Transcript Highlights:

• They closed when there was an oil budget. They closed when the train stopped going there.
• So in 2023, The Carrizozo Library's total budget for the year was about $26,000.
• They piece together a budget from all kinds of places, wherever they can.
• And then we know that several Pueblo libraries have reported unavailable budgets, staffing gaps, and
• We operate multimillion dollar budgets.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > to</c> operating budget or another budget to operating budget or another budget to help<00:11:18.399
• </c> cutting 4 million from the budget. cutting 4 million from the budget.
• </c><01:45:32.880><c> It</c> community budgets, nonprofit budgets.
• It community budgets, nonprofit budgets.
• </c><02:05:35.040><c> budget</c><02:05:36.080><c> and</c> our taxpayers and our budget. budget and our

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• comes from the general state's budget comes from the general fund<00:37:35.640><c> reflecting</c><00
• The DOC did not request a supplemental budget last year, as we have traditionally done in many of the
• non-budget years in the past.
• The governor's budget recommendation includes $43.3 million for FY 26 and $66.9 million for FY 27 and
• The remaining proposals are budget neutral.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:06:12.840><c> for</c> back and actually amend our budget for back and actually amend our budget
• Anyway, we revised the budget.
• Then the budget cycle repeats on October the 31st; we'll be informed what our allocation is for budget
• </c> So again the way this works is budget So again the way this works is budget period<00:13:28.520>
• </c> budget review. budget review.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We fully anticipate having full transparency in the budgeting process.
• budget.
• You can see on the hydrograph, which is a bar chart of the budget.
• The blue part represents our state budget.
• Happy to work with you on that budget item again, Representative.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Health Care Budget Subcommittee will come to order. Sarah, please call the roll.
• I want to welcome everyone to the Health Care Budget Subcommittee.
• This is our last meeting as a Budget Subcommittee in this capacity, so with that in mind, we're here
• I want to take a moment to thank the committee staff and the Healthcare Budget Subcommittee: Sean Smith
• This is true for the language we pass in bills and in the budget, as well as the dollars we appropriate

Transcript Highlights:

• AIS Budget, good afternoon. AIS Budget would like to offer a few amendments on this bill.
• AIS Budget, good afternoon. AIS Budget would like to offer a few amendments on this bill.
• AIS Budget, good afternoon. AIS Budget would like to offer a few amendments on this bill.
• </c><01:32:34.719><c> and</c> able to uh have uh their own budget and able to uh have uh their own budget
• </c> into the budget into the budget they<01:35:54.440><c> may</c><01:35:54.679><c> just</c><01:35:54.840

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees first heard House Bill 229, which would establish a statewide speed restriction for motor vehicles under certain circumstances. Testimony on the bill was limited and came in support from the City and County of Honolulu’s transportation services, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization. No one testified in opposition, and there were no questions. The committees then took up House Bill 860, which would grant immunity from liability to the state or counties when they repair or maintain a street whose ownership or jurisdiction is disputed between them. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Land and Natural Resources submitted written testimony, and the Hawaii State Association of Counties, Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee, Hawaii County Council member Heather Kimble, and the Iolani Homestead Community Association for Justice testified in support. The Ho Association for Justice opposed the bill, arguing the immunity was too broad and that the issue had already been addressed by prior legislation. In discussion, members raised concerns about liability and asked whether a different approach, such as extending the 2017 law transferring Oahu roads in limbo to the counties, would be acceptable; county representatives said that path could be considered if immunity were removed. House Bill 1161, which would authorize counties to use a road usage charge mechanism similar to the state’s, drew support from the Department of Transportation, the Energy Office, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, several county and city offices, and the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization. Rental car companies and industry groups supported the concept but asked for amendments, including a flat fee instead of a per-mile charge, relief for plug-in hybrid vehicles, and a delayed implementation date. The Tax Foundation of Hawaii also supported relief for hybrids. Members questioned the rental car representatives about the flat-fee proposal, and they said a per-mile charge would be difficult to calculate and pass on to customers. At the end of the joint agenda, the committees deferred decision-making on HB 1161 to Tuesday, March 18 at 3:00 p.m., and the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs committee also deferred the three measures to that date and time. The Transportation and Culture and the Arts committee then began hearing House Bill 925, which would create a Performing Arts Special Fund, and House Bill 1378, which would establish a Performing Arts Grants Program and Special Fund and revise the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ responsibilities and funding sources. HB 925 received support from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and written support or comments from DBEDT, the Hawaii Arts Alliance, and others. HB 1378 drew extensive testimony and discussion focused on preserving arts funding while addressing concerns about the use of Works of Art Special Fund dollars for positions and programming. The Governor’s office said it supported the intent but had concerns; the Attorney General warned that the bill’s cap and transfer provisions were unclear and could affect the tax-exempt status of bond-funded dollars; and the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts opposed the measure, urging an audit, tracking of deposits, and a shift of positions and programs to general funds instead of changing the law. The chair explained that the bill was intended to protect arts funding while tightening the legal guardrails around bond-financed dollars and preserving federal support, and asked testimony to focus on new points as the hearing continued.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:07:01.720><c> itself</c><00:07:02.720><c> yes</c> budget itself yes budget itself yes um<00:07:05.479
• </c> 11 months away from the next budget 11 months away from the next budget cycle<01:06:58.279><c> and
• is adequate until our next budget request.
• 01.000><c> uh</c> until our next budget request okay uh until our next budget request okay uh with<01
• </c><01:38:41.840><c> was</c> know when I came in 2017 the budget was know when I came in 2017 the budget

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first reorganized by electing Representative Hart as House co-chair and Senator Douglas as Senate co-chair by acclamation, then approved the December 10 minutes. It then took up deferred and routine contract items, beginning with a Council on Postsecondary Education item that was withdrawn after staff explained the contract had been canceled and should not have come before the committee because the granting authority, not CPE, was issuing it. The committee next reviewed a Department for Local Government contract tied to an Eastern Kentucky flood recovery housing project in Jackson. Members questioned the high per-unit cost and whether renovation was more expensive than new construction. Staff explained the cost included acquisition of an existing downtown building and needed water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, and said developable land was limited in the area. With no motion to object, the contract was allowed to move forward. The committee then considered Kentucky Transportation Cabinet professional services contracts for highway design work. Members asked about the size of the contracts and how much of the available funding is typically used; staff said the contracts are two-year agreements, that the prior cycle reached close to $2 million per contract, and that this year’s limits were reduced because less money is available in the Highway Plan. The committee also approved a PSC amendment contract for the Bridging Kentucky program after staff explained the $150 hourly loaded rate was within the normal range for consultants. Both Transportation Cabinet items were approved without objection. Finally, the committee heard a Kentucky Communications Network Authority contract for an $85,000 study of the dark fiber market. Members asked what dark fiber is, why the study was needed, whether there was coordination with the Office of Broadband Development, and whether existing service meant there was already a market. KCNA said dark fiber is unused fiber that local providers can light to deliver service, that the study was needed because the contractor said no market existed while ISPs said demand exists, and that the report would help both KCNA oversight and broadband development planning. The contract was reviewed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said that, as the committee was digging through the budget and looking at available dollars to help
• </c><00:29:17.320><c> to</c> Mayo clct does provide a base budget to Mayo clct does provide a base budget
• uh the 2023 house budget Bill house file<00:33:32.799><c> 2890</c><00:33:33.799><c> allowed</c><00:33
• </c> okay because it would be in their budget okay because it would be in their budget and<00:37:00.000
• I will then uh withdraw our budget I will then uh withdraw withdraw<00:48:01.960><c> that</c><00:48:

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> you know, in the detail of our budget, you know, in the detail of our budget, for<00:28:29.440>
• </c> section of our budget for as an example. section of our budget for as an example.
• It just out in their line item budget.
• </c> percentage of your special ed budget percentage of your special ed budget perhaps<00:30:41.520><
• Um so would that be something budgets.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The commission met to continue its study of the cost of special education, with the chair emphasizing that the group needs to narrow its focus over the coming year toward specific cost drivers, including the IEP process, Medicaid, charter schools, and EFAs. Members reviewed a draft first report due November 1 and agreed it would be a brief synopsis of prior meetings, with minutes attached. The September 30, 2025 minutes were amended to correct the number of federally funded department staff from 234 to 23, and to revise language about Senator Sullivan’s comments so they reflected concerns about IEP advocates and fees charged to families rather than support for the concept. The amended minutes were then approved unanimously, with abstentions noted for members who were absent. The main presentation focused on how special education costs are handled for students attending charter schools. The DOE representative said there are 804 students with disabilities in charter schools across 88 of the state’s 176 districts, and that the district of residence remains responsible for all services and costs. She explained that students must meet IDEA criteria through district evaluation and parent consent, and that services are determined through individual IEP meetings rather than by a blanket charter-school decision. Members asked how those costs are tracked, whether any students are merely “monitored,” and whether districts separately identify charter-school special education expenses; the answer was that most districts fold those costs into their overall special education budget, though some may break them out as a line item. The discussion then turned to transportation and mileage costs for staff providing services at charter schools. Testimony indicated that districts may use their own staff, contract staff, or contract with a charter school for certified services, and that travel costs are often either built into contracts or absorbed as part of staff time rather than separately reimbursed. Members questioned whether mileage is reimbursed when staff travel to distant charter schools and whether those costs can be isolated in district budgets; the response was that practices vary by district and are not usually broken out by special education function. Several members argued this makes it difficult to determine the true cost of delivering special education, especially given New Hampshire’s model in which the district of residence pays regardless of where the charter school is located. The chair noted the complexity of the system and compared it to the state’s separate tuition and transportation approach for career and technical education centers.

Transcript Highlights:

• HB 771 does not address transportation. effect on local budgets that forces effect on local budgets that
• Speaker, I request a roll call. unrealistic since budgets for the 202526 unrealistic since budgets for
• Thank you. the local school district budget which the local school district budget which is<00:43:45.440
• Um, and we should also, like, we haven't quite finalized the budget, so we should pass a budget that
• </c><03:11:22.399><c> that</c> budget, so we should pass a budget that budget, so we should pass a budget

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, I was looking at the budget before I came in, and I noticed that I needed to do a budget amendment
• I was looking at the budget before I came in, and I noticed that I needed to do a budget amendment because
• My district has a $181 million budget deficit.
• So the TEA's budget is being hit for that much money for every new hire. Not TEA's budget. Sorry.
• Not TEA's budget. I mean, Houston ISD's budget.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:54:46.559><c> is</c> been impacted, but 80% of our budget is been impacted, but 80% of our budget
• </c> to cover our meals program budget to cover our meals program budget shortfalls<01:23:27.120><c>
• </c> public media has resulted in a budget public media has resulted in a budget cut<02:06:02.719><c>
• Currently, we've our annual budget.
• We provided... due to CDS budget cuts. Our OBVC, HHS, due to CDS budget cuts.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: This joint informational briefing on Act 310 grants and aid focused on organizations describing how federal funding cuts, Medicaid/SNAP changes, and related policy shifts are affecting their services and budgets. Committee members explained there would be no Q&A, testimony would be limited to one minute, and in-person participants would be heard before Zoom callers. Members repeatedly asked testifiers to identify the amount of federal funding lost or at risk. Testimony came from a wide range of nonprofits and community providers, including Aloha Care, Hawaii Bicycling League, Hawaii Literacy, Hawaii Youth Symphony, Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawaii, the Tsunami Museum, The Kohala Center, West Hawaii Community Health Center, West Hawaii Region Hospital Foundation, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, Dynamic Community Solutions, Feeding Hawaii Together, Girl Scouts of Hawaii, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaiian Lending and Investments, Homana, Honolulu Theatre for the Youth, Kids Hurt Too Hawaii, and Kokua Kalihi Valley. Most described reduced or threatened federal support and requested state funding to maintain services such as health care access, food security, disaster preparedness, literacy and digital inclusion, youth mentoring, arts education, housing, and climate or agricultural resilience. Several speakers emphasized direct impacts on vulnerable populations, including kūpuna, low-income families, immigrants, homeless youth, and people with disabilities. Requests ranged from relatively small planning or program grants to multi-million-dollar stabilization asks, with some organizations citing specific losses such as reduced Medicaid or USDA funding, canceled EPA or FEMA support, or expiring federal grants. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Persons Malica, the Senate has a second offer to make on the budget proviso and back of
• For a budget proviso and back of the bill, you can find the Senate's second offers in the far right columns
• And when you look at it, that's about $300 million in our budget, which we're not sure is going to the
• The budget, which we're not sure is going to the right place or the right people in the right amounts
• You too, as well as the entire conference and chambers on this budget. Awesome. Thank you.

Summary: The conference committee met to discuss the Senate’s second budget offer and its first offer on SB 7030. The chair said the budget proviso and back-of-bill offers were continuing to close out remaining issues, and explained the Senate’s approach to the new academic accelerated option supplement in the FEFP as restoring about 80% of prior weighted FTE funding for acceleration options other than dual enrollment, citing existing statutory requirements and the different cost structure of dual enrollment. Senator Gates then presented the Senate’s modified SB 7030 offer, saying the bill was intended to address problems tracking roughly 23,000 students moving among public schools, private schools, and homeschooling, and to better ensure funding follows students correctly. He said the offer would preserve key parts of SB 7030 while making changes such as extending the fall application window, delaying some spring-term documentation, modifying background screening requirements, and allowing the commissioner to extend deadlines in extenuating circumstances. The offer also kept the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program as a separate FEFP categorical, expanded the Education Stabilization Fund, created fall and spring application windows, required enrollment cross-checks and student IDs, changed scholarship payments to monthly with front-loaded options, and required scholarship funding organizations to return funds tied to Auditor General FTE audit findings. A public commenter, a longtime teacher from Daytona Beach, urged that the financial literacy course be taught at a later grade level, such as 11th or 12th grade, and suggested a system of diverse guest speakers in classrooms to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to consider business ownership. No questions were raised from the committee after the Senate offer, and no vote was taken. The vice chair said the House would take the offer back for review, and the chair announced there would likely be one more meeting with a one-hour notice before the meeting adjourned by motion without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:02.040><c> session,</c> Uh, this was the 2026 budget session, Uh, this was the 2026 budget
• Traditionally, that's been allocated through the budget bill and agency 27's budget.
• bill and agency 27's uh, uh, the budget bill and agency 27's uh, budget.<00:07:23.600><c> Uh,</c><00
• as a standard biennial budget.
• and technical budget.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Out how having it in code was helpful, because all of our state highways have to be budgeted and approved
• No, we do need to keep an eye on state highway miles and what that means for our budget going forward
• I think it could be a reporting thing as part of our budget. Senator Hogan, thank you.
• Because you routinely report this as part of your budget presentation to appropriations.
• He's already doing the reporting on it for his budgets.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The conference committee on House Bill 1053 met to resolve Senate changes concerning a statutory cap on state highway mileage. Members discussed the history of the mileage limit, which was set in 1933, and whether keeping the cap in Century Code still served a useful purpose. House members were split between viewing the cap as an accountability and educational tool for future legislators and seeing it as unnecessary clutter because DOT already reports highway mileage and is separately limited by the 50-mile-per-year rule. DOT Director Ron Hanky testified that the department already tracks and reports mileage for budget and federal purposes, that the 7,700-mile cap is not especially useful to DOT, and that the department would prefer the cap be removed. He also explained how mileage is measured and noted several potential road additions that could be affected by the cap. The committee ultimately could not reach agreement. Representative Dressler moved that the House reject the Senate amendment, and the motion was seconded, but the roll call failed with a split vote: Dressler, Johnston, and Freilich voted yes; Hogan, Rommel, and Corey voted no. With no further motion, the committee adjourned and planned to reschedule another meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Due to this uncertainty, we decided to be conservative in our approach for the first year and budgeted
• The reason for that imbalance in favor of transportation is that the last two budgets have seen more
• education and transportation sectors, we will build off the work we have done in the last several budget
• several years it will be doubtful we will be able to spend an amount like this outside of our annual budget
• Furthermore, I acknowledge that this bill before us is only one piece of the budget funding that we will

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and adopted two ceremonial resolutions: one commemorating the dedication of the Woburn Battle Road Memorial as part of the Massachusetts 250th celebration, and another recognizing May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week. The chamber then took up House Bill 4005, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill using FY24 Fair Share surtax surplus funds, and ordered it to a third reading before later considering it for passage to be engrossed. During debate on the bill, the House heard a lengthy presentation in support of the proposal, which would direct about $828 million to transportation and $353 million to education. The transportation spending was described as primarily supporting the MBTA, including workforce and safety funding, reserve replenishment, station and infrastructure improvements, reduced fares, and reimbursement for tunnel closure costs, along with smaller amounts for regional transit authorities and unpaved roads. The education side included additional special education circuit breaker funding, vocational school capital, early education workforce supports, early literacy, universal school meals, higher education endowment matches, Green School Works, and ESOL waitlist reduction, with the Inspector General directed to review circuit breaker cost controls. Members then debated several amendments. One amendment related to a school athletics policy was modified by a further amendment calling for DESE analysis before implementation; both the further amendment and the underlying amendment as amended were adopted. A transportation amendment to shift $50 million from MBTA funding to Chapter 90 municipal roads was supported by members emphasizing rural road needs but was rejected on a roll call, 25-120. Another transportation amendment adding at least $300,000 for Route 93 mitigation costs in Medford was adopted, 133-20. The bill itself then passed to be engrossed on a roll call, 140-14. The House also observed moments of silence for former First Lady Kitty Dukakis and for victims of the Santo Domingo nightclub collapse, and later adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. before adjourning in memory of former Representative Philip W. Johnston.

Transcript Highlights:

• When education funding falls short, it's not just a budget issue.
• Our state's private school voucher spending now makes up 6% of our state's budget.
• We are experiencing a perfect storm of economic pressure on the state budget.
• Many more are unable to balance their budgets.
• Their dignity and their health are less important than a line item in a budget.

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Joint Budget, then they would adopt those same rules.
• And that is the main difference from the governor's balanced budget proposal. Mr.
• And that is the main difference from the governor's balanced budget proposal. Mr.
• This is a Joint Budget Committee meeting Tuesday, but we will only be taking up peer issues.
• So it's functionally a peer meeting for the Joint Budget Committee.

Summary: The committee first reviewed a long list of House and Senate bills that were ready to be passed out, then heard a special language subcommittee report. The report recommended do pass on six bills, including SB 63, SB 67, SB 73, HB 1089, HB 1090, and HB 1093, and amendments on 11 others. A motion to pull HB 107 out for separate consideration failed, and the special language report was adopted. The committee then took up the Revenue Stabilization Law and schedule. Staff explained the schedule’s differences from the governor’s balanced budget proposal and described several fund transfers, including $100 million for Medicaid sustainability, $70 million for the Arkansas Children’s Educational Freedom account, $43.7 million for the general discretionary majority vote set-aside, $5 million for the motor vehicle set-aside, and two $150 million transfers related to the Quick Action Closing Fund and public highway improvements. Members asked for clarification on allocations, and the committee adopted the amendment and passed both House Bill 1100 and Senate Bill 75 as amended. Representative McClendon then presented a bill to support expansion of the Bella Vista Veterans Wall of Honor, but withdrew it, saying he would seek other funding sources. The committee then moved through the remaining captioned bills, including House Bills 105, 107, 1008, 1022, 1035, 1036, 1037, 1051, 1052, 1064, 1066, 1068, 1089, 1090, and 1093, and Senate Bills 3, 4, 7, 8, 15, 20, 21, 30, 31, 36, 41, 43, 58, 63, 67, and 77, generally passing them with little or no discussion, some as amended. The chair announced that all prior holds had been released and said the next Joint Budget Committee meeting would be Tuesday for peer issues only, then adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members will now go to the yellow budget calendar. Invite Representative Johnson.
• Representative Johnson, you are recognized to present the budget calendar. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• This is to amend the budget for state turnbacks for counties.
• This is to amend the budget for state turnbacks for counties.
• And then tomorrow at 9:00 a.m., Joint Budget will meet in Big Mac A.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, granted several leaves, and received a gubernatorial communication noting approval of House Bill 1002 (Act 1). The chamber also recognized guests, including state troopers, a nurse of the day, students, a cheer team, Entergy representatives, and a representative-elect, before moving to the calendar. Members passed House Bill 1003, the Arkansas House Representative Staff appropriation, by 94-0 with the emergency clause. On the budget calendar, the House considered a series of appropriation amendments and bills affecting agencies and institutions including the Labor and Licensing Board, University of Arkansas Community College at Rich Mountain, the State Treasurer, DFA, county turnbacks, career technical education, Northwest Arkansas Community College, and the Fort Chaffee appropriation. Several amendments were adopted by voice vote, and the House then batched and passed multiple appropriation bills, while some were pulled out for separate votes. In separate roll-call votes, House Bills 1021, 1027, 1029, 1049, 1056, 1061, 1074, 1075, and 1079 passed, while House Bills 1014, 1060, and 1062 failed. The chamber also adopted House Resolutions 1004 and 1005, which were described as necessary to introduce a non-appropriation bill. The meeting ended with adjournment set for 11:00 a.m. the next day, and committee announcements noted upcoming House Rules, Special Language, and Joint Budget meetings.