oversight of the Group Insurance Commission and fund an Inspector General review was defeated after opposition argued existing oversight was sufficient. Tarr also offered amendments on MBTA deficiency fund withdrawals and on requiring 90 days’ notice before state tax code decoupling changes; both were rejected after standing votes. Senator Driscoll’s amendment for Randolph Public Schools restroom improvements was adopted, while his veterans student loan forgiveness amendment was withdrawn. Additional amendments were adopted for Bridgewater Middle School water filtration, Uffum’s Corner Health Center, and NeighborHealth’s pharmacy technician training program for local high school students. A major discussion centered on school funding and enrollment declines. Senator DiDomenico withdrew an amendment that would have provided $100 million to address Chapter 70 funding losses tied to enrollment drops, but he and Senator Collins used the floor to argue that districts facing declining enrollment and rising costs need a broader state response. The Senate also adopted a new draft of the supplemental budget and then passed the bill to be engrossed by a roll call vote, with 35 members in the affirmative and 4 in the negative. The chamber then adjourned to meet again Monday, and did so in memory of Arthur H. Tobin, a former Quincy mayor, state legislator, and clerk magistrate.

Transcript Highlights:

• And also, Utah has the lowest number of constituents per capita on Medicaid and on SNAP.
• And also, Utah has the lowest number of constituents per capita on Medicaid and on SNAP.
• So, looking back, and I know that you're not an expert on SNAP and those things, but do you think that
• think the last thing you want in Arkansas and other states is for people on the TANF caseload or the SNAP
• “No, I'm talking about the public sector...” “...public sector funds, TANF, Wagner-Peyser, WIOA, SNAP

Summary: The committee met to hear an update from consultants Mason Bishop and Cameron Christie on Arkansas’s “one door” or “no wrong door” workforce and social services modernization effort. The discussion focused on moving the state toward a work-first system that better connects job seekers, employers, education, and public assistance programs, with goals of increasing upward mobility, improving labor force attachment, reducing inefficiencies, and adapting to changes such as AI and other economic disruptions. The consultants argued that Arkansas’s current system is fragmented across multiple offices, portals, agencies, and funding streams, and that people often have to navigate separate doors for workforce services, TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and related supports. Bishop repeatedly pointed to Utah as the model, describing how that state integrated workforce and human services into a single department, used cost allocation to blend funding behind the scenes, and saw improved customer service and outcomes after reform. He said TANF should be treated as a workforce program, not just a benefits program, and suggested that Arkansas could use TANF and other tools to cross-train DHS staff, co-locate services, and create a more unified service delivery model. Members asked about federal flexibility, waivers, and whether the state could use one large waiver or a broader restructuring to simplify the system. Bishop explained that a federal pilot authority proposal failed in Congress, so the current approach relies on waivers, cost allocation plans, and possible state-level changes. The committee also discussed the relationship between DHS and workforce offices, the role of local workforce boards, how disability and vocational rehabilitation cases would be handled, and how the governor’s Restore Hope/Hope Hub and faith- and community-based initiatives might fit into the broader plan. Bishop said Arkansas already has rehabilitation services within the workforce department and emphasized that case managers should focus on people rather than programs. No votes were taken. The chair said the committee would revisit case management at its August meeting and adjourned the meeting after thanking the consultants.

Transcript Highlights:

• available, be able to assess what I know today, look at what benefit cliffs I may be facing if I’m on SNAP
• them six to 12 diagnostic questions, and in that process they could be potentially co-enrolled in SNAP
• And this is a logic model that, you know, should take advantage of not just WIOA but SNAP and TANF programs
• You know, everybody that is eligible for work on SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid should be co-enrolled and take
• Like SNAC, ENT generates a 50% reimbursement for every SNAP-eligible person that's trained.

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Nick Moore, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Career and Technical Education, on efforts to better align workforce, education, and human services programs. Moore argued that WIOA, Perkins, and ESSA were designed to function as an integrated talent system, but that federal and state bureaucracy has kept them siloed. He said the Department of Labor and OCTAE are working on more integrated state plan guidance, including a 2026 plan modification timeline, combined Perkins/WIOA plans, and greater use of labor market information to align training with in-demand jobs and Workforce Pell. Moore emphasized reducing overhead, cross-training staff, using common intake and integrated case management, and focusing on the “shadow labor force” of people facing benefit cliffs, child care barriers, or other obstacles to work. He repeatedly urged states to use waivers and flexibility where possible, to consolidate or streamline local workforce structures, and to hold programs accountable through measures such as labor force participation, training-related employment, retention, and cost per successful outcome. Members asked about the balance between flexibility and accountability, the role of employers versus postsecondary institutions, rural “training deserts,” state waivers, and data systems such as Mississippi Spark and Arkansas Launch. Moore said states should use technology and integrated intake to co-enroll eligible participants in multiple programs and better match people to jobs. In response to questions, Moore said some federal rules cannot be waived, but many reporting and administrative requirements can be streamlined, and he encouraged Arkansas to propose ideas for waivers or state-level integration. He also discussed the need for enhanced wage records and state longitudinal data systems to improve workforce planning and economic development. After Moore’s presentation, DHS Secretary Janet Mann and Director Jay Hill gave a brief update on reimbursement rates, saying the department had compiled more than 100 public comments, recommended holding the current rate, and was awaiting executive review; they estimated the process could take 30 to 60 days. The committee then adjourned, noting a later audit presentation scheduled for the afternoon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, we're going to move on to our next measure, which is HB 2233, relating to SNAP-Ed to fund
• This bill will protect the SNAP-Ed program in our state that's set to expire at the end of this fiscal
• The<01:02:35.280> SNAP<01:02:35.680> ed<01:02:36.000> program<01:02:36.319> is
• Next up, HB 2233, which is funding SNAP-Ed.
• And for this which is funding SNAP ed.

Bills: HB1546

Keywords: Medicaid, health insurance, healthcare access, insurance subsidies, pilot program, affordable care, preventive services, low-income, community engagement, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on HB 2083, which would add homeless shelters to Hawaii’s drug-free/safe-zone protections. The City and County prosecutor’s office strongly supported the bill, saying service providers asked for the change because drug activity near shelters can undermine recovery efforts. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the measure, focusing on a possible notice problem because many shelters are not readily identifiable and the bill’s 750-foot distance requirement could be difficult to apply. The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii also opposed the bill, arguing it would expand criminalization of poverty and drug use and that drug-free zone laws are ineffective and disproportionately harmful. The prosecutor’s office said it would do more research on the notice concern. The committee then moved on without taking a vote in the transcript provided. The committee next discussed HB 2087, which would change the treatment of abuse of family or household member cases by ending the deferred-acceptance pilot and returning to the prior statute. The prosecutor’s office supported the bill, saying the pilot had not reduced backlog as intended and that domestic violence cases should remain petty misdemeanors without deferral. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Public Defender’s Office both opposed HB 2087, instead urging extension of the pilot for another five years so the legislature can better evaluate how deferred acceptance is working. They said deferrals can be a useful incentive for behavior change and that more data is needed before ending the program. Committee members questioned the prosecutor about why Hawaii should differ from other counties and whether repeat offenders could keep receiving deferrals; the prosecutor said the deferral is available only once and reiterated support for returning to the old statute. The committee then heard HB 2096 on aggravated circumstances in child protective proceedings. The family court and Attorney General’s Office supported the bill, saying current law limits aggravated-circumstances findings to the early return hearing, which can prevent findings in the most serious abuse cases when key evidence is not yet available. They said the bill would allow such findings later in the case and, with proposed amendments, would let the court consolidate aggravated-circumstances and termination-of-parental-rights hearings to reduce delay and appeals. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii opposed the measure, arguing it would expand state power in family matters and could worsen outcomes for parents and children. Committee questions focused on the amended language, including what “another court of competent jurisdiction” means and whether a charge alone would be enough; the judiciary responded that criminal courts are included, but a hearing and opportunity to defend would still be required. Finally, the committee took up HB 1959, another domestic violence measure. The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Public Defender’s Office, the Crime Victim Compensation Commission, the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, and county prosecuting offices testified in support. Supporters said the bill would extend the pilot program while keeping deferred acceptance of guilty pleas in place, giving more time to evaluate whether the program is working and whether a more formal diversion model should be developed. The coalition also suggested technical fixes to ensure judiciary data reporting continues and that the deferred-acceptance statute is not inadvertently repealed. No vote or final action was taken in the transcript before the committee moved on to the next bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• “We protected Hawaii SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown by providing a $250 one-time
• :52.640> during protected Hawaii SNAP benefits during protected Hawaii SNAP benefits during the
• Those SNAP enhancements help, and we put them into place.
• > help<00:24:39.039> and Those those SNAP enhancements help and Those those SNAP enhancements
• We'll expand SNAP benefits in the matching programs to make sure local produce is more affordable.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are seeing people lose their SNAP benefits.
• This is before the full weight of federal SNAP funding cuts fall squarely on the shoulders of the states
• Or if you lose SNAP benefits that total much more than those savings?
• I myself am not eligible for Medicaid or SNAP benefits.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower the Arkansas personal income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate income tax rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continues a decade-long strategy of broad-based tax relief, saying it would help working families, keep Arkansas competitive, and reduce future surpluses rather than cut services. He said the personal rate change would affect income above $26,400 for taxpayers in the lower table and that the average taxpayer could see roughly $800 to $1,000 in annual savings from recent tax cuts overall. Several opponents testified that the state cannot afford additional tax cuts given existing needs. Arkansas Appleseed, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, a pastor, a nonprofit worker, and a parent of an adult with disabilities all argued that Arkansas should prioritize funding for public schools, early childhood education, health care, rural hospitals, food assistance, and supported living services. They said the state faces high food insecurity, underfunded education, and growing demands on the budget from federal changes and state programs such as Education Freedom Accounts, and that the tax cut would disproportionately benefit higher earners while providing little relief to most families. In closing, Eaves and Rep. Ray defended the bill as part of a broader pro-growth tax policy, saying the legislature has continued to fund major priorities while also returning money to taxpayers. Ray said the state should not wait to help taxpayers until every social problem is solved and argued the cumulative tax savings have benefited working families. The committee then adopted a motion to pass HB 1001, and the bill passed by voice vote before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• and CHIP, as Emily just went through, as well as our Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP
• Um, in November of last year, we were able to, um, eliminate our backlog of SNAP applications and we
• dedicated team of staff who are working those oldest applications and since we um eliminated that SNAP
• If they're enrolling in SNAP or TANFF, we will issue that EBT card.
• We also look at out of state shopping, um, for SNAP purchases, and then that will trigger alerts that