Video & Transcript Research : 'staff equity'
Page 24 of 500
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- For the record, Melissa Van Gorkum, staff to the committee.
- Chairman of the committee, Ben Aumdal's staff.
- All right, any questions for staff?
- co-equity equity By way of reminder, the bill exempts limited equity cooperatives from the Washington
- All right, any questions for staff?
Bills:
HB2664
Keywords:
HB 2664, unlawful detainer, eviction notice, landlord-tenant, tenant rights, service of process, certified mail, notice by mail, notice posting, possession action, vacate notice, Washington RCW 59.12, housing law, rental housing, forcible entry and detainer, proof of service, property possession, occupants, lodging house, hotel guest
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance and Education Committee Feb 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- staff to track compliance across funding streams, rather than directing scarce resources towards staff
- And then I think there has to be what we have in many ways is coordination amongst committee staff, staff
- You know, I got to give credit to the committee staff.
- And that is just staff time going through.
- And that is just kind of staff time going through.
Summary:
The joint hearing focused on coherence in California’s education planning and reporting systems, especially the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) and related grant plans. Committee chairs and members described widespread frustration with duplicative, lengthy, and sometimes conflicting reporting requirements, while emphasizing that the goal was not to reduce accountability but to make planning more useful, stable, and student-centered. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond also previewed the Governor’s education budget priorities, including expanded learning, community schools, universal transitional kindergarten, literacy supports, and concerns about the proposed Prop. 98 deferral.
Panelists from the State Board of Education, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office said the LCAP was intended to balance local flexibility with statewide transparency, but has become overloaded by repeated revisions and additional requirements. They argued for fewer core reporting elements, more stability over time, better alignment of planning cycles, and integrated systems that reduce duplication. Fresno County staff described a multi-year calendar and support tools that help districts manage timelines, but said these tools only ease the burden rather than solve the underlying problem. The LAO noted that some newer plans, such as expanded learning and transportation plans, are narrative-heavy and often less informative than separate reporting requirements.
Local district leaders and county officials described the practical effects of the current system: staff time diverted from instruction, multiple portals and forms, audit risk aversion, and planning documents that can exceed 100 pages. Several superintendents said coherent systems work best when districts have clear priorities, stable governance, and aligned budgets, and when state requirements are predictable and tied to outcomes like literacy, attendance, and student achievement. The California Federation of Teachers added that coherence also depends on meaningful collaboration with educators, classified staff, parents, and communities. Committee members repeatedly asked whether the state should streamline reporting, create a uniform portal, or develop a more unified grant-reporting structure, and Thurmond said the department was piloting a simplified common form and was willing to work with the Legislature and districts on broader solutions.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee Apr 30th, 2025
Communications and Conveyance
Transcript Highlights:
- And thank you and your committee staff so much for their hand.
- Amy Cortina with Unite LA and Digital Equity LA in strong opposition.
- Flores Lagunas with Digital Equity L.A. and opposing this bill. Thank you.
- It's ministerial approval, but it's still a staff approval.
- I'm Shaina England, Director of the Digital Equity Los Angeles Coalition, or DELA, and the Digital Equity
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement - 03/18/25
Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c><00:13:28.800><c> port</c> exposure in our public Equity port exposure in our public Equity port
- We are an equity-heavy portfolio.
- We are an equity-heavy portfolio.
- We are an equity-heavy portfolio.
- </c><00:32:47.720><c> markets</c> we're asked if we think Equity markets we're asked if we think Equity
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Jan 26th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Matt Shever, committee staff.
- For the record, Kelly Gunn, staff.
- Any questions for staff?
- Any questions for staff? In the EBB. Thank you, Kelly. Any questions for staff?
- Equity is improving.
Summary:
The committee began with a work session on dual credit, hearing first from the Council of Presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, then from the Education Research and Data Center. The dual credit overview described Washington’s six dual credit programs, high participation rates, transferability, and recent efforts to improve transparency, pathways, and equity. Testimony emphasized both benefits and challenges, including access, funding, advising, and the need for clearer statewide coordination. ERDC outlined its annual report, dashboard, research briefs, and future work on school-level factors and possible causal effects of dual credit participation. No votes were taken during the work session.
The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6227 would direct WSAC to work with public higher education institutions to create formal data collection protocols for parenting students and convene a work group to recommend how to identify and support them. Senator Wilson and multiple student and advocacy witnesses supported the bill, citing the lack of consistent statewide data and the barriers parenting students face; WSAC testified that its research found significant food, housing, and child care insecurity among these students. SB 6235 would prohibit public colleges with athletics programs from entering certain private equity or sovereign wealth fund agreements involving athletics revenues or control. Senator Holy said the bill was intended to prevent loss of institutional control, while UW and WSU testified in opposition, warning it could limit flexibility and create competitive disadvantages.
The committee also heard SB 6217, which would expand Washington College Grant eligibility to students in eligible non-degree credential programs beginning in 2027-28. Supporters from the community and technical college system, a community college president, and workforce representatives said the bill would help students access short-term training for family-wage jobs and address workforce shortages, especially in construction trades. Finally, SB 6209 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship eligibility for certain private four-year and career/vocational schools if they meet a gainful-employment standard. DigiPen, Evergreen Beauty College, Seattle Film Institute, and related students and administrators testified in support, arguing the bill would preserve access for low-income and nontraditional students in career-focused programs; some witnesses on the bill’s earlier panel also urged that certificate and two-year programs be included. The hearings were managed with shortened testimony times because of the large number of sign-ins, and no final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board Mar 31st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Aug 19th, 2025
Legislative Health & Human Services Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- time away from existing staff.
- I'm happy to start looking into how to replace private equity or what to do when we replace private equity-controlled
- What do we do about the private equity that is here?
- How do we stop future private equity from coming in?
- Maura gave us a nice tour and spoke to staff.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board Mar 31st, 2026
Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board
Transcript Highlights:
- You don't have to actually own the equity.
- rather than a broad U.S. equity and a broad international equity.
- That 27.5% and 19% under the old policy is now this 46.5% public equity, but within that public equity
- will be proxied with public equity?
- Private equity will be proxied with public equity. Mr. Chairman, Scott can correct me if I'm wrong.
Summary:
The committee met with a quorum, approved the October 22 minutes, and received an update on the planned Legacy Fund transparency website. Jody Smith said the site is in contract negotiations after six bidders responded, with a target go-live around November 1 after added security review. The website is intended to provide downloadable, more detailed public information on the Legacy Fund, including historical changes, legislative allocations, and investment breakdowns. Members asked about comparables and data detail, and Smith said North Dakota would likely be the first state to offer this level of sovereign wealth fund transparency.
Scott Anderson of the Retirement Investment Office then reviewed Legacy Fund performance through January 31, 2026, describing strong returns, low fees, and the benefits of diversification. He noted that real estate had been a drag on returns, but it is a small portion of the portfolio, and he discussed market effects from geopolitical events, inflation, credit spreads, and private credit. Members also questioned the in-state investment program and the BND CD-Match program. Representative Bosch moved to pause new transfers to the CD-Match program until the bank reports back, and the motion passed on a roll call vote. The committee also agreed to request a cost-benefit analysis from RVK on that change.
After lunch, the committee heard from RVK consultant Jim Voidko on the investment policy statement, focused on the in-state investment provisions. He reported that, after interviews with implementers and stakeholders, RVK found no major policy impediments in the current IPS and no strong calls to change the size limits or core guardrails. He emphasized the importance of risk-adjusted returns, diversification, pacing, exit strategies, and governance, and warned that foregone returns or higher spending obligations can pressure the fund’s long-term mission. He also recommended clearer terminology around “infrastructure,” distinguishing public infrastructure from commercial infrastructure, and noted unresolved policy questions about nexus and economic diversification. The committee then began reviewing proposed IPS updates with Rio staff.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- And so if there's a request for staff or for any, And so if there's a request for staff or for ambulances
- My question to you is: how are the priorities of the Office of Health Equity identified?
- We have a higher-level Office of Health Equity Advisory Board.
- But really working with the staff and other experts to bring in to look at it as a process.
- Weldon's appointment for the position of Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Rules established quorum and approved several routine items on the agenda, including governor’s appointments not required to appear: Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair/member assignments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by unanimous votes. The committee noted that some 2026 committee changes would take effect February 1, 2026, and that new committees would depend on adoption of a Senate resolution.
The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garson, nominated as chief medical officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. He described his background in emergency medicine, disaster response, and EMS leadership, and members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response coordination. Dr. Garson emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local agencies, collaboration with hospitals and EMS stakeholders, and the need for safer alternatives to routine ambulance transport such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and nurse triage. He also discussed disaster preparedness for vulnerable and rural communities and the use of regional and state assets, including ambulance strike teams, during fires and floods. The committee approved his appointment 4-0.
The final item was Stephanie Weldon’s nomination as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon, who identified as Yurok-Tolowa and Karuk, spoke about her tribal, county, nonprofit, and state experience, her role as the first Native American woman in the position, and her commitment to health equity, rural communities, and culturally responsive public health work. Senators asked about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, addresses behavioral health, tribal consultation, youth mental health, and how it responds to political pressure around DEI language; Weldon said the office focuses on community-driven, data-informed work and transparency. Public commenters strongly supported her confirmation, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related equity efforts. The committee approved her appointment 4-0, sending it to the full Senate for confirmation.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health May 20th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- section of the Office of Health Equity.
- We are strongly opposed to the cuts with the Office of Health Equity, primarily the gender health equity
- Justice Fund and the LGBTQ Health Equity Initiative.
- We are strongly opposed to the cuts with the Office of Health Equity, primarily the gender health equity
- Justice Fund and the LGBTQ Health Equity Initiative.
Summary:
The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held an informational hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, focusing first on the Commission on Behavioral Health, then EMSA, and then the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The Department of Finance said the state faces a third consecutive deficit and that the May Revision includes difficult trade-offs, including proposed eliminations or reversions of some behavioral health and public health funds. The LAO echoed concern about the structural deficit and said it was still awaiting some budget details before offering a full analysis.
For the Commission on Behavioral Health, Finance proposed eliminating $20 million in Mental Health Wellness Act funds, arguing the money would help offset General Fund costs and noting future Proposition 1 innovation funding. The commission strongly opposed the cut, saying it would eliminate or delay launch-ready grants for early childhood supports, full-service partnerships, and peer respite, and would eventually end ongoing grant programming. Several advocates and commissioners testified that the funds support underserved communities and that Proposition 1 is not a substitute for the existing programs. The chair asked Finance to look for alternatives, but no vote was taken.
EMSA presented mostly technical budget adjustments: increased authority for the California Poison Control System, a correction to EMSIS funding, and a reappropriation for enterprise services and data management. CDPH then reviewed a broader set of May Revision proposals, including reversions from the California Reducing Disparities Project, workforce development, STD prevention, hepatitis C prevention, hospice, and extreme heat funding, as well as a new generative AI pilot for health facility survey reporting. Members raised concerns about cuts to CRDP and gender health equity programs, especially because many grants are mid-contract and serve underserved communities; CDPH said the reversions were part of solving the deficit and that CRDP had been successful, while also clarifying that abortion.ca.gov would not be eliminated. Public comment was overwhelmingly opposed to the CRDP and related cuts, with many speakers describing the programs as life-saving and cost-effective. No formal votes or actions were taken during the hearing.
VT
Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Session - 2026-05-13 - 10:00AM
Vermont Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> affiliated with private equity firms. affiliated with private equity firms.
- </c><00:59:46.000><c> firms</c> entities such as private equity firms entities such as private equity
- </c> private equity firm or hedge fund. private equity firm or hedge fund.
- </c> by private equity firms or hedge funds. by private equity firms or hedge funds.
- </c> a private equity investment. a private equity investment.
HI
Hawaii 2025 Regular Session
JHA Info Briefing - Wed Jan 29, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- lenses. the social Equity Provisions um that the social Equity Provisions um that we're<00:26:17.919
- </c> haian uh to truly achieve social equity haian uh to truly achieve social equity in<00:27:38.120>
- </c> particular native Hawaiian and Equity particular native Hawaiian and Equity entrepreneurs<00:29:
- </c> for a lot of these social Equity for a lot of these social Equity entrepreneurs<00:29:54.120><c>
- There's also licenses that can be reserved for social equity applicants, and social equity grants can
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- I mean, I think we have on the EMS side both local EMS agency staff...
- And so if there's a request for staff or for any...
- My question to you is: How are the priorities of the Office of Health Equity identified?
- We have a higher-level Office of Health Equity Advisory Board.
- Our staff have developed, with those experts and internally, a Black Health Equity Action Plan, all from
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair and membership appointments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 Senate holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by 4-0 votes.
The committee then heard confirmation testimony from Hernando Garzon, M.D., nominated as Chief Medical Officer of the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Senators asked about EMSA’s strategic plan, data integration, local flexibility in statewide standards, ambulance patient offload regulations, stakeholder engagement, disaster response, rural access, and alternatives to transporting 9-1-1 callers to emergency departments. Garzon emphasized data-driven decision-making, technical assistance to local EMS agencies, collaboration with hospitals and providers, and the use of community paramedicine, telehealth, and pre-positioned resources in disasters. Public commenters and members supported his confirmation, and the committee approved the appointment 4-0 for referral to the full Senate.
The committee also heard from Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. She described her tribal background, prior state, county, tribal, and nonprofit experience, and her focus on serving communities facing health disparities. Senators questioned her about how the office sets priorities, measures outcomes, balances equity work amid political opposition to DEI language, and tailors technical assistance to rural and tribal communities. Weldon pointed to work on tribal consultation, behavioral health, youth mental health, the California Reducing Disparities Project, gender-affirming care, reproductive health, housing and climate-related supports, and community advisory boards. Numerous public witnesses, including tribal and health equity advocates, spoke in strong support, and the committee approved her appointment 4-0 for the full Senate.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
JLARC – Joint Legislative Audit & Review Committee Sep 17th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- It takes up significant staff time every single year.
- OPDP has 4.5 staff, including the chief privacy officer.
- We found that surveyed agency staff reported satisfaction with OPDP.
- We are staff to the committee.
- For others, JLARC staff have to infer these.
Summary:
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee met on September 17, 2025, in hybrid format. After roll call, the committee initially lacked a quorum and deferred approval of the July 15 minutes until Representative Berg arrived; the minutes were then adopted. Members also discussed the proposed 2026 JLARC meeting schedule, including possible changes to address crowded July meetings and the annual tax exemption review workload.
Staff presented the annual lodging tax expenditures report, noting that 213 municipalities received distributions in 2024, with 91% reporting compliance, $114 million awarded for more than 1,700 activities, and no independent verification of the self-reported data. Several members questioned the value and usefulness of the report, and the executive committee indicated it may recommend removing the statutory reporting requirement. The committee then heard the preliminary performance audit of the Office of Privacy and Data Protection, which found the office meets its statutory responsibilities and has high user satisfaction, but recommended updating the statute to better match the office’s current capacity and focus and improving performance measures to reflect long-term privacy outcomes rather than outputs. Members asked about FERPA and other federal privacy laws, and OPDP staff said they provide general privacy training and consultation but not law-specific training unless requested.
The committee adopted the final report on Washington State recreational boating programs without recommendation, after staff reported that boating revenues support both general government and boating activities and that no participating agencies submitted formal comments. Members asked about boater safety education and possible overlap among the six agencies involved; Parks staff said education has reached more than 500,000 boaters and that fatalities and incidents have declined. The committee also reviewed planned study questions for a JLARC review of Labor and Industries’ enforcement of farm worker laws, with members raising scope questions about the term “farm worker” versus “agricultural worker,” and for DNR’s Eastern Washington sustainable harvest calculation, which JLARC will review as DNR completes its recalculation. Finally, staff outlined the 2026 tax preference performance reviews covering seven preferences, and members asked about racial equity, environmental impacts, disclosure of beneficiary savings, and how the reviews will measure effectiveness; the meeting adjourned before noon.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - SENATE AND HOUSE Feb 2nd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- We also have equity.
- So what does it take for the General Assembly to maintain equity?
- I think it is easy to look at adequacy and equity as a pie.
- So equity is something that is measurable. It is comparable.
- Supervisory aides are non-certified staff.
Summary:
The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then shifted to an update from Department of Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and Deputy Commissioner Stacey Smith on early childhood education, especially the state-funded Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program. They said Arkansas had received a federal Preschool Development Grant and described ABC as a large state program with about 23,800 funded slots and roughly $114 million in annual appropriations. Department officials said they are reviewing slot allocations because about 1,000 seats are funded but unfilled, while more than 2,000 families are on waiting lists, and they plan to reduce or reallocate slots from providers that have not filled them over several years. They also said they are examining whether income thresholds, curriculum expectations, daily rates, and summer programming should be updated, and members raised concerns about access, local control, transportation, and whether the program should better align with K-12 choice and school readiness goals. The committee agreed to form an early childhood subcommittee and asked the Bureau of Legislative Research to help gather historical data and other information for future discussion.
The committee then received a legal presentation from BLR attorney Taylor Lloyd on the constitutional and statutory framework for education adequacy in Arkansas. She reviewed the Dupree and Lake View cases, explaining that the state must maintain a general, suitable, and efficient system of free public schools, and that adequacy and equity are distinct but related concepts. She emphasized that the General Assembly is responsible for defining adequacy, studying whether the system meets that standard, and reacting to the evidence, while the courts ultimately decide constitutional compliance. Lloyd also explained the current adequacy definition, the role of the matrix as a funding tool rather than a spending mandate, and the distinction between unrestricted foundation funding and restricted categorical funding.
BLR’s Elizabeth Bynum followed with a historical overview of how Arkansas responded to the court cases and developed the current adequacy process. She traced major legislative actions from the 1980s through the Lake View litigation, including the creation of funding formulas, categorical aid, isolated funding, declining enrollment funding, and the 2003-2004 adequacy study that led to the Continuing Adequacy Evaluation Act and the matrix used to set foundation funding. She also described later changes to the adequacy statute, the financial reporting requirements for districts, and the ongoing use of surveys, stakeholder testimony, and consultant studies in the biennial adequacy process. Members asked questions about whether private or homeschool programs could use public funds for expenses like utilities, whether stakeholders should include those groups, the difference between average daily membership and attendance, and whether school board members are surveyed; staff said those issues would need further research or were outside the scope of the presenters’ role.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance and Education Committee Feb 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- staff to track compliance across funding streams, rather than directing scarce resources towards staff
- , staff at the department... ...amongst committee staff, staff at the department, staff at the State
- You know, I got to give credit to the committee staff.
- This is where the county office plays a critical equity role.
- And that is just staff time going through.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- I mean, I think we have on the EMS side both local EMS agency staff that...
- That typically is five ambulances and all the staff.
- My question to you is: How are the priorities of the Office of Health Equity identified?
- We have a higher level Office of Health Equity Advisory Board.
- But really working with the staff and other experts to bring in to look at is a process.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Rules met with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Courtney Welsh to the California Housing Partnership Corporation Board, Janessa Goldbeck to the California Veterans Board, and Tom Huntington to the State Parks and Recreation Commission, each by 3-0 vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees, the 2026 committee chair and membership appointments, the 2026 session schedule, the 2026 Senate holiday schedule, and floor acknowledgments, all by 4-0 votes.
The committee then heard from Dr. Hernando Garzon, nominated as Chief Medical Officer for the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Members questioned him about EMSA’s strategic plan, statewide standards versus local flexibility, ambulance patient offload time regulations, stakeholder engagement, disaster response, and alternatives to emergency department transport. Garzon emphasized data-driven planning, technical assistance to local EMS agencies, collaboration with hospitals and other stakeholders, and the need for safe alternatives such as community paramedicine, telehealth, and triage programs. He was confirmed by the committee on a 4-0 vote and sent to the full Senate.
The committee next heard from Stephanie Weldon, nominated as Deputy Director of the Office of Health Equity at the Department of Public Health. Weldon described her tribal background, rural experience, and prior public service, and said her work would focus on equity, community partnership, and serving underserved populations. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, tribal consultation, behavioral health, youth mental health, rural technical assistance, and how the office would continue its work amid federal opposition to DEI language. Public commenters strongly supported her nomination, citing her leadership on the California Reducing Disparities Project and related programs. The committee approved her appointment 4-0 and adjourned after concluding the agenda.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Committee on the Census Jun 21st, 2026 at 09:30 am
Senate Committee on the Census
Transcript Highlights:
- The Census Equity Fund made about $1.5 million in grants to nonprofits.
- Or was that additional $400,000 directly to the census equity fund?
- At least three months to staff up, train, and get people out.
- It is a measure of visibility, equity, and belonging.
- Those are Mira staff. Mira staff.
Summary:
The Senate Committee on the Census held an early planning hearing on how Massachusetts can maximize participation in the 2030 census, with Chair Will Brownsberger and Vice Chair Rebecca Rausch emphasizing the need to start well in advance. The first panel, made up of leaders from the Massachusetts Voter Table, MassVOTE, MIRA, and MESA, stressed that grassroots community organizations are trusted messengers and should be funded early to do multilingual outreach, training, and direct assistance in hard-to-count communities. They described lessons from 2020, including the shift to internet response, reduced federal census infrastructure, the importance of coordinated statewide networks, and the need to begin messaging several years before Census Day because building trust and staffing outreach takes time.
Panelists repeatedly warned that immigrant communities are facing heightened fear because of federal immigration enforcement and the possibility of a citizenship question or other federal changes, making census participation more difficult. They said 2020 funding arrived too late to fully staff and train outreach teams before the pandemic, and argued that future resources should be deployed earlier and more flexibly. In response to committee questions, they estimated Massachusetts should invest roughly $8 million to $10 million or more in state census outreach, with one proposed model of about $3 million to $5 million at the start, additional funding in the middle years, and a larger final push closer to 2030. They also suggested that funding should support communications infrastructure, translation, social media and ethnic media outreach, and possibly a permanent complete count structure or trust fund to preserve institutional knowledge.
A second panel from Common Cause Massachusetts and the ACLU of Massachusetts echoed the call for stronger, earlier investment and stronger privacy protections. They urged the legislature to expand existing census line items, consider a trust fund or other dedicated funding stream, and coordinate census outreach with other state programs that already work through trusted community messengers. The ACLU testimony focused on racial inequities in census counts and warned that federal efforts to exclude non-citizens or add a citizenship question would deepen distrust and undercount immigrant communities. Committee members asked about the 2020 overcount/undercount results, funding levels, timing of grant distribution, and whether census outreach should be routed through the Secretary of the Commonwealth or other state mechanisms; no votes were taken, and the hearing moved on to a later panel on immigrant-community outreach.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health May 20th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- of Health Equity.
- very quickly for your staff.
- Health equity, including the complete elimination of the gender health equity section and the complete
- We are strongly opposed to the cuts to the Office of Health Equity, primarily the Gender Health Equity
- Justice Fund and the LGBTQ Health Equity Initiative.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Jul 18th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- So, I don't know if the staff can do anything about that.
- They won't have the same staff, etc.
- Equities, public equities, have a different type of risk.
- These are these private equity.
- In terms of private equity, we emphasize private equity managers that are going to add value to a company