Transcript Highlights:

• cybersecurity to pay for that, because you all just passed a bill to make sure that we are cyber secure
• So now that I'm chairman of Homeland Security and chairman of Senate and Governmental Affairs, there's
• But we went down, as chairman of Homeland Security, I attended a meeting down with one of the bureaus
• Again, securing a top-secret clearance there, and just overall engaging in our everyday normal work in
• Yeah, important that role is and important in terms of safety and security of young people.

Bills: HCR95, HB4, HB244, HB615, HB648, HB1049, HB1201

Keywords: sales tax, exemptions, credits, rebates, uniformity, legislative rules, fiscal report, constitutional convention, Louisiana constitution, electoral process, government structure, delegate elections, delegates, state election, ratification, Louisiana, public meetings, broadcast, transparency, government accountability

Transcript Highlights:

• that incident has occurred, we've partnered with the Office of Correctional Safety, our internal security
• I want you and them to know that I come to this work with a passionate focus on safety and security,
• One of the things that you will find in the action plan as it relates to the safety and security of the
• The security issues will bleed into Coleman, but it will be with a collaboration with CDCR.
• The very people who are responsible for ensuring our safety and security are the ones that we must fear

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused on the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s handling of mental health care in prisons and allegations of sexual abuse, retaliation, and excessive force in the state’s women’s facilities. CDCR officials described their PREA-based prevention and response efforts, including training, oversight, body-worn cameras, retaliation follow-up, and partnerships with outside groups. The Office of the Inspector General explained its monitoring role, noting increased authority under SB 1069, but also limited staffing and the ability to monitor only a portion of cases. The Legislative Analyst’s Office added that prison population trends could allow the state to close a prison and save over $100 million, with some savings potentially redirected to prevention or response efforts. Advocates and formerly incarcerated witnesses from Sister Warriors Freedom Coalition and the California Coalition of Women Prisoners testified that meaningful systemic change has not occurred and that retaliation, blocked programming, and unsafe reporting conditions remain widespread. They described alleged barriers to community-based services, forced or coercive treatment concerns involving Suboxone, and the need for survivor-centered reentry support, trauma-informed care, and more independent oversight. Sandra DeAnda gave detailed testimony about alleged staff abuse, retaliation, denial of mental health care, and a large use-of-force incident at Central California Women’s Facility, while Amika Mota and April Grayson urged release or resentencing for survivors housed with their abusers and greater investment in outside programs. Members of the committee pressed CDCR and OIG on accountability, use-of-force standards, criminal referrals, disciplinary outcomes, and whether investigations are completed within statutory timelines. CDCR acknowledged cultural problems at both women’s prisons and said it was retraining staff and working on reforms, while OIG said it had monitored 161 investigations and found most grievance routing appropriate, though some cases had lapsed due to time limits. Later exchanges revealed that CDCR has over 13,500 active cases and 109 investigators, and that some cases have exceeded deadlines, prompting concerns from members about whether the current system can adequately investigate misconduct and impose consequences. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• offenses, including sexual battery, and also while circumventing or trying to circumvent any kind of security
• And also, while circumventing or trying to circumvent any kind of security in trying to enter a building
• of times and reminded the public that it creates a new tax on paychecks and payrolls, like Social Security
• continued speaking to the bill, saying it creates a new tax on paychecks and payrolls, like Social Security
• to any employee providing consumer-directed-related services under Titles 19 and 21 of the Social Security

Keywords: March 11, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , if you would please report Senate Bill 157, an act relating to total net income limits on loans secured
• loans secured by a mortgage. loans secured by a mortgage.
• Senate Bill 275, an act relating to securities, Senator Carpenter.
• <01:10:51.240> Senate securities, Senator Carpenter.
• Senate securities, Senator Carpenter.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Senate convened with an invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum, approved the prior journal, and excused absent members. The chamber received second readings of several bills and resolutions, including measures on ad valorem taxes, planning and zoning, tax-dollar restrictions, provisional medical licensing, Medicaid oversight, environmental regulations, municipal financial reporting, nuclear workforce development, and county law libraries. Committee reports advanced bills on economic development, education, judiciary, and veterans/public protection, and the body also received a list of newly filed bills and resolutions covering topics such as rural revitalization, athletics, SNAP eligibility, diaper tax exemption, domestic violence, middle school math, pedestrian bridges, constitutional amendments, education, and several honorary resolutions. The Senate then took up House Bill 314, which would reorganize the Kentucky Communications Network Authority (Kentucky Wired) by moving it under the Commonwealth Office of Technology, restructuring its board, and adding members representing cities and counties. Supporters said the bill was an administrative change, not a funding measure, intended to focus the network on students, teachers, and public users while awaiting an audit. Critics argued the project has been a costly taxpayer burden and called for stronger oversight. The bill passed final passage 32-6. The chamber also passed Senate Bill 157, which aligns Kentucky law with federal mortgage rules so that certain rate buy-down payments do not count against borrower fee caps, with supporters saying it would help housing affordability and reduce costs for borrowers. Senate Bill 214 also passed unanimously; it allows the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to accept non-federal funding for grants without routing those funds through the Department of Finance. The Senate later adopted several resolutions, including Senate Resolution 61 recognizing Links Incorporated Day, Senate Resolution 114 commemorating the 80th Southern Legislative Conference, and Senate Resolution 118 honoring Joseph H. Mattingly Jr. Additional remarks highlighted a Black History Celebration event and a lengthy floor speech criticizing the Kentucky Hospital Association’s reserves and urging investigation, followed by consideration of Senate Resolution 55 on Profound Autism Day in Kentucky.

Transcript Highlights:

• pulled off the Alex Prey investigation, which has been left to an internal division at Homeland Security
• pulled off the Alex Prey investigation, which has been left to an internal division at Homeland Security
• pulled off the Alex Prey investigation, which has been left to an internal division at Homeland Security
• pulled off the Alex Prey investigation, which has been left to an internal division at Homeland Security
• pulled off the Alex Prey investigation, which has been left to an internal division at Homeland Security

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Moreover, efforts to secure the funds necessary for this facility have been met with challenges in DC
• And, uh, a level 2 security, I mean, which is doable.
• When it came to border security, Texas decided not to wait on Washington to act.
• This state drove border security policy for the nation, along with the legislature and our governor.
• Even though it may costs may go up, security definitely goes up. Members, any other questions?

Transcript Highlights:

• Homeland Security Task Force Operations. This bill appropriates $250 million for the grant program.
• It’s important to our members’ job security. It’s important to their job safety.
• This bill discourages that, making communities less secure.
• We have reached Tab 3, which is Senate Memorial 6C, Secretary of Homeland Security, by Senator Gruters
• Senate Memorial 6C is a memorial to the Secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee met to hear SB 2-C, a major immigration enforcement bill sponsored by Senator Gruters and co-introduced by Senator Fine. The sponsor described the bill as a response to federal immigration priorities and said it replaces a single immigration officer with a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, expands local-federal cooperation, increases penalties for crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants, requires detention in certain cases, broadens information sharing, funds detention-bed expansion and law-enforcement training, and ends in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. The bill also includes provisions related to sanctuary policies, voter fraud, transport of unauthorized aliens, and driver’s license-related offenses. The sponsor said the bill appropriates roughly $300 million overall, including $250 million for grants and $48 million for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for interdiction and border-related enforcement work. Committee members questioned the bill’s scope, costs, and implementation. Senators focused heavily on the tuition-waiver repeal, asking how many students would be affected and whether the bill would harm students who have long lived in Florida. They also pressed on whether the bill should include stronger E-Verify provisions, how sanctuary-policy enforcement would work, whether local officials could be penalized for policy choices, and how immigration status would be verified in court and jail settings. The sponsor and Senator Fine said the tuition waiver would be removed for undocumented students, that the bill does not address E-Verify, and that the measure is intended to make immigration status a factor in detention and sentencing. Questions also addressed detention-bed capacity, reimbursement rates, and whether corrections staff would receive bonuses or salary increases; sponsors said bonuses are included for participating law enforcement, while broader salary issues would be handled in the regular budget process. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters and information-only witnesses, including Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and former officials, said the bill would help Florida coordinate with federal authorities, expand bed space, and close loopholes in existing immigration enforcement. Opponents from the Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU of Florida, Florida Policy Institute, labor groups, and immigrant advocates argued the bill is unconstitutional, likely to trigger litigation, and harmful to families, schools, and the economy. They warned that the pretrial detention provisions could lead to wrongful detentions and that the tuition changes would reduce access to higher education and cost the state tuition revenue. No final vote is reflected in the transcript excerpt, but the committee continued through public comment and extended the meeting to complete the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's still secure, but where our most vulnerable can live with dignity and purpose even while, you know
• , in a secure facility.
• We were able to secure $8.1 million per year in House Bill 1. Joel Levine.
• He can live with dignity and purpose still, even while in a secure facility. Thank you. All right.
• These companies receive huge amounts of public funding from Medicaid and Social Security.

Bills: SB1, SB 1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Retention of our clinical staff, technicians, chefs, security guards, and maintenance workers depends
• It provided us with a much-needed sense of security.
• That home gave us security. It gave us a future.
• It is important to note for the committee that this report discloses no external funding was secured
• It is important to note for the committee that this report discloses no external funding was secured

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on a series of bills focused largely on local-option real estate transfer fees and housing funding tools for communities facing severe affordability pressures. Testimony strongly favored bills for Somerville, Concord, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Chatham, and a statewide local-option transfer fee, with speakers arguing that high-end real estate transactions should help fund affordable housing, anti-displacement efforts, workforce housing, and related capital improvements. Elected officials and local housing leaders described rising rents and home prices, investor activity, shrinking year-round housing stock, and difficulty recruiting or retaining teachers, police, health care workers, and other essential employees. Several witnesses emphasized that the proposals would be optional for municipalities, could include exemptions for first-time homebuyers or seniors, and would direct revenue into local affordable housing trust funds or housing banks. Committee members asked questions about who would pay the fee and whether it could make housing less affordable, and supporters responded that the fees would be targeted at higher-value transactions and designed with local flexibility. For Somerville, the delegation and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne backed both a local home rule petition and statewide enabling legislation, saying the city has already used zoning reform, inclusionary zoning, and local housing funds but still needs a new revenue source to address displacement and investor-driven purchases. For Concord, Representative Carmine Gentile and Concord housing advocates supported a home rule petition and the statewide bill, arguing that a modest fee on sales above $1 million could generate predictable revenue for affordable housing production and preservation. One committee exchange focused on whether the fee would affect most Concord sales and whether it would be passed on to buyers; supporters said the policy was intended to shift costs toward higher-value properties and help leverage other funding sources. The committee also heard testimony on House 4105, which would redirect a casino-related revenue stream to the Healthy Incentives Program. Farmers, advocates, and residents said the current funding was originally intended to support horse racing but has not met that goal, and that the money would be better used to support Massachusetts farmers and food-insecure residents through HIP. In a separate bill, Senator Becca Rausch testified in support of Senate 268, which would create a state-level hostile learning environment complaint process for higher education institutions and potentially strip tax exemptions from colleges or universities found to have such environments; she cited anti-Semitic and transphobic incidents on campuses and argued that existing federal protections should be mirrored in state law. The hearing also included testimony on college tuition debt reduction legislation from Senator Michael Moore, who said the bill would allow a deduction for tuition and fees paid to Massachusetts public colleges and universities to ease student debt and support the state’s workforce. A major portion of the hearing focused on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket housing bank proposals. Hospital, school, housing, planning, and municipal officials from Martha’s Vineyard said the island’s year-round housing shortage is harming health care, schools, and the local workforce, and urged approval of a housing bank funded by a local-option transfer fee. Nantucket witnesses made similar arguments, pointing to a very high median home price, a large seasonal housing stock, and the need for a dedicated revenue stream to preserve and create year-round housing. Supporters repeatedly cited the long-running success of the islands’ land banks as evidence that transfer fees can work without harming real estate markets. Senator Julian Cyr and Representative Thomas Moakley Luddy also backed the Cape and Islands transfer-fee bills, saying the region needs bold action and a sustainable local funding source to address its housing crisis.

Transcript Highlights:

• It merely gives schools another way to enhance security and Nothing mandates participation.
• It merely gives schools another way to enhance security, and that's what we want.
• We want security and safety for our schools, our children, our teachers, and our community.
• I'm not saying I'm not for extra armed security there.
• These are things that I'm struggling to ensure, I'm sorry, secure for him now at the beginning of his

Summary: The Senate Education Committee met to hear several education-related measures. It reported favorably, without objection, on House Bill 1215, which would transfer certain removed historical statues and monuments to the Office of State Parks, prohibit re-erection in the parish where they were removed, and require interpretive signage. The committee also advanced House Bill 682, which creates a school guardian program for honorably discharged veterans employed or contracted by local school systems or charter schools; testimony emphasized that guardians would be unarmed, trained, and used for mentoring and school safety. House Bill 1079, giving enrollment preferences in charter schools to children in early childhood programs, military families, foster children, and children in custody disputes, was also reported favorably, as was House Concurrent Resolution 81, directing the Department of Education to study options for districts facing declining enrollment. The committee then took up House Bill 1084, which would allow public postsecondary institutions to raise tuition and mandatory fees by up to 15 percent annually, with higher increases requiring Board of Supervisors approval. The bill drew extended debate over affordability, TOPS, student retention, and whether universities should have more autonomy to set prices. Members raised concerns about fee burdens on families and whether the state should first study the issue; supporters argued the bill would increase transparency and let institutions respond to funding needs and market conditions. Senator Mazzell offered an amendment lowering the cap from 15 percent to 10 percent, and the committee adopted the amendment before reporting the bill favorably as amended. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 342, which would shift the burden of proof in special education due process hearings from parents to local education agencies. The author and parents testified that the current system places an unfair burden on families of children with disabilities, who often lack access to records and legal resources, and that schools already control the documentation and should have to show compliance with IEP obligations. Jefferson Parish school officials opposed the bill, arguing it would increase legal costs, require more staff and attorney time, and potentially lead to more hearings; they also questioned the fiscal note. The Legislative Fiscal Office said the fiscal impact was indeterminable, and the committee continued hearing testimony from parents and school representatives as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And we did our own contact tracing, we did our own testing, and we were able to secure a data use agreement
• Right now, we've been working with Tracy Miller, the state epidemiologist, and Chrissy Mayer to secure
• Like I said, it's been going on for about four years that we haven't been able to secure one.
• Yes, and I believe Standing Rock secured theirs, and so did MHA. Okay. Yes.
• Yes, and I believe Standing Rock secured theirs, and so did MHA. Okay. Yes.

Summary: The meeting focused heavily on behavioral health and substance use treatment, especially the IMD exclusion and whether North Dakota should pursue a Section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid reimbursement for services in institutions for mental diseases for adults ages 21 to 64. Turtle Mountain representatives described major local needs, including limited access to care, high syphilis rates, and the importance of timely public health data. They also discussed the tribe’s recovery center, which opened the prior year, now operating five levels of care with 16 beds, and the desire to expand capacity, possibly through an IMD waiver or related policy changes. Committee members also raised related issues such as rural health transformation funding, telehealth, workforce retention, and the need for better coordination between tribal and state public health systems. A central issue was Turtle Mountain Public Health’s long-running effort to secure a data use agreement with the state so it can receive surveillance data and respond directly to infectious disease cases among tribal members. Speakers said the tribe had a successful COVID-era agreement that allowed faster contact tracing and case management, but that agreement ended with the pandemic. They argued that current delays in sharing data, especially for sexually transmitted infections, leave the tribe unable to respond quickly, while the state and county epidemiology workload is too distant and stretched to be effective. Committee members expressed support and said they would look into the issue, noting that other tribes have secured similar agreements. The committee also heard a detailed presentation from the National Health Law Program on the IMD exclusion. The presenter explained that federal Medicaid law generally bars payment for care in facilities with more than 16 beds, but that states can use other tools such as state plan amendments, managed care arrangements, telehealth, and community-based services. He said IMD waivers are administratively complex, time-limited, and have shown mixed results in other states, with some gains in residential treatment access but limited evidence of improved overdose outcomes or stronger community-based care. He urged the committee to consider broader continuum-of-care solutions and cautioned that waivers alone are not a cure-all. No final vote was taken on the bill draft during the portion shown, but the committee discussed the proposal to appropriate $49,000 and one FTE to HHS to pursue an IMD waiver and report back in the next interim. Members also debated the policy rationale for the 16-bed limit, the role of the state versus tribal sovereignty, and whether the bill should move through the Health Care or Human Services committee in the future.

Transcript Highlights:

• Housing stability is fundamental to employment, education, and family security.
• By Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Military and Veterans Affairs; Space, and Domestic Security
• By Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Military and Veterans Affairs; Space, and Domestic Security
• By Governmental Oversight and Accountability; Military and Veterans Affairs; Space, and Domestic Security
• Governmental Oversight and Accountability and Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Lee County Judge John Carlin, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Cody Popple of the FSU Police Department for his actions during the April campus shooting. The Speaker also outlined the final week of session, noting the chamber had passed 253 House bills and 149 Senate bills to date, with budget negotiations still unresolved and the 2026-27 budget not expected to be completed that week. The special order report was adopted, setting the day’s calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up several Senate bills, mostly technical or open-government sunset review measures, and passed them with little or no opposition: SB 100, SB 104, and SB 102 on Florida statutes; SB 7006, SB 7014, SB 7002, SB 7012, SB 7024, SB 7016, SB 7026, SB 7008, SB 7000, and SB 7004 on public-records or meeting exemptions; and SB 7022 on public records related to exams. Members asked questions on a few of these bills, especially the exam-records bill and the military and gaming-related exemptions, but the measures generally advanced without amendment. Votes ranged from unanimous to modest opposition, with SB 7026 passing 106-3 and SB 7022 passing 101-8. The most substantial debate centered on SB 7040, which recreates the emergency preparedness and response trust fund in the Executive Office of the Governor. Rep. Eskamani offered an amendment to let the fund expire, arguing the money had been misused and that the Legislature should retain control over spending; several members supported her position, while others said the fund is needed for rapid disaster response. A strike-all amendment from Rep. Griffiths was adopted instead, adding accountability provisions and expanding the fund to cover man-made emergencies as well as natural disasters. The bill then passed 82-25. The House also passed CS/CS/SB 302 on coastal resiliency, CS/CS/SB 984 on firefighter cancer benefits, CS/SB 474 on military affairs, and SB 488 on Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issues, with SB 488 still under amendment debate when the transcript ends.

Transcript Highlights:

• It facilitates secured housing, employment, and increased financial stability.
• It facilitates secured<00:31:23.200> housing,<00:31:23.679> employment,<00:31:24.080>
• > and secured housing, employment, and secured housing, employment, and increased<00:31:24.640>
• 06.400> recently<00:43:06.880> enacted<00:43:07.359> cyber<00:43:07.760> security
• with recently enacted cyber security with recently enacted cyber security requirements<00:43:09.119

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 3040, which would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Supporters, including Moms Demand Action and a crime-victim advocate, argued the office would improve data collection, research, and coordination to help reduce gun violence. Opponents, including several gun-rights advocates, said the proposal was duplicative, lacked oversight, and would exclude the firearms community. The chair noted 41 testimonies in support and 77 in opposition, but no vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. The committee then moved through a series of decision-making items and adopted the chair’s recommendations on several measures. SB 17 on wildfire mitigation passed with amendments from multiple agencies and a report date shifted to the 2028 session. SB 2730 on criminal justice reform passed with a defective effective date amendment, SB 2749 on sentencing passed with a defective effective date, SB 2688 on compassionate release passed with amendments narrowing eligibility and adding notification and funding language, and SB 2798 on law enforcement passed with a defective effective date to make the agricultural enforcement pilot program permanent. SB 2645, a short-form bill, was amended to insert substantive provisions and recommitted to the committee. SB 2383, which would have provided a $15,000 retention bonus for sworn law enforcement officers, was reconsidered and held in committee because it was identified as a duplicate. The committee also passed SB 2575, relating to firearms, with amendments adopting a proposed SD1 that would establish minimum mandatory prison terms for certain class A firearm felonies and add clarifying language. SB 2720, which would create a Hawaii firearm injury restitution fund funded by firearm manufacturer licenses, also passed with amendments clarifying the fund’s scope and eligible injuries. Later, the committee began hearing SB 3107 on parole eligibility. The Office of the Public Defender and the Hawaii Paroling Authority supported language allowing the parole board to waive certain program requirements, while the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission opposed the bill, warning it could keep people incarcerated longer if program access remains limited. The Department of Corrections said it is working on classification changes and a pilot project to move inmates through the system faster.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, we haven't even addressed security.
• And that's got to be a primary goal of ours is to make sure the system is secure.
• The public defender's office secures the benefit of If cases are not prosecuted timely, their clients
• And I do know that there is some security there.
• There's no security risk to it. It's vetted.

Transcript Highlights:

• Governor, announcing that they had secured the money and were going to spend $750 million on a production
• If we can secure appropriate resources, we could build a robust framework that not only addresses current
• Obviously, it's a huge issue for our food security as a state through the livestock industry, but also
• Definitely want to thank the. the Trump administration and Secretary Rollins also for their efforts in securing
• They are secure facilities, with both armed security, biosecurity, and nuclear regulatory security.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If we could secure some capital outlay to make that payment, it would reduce the liability that the land
• Requests through the local counties, and most of those land grants were able to secure exemptions from
• bread-and-butter work really is working with the New Mexico Land-Grant Council and the New Mexico Secure
• Homeland Security Emergency Management.
• Senator Luján and the delegation were able to secure some money through this funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• bill allows storage facility operators to submit requests for information electronically through a secure
• Our useful location has state of the art surveillance systems and other security measures in place.
• This is real estate and it's securing it, running the MVRs, staffing it, monitoring.
• We're responsible for securing your vehicle.
• We have to make sure any windows, any cracks, any damages, it's secured to prevent that vehicle from

Transcript Highlights:

• This remarkable achievement secured the program's second state title in five years and capped off an
• The Governor's amendments also strengthen the penalty for failing to secure firearms safely from a Class
• House Bill 909 is a bill that helps to make Virginia more secure for voters at the polls. Mr.
• also remind everybody that this is a tax, a huge tax, the largest tax since the creation of Social Security
• also remind everybody that this is a tax, a huge tax, the largest tax since the creation of Social Security

Keywords: April 22, 2026 - Reconvened Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SAVE Act say it can<00:06:40.080> improve<00:06:40.600> election<00:06:41.120> security
• Senate, Minnesota could still see tougher election security measures.
• <00:15:57.240> election could still see tougher election could still see tougher election security
• <00:15:59.160> Senate<00:15:59.480> file<00:15:59.840> 5050 security measures
• Senate file 5050 security measures.

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The program focused heavily on election policy and campaign finance. Senator Liz Boldon discussed the federal SAVE Act, saying it would require in-person proof of citizenship to register, limit online and mail registration, and require qualifying photo ID to vote. She argued the measure would create barriers for eligible voters, especially people without passports, women who have changed names, and mail voters, and said there is little evidence of non-citizen voting to justify the bill. The segment also noted Minnesota’s high turnout in 2024 and framed the issue as one of access and disenfranchisement. Boldon also outlined her Minnesota bill, Senate File 4147, aimed at reducing dark money in elections by limiting corporate spending and increasing transparency. She cited the growth in outside spending since Citizens United, said Minnesotans want to know who is influencing elections, and described the bill as a novel approach that could face constitutional challenges. She said the measure had already moved through three committees and might not affect the upcoming election season even if enacted. The program then highlighted Senate File 5050, the Republican-backed Save Minnesota Act, which would require qualifying photo ID at the polls and during early and absentee voting, allow provisional ballots when voters cannot prove identity, citizenship, or residence, create free state-issued voter ID cards, and direct officials to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. It also covered Senate File 1851, a bipartisan bill by Senator Bonnie Westlin to ban scam PACs and allow victims, the Attorney General, and others to sue fraudsters; the bill was laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill and could take effect in August if passed. The final portion introduced newly seated Senator Michael Holmstrom, who won a special election after the death of Senator Bruce Anderson. Holmstrom described his long involvement in Republican and pro-life politics, his work on campaigns and door-knocking, his small-business background, and the personal experiences that shaped his views. The segment also noted that all state Senate seats will be on the ballot in November, listed several senators not seeking reelection, and gave the candidate filing window as May 19 through June 2.

Transcript Highlights:

• students get the courses required, that they have a sense of belonging and they have food and housing security
• Since then, the annual state appropriation has grown to $15.8 million for food security and housing programs
• Students who started as freshmen at UC and experienced low food security had an 84.3% six-year graduation
• Prior to direct state appropriations for basic needs, the university's approach to food and housing security
• much-dated fiscal support to operate our campuses with the continued increases to enrollment, as well as securing

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, chaired by Assemblymember Alvarez, held a hearing focused on University of California budget issues. The committee reviewed UC core operations funding, enrollment trends, federal funding threats, Title IX implementation, and basic needs support. Major themes included the end of the Governor’s multi-year UC compact, the state’s fiscal outlook, UC’s enrollment growth, and the potential impacts of federal policy changes on research, health care, and student aid. On core funding, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to continue compact-related support, defer some payments, and authorize a cash-flow loan. The LAO recommended a smaller or no base increase, earmarking some funds for capital renewal, retiring deferrals when possible, avoiding new compact commitments, and funding UC annually rather than through compacts. UC argued that the compact has supported enrollment growth, student services, and operating costs, but said campuses face rising expenses, structural deficits, and limited reserves. Members questioned the effects of deferrals on students and discussed the need to prioritize less harmful reductions if cuts become necessary. The enrollment panel focused on UC’s growth in California resident enrollment and the nonresident replacement plan at Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego. The LAO recommended maintaining the current enrollment target, funding enrollment separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident replacement plan, and holding enrollment flat in 2027-28. UC said it has already met compact enrollment goals, grown California undergraduate enrollment by about 18,800 students, and that further growth depends on ongoing state support. The committee also discussed the cost of enrollment growth, possible differential nonresident tuition, and a reporting request for UC to analyze the nonresident replacement approach; the motion to adopt supplemental reporting language passed. The hearing also covered federal funding risks, with the LAO and UC warning that federal changes could affect research grants, medical center reimbursement, and student financial aid. UC said research cancellations and suspensions are disrupting labs and graduate student support, while federal health policy changes could increase uncompensated care at UC hospitals. In the Title IX update, UC described its systemwide civil rights structure, annual student training, and campus support offices, and members praised the work while asking about ongoing concerns and intersegmental collaboration. The final basic-needs item began with Finance stating the Governor’s budget does not change ongoing support, but the transcript cuts off before further discussion or action.