Transcript Highlights:

• P.E. and arts in younger grades but not so much in older grades, so we want to take a look at that.
• And for some grades, for your elementary grades, we do have funding formula components for, but then
• that goes away in secondary grades.
• It starts at 8th grade. I think we need to see if it should start at 6th grade or 7th grade.
• To, and when am I going to grade all of these 160 students? When am I going to grade?

Transcript Highlights:

• This constant, rapid rise in expenses like gas and insurance makes updating our outdated pay scale crucial
• After nearly two decades, the need to adjust our office pay scale has transitioned from a request to
• After nearly two decades, the need to adjust our office pay scale has transitioned from a request to
• In fact, we received an F grade from LDH.
• And so from early grades all the way through to technical and community college education, with apprenticeships

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 319, which would tighten and standardize voter identification rules at polling places. Senator Presley and Secretary of State Nancy Landry said the bill replaces the current “generally recognized” photo ID standard with a specific list of acceptable IDs, removes the affidavit-only option, and allows voters without a photo ID to cast a conditional paper ballot at the registrar of voters office or during early voting if they later provide approved documentation within two days after the election. Supporters argued the bill improves consistency, election integrity, and poll-worker guidance while still preserving access through alternative documents and free state IDs; opponents warned it could create confusion and burden seniors, students, homeless voters, and others without easy access to the required documents. After debate, the committee reported SB 319 favorably by a 7-2 vote. The committee then approved Senate Bill 202, which adds one day of compensated meeting time for parish boards of election supervisors in certain elections, and Senate Bill 25, which revises the compensation schedule for registrars of voters and related staff. SB 25 was amended to remove outdated step references and make conforming technical changes, and supporters said the pay structure has not been updated since 2007 despite increased duties and workload. The committee also adopted and reported favorably Senate Concurrent Resolution 29, creating a legislative study committee on water quality in the Chafalalaya Basin, and House Concurrent Resolution 85, creating a task force on illegal dumping, both with technical amendments. In addition, the committee advanced Senate Concurrent Resolution 63, which asks the legislative auditor to review how fiscal notes are prepared during session, and Senate Concurrent Resolution 33, which creates a work-based learning coordination task force to improve alignment among education, workforce, and employer partners. SCR 33 was amended to change the appointing authority for two members. The committee also approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, establishing the Louisiana-Ireland Trade Commission, and House Resolution 196, which creates a study committee on the impact of fallen trees on residential property and insurance issues. Several of these measures were supported by agency representatives or outside groups, and the committee adopted technical amendments where needed before reporting the bills and resolutions favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• down 5%, primarily from lower enrollment in high school, and that's in lower enrollment in the ninth grade
• photo: when you widen large canals to accommodate more water delivery, you have to deal with the above-grade
• Here's a bridge that was expanded as a result of canal widening. ...with the above-grade infrastructure
• So we don't have projects of the same scale and magnitude, and we rely much more on partnerships and
• state is invested in the Dungeness Basin over the past decade, about $2.5 million, so much smaller scale

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held a work session covering the state revenue outlook, caseload forecasts, wildfire costs, budget balance, tort liability, water supply, and pension policy. The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council reported modest near-term U.S. growth, no near-term Washington employment growth in 2026, continued personal income growth, and elevated inflation, with tariffs and federal policy cited as major risks. Revenue forecasts were slightly improved for the current biennium by about $105 million but down about $185 million for the next biennium. Members asked about income inequality and housing permits; staff said personal income is an aggregate measure and housing production remains below long-term needs. The Caseload Forecast Council then reported that most forecasts were unchanged or only slightly changed, but several programs increased, including Washington College Grant, Working Connections, aged/blind/disabled cash grants, nursing homes, home and community services, and developmental disabilities personal care. The largest policy-driven change was in Medicaid low-income adult caseloads, where federal H.R. 1 was projected to reduce coverage substantially through narrower eligibility, community engagement requirements, and shorter eligibility periods. The committee also heard a wildfire funding update and a 2025 fire season review. Staff explained that the state budgets $93 million annually for suppression and uses supplemental appropriations for costs above that level, with an estimated state supplemental need of about $139 million for the current year. Department of Natural Resources officials said 2025 fire activity remained below the 10-year average in acres burned, but fires were more complex and closer to communities, contributing to higher residence loss. They described expanded use of aircraft, firefighters from other states, corrections crews, and the Arcadia 20 hand crew, and said the state did not need National Guard ground support this year. A budget preview then showed that the near general fund outlook had worsened after vetoes, lapses, and forecast changes, and that maintenance-level costs alone would leave a projected negative balance by fiscal year 2027 and about $4.3 billion by fiscal year 2029, before any policy decisions. Jason Seams, the state risk manager, reported a sharp rise in tort claim costs, with indemnity expenses nearly doubling from fiscal year 2023 to 2025 and DCYF accounting for most of the increase. He said the state self-insurance liability account has run deficits for four straight biennia and is now facing nearly $600 million in deficits, driven largely by a surge in DCYF claims, especially juvenile rehabilitation and long-running sex abuse cases. Members asked about the role of old claims, comparisons with other states, excess insurance, and whether more Attorney General staff could reduce special assistant attorney general costs. The committee then shifted to water policy, hearing from tribal leaders, Ecology, and the Washington Water Trust. Tribal witnesses emphasized overappropriation, declining flows, climate impacts, and the need for legislative oversight and tribal participation in water policy. Ecology described major projects in the Odessa sub-area, Yakima Basin, and Dungeness, along with the need for storage, recharge, conservation, and policy changes to support water supply development. The Washington Water Trust argued that climate change is reducing summer flows and that the state needs more funding, enforcement, and long-term commitment to restore instream flows. The final item was a pension update on LEOFF 1 surplus assets; staff reviewed two 2025 bills that would have merged or restructured the plan and used surplus assets, but neither passed, and instead the budget directed the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study the issue and report back.

Transcript Highlights:

• So three out of eight, which is probably a failing grade. You mentioned 66 a day per inmate.
• taking the initiative to fix the problem, and nobody's getting reimbursed, that's another failing grade
• So that... is one limitation to scale, I see. Thank you. No problem. Thank you. I just...
• And I appreciate your honesty because... ...how do we grade ourselves?

Transcript Highlights:

• And this is important, especially for smaller scale projects, since architects are the most qualified
• A third-party review that then the county gets to grade their paper, so that we don't give away our regulatory
• entity of the city or county or whoever, and that regulatory entity gets the ability ...to, in my term, grade
• like the idea. ...The idea of third-party reviewers, as long as we get to review their homework and grade

Bills: SB1708, SB2523, SB1450

Keywords: county platting, subdivision platting, Local Government Code Chapter 232, Section 232.022, Section 232.0014, model subdivision rules, Water Code Section 16.343, Texas county subdivision law, residential subdivision, land conveyance, gift deed, family transfer, consanguinity, affinity, third degree relative, five acres or less, county land use, platting exemption, rural land division, property subdivision

Transcript Highlights:

• <02:39:42.439> and it um the we regulate the grade and it um the we regulate the grade and
• So, in terms of what might be tested under scales, would your division test the scales that are used
• would your division uh test the scales would your division uh test the scales that<03:43:57.399>
• > certified or less and have those scales certified or less and have those scales certified for
• <04:21:51.279> oil is a large scale oil is a large scale oil spill<04:21:53.800> and

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Environment and Agriculture Committee held an introductory orientation for members, many of whom were new or newly assigned to the committee. Leadership emphasized that the committee is intended to operate in a nonpartisan, collaborative way, and members introduced themselves and described their backgrounds in farming, gardening, food service, environmental work, water and waste issues, veterinary work, and related fields. Several members noted personal ties to homesteading, livestock, orcharding, food security, landfill concerns, and animal welfare, while others said they were eager to learn the committee’s work. The chair then reviewed committee procedures and expectations. Members were told the committee would generally meet on Tuesdays, with hearings starting around 10 a.m. and often running until about 4:30 p.m., and that absences, substitutes for executive sessions, and email communications would be handled through House rules and the committee’s email system. The chair also covered decorum rules for live-streamed meetings, including professional dress, limiting food and drink at the table, and giving full attention to witnesses. Members were reminded that legislative emails are subject to public records laws and that the committee may soon transition to a new email domain. The chair also explained logistics such as bill folders, committee room storage, and emergency procedures for evacuation or shelter-in-place. No bills were debated or voted on in this meeting, but the chair noted that the committee already had roughly two dozen bills pending, including animal welfare, landfill, policy, and cat-and-dog related measures. Members were told to expect a broad mix of topics beyond agriculture, including solid waste and animal-related legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, we outperformed the national average in literacy lexile scores in four of the six grade levels
• We are above numerous states in every grade level. And additional information will be provided.
• I've taught first grade, third grade, fourth grade, and fifth grade. I've been a literacy coach.
• So there's times a teacher has 40 to, like, first grade, 43 students, 43 first graders in one classroom
• Scales are built into their salary schedules.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A bill that will provide for production to come here on a larger scale, which is a wonderful thing.
• started college, I served in multiple student organizations, stayed active in clubs, and kept my grades
• Um, currently homeless liaisons are only able to support students from K through 12th grade.
• Pass fail grading systems, even for core clinical and scientific coursework.
• Pass fail grading can conceal important distinctions in preparation and performance. in critical areas

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• They, y'all grade them, don't you? Yes. OK. And you.
• You actually, your own engineers, you grade them, don't you? We do.
• But we don't grade the private engineers, do we?
• Okay, those engineers aren't graded? Not directly by Exxon. Okay, so my question is, what...
• The reality is, those engineers that are not being graded by TxDOT have a vested interest in delaying

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• teacher preparation grants be targeted for those intending to teach in the pre-kindergarten through grade
• To report on teacher and staff training by grade level.
• My child is dyslexic and autistic, and those are the years in fourth and fifth grade that they became
• But also, on a larger scale, she grew the school's plant sale into its annual fundraiser and curated
• all the way through. through fifth grade.

Bills: HF1388

Keywords: BARR Center, Building Assets, Reducing Risks, education finance, school funding, grant appropriation, evidence-based program, student achievement, social and emotional learning, school climate, teacher effectiveness, high school graduation, students in poverty, students of color, BIPOC, equity in education, Minnesota Department of Education, urban schools, suburban schools, rural schools, school coaching

Transcript Highlights:

• Then, by the time they get to the older grades in elementary school and middle school, they've actually
• But on the national scale, the data and statistics you're telling us That we're experiencing here in
• And so we got to see the small-scale course, but scalable, that it could be used if it was activated
• And if this waste is reused, it can be reused up to 90 percent, and therefore, then scaling back.
• production as well as mid-scale and larger across our state.

Transcript Highlights:

• This allows the task force to continue its work, especially with the developments and large-scale loads
• This allows the task force to continue its work, especially with the developments and large-scale loads
• request the Louisiana Department of Health to review the community water system accountability and grade
• request the Louisiana Department of Health to review the community water system accountability and grade

Bills: SCR12, HB221, HB509, HCR58, HB75, HB1222, SB121, SB312, SB348, SB485, SCR9, SCR58, SB65, SB215, SB249, SB269, SB282, SB296, SB323, SB363, SB369, SB474, SB490, SB492, SB500, SB514, HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HCR32, HB944, HB17, HB41, HB73, HB223, HB244, HB410, HB750, HB759, HB906, HB966, HB1006, HB1009, HB1086, HB1107, HB1112, HB1215, HB1242, SB208, SB217, SB283, SB387, SB389, SB401, SB408, SB469, HB74, HB119, HB368, HB414, HB552, HB732, HB776, HB848, HB870, HB953, HB956, HB1236, SB29, SB42, SB43, SB78, SB149, SB274, SB300, SB341, SB382, SB441, SB449, HB134, HB210, HB258, HB359, HB468, HB784, HB1117

Keywords: logging, recognition, John Keith, environment, safety, Mississippi River bridge, Trump Expressway, transportation, federal funding, Louisiana highways, injection wells, public hearing, geologic sequestration, environmental impact, public comment, Ascension Parish, state capitol, economic development, community partnership, celebration day

Transcript Highlights:

• Cadizoso Library has a community member who comes to teach STEM for students, both from pre-K to fifth grade
• Cadizoso Library has a community member who comes to teach STEM for students, both from pre-K to fifth grade
• On page eight, there's just a glimpse of some of the partners that we work with on the bigger scale.
• stores that there was supposed to be a little looking into that and then looking at that at a global scale
• So that would be another way to entice and involve to a greater scale and expand.

Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative in support of fully funding the rural library endowment with an additional $29.5 million. The presenters described rural libraries as essential community infrastructure that provide not only books and internet access, but also early childhood programs, adult education, workforce support, telehealth, disaster response, and civic meeting space. They argued that the endowment would provide stable annual support for staffing and operations, help sustain libraries in very small towns and tribal communities, and support new or developing libraries. Members asked about eligibility, county coverage, how funds are distributed, and whether the state tracks broader outcomes such as job placements or certifications; the presenters said the State Library administers the funds and that the initiative itself is a nonprofit capacity-building organization, not the fund manager. Some members raised concerns about whether an endowment is the best long-term model versus recurring annual appropriations, and about the need for better reporting and state-library involvement. The committee then heard from food bank leaders Jill Dixon and Katie Anderson about food security and its economic impact. They said New Mexico’s five food banks and more than 500 partner agencies serve all 33 counties, distribute over 45 million meals, and rely mostly on philanthropy, with some state and local support. They emphasized that SNAP is a major economic driver, supporting grocery access, jobs, and local spending, and that recent legislative growth funding helped food banks respond to a surge in demand during a SNAP disruption. They also highlighted food banks as community hubs that can connect people to health care, job training, and other services, including through clinic referrals and closed-loop systems. In response to questions, they said food access gaps remain in some rural areas, that clients can generally seek food at other distribution sites without barriers, and that longer-term solutions should include more grocery access, healthy corner stores, and stronger broadband and health care infrastructure. The final presentations came from the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce and the Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Gallup-McKinley described a shrinking workforce, youth outmigration, crime, health care shortages, malpractice costs, and gross receipts tax burdens as major barriers to rural economic growth, and urged action on workforce pipelines, housing, public safety, malpractice reform, and tax/regulatory changes. Artesia highlighted its murals, library, sports tradition, oil and gas, agriculture, federal training center, and refinery, while also noting workforce shortages, health care recruitment challenges, housing constraints, and the need for quality-of-life investments and more flexible regulation. The committee also briefly heard a bill presentation proposing a New Mexico-Ireland Trade Commission to promote bilateral trade and investment, especially in technology, agriculture, and energy sectors. No votes were taken because quorum was not reached, and the endorsement item was not acted on.

Transcript Highlights:

• How do we use AI to address public records requests at scale so we can free up our people?
• earlier, a lot of the learnings and early lessons learned that we need to identify and implement at scale
• streamline management, strengthen controls, simplify oversight, reduce risk, and maintain enterprise-grade
• potentially find ourselves with privacy erosion, economic disruption, dangerous misinformation at scale
• Dangerous misinformation at scale, and many other risks.

Summary: The committee held a work session focused on technology in government, AI, broadband, and digital equity. Seattle CTO Rob Lloyd described the city’s AI strategy, emphasizing responsible use, privacy, security, community input, and data strategy. He said Seattle is using small pilots and partnerships to test AI for tasks such as public records processing, infrastructure inspection, and permitting, while keeping humans as the final decision-makers. Members asked about bias, liability, training on best practices, labor involvement, and public records; Lloyd said AI should remain an assistant tool, not a replacement for human judgment, and that Seattle is still testing solutions for records requests and permitting. WATech CTO Nick Stow and Deputy Director Mark Quimby discussed the state’s broader AI policy, the generative AI executive order, a sandbox with more than 15 agencies, and use cases including a resident portal, cybersecurity, and wildfire detection. They stressed consent, closed systems, human-centered design, and the need to govern all forms of AI, not just generative AI. Committee members raised concerns about federal data access, labor issues, and wildfire detection effectiveness. Spokane County IT staff described a more restrictive approach to AI, citing privacy, bias, and cyber risks. The county standardized on Microsoft Copilot as its only approved chat-style AI tool, blocked other AI chat platforms, and requires human review of all AI-generated content. They said AI is also being used by criminals for phishing and deepfakes, underscoring the need for strong policy and security controls. The committee also received an update from the Attorney General’s AI Task Force. Yuki Ishizuka said the task force has 19 members and eight subcommittees covering ethics, consumer protection, labor, health care, public safety, education, government efficiency, cybersecurity, and industry/energy. The task force is working toward an interim report due December 1, 2025 and a final report due July 1, 2026, and is reviewing recommendations through public forums and advisory committees. Ishizuka warned that a federal budget reconciliation provision could bar states from enforcing AI regulations for 10 years, and several members voiced support for state authority and asked about possible 2026 legislation. The committee then heard updates on broadband and digital equity. Commerce’s Dave Pringle said the BEAD broadband program is being reshaped by new NTIA guidance, which removed or reduced emphasis on several prior priorities, and Washington is now working under an expedited process to submit its state application by September 4. He noted that no projects have been built yet, that four counties did not receive applications in round two, and that the state is trying to keep applicants engaged through office hours and a shortened review window. The Office of Equity and the Digital Equity Forum reported increased participation, new members, and ongoing outreach to tribal, rural, and underserved communities, while previewing recommendations such as creating an interdepartmental digital equity team and improving data use. Finally, Lumen’s Robert Thoms described private-sector broadband deployment challenges, including permitting, regulation, and the economics of extending fiber, while noting continued investment in overbuild projects, a $30 low-cost service option tied to the former ACP, and work with the state, tribes, and libraries. No votes were taken; the meeting consisted of presentations and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen many children improve their grades, improve attendance, heal from trauma, and develop positive
• So the point being that there's a thumb on the scale here far too often by the monopoly and the entities
• So I want to be clear, this is not about Ticketmaster or Live Nation's thumb on the scale.
• Scale scalping that is going on in the market right now, and helping to combat the crisis of confidence
• I've been a television editor for 20 years, working on large-scale unscripted network competition shows

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When I was in the seventh grade, in 2011, my dad was detained by ICE.
• When I was in the seventh grade, in 2011, my dad was detained by ICE.
• remediation, these large-scale projects that provide long-term economic opportunity.
• A lot of these industries operate on the regional scale when we think about things like data center or
• well remediation, these large-scale projects that provide long-term economic opportunity.

Bills: SB100

Keywords: burglary, aggravated burglary, dwelling, criminal law, property rights, 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The city is actively preparing and aggressively preparing to scale its economic development to match
• The economies of scale are incredible.
• ...with that amount or even the meals that you provide people, the economies of scale are incredible.
• The proposed qualified hotel project features between 400 and 500 hotel rooms and a full-scale... ...
• It is, there's a 60-foot grade change between the road and a creek that bisects the property.

Summary: The committee heard a long series of bills, most of them expanding or adjusting hotel occupancy tax or qualified hotel project authority for specific local governments. Measures discussed included HB 2404 for Childress County; HB 3066 for Allen’s Kalahari resort project; HB 4682 for Plano; HB 4683 for Anna; HB 3076 creating a project finance zone in Frisco; HB 3567 for Wichita County; HB 3715 for McAllen; HB 1039 for Alpine; HB 3182 for Burleson; HB 4926 for Grimes County; HB 4222 for Victoria County; HB 3377 for Katy; HB 4659 for Addison; HB 3241 for Georgetown; HB 4098 for Taylor; HB 3178 for Kerr County; HB 3179 for Mason County; HB 2289 for New Braunfels; HB 4412 for Kermit; HB 5165 for Monahans; HB 3500 for Bastrop; and HB 3169 for Carrollton. In each case, authors and local officials described tourism, convention, hotel, airport, or mixed-use development needs and argued the bills would help attract visitors, investment, and jobs. One non-hotel-tax bill, HB 4226, would exempt Texas food banks from sales tax on vehicle purchases and rentals, with testimony emphasizing the scale of food bank operations and the savings’ impact on meal delivery and disaster response. Testimony was generally supportive from city officials, economic development representatives, and industry groups such as the Texas Hotel and Lodging Association. Several witnesses described major private projects, including Kalahari in Allen, a proposed hotel and conference center in Addison, a mixed-use project in Georgetown, and a large development tied to Samsung growth in Taylor. For HB 4226, food bank representatives said the bill would help them purchase refrigerated trucks and other delivery vehicles, while an opponent questioned the fiscal note and the scope of the exemption. HB 4926 drew opposition from Camp Allen, whose representative argued a new county hotel tax would raise costs for guests and could hurt the retreat center’s operations. HB 3178 also drew an objection from a Kerr County resident who argued the tax would grow county government and pointed to event center losses, though the author said the revenue would support tourism-related county uses. The committee took no final votes on the bills in this transcript. After each bill was laid out and testimony concluded, the chair repeatedly asked whether there was objection to leaving the bill pending; in each instance, no objection was heard, and the bills were left pending. Several committee substitutes were offered and then withdrawn or noted as conforming drafts, but no bill was reported out or otherwise acted on beyond being left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• whether or not children are ready to learn by kindergarten, and how well-educated They are by third grade
• care during the flexible hours that families need, and they can operate in remote areas where larger-scale
• It does have a benefit for the first few years, from kindergarten through second grade, but by Third
• grade, their peers who did not go to pre-K do catch up to them.
• I believe you're referring to the third grade catch-up effect, and that is true.

Transcript Highlights:

• And finally, scale.
• You'll see when these pieces Context, components, connections, infrastructure, and scale come together
• If a public school had kids in each grade at 70% proficiency, we'd probably all be shouting from the
• My pet peeve is, is there any effort to test them in third grade?
• Chair, Representative Garrett, right now we have not done any analysis with third grade.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're seeing companies like that start to emerge, and we hope to see those scale in this community
• All the applications are graded by a committee and then ultimately awarded as funding allows based on
• So, along with our priorities this last session, how to do thinning, sawmills, and timber grading and
• In Mescalero, they're below grade, several feet. So. That's the thing, even like Eagle Creek.
• It's hard to clean out a culvert when it's below grade; it takes a lot of restoring the capacity for