Transcript Highlights:

• And then that is a funding source that for state funds for other schools in the state.
• That, that was part of the state funding provided to the rest of the schools in the state.
• You know, the state budget of New Mexico is $12 billion so a third of their state budget.
• Yeah, it's a method of finance.
• school program, you would need an additional method of finance to support the same dollar amount, which

Transcript Highlights:

• My name is State Senator John Cronin.
• the Municipal Pavement Program and the Shared Streets and Spaces municipal grant program.
• The Rail Enhancement Program was used to finance MBTA investments, including the Green Line Extension
• these programs.
• We also have $500 million in this bill for the LAMP program, which is accelerating state-owned roads

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets held a public hearing on H. 5279, a bill financing long-term improvements to municipal roads and bridges. MassDOT and A&F testified in support, describing the bill as a more than $5 billion transportation bond package centered on a four-year, $1.2 billion Chapter 90 authorization, plus funding for MBTA rail reliability and modernization, housing-related transportation improvements, a new DCR/MassDOT PRISM program for parkways and other DCR assets, and reauthorizations of the Municipal Pavement Program, Shared Streets and Spaces, and highway programs. They said the bill would support safety, resilience, housing production, and multimodal transportation, and noted that some bonds could be issued as special obligation bonds backed by the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and Fair Share revenues. Committee members asked about the size and structure of the authorizations, the federal match for highway projects, the source of MBTA vehicle procurement, bridge repair needs, and whether the housing-related funds could be used flexibly for items like sidewalks, bike lanes, bus stops, and other local transportation improvements. Administration witnesses said the bill is intended as a temporary refill of existing programs until a larger transportation bond bill is filed next session, that the federal-aid line includes the full spending authority while the state only borrows the 20% match, and that the housing-related program is deliberately broad and not limited to MBTA communities. They also said Chapter 90 includes a road-mile component that especially helps rural communities and that preservation and safety are built into the programs. The Massachusetts Municipal Association also testified in strong support, emphasizing that Chapter 90 is the most important tool municipalities have to maintain the roughly 30,000 miles of local roads and bridges they are responsible for. MMA urged timely passage before construction season and praised the continued $300 million Chapter 90 level, especially the $100 million road-mile distribution that helps communities with large road networks and smaller populations. No votes were taken on the bill, and the hearing concluded with adjournment after testimony ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Multiple state agencies can do that. IBank is one, the State Treasurer's Office and DWR.
• The other thing to think about is the state is not eligible for the state wildfire fund.
• I thought you said the risk is with the state. I mean, couldn't the risk still be with the state?
• With the state?
• So are there states that are doing this right, states that we should be looking at as we're trying to

Summary: The committee first heard AB 13, which would restructure the CPUC to increase legislative oversight, add legislative liaisons, require more detailed and timely reporting on rate-setting decisions, and add a public advocate member. The author and supporters argued the bill would improve transparency, accountability, and geographic diversity in CPUC decision-making amid rising utility rates. Witnesses from TURN, San Joaquin County, SDG&E, and former CPUC Commissioner Loretta Lynch offered support or support-in-principle, while no opposition testimony was presented. Members generally praised the bill’s transparency goals, and AB 13 passed 10-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open for absent members. The committee then adopted the 2025-2026 committee rules and approved three consent items: AB 61, AB 365, and AB 406. The next bill, AB 99, would cap investor-owned utility rate increases above inflation except for specified costs such as safety, modernization, and fuel/commodity costs. The author and supporters, including a representative of the California Senior Legislature, said the bill was needed to protect ratepayers, especially seniors and low-income customers, from repeated rate hikes. Opposition came from utility labor, utilities, the Chamber of Commerce, and others, who argued the bill was too simplistic, could suppress labor costs, and did not account for major cost drivers such as wildfire mitigation, mandates, and net metering. Several members supported moving the bill forward as a starting point on affordability, while others criticized it as overly blunt. AB 99 passed 11-0 to Appropriations, with the roll left open. The hearing then shifted to an informational panel on strategies to reduce California transmission costs. A Public Advocates Office staffer described a growing backlog of approved-but-unbuilt transmission projects, rising transmission access charges, and long project timelines driven largely by utility pre-application and construction periods. Panelists from Net Zero California and consulting firms presented research suggesting that public financing or public-private partnership lease models could reduce transmission costs by lowering financing, tax, and capital costs, with estimated savings of up to 57% and as much as $123 billion over 40 years. PG&E’s representative said the utility is already pursuing federal loan guarantees, grants, and a public-private partnership with Citizens Energy, but warned that state ownership could create tax, wildfire-liability, and governance risks. Members asked about the CPUC’s role, the causes of delays, and whether public financing could complement existing competitive solicitation processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, Cheryl Yu, state representative and co-chair of the House Education Finance Committee.
• vice chair of ed finance. vice chair of ed finance.
• <00:09:25.519> related<00:09:25.839> to programs or other programs uh related to programs
• from a department program.
• teacher preparation grant program. teacher preparation grant program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So adopt it into the states and adopt it into their programs.
• And our office, EDF, the Office of Energy Dominance Financing, formerly known as the Loan Programs Office
• for state benefit.
• for state benefit.
• At a facility that was located in the state for state benefit.

Summary: The Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee met to hear a series of presentations on the economics, financing, workforce, and community impacts of advanced nuclear deployment in North Dakota. William Bridge of Nucleon Energy presented the committee’s economic impacts and private-sector financing report, estimating construction and operating job impacts, local spending, and state/local tax effects for hypothetical SMR projects. He said the report assumes first-of-a-kind costs are still high, used a $6 million per megawatt nth-of-a-kind proxy, and estimated peak construction workforces of about 500 for a 200-MW plant and 1,000 for a larger facility, with roughly 100 operating jobs for a 200-MW plant. Committee members questioned security costs, capital cost assumptions, water and transmission siting constraints, and whether the model included fuel and waste; Bridge said the report included initial fuel in capital cost and that waste disposal is funded through existing federal mechanisms. Lori Brady of the Nuclear Energy Institute then outlined national nuclear workforce needs and NEI’s strategic workforce planning efforts. She described declining labor-force participation, retirements, and the need for a much larger future workforce, and said NEI has organized recommendations around career awareness, pipelines, training and qualification, policy support, retention, and nontraditional recruitment. She highlighted tools such as the Nuclear Works career website, the Nuclear Energy Academic Roadmap, the new federal Energy and Natural Resources career cluster, and the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program for community colleges. Members asked about AI, timing for training relative to plant development, and whether advanced manufacturing would reduce staffing needs; Brady said AI is not expected to replace workers and that training timelines depend on the specific project and staffing plan. The committee also heard from Gary Yaco, mayor of Red Wing, Minnesota, who described Prairie Island’s role in his community. He said the plant provides a large share of local property tax revenue, supports well-paid jobs, contributes to emergency preparedness funding and training, and is broadly supported by the city despite periodic protests and public concerns. He emphasized the plant’s security, regular drills with local and federal responders, and the absence of problems with dry cask storage. Later, Benton Arnett of NEI discussed the current financing landscape for advanced nuclear, explaining how tax credits, federal loan support, off-take agreements, and new business models are helping projects move forward. He said early projects face high upfront costs and long lead-time procurement, but that investor confidence is improving as federal policy and regulatory streamlining continue. The committee asked about waste funding, comparisons with natural gas, the effect of political shifts on investor confidence, and whether the market will narrow to a few winning technologies; Arnett said the industry is still sorting that out, but expects clearer winners in the late 2020s and early 2030s. The meeting concluded with an introductory presentation from Julie Kazeraki of DOE’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing, who said the office is focused on accelerating nuclear deployment through financing support.

Transcript Highlights:

• , to State Affairs.
• , to Finance.
• , to State Affairs.
• to state affairs.
• , to State Affairs.

Summary: The Senate met briefly and referred a large number of first-reading bills and resolutions to standing committees. The measures covered a wide range of topics, including hemp regulation, dementia research funding, parental rights and public education, municipal library funding, tax and local government issues, criminal justice, health care, education, transportation, natural resources, and election law. Several constitutional resolutions were also referred, including proposals related to the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and a severance tax revenue fund. Most of the transcript consists of the reading of bill captions and committee referrals, with no substantive debate or testimony recorded. The listed measures included proposals on school uniforms, charter schools, Medicaid fraud remedies, insurance practices, occupational licensing for people with criminal convictions, water and sewer utility cybersecurity, agricultural protections, public meeting broadcasting, and various local and state governance matters. No votes were taken on the bills in this segment. The only formal action reflected was referral of the bills and resolutions to the appropriate committees, followed by adjournment of the Senate until the next scheduled meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• throughout the state.
• The program slated to receive more one-time resources in your bill will help the agency finance more
• Program of $10 million will help create new single-family and rental homes across the state.
• Challenge Program.
• Our programs are heavily relied upon by renters and governments throughout the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• Minnesota Mano created a special program Minnesota Mano created a special program just<00:04:15.519
• But we have to be very careful so that one program doesn't end up at the risk of another program in our
• But we have to be very careful so that one program doesn't end up at the risk of another program in our
• of another program in our school of another program in our school districts<00:10:58.240> yeah
• <00:19:44.120> um putting it towards their programming um putting it towards their programming

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These 13 members represent state agencies and the private sector, with expertise in banking, finance,
• We also are partnering to leverage our state funding with the Loan Programs Office.
• We also are partnering to leverage our state funding with the Loan Programs Office.
• We also are partnering to leverage our state funding with the Loan Programs Office.
• Director: We also are partnering to leverage our state funding with the Loan Programs Office.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• State programs and spending, economic development coordination, cost and benefits of tax incentives,
• the United States.
• Riley is very active in both her school theater program and local theater program, which we both love
• Committee. to the Finance Committee.
• Senate Bill 130 do pass, and then is referred. to the Finance Committee and thence referred to the Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see a lot of funding for the Forest Health Program, fire prevention grants, state conservancy
• We will have a state-level director in the United States Forest Service.
• But an example that we use is our county coordinator program, where we have had across the state individuals
• But an example that we use is our county coordinator program where we have had across the state individuals
• , and that program...

Summary: The subcommittee began by announcing a change in the agenda order, moving item 6 ahead of item 1 and then item 7, and noting there would be no votes taken on any items that day. Item 6 covered a proposed operational efficiencies control section for the Natural Resources Agency that would let multiple departments jointly fund landscape-scale or multi-jurisdictional projects and allow Finance to transfer climate bond funds to a lead state entity. The LAO said the proposal was reasonable but suggested the Legislature consider requiring summary notification on how it is used; Finance said it would consider that request. Item 7 focused on the 2026-27 biodiversity and nature-based solutions spending plan. Finance and the Wildlife Conservation Board described the climate bond funding for habitat restoration, wildlife crossings, public access, tribal nature-based solutions, and related work, including $111 million proposed for WCB and $30 million for Salton Sea habitat and public access projects. The LAO supported the overall approach but flagged the San Andreas Corridor Program as an area where the Legislature may want to specify geographic priorities. Members discussed the pace of Salton Sea work and whether the proposed projects would count toward disadvantaged community goals. Item 8 addressed Cal Fire’s aviation contract and staffing needs for wildfire response. Cal Fire said year-round fire activity, a larger and more complex aircraft fleet, and labor market pressures justified the proposed contract increase, including more mechanics, pilots, and maintenance support. The LAO recommended approval, saying the proposal addressed health and safety concerns. Members asked about contractor staffing, competition in the bidding process, and future technology for early fire detection and suppression. The committee then took up item 1 on golden mussel containment. Fish and Wildlife described the invasive species’ spread in the Delta, the task force and response framework, and a request for eight new positions funded by Prop. 4 to support control plans, outreach, monitoring, research, and coordination with partners and law enforcement. Members pressed the department on whether the state should fund more direct decontamination infrastructure and grants to local water managers, and on the realistic goal of containing the mussel. The chair and several members emphasized the urgency of the threat and requested an itemized breakdown of the $20 million request. The hearing then moved to a broader LAO overview of wildfire prevention and response funding, where the LAO summarized the state’s funding mix and warned that ongoing wildfire resilience funding will likely decline as one-time bond and GGRF funds are exhausted, prompting discussion of long-term funding options and the balance between prevention, suppression, and community hardening.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have one of the top gun buyback programs in the state, getting dangerous firearms off our street.
• We are a state-funded higher education grant-making program in our eighth year of operation.
• We are a state-funded higher education grant-making program in our eighth year of operation.
• Given the state is already considering cuts to ongoing student support programs, we think it is reasonable
• Department of Finance, Ryan Bender, Department of Finance.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , Minerals, and Natural Resources Department, to set up an in-state structural grading program.
• What it would allow the landowner to do is go to the state bank and say, "I have a cost-share program
• We offer programs that can help finance recovery from that.
• The finance authority manages and administers the drinking water State Revolving Fund.
• I know the Board of Finance, I believe, has some emergency financing powers, but our infrastructure programs

Transcript Highlights:

• time in the past 25 years in our state. time in the past 25 years in our state.
• and the Technical Rescue Grant Program only if there are available funds, as a former presenter stated
• VSA states statute 4643. VSA states statute 4643.
• recommended by the committee on finance. recommended by the committee on finance.
• committee on finance. committee on finance.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A key issue here concerns the Legislature recently providing ongoing state support to finance various
• Since this authority has been provided, the state has given UC authority to finance $4 billion in projects
• We were very appreciative of the state housing grant program.
• I've personally found that food assistance programs provided by the state can be inefficient and difficult
• This program is not optional.

Summary: The committee’s first major discussion focused on higher education facilities across UC, CSU, and the community colleges, with Chair Alvarez framing the issue as a final budget hearing before the May Revise. The LAO presented findings that campuses have grown substantially in buildings and square footage, while classroom and lab utilization remains below legislative standards and deferred maintenance backlogs continue to rise. The LAO also emphasized that the state and segments lack comprehensive data on capital renewal spending and recommended better reporting, clearer funding targets, and long-term planning for renewal and maintenance. UC, CSU, and community college representatives each described large five-year capital plans, aging facilities, seismic and deferred maintenance needs, and the role of student housing, while noting that construction costs are rising faster than inflation. Members questioned the segments about debt service, utilization rates, and how projects are prioritized. UC said its debt service tied to state support is about $665 million annually and described a $30 billion five-year capital financial plan, including housing, medical centers, and building renewal. CSU said it has about $31 billion in five-year needs and more than $8 billion in deferred maintenance, with funding coming from a mix of state-related and one-time sources since the state shifted capital responsibility to CSU. Community colleges said their unmet facilities needs total about $33.5 billion and explained their use of a scoring matrix and FUSION system to rank projects. The chair and members pressed all three systems to better distinguish between projects that are truly shovel-ready and those that are long-term needs, and discussed whether facilities condition data, total cost of ownership, and more standardized metrics should guide future bond proposals. The committee then turned to Proposition 2 and the Governor’s proposed community college capital outlay projects. The Department of Finance said Prop. 2 provides $1.5 billion for community colleges and that the Governor’s budget proposes 29 projects, with two continuing Prop. 51 projects also included. The LAO supported the overall use of the funds but raised concerns about the current 65/35 split between modernization and growth, the unusually large share of gymnasium projects, and some scoring metrics that favor larger campuses and certain regions. Community college officials said the scoring system was developed through participatory governance and would take one to two years to revise, but they supported the funding and agreed to follow up on questions about project categories and the rationale for the weighting. Members also suggested giving more weight to modernization, regional access, and intersegmental or collaborative projects. A final item addressed the CalKids program. The Department of Finance proposed $56,000 ongoing General Fund for three positions, while the LAO recommended approving two positions but rejecting a manager position until the current $7.5 million marketing campaign is evaluated. ScholarShare’s executive director said CalKids has enrolled more than 5 million children, with nearly 600,000 claims and over $45 million distributed, and argued that additional staff and outreach are needed to reach a goal of 1 million claimed scholarships by the end of 2025 and to implement AB 2808. Members asked about marketing effectiveness, data sharing, and eligibility rules, and the program said it is expanding partnerships with Cradle to Career and CSAC. No final vote was taken in the hearing, and the chair indicated the facilities item would be held open.

Transcript Highlights:

• The cost-of-living adjustment for the child care programs and the state preschool program, the 2.01%
• help finance their Medicaid programs.
• post-program placement within the state or counties.
• These are a little bit different because it's kind of state operations or state programs. Okay.
• that this program is prioritized should the need arise for state assistance.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a program called long-term facilities maintenance, which is a facilities financing program.
• that particular financing program that particular program<00:10:51.680> does<00:10:51.839>
• financing programs, which is, you know, kind of a big deal.
• financing programs, which is, you know, kind of a big deal.
• financing programs, which is kind of a big deal.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• state.
• policy evaluation and the governance and finance study supporting the State Water Commission and Department
• Our next revised governance and finance report draft is due to the State Board of Commission on May 1
• Our next revised governance and finance report draft is due to the State Board of Commission on May 1st
• You look at these plans, these programs that the state offers and they're calling for projects when you

Summary: The Water Topics Overview Committee met with a quorum and received updates from the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Commission, followed by presentations from Deloitte on two legislative studies required by House Bill 1020. Director Reese Haas reviewed major project and budget updates, including the Northwest Area Water Supply and Southwest Pipeline projects, Resources Trust Fund balances, carryover spending, project prioritization, bid conditions, regional water system coverage, and department process improvements. Members also discussed how the commission prioritizes projects, maintenance expectations, and the impact of limited municipal water supply funding. No formal committee action was taken during the DWR update; the commission’s municipal funding decisions were described as pending its April 8 meeting. Deloitte then presented the cost-share policy study, which found that under current policy and forecasted revenues, North Dakota faces an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall over 14 years, with a near-term gap of about $1.8 billion through 2031. The firm outlined seven recommended options, including tighter definitions and a 25% cost share for eligible replacement projects, caps and financing strategies for the Mouse River and Red River Valley projects, aligning cost share with commission priority guidance, delaying lower-priority projects, using available lines of credit, and adjusting reimbursement timing for revolving loan funds. Committee members questioned inflation assumptions, affordability, user fees, and the use of legacy fund earnings for bonding, but no decisions were made. In the governance and finance study, Deloitte said final recommendations are still being refined, with a final report due May 29. The study examined the Southwest Pipeline, NAWS, and Red River Valley systems using governance and finance criteria such as decision authority, transparency, affordability, risk, and access to funding. For Southwest, Deloitte outlined options ranging from improved state-authority coordination to transferring ownership to the Southwest Water Authority; for NAWS, options focused on strengthening the authority’s role and potentially transitioning operations and maintenance; and for Red River, options ranged from enhanced facilitation to formal state oversight or state ownership. Members asked follow-up questions about ownership transfer, capital repayment streams, and why NAWS was not considered for transfer, and Deloitte said NAWS’s limited organizational maturity made that option less viable in the near term.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their third consecutive state championship title, becoming the first team in program history to win back-to-back
• Is that maybe even a state? Have you won on the state championship?
• So again, congratulations from the New Mexico State Senate to St. Mike's. State Senate to St.
• We have the future of the state surrounding me. We talked about the future of the state.
• , every corner of the state.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've also included Sonoma State in the Riverside County Direct Admissions program so that in Riverside
• of the chairs of all the CSU WGS programs across the state.
• We also request the reinstatement of the Women's and Gender Studies program at Sonoma State, given all
• State law mandates that registered professional geologists oversee infrastructure programs, including
• I'm a professor of finance at Sacramento State. I've been there for 14 years.

Keywords: 988, house, all