Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Labor or to file a lawsuit.
• Well, the Department of Labor does important work, but the reality is they're pretty overwhelmed.
• now, and so our labor department is really quickly.
• We've done everything we can to improve efficiencies within our labor department.
• We've done everything we can to improve efficiencies within our labor department.

Bills: HB2174, HB2496, HB2744, HB2863, HB2910, HB2938

Keywords: insurance regulation, modeling organizations, financial disclosure, rate-making, predictive models, revitalization districts, construction contracts, infrastructure, municipal services, intergovernmental agreements, user fees, landowner agreements, overtime, wages, employee rights, industrial commission, complaints, adjudication, landlord, tenant

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Labor statistics currently say that there's about 30,000 unemployment claims and there's
• They've earned it through their labor. This is not a handout from the state.
• This is not so, They've earned it through their labor. This is not a handout from the state.
• Think about it as you go into different. adults back into the labor market.
• They had paid into it through... ...years of labor, taxes, caregiving, and service.

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met with a quorum present and took up a full agenda of bills, beginning with agency and records measures from Senator Massullo. SB 488, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency package, would update reporting thresholds for crashes, expand DHSMV’s use of email for certain transactions, and align tank vehicle definitions with federal rules; it was reported favorably. Its companion, SB 490, creates a public records exemption for certain email records and also passed favorably. The committee also approved SB 892, revising enhanced sentencing procedures for repeat offenders, and SB 124, which cleans up outdated Florida Virtual School language without changing day-to-day operations. Later, SB 584 on commercial driving schools, SB 656 codifying the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and related grant program, and SB 816 establishing the University of Florida Diabetes Institute in statute all passed favorably as well. The most extensive debate centered on SB 216, which would tighten reemployment assistance eligibility by adding job-search requirements, interview attendance rules, identity and immigration verification every two weeks, and fraud-reporting duties for the Department of Commerce. Senator McLean argued the bill targets fraud and improves program integrity, while opponents and several members raised concerns about fiscal impact, administrative burden, and reduced access for unemployed workers, especially seniors and rural residents. Dr. Rich Templin of the Florida AFL-CIO testified against the bill, warning it could sharply reduce recipiency and worsen an already restrictive system. Despite opposition, the bill was reported favorably on a divided roll call. The committee also approved CS/SB 382 on electric bicycles, which requires riders to yield to pedestrians on shared pathways, sound an audible signal before passing, and limits speed near pedestrians; it also creates a task force to study further regulation. Michelle Lynch, whose son was killed in an e-scooter crash, testified in support of broader safety rules and urged the committee to add e-scooters back into the bill. Several members echoed concerns about e-scooter safety and asked for further work, but the bill advanced favorably. At the end of the meeting, members requested to be recorded on specific tabs, and the committee adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Labor statistics currently say that there's about 30,000 unemployment claims and there's
• They've earned it through their labor. This is not a handout from the state.
• This is not so, they've earned it through their labor. This is not a handout from the state.
• Think about it as you go into different adults back into the labor market.
• They had paid into it through years of labor, taxes, caregiving, and service.

Bills: S0124, S0216, S0382, S0488, S0490, S0524, S0584, S0656, S0816, S0892, S1156

Keywords: Florida Virtual School, FLVS, virtual school, online education, distance learning, K-12 education, public school choice, charter-like franchise, student enrollment priorities, home education, homeschool, military families, active duty military, rural schools, inner-city schools, accelerated graduation, education technology, supplemental funding, direct-support organization, foundation

Summary: The Committee on Fiscal Policy met and first postponed SB 524 and SB 1156. It then heard and favorably reported several bills, including SB 488 and SB 490 by Sen. Massullo, which update Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles procedures, raise the crash-reporting threshold, expand email use, and create a related public-records exemption. The committee also favorably reported SB 892 by Sen. Martin on enhanced sentencing for repeat offenders, SB 124 by Sen. Rodriguez updating Florida Virtual School statutes, and SB 584 by Sen. Yarbrough strengthening oversight of commercial driving schools and tax collector authority. SB 656 by Sen. Bradley, codifying the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and related grant program, and SB 816 by Sen. Bradley, formally establishing the University of Florida Diabetes Institute, also passed unanimously or near-unanimously. The most extensive debate centered on SB 216 by Sen. McLean, which would tighten unemployment assistance eligibility by adding job-search requirements, more frequent verification, and fraud-reporting measures. Supporters argued the bill would reduce fraud and improve program integrity, while opponents from labor groups and several senators warned it would burden claimants, especially rural residents, seniors, and workers facing layoffs, and could sharply reduce access to benefits. Despite those objections, the committee reported the bill favorably on a divided vote. The committee also considered CS/SB 382 by Sen. Truenow on electric bicycles, requiring riders to yield to pedestrians, sound an audible signal before passing, and limit speed near pedestrians, while creating a task force to study broader regulation of e-bikes and related devices. A mother whose son was killed on an electric scooter urged the committee to restore scooters to the bill, and several members expressed support for further work on that issue. The committee reported the bill favorably. At the end of the meeting, members recorded additional affirmative votes on selected tabs, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Will the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology please come to order.
• Two are selected by the employer and then one is a labor representative.
• Two are selected by the employer and then one is a labor representative.
• Two are selected by the employer and then one is a labor representative.
• </c> the labor pool. the labor pool.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures relating to public employment, the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF), retirement benefits, and cafeteria plans. HB 2472 and HB 2276, both concerning EUTF staff and investment office staff salaries, drew support from the trust fund and labor groups, and no opposition was heard in person. HB 2272 and HB 2273, emergency appropriations for public employment cost items, were supported by the administration and labor representatives; members briefly clarified which bargaining units were covered. A longer discussion centered on HB 1664, which would address a dispute mechanism for EUTF-related negotiations. HGEA said the current process lacks a dispute resolution path and that the bill would allow interest arbitration when the state and union disagree. The Department of Human Resources Development and the Budget and Finance director raised concerns about consistency across bargaining units and the role of an arbitrator unfamiliar with the complexities of the system. Senator Moriwaki questioned whether another dispute forum might be more appropriate, but no alternative resolution was settled. The committee also heard HB 1655, which would make retirement benefits negotiable, and HB 1658, concerning collective bargaining repricing. ERS opposed HB 1655, saying it could create administrative and tax problems if retirement benefits were negotiated separately across many bargaining units, while UPW, HGEA, HSTA, and UPA supported it as a bargaining issue. On HB 1658, DHRD explained that repricing is an internal classification tool meant to preserve equal pay for equal work, not to address market pay, and said a single arbitrator or the Merit Appeals Board could handle disputes; HGEA preferred a neutral arbitrator and opposed the Merit Appeals Board as too employer-controlled. The final measure, HB 1661 on cafeteria plans, was supported by UPW and HGEA. DHRD said it planned to raise the maximum contribution through rulemaking but needed to manage plan solvency and timing because IRS limits change on a calendar-year basis while the state plan runs on a fiscal year. The committee then moved into decision-making and adopted recommendations to pass HB 2472 and HB 2276 as amended/unamended after a brief correction to the vote language.

Transcript Highlights:

• It’s not specifically under the labor statutes, but I think it’s provided for in the general litigation
• I’m just trying to figure out what made the Department of Labor and Licensing a court.
• You know, we were the Department of Labor long before we became the Department of Labor and Licensing
• , make sure that people are getting paid a fair wage and they’re getting paid for their labor.
• “To look at child labor violations, minimum wage and overtime violations.

Summary: The committee first reviewed litigation reports from the Department of Labor and Licensing involving wage claims brought under the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act. Members questioned the department’s authority, jurisdiction, use of attorney fees and costs, and whether defendants had to be licensed. The department explained it has long enforced wage and overtime laws, that the claims were small-dollar cases handled by investigators and counsel, and that one case had been paid and dismissed while others were unresolved or had service issues. The committee voted to review or batch-file the labor cases after discussion. The University of Arkansas System then reported three pending lawsuits: an age- and race-discrimination claim by a tenured professor that was resolved early; an ADA/FMLA retaliation claim by a former employee that survived in part on a motion to dismiss and was moving into discovery; and a Section 1983 claim against a UAMS sergeant arising from a parking-ticket dispute, with the university explaining that only punitive damages could create personal exposure for the officer. The committee reviewed each report and voted to accept them. The Department of Finance and Administration presented a proposed tax settlement reducing a sales-and-use tax assessment from about $48,000 to $20,000 and waiving interest and penalties, which the committee approved for review. The Claims Commission then presented several claims: an unpaid salary differential for a Department of Health employee, reissued warrants, unpaid DHS bills, and multiple negotiated settlements involving ATRS, UAMS, Arkansas State Police, and ARDOT. Members approved or affirmed most of these items, including a $65,000 settlement in the Tetronics/ATRS matter, a $150,000 medical-negligence settlement, and several vehicle-accident settlements. The most extended debate involved a tax-delinquent property sale claim by Sharon Greer and relatives. The claimant argued they were not properly notified and sought the $4,200 excess from the 2009 sale. Land Commissioner counsel explained the excess had escheated to the county after the statutory claim period expired, while members debated sovereign immunity, standing, heirs, and whether the committee could or should award money anyway. The committee ultimately chose to hold the matter over for further review in a future joint session rather than decide it immediately. The committee also heard appeals from dismissed claims, including a UAMS medical-negligence claim, a land-sale notice claim, a pothole claim against ARDOT, and a judicial-immunity claim against the Court of Appeals; most dismissals were affirmed, and the Simpson matter was held over for additional review after the claimant testified.

Transcript Highlights:

• what's notable is the students are incapable of having basic conversation, don't have basic listening skills
• where justice, the quest for justice, eclipses the interest in helping students develop the critical skills
• So I think leaning into that, you know, dedicated to fostering critical thinking skills, independent
• say so I think the and I think leaning into that you know dedicated to fostering critical thinking skills
• this kind of understanding of each other, learning how to communicate, developing critical thinking skills

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The commission held its 16th and final meeting to review and vote on revisions to its draft report on combating antisemitism. After roll call, members approved the prior meeting minutes, adopted a procedure for handling substantive and technical edits, and authorized limited technical corrections after the meeting. Senator John Velis’s letter was read into the record noting his military deployment and support for the final report, and the commission discussed the scope of the report, including its 118 findings and recommendations and the large volume of testimony received over the year. Members then worked through a series of amendments to the report. The chair’s prefatory statement was revised to restore language and data about Massachusetts Jews’ relationship to Israel and the impact on the commission’s work. Commissioner Liken’s proposal called for DESE guidance and teacher training to support intellectually diverse K-12 classrooms; members debated how to ensure it could not be used to justify biased or false material, and the amendment passed with discussion about existing guardrails. Commissioner Hay’s technical edits were adopted, and commissioners also discussed whether DESE’s new reporting system should anonymize data; the language was revised to specify anonymized data and approved. Additional amendments were adopted on public safety and higher education, including clarifying support for nonprofit security grants and personnel grants, refining language on academic boycotts, and adding references to Zionist identity and presumed Zionist identity as possible bases for antisemitic treatment. Commissioner Kipnis’s revisions to the prefatory statement were also considered, with some members objecting to the removal of language about minimization and traumatic invalidation and others supporting a more concise, fact-driven tone. The commission also approved language strengthening recommendations by changing several “should” statements to “must.” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg then delivered closing remarks praising the commission’s work and sharing personal family history to illustrate the persistence of antisemitism in Massachusetts. She said the report offers a practical roadmap, including bias reporting in schools, security coordination, and broader anti-discrimination training, and emphasized that the recommendations will help all communities. Commissioners thanked her for her leadership and testimony. The meeting continued with further amendments, including one on law enforcement security grants and another on higher education findings and recommendations, and the commission repeatedly voted by roll call, generally approving the revisions unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• last 41 years, in which I started a long, long time ago, helping people who need to improve their skills
• Through Project Read, ESL, English learners gain the language skills, confidence, and opportunity to
• Through these funds, our ESL program has supported over 200 adult learners, helping them build English skills
• Through these funds, our ESL program has supported over 200 adult learners, helping them build English skills
• digital literacy programs to help disabled, elders, and low-income residents with limited literacy skills

Summary: The subcommittee opened with remarks on the state budget and K-12 education, noting the large increase in the Proposition 98 minimum guarantee, the use of deferrals and reserves in the prior budget, and the challenge of balancing education funding against other state priorities. Superintendent Tony Thurmond described California education as improving overall, citing gains in test scores, graduation, and college readiness, but said major gaps remain for low-income students, students of color, agricultural communities, English learners, foster youth, and students with disabilities. He praised recent investments in universal meals, transitional kindergarten, community schools, arts, broadband, and special education, while warning that declining enrollment, chronic absenteeism, and the proposed $5.6 billion Prop. 98 settle-up create uncertainty for districts. He also urged a long-term literacy plan, expanded tutoring, universal kindergarten, and continued protections for students and families affected by immigration enforcement, including ICE-related fear and attendance loss. The committee then heard a detailed presentation on Proposition 98 from the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Finance explained that the Governor’s budget projects the minimum guarantee will rise by about $21.7 billion over three years, with a $5.6 billion settle-up obligation in 2025-26 intended to avoid overappropriation if revenues weaken. Finance also described revised reserve deposits and withdrawals, ending with about $4.1 billion in the Public School System Stabilization Account by 2026-27. The LAO said recent revenue collections were stronger than expected in the current year but warned that the outlook for 2026-27 is weaker and that stock-market-driven revenues remain volatile. The LAO supported maintaining reserves and one-time spending buffers, but recommended fully funding the guarantee and using other budget solutions rather than shifting the settle-up into future deficits. Members asked about the settle-up process, certification timeline, the effect of attendance declines tied to immigration enforcement, and wildfire-related impacts, including Pasadena Unified’s $4 million special appropriation. On LCFF and necessary small schools, Finance proposed a 2.41% COLA and about $2.2 billion in additional LCFF funding for districts and charters in 2026-27, plus a $30.7 million ongoing increase to raise the necessary small schools allowance by 20%. The LAO supported funding the COLA but said the small-school increase was not tied to a specific cost study and could be redesigned to better target small districts, noting that only a fraction of very small districts would benefit. Questions focused on how small schools access supplemental and concentration grants and how attendance recovery programs are being implemented. The Department of Education said only 130 LEAs had reported attendance recovery so far, likely because it is a new program with compliance requirements, though interest appears to be growing. FICMAT then reviewed the fiscal health of local districts, reporting an uptick in qualified and negative certifications, though still far below Great Recession levels. It said declining enrollment, rising special education costs, and higher labor and insurance costs are the biggest fiscal pressures, and that some districts are using fiscal stabilization plans and staff reductions ahead of second interim reports. FICMAT also discussed wildfire impacts on Pasadena Unified and Los Angeles Unified, explaining that Pasadena’s $4 million state appropriation was based on an early post-fire assessment and that the district is being monitored with the county office of education. Members raised concerns about Pasadena’s leadership, special education staffing shortages, AB 218 sexual abuse litigation costs, insurance premium increases, and the need for stronger prevention and training measures. FICMAT said SB 848 and related policies address some of those concerns by strengthening standards, training, and reporting requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Knowledge and skills to resist cyberbullying, sexting, pornography, and online sexual predators are also
• Knowledge and skills to re resist 156.
• Knowledge and skills to re resist cyber<00:36:48.960><c> bullying,</c><00:36:50.000><c> sexing,</c><00
• Sexual risk avoidance education teaches the vital life skills of self-regulation, delayed gratification
• Sexual risk avoidance education teaches the vital life skills of self-regulation, delayed gratification

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So in order to be an executive officer, you still have to possess that minimum skill set of administrative
• are getting, but also the efficiency in which they're able to transition into a higher-pay, higher-skilled
• Furnishing is a core competency of nurse midwives and a skill set normally expected as a part of that
• Furnishing is a core competency of nurse midwives and a skill set normally expected as a part of that
• Clients are desperate for in-home services and skilled rehab in general.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate Business and Professions sunset oversight hearing focused first on the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), with opening remarks emphasizing legislative oversight, consumer protection, workforce access, and the need to evaluate whether licensing boards are efficient and effective. BRN leaders reported progress since the last review, including faster licensing timelines, streamlined enforcement, improved consumer satisfaction, expanded nursing program enrollment, and new statewide data collection on faculty. Committee members then questioned the board about nurse practitioner scope and supervision, international licensure, English proficiency, online nursing education and clinical placements, military and veteran pathways, workforce shortages, diversity in nursing, the LVN-to-RN 30-unit option, and the role of the board’s RN executive officer. The board explained California’s tiered APRN system, the NCLEX and national certification requirements, the 500-hour direct patient care clinical requirement, and its use of nursing education consultants and board-approved programs to oversee schools and placements. Members also discussed retention problems, especially for new graduates, and the board said shortages are often driven by burnout, lack of support, and employers’ reduced use of new-grad training programs. Public comment largely centered on proposed BRN sunset issues affecting advanced practice nursing, education oversight, and workforce development. Nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, and nurse anesthesiology groups generally supported the BRN sunset report but asked for clearer implementation of AB 890, support for APRN-to-RN delegation authority, streamlined renewals for nurse midwives, and protection of the current population-focus model. The California Medical Association raised concerns about out-of-state nurse practitioners practicing independently without California transition-to-practice requirements, specialty delegation, ratios, and data collection. Higher education representatives from UC, CSU, private nonprofit colleges, and nursing associations urged the board to reduce duplicative documentation, modernize clinical placement rules, improve parity between in-state and out-of-state programs, and address bottlenecks in securing clinical sites. An online nursing school argued that California should create a pathway for distance-learning programs so students can complete clinicals in-state rather than traveling out of state. Several speakers also highlighted the need to expand access for rural and underserved communities, support diverse and nontraditional students, and preserve affordable pathways into nursing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in order to be an executive officer, you still have to possess that minimum skill set of administrative
• are getting, but also the efficiency in which they're able to transition into a higher-pay, higher-skilled
• are getting, but also the efficiency in which they're able to transition into a higher pay, higher skilled
• Furnishing is a core competency of nurse midwives and a skill set normally expected as part of that role
• Clients are desperate for in-home services and skilled rehab in general.

Summary: The joint Assembly and Senate Business and Professions sunset oversight hearing focused first on the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN), with committee chairs emphasizing oversight, consumer protection, workforce access, and economic mobility. BRN leaders reported improvements since the last review, including faster licensing timelines, streamlined enforcement, higher consumer satisfaction, growth in pre-licensure enrollment, and expanded data collection. Members questioned the board about nurse practitioner scope and supervision, international and military pathways to licensure, online nursing education and clinical requirements, rural workforce shortages, and the 30-unit LVN-to-RN option. BRN staff explained California’s tiered advanced practice system, the NCLEX and certification requirements, English proficiency rules, clinical hour standards, and the board’s role in approving programs and supporting schools through nursing education consultants. Several members and the board president also discussed the need to retain new graduates, improve diversity in the workforce, and better support nontraditional students and rural placements. Public comment on the BRN sunset review was extensive and largely supportive of the board, while also urging policy changes. Nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, and nursing education groups generally supported the BRN report and especially backed clarification of APRN-to-RN delegation authority under issue 13. Other commenters asked for clearer implementation of AB 890, more flexibility for clinical nurse specialists, streamlined renewals for nurse midwives, and changes to federal loan limits affecting graduate nursing education. Higher education representatives and private nursing schools raised concerns about duplicative BRN documentation, clinical placement bottlenecks, and barriers faced by out-of-state and online programs seeking to serve California students. The California Medical Association and some physician groups opposed easing transition-to-practice requirements for out-of-state nurse practitioners and cautioned against changes to specialty and delegation rules, while the California Nurses Association and others stressed the importance of community college pathways, new graduate support, and workforce retention. The hearing then moved to the Physical Therapy Board of California. Board leadership reported that the board oversees more than 41,000 active licensees, has seen about 15% growth since 2021, and continues to maintain high exam pass rates among California physical therapy and physical therapist assistant programs. The board described its mission as consumer protection through licensing, enforcement, continuing competency oversight, and stakeholder engagement. The vice president’s remote testimony encountered technical problems, so the executive officer continued with a brief overview of the board’s work and its commitment to efficient service and public protection. No votes or formal actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• frequent and sustained aggression in our settings because they haven't had the chance to learn other skills
• frequent and sustained aggression in our settings because they haven't had the chance to learn other skills
• frequent and sustained aggression in our settings because they haven't had the chance to learn other skills
• chance to because they haven't had the chance to learn<00:31:19.600><c> other</c><00:31:19.919><c> skills
• </c> learn other skills yet. learn other skills yet.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The cafe operates as a training lab, giving students the opportunity to apply skills they've learned
• The students develop leadership, skill, and professionalism assets that are needed for a successful career
• The cafe operates as a training lab, giving students the opportunity to apply skills they've learned
• The students develop leadership, skill, and professionalism assets that are needed for a successful career
• HAVE THE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN VETERANS LAW TO MAKE SOUND DECISIONS.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had child labor issues. 18-hour days. We had child labor issues.
• In fact, the opposite is very true in labor relations across the country.
• </c> treated first responders in labor treated first responders in labor relations<02:08:52.239><c> matters
• so that labor unrest and labor<02:09:08.000><c> issues</c><02:09:08.639><c> do</c><02:09:08.960><c>
• </c> the opposite is very true in labor the opposite is very true in labor relations<02:09:21.199><c>

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now as he rests from his labors and stands before you, may he hear your own well done, good and faithful
• he<00:06:09.600><c> rests</c><00:06:10.000><c> from</c><00:06:10.160><c> his</c><00:06:10.400><c> labors
• </c><00:06:11.039><c> and</c><00:06:11.360><c> stands</c> he rests from his labors and stands he rests
• from his labors and stands before<00:06:12.199><c> you,</c><00:06:13.199><c> may</c><00:06:13.360><c

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 29, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of business and economic research labor of business and economic research labor Education<00:52:
• labor news publication, the first online labor news organization in the United States.
• </c><00:59:03.760><c> Relations</c> supports industrial and Labor Relations supports industrial and Labor
• </c><00:59:28.760><c> social</c> labor law labor history and social labor law labor history and social
• news publication the first online labor news publication the first online labor<00:59:40.400><c> news

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Annick Paul to the Vermont State Housing Authority, Michelle Phelps to the State Labor Relations Board
• , Heather Furman to the Fish and Wildlife Board, and Gwenna Peter to the Vermont Labor Relations Board
• Gwenna Peter to the Vermont Labor Relations Board.
• Gwenna Peters, State Labor Relations Board, from May 23rd, 2025 to June 30th, 2027.
• And Michelle Phelps, State Labor Relations Board, July 15th, 2025 to June 30th, 2031.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It puts a JLARC study on that will be reviewed after 10 years, and it requires the Department of Labor
• quarterly to our Workers' Compensation Advisory Board or committee that includes business interests and labor
• It also requires the director of labor and industries to provide a report to the legislature by The Department
• of Labor and Industries is required to provide a report to the legislature by June 30, 2029, summarizing
• The underlying bill is request legislation from the Department of Labor and Industries, and it strengthens

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Real-time gauges and better information and less labor-intensive ways of collecting data.
• that's brought in by Tyson, which is in a major lawsuit right now for bringing in labor where they don't
• So this is my 8th and final year as your labor Commissioner, and I am proud to say that for the eighth
• We have a child labor unit in case you know we keep one person that goes around and educates mostly on
• You've heard of the Bureau of Labor Statistics that puts out jobs Data.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay 462% more on-farm in labor expenses in 2020 than other farms in the country.
• And in 2024, they paid 108% of their gross receipts in labor costs alone.
• Labor cost adjustments.
• As you saw on that first slide, we pay more in labor than any of the... ...adjustments.
• A little bit of contract labor. We've got full-time employees.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay 462% more on-farm in labor expenses in 2020 than other farms in the country.
• And in 2024, they paid 108% of their gross receipts in labor costs alone.
• Labor cost adjustments.
• As you saw on that first slide, we pay more in labor than any of the... ...adjustments.
• There are four of us left farming there, a little bit of contract labor.

Summary: The committee first received an update from Larry Madsen of the Office of Columbia River on eastern Washington water supply projects. He described the office’s mission to develop new water supplies for in-stream and out-of-stream uses, noting that funded projects have developed more than 800,000 acre-feet of water toward a 1 million acre-foot goal by 2030. He reviewed the four major program areas: the Odessa Groundwater Replacement Program, the Walla Walla Water 2050 plan, the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan, and the Icicle Work Group. He highlighted major projects such as East Low Canal work, Springwood Ranch reservoir planning, Bateman Island causeway removal, and Icicle Creek improvements, and emphasized the importance of state, federal, tribal, and nonprofit partnerships and cost-sharing. Senators asked about accelerating the Springwood Ranch study, reservoir sizing and refill potential, and how conservation fits into the Yakima plan. The committee then heard from Betsy Peabody, Dr. Micah Horwith, and Bill Dewey on the Marine Resources Advisory Council and ocean acidification. They explained that Washington was an early bellwether for ocean acidification impacts, especially on shellfish hatcheries, where low aragonite saturation and changing pH caused major oyster larval mortality. They described the state’s monitoring network, hatchery buffering systems, research partnerships, and adaptation strategies such as kelp co-culture, selective breeding, and native oyster restoration. Testimony stressed that ocean acidification is affecting shellfish, Dungeness crab, razor clams, and even salmon, and that continued state investment, emissions reductions, and nutrient pollution control are needed. Senators asked about differences between native and farmed species, real-time monitoring, and the pH/aragonite thresholds that threaten shellfish production. Finally, Todd Myers and Pam Lewis of the Washington Policy Center presented concerns about agricultural viability, sustainability, and food security. Lewis said Washington farms are under severe financial pressure, citing negative farm take-home pay, high production and labor costs, and the need to rely more on voluntary programs, tax relief, and labor cost changes. She also argued that food insecurity is rising and that donations to food banks are harder when farms are financially strained. Myers followed with remarks on forest health and salmon recovery, arguing for more active forest management, expanded use of Good Neighbor Authority, and fewer permitting barriers. He also said salmon recovery funding should be locally prioritized and science-based, with regulatory barriers reduced so projects can move faster. The committee then voted to refer Senate Bill 6154, a culvert replacement permitting bill, to the Senate Local Government Committee without recommendation, and the motion passed.