Transcript Highlights:

• Of that portion, a large part goes to the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services.
• live with pot shops and open pot smoking in the state.
• I think that that's increasing as we live with pot shops and open pot smoking in the same. as we live
• We've lived with it for a while. Maybe it's not. So we're asking the voters again.
• We've lived with it for a while. Maybe it's not. So we're asking the voters again.

Bills: H5005

Keywords: environment, water conservation, natural resources, public funding, environmental justice, 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> with the Department of Human Services. with the Department of Human Services.
• </c> services article. services article.
• </c> assisted living facilities. assisted living facilities.
• Is it net spending money in human services? Is it net saving money in human services?
• </c> Services bill, I'm not entirely um sure. Services bill, I'm not entirely um sure.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Although there is a bill to allow for transitional funding, transitional funding, this change in source
• The budget also enhances essential public services that are impacted by changes to federal funding and
• increase helps offset reductions in federal funding and ensures continued support for essential services
• We just learned to live with it by ...by adopting regulations like seat belts, speed limits, drunk driving
• Salaries may look average on paper, but when adjusted for cost of living in our state, our teachers are

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wanted to read the announcement for our meetings: today's meeting is being recorded and live streamed
• units, six different lives...
• So you have to start to now define levels of service and things like that that normally aren't in the
• So on the performance side, if maybe that's a transition. Yes, did that answer your question, Rep.
• So on the performance side, if maybe that's a transition.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've even asked Driver and Vehicle Services to help with this request, but we still received nothing
• We don't all live in Southern California.
• </c><00:09:20.560><c> in</c><00:09:20.720><c> Southern</c> range we don't all live in Southern range
• we don't all live in Southern California<00:09:22.519><c> Minnesota</c><00:09:23.120><c> has</c><00:09
• </c> stations bigger hoist larger service stations bigger hoist larger service areas<00:09:42.440><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't want to tell them this is how they have to live their lives.
• But if their lives are to change, which a lot of our lives, even here, they change all the time. ...but
• if their lives are to change, which a lot of our lives, even here, they change all the time, right?
• Now, the two-year service commitment is smart policy to us.
• With the cost of living rising every year, $100 matters.

Summary: The Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee met on January 27 and first took executive action on three bills. House Bill 2311, which makes administrative changes to the Workforce Education Investment Accountability and Oversight Board, was reported out with a do pass recommendation after the Leavitt amendment was withdrawn; supporters emphasized transparency, accountability, and student success metrics, while one member opposed moving it forward and urged more interim work. House Bill 2324, which extends tuition waiver access for children of eligible veterans when a disability determination occurs after age 18, passed unanimously. House Bill 288, the Dietitian Licensure Compact, was amended to delay implementation until July 1, 2028 and then passed unanimously as a substitute bill; members cited workforce shortages and the value of broader licensure portability. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. House Bill 2422 would shift private security guard licensing fees from individual guards to their employers, eliminate transfer fees, and penalize companies that require reimbursement; the sponsor and workers testified that the current system burdens low-wage guards and contributes to high turnover, while some members asked about whether fees could instead be lowered or eliminated. House Bill 2438 would create the SEEDS scholarship for early childhood education students using up to $10 million from the GET account if it remains sufficiently funded; the sponsor described it as a targeted test of surplus GET funds to address early learning workforce shortages, and testimony from educators, providers, and advocacy groups strongly supported it, while WASAC said the bill may need technical changes to avoid conflicts with existing 529 rules. The committee also heard House Bill 2525, which would create a WSU heritage orchard program and registry for old or rare apple varieties; the sponsor and industry witnesses said it would preserve agricultural history, support research, and aid future breeding and education. Finally, House Bill 2586 would align Passport to Careers with federal financial aid formulas and automatically deem Passport-eligible youth financially needy for the Washington College Grant; the sponsor and WASAC said it would help foster youth and homeless students access aid earlier and more predictably, and multiple students and advocates testified in strong support. No final action was taken on the bills heard in public testimony during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:26:39.200><c> to</c> ratio debt to ser debt service to ratio debt to ser debt service to revenue
• they'll call Medicaid services, they'll call behavioral health services, they'll call mental health
• services, they'll call adult protective services, and they won't necessarily get helped; they'll get
• Uh that roughly transit vehicles.
• </c> list of projects both for the uh transit list of projects both for the uh transit vehicles<01:30

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We went live in this new environment six months ago.
• We wanted to go live on and outside of the tax season.
• Didn't want to go live when it's all heck is breaking loose.
• In order for some, so I live in the extreme country.
• I live in Nyoka, you know, and I have fiber through Echoink.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• accessibility promote lives improve accessibility promote sustainability<00:57:27.440><c> and</c><00
• Approximately 25% of Minnesota's population lives in our rural and tribal communities, and they don't
• in our Rural and tribal population lives in our Rural and tribal communities<01:01:50.039><c> and</c
• It's split 60% to the highway fund, 40% goes to transit. In total, it's north of a billion dollars.
• </c><01:40:30.000><c> um</c> you're talking about L ril Transit um you're talking about L ril Transit

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Artificial intelligence is already a part of our daily lives.
• Frankly, I do not think we should be having fun with people's lives.
• I move that the amendment of the Health and Human Services Committee be adopted.
• Chair—no, it does not include clear transition protections for the current cycle.
• Chair—no, it does not include clear transition protections for the current cycle.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Well... ...are the service reductions we're talking about.
• they need to heal and live free from violence.
• they need to heal and live free from violence.
• assault service providers funded by Cal U.S.
• I am the executive director of Project Sister Family Services.

Summary: The subcommittee heard May Revision presentations for the Office of Emergency Services, Judicial Branch, CDCR, and the Department of Justice, with the LAO offering comments and recommendations throughout. For Cal OES, the administration outlined funding for relocating the Red Mountain communications site, increased FEMA reimbursement authority, cybersecurity grants, next-generation 911 support, and a reduction to the Flexible Cash Assistance for Survivors of Crime program. Members raised concerns about VOCA backfill and disaster reimbursement, while the LAO recommended approving the 911 request with reporting, adding contingency planning for cybersecurity grants, clarifying the FEMA reimbursement language, and increasing reporting on emergency spending. For the Judicial Branch, the May Revision included funding for implementation of the Trial Nations Access to Justice Act, reductions tied to court facilities and employee benefits, and General Fund solutions such as a reduction to the pretrial release program, a reversion from the Trial Court Trust Fund, and elimination of the jury duty pilot program. The LAO cautioned that the pretrial reduction could affect detention and release decisions and recommended tighter legislative oversight over the trust fund transfer and reallocation language. Members questioned the impact of the pretrial cut, the lack of Prop. 36 court funding, and the rationale for the jury pilot elimination; the Judicial Branch said it was generally supportive of the budget as proposed. CDCR presented requests for roof repairs, fire alarm replacements, CalAIM-related costs, and trailer bill changes on incarcerated college students, mental health hiring, and tuberculosis testing, along with a planned prison closure by October 2026. The department also proposed reducing or delaying several items, including radio replacement, ADA improvements, COVID mitigation, and some facility upgrades, while adding a $125 million placeholder for consultant-driven operational savings. The LAO recommended rejecting or reducing several San Quentin-related proposals, questioned the staffing and contract medical requests, and urged more transparency on the consultant savings plan; members expressed concern about the realism of the savings targets and the potential legal or operational risks from delaying ADA and radio projects. For DOJ, the May Revision proposed ongoing funding and 44 positions to defend against federal actions, IT and accounting system upgrades, implementation funding for AB 1877, and a special fund loan. The LAO supported the KLETS connection but asked for a contingency plan if the new DMV link is delayed, noted that AB 1877 would not be fully implemented without additional funding, and recommended limiting and reporting on the federal accountability workload. Members questioned the size and permanence of the DOJ request, the use of the earlier $25 million special session appropriation, and the pace of federal litigation; DOJ said the new request would support ongoing litigation, expert assistance, and coordination across multiple cases and states.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've seen firsthand how these services can change the lives of children and their families.
• All of these children have the potential to live full and vibrant lives, but to achieve this, they need
• I've seen firsthand how these services can change the lives of children and their families.
• I live this. I'm out of time. I believe I live this.
• My son lives and breathes sports.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education held a very full public hearing on the first Education Committee hearing of the session, with testimony taken on a large slate of bills, especially H. 650/S. 436 and related measures. The chairs explained the hearing rules, including two-minute testimony limits, live streaming, written testimony, and accommodations for interpreters and disabilities. The committee first heard extensive testimony on H. 460/S. 436 and later H. 650/S. 436, bills to affirm and maintain equal access to public education for all children, including immigrant students, English learners, and students with disabilities. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators, attorneys, and state officials, many of whom described fears caused by federal policy changes and argued that Massachusetts should codify protections for school enrollment, special education, interpreter services, and due process in discipline cases. The Attorney General’s office, Mass Advocates for Children, Lawyers for Civil Rights, MIRA, the Children’s Law Center, the Disability Law/advocacy community, and others all urged favorable action, while committee members asked questions about Plyler v. Doe, manifestation determinations, interpreter qualifications, and how the bill would mirror or preserve existing federal protections at the state level. The committee also heard testimony on H. 702/S. 460, establishing an elementary and secondary school robotics grant program, which was supported as a way to expand STEM opportunities and help schools fund robotics programs. Representative Sweeney also testified on H. 713, a bill to support student participation in 4-H programming by allowing excused absences similar to those for athletics and other sanctioned activities; members noted bipartisan support and the bill’s long history. The hearing then moved to H. 543/S. 417, a recess bill requiring at least 30 minutes of free-play recess for K-8 students. Supporters included the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the League of Women Voters, educators, and parents, who emphasized recess as important for physical health, social-emotional development, attention, and academic performance, and noted that unequal local policies create disparities across districts. Several witnesses also tied recess to broader concerns about student well-being and screen time. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee simply received testimony and closed testimony on the bills as it moved through the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• services are provided across our service area, which is all of Bernalillo County.
• So our suite of services includes primary medical services, so similar to what you would experience at
• Care for the Homeless as a service provider will have onsite services provided at that new um housing
• services to people on the medians.
• Individual housing with the supportive services provided so that could be supportive services on site

Transcript Highlights:

• Namo Amidavids, let us live with kindness and gratitude beyond words.
• All of us bring such diverse lived experiences into this work.
• retire after 20 years of service.
• affordable for our veterans to continue living in California.
• And by transitioning to a collective bargaining process at the state level, we can provide living wages

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long daily file with numerous guest introductions and recognitions, including tributes to outgoing University of California President Michael Drake, student and community advocates, and visitors connected to foster care, military appreciation, and college savings. The chamber also took up several procedural items, including concurrence in Senate amendments to ACR 75 on California Farm Week, which passed 59-0. Members then adopted AJR 7 on protecting federal special education funding and services for students with disabilities, with broad bipartisan support and a 65-0 vote after 63 co-authors were added. The Assembly also adopted ACR 82 recognizing Foster Care Month and ACR 85 recognizing 529 College Savings Day by voice vote after adding co-authors, and ACR 89 recognizing Military Appreciation Month, also adopted by voice vote after co-authors were added. These resolutions featured testimony and remarks emphasizing support for vulnerable children, foster youth, military families, and access to higher education. On policy bills, the Assembly passed AB 929 on groundwater and managed wetlands (41-14), AB 1026 on utility connection timelines for housing projects (52-0), AB 1332 on direct shipment of medicinal cannabis under specified conditions (55-0), AB 1356 on follow-up reporting in DHCS death investigations at treatment facilities (54-0), and AB 671 on streamlining restaurant openings through self-certification of certain plans (62-0). The chamber also approved AB 715 on anti-Semitism and school climate after extensive debate and cross-caucus support, 64-0, and AB 33 on autonomous vehicle deliveries requiring a human safety operator, 52-6. Later, AB 5 on election ballot-counting timelines passed 66-0, AB 27 and AB 28 addressing the Chiquita Canyon landfill disaster passed 61-0 and 44-6 respectively, and the Assembly began consideration of AB 43 to extend state authority over wild and scenic rivers.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first one was in 2017 relating to telehealth services.
• This is the area that he lives and breathes every day.
• This is the area that he lives and breathes every day.
• or payment for specified providers of services.
• This bill would transition the coverage from a dollar limit to a service limit, irrespective of the cost

Summary: The Employee Benefits Committee met to approve prior minutes, hear presentations on state employee health insurance, compensation, leave, and related policy issues, and then recess for lunch. PERS reviewed the history and structure of the state health plan, noting the long-standing state-paid family coverage, cost-control measures, wellness incentives, the current grandfathered PPO and high-deductible options, and the effects of recent benefit mandates such as insulin caps, prosthetic coverage, medication management, prescription copay changes, and ambulance balance-billing limits. Committee members questioned the fiscal impact of adding benefits and the possible cost of moving to a non-grandfathered plan, while PERS and HRMS emphasized that health insurance remains the top-ranked employee benefit and that any major plan changes should be considered carefully. HRMS also presented compensation comparisons showing state pay generally below private-market benchmarks, discussed targeted market equity adjustments, identified ongoing recruitment and retention concerns in fields like nursing, IT, engineering, and attorneys, and reviewed leave policies, tuition reimbursement, and family leave comparisons with neighboring states. Job Service provided labor market data showing low unemployment, high labor force participation, and wage growth that still trails some neighboring markets, and OMB explained that prevailing wage requirements apply to federally funded projects under Davis-Bacon, not to ordinary state contracts. After lunch, the committee took up the required process for health insurance mandate bills and adopted an amendment to Joint Rule 211. The amendment clarified that the deadline for submitting mandate measures is intended to allow time for all required reports, including both the cost-benefit analysis and any Employee Benefits Committee actuarial report, while leaving the existing deadline unchanged. The amendment was adopted on a roll call vote, with several members voting yes and a few no votes recorded. The committee then moved into its jurisdiction review of bill drafts, beginning with a bill that would automatically renew pre-tax dental and vision elections; members debated whether it had any actuarial or administrative impact on PERS or the state, and the chair explained that the committee’s role was only to decide whether further analysis was needed before later testimony and recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've heard a lot of live stories.
• We've heard a lot of live stories.
• We've heard a lot of live stories.
• We've heard a lot of live stories.
• Um, services, but for kids, we struggle.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• transitioned workers to better-paying jobs and some that have not.
• You would have to make a separate service agreement with the state land office.
• There's a notice requirement that includes surface lessees and service owners.
• Lessees would not be able to make an agreement to be a service owner.
• I live in New Mexico, but I also understand the physics of CO2 in the earth.

Transcript Highlights:

• treatment services.
• He doesn't live in Grants. He doesn't live in Cibola County.
• They live in Albuquerque, and the cost of living is challenging.
• You've heard a lot about our cost of living. Of living, and it is certainly true.
• Judicial employees manage operations and provide essential services that impact the lives of countless

Transcript Highlights:

• My husband and I have lived in Canton for 28 years and have raised our three children there.
• I've lived in our beloved town of Canton for 42 years.
• Given all the noise in our busy lives, it's frankly tough to break through about a local election.
• Originally from Winchester, I moved to grow up in Canton in 2006 and have lived here ever since.
• Thank you for your time and service. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House and Senate Election Laws committees held a hearing focused on campaign finance and several local election-related bills. Office of Campaign and Political Finance Director William Campbell testified in support of H. 848 and S. 515, saying the campaign finance law needs modernization and highlighting proposals for stronger Super PAC disclosure, more timely reporting, improved security for campaign participants, and other reforms. He said the bills would help update a 50-year-old system to reflect legal, economic, and cultural changes. A major portion of the hearing concerned H. 868/S. 507, which would require earlier and more frequent reporting by ballot question committees. Witnesses from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and others argued that ballot campaigns now involve tens of millions of dollars, much of it raised during periods with no real-time disclosure, and that moving these committees into the depository system would improve transparency without burdening grassroots signature-gathering. The committee also heard support for H. 811 and H. 812, which would allow municipalities to create citizen-funded election programs and require identifying information on political text messages, as well as S. 525/H. 875, which would bar political spending by foreign-influenced corporations. The committee also heard testimony on S. 2605, a Canton home rule petition to move town elections from April to November. Canton residents, a select board member, and a poll worker said the change would increase turnout, better align local elections with the November voting cycle, and give newly elected officials more time to prepare for town meeting. Senator Rausch also testified in support of S. 530, requiring presidential primary candidates to disclose recent tax returns. The hearing ended with no votes taken and the committee adjourning, with a note that the next hearing was tentatively scheduled for January 13.

Transcript Highlights:

• This includes abortion services and family planning.
• I am here to help improve lives, not harm them.
• That costs more in the long run, and more importantly, it costs lives.
• This budget previously had heartburn for myself, especially around in-home services, IHS services.
• So those kinds of services are important for families.

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call and proceeded to floor business, with the main item being SB 101, the state budget bill. Before debate on the bill, Assembly Member Sanchez offered amendments to redirect funding toward Proposition 36 implementation, wildfire prevention, Medi-Cal provider reimbursement, developmental services, and other priorities; the majority moved to lay those amendments on the table, and the motion passed 43-18. The chamber then took up SB 101 as the budget bill for immediate effect. Debate on the budget was extensive and sharply divided. Supporters, including Assembly Member Gabriel and several committee chairs, described the budget as a difficult but responsible compromise that protects Medi-Cal, IHSS, child care, housing, wildfire prevention, and other safety-net programs while responding to a projected deficit and federal uncertainty. Opponents criticized the budget as fiscally unsound and argued it relied on accounting gimmicks, did not adequately fund Proposition 36 or wildfire prevention, and continued spending on high-speed rail and Medi-Cal coverage for undocumented immigrants. Several members also raised concerns about gas taxes, provider reimbursement, probation funding, and the impact on vulnerable Californians. After debate, the Assembly voted on SB 101 and passed it 57-19. The measure was sent immediately to the Senate. The body then announced upcoming session schedules, with no floor or check-in sessions on June 14 and 15, and a floor session set for June 16 at 1 p.m., before adjourning.