Transcript Highlights:

• and protect yourselves now, everyone has the right to do that under any administration—Democrat, Republican

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I had the pleasure, as a six-year member in the minority sitting in this—when the Republicans were in

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Summary: The committee first took up several executive-session items and voted H.J.R. 189 do pass by a roll call of 11 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present. It then adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 2139, with the substitute removing specific references to Sharia law and broadening the language to apply to foreign law generally; the committee then voted the House Committee Substitute for HB 2139 and HB 2175 do pass by 10 ayes and 2 noes. The committee also adopted a substitute for House Bill 3051 that removed manufacturer language and focused the bill on car dealers and the Department of Revenue, then voted that House Committee Substitute do pass by 7 ayes, 5 noes, and 1 present. Later, the committee adopted an amendment and substitute for House Bill 2908 and HB 2990 and voted that combined committee substitute do pass by 13 ayes and 1 no. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to House Bills 2388 and 2656, which would ban geoengineering, weather modification, and cloud seeding in Missouri. Sponsors and supporters argued the bills were needed to stop pollution, protect air, water, soil, agriculture, and public health, and to mirror laws or proposals in other states such as Tennessee, Florida, and Louisiana. Testimony from supporters included claims that these practices are already occurring, that federal and private actors are involved, and that the bills would provide a needed state-level prohibition and deterrent. Several witnesses also argued that weather modification and geoengineering raise consent, environmental, and health concerns, while a Missouri Farm Bureau representative said the organization opposes unregulated commercial weather modification as a proactive measure. The committee also heard extensive testimony on a solar-energy bill, House Bill 2478, presented as a vehicle for a committee substitute focused on safety issues around solar farms. The sponsor said the substitute would likely address setbacks, fire safety, alarms or notification systems, soil testing, and liability/decommissioning concerns, while trying to balance landowner rights with neighboring property owners’ safety. Witnesses in support raised concerns about fire risk, toxic materials, runoff, and the loss of agricultural land, and some urged stronger civil liability provisions. Committee members questioned whether the bill should be handled at the county level, whether existing legal recourse already exists for damaged neighbors, and which provisions would remain in the substitute. No final vote on HB 2478 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• I had the pleasure, as a six-year member in the minority sitting in this chamber when the Republicans

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it literally stopped me in my tracks because here was this committee of Democrats and Republicans

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge, and approved the journal. A lengthy pages’ recognition program followed, with lighthearted awards and remarks about the students’ backgrounds and plans. The House then received messages from the governor and Senate, including notice of signed bills and enrolled measures, and reports from standing committees on enrolled, engrossed, and printed legislation. The chamber considered several measures under suspension of the rules. House Resolution 32, relating to administrative rules review, passed 68-1. Senate Bill 1270 as amended, requiring labeling and disclosure for cell-cultured animal protein, passed 70-0. Senate Bill 1335 as amended, addressing veterinary education and requiring recipients of state-funded out-of-state vet training to return to Idaho and practice large-animal veterinary medicine, passed 54-16 after debate about the state’s veterinarian shortage and the need to recoup the state’s investment. Senate Bill 1299 as amended, barring government from requiring digital identification for access to services and preserving physical ID options, passed 70-0 after questions about whether it affected police dogs. Senate Bill 1376, an elections cleanup bill shifting some candidate filing duties to county clerks and adding verification steps, passed 64-6. The House also passed Senate Bill 1416, the appropriation for the new Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination, by 55-14, and Senate Bill 1417, Parks and Recreation enhancements funded by fees and federal dollars, by 69-30. House Bill 494 as amended in the Senate, on background-check cleanup for Health and Welfare, passed 69-30; House Bill 728 as amended in the Senate, on education-related transparency and continuity, passed 68-7; House Bill 703 as amended in the Senate, on land surveyor board cleanup, passed 67-0; House Bill 825 as amended in the Senate, on the America 250 license plate and Heritage Trust Fund flexibility, passed 67-2; House Bill 788 as amended in the Senate, a medical preceptorship pilot with a sunset, passed 39-30; House Resolution 33, covering committee review of several natural resources and licensing agencies, passed 68-2; House Bill 949, a net-zero trailer bill consolidating STEM Action Center and Workforce Development Council appropriations, passed 69-1; House Bill 950, appropriating $200,000 for a Medicaid managed care consultant, passed 60-10; and House Bill 951, an Attorney General enhancement bill tied to the Consumer Protection Fund and ICAC support, failed 33-37 after debate over whether the funding was truly needed. Senate Bill 1294 as amended, requiring newborn hearing-screen referrals outside hospitals while preserving parental choice, passed 37-32 after discussion of early hearing loss detection and the bill’s referral-based structure. The House also agreed to send Senate Bill 1351 to the amending order and recessed, then reconvened to take up additional messages and first-reading bills, including child protection and related measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• point,' and it literally stopped me in my tracks because here was this committee of Democrats and Republicans

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wish that Republican legislators would make up their minds.

Committee: Senate Senate Finance Committee of Reference

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee approved the March 16, 2026 minutes and then heard testimony on several bills, with the chair noting that votes would be taken in batches because members were coming and going. HB 2939 would increase the rural qualified facilities tax credit from $20,000 to $25,000 per job for certain projects with initial investment under $2 billion; Lucid Motors supported it as a rural economic development tool, while Senator Epstein questioned the fiscal note and whether the higher credit would actually attract new investment. HB 2950 would authorize tourism improvement areas funded by voluntary lodging assessments to support marketing and tourism promotion; the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association and Visit Phoenix backed it as a competitive tool for rural and urban destinations, and committee members focused on whether participation was truly voluntary and how the assessments would be administered. HB 2780 made technical conforming changes to Arizona’s property tax lien foreclosure and excess proceeds sale process, building on a prior law that created a mechanism for delinquent property owners to recover equity; the sponsor and a longtime constituent said the changes would fix timing and credit-bid language so qualified entity sales could work in practice. HB 2502 would let certain elected officials in ASRS retire at normal retirement age without resigning their office, with the employer paying the alternate contribution rate; ASRS said it was neutral, and the sponsor argued the bill would treat elected officials more like other ASRS members. The committee then adopted do-pass recommendations for HB 2502, HB 2780, HB 2950, and HB 2939, with each passing on split votes. The committee also adopted a striker to HB 2140, allowing the State Treasurer to invest up to 10% of state trust and treasury monies in physical gold or silver bullion held in secure U.S. depositories. The sponsor and the Sound Money Defense League argued it would diversify reserves and hedge against market disruption, while opponents said gold is volatile, costly to store, and not something taxpayers need the state to buy. HB 2140 then passed as amended on a 4-2 vote. Finally, the committee heard HB 2398, as amended, which requires commercial liability insurance for watercraft rentals and peer-to-peer boat sharing programs, with supporters saying it addresses uninsured rental boats and law enforcement concerns; the bill passed as amended on a 6-1 vote. The committee also heard HB 2999, a major housing-finance bill creating state affordability infrastructure districts to finance public infrastructure through bonds and assessments; proponents said it would lower housing costs by spreading infrastructure costs over time, while contractors and some senators raised concerns about payment risk, impact-fee treatment, and whether savings would reach homebuyers. After adopting a striker and hearing extensive questions, HB 2999 passed as amended on a 6-1 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• All in the chamber and gallery will rise as we begin our day with prayer by the Republican Conference

Summary: The House approved the journal and recognized several special guests and departing staff before moving to bills on perfection and printing. House Bill 2636, the Mortgage Modification Act, was explained as a banking measure to keep a first mortgage in first position when modified, and it received bipartisan support and was ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 1718, dealing with sovereign immunity caps and the inflation factor under section 537.610, was also advanced after questions about whether the cap should be measured at the time of injury or judgment; the sponsor said the bill would use the injury date and that trial attorneys were the main opposition. House Bills 2120 and 1698, combined as an anti-bullying measure known as Sawyer’s Law, were then taken up and advanced after extensive debate. The bill would require prompt reporting and investigation of bullying, reporting to administrators and school boards, and protections for staff and schools acting under the policy. An amendment from the Lady from Boone sought to remove zero-tolerance references, limit identifying information in reports, and give school boards more flexibility, but it failed on a voice vote. Supporters of the bill cited tragic bullying cases and argued schools need stronger reporting and accountability; opponents of the amendment and some speakers warned about due process, school board overreach, and potential liability. House Bill 2748, requiring daily physical activity for students, was then brought up with an amendment that would remove the emergency clause, delay implementation, and specify weekly activity minutes and how some activity time could count toward class requirements; members debated scheduling, teacher workload, and whether the proposal would reduce instructional time, but the discussion was still ongoing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just wish that Republican legislators would make up their minds.

Bills: HB2091 , HB2140 , HB2320 , HB2384 , HB2398 , HB2502 , HB2780 , HB2918 , HB2939 , HB2950 , HB2999 , HB4020 , HB4026 , HB4029

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: insurance, financial surveillance, regulations, assessments, Arizona Revised Statutes, investment, state treasurer, gold bullion, treasury management, financial regulations, school districts, bonds, financial advisors, elections, municipal advisors, cost of borrowing, lease agreements, school property, tax exemptions, impact aid revenue bonds

Transcript Highlights:

• I have here with me our District 14 chair for the Republican Party, Brian Alman, and he has with him

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of the best reformers that started reducing prison population were Republican governors.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, with a focus on prison population trends, spending, facility closures, and efforts to find savings. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) presented data showing the prison and parole populations have fallen sharply over the past 20 years while CDCR spending has remained high, driven largely by security, health care, litigation-related requirements, and aging infrastructure. The LAO also said the state is likely to have several thousand empty beds by 2030 and recommended closing another prison, identifying the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as the strongest candidate, while also urging more transparency around facility deactivations and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) efficiency contract. CDCR Secretary Jeff McCumber said the department faces structural budget pressures from retirement payouts, workers’ compensation, overtime, medical transport, aging facilities, and violence in prisons, but emphasized declining recidivism, expanding reentry beds, and the need for more single-celling and rehabilitation. Department of Finance representative Anthony Franzoa said the administration is not proposing another prison closure at this time, opposed new reporting requirements on deactivations, and said the BCG contract is intended to produce long-term savings even if near-term estimates are being revised downward. Amber Rose Howard of California United for Responsible Budget argued the state should close more prisons, redirect funds to community services, and stop spending on excess prison capacity. Members questioned why CDCR still relies on vacancy savings, why rehabilitation is only a small share of the budget, and whether the department should be more transparent about capacity reductions and legal liabilities. Several members criticized the $20 million BCG contract and the lack of competitive bidding, while others pressed CDCR on staffing levels, single-celling, suicide prevention, and health care costs for older incarcerated people. The hearing did not take a formal vote, but it ended with clear committee concern about CDCR’s budget transparency, the pace of prison closures, and the need to align spending more closely with the declining prison population and the department’s stated rehabilitation mission.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the last year, Trump and Republicans in Congress have gutted life-saving health care programs like

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Summary: The Senate Labor and Public Employment Committee held an oversight hearing on federal policy impacts on California’s labor market. In opening remarks, the chair argued that federal actions, including immigration enforcement, tariffs, and cuts to safety-net programs, are harming workers, employers, and communities, and said the committee wanted to document impacts and identify state responses. The first panel featured economist Enrique Lopez Lira of UC Berkeley, who described slow job growth, wage pressures, high housing and care costs, and the large share of California workers in low-wage jobs. He said federal cuts to Medi-Cal and SNAP/CalFresh and increased immigration enforcement would worsen insecurity, especially in health care, retail, hospitality, agriculture, and care work. The chair asked about recession indicators, middle-wage stagnation, and which sectors rely most on safety-net programs, and Lopez Lira said worker organizing and unions were a source of hope. A second panel focused on federal immigration enforcement. UC Merced’s Edward Orozco Flores presented research finding that private-sector employment in enforcement-targeted states fell during escalated enforcement periods, with California experiencing unprecedented declines in 2025. He urged policymakers to consider wage-replacement or stimulus-style support for affected workers, including excluded workers who cannot access unemployment insurance. Shannon Sedgwick of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation said undocumented workers are deeply embedded in the county economy, generating substantial economic activity and supporting over a million jobs. She reported that intensified enforcement in Los Angeles County was associated with business disruptions, reduced sales and customer traffic, workforce instability, lower transit ridership in vulnerable areas, and losses from the downtown curfew. Committee members asked about impacts on small businesses, tax revenue, and recovery, and witnesses pointed to local resiliency funds, business toolkits, and know-your-rights efforts as partial responses. The hearing then heard from worker representatives. Flore Melendres of the Clean Car Wash Worker Center said car washes have been heavily targeted by federal agents, with hundreds of workers taken from workplaces, many businesses disrupted or closed, and workers living in fear; she urged support for AB 2271 to provide financial benefits to families who lost income because of DHS activity. California Nurses Association president Michelle Gutierrez-Vos said H.R. 1’s Medi-Cal and Covered California cuts threaten hospital finances, jobs, and patient care, and she backed CalCare (AB 1900), a hospital closure moratorium, and more support for nursing education. UAW 4811 president Rafael Jaime said federal research cuts are putting UC research funding and postdoctoral jobs at risk and endorsed SB 895, a proposed bond measure for health and scientific research. AFGE representatives Wallace Wade and Kendrick Roberson described the strain on federal workers during shutdowns, unpaid work, staffing losses, and the effects on TSA, Social Security, VA services, and worker housing stability; they supported SB 1155 to protect federal workers from eviction. Committee members thanked the witnesses and said the testimony showed both the human and economic consequences of federal policy. In the final panel, employer groups began responding to the same federal pressures. California Retailers Association president Rachel Michelin said retail is a major private-sector employer and a key entry point for young workers, and that retailers are seeing the effects of rising costs, supply-chain shifts, and consumer pressure at the checkout counter. The hearing continued with additional employer testimony beyond the provided excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the last year, Trump and Republicans in Congress have gutted life-saving health care programs like

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Republicans have not caucused on the bills that we have in front of us right now.

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Warnick: Senate Republicans will also caucus immediately.

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2340 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624 , SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2353 , HB2431 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB2104 , HB2624 , HB2510 , HB1347 , HB1759 , HB1983 , HB2120 , HB2264 , HB2338 , HB2385 , HB2436 , HB2495 , HB2521 , HB2604 , HB2610 , HB2675

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Republican caucus has a budget priority letter that lists a number of things that are important to

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Republican caucus has a budget priority letter that lists a number of things that are important to

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education held its first 2026 hearing on higher education, focusing on UC and CSU system updates, student housing, enrollment, and core operations. In opening remarks, the chair noted recent state fiscal stress, the prior rejection of proposed UC/CSU cuts, and the Governor’s proposed 5% ongoing compact increases. UC President James B. Milliken and CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia described the systems’ public value, research and workforce roles, and the impact of federal actions on grants, financial aid, and campus operations. Both also emphasized Title IX and civil rights efforts; CSU said it had implemented nearly all state auditor recommendations and was on track to finish the remaining one, while UC highlighted its systemwide civil rights and Title IX offices. Both leaders said federal investigations, grant cancellations, and litigation demands were consuming staff time and money, with UC reporting more than 200 grants lost or affected and CSU citing more than $161 million in lost grants and more than 1,600 grants affected overall. The committee then heard on student housing. Finance and LAO staff said the Governor’s budget made no major new housing proposal but continued support for the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program. CSU reported 12 supported projects that will add about 5,047 beds, most below market rate, with four already open and seven more expected this year; it also said it has about 68,000 beds systemwide, a 92% occupancy rate, and ongoing emergency housing support. UC said the program has supported seven UC projects and two joint community college projects, adding more than 7,000 beds total, but nearly 10,000 UC students were on housing waitlists at the start of fall 2025. UC asked for additional state support, including possible bond funding and a statutory change to allow UC participation in public-private partnership housing projects. Members discussed rapid rehousing, student homelessness, faculty and staff housing, and community college housing partnerships, with both systems describing existing emergency beds and support services. On enrollment, LAO recommended maintaining UC’s 2026-27 resident undergraduate target, funding enrollment growth separately from base increases, pausing the nonresident reduction plan, and holding UC flat in 2027-28. For CSU, LAO recommended revising the 2026-27 target downward to reflect current projections, funding growth separately, and holding 2027-28 flat. CSU said it had rebounded from COVID declines, now exceeds its funded target by about 3,000 FTE, and is shifting about $89 million and 10,000 FTE spots from lower-demand campuses to higher-demand ones while developing turnaround plans for seven campuses with sustained enrollment declines, including Sonoma State. CSU also described direct admissions, transfer success pathways, and new degree programs aimed at workforce needs. UC said it had surpassed its compact enrollment goals, planned to add 2,721 California undergraduates in 2026-27, and was seeking $5.5 million for health professional programs. Members raised concerns about underprepared freshmen, K-12 alignment, nonresident caps at UC San Diego, deferred maintenance, ROTC access, and the need for stronger turnaround plans and teacher preparation pipelines. The final item on core operations addressed the Governor’s proposal to defer 3% base funding again, moving the one-time deferral to 2027-28 and allowing short-term zero-interest loans to cover it.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of questions from Democrats, one from Republicans.

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have the ABC for Republicans and House Hearing Room 3 for Democrats.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met in executive session on March 2, 2026, and worked through two large groups of bills, hearing staff briefings, caucusing, and then voting each measure out to the Rules Committee. In the first group, the committee advanced bills on state accounts (HB 2675, with an amendment creating an adult day service facilities account), immigrant worker protections (2SHB 2105, after adopting a striker and Amendment 8 while rejecting amendments that would have changed enforcement and private rights of action), voting rights compliance (E3SHB 1710, with all proposed amendments rejected), AI content provenance and notices (E2SHB 1170, with Amendment 19 adopted to exempt state/local/tribal governments and certain video-game and technical uses), public official protections (2SHB 233, with a technical amendment adopted), WOTEC civil service coverage (HB 2249), JLARC work plan changes (HB 2120), LEOFF Plan 1 termination/restatement (E2SHB 2034, with several amendments adopted including creation of a pension surplus holding account and study directives, while proposals to redirect funds to the Climate Commitment Act or provide a lump-sum payment were rejected or withdrawn), supplemental retirement bargaining (HB 1069, with a striker adopted), port employee retirement exclusions (EHB 2179, with a striker adopted), local government revenue flexibility (ESHB 2442, with Amendment 72 adopted to remove a county public utility tax and other amendments rejected), wildfire mitigation funding (SHB 2089), and timberland REET changes (HB 1983). The committee also noted that it would not take action on some items in the packet, including SHB 1833. In the second group, the committee advanced bills on local housing tax remittance programs (ESHB 1717), renewable energy tax incentives and grants (E3SHB 1960, with a striking amendment adopted that adjusted rates, timing, and related provisions), nonprofit fundraising hall property tax relief (HB 2431), food bank sales tax relief (SB 6006), local tax increment financing (E2SHB 2451), temporary staffing services for nonprofit behavioral health entities (SB 6297), school and child care-related sales tax exemptions (SSB 6351, with a substitute adopted and the competing amendment made out of order), behavioral health work group extension and leadership council creation (2SHB 2429), Working Connections Child Care changes (SB 6353, with Amendment 43 adopted), language access guidelines for state agencies (SHB 2475), unpaid wage recovery (2SHB 2479), firearms background check fee authority (HB 2521, briefed but not acted on in the portion provided), public employee information sharing (HB 2091, briefed but not acted on in the portion provided), and Office of Independent Investigations jurisdiction changes (ESHB 2508, briefed but not acted on in the portion provided). Throughout the meeting, members and staff discussed fiscal notes, implementation costs, and whether amendments would increase or reduce state impacts, with several amendments aimed at narrowing scope, delaying implementation, or shifting enforcement and funding responsibilities.

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of questions from Democrats, one from Republicans.

Summary: The committee held a work session on autonomous vehicles, beginning with an overview from the Washington State Transportation Commission on the state’s five-year AV work group. The commission described its 2018 legislative mandate, the 35-member executive committee and seven subcommittees, and the resulting 29 recommendations and “roadmap to the future.” The presentation emphasized six policy “building blocks” for Washington: agency readiness, public outreach, equity, safety, testing and pilots, and a path to deployment. It also noted current Washington law requires AV testing companies to self-certify with the Department of Licensing, carry $5 million in liability insurance, report collisions and violations, and notify local law enforcement before testing; three companies are currently certified. State regulators from California and Arizona then outlined their AV frameworks. California described its long-running permit system for testing with and without a safety driver and for commercial deployment, its current rulemaking to expand use cases to heavy-duty trucks and passenger shuttles, and new requirements for mileage, operational assessments, and more detailed crash and incident reporting. California also said it is creating a new enforcement tool allowing citations to be issued to manufacturers for moving violations by AVs. Arizona described its executive-order-based approach, later codified by statute, which allows testing and driverless operations through self-certification, law enforcement interaction plans, quarterly meetings with companies, and reporting of crashes or near misses; Arizona also said it tracks crashes monthly and has not recorded fatalities attributed to AVs. Industry representatives from Waymo, Zoox, and the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association argued that AVs can improve safety, accessibility, and mobility while creating jobs. They described extensive sensor systems, community outreach, first-responder engagement, and current operations in multiple cities. Waymo cited more than 127 million rider-only miles and said its data show large reductions in injury-causing and pedestrian crashes; Zoox said it operates in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle and stressed its purpose-built electric robotaxi and local jobs; AVIA said its members have driven more than 145 million autonomous miles and that 26 states now expressly authorize driverless operations. Members asked about public education, crash and fatality tracking, enforcement, weather, school zones, first-responder interactions, and labor impacts. Labor and public-safety witnesses from the Teamsters, firefighters, and driver unions opposed commercial AV deployment without stronger safeguards. They argued Washington should not be an unregulated testing ground, especially for heavy trucks and hazardous materials, and warned of job losses for drivers, taxi and rideshare workers, and related occupations. Firefighters and driver representatives raised concerns about AVs interfering with emergency scenes, blocking responders, and creating risks in dynamic roadway incidents. Committee members also asked for comparisons to human-driven vehicles, data on citations and crashes, and more information on how AVs interact with pedestrians, first responders, and workers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Would I be the Republican? And I said, sure. I regret it still, but I said, sure. I don’t.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, several introductions, and an announcement that there would be no weekend conference. The chamber then took up a long special-order calendar of bills, generally moving each measure through third reading and final passage, often by substituting House companion bills. Early measures included trust law modernization (SB 786/HB 895), military affairs changes and Guard retirement corrections (SB 474), rounding rules for cash transactions as pennies phase out (SB 1074), podiatric medicine regulation and informed-consent requirements (SB 1092), veterans court expansion (SB 50/HB 199), RV park special assessment clarification (SB 118), concurrent jurisdiction for juvenile offenses on military installations (SB 502/HB 351), alcoholic beverage loss deductions (SB 678/HB 1137), and bail bond/pretrial release revisions (SB 600). Most passed unanimously or near-unanimously; SB 600 passed 36-1 after questions about charitable bail bonds and an amendment aligning with the House version and prosecutors’ concerns. The Senate also considered bills on portable electronics and eyewear insurance (SB 772), the linking industry to nursing education fund and health science workforce programs (SB 1246), recovery residences and behavioral health licensing (SB 1030, with a technical amendment on background checks and probationary licenses), felony battery enhancements for repeat offenders and offenses against law enforcement (SB 436), and child welfare changes including foster-home visitor screening, a permanent statewide Step Into Success program, and a best-practices repository (SB 1718). These measures were explained by sponsors as efforts to streamline regulation, improve workforce and health-care training, strengthen public safety, and reduce administrative burdens while preserving safeguards. Votes on these bills were overwhelmingly favorable, with final tallies typically 36-0 or 37-0. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to a farewell tribute to Senator Lori Berman. Members from both parties praised her leadership, collegiality, policy work, and advocacy on issues including voting rights, women’s rights, Israel and antisemitism, school safety, breast cancer, and family law. Berman delivered a lengthy farewell reflecting on her 16 years in the Legislature, her caucus leadership, and the importance of dignity, respect, and public service. The Senate adopted a motion to spread her remarks upon the journal and then recessed before returning to continue the calendar.