Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we're really looking at how much it's costing workers, taxpayers, and our budget.
• Uh, we're really looking at how much it's costing workers, taxpayers, and our budget.
• Uh, we're really looking at how much it's costing workers, taxpayers, and our budget.
• Uh, we're really looking at how much it's costing workers, taxpayers, and our budget.
• Uh, we're really looking at how much it's costing workers, taxpayers, and our budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• present House File 10 before you this afternoon, with the sole purpose of addressing our looming budget
• Members, addressing our looming budget deficit in Minnesota, with over $5 billion projected as a deficit
• Following the last election and looking at our budget outlook in Minnesota, it’s important for us to
• </c> election and looking at um our budget election and looking at um our budget Outlook<00:01:16.320
• is management and budget so it we<00:05:16.120><c> need</c><00:05:16.199><c> to</c><00:05:16.320><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:02:37.800><c> package</c> Um and in total, this budget package Um and in total, this budget package
• </c> summary document makes several budget summary document makes several budget neutral<00:06:47.840
• </c><00:13:28.839><c> that</c> Is there any part of the budget that Is there any part of the budget that
• </c> savings in this budget? savings in this budget? Commissioner<00:56:40.960><c> Brown.
• <00:57:58.800><c> points</c><00:57:59.120><c> out,</c> budget points out, budget points out, it's<00:

Bills: HF4525, HF3002, HF3665, HF4420

Keywords: human services, background studies, NETStudy 2.0, licensing, license suspension, license revocation, provider enrollment, program integrity, fraud, medical assistance fraud, Medicaid, payment withholding, credible allegation of fraud, background check, disqualification, variance, set-aside, foster care, family foster setting, adult foster care

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was just due to the state of the budget at that time. um some funding.
• Um, so from a budget perspective it's not a budget breaker because yes we are going to pay 26% more,
• Um, so from a budget perspective it's not a budget breaker because yes we are going to pay 26% more,
• budget perspective it's not<00:51:54.720><c> a</c><00:51:54.960><c> budget</c><00:51:55.280><c> breaker
• </c><01:04:42.480><c> footnote</c> without uh direct budget footnote without uh direct budget footnote

Bills: HB0004

Keywords: medical assistance, birthing centers, healthcare, Medicaid, Wyoming, 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• started and then start some of the conversations, uh, how we will be able to develop a better, um, budget
• started and then start some of the conversations, uh, how we will be able to develop a better, um, budget
• started and then start some of the conversations, uh, how we will be able to develop a better, um, budget
• This is a governor's proposal for budget and technical changes, just moving where the budget activities
• Uh so this legislative and budget team.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• John Hicks, Secretary of the Governor's Executive Cabinet and State Budget Director; Eric Gibson, Director
• That's the way, once the governor declared a disaster, that's how it activates in the budget.
• you all provide in a the budget you all provide in a provision<00:19:34.200><c> for</c><00:19:34.720
• a cap of $50 million for the budget a cap of $50 million for the portion<00:19:52.919><c> of</c><00:
• Here's what I've had to do and spend, and here's how much it affected my budget.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Senate Roll Call 00:00:00 House Roll Call 00:00:10 Discussion of Recent Disaster 00:01:18 House Adjourned 00:42:28 SB 218 Discussion 00:43:00 SB 218 Vote 00:46:46 SB 186 Discussion 00:47:22:00, 958, all

Summary: The concurrent House-Senate meeting opened with a roll call and then received a briefing from Kentucky Emergency Management and the Transportation Cabinet on the February storms and flooding. Officials described the event as ongoing and statewide in scope, beginning in western counties and then heavily affecting Eastern Kentucky, including major impacts in Perry, Letcher, Clay, Bell, Martin, Pike, and other counties. They reported widespread power and water outages, nearly 600 people initially sheltered, more than 1,500 water rescues, over 250 National Guard members activated, and substantial mutual aid from other states and FEMA. They also said 73 counties had declared emergencies, 23 fatalities had been confirmed at that point, and individual assistance had already distributed $5.5 million to residents after the federal declaration was signed. The administration emphasized that recovery needs were still being assessed but were already significant. Kentucky Emergency Management said public assistance estimates were about $58 million and rising, with about 2,005 homes and 272 businesses inspected so far. Debris removal was identified as a major issue, and officials said they had requested Category A federal assistance for debris in four counties while continuing to seek more as assessments continued. They also noted that disaster recovery centers were opening and that teams were going door to door in affected areas. On transportation, KYTC reported 39 counties affected, a peak of 355 road closures reduced to 49, 18 damaged bridges, 94 bridges with debris on them, and 579 roadway damages, while continuing to clear roads and move supplies such as water, food, blankets, and heaters. Secretary Hicks then asked lawmakers to consider additional funding mechanisms. He said the current $50 million emergency cap in the budget was likely to be exhausted, with $21.5 million already allocated, and proposed either lifting the cap or creating a new “safe fund” for this disaster, similar to prior funds used after the western Kentucky tornadoes and the 2022 eastern Kentucky floods. He said the state could redirect about $25 million from an unused western Kentucky economic development allocation and about $20 million from an eastern Kentucky transportation allocation, for a total of $45 million, to help with this response. Members and officials also discussed debris disposal, with the Pike County landfill expansion identified as a possible site to receive some of the debris and reduce costs. Representative Fugate thanked the agencies for their response and described severe local impacts, including water outages, road slides, damaged water treatment plants, and heavy debris in homes and driveways.

Transcript Highlights:

• You may have noticed, going through the governor's budget proposal, there is a small budget request from
• </c> going through uh the governor's budget going through uh the governor's budget proposal<00:16:58.440
• </c> proposal um there is a small uh budget proposal um there is a small uh budget request<00:17:01.560
• </c><00:17:58.840><c> budgetary</c> uh you know the budget budgetary uh you know the budget budgetary
• </c><00:50:20.680><c> of</c> a gap in their operational budget of a gap in their operational budget of

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• budget committee.
• There's no other committee in this body that is as large as budget.
• This has been a tough budget year. Wouldn't you agree? I agree it's been a tough budget year.
• And I think you've probably heard me in Budget Committee.
• Our budget this year has been reduced from last year's budget and from the governor's recommendation

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the prior day’s journal by a 129-0 vote. Members then used points of personal privilege to recognize Law Enforcement Week, discuss personal health and family matters, and honor colleagues, spouses, interns, and guests in the gallery, including students, community members, and a visiting governor from Uzbekistan. The chamber also received Senate messages on House Bill 1871 and House Bill 2818, and fiscal review committee reports recommending passage of several deferred bills, including Senate Bills 953, 1470, and 1871, and House Bill 1940. The House agreed to conference requests on Senate Bills 835 and 1111 and on Senate Bill 1020, the latter a Department of Revenue bill focused on customer service and inspection language. Senate Bill 977 and 1011, dealing with limits on international organizations and foreign law, drew extended debate. Supporters argued the bill would protect Missouri from foreign or international mandates and foreign laws that conflict with constitutional rights, while opponents said such bodies already lack authority in Missouri and warned the bill was unnecessary, politically motivated, and could create problems for forum non conveniens and private arbitration. The bill ultimately passed 99-45. House Bill 1470, revising legislative research and statutory publication procedures, was amended on the floor to remove privacy-sensitive provisions and change a state auditor duty from mandatory to permissive; a later amendment to alter committee composition was defeated 50-94. The bill then passed 148-1. House Bill 1940, the newspaper/public notice bill, was adopted and finally passed 142-1 with two present. House Bill 1871, an elections administration bill, was also taken up with debate over added Senate language, including campaign finance and election testing provisions; discussion continued near the end of the transcript, with no final vote shown before the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• And again, those funds are in the enhancement budget.
• So there will be a budget to vote on.
• If we don't want to allow for those funds, we can simply kill that budget.
• And the maintenance budget did travel.
• JFAC passed the maintenance budget last week or two weeks ago.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• and they are working not in their budget and they are working on<00:16:43.440><c> it.
• In addition to that, over the past several years, it's my understanding that the budget for the city
• of Montgomery has included about 475 individual officers that have been budgeted for, of which now I
• Again, Montgomery's already budgeted thankfully 475 or thereabout officers.
• ><c> for</c><00:29:48.880><c> 475</c><00:29:49.760><c> or</c> budgeted thankfully 475 for 475 or budgeted

Bills: SB298, SB91, SB298, SB91

Keywords: Florence, Lauderdale County, municipal boundaries, corporate limits, land annexation, military installations, tall structures, local government, construction approval, wind energy facilities, aeronautics, Department of Defense, law enforcement, staffing requirements, municipalities, state oversight, public safety, 923, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Mark, one of my concerns is obviously the budget and the health account.
• I understand you explained the budget, but I would have gone for a much larger number. Mr.
• I understand you explained the budget, but I would have gone for a much larger number. Mr.
• I know you would like more monies available, but due to the budget constraints, I wanted to move the
• And as all members know, when we go through the budget, if the governor wants more money for you and

Bills: HB2211, HB2229, HB2389, HB2403, HB2445, HB2502, HB2620, HB2813, HB2872, HB2889, HB2960, HB4028, HCR2007

Keywords: contractors, subcontractors, resident preference, public contracts, materials supply, Arizona Revised Statutes, local businesses, pregnancy resource center, pregnancy center, crisis pregnancy center, DHS, Arizona Department of Health Services, state appropriation, general fund, nonprofit grant, women's health, maternal health, reproductive health, abortion funding, pro-life

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, there's no money allocated for repairs in the current budget, last year's budget, or in the
• proposed 2025-26 budget.
• Less than 0.5% of the state's budget is for ongoing funding.
• It reduces long-term costs across the state budget.
• I'm just chipping away at our budget problem at this situation.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development heard a long agenda focused mainly on housing production, higher education facilities, homelessness, and permitting reform. Early items included AB 6, which would direct HCD to convene a working group on allowing three- to ten-unit “missing middle” housing to be built under the Residential Code rather than the Building Code; AB 48, a higher education bond proposal that would fund campus repairs, modernization, disaster recovery, and student/employee housing; and AB 76, which would clarify a Chula Vista university innovation district exemption so the project can include academic buildings and housing without conflicting with surplus land rules. Supporters emphasized affordability, cost savings, student housing needs, and access to education, while members raised questions about implementation, affordability requirements, and project scope. The committee later took votes on these items, with AB 6, AB 48, and AB 76 all moving forward on unanimous or near-unanimous votes to Appropriations. Members also heard AB 595, which would create a state homeownership tax credit pilot to support affordable for-sale housing. The author and supporters argued that California’s homeownership rate is at historic lows and that the bill would help close racial wealth gaps by financing homes working families can buy. The committee approved AB 595 and sent it to Appropriations. The consent calendar, including several other housing-related bills, was also approved unanimously. A major portion of the hearing was devoted to AB 1165, the California Housing Justice Act of 2025, which would require ongoing state investment and a financing plan to address homelessness and housing affordability. The author and witnesses described the scale of homelessness, the limits of one-time funding, and the need for sustained, accountable funding streams. After testimony from housing advocates and people with lived experience, the committee passed AB 1165 on a 10-0 vote to Appropriations. Finally, the committee heard AB 609, a CEQA reform bill that would create a simplified exemption for qualifying infill housing projects in already developed areas. Supporters framed it as a targeted way to reduce delays and costs for housing near jobs and transit, while opponents from environmental justice, labor, and tribal groups warned it could reduce public participation, weaken protections for disadvantaged communities, and create consultation concerns for tribal cultural resources. The author said the bill would not change zoning or affordability tools and would continue to work with opponents on amendments. The bill was moved forward after extensive discussion, with members noting ongoing negotiations on tribal consultation and labor concerns.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the average taxpayer, to put this in real-world terms, means real money back in their household budget
• Last week, as you know, the legislature approved an education budget that features roughly $380 million
• Our state's private school voucher spending now makes up 6% of our state budget, and some lawmakers have
• We are experiencing a perfect storm of economic pressure on the state budget.
• Many more are unable to balance their budgets.

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1001, sponsored by Representative Les Eaves, which would lower Arkansas’s personal income tax rate to 3.7% retroactive to the current year and reduce the corporate income tax rate to 4.1% beginning in 2027. Eaves argued the bill continued a decade-long strategy of broad-based tax relief, would help working families, and would keep Arkansas competitive with other states. He said the measure would reduce future surpluses rather than cut current services, and noted the average taxpayer could see roughly $800 to $1,000 in annual savings from recent tax changes. Several witnesses testified against the bill. Arkansas Appleseed’s Anna Morchetti, Missy Wyatt Joyce, Pastor Preston Clegg, Michelle Pedro of the Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese, and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ Pete Guest all argued the state should prioritize funding for public schools, health care, supported living services, food assistance, rural hospitals, and early childhood education instead of further tax cuts. They said Arkansas faces significant unmet needs, including underfunded schools, food insecurity, and shortages in disability and community-based services, and warned the tax cut would mainly benefit higher earners while reducing resources for essential programs. After testimony, the committee limited debate time for witnesses to five minutes. Representative Eaves closed by saying the state had been responsible in prior tax cuts and that the bill would return money to taxpayers without reducing services. Representative Bray also spoke in support, saying the legislature has continued to fund major priorities while still providing tax relief to working families. The committee then voted to pass the bill, and HB 1001 was approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, we're now going to move to the yellow budget calendar.
• This is the amendment that was hotly debated in Joint Budget Committee.
• Representative Johnson, you're recognized to present the budget calendar. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
• , so this is just to allow them to finish up the project that we've already approved in the prior budget
• , so this is just to allow them to finish up the project that we've already approved in the prior budget

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, established a quorum, and approved leave requests and the previous day’s journal. The chamber received a governor’s communication listing several fiscal-session measures that had been signed into law, and members recognized a number of guests, including law enforcement officers, medical staff, and several championship athletic teams and Special Olympics participant Justin Tate. Representative Dolly Henley also made a personal explanation regarding her request to vote no on House Bill 1098, apologizing for any confusion. On the red and yellow calendars, the House passed Senate Bill 1, the Arkansas Senate appropriation for fiscal year 2026-2027, by a large margin and then considered a series of appropriation and reappropriation bills in batches. Amendment 1 to House Bill 1034, concerning the Treasury Office of State Appropriation and a 10% salary increase for the Secretary of State, was rejected. Several bills passed, including House Bill 1020, House Bill 1041, House Bill 1098, Senate Bills 2, 14, 26, 68, 69, 72, and 74, along with multiple batched general appropriation and reappropriation measures. House Bill 1023 and House Bill 1053 failed on final passage. Members also discussed the scope of certain appropriations, including questions about whether funds allowed disproportionate staff raises and whether a workforce-services reappropriation would centralize services in Little Rock; the sponsor said the bills did not do those things. After completing the calendar, Representative Meeks moved to adjourn until 3:00 p.m. Monday, and the motion carried. The House announced that House Management would meet 15 minutes after adjournment on Monday and that the deadline for submitting resolutions was that day.

Transcript Highlights:

• The quorum being established, the Committee on Budget will now go into executive session.
• So that changes it to where currently the Senate and House chair, the budget chair, is on there.
• This is something, when you think about the budget chairman and everything that he has to work on in
• the budget in the Senate this week, and he still found time... ...to work on in the budget in the Senate
• House to be substituted for Senate Bill 1470, do pass, and this will conclude the business for the Budget

Summary: The Budget Committee met in executive session and considered Senate Bill 1470, with a House Committee Substitute offered and adopted. The bill updates statutes governing the Joint Committee on Legislative Research and its oversight functions. The sponsor and Chairman Deaton described the measure as modernizing LR operations, including reducing the committee from 20 members to 12, adding legislative leadership and minority representation, allowing electronic delivery of reports, and changing references to public colleges and universities. They also explained that the bill would create post-implementation fiscal notes to compare projected and actual fiscal impacts after enactment. A major point of discussion was the bill’s provision allowing legislative oversight staff to access certain Department of Revenue tax-return information under confidentiality rules so they can independently verify data used in fiscal notes, especially for tax policy bills. Several members supported the goal of improving accuracy and checks and balances, while also raising concerns about protecting taxpayer privacy and ensuring the committee does not improperly access confidential information. The sponsor and chairman said the committee would not see individual returns, that staff would remain bound by confidentiality, and that they would follow up on any legal concerns before floor action if needed. Members also discussed a section striking language that had prohibited committee employees from opposing or urging legislation. The sponsor said this was cleanup because LR no longer drafts ordinary bills, only revision bills, and the remaining drafting role is limited and noncontroversial. Representative Mayhew said he would not offer a planned amendment at the meeting but still wanted clarification on the tax-information language. Representative Fogle asked how post-implementation fiscal notes would be shared, and the sponsor said the committee would likely determine the process. After adopting the substitute, the committee voted the bill do pass by a roll call of 25 yes and 1 no.

Transcript Highlights:

• At that time, the annual budgets for CSU and UC were appropriated line item by line item in the state
• budget, including how much the segments were to use, Line item in the state budget, including how much
• Yet their salaries continue to grow year after year regardless of any contingency in the state budget
• the receipt of approximately $40 million in new, unallocated ongoing state funding in the 2025-26 budget
• The state budget fell short of providing that new, unallocated, ongoing funding, and this then triggered

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several labor and retirement bills. AB 1582 by Assembly Member Ortega would make it an unfair labor practice for a higher education employer to disregard or delay arbitration decisions involving contracting out, with make-whole relief including attorney fees and costs. Supporters from AFSCME and other labor groups said UC has repeatedly ignored arbitration outcomes on outsourcing disputes, while UC opposed the bill as an overbroad change that could create systemwide operational and financial risk. The committee passed the bill on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. AB 1818 by Assembly Member Ortega would repeal an outdated HEERA provision that CSU has used to reopen bargaining when it claims state funding is insufficient. Teamsters and other labor supporters argued CSU has used the provision to avoid honoring negotiated raises, while CSU said the bill would limit its ability to manage compensation responsibly when state funding is uncertain. The committee also passed AB 1818 to Appropriations. AB 1564 by Assembly Member Arreguín would make communications between an employee and union representative confidential in public employment matters. Labor supporters said the measure would protect trust in the representational relationship and codify existing PERB case law, while school, local government, county, city, and business groups warned it could hinder workplace investigations, including those involving student safety and harassment. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 1844 by Assembly Member Pacheco, placed on the consent calendar, would update Judges’ Retirement System 2 to allow non-spouse beneficiaries for survivor benefits and to extend access to survivor options for vested judges; it was approved unanimously, 7-0. After all items were taken up, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• As budget director in her two terms, he also co-founded the Grand Canyon Institute, a nonpartisan think
• I first met him when he was Director of Budget...
• I first met him when he was Director of Budget for Governor Napolitano, and we were advocating as parents
• I remember any number of conversations that were along the lines of, 'George, why does the budget work
• I knew the budget, upside down and backwards.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you want to talk about budget stuff?
• It's something that'll be considered in the context of our operating budget development.
• It's something that'll be considered in the context of our operating budget development.
• into just the constellation of difficult decisions that we're going to be making in the operating budget
• Is there a sense on the budget side of how you might be looking to handle that in your budget proposals

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: Senate and House Democratic leaders used the meeting to preview several bills they expect to move quickly, while framing much of their agenda as a response to federal ICE actions and broader concerns about public safety and accountability. They said the Senate will pass a bill banning law-enforcement masking, with the stated goal of requiring identification and transparency for officers, and that the House will likely take it up after House-of-Origin cutoff. They also said a bill restricting Flock automated license plate readers will move from rules to the floor, and they discussed a separate proposal to bar people hired as ICE agents under Trump’s second term from later serving in Washington law enforcement, though leaders said they had not yet reviewed its details. The leaders repeatedly criticized ICE and said the state must do what it can to protect residents, especially immigrants, while also defending Washington’s law enforcement training and accountability systems. They said the bill on face coverings is aimed at federal agents, though they also argued it is a general standard for all law enforcement and may serve to “enunciate” a norm even if its legal scope is tested in court. They also discussed concerns about fraud and misuse of funds in state programs, saying Washington has checks and balances and that accountability measures are appropriate, while cautioning against baseless claims. On budget and policy matters, they said a Senate bill to restore Washington College Grant and Washington Promise scholarship funding would be considered in the operating budget process, but it was too early to know what reductions could be reversed. They expressed openness to a House bill limiting non-emergency charity care to Washington residents, citing border-community strain and examples from eastern Washington hospitals. They also said they were still evaluating a House bill on camping enforcement tied to shelter availability and a tort-liability measure, noting that any savings would likely come from reduced litigation costs rather than caps on damages. Other topics included a possible income tax proposal, which leaders said could be introduced as soon as Friday or next week with offsets included or outlined; House Bill 1607 on a beverage container recycling/deposit system, which they said could reach executive action soon; and a floor vote expected on the BAC bill the next day. They also said they were not inclined to hear the recently arrived voter initiatives in committee, describing them as likely headed to the ballot instead.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you want to talk about budget stuff?
• It's something that'll be considered in the context of our operating budget development.
• It's something that'll be considered in the context of our operating budget development.
• into just the constellation of difficult decisions that we're going to be making in the operating budget
• Is there a sense on the budget side of how you might be looking to handle that in your budget proposals

Summary: Senate and House Democratic leaders used the meeting to discuss a broad package of bills they said were aimed at responding to federal ICE actions and protecting Washington residents. They highlighted an upcoming Senate vote on Senator Valdez’s bill banning law-enforcement masking, a Flock automated license plate reader restrictions bill moving through rules, and a bill to protect emergency response operations. They said the face-covering bill is intended to apply to law enforcement generally but is mainly aimed at federal agents, and argued it would improve accountability and set a clear state norm, while acknowledging legal questions and a similar California case. They also said they were working with the governor and attorney general on related protections and invited Republican support. The leaders also addressed several other policy items. They said a Senate bill to restore Washington College Grant and College Bound scholarship funding would be considered in the operating budget process, but it was too early to know whether reductions could be reversed. They expressed openness to a House bill limiting non-emergency charity care to Washington residents, citing border hospitals and the burden on local resources, and said they were open to oversight ideas for housing-related fraud concerns while defending the accountability systems already in place. They also discussed a House bill on camping enforcement tied to shelter availability, saying it was a complex issue and likely still under discussion. On budget and tax issues, they said an income tax proposal was likely to be introduced later in the week or the following week, with offsets either included in the bill or outlined in a companion measure. They also said they were still evaluating a tort-liability proposal and its projected savings, and were open to Representative Keaton’s memorial urging Washington to opt into a federal education tax credit, though they emphasized their priority remains funding public schools. Finally, they said a recycling/deposit-return bill had improved and was likely to move out of committee, and they expected a floor vote on the BAC bill the next day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, I'm very optimistic that they're going to get there, and again, with a responsible budget for Minnesota
• I think, um, I think we hope this budget in the next few days that this professional operation on Lake
• 09.599><c> good</c> goodwill and we're going to get a good goodwill and we're going to get a good budget
• :12.319><c> think</c><00:07:12.400><c> we</c><00:07:12.639><c> hope</c><00:07:12.960><c> this</c> budget
• I think um I think we hope this budget.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all