Transcript Highlights:

• And if you look at the loss ratios, that $500 million was 100% profit. Now, I will...
• Do you have the loss ratios? I do not have them for 2020 and 2021.
• Williamson did not come to the table with the loss ratios from 2020 and 2021.
• Like, is the profitability including investment income, or is it just the loss ratio?
• Is it... ...on including investment income, or is it just the loss ratio?

Committee: House Insurance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:05.680><c> changes,</c> because of these funding changes, because of these funding changes
• </c> transportation dollars are being funded. transportation dollars are being funded.
• that fund isn't used, it all goes back to the highway user tax fund.
• So, distribution fund. So, I'd ask fund. So, distribution fund.
• </c> is funded across the state for everyone. is funded across the state for everyone.

Bills: HF2438

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: transportation finance, transportation policy, MnDOT, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety, Metropolitan Council, highway funding, trunk highway fund, county state-aid highway fund, municipal state-aid street fund, state aid roads, local roads, bridge funding, road construction, transit funding, passenger rail, freight rail, aviation, airport development, safe routes to school

Transcript Highlights:

• There are 56 programs distributed from the Public School Fund, 14 from other state funds, and 29 from
• federal funds.
• So that just shows the amount of funding decreased from... Decreased funding? Mm-hmm.
• You know, those funds being used up.
• learner funds, as well as many other funds such as student growth and declining enrollment funding.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a Legislative Audit presentation summarizing Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors said the department distributed about $4.6 billion in grants overall, including $3.2 billion from the Public School Fund, $1.1 billion in federal funds, and $268 million from other state and miscellaneous sources, across 56 Public School Fund programs, 14 other state programs, and 29 federal programs. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; audit staff and Department of Education representatives explained that the report was only a distribution summary and not a recipient-level audit. Members also questioned why many districts showed lower funding, and staff said the decline was largely due to reduced federal and one-time COVID-related funds. Senators and representatives also discussed whether some incentive programs, such as master principal and national board bonuses, were tied to student outcomes, and whether Economics Arkansas was the sole entity named in special language for financial literacy funding; department staff said they would follow up on several details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on consumer price index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, with discussion of CPI-U and core CPI estimates for future fiscal years. Dr. Carlos Silva explained that the forecasts generally trend toward about 2 percent over time and that recent projections may have understated actual inflation because of recent shocks. Members asked about the accuracy of past projections, and he said he would provide more detail later if needed. The bulk of the meeting focused on the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with a statewide student-to-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1, average teaching experience of 11.9 years, and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found that districts with higher poverty and minority concentrations generally had less experienced teachers, and that teacher shortages remained widespread, especially in special education, math, science, and foreign language. Members asked about licensure exceptions, alternative preparation pathways, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and the cost and return on investment of traditional versus alternative routes. Staff said some licensure exceptions are being phased out under Act 304 of 2025 and that they would follow up on several requested details. The report also found that teacher retention averaged 87 percent statewide in 2025, with districts retaining teachers at higher rates than charters, and that 30 percent of surveyed teachers were considering leaving the profession. Principals and teachers identified school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the strongest negative factors. On salaries, BLR reported a statewide average teacher salary of $60,254 in 2025, with districts averaging $60,458 and charters $55,724. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average teacher salary in 2025, though its cost-adjusted ranking improved to 36th; among SREB states it ranked 12th, and among neighboring states it ranked fourth. Members asked about starting salaries, salary compression, district step increases, and whether the report should be shared more broadly with educators and school leaders. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on several questions, and the committee took no formal action beyond receiving the presentations and asking for additional data.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> conversation of of minimum loss ratio. conversation of of minimum loss ratio. Okay?
• . ratio. ratio.
• </c> funding and benefits. funding and benefits.
• No, we have to fund it. No, we don't have to fund it.
• </c> zero funding with a zero Evidently. zero funding with a zero Evidently.

Committee: House Commerce and Consumer Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• eligible to accept one state-funded loan or grant offer.
• eligible to accept one state-funded loan or grant offer.
• The funds available.
• This is not something that just impacts state-funded commerce programs.
• King County failed many of its audits this year for property tax-funded and sales tax-funded county grant

Bills: SB6069 , SB6167 , SB6201 , SB6205 , SB6001 , SB6026 , SB6054 , SGA9278 , SGA9279

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: affordable housing, homelessness, homeless shelter, emergency shelter, emergency housing, supportive housing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, low-income housing, very low-income, extremely low-income, housing crisis, land use, zoning, local preemption, urban growth area, UGA, planning, development regulations, permitting

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 227 in 2019 that established fines for nurse ratio violations.
• Nurse-to-patient ratios are about safe care.
• High-frequency, high-quality, taxpayer-funded transit. Thank you, members.
• funding to building housing.
• So let's start tying transit funding to housing.

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and opened with a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance recognizing 9/11. Members then moved through a long daily file and concurrence calendar, with many items passed without debate or temporarily retained. The chamber also took procedural actions, including re-referring AB 1152 to the Public Safety Committee, suspending rules for guest access and file-item handling, and later taking a roll-call vote to allow a late-filed journal letter request. Among the major Senate bills taken up on third reading, the Assembly approved SB 385 on peace officers’ rights, SB 753 on shopping cart recovery, SB 838 on housing and hotel projects, SB 643 on carbon dioxide removal grants, SB 645 on jury peremptory challenges in civil cases, SB 761 on CalFresh access for students, SB 774 on real estate licensing sunsets, SB 400 on renewable energy labor tax incentives, SB 24 on utility spending transparency, SB 37 on attorney advertising ethics, SB 258 on spousal rape involving disabled spouses, SB 364 on outdoor advertising near new freeways, SB 403 removing the sunset from medical aid in dying, SB 770 on HOA barriers to EV charging, and SB 22 on gift certificate cash redemption values. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition; SB 403 and SB 770 drew more divided votes, while SB 24 was briefly delayed by a call before passing. The Assembly also concurred in numerous Senate amendments on Assembly bills covering a wide range of topics, including service of process (AB 747), local clean energy planning (AB 39), firearms (AB 1078), workers’ compensation (AB 1336), public health (AB 1487), survivor leave protections (AB 406), solid waste (AB 70), water reporting for data centers (AB 93), Diwali recognition (AB 268), wildfire workforce recovery (AB 338), educational equity (AB 419), civic education (AB 422), office-to-housing conversions (AB 507), cannabis tax relief (AB 564), privacy/browser opt-out rules (AB 566), housing element transparency (AB 610), tenant appliance requirements (AB 628), code enforcement penalties (AB 632), homelessness and LGBTQ-related policy (AB 678), energy (AB 740), DEIA review in state government (AB 766), inmate firefighter wages (AB 247), children’s health (AB 798), real estate (AB 851), COVID-era rehiring protections (AB 858), hazardous materials (AB 961), real property and housing covenants (AB 1050), aging (AB 1069), health care facilities (AB 1172), endangered species protections (AB 1319), CalWORKs modernization (AB 1324), cannabis access for seriously ill patients (AB 1332), foreign labor contractors (AB 1362), and downtown revitalization financing (AB 1445). Several of these passed overwhelmingly, while a few drew notable opposition, including AB 93, AB 403, AB 770, AB 851, AB 1050, and AB 1319. The transcript also included extended debate on SB 34, which was presented as a compromise measure on air pollution and port operations in the San Pedro Bay area. Supporters said it narrowed the scope to protect union jobs while preserving AQMD authority, while opponents and supporters alike noted the underlying distrust between labor and environmental stakeholders. The Assembly passed SB 34, SB 515 on disaggregated demographic data collection, and then began taking up AB 495 on immigration, with the sponsor describing family separation and immigration enforcement trauma before the transcript cuts off.

Transcript Highlights:

• 04.959><c> a</c><00:16:05.199><c> lot</c><00:16:05.360><c> of</c><00:16:05.519><c> conversations</c> fund
• We had a lot of conversations fund.
• The school permanent fund comes from mining.
• , and that can continue to bring continued stability to our schools across the state of Minnesota. fund
• And there's fund comes from mining.

Transcript Highlights:

• And when ELOP and ACEs funding are used, the ELOP ratio is 10 to 1.
• the funding gap in the system.
• funding.
• funding.
• He funds UC for 1.1% growth. He funds UC for 1.4% growth, just for context.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on three education budget items: the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), differentiated assistance/statewide system of support, and universal school meals plus kitchen infrastructure grants. For ELOP, the Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to provide $4.7 billion ongoing Proposition 98 funding and $62.4 million to set a minimum Tier 2 rate of $1,800 per pupil. The LAO recommended instead fixing the Tier 2 rate at $1,579, and committee members questioned how the rate was determined, how much funding is actually spent, and whether overlapping funding from ELOP, ACEs, and 21st Century programs is being tracked. CDE said ELOP is showing positive attendance and math outcomes, but some requested data will not be available until mid-2027; members also raised concerns about double-funding, transparency, and whether middle and high school students are being equitably served. On differentiated assistance, CCEE outlined the statewide system of support and the various tiers of universal, targeted, supplemental, and intensive assistance. Finance explained the Governor’s proposal to replace the current DA structure with a more stable universal and targeted assistance model, funded at $131.9 million ongoing, with a three-year support cycle aligned to LCAP and ESSA timelines and broader State Board authority to revise eligibility criteria. The LAO objected to considering the proposal before the State Board finalizes the new performance criteria, and committee members expressed concern that moving to a three-year cycle could delay support for LEAs that newly fall into need mid-cycle. There was also discussion about whether the proposal would weaken subgroup-based equity guardrails or give the State Board too much discretion over who qualifies for support. For school meals and kitchen infrastructure, Finance proposed $1.8 billion ongoing for universal meals and an additional $100 million ongoing plus $100 million one-time for a fourth round of kitchen infrastructure and training grants. The LAO recommended rejecting the new kitchen grant round because prior rounds are still being spent and the unmet need is not yet clear. CDE said prior investments have improved meal participation, efficiency, and menu variety, but many schools still lack the facilities for scratch cooking and face construction, electrical, and procurement barriers. Members asked for more data on how prior grants were used, which schools are benefiting, and whether funds could also support lower-cost food access strategies such as pantries, while noting federal restrictions on some meal-service innovations.

Transcript Highlights:

• K through 2 ratio teaching ratio to students is 1 to 25.
• </c> going to fund and support labor. going to fund and support labor.
• </c> emergency funds are depleted right. emergency funds are depleted right.
• <c> fund.
• </c> education trust fund. education trust fund.

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> funding level in 2008 and 2018. funding level in 2008 and 2018.
• </c> of special education funding this year. of special education funding this year.
• </c><04:16:57.439><c> fund</c> of how the heck we're going to fund fund of how the heck we're going to
• </c> funds adequacy for all school children. funds adequacy for all school children.
• </c> adequately fund any of the formulas. adequately fund any of the formulas.

Committee: House Education Funding

Transcript Highlights:

• Essentially, the thing to consider here is that there are also very strict participation ratios.
• And so you're saying that's because the 10 to 1 or the max 12 to 1 ratio? Correct. Okay. Thank you.
• And of course, I'm hesitant to put into statute a program that we're gonna have to fund, most likely,
• I know there's some work on trying to find alternate funding.
• If it stays as a general fund, I cannot support it, so I'm hoping that some of the things we have in

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• , sportsmen and women contribute the vast majority of funds... ...conservation funding.
• That was the first year that the Muckleshoot tribe got external funding.
• So it’s not a big ask for funds.
• So you had funding, and then during the budget cuts the Legislature cut the funding—is that what happened
• So you had funding and then during the budget cuts of legislature cut the funding Thank you. funding

Summary: The committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5838, which would add a federally recognized tribal representative to the State Board of Natural Resources. The Department of Natural Resources commissioner and tribal leaders said the change would bring Indigenous knowledge and a voting voice to decisions on trust lands, while preserving existing tribal consultation. Some county and economic interests said they were not opposed to tribal participation but stressed the board’s fiduciary duty to trust beneficiaries and asked for more review of the board’s purpose; one witness questioned whether the beneficiaries had been consulted. The prime sponsor, Senator Claudia Kaufman, said the bill is about inclusion and equity and indicated openness to an amendment adding both eastside and westside tribal representation. The hearing closed with 142 written comments reported: 33 pro, 107 con, and 2 other. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5960, which would require Fish and Wildlife to designate at-risk ungulate populations and take predator mitigation actions when populations fall below specified benchmarks. Senator Shelley Short said the bill responds to declining deer and elk numbers and a lack of management, especially in northeast Washington. Supporters argued the bill would codify existing agency plans and restore balance in wildlife management, while opponents—including conservation groups, the Sierra Club, and several scientists and advocates—said the state’s predator-prey study found wolves were not the main driver of ungulate declines, pointing instead to habitat, forage, weather, disease, and vehicle collisions. Ranching and farm groups supported the overall goal but objected to the bill’s in-state wolf translocation provisions. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said it recognized the bill’s intent but opposed it because some directives were impractical, costly, or would require legislative approval. The hearing closed with 1,197 written comments reported: 843 pro, 352 con, and 2 other. The committee then held a work session on Lake Washington salmon predation. Larry Phillips and Muckleshoot Fisheries Director Jason Schaffler described a coalition effort to reduce predation on juvenile salmon in the Lake Washington system, saying invasive and predatory fish such as walleye, rock bass, American shad, northern pike, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass are harming sockeye and Chinook recovery. They said sockeye returns have fallen from hundreds of thousands to about 18,000 in recent years, ending tribal and sport fisheries, and argued that targeted predator removal, supported by prior state and county funding, could help restore runs. Senators asked about the methods and funding, and the presenters said fishing and netting are being used to suppress larger predatory fish and that more sustained investment is needed. Finally, the committee began public hearing on Senate Bill 1697, which would make federally recognized tribes eligible recipients for county conservation futures funds. Testifiers from the Washington Farmland Trust and the Tulalip Tribe said the bill would expand voluntary conservation partnerships, help tribes steward farmland and habitat, and make it easier to leverage county funds with other grants. They described past projects where tribal participation improved conservation outcomes but said tribes could not directly access conservation futures dollars under current law.

Transcript Highlights:

• So if a town meeting is voting on a measure to fund a new fire truck, and the fire chief says, "I advocate
• A fire or police chief to explain to a town in a town meeting why a warrant article that would fund new
• c><01:31:59.600><c> or</c><01:31:59.840><c> the</c><01:32:00.080><c> pros</c> out the risk benefit ratio
• </c><01:32:22.400><c> to</c> decision about the risk benefit ratio to decision about the risk benefit
• ratio to their<01:32:23.280><c> community.

Committee: House Election Law

Transcript Highlights:

• households with a military member parent in the prioritization system for enrollment and available funded
• a reminder, this is the bill that establishes statutory guidelines for authorized periods of mixed-ratio
• reduction in daily operating costs for crisis residential centers operating under the modified staffing ratios
• So moving from a hard floor of four staff to a 1-to-4 ratio would indicate a massive reduction in labor
• in some of the licensing and regulatory actions taken by DCYF, in the spirit of saving the state's funds

Summary: The committee met to brief amendments and then took executive action on nine bills related to child care, DCYF oversight, and services for children and vulnerable populations. Before voting, members reviewed proposed substitutes and amendments for HB 1544, 2099, 2219, 2253, 2319, and 2350, with brief discussion on issues such as child welfare risk assessment tools, military family child care access, child care provider flexibility, licensing and monitoring requirements, and residential habilitation center terminology and notice requirements. The committee then reported HB 2099, HB 2185, HB 2219 as amended, HB 2253 as amended, HB 2317, HB 2318, HB 2319 as amended, and HB 2350 as amended out of committee with do pass recommendations. HB 2253 saw one amendment adopted to restore state monitoring and health/safety reviews at the Washington School for the Deaf, while other proposed amendments were withdrawn or rejected. HB 2319 was amended to correct technical language regarding Eastern State Hospital and Interlake School. HB 2350’s substitute changed notice procedures for residential habilitation center noncompliance to emphasize posted notices, email, preferred language, and plain-language summaries. HB 1544 drew the most debate. Amendments to add domestic violence, define “safe,” require an audit of missing safety-plan data, and prohibit use of an unvalidated risk tool to screen out referrals were considered; only the domestic-violence amendment was adopted, while the others failed. Members discussed concerns about the current DCYF risk assessment tool, cultural bias, and the need to improve validation, but also cautioned against narrowing the study too much. The committee ultimately reported the second substitute HB 1544 out with a do pass recommendation by a 9-0-2 vote, with two members voting no without recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year we ran out of funds in about three weeks, and this year we ran out of funds in three days.
• </c> this can be with limited funding. this can be with limited funding.
• Uh we we do however funds right now.
• </c> the lack of funding. the lack of funding.
• funded funded filled<00:24:30.000><c> out</c><00:24:30.159><c> properly</c><00:24:30.480><c> but</c>

Bills: HR1 , HF387

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: January 6 insurrection, pardon, law enforcement, violent crimes, public safety, justice system, political accountability, Blaine, local sales tax, special tax, restaurant tax, lodging tax, admissions tax, amusement tax, hotel tax, redevelopment, capital improvements, municipal finance, bonding authority, tourism tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Hospitals started coming into the fund.
• Loss ratios are not lost profit. My colleague, Mr.
• And so they said, "We want to get out of the fund.
• Yes, we call it the Patient Compensation Fund.
• They would have chosen to get out of the fund right away, but the fund had the deficit issue that had

Committee: House Courts, Corrections & Justice Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Hybrid work means we no longer need a one-to-one workspace-to-employee ratio. significantly in their
• First, we've moderated our sharing ratio so it accounts for the new return-to-office requirements and
• 04:38.800><c> moderated</c><00:04:39.199><c> our</c><00:04:39.440><c> sharing</c><00:04:39.759><c> ratio
• </c> First, we've moderated our sharing ratio First, we've moderated our sharing ratio so<00:04:40.240
• Again, I don't think anything's going to happen this year from a funding perspective to demolish that

Transcript Highlights:

• for healthcare is a 80/20 loss ratio.
• for healthcare is a 80/20 loss ratio.
• ratio I think is loss ratio a 59% loss ratio I think is healthy<00:46:50.319><c> and</c><00:46:50.560
• And the combined ratio was 59; the loss ratio was 59.04%. Okay. Thank you. Thanks.
• And where we get our funding is our funding comes primarily from the premiums that we charge, but we

Transcript Highlights:

• Our funding comes from three sources. The largest being the workers' compensation fund.
• the workers' compensation fund.
• So those items that are filed by the petitioning party in our court have general fund funding.
• Our funding comes from three sources. The largest being the workers' compensation fund.
• </c> general fund general fund funding.<00:42:38.560><c> Uh</c><00:42:38.880><c> the</c><00:42:39.119

Bills: HF1151 , HF1239 , HF1240 , HF2020 , HF2514 , HF2515 , HF2451

Committee: House State Government Finance and Policy

Keywords: Compensation Council, salaries, state officials, judicial compensation, legislative process, public funds, misuse, law enforcement, accountability, state government, legislative auditor, compliance, transparency, retirement benefits, health insurance, dependents, state employees, Medicare, legislative studies, government oversight

Transcript Highlights:

• I will note I am also a medical patient as well, and I personally prefer those ratioed products.
• I think when we look at the existing ratio, which is up to 60,000 of medical canopy, and then one half
• </c> and I personally prefer those ratioed and I personally prefer those ratioed products.<00:29:42.640
• ,</c> when we look at the existing ratio, when we look at the existing ratio, which<00:32:10.200><c>
• </c><01:26:09.680><c> disability</c> and what state-funded disability and what state-funded disability

Committee: Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection