Transcript Highlights:

• Zabel explained, this balance is a bit like a game of Jenga.
• In addition to that, it's a balancing act, and the bill that we passed in 2021 dealt with that balancing
• Lisa Kaufman: Well, I mean, this is, again, a balancing act between private property rights that you
• At the time, because it was so hard getting to that point where we’re balancing these rights...”
• I think the Legislature is drawing a balance.

Bills: HB5489, HB5695, HB5699, SB291, SB292

Keywords: impact fee, moratorium, local government, Texas legislation, infrastructure funding, municipal utility district, eminent domain, bonds, assessments, infrastructure, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Harris County, Municipal Utility District, territory exclusion, debt service taxes, property taxation, condemnation, property acquisition, real property, appraisal reports

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> amendment that aligns and balances amendment that aligns and balances County<00:27:40.760><c> and
• So we're just looking for a way to have this balance.
• </c> looking for a way to have this balance looking for a way to have this balance so<00:54:50.400><c
• </c><01:32:31.639><c> of</c> Resources so it should be a balance of Resources so it should be a balance
• </c><01:44:35.639><c> in</c> that um how how do you find balance in that um how how do you find balance

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several measures. On HB 211 relating to stream maintenance, DLNR supported the intent but requested amendments to clarify that responsibility for removing abandoned property rests with the entity that has jurisdiction or ownership of the stream, and asked for appropriations to help cover cleanup costs. Members discussed existing county authority to clean streams and then seek reimbursement from private owners, and the City and County of Honolulu’s written testimony was noted as arguing the bill conflicts with a federal court stipulation requiring notice and storage of personal property before disposal. On HB 502 relating to land use, OPSD and the Land Use Commission supported the bill’s intent but raised concerns about the short timeline and the need for rule changes, with OPSD recommending a more permanent county plan-based district boundary amendment process instead of a temporary one. The Department of Agriculture asked counties to make concurrent revisions to ordinances and rules affecting agricultural land partitioning. Testimony also noted the bill is aimed at legacy agricultural subdivisions and would require Land Use Commission rulemaking. On HB 510 relating to declaration of water shortage and emergency, DLNR and the Board of Water Supply strongly supported the measure, saying it would give CWRM a more timely tool to respond to emergencies outside designated water management areas and would require rulemaking, permit classifications, and criteria for declaring shortages. In response to opposition concerns from the Land Use Research Foundation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau, DLNR said the rulemaking process would allow public input and that permit classifications could help balance agricultural and other water uses. On HB 511 relating to public lands, DLNR, the Department of Agriculture, and Hawaii Farm Bureau supported removing the survey requirement before setting aside public lands between state agencies, saying it would speed Act 90 transfers and save time and money, though one testifier cautioned against misuse of agricultural lands. No votes were taken during the excerpted portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• approach. the balanced approach.
• Since the May Revision, not only is budget year balanced, but budget year one is also balanced, and that
• It was balanced for the first year.
• So that's the balance I'm trying to find right now.
• The reversion is the balance of the $65 million.

Summary: The committee heard opening budget remarks from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office on the May Revision for Health and Human Services. Finance said the proposal significantly reduces projected out-year operating deficits through a mix of revenue increases and program cost reductions, while the LAO warned that even with booming revenues the state still faces a structural deficit and should prioritize reserves and avoid new ongoing commitments. The chair and members echoed concern about cuts to vulnerable populations, but also noted the need to maintain the overall level of budget solutions and add to reserves. The hearing then moved through a series of CalHHS and HCAI proposals, mostly held open after presentation. CalHHS requested additional legal support to respond to federal H.R. 1-related issues and a net-zero transfer of positions for a shared eligibility/data-sharing platform. Other items included ongoing funding for the 988 Behavioral Health Crisis Service Fund and a request for EMSA to fund maintenance of its enterprise data management system. HCAI presented proposals for hospital fair pricing implementation, the data exchange framework, the all-payer claims database, CalRx insulin development, the diaper access initiative, distressed hospital grants, opioid settlement fund reversion, and the Rural Health Transformation Program. Members questioned funding sources, special fund use, contracting exemptions, timelines, and whether some proposals should be more targeted or supported by alternative funding. A major discussion centered on HCAI’s diaper access initiative and the use of a Public Contract Code exemption to continue contracting for free diapers distributed through hospitals. The chair and some members criticized the optics of the selected vendor and questioned the lack of an income threshold, while HCAI said the program was designed to be universal and administratively simple, with future phase-two direct-to-consumer purchasing to be handled by a different vendor. Another extended exchange focused on distressed hospital funding, where HCAI said the May Revision would provide up to $50 million for hospitals at immediate risk of closure, but members argued the repeated annual need shows a structural problem and asked for broader reforms to hospital payment and care transitions. The final major topic was the Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission’s budget. The Commission opposed the May Revision’s reduction of the Innovation Partnership Fund from $20 million to $10 million and a $6.7 million cut to community advocacy contracts, arguing both are core Proposition 1 tools for statewide innovation and community engagement. Finance responded that the proposal is within Proposition 1’s allowable maximums and that prior unspent appropriations could be redirected if the Legislature wanted to restore the full amount. No votes were taken; items were generally held open for later action.

Transcript Highlights:

• Healthy ecosystems depend on balance.
• Healthy ecosystems depend on balance.
• It seeks to restore balance to this ecosystem.
• We want healthy wildlife, and we want balance.
• balance theories, which has shown limitations.

Bills: HB2131, HB2221, HJM4009, HB2619

Keywords: sea lion, predation control, salmon preservation, fishing industry, voluntary donations, ungulate, wildlife conservation, ecosystem management, population sustainability, environmental impact, wildfire, federal response, community protection, natural resources, firefighter safety, agriculture, regulations, farming, compliance, economic impact

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2221, which would require the Department of Fish and Wildlife to designate at-risk ungulate populations and trigger predator mitigation if populations in the federal delisting area fall 25% below a 10-year rolling average. The sponsor, Rep. Hunter Abel, said the bill is meant to address declining deer and elk herds in northeast Washington, support tribal and subsistence hunting, and help rural economies. Staff explained the bill’s definitions and reporting requirements, while committee questions focused on what animals count as ungulates and whether livestock are included. Public testimony was sharply divided: supporters, including some local residents, a sheriff, a county commissioner, cattle and farm groups, and a tribes representative, argued that predators are contributing to herd declines and economic harm; opponents, including WDFW, Washington Wildlife First, Sierra Club, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, and conservation groups, said the science does not support predator control as an effective way to boost ungulate populations and pointed instead to habitat, forage, weather, disease, and vehicle collisions. WDFW said parts of the bill are impractical and costly, while some supporters asked for amendments, especially on in-state wolf translocation. The hearing closed with the record showing 138 in favor, 339 opposed, and no other signed in without testifying. The committee then heard House Bill 2619, which would create a joint legislative task force to review and recommend ways to reduce regulatory stress in agriculture, including rules on land use, water stewardship, grazing, and pesticides. Rep. Tom Dent said the bill grows out of prior task force work on farm stress and suicide, and is intended to ease financial and mental health pressures on producers by reducing regulatory overload. The Washington State Department of Agriculture testified in support of the concept but noted a fiscal note and said it was working with the sponsor to reduce the cost. Farm and commodity groups also supported the bill, describing it as a practical response to stress on family farms. The committee then moved to House Joint Memorial 4009, which asks Congress to ensure federal wildfire response agencies remain capable of protecting communities, natural resources, and firefighter safety amid federal consolidation of wildfire programs. Rep. Springer and multiple tribal, county, forest industry, conservation, and public employee witnesses supported the memorial and repeatedly tied it to restoring full funding for state wildfire resilience efforts, especially House Bill 1168 funding, arguing that state and federal investments together reduce fire risk and costs. The memorial hearing ended with the record showing 181 in favor, two opposed, and no other signed in without testifying. The committee returned to House Bill 2221 for public testimony. WDFW said it supports the goal of healthy herds but raised concerns about feasibility, cost, and the bill’s harvest benchmarks. Opponents again argued that predator control is not supported by the science and that habitat and forage are the main drivers of ungulate trends. Supporters, including tribal, county, ranching, and local resident witnesses, said deer and elk declines are visible on the ground and are affecting hunting, tourism, livestock, and rural life. Several witnesses requested amendments, especially to the in-state wolf translocation language. After closing the hearing, the committee began House Bill 2131, which would add a voluntary $1-or-more donation option to vessel registrations to support sea lion predation control and salmon preservation in the Lower Columbia River. Staff explained that the account would fund pinniped management and not supplant existing funds, and noted an amendment delaying implementation from July 1 to October 1, 2026. The sponsor, Rep. Ed Orcutt, began his testimony describing sea lion impacts on Columbia River salmon and the need for the donation mechanism.

Transcript Highlights:

• Your current plan does not balance, and if there was, you know, not 750... Does not balance.
• Kavanaugh, your budget also doesn't balance? Yes. Thank you. Well, Mr.
• Kavanaugh, your budget also doesn't balance. Yeah, thank you. Mr.
• Kavanaugh, your budget also doesn't balance.
• A balanced budget is important.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee met to review the governor’s fiscal 2027 budget presentation, with the chair repeatedly asking members to keep questions brief and avoid speeches. The discussion focused first on the overall revenue and spending outlook, including concerns from members that the executive forecast was more optimistic than the JLBC baseline and that the budget appeared to front-load revenue and expenditure growth. The governor’s budget team said the forecast was close to JLBC’s, that the budget was structurally balanced, and that differences were roughly $100 million per year on ongoing revenue. Members asked for follow-up calculations in writing, including the total multi-year gap and the amount of revenue enhancements above base revenues. A major portion of the meeting centered on tax and fee proposals tied to data centers, water use, and sports betting. The governor’s team defended eliminating the existing data center tax incentive as the removal of a loophole rather than a new tax, arguing the incentive had already succeeded in attracting major investment. They also described a proposed Department of Water Resources fee-setting authority for data centers to support a new Colorado River Protection Fund, and said the proposal would apply to existing and future facilities without a grandfather clause. Members raised concerns about fairness, competitiveness, and whether the changes would require a supermajority vote. The team also discussed increased sports betting fees, saying the revenue forecast did not include dynamic behavioral effects. The committee then moved through major spending areas, including corrections, public safety, border security, cybersecurity, K-12 education, Medicaid, and developmental disabilities. The governor’s budget includes ongoing funding to prevent correctional officer pay cuts, money to comply with prison health care court orders, probation funding, body-worn cameras, law enforcement staffing, fentanyl task forces, and cyber readiness grants. Members questioned the lack of funding for a prison oversight committee and asked for corrections spending totals over the administration. On border security, the executive said it was seeking about $759.7 million in federal reimbursement for border-related costs and that the governor had met with federal officials, including Secretary Noem and Tom Homan, about the request. In education, the budget proposes renewing Prop. 123, adding K-12 base funding, and issuing $1.5 billion in school facilities bonds over three years; members debated whether the proposal was appropriate and whether Prop. 123 revenues could support the debt service. The meeting also covered AHCCCS cost growth and federal HR1 impacts, with the executive warning of major coverage losses and hospital funding reductions, and DDD funding, where the governor’s team said the budget fully funds services and includes about $120 million in supplemental needs. No votes were taken; the meeting was a presentation and question-and-answer session only.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, but I'm trying to do that balance between the two.
• Uh, but I'm trying to do that balance between the two.
• Uh, but I'm trying to do that balance between the two.
• It's it's as there's there's balance.
• ><c> recognizing</c><00:25:13.440><c> the</c> balances that need of recognizing the balances that need

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:04:52.760><c> of</c> striking the appropriate balancing of striking the appropriate balancing
• is all about: balancing the scales.
• is all about: balancing the scales.
• is all about: balancing the scales.
• </c> that's what this is all about balancing that's what this is all about balancing the<01:20:47.040

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> reserve the balance of my time. reserve the balance of my time.
• </c> the balance of my time. the balance of my time.
• </c> reserve the balance of my time. reserve the balance of my time.
• </c> the balance of my time. the balance of my time.
• </c> the balance of my time. the balance of my time.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, January 12, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The general fund balance, as shown on the general fund balance chart, remains strong in the governmental
• It’s that beginning balance.
• then their ending balance at the end of the 25.
• It's that beginning balance.
• then their ending balance at the end of the 25.

Summary: The Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee met to receive a series of audit presentations, beginning with approval of the prior meeting minutes and a review of the state’s annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) for fiscal year 2025. The State Auditor’s Office and the Office of Management and Budget reported a clean opinion on the state’s financial statements and described continued growth in net position, strong general fund balance, and significant Legacy Fund investment income. Committee members asked about how the report reflects long-term finances and how North Dakota compares with other states, and OMB noted that the ACFR is based on audited actual results rather than budget forecasts. The committee then heard the North Dakota University System audit, which also received a clean opinion but included four findings: misreporting of Strategic Investment and Improvements Fund construction money, insufficient monitoring of service organizations, improper bank reconciliations at several campuses, and investment/cash recording issues at Bismarck State College. University System officials agreed with the findings and said corrective actions were underway, including internal review of bank reconciliations and greater use of shared services. Members also questioned practices such as campus use of certificates of deposit and whether repeated findings were being adequately addressed. Additional audits were presented for the State Fair Association, State Auditor’s Office, Workforce Safety and Insurance, Housing Finance Agency, Housing Incentive Fund, Job Service North Dakota, the Retirement and Investment Office, PERS, the Center for Distance Education, the Securities Department, the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, the Ethics Commission, and the Office of Administrative Hearings. Most received clean opinions with no findings; exceptions included a repeat component-unit issue at the State Fair Foundation, a securities personnel-evaluation finding, and a Housing Finance Agency finding involving a late return of escrow surplus. The committee also discussed broader oversight issues, including the need for independent auditing of the Ethics Commission, possible legislative changes to give the State Auditor more subpoena power and independent legal counsel, and future work on data analytics, cybersecurity reviews, and audit capacity. The meeting recessed for lunch after these discussions.

Transcript Highlights:

• This balance is a primary goal of the legislation that extended the program.
• This balance is a primary goal of the legislation and of all of our actions.
• This balance is a primary goal of the legislation that extended the program.
• And so we just need to balance those.
• I think that's an important balance to be very, very important balance to be very...

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> then becomes the beginning fund balance then becomes the beginning fund balance for<01:15:00.880
• Now, if you don't know what an F1 balance is, that's what this general fund balance is.
• It's referred to as an F1 balance. The school meals balance is the F-51 balance.
• ><c> the</c><01:49:33.920><c> F-51</c> school meals balance is the F-51 school meals balance is the F
• -51 balance. balance. balance.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call - 0:25 Approval of Minutes – 3-50 2025 RS SB 253 – 4:25 Computer Science and AI Literacy – 27:36 Fayette County School District Budget Update – 51:46 Adjournment – 2:09:46, 958, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, including roll call, introductions, and approval of the previous meeting minutes by voice vote. It then heard a presentation on SB 253, focused on expanding support for teacher apprenticeship and teaching-and-learning pathways. Senator Hickman and staff from the Kentucky Department of Education and Nelson County Schools described how the program uses dual credit, work-based learning, and registered apprenticeship to help students earn an associate degree in high school and continue toward a teaching degree. They said the goal is to address the teacher shortage by creating a sustainable pipeline into the profession. Witnesses emphasized that the main barrier is cost. Mary Taylor said Kentucky’s youth apprenticeship model has been successful in other fields and that education should be added as an in-demand sector, but an associate degree alone will not solve the teacher shortage because teachers still need a bachelor’s degree and certification. Laura Arnold of Nelson County Schools described the district’s Lead Nelson program, saying the district has invested more than $800,000 since 2021, currently has 37 students in the pathway and seven committed apprentices, and spends about $85,000 per apprentice from freshman year through certification. She said district staffing, planning, and university partnerships are also significant hurdles. Members asked about job guarantees, tenure, and retirement; Arnold said employment is performance-based and retirement issues are being considered. Senator Hickman said the bill would use lottery funds to help cover tuition and dual credit costs so more districts can participate, noting that a prior version died because of a high fiscal note. Representative Payne and Representative Tipton praised the program but stressed the need for funding and noted inconsistencies between statute and budget language on Work Ready Kentucky and dual credit support. Representative Tipton also cautioned that lottery revenue may not keep pace with demand and said the General Assembly may need to make broader funding decisions. After the apprenticeship discussion, the chair moved the committee to the next agenda item on computer science and AI literacy, where Code.org began a presentation on the importance of computer science for all students.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that's you know, that's the other thing that we have to try to find the balance for.
• And so that's you know, that's the other thing that we have to try to find the balance for.
• And so that's you know, that's the other thing that we have to try to find the balance for.
• And so that's you know, that's the other thing that we have to try to find the balance for.
• It's just that we have to balance that with some of the other things.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this bill strikes a good balance. ...to go free. I think this bill strikes a good balance.
• SB 1373 is ultimately about balance, protecting access...
• SB 1373 is ultimately about balance, protecting access again when people genuinely need access to mental
• This bill has been carefully crafted to balance ensuring that judges continue to have discretion for
• I think this strikes the right balance, and I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a fixed capital outlay report and a schedule of allotment balances.
• We have six fund balance reports.
• You can get a trust fund cash balance, an investment report, a specific cash balance report on a trust
• You can get a trust fund daily cash balance.
• It also allows us to have a complete trial balance by fund available.

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive updates on Transparency Florida and related transparency tools. The Governor’s Office and the Department of Financial Services described the Transparency Florida website, the state payment and contract systems, and the local-government financial reporting system (Logger X/XBRL), emphasizing public access, searchable payment and contract data, downloadable reports, and ongoing upgrades. Members asked whether school districts and the Department of Corrections are included in these systems; staff explained that state agencies like Corrections are covered through Transparency Florida, FACTS, and the state financial reports, while Logger X is for local governments. Committee staff reported that the Transparency Florida Act’s requirements have been met and noted that any new recommendations would need legislative action; members were invited to submit recommendations by October 30. The committee then reviewed repeated audit findings for local governments and educational entities. Staff explained the statutory process for “three-peat” findings: first requesting an updated written corrective-action status, then possibly requiring an appearance before the committee, and finally taking further action if findings remain uncorrected. Most entities were recommended for written updates, while the City of Daytona Beach was singled out for an in-person appearance because of a repeated finding involving unexpended building permit balances. Members also raised questions about specific entities, including McIntosh, White Springs, Pahokee, and the Fred R. Wilson Memorial Law Library special district, with staff explaining the nature of the findings and noting that some entities may warrant further review. The committee adopted a motion to accept staff’s recommendations and to send letters to entities with uncorrected audit findings in late-filed 2023-24 audit reports. It also approved a motion directing the Auditor General and OPPAGA to conduct the required audit of the Department of the Lottery for fiscal year 2025-26, with the Auditor General handling financial, internal control, and compliance work and OPPAGA preparing operational recommendations. The meeting concluded with notice that the next meeting was tentatively scheduled for November 3 at 3:30 p.m., followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the balance of my time. the balance of my time.
• </c> reserve the balance of my time. reserve the balance of my time.
• </c> yield the balance of reserves. yield the balance of reserves.
• </c> &gt;&gt; reserve the balance. &gt;&gt; reserve the balance.
• </c> reserve the balance of my time. reserve the balance of my time.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have to find a balance where we can promote the economy and emerging.
• "Balance, balance."
• What amount of that is balance? It’s not. It’s not.
• So if we want to truly find balance, that balance should be found in this House chamber in a 67-67 tie
• Now we're trying to balance a budget without raising...

Transcript Highlights:

• I yield back the balance of my time.
• I yield back the balance of my time.
• I yield back the balance of my time.
• </c> you Mr Speaker and yeld back the balance you Mr Speaker and yeld back the balance of<04:18:54.800
• I reserve the balance of my time.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Because they're tapping into the BSA, he's not going to have to balance over the four years.
• I think Representative Ibarra put it very well regarding how we need to balance this and the fact that
• I think Representative Ibarra put it very well regarding how we need to balance this and the fact that
• I think Representative Ibarra put it very well regarding how we need to balance this and the fact that
• Our party did write a budget just last year that was fully balanced.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: Senate and House Republican leaders held a media availability in Olympia as the 2026 session entered its final full week, focusing heavily on affordability, taxes, and the state operating budget. Senators Braun and Gildon, along with House Republicans Connors and Abbarno, criticized the House and Senate budget proposals as spending billions more than forecast revenue, relying on one-time money, the rainy day fund, and what they called unrealistic assumptions. They argued the budgets would worsen a future deficit and said Democrats were prioritizing special interests over fiscal restraint. A major topic was the proposed income tax on high earners, which Republicans said would likely expand over time and drive businesses and wealthy residents out of Washington. They also discussed other tax proposals they said would hurt affordability, including changes affecting data centers, nicotine products, prescription drug warehousing, retail bags, and bottles. House Republicans said they were working with some Democrats to oppose the income tax and urged the governor to veto it if it reaches his desk. They also said the budget process has excluded Republican input and relied on closed-door negotiations. Republicans also raised several policy issues they said were stalled or killed this session, including juvenile rehabilitation reform, child endangerment and fatality reporting, tort reform, and housing and energy policy. They criticized the House for not advancing measures they said would help with child safety, juvenile justice, housing supply, and energy diversity, and they opposed a data center tax/clawback bill they said could discourage investment and jobs, especially in rural communities. In response to questions, Braun said he planned to raise the income tax, the budget, juvenile rehabilitation, child endangerment, and tort reform in an upcoming meeting with the governor. No votes were taken during the availability.

Transcript Highlights:

• With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
• I reserve the balance of my time. time. time.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Lady from California reserves a balance &gt;&gt; Lady from California reserves a balance
• Speaker, and I yield back the balance of my time.
• </c> balance of my time. balance of my time.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, November 21, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So those things kind of balance each other out.
• It had a larger ending balance, and you spent less than you took in.
• You ended with a $2.3 billion ending balance; however, the real cash balance is only $1.8 billion.
• But if you look, the estimated ending balance is still projected to be there.
• Pretty substantial balances.

Keywords: 924, joint, all