Transcript Highlights:

• to get you to do what the law requires. budget to get you to do what the law required you to do.
• Especially where we are in the session, the budgets have already... in the session, the budgets have
• to... substantial increase in next year's budget in pardons and paroles.
• The growth in that budget has been brought back down, so I don't remember the net.
• I did get a message that the pardons and paroles budget, I think, has been cut 3.85 million.

Bills: HB202, HB42, HB146, HB492, HB285, HB7, HB454, HB42, HB7

Keywords: law enforcement, immunity, civil liability, use of force, recruitment, bail reform, cash deposit, judicial discretion, criminal justice, Alabama law, youthful offender, capital murder, public safety, victims' rights, juvenile offenders, delinquent acts, juvenile court, nonfelony offenses, water safety offenses, illegal immigration

Transcript Highlights:

• But it also helps us with policy development and budget decisions.
• are vetted through budget commissions in the trial court and the district court.
• Those are vetted through budget commissions in the trial court and the district court.
• This money is in the trial court portion of the budget, but it is not really for court operations.
• I know you all have a detailed breakdown in your budget, or I'm sorry, in your binder of our base budget

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met to continue its review of performance measurement in the criminal justice system. The first presentation, from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure, described how the court system uses multiple data sources to track filings, dispositions, clearance rates, workload, and support services, and how those data inform judge need, budget requests, resource allocation, and court administration. He also discussed ongoing efforts to improve case-level reporting, the use of case management systems in trial and appellate courts, and performance efforts in problem-solving courts and civil case management. McClure noted that the legislature provides dedicated funding for problem-solving courts and for medication-assisted treatment, and that the courts are required to report outcomes and monitor compliance with contract requirements. Melanie Brown-Whor of the Florida Behavioral Health Association then reviewed the medication-assisted treatment program funded through the courts budget. She said the program combines medication with counseling and behavioral supports, serves people involved in or at risk of criminal justice involvement, and has expanded over time to include additional medications and more counties. She reported improved engagement and retention, with more than 10,000 people screened over five years, about 9,200 receiving medication, and over 6,600 successfully discharged. Senators asked about racial and ethnic demographics, hospital referrals, and how services are delivered; Brown-Whor explained that local community providers deliver treatment under contract and that the program is working to improve data reporting and consistency. The Department of Law Enforcement then presented on investigations, forensics, and criminal justice information services. Deputy Commissioner Vaden Pollard outlined FDLE’s strategic plan and major investigative priorities, including cybercrime, targeted violence, crimes against children, mutual aid, and the SAFE fentanyl eradication program. He said SAFE has led to major seizures, arrests, and a reported decline in fentanyl deaths. Director Jason Bundy described FDLE’s forensic laboratory operations, DNA and rapid DNA capabilities, cold case and missing persons work, and the staffing and turnaround-time challenges tied to complex evidence testing. Director Lucy Saunders reviewed FDLE’s criminal history, biometric, incident-based crime reporting, and criminal justice transparency systems, noting that Florida is still transitioning agencies from summary reporting to incident-based reporting. The committee raised questions about Rapid DNA deployment, cold case coordination, and the slow pace of NIBRS/FIBRS adoption. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, we're going to go to budget and tax. Budget and tax. Uh this is report number 26.
• All right, we're going to go to budget and tax. Budget and tax. Uh this is report number 26.
• </c><00:48:40.240><c> Uh</c><00:48:40.559><c> this</c> budget and tax. Budget and tax.
• Uh this budget and tax. Budget and tax.
• </c> These are bills out of budget and tax. These are bills out of budget and tax.

Keywords: Senate streaming session for Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 960, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's one of these bills, 1798, which is not a budget bill, and we want to just make it—most of my
• comments have to do with the budget bills. 1798, though, we've reviewed that bill.
• But moving on, with regard to the budget package, these bills present the same sorts of issues that we
• those provisions, if they do exist, we think would be more appropriate if they are placed in the budget
• We see it in every single budget feed bill that I've ever seen, so this is not something that's new.

Summary: The committee considered a motion declaring House Bills 4138, 4139, 4140, 4141, 4143, 4144, 4145, 4146, 4147, 4148, 4149, and Senate Bill 1798 constitutional and in proper form. Rules attorney Tim Fleming said SB 1798, though not part of the budget package, had been reviewed and was constitutional and in proper form. He then discussed the budget-related bills, saying they were substantially constitutional and in proper form but flagged recurring issues in the feed bill and related budget measures. Fleming noted potential constitutional concerns with policy language in the feed bill, including child safety training requirements in the Department of Child Safety appropriation and restrictions on out-of-state provisional beds in the Department of Corrections appropriation. He also cautioned about appropriations conditioned on legislative approval, possible separation-of-powers concerns, nonprofit and charity distributions that could implicate the gift clause, and a provision exempting counties from the constitutional expenditure limitation. After no questions or comments, the committee voted 8-0 to recommend the measures as constitutional and in proper form. The motion passed with eight ayes and zero nays.

Transcript Highlights:

• The House has also has an offer on the budget spreadsheet and the projects.
• Thank you very much for your offer for the budget spreadsheet.
• We concur with those lines to be bumped on the budget and proviso.
• on my particular committee, thank you for all of your input and your commitment to this incredible budget
• on my particular committee, thank you for all of your input and your commitment to this incredible budget

Summary: The Appropriations Conference Committee on Agriculture, Environment, General Government, State Administration, and IT met to reconcile differences between House and Senate budget offers, including the budget spreadsheet, proviso, implementing bill, and back-of-the-bill items. Members reviewed a large number of line items and project rows, with both chambers agreeing to many provisions while identifying specific lines to be bumped. The Senate accepted the House offer on most items but rejected numerous listed lines and certain projects; the House likewise accepted the Senate offer with exceptions on several implementing, proviso, and enterprise-related lines, including enterprise cybersecurity resiliency items. The committee also resolved differences on the back of the bill, with the House accepting the Senate offer except for several proviso spreadsheet lines, and the Senate concurring on those items to be bumped. After noting that the committee’s work at this level was complete, members exchanged thanks and praised the collaborative process. Senator Collins moved to allow staff to make technical and conforming adjustments related to the bump process, and the motion was adopted without objection. There was no public comment. Senator McLean then moved that the committee rise, and the meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• So while comparable Medicaid budget.
• Um, and how much of this budget is &gt;&gt; Yep.
• </c> compared to our overall budget. compared to our overall budget.
• So from your already very large budget.
• Um, and then terms of Medicaid budget.

Bills: HF3423, HF2354, HF3634

Keywords: healthcare, provider enrollment, medical assistance, legislation, state funds, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, service verification, Medicaid, human services, electronic documentation, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, we have a budget that we have to live by. We've agreed to a budget. We did it last year.
• Chair, we have a budget that that, Mr.
• </c><00:28:09.360><c> The</c><00:28:09.600><c> budget</c> budget. We did it last year.
• The budget budget. We did it last year.
• </c><01:30:08.400><c> surpluses</c> massive surpluses but budget surpluses massive surpluses but budget

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 131 in the budget process, and it created many sensible
• So going back to last year, when we put together the budget bill that took several days.
• So, last year when we put together the budget bill that took several different CEQA reform bills and
• put them into the budget, everything moved very quickly.
• It then got pulled into the budget, which happens.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, approved prior journals, and moved through confirmations and floor items. Doreen DiAmico was confirmed to the State Water Resources Control Board by a 34-1 vote, Dr. Anne Maria de Mars was confirmed to the State Athletic Commission by 36-0, and Ronald Fiore was confirmed to the State Athletic Commission by 36-0. The body then took up SB 73 on election security, with supporters arguing it would protect ballot chain of custody and prevent intimidation or unauthorized access to voting materials, while opponents raised concerns about transparency, federal preemption, and the bill’s impact on investigations. SB 73 passed on concurrence and urgency with 29 ayes and 8 noes on both the urgency clause and the measure. The Senate also approved SB 929 on annual Energy Commission oversight (37-0), SB 1370 on wildfire-related testimony/oversight (28-5), SB 983 authorizing Port of San Diego job order contracting (28-8), SB 1367 restricting local approval of new or converted private detention facilities (28-8), SB 1257 requiring annual reporting on immigration enforcement incidents (28-8), and SB 1103 requiring large home improvement retailers to report immigration enforcement activity and related records (23-8). SB 1399, which removes the sunset on DOJ reviews of immigration detention facilities, passed 28-7, and SB 873, “ICE Out of Courts,” passed 28-7 to limit arrests near courthouses without a judicial warrant. Later, the Senate passed SB 1292 creating a pilot for camera- or sensor-based curb management with human review and privacy safeguards, despite opposition over privacy and automation concerns, by 28-7. SB 878 strengthened prompt-payment insurance penalties for delayed claims after disasters and passed 29-6. SB 958, a CEQA clarification related to housing and building height impacts, passed unanimously 37-0. SB 924 modernized low-income energy assistance services and passed 35-1. SB 1057 on certification for nurse assistants and home health aides passed, as did SB 1092 giving mobile home residents a chance to bid on park sales (29-7), SB 1123 requiring agencies to consider consumer and other benefits in rulemaking (26-8), SB 1233 increasing utility rate transparency (29-8), SB 1237 strengthening pay data reporting enforcement (28-6), SB 886 shifting data center infrastructure costs away from existing ratepayers (28-6), SB 905 reforming utility incentives and performance metrics (28-8), and SB 909 strengthening public works wage enforcement (28-7). The final item shown, SB 925 on fusion energy roadmap development, passed unanimously 37-0, while SB 954 on CEQA and advanced manufacturing drew extensive debate over environmental guardrails versus economic competitiveness; the transcript cuts off during closing remarks before the vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And similarly, as you head into the home stretch on the budget, I hope you can come up with some funding
• In the near term, we could probably prioritize, given the tight budget, right?
• ...probably prioritize, given the tight budget, right?
• We urge the Legislature to restore this policy in the budget.
• Obviously, the budget subcommittee on transportation would want to know that as well, I would hope.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate the fact on the funding letter to the budget request.
• You were the budget chair when all this happened.
• You were the budget chair when all this happened.
• Budget tax spending on fire suppression has increased 89%.
• Budget tax spending on fire suppression has increased 89%.

Summary: The committee heard SB 1135, which would reestablish the California Wildlife Coexistence Program to reduce human-wildlife conflict through nonlethal strategies such as deterrents, conflict reporting, and outreach. The author and supporters said the program had been effective but lost funding in 2024, and they argued it would help communities, ranchers, and wildlife by preventing conflicts before they escalate. Support came from conservation, animal welfare, local government, and county groups, while the California Cattlemen’s Association and California Farm Bureau opposed unless amended, saying the bill needed clearer limits on when nonlethal measures are practicable and protections so compensation funds for livestock losses are not reduced. Members discussed wolf-livestock conflicts, compensation, and the need for continued collaboration. The committee voted 2-0 on call to send the bill to Appropriations. The committee then heard SB 1085, which would preserve water supply assessments for large housing and development projects even when those projects are exempt from CEQA. The author and sponsor EBMUD said the bill is needed to keep water planning tied to land-use planning and avoid “paper water” problems, especially as climate and drought conditions worsen. Supporters included water agencies, environmental groups, labor, and local governments. The California Building Industry Association opposed the bill, arguing that current law already requires verified water supplies, that the bill could add unnecessary process and litigation risk, and that it could slow housing production. Members raised concerns about duplication in cities that also operate their own water systems, but the author said the goal was better coordination, not more bureaucracy. The committee voted 4-1 on call to send the bill to Local Government. The committee also heard SB 1270, which would expand the state wildfire mitigation home-hardening pilot to the top 10 counties by wildfire risk and social vulnerability, adding Riverside, Calaveras, Los Angeles, and Tehama counties and prioritizing future funds for those areas. The author said the bill responds to recent destructive fires and aims to extend home-hardening assistance to more high-risk communities. There was no opposition, and members discussed how to scale funding, whether the program should be broader than the listed counties, and how to focus on cost-effective mitigation. The committee voted 5-0 on call to send the bill to Emergency Management. Finally, the committee heard SB 895, a major science funding measure that would place a $23 billion bond on the ballot and create a California Foundation for Science and Health Research to support research in the state. The author and supporters said California’s research sector is a major economic engine and that federal funding cuts and instability threaten jobs, talent retention, and scientific progress. There was broad support from UC, CSU, labor, health, and research organizations, with no formal opposition. Some members raised concerns about the role of sponsoring unions and the potential for politicization, but the author said the new foundation would operate under California law and that the measure is meant to protect science funding and collaboration. The committee discussion continued, but the transcript excerpt ends before a final vote on SB 895.

Transcript Highlights:

• I call this third meeting of the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education to order
• So, I'm pleased to be here to give you some updates about the university as well as our budget priorities
• So, I'm pleased to be here to give you some updates about the university as well as our budget priorities
• I want us to speak next about our top priority as we approach this biennial budget with you.
• We recognize your first budget is lean by design. We respect this.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum and postponed approval of the minutes. The committee first heard from Northern Kentucky University President Katie Short Thompson, who highlighted NKU’s enrollment growth, student success metrics, national recognition for value, lower student debt, and new programs tied to regional workforce needs, including AI, cybersecurity, supply chain analytics, cardiovascular perfusion, and the Norse Network Hub for employer access. She asked for a $5 million recurring base funding adjustment to align NKU’s general fund support with peer institutions, along with support for tuition waivers with FAFSA requirements, continued debt collection authority through the Department of Revenue, inclusion of fire and tornado insurance premiums in base funding, inflation and performance-funding support, and increased asset preservation funding. She also outlined capital priorities for the Hail College of Business building, Nunn Hall, and the MEP building, and requested $5.4 million to match private support for the Young Scholars Academy, a dual-credit program serving first-generation and low-income students. Representative Tipton questioned NKU about the number of older students using tuition waivers and whether the university could continue the program without a statutory age-based mandate. Thompson said the number of students over 65 using the waiver was small, that some students pursue degrees while others audit classes, and that external fundraising could potentially support the program if state funding changed. Tipton also confirmed NKU’s requested priorities and the $5.4 million match for the Young Scholars Academy. The committee then heard from University of Kentucky representative Dr. Cavallo, who framed UK’s request around accountability, workforce development, research, and health care impact. He described a patient story to illustrate UK’s medical mission, cited growth in enrollment, degrees awarded, hospital patients treated, and research grant revenue, and emphasized UK’s role in extension services and disaster response. He said UK is consolidating services for efficiency and is focusing on future workforce needs, especially artificial intelligence, noting the launch of the state’s first AI bachelor’s degree and a partnership with Microsoft to expand AI tools and training across campus and the Advancing Kentucky Together network. He also discussed demographic challenges, the need to retain graduates in Kentucky, and the importance of aligning programs and funding with long-term state needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• All right, we want to thank you all for being here for this is our first meeting for House Budget Review
• We have a pretty big budget item that y'all are requesting.
• When looking at the budget, the request was $151 million.
• When looking at the budget, the request was $151 million.
• When looking at the budget, the request was $151 million.

Keywords: 00:14 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:10 Information Items and Introduction of Personnel Cabinet 02:44 Discussion of KHRIS HR system and need for replacement 05:52 Discussion of Challenges in managing HR for employees and records 09:16 Discussion of Employee Health Plan Record Management 12:56 Software and Hardware Discussion 16:15 Security Concerns 17:00 Costs, Staffing, and Implementation 24:09 Discussion of Data Integration and Hosting 32:20 Payment Methodology 35:20 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Personnel, Public Retirement, and Finance held its first meeting and heard a presentation from personnel cabinet officials on a major request to replace the Kentucky Human Resources Information System, known as CHRIS, which currently handles HR, payroll, tax compliance, and health plan administration for state government and several local offices. Officials said the system supports payroll for about 48,000 employees, covers all three branches of government and 24 sheriff and county clerk offices, and stores records for nearly 475,000 current and former users. They explained that SAP has said the system will reach end of life and lose support by 2030, creating risks around security, maintenance, and tax compliance if it is not replaced. Commissioners and staff emphasized that the replacement is needed not just as an upgrade but as a full system replacement, especially because the current platform no longer receives meaningful HR enhancements and will eventually lose security updates and tax tables. They also described the Kentucky Employees Health Plan as a major driver of the project, noting it serves nearly 300,000 covered lives, many school boards, pre-65 retirees, and more than 700 entities, with significant complexity in billing, premium collection, and regulatory compliance. Officials said the new system would help address current manual workarounds, support changing insurance rules, and better protect personally identifiable and health information. Members asked detailed questions about the $151 million request, including why the estimate had risen by more than $50 million, what would happen if the project missed the 2030 deadline, how progress would be tracked, how vendor costs were estimated, and what the largest cost components would cover. Officials said the increase was mainly due to inflation and changing requirements, and that there was no real backup plan if the replacement was not completed before support ends. They said the project would be managed through an RFP process expected in July 2026, with kickoff in January 2027 and go-live by July 2030, and that oversight would include an enterprise steering committee, monthly updates, and existing quarterly COT reporting to LRC. They also explained that the largest share of the request is for implementation and integrator services, with additional amounts for software licensing and hosting, independent verification and validation, dependent verification, FSA administration, and limited contract support, and that payments would be tied to deliverables and acceptance testing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> As we go into the next budget session, what are we going to do here?
• </c> involved and is this already budgeted involved and is this already budgeted in?
• As you said, I'm with the Office of State Budget Director.
• My title is Deputy State Budget Director.
• The project will increase the budgeted.

Keywords: 00:05 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:34 Approval of Minutes 00:56 Information Items 05:40 Project Rpt from Postsecondary Institutions 14:00 Project Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 20:40 Lease Rpt from Finance and Administration Cabinet 24:53 Rpt from OFM – Ky Infrastructure Authority 40:38 Office of Financial Management 47:39 Remaining 2025 Meeting Dates 48:05 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with routine business, including a quorum call, approval of the April minutes, and several informational reports. Those information items covered upcoming general obligation debt for Bullitt, Jefferson, and Warren counties; Kentucky Communications Network Authority updates tied to House Bill 6; Eastern Kentucky University asset preservation reallocations under House Bill 1; and School Facilities Construction Commission debt activity, including 20 prior debt issues totaling about $386 million with roughly 85% locally supported debt service and 15% SFCC participation. Members then discussed concerns about a Kentucky Communications Network Authority project, focusing on a reported discrepancy between an appropriation of $12.927 million and an apparent payment of about $8.532 million on a project with a cost estimate of $12.449 million. Several members asked for more detailed written information before the next Capital Projects meeting, noting that a lawsuit is pending and that they wanted to better understand the basis for the request and the spending to date. The committee also heard and unanimously approved a donor-funded Northern Kentucky University project to renovate tennis courts, with possible pickleball additions, after questions about why approval was needed, the project’s estimated $3 million cost, and its expected minimal ongoing operating costs. The committee next received Kentucky State University pool allocation reports for three projects: a $2 million McCullen Hall renovation, a $1.75 million walkway and miscellaneous repairs project, and a $2 million academic services building roof-and-window project. A member asked specifically about curb cuts and accessibility in the walkway project, and Kentucky State said existing curb cuts would be repaired and additional accessibility issues would be reviewed by engineers. The lease report from the Finance and Administration Cabinet included one lease modification requiring approval for the Attorney General’s office in Franklin County and one no-action modification for the Board of Cosmetology; the Attorney General lease was approved by roll call vote. Finally, the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority presented five loans and 37 grants, with action taken on the loan and grant items. The loans included a Hodgenville wastewater treatment plant increase, a Grant County sewer district treatment plant loan, a Mount Sterling dam rehabilitation loan, and two Morganfield drinking water loans for granular activated carbon treatment, one with full principal forgiveness. Members asked about the Morganfield project’s purpose and were told it was a remediation effort for a water-quality concern, and they also raised questions about engineering fees, which KIA said are compared against a U.S. Rural Development fee schedule that is industry accepted. The committee also reviewed cleaner water program grant reallocations from county allocation pools.

Transcript Highlights:

• Republicans and Democrats to get the budget done on time, hopefully without a special session.
• Mister Speaker, what kind of threat does the potential federal budget cuts give you as far as shaping
• a budget?
• cuts uh give potential federal budget cuts uh give you<00:23:02.480><c> as</c><00:23:02.640><c> far<
• </c><00:23:04.120><c> sounds</c> you as far as shaping a budget sounds you as far as shaping a budget

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• There's one of these bills, 1798, which is not a budget bill, and we want to just make it—most of my
• comments have to do with the budget bills. 1798, though, we've reviewed that bill.
• But moving on, with regard to the budget package, these bills present the same sorts of issues that we
• those provisions, if they do exist, we think would be more appropriate if they are placed in the budget
• We see it in every single budget feed bill that I've ever seen, so this is not something that's new.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , considering that your budget, when is your budget implementation?
• So the budget process is year-long. We submit a tentative budget to the state in August.
• The budget process is year-long.
• We submit a tentative budget to the state in August and our final budget in September.
• We've seen the governor's budget proposal, the House budget proposal, and the Senate's budget proposal

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of bills, beginning with several measures that were amended and reported favorably, including a strike-all to SB 4 on child protective investigations and specific medical diagnoses, SB 1570 restoring a statewide missing-persons project for individuals with special needs, and SB 182 creating a teacher training and mentoring program for schools needing improvement. Members also advanced SB 794 on APD background screening and support coordination standards, SB 1168 on background screening for athletic coaches and related entities, and SB 214 to let rural special districts pay verified invoices directly for state- and federally funded work. Supporters emphasized improved child welfare investigations, help for families of vulnerable individuals, teacher retention, and better administrative efficiency; the APD bill drew especially strong testimony from waiver clients and providers about the importance of competent support coordinators and stable services. The committee also favorably reported SB 1376 on grants for genetic counseling education, SB 1574 requiring newborn screening for biliary atresia, SB 1510 as the DEP agency package with environmental, septic, water quality, solar, and permitting changes, and SB 598 updating funeral and cemetery licensing and consumer protections. SB 688, after a delete-all amendment, would create licensure for naturopathic doctors and a board of naturopathic medicine; it drew strong support from naturopathic advocates and sharp opposition from a critic who argued the bill would authorize diagnosis and treatment beyond appropriate limits. SB 1318 made a technical change to scholarship account reversion language, with senators clarifying that remaining funds would return to the scholarship funding organization for future use rather than to the state. Later, the committee approved SB 682 on domestic violence and protective injunctions, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local Act iteration expanding affordable housing options and limiting local barriers. It also reported favorably SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria after extensive debate about constitutional issues and modern gang activity, SB 762 allowing cross-jurisdiction assignment of capital cases among regional conflict counsel offices, SB 1332 strengthening career offender registration requirements, SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a minor, and SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The most contentious discussion came on SB 1226, which would overhaul Public Employee Relations Commission rules, require majority support for union certification, and impose new limits on union activities and dues-related practices; members debated constitutional concerns, differences between first responders and other public employees, and the bill’s impact on union representation and public-sector labor rights. Most bills were reported favorably by roll call, with SB 536 drawing several no votes and SB 1226 still under active debate at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And they’re about 26% of our overall budget today.
• They were 75% of our budget when we were founded, and that budget has grown substantially.
• today. uh they were 75% of our budget today. uh they were 75% of our budget<00:40:25.599><c> when</c
• when we were founded and that budget when we were founded and that budget<00:40:27.680><c> you</c><00
• </c> building built um on time and on budget building built um on time and on budget uh<00:47:43.839>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:19 Signage Value & Tourism Growth Along the Hatfield-McCoy Feud Trail 00:03:12 Building a Stronger Community Through Sports 00:32:03, 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes from the prior meeting and then heard a presentation from Pike County/Pikeville tourism officials about improving signage for the Hatfield-McCoy historic sites. Bob Scott, Tony Tacket, and Jay Shepard said visitors increasingly come to the area but often cannot find the sites because cell service and GPS are unreliable in the mountains. They argued that clearer signage along routes 119, 319, and 1056 would help visitors navigate the historic loop, strengthen branding, and increase dwell time and local spending. The Pike County presenters emphasized the economic importance of tourism, citing growth in tourist spending from $72.93 million in 2017 to $103.2 million in 2023 and $114.6 million in 2024. They said tourism helps offset the decline of coal, supports local mom-and-pop businesses, and benefits from partnerships with nearby West Virginia sites such as Matewan and other Hatfield-McCoy-related locations. Members asked about cross-state promotion, lodging capacity, and the possibility of a dinner show in Kentucky; the presenters said lodging is up 33% but more is needed, a new Crown Plaza hotel is planned in Pikeville, and a dinner show would require local investment and community buy-in. Committee members from the region spoke in support of the tourism effort and the need to preserve and teach local history. The chair and others said signage would help visitors and noted that a business without signs is no business. The committee then moved on to a separate presentation from the Louisville Sports Commission, introduced by Senator Jason Howell, which began with an overview of the commission’s role in sports tourism and economic development in Louisville.

Transcript Highlights:

• in about every Kentucky budget since 1984.
• item uh around second largest uh budget item uh around $22<00:15:56.399><c> million.
• We're going to touch on the<00:23:16.799><c> budget.
• Uh and then we're going to the budget.
• This here breaks out the budget by the benefit appropriation portion of the budget.

Keywords: Call to Order and Roll Call – 00:00:00 Introduction of Board Members – 00:02:04 Overview of the Purpose and Goals of the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board – 00:12:46 Medicaid Legislative Update - 00:20:26 Discussion of Next Steps and Future Meeting Dates – 01:04:06 Adjournment – 01:06:37, 958, all

Summary: The first meeting of the Medicaid Oversight Advisory Board opened with Chair Ken Fleming and Co-Chair Rocky Adams welcoming members, explaining the board’s purpose, and introducing the diverse membership of legislators, providers, advocates, and state officials. Fleming said the board would meet monthly, allow public comment at the end of meetings, and operate transparently with materials posted online and distributed in advance. Both chairs emphasized that the board’s work would focus on improving Medicaid outcomes, efficiency, and oversight, while preparing for possible federal changes and avoiding premature assumptions about what Congress may do. Members then gave brief introductions describing their backgrounds in medicine, nursing, hospital administration, behavioral health, insurance, budgeting, pharmacy, and Medicaid administration. Several noted direct experience with Medicaid populations or managed care, including the Department for Medicaid Services commissioner, health plan representatives, hospital and clinic leaders, and legislators with health care backgrounds. The board also heard from Stephanie Bates of the LRC Office of Health Data Analytics, who said her office supports the General Assembly with health-related data, policy, and research and would serve as a resource to the board. Bates then began a presentation on Medicaid basics, explaining that House Bill 695 created the board and that the presentation would cover eligibility, enrollment, covered benefits, waivers, managed care, the budget, and the federal reconciliation bill. She described Medicaid eligibility as complex, noted that Kentucky had more than 1.4 million enrollees, and explained enrollment churn and the unwinding of pandemic-era continuous coverage. She also outlined mandatory and optional Medicaid benefits, the requirement that services be medically necessary and provided by enrolled providers, and the main waiver types used in Kentucky, including 1115, 1915(b), and 1915(c) waivers. No votes or formal actions were taken at this meeting beyond organizational setup and receiving the initial informational presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that puts the funding and they're operating at an $800 million budget.
• The Legislative Budget Board fiscal note and actuarial impact statement did not arrive in our offices
• It says the Governor and the Legislative Budget Board may not transfer or...
• Questioner: In other words, there's an automatic raise in the base budget because the...
• and classrooms in their budgets.

Bills: HB 3

Keywords: emergency communication, public safety, interoperability, Texas Interoperability Council, grant program, emergency communications, public safety radio, first responders, radio system, dispatch, 911, emergency management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, public safety infrastructure, Project 25, P25, broadband emergency alerting, outdoor warning sirens, homeland security, disaster response

Transcript Highlights:

• I brought this amendment to SB 30 to the Joint Budget Committee, which is the process available.
• We don't allow citizens to give testimony in budget committee.
• And she consistently manages her budget conservatively.
• She returned last time over a million dollars of her budget back to the state treasurer.
• She is a shrewd and effective manager of her office's budget.

Keywords: 1204, all