Transcript Highlights:

• None of us participated in the development of the language that you have before you.
• This professional development training program was grounded in the science of reading and was developed
• This professional development spelling.
• <01:44:29.040> by science of reading and was developed by science of reading and was developed
• <01:46:14.159> their<01:46:14.320> own strategies to students with their own strategies

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So these policies restrict, like I said, multifamily development.
• Private development to prevent environmental degradation.
• But before the full development of a geothermal field, developers need to drill a small number of exploratory
• We have the best workforce in the country to develop geothermal.
• We have the best workforce in the country to develop geothermal.

Summary: The committee heard several climate, environmental, and housing bills. AB 1425, dealing with pit dewatering near the San Joaquin River Parkway, drew extensive testimony. The author and supporters argued the bill was needed to protect the river, groundwater, floodplain conditions, tribal and cultural resources, and public access from a proposed mining project near the river. Opponents, including Cemex, labor representatives, and industry groups, said the bill would bypass the CEQA process before it was complete, threaten jobs, and create uncertainty for an existing operation. Members questioned both sides about hydrology, blasting, dewatering, and the adequacy of the ongoing environmental review. The bill was moved, but several members expressed concern about preempting CEQA and some did not vote or voted no. AB 881, which would allow California to move forward with carbon capture and sequestration pipelines, was presented as a way to advance state climate goals and capture federal funding. Supporters, including SMUD, labor, and industry groups, said the bill would help deploy carbon capture safely and preserve jobs. Environmental justice opponents supported stronger safety direction and warned that CO2 pipelines pose serious risks and that the state should not move ahead without clearer standards. The bill received a due-pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 1207, on the cap-and-trade allowance price ceiling and the social cost of carbon, was presented as a science-based update to California’s climate policy. The author and EDF said the bill would keep the program aligned with current economic and climate data and protect it from federal political interference. It received broad support and a due-pass recommendation. AB 1106, creating a coordinated network of air quality incident response centers, was also approved after testimony about wildfire smoke, toxic emissions, and the need for better real-time monitoring during disasters. AB 28, the Landfill Fire Safety Act, focused on the Chiquita Canyon landfill fire and related health impacts in Castaic and Val Verde; residents described serious illnesses and contamination concerns, while landfill and county representatives warned about costs and asked for more study. The committee nonetheless advanced the bill with a due-pass recommendation. The committee also heard AB 357, which would speed Coastal Commission review of student and faculty housing projects, with supporters citing student homelessness and opponents urging caution but acknowledging the need for more housing; the bill was presented and discussed, with the committee emphasizing the need to balance housing production and coastal oversight.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Erin Gamez added, "We must balance the needs of the populace with responsible budgeting strategies
• With a system developed under this bill, we create a cohesiveness among departments from...
• For the Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development.
• HB 4307 by Aides, relating to multifamily residential development finance owned or operated by public
• the cost of developing drainage infrastructure in the state, referred to the Committee on...

Bills: HJR4, HJR6, HB195, HB 13, HB143, HB135

Keywords: occupation tax, securities, financial regulation, tax exemption, legislative amendment, capital gains tax, realized gains, unrealized gains, investment income, asset sale, capital assets, wealth tax, estate tax, trust tax, tax limitation, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, Article VIII, property tax, sales tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Laura Kerr with the Charter School Development Center in opposition. Thanks. Mr.
• Administrator training includes proven evidence-based literacy strategies.
• What professional development program did they actually use and how many teachers received it?
• I'm going to stick with my commitment, notwithstanding some recent developments.
• Her with the Charter School Development Center in support. Mr.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard AB 84, a charter school accountability measure focused on non-classroom-based charter schools and fraud prevention. The author and supporters said the bill was intended to respond to the A3 charter fraud case and related scandals by strengthening audits, transparency, authorizer oversight, and funding determination rules, while ensuring public education dollars are used for public education. Supporters included FCMAT, CSEA, CTA, and CSBA, who argued the bill would improve oversight and protect taxpayers. Opponents, including the California Charter Schools Association, Green Dot, many charter parents, educators, and charter operators, said the bill was too broad, would impose major new costs and bureaucracy on all charter schools, and could reduce options for families, especially those using flexible, homeschool, or special-needs charter programs. After extensive testimony and committee discussion, the bill passed on a 5-1 vote and was sent to Appropriations, with the item left open for additional votes. The committee then approved a consent calendar of 11 education bills, including AB 542, AB 563, AB 731, AB 753, AB 784, AB 964, AB 988, AB 1034, AB 1233, AB 1255, and AB 1381, all moving to Appropriations. The consent calendar passed unanimously. Later, the committee heard AB 1454, a literacy and reading instruction bill authored by Assembly Members Rubio and Revis. The bill would require the state to create professional development resources for evidence-based literacy instruction, update English language arts and English language development instructional materials, and revise administrator preparation standards to include literacy training. The authors and a broad coalition of supporters, including CTA, EdVoice, Families in Schools, Decoding Dyslexia, school administrators, and parent advocates, described the measure as a compromise aimed at improving reading outcomes and addressing California’s literacy crisis. There was no opposition testimony at the hearing, and members voiced strong support for the bill and its collaborative approach.

Transcript Highlights:

• Incarceration is harmful to youth development. It is our job to mitigate that harm.
• Incarceration is harmful to youth development. It is our job to mitigate that harm.
• It does so via development of policies.
• Yusel Bravo, with Crew Strategies, on behalf of the City of San Jose, proud sponsor.
• Yusel Bravo, with Crew Strategies, on behalf of the City of San Jose, proud sponsor.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would not have been able to continue working full-time, develop my skills as a lawyer, and stay in
• And I would not have been able to develop the resume that you need to try to become a judge.
• I would not have been able to continue working full-time, develop my skills as a lawyer, and stay in
• I would not have been able to develop the resume that you need to try to become a judge.
• <01:01:00.160> with side and gave them a strategy with side and gave them a strategy with

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard Governor’s Message 790, the nomination of Karen T. Nakasone to serve as chief judge of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals for a 10-year term. The chair announced that no vote would be taken that day and that the committee would vote on Thursday. Testimony was overwhelmingly supportive, with the chair reading that there were 103 supporters, zero opposed, and one comment. Supporters included current and retired judges, public defenders, bar association representatives, former elected officials, and community members. They described Nakasone as intelligent, fair, hardworking, well respected, and a strong leader with deep legal experience. Several speakers emphasized her judicial temperament, her work as an advocate and judge, and her community involvement, including leadership in civic and civil rights organizations. One pro se litigant also testified that she had been treated kindly and respectfully by Nakasone in prior interactions. The Hawaii State Bar Association reported that it had conducted an interview and review process and found her qualified for the position. In her own remarks, Nakasone introduced family and colleagues, described her 30-year legal career, and said her first job after law school was as an ICA law clerk. She highlighted the court’s backlog reduction efforts under Acting Chief Judge Katherine Leonard, saying the number of older pending appeals had dropped significantly through team-based reforms, and stated that she would continue that work if confirmed. The hearing ended without questions from the committee and with the nomination held for a later vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, a new gas leasing program will handle the leasing for gas exploration and development,
• , for gas exploration and development, for gas exploration and development, including<00:13:32.079
• Legacy funds also made it possible to develop the Shipwreck Creek Campground at Split Rock Lighthouse
• hands-on introductory skill development hands-on introductory skill development opportunities<00
• <00:24:12.080> through quality improvement strategies through quality improvement strategies

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the current landscape of digital assets and related regulatory developments
• Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the current landscape of digital assets and related regulatory developments
• ,<00:32:57.760> mobile teams across treasury, strategy, mobile teams across treasury, strategy
• I advise mostly crypto startups right now on their regulatory and policy strategy.
• I advise mostly crypto startups right now on their regulatory and policy strategy.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Hawaii State Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held an informational briefing on digital assets, blockchain, and related regulatory developments. Chair Jarrett Keohoko said the committee was focusing on national and state policy issues around digital assets, while leaving the separate issue of Bitcoin kiosks and fraud to the House Consumer Protection Committee, which had already noticed a similar briefing. No public testimony was taken; the session was for informational updates and member questions. Representatives from the Aptos Foundation, including JC Yun and Michael Cheng, gave a detailed presentation on blockchain basics and Aptos’s technology. They described blockchain as a tamper-resistant digital ledger, explained proof-of-work and proof-of-stake systems, and argued that proof-of-stake networks are faster, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. They also emphasized smart contracts and potential uses beyond speculation, such as car titles, college transcripts, collectibles, digital IDs, real estate, and other tokenized assets. The presenters highlighted Aptos’s Hawaii connections and said the technology could help local residents and businesses participate in the digital economy. They cited adoption statistics, including billions of transactions on Aptos, tokenized money market funds from major financial firms, micro-lending applications, decentralized cloud infrastructure, and the rapid growth of stablecoins. They acknowledged concerns about scams and consumer protection, but argued that the answer is stronger regulation and education rather than avoiding the technology altogether.

Transcript Highlights:

• theft vertical prosecution grant, our research team has worked very closely with the grantees in developing
• , and this request will leverage functionality that exists within our current system of record to develop
• So CDCR is really developing this from the ground up.
• This is a recruitment and retention strategy for our clinicians and will help them be more efficient
• As you were developing this approach, did you get any technical advice or assistance suggesting against

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chapter 201, Subchapter A, Section 201.0225 already mandates that the state board authority... to develop
• The second issue is industrial development.
• Our Economic Development Corporation (EDC) units are subsidizing these developments.
• The third issue is housing development.
• With all this growth, housing developments are coming to rural America.

Bills: HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479, HB 43, HB 3364, HB 3469, HB 3479

Keywords: agriculture, finance, young farmers, financial assistance, pest control, veterinarian, veterinary medicine, veterinary telemedicine, telehealth, telemedicine, veterinarian-client-patient relationship, VCPR, animal health, livestock, pets, remote care, electronic means, telephone consultation, controlled substances, prescription drugs

Summary: The second bill, House Bill 3469, was introduced to address pest control regulations concerning nuisance birds. Representative Campos explained how the bill proposes non-lethal methods to deter these birds, such as the use of laser lights and sounds, which avoids conflict with both state and federal regulations. The committee heard impassioned testimonies from members of the public who shared firsthand experiences regarding the adverse effects of these birds on property and public health. The meeting concluded with both bills being left pending, reflecting a desire for further deliberation among the committee members.

Transcript Highlights:

• The National Institute for Biomedical Research and Development would drive the development of these drugs
• would drive the Research and Development would drive the development<00:29:35.360> of<00:29:35.440
• We must come together to ensure this new technology is developed safely and responsibly.
• We must come together to ensure this new technology is developed safely and responsibly.
• This initiative helps young people in the county collaborate and develop leadership skills.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Just because the program might say, "Hey, do this strategy," they may try it.
• "I see their microcredentialing as more in specific pedagogical strategies, right?
• and professional development.
• curriculum development and professional development.<04:20:11.840> I<04:20:12.159> believe
• I believe strongly that we development.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is a result of a proposed development in my district—a subdivision or planned community.
• The development is called Epic City, and there are other parts that are called Epic Ranches.
• A judge's order may pause public funds and benefits regarding construction and development permits issued
• And so, we would have a split, and I don't know how that would affect this development.
• The strategy that's being proposed in my district is to develop a desalination water treatment facility

Bills: HB842, HB1907, HB2844, HB2892, HB3439, HB4211, HB4536, HB5111, HB5138, HB5182, HB5247, HB5269, HB5323, HB5435, HJR201, SB871, HB3896, SJR40

Keywords: power lines, Gulf Coast, weather-related outages, Public Utility Commission, infrastructure, government contracts, Chinese companies, information technology, cybersecurity, state regulations, food safety, mobile vendors, licensing, permitting exemptions, health inspections, nonprofit organizations, personal information, government disclosure, privacy, criminal penalties

Transcript Highlights:

• The guardrails that we're talking about so they develop in each district the plan.
• And then, develop plans to divert people with mental illness and mental health.
• And then the next step, which be to develop plans.
• Because it's a two-step thing: identify the resources and gaps and then develop plans.
• development of the stormwater utility.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:15:53.880> projects<00:15:54.639> and assess proposed development projects and
• and stakeholders develop solutions to very difficult problems.
• to help government and strategies to help government and stakeholders<00:17:52.360> develop<00
• And so developing a product approach is really important.
• um but the way it's way AI is developing um but the way it's developing<00:41:18.760> Now<00:

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Diana Sennis from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development.
• development and cultural protection. development and cultural protection.
• The intent of Chapter 6E is not to stop development but ensure that development proceeds responsibly.
• but ensure that stop development but ensure that development<00:49:45.280> proceeds<00:49:45.839
• development proceeds responsibly. development proceeds responsibly.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The Speed Task Force met on December 15, 2025, with members participating in person and via Zoom. After roll call and introductions, the chair filed the previous meeting minutes without objection. The chair then gave a report on outreach presentations statewide about the task force’s permitting-simplification work, noting appearances before groups such as the Chinese Chamber, Small Business Regulatory Review Board, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Chamber, and the Land Use Commission. He also introduced the new task force coordinator, Reginald K. T. King, and outlined a January 6, 2026 process for member-submitted recommendations, including first-come consideration and structured debate. No public testimony or member questions were offered on these items. The task force heard a presentation from the Building Permit PIG. The presenter said the group reviewed 79 SWAT recommendation forms over seven meetings, with participation from 15 disciplines and about 270 hours of work. The group’s findings emphasized workforce shortages, inconsistent plan quality, limited departmental resources, and a lack of centralized tools for applicants to self-resolve issues. Recommendations focused on building a workforce pipeline, expanding training on codes and technology, and developing a universal platform, including AI-assisted review tools. The presenter also raised offsite construction, including factory-built, modular, tiny homes, and ADUs, as an area needing clearer state and county alignment to speed permit review and support housing needs. No public testimony or Q&A followed, and discussion and voting were deferred to the January 6, 2026 meeting. The task force then began the Chapter 6E Historic Preservation PIG presentation. The chair described historic preservation as a broad process covering research, protection, restoration, rehabilitation, and interpretation of significant properties, including burial sites and iwi kūpuna, and said Chapter 6E is intended to guide responsible development rather than stop it. The presentation explained SHPD’s role and the complexity of 6E review, including archaeological surveys, monitoring, and preservation plans. Early findings highlighted uncertainty in sensitivity determinations for iwi kūpuna and subsurface resources, repeated review of the same projects, and staffing and technical capacity shortages among SHPD and consultants. Public testimony was closed and no immediate Q&A was allowed; further discussion and voting on recommendations were scheduled for January 6, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• Their developing brains are especially sensitive and vulnerable to disruption and loss of care.
• Their developing brains are especially sensitive and vulnerable to disruption and loss of care.
• Department of Community Services and Development. Department of Community Services and Development.
• These program budgets were developed based on need, not expenditures.
• John Foss from Strategies to Empower People.

Summary: The hearing began with opening remarks on the Governor’s May Revision for child care and human services, with committee members and advocates stressing that the budget should not be balanced on the backs of low-income families, children, and providers. Legislative members and public witnesses strongly opposed the proposed suspension of the child care COLA, reductions to the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program, and the lack of codified rate reform tied to the alternative methodology. Several speakers also urged more support for providers affected by the Eaton fire and other disasters, and called for child care to be funded at the true cost of care and for additional slots to be restored. Administration, LAO, and Department of Education staff described the child care proposal as maintaining existing funding levels while adding administrative resources to prepare for federally required prospective payment changes and single-rate reform. The administration said the May Revision would suspend the 2025–26 COLA and reduce Bridge Program funding to align with utilization, while the LAO raised questions about the size and purpose of the proposed rate-reform and prospective-payment funding and recommended rejecting a Department of Technology exemption. CDE supported continued early education investments but said it would need additional resources if prospective pay were extended to state preschool, and it objected to a proposed reallocation of preschool funds for inclusive education grants. The committee then moved to the IHSS portion of the May Revision. DSS outlined five major proposals: capping provider work hours at 50 per week, eliminating IHSS for undocumented adults age 19 and older, shifting certain Community First Choice reassessment penalties to counties, reinstating the Medi-Cal asset test as a conforming IHSS reduction, and automating the termination of IHSS when Medi-Cal eligibility ends. DSS also discussed funding to implement a federal HCBS access rule and a separate reassessment of IHSS administrative methodology that found counties would need additional administrative funding. Finance said the proposals were intended to slow program growth and improve sustainability, while the LAO said it was still analyzing the package and raised concerns about implementation, county workload, and the potential loss of services. Committee members and public commenters criticized the IHSS cuts, especially the overtime cap and the elimination of services for undocumented adults and people affected by the asset test. Advocates argued that IHSS workers and recipients depend on these services, that county administration is already underfunded, and that the proposals could destabilize vulnerable consumers. The chair closed by saying the committee would continue to fight for child care and would not pause on child care, and the meeting recessed before moving on to the remaining May Revision items.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:48:21.440> to competencies that we locally develop to competencies that we locally develop
• behind an adequate education that, um, I can't remember the House bill that was signed, but that developed
• by the Department of developed by the Department of Education<00:59:39.520> and<00:59:40.319>
• it should be abundantly strategies it should be abundantly Apparent<01:03:07.640> from<01:03:
• <01:16:19.480> around task force that's being developed around task force that's being developed

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 749, which would require high schools to provide at least one hour of instruction on the nature and history of communism. The prime sponsor said the bill was prompted by concerns that students lack basic historical knowledge about communism and its effects, and argued that a short, flexible requirement could be embedded in an existing course without creating a new full class. He described communism as a totalitarian ideology and cited historical examples including the Soviet Union, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Cold War, and current events involving Russia, Ukraine, and Taiwan as reasons students should understand the topic. Members asked whether the subject is already covered in current social studies standards, whether one hour is enough, and whether the bill would apply to public, private, parochial, and charter schools. The sponsor said he did not believe communism is specifically required in current standards, that he would prefer a full course but was proposing a minimal requirement, and that he intended the bill to apply broadly to schools under the Department of Education’s umbrella, though he acknowledged the wording may need clarification for charter schools. He also said the proposal was both reactive and proactive, based on anecdotal concerns and his teaching experience. A second supporter testified that he was born in the Soviet Union and favored the bill, but suggested the instruction should emphasize critical thinking and explain both why communism can appeal to some people and why it can have harmful consequences. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was not here; I was at the Water Development Board when it was released. I read it.
• In doing so, the developer moves forward and begins the connections.
• And so that's the group that's largely responsible for developing control strategies for SIP planning
• But regarding MUDs, can a developer come to you with a MUD request? Can they...
• Can a developer come to TCEQ?

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair now calls Chair L'Oreal Stepney of the Texas Water Development Board and Executive Director
• We have 15 regional planning groups that put together. flood planning strategies that hopefully will
• We have the Texas Water Development Fund, D-Fund program was unique. about this program is that one loan
• Again, for the record, Brian McMath, Executive Administrator of the Development Board.
• We do need a consultant, an engineering help developing that full application.

Keywords: 1184, house, all