Transcript Highlights:

• That includes that federal rental assistance programs, including the Housing Choice Voucher, are not
• The SNAP benefits for our ...maintenance to the existing economic assistance programs.
• , and our school-age programs.
• Because a large portion of our respondents do not participate in assistance programs.
• On the left, we have the child care assistance program, or CCAP.

Committees: Joint Human Services , Joint Human Services Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They listen to local school boards across our state. local school boards across our state.
• </c> all you do. school boards. all you do. school boards.
• [Applause] County School District number two, Dr. County School District number two, Dr.
• </c> &gt;&gt; School board and administrators. &gt;&gt; School board and administrators.
• :19.520><c> facilities</c><01:54:20.320><c> use</c> 90 school you school facilities use 90 school you

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They bring about 40 students to the Capitol today, representing the after-school program to the 21st
• The bill was also expanded to include public charter schools in addition to the public schools.
• I do appreciate that. public schools. You should be held to public school standards.
• schools.
• schools.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And they're very interested in creating on-the-job training programs, internship programs, even pulling
• from Rio Rancho High School trade CTE program.
• With respect to some of the other programs on here, highlighting for you the river storage ship program
• The River Stewardship Program is one of those programs that...
• The River Stewardship Program is one of those programs that has historically the department has come

Summary: The committee first recognized Mark Roper of the Economic Development Department for his long service and retirement, with members and the secretary praising his work on economic development across the state. Secretary Rob Black then presented EDD’s budget and special appropriation requests, describing strong recent job and income growth and outlining the department’s strategy around science and technology, site readiness, workforce development, foreign direct investment, and rural/community programs. He highlighted wins in advanced energy, quantum, space and defense, and biosciences, and asked for funding for quantum/DARPA matching funds, additional site readiness work, LIDA closing funds, JTIP training support, New Mexico Partnership, and healthy foods and other community programs. Members asked detailed questions about the quantum proposal, site readiness, the new mapping tool for industrial sites, workforce participation, trade missions, foreign investment, tariffs, water and produced water, tribal site evaluation, and public engagement on major projects. Black said the quantum request was intended to match federal dollars and build a workforce pipeline, that the site-readiness software would be a set enterprise license, and that the department was working with tribes and local partners on future site evaluations. He also said tariffs have created uncertainty but New Mexico’s infrastructure and foreign trade zones could help attract manufacturing, and he acknowledged concerns about transparency and community input while noting that some projects, such as Pacific Fusion, had gone through extensive public processes. The committee also discussed specific projects and funding balances, including Mantis Space’s move to Albuquerque, the status of Virgin Galactic’s spaceport lease, and the current LIDA fund balance and encumbrances. Black and Deputy Secretary Isaac Romero said the department was trying to use State Investment Council-backed venture funds to attract companies and that the new investments were already producing deals and jobs. Members generally supported the department’s direction but pressed for more targeted expertise, faster deployment, and stronger community involvement in future economic development decisions. Later, Secretary de Blassie of the Department of Health presented the department’s budget request and progress report. He said DOH had improved revenue cycle management, reduced old Medicaid-pending cases, increased census at facilities, improved budget and contract timeliness, and responded effectively to the measles outbreak. The department requested additional base funding for epidemiology and response, the DOH helpline, the Vital Records Virtual Vault, state labs, and the veterans home, along with special requests for respiratory vaccinations and marketing and lab equipment replacement. He also noted progress on MOUD and the medical psilocybin program, and said the department was not seeking to launch new programs given the limited time left in the administration.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is only about the construction of new homes.
• The Assisted Living Homes Association of Arizona represents several assisted living associations throughout
• assistant here.
• Assisted living homes Third, we fill a critical care gap.
• The state is already well equipped with the PageUp program.

Summary: The committee first considered the reappointment of Troy L. Campbell to the Arizona State Liquor Board. Campbell described his nearly 10 years of service, his role as chair since 2019, and his focus on fairness, public safety, and applying the law consistently. He answered questions about the board’s workload and authority, noting it hears roughly 40 to 50 cases a year and does not issue fines. With no public testimony, the committee voted 6-0 to recommend his confirmation to the full Senate. The committee then heard several liquor and consumer-related bills. SB 1478, an annual liquor-policy cleanup bill, made technical changes to liquor statutes, including conforming the definition of cider to federal tax law and clarifying other terminology. The bill drew support from industry stakeholders and neutral testimony from the Department of Liquor Licenses and Control; the committee adopted a clarifying amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. SB 1108 would require Swedish rounding of cash transactions when pennies are unavailable, with signage and enforcement provisions; an amendment removed an individual-item exemption and clarified tax calculations, and the bill passed as amended with support from business groups. SB 1205 would regulate private-property vehicle booting by setting signage, notice, fee, and recordkeeping requirements and making violations a misdemeanor; members raised concerns about appeals and signage on non-parking property, but the committee adopted a technical amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. The committee also took up SB 1241, which would allow private permitting providers to conduct plan reviews and inspections for single-trade residential projects without municipal or county approval. Supporters argued it would reduce delays and costs for homeowners and help cities focus on higher-priority work, while cities and counties opposed the bill on public-safety and local-control grounds, warning about private incentives and inspection quality. After adopting an amendment granting immunity to municipalities that rely on private providers, the committee recommended the bill do pass as amended by a 5-2 vote, with some members explaining their votes and asking for further stakeholder work. Finally, the committee heard SB 1366, which creates a Public Property Towing and Impound Practices Study Committee to review towing fees, standards, insurance, background checks, and related DPS policies, and to report recommendations by the end of 2026. Supporters said the study would help address inconsistent standards and consumer concerns before permanent changes are made. Some members objected that the study committee did not include minority-party appointments, but the sponsor said that could be addressed later. The committee adopted a strike-everything amendment and recommended the bill do pass as amended. The committee then began SB 1431, a housing-design bill limiting municipal design standards and restrictions on certain shared features, but the transcript cuts off during extended debate and no final action on that bill is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• The, the 3rd exceptional item is an early assistance program.
• So right after we created the, the first responder program, we also created an early assistance program
• I want to say also that we have we we've put together a program for these individuals in high school
• We are increasing our volume by the high school programs and the trade school programs.
• programs or trade school programs take off.

Transcript Highlights:

• School years.
• have a $400,000 or more construction project in their schools, which is really hard for small schools
• At this meeting with the Anoka-Hennepin School District, the assistant superintendent—I think that's
• A $1.9 million STOP School Violence grant was canceled. $17 million for the Farm to School Food Program
• Where a school gets investigated or a worker gets investigated because they didn't understand the program

Transcript Highlights:

• How will we make up for effectively closing an elementary education school and a nursing school?
• Yes, yes, we're not closing any programs. Quick follow-up.
• My question is regarding Title IX programs.
• programs?
• or they're joining the program new.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know construction process is... ...pretty soon.
• I know construction process is all a matter of timing, and time is money.
• And the construction, the existing building from saving from collapsing and not even new construction
• legislation The actual homes constructed.
• This is not a new tax and has not changed how the program works.

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee heard several housing, water, labor, and local governance bills. AB 1621, by Assembly Member Wilson, would tighten timelines and limit repeated plan checks in post-entitlement housing permitting; supporters said it would reduce delays and costs, while cities and counties opposed or sought amendments over concerns about health-and-safety review and litigation risk. AB 2005 would expand SB 9 lot-split eligibility to certain owners using trusts or LLCs and allow partnerships with small builders; supporters framed it as a homeownership tool, while Realtors and others warned it would weaken SB 9’s owner-occupancy guardrails and invite speculative development. AB 2397 would create a financing tool for rural housing infrastructure districts, with the author and a developer witness saying it would help projects secure roads, water, and sewer funding. The committee also considered AB 2180, which would clarify Proposition 218 rate-setting standards for public water agencies. Water agencies, cities, counties, and other local entities supported the bill as a response to conflicting court decisions and rising litigation, while taxpayer and consumer opponents argued the Legislature should not intervene while the issue is pending before the California Supreme Court and warned the bill could weaken constitutional protections against cost shifting. After debate, the committee voted 3-2 to send AB 2180 to the Senate floor. AB 1838 would require bidders on public works projects to disclose recent wage-and-hour violations; labor groups supported it as a transparency and worker-protection measure, while contractors opposed it as burdensome and likely to reduce competition. The committee voted 2-2 on the bill, leaving it open. Members also heard AB 2134, which would allow local elected officials to take parental leave without publicly disclosing private medical or family information in order to avoid removal for missed meetings; it received broad support and passed unanimously to Judiciary. AB 2308 would extend an existing tax-increment financing timeline for the San Francisco Transbay/portal project, and AB 2397 advanced on a unanimous vote. After the hearing, the committee later took up the bills on call and reported most of them out, including AB 1621, AB 2005, AB 2134, AB 2308, and AB 2397, while AB 1838 remained tied and AB 2180 was sent forward on a divided vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whether it's road construction or bridge construction or building construction, I believe that it's broadly
• Senator Trumbull: So my ask is this: Let's give our schools the chance to adjust to a universal school
• programs, after-school programs, and summer camps.
• I think what some people pay in property taxes are not having schools, kids in the school district, the
• I think what some people pay in property taxes are not having schools, kids in the school district, the

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Summary: The Committee on Appropriations took up SJR 2-F, the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax relief, which would reduce assessment growth on non-homestead property, expand homestead exemptions, create a new exemption for new homesteaders, and direct counties, cities, and school districts to use property tax revenues for specified core services. Senator Avila presented the measure as the governor’s plan to provide historic relief and argued that local governments should tighten budgets and prioritize core functions. Senators raised concerns about the lack of fiscal scoring, the breadth and ambiguity of the permitted uses, the effect on special districts and local services, and whether the proposal would shift costs to fees or other taxes. The committee adopted several amendments, including Avila’s amendment clarifying that ad valorem revenues could be used for county and municipal operations and administration and other expenditures not prohibited by law, and Trumbull’s amendment removing school board ad valorem taxes from the proposal. Other amendments failed, including proposals to allow user fees and non-ad valorem assessments, add a sunset, redirect tourism development taxes, narrow the small-business provision, and change the ballot title to reference local service reductions. Grall’s amendment removing the constitutional trust fund requirement was adopted, while the committee also rejected Berman’s title-change amendment and Smith’s sunset and tourism-tax amendments. The committee then returned to the bill as amended for questions, including extended debate over whether the proposal would affect noncitizen residents, the impact on local government finances, and whether local governments would respond with higher fees or special assessments. The meeting ended with the bill still under discussion after the final round of questions, with Avila saying he would continue working with the governor’s office on the language before the next vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's moderate growth across some of the revenue programs.
• This is total construction spending on data centers in the U.S.
• Construction spending is really strong.
• So any tax program, and again, there's about 40 tax programs that we administer.
• That makes the emergency school tax consistent.

Committee: Joint Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school the school holiday that's of the school the school holiday thing.<00:22:59.360><c> So</c><00:22
• It would be a pilot program.
• </c><02:07:56.880><c> the</c> threshold is will not only assist the threshold is will not only assist
• I want to be constructive. I helpful. I want to be constructive.
• </c> and see how their program is set up. and see how their program is set up.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're here at Sherrill Middle School for the annual dance for the students in the L.I. program.
• In the elementary school, they get to go to gym magic as part of the program, so it's really nice to
• How is the funding for them, and what kinds of programs do we offer our Las Cruces school students?
• Here at Oregon Mountain, we have a construction program that is involved in learning about construction
• schools is not programs; it’s people.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under current construction of the law, it says that whoever violates, in this practice.
• Secretary Landry: I'd know if your assistant was— Representative: Thank you.
• And yes, so currently we do have in some of our program rules that discretion.
• And yes, so currently we do have in some of our program rules that's discretion.
• And just as a point of memory, FastStart is the program within LED.

Committee: House Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs

Summary: The House Committee on Commerce met on March 11, 2026, opened with roll call and adoption of prior minutes, interim amendments, and the committee rules for the new session. Members then took up several bills, with technical amendments adopted on multiple measures before final committee action. The committee also deferred House Bill 267 because the author was absent. House Bill 853 by Representative McMakin, dealing with misleading solicitations by non-government entities, drew the most discussion. The committee adopted technical amendments and a concept amendment tying enforcement to the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, with members and Secretary of State Nancy Landry discussing the meaning of “may” versus “shall,” the scope of “foreign” entities, and whether the bill covered mail, email, and other digital solicitations. The Secretary of State’s office supported the bill as a consumer-protection measure against deceptive government-like mailings, and the committee reported the bill favorably with amendments. House Bill 618, also by Representative McMakin, would adjust Louisiana Economic Development fees and related cost provisions. Secretary of LED gave a detailed presentation on the department’s recent restructuring, investment totals, job creation, small-business support, and the Source Louisiana platform, while members questioned fee impacts, hardship waivers, competitive effects, and how LED tracks incentives and job data. After adopting technical amendments and an amendment removing biannual inflationary adjustments, the committee reported the bill favorably with amendments. House Bill 207 by Representative Henry, revising the Louisiana Auctioneer’s Licensing Board’s membership, domicile, and related provisions, was amended to keep consumer members and clarify venue in East Baton Rouge Parish before being reported favorably. House Bill 300 by Representative Riser, raising the appraisal threshold for certain state bank residential loans from $250,000 to $400,000, was reported favorably after discussion of federal alignment and appraisal safeguards. House Bill 464 by Representative Riser, requiring more centralized reporting of damaged utilities through 811 and related notifications, received support from utility and 811 representatives and was also reported favorably. The committee adjourned after adopting a motion to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and uh with that go ahead uh assistant and uh with that go ahead uh assistant commissioner<01:14
• As we've program here in Minnesota.
• That program, the habitat-friendly solar program, is a cost-effective, successful program.
• Um that program, the habitat you.
• </c> cost-effective successful program. cost-effective successful program.

Bills: HF2928 , HF2912 , HF2297

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Keywords: water appropriation, data centers, environmental review, energy conservation, permit application, carbon-free energy, geothermal energy, renewable energy, Macalester College, appropriation, sustainability, solar energy, pollinator programs, license plates, agrivoltaics, environmental sustainability, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a local grown program.
• Any program that doesn't meet that standard will make all those provisions in the codes unusable.
• So it's really up to the builder, construction, whether or not they accept this timber or not.
• The schools of the higher ed schools talk to you.
• Uh, program, uh, of working families tax credit.

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Crystal has a Sister Safe Sisters program housed in our school.
• </c> program. kids that are in their program program. kids that are in their program that<00:15:32.959
• Thomas School of Law.
• Uh this in turn assists the construction<02:49:41.359><c> industry</c><02:49:41.760><c> as</c><02:49:
• This in turn assists the construction industry as a whole with fewer delays.

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• school the school holiday that's of the school the school holiday thing.<00:22:59.360><c> So</c><00:22
• </c> of the school year starting in November. of the school year starting in November.
• </c><02:07:56.880><c> the</c> threshold is will not only assist the threshold is will not only assist
• I want to be constructive. I helpful. I want to be constructive.
• </c> and see how their program is set up. and see how their program is set up.

Committee: House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee began with procedural announcements about report turnaround, amendment submission methods during split operations, a possible January 29 session, the governor’s State of the State on February 5, parking, cafeteria opening, and the plan to finish work by February 10. It then moved into executive session on HB 1123, which would require certain companies to post salary ranges on public job listings. Representative Granger moved ITL, arguing the bill would interfere with negotiations, especially for higher-level jobs, and raise compelled-speech concerns. Supporters, including Representatives Schultz, Sullivan, Cahill, Staub, and others, said salary ranges help applicants avoid wasted time and travel, improve transparency, and are already a common workplace disclosure. The committee voted 10-9 to ITL HB 1123. The committee next took up HB 177, concerning a definition of remote work in labor law. Representative Murphy moved ITL, saying the bill could burden employers, create vague obligations, duplicate existing protections, and potentially require intrusive compliance measures. Representative Sullivan described a proposed amendment that would narrow the bill to a definition of remote work and remove broader requirements, but the committee ultimately voted 11-9 to ITL HB 177. Members also noted that the amendment had not been fully circulated in time and that the issue might merit further review. Finally, the committee opened HB 1352, a workers’ compensation bill focused on repricing and payment practices. The sponsor withdrew an initial ITL motion and moved OTP after amendment review. Members discussed concerns raised at the hearing about delayed payments, third-party administrators, and the need for better accountability. Representative McKenzie’s amendment would define good faith, create a voluntary three-year dispute-resolution pilot, restore fines to prior levels, and add reporting/accountability requirements for carriers that miss the 30-day payment deadline. Several members supported the amendment as a way to help small businesses and providers, while others said repricing needed broader study through the workers’ compensation advisory council. The Department of Labor explained that the amendment would require carriers and related payers to report missed determinations to the department and would increase oversight of payment timeliness.

Transcript Highlights:

• Introduce yourself for the record, and tell us a little bit about this program.
• He said the proposal follows similar successful programs in states like Texas, Georgia, and Arizona.
• Most of these are new construction.
• We don't receive federal assistance on that.
• We don't receive federal assistance on that.

Summary: The House Revenue and Taxation Committee met on March 5, 2026, and first reordered its agenda to move RS 33471 to the end. The committee then introduced RS 33580, a proposal from Rep. Charlie Shepard concerning sales tax “sales price,” which he described as a fix for a recent Tax Commission practice of going back several years to tax and penalize businesses that had followed longstanding practice. The motion to introduce the RS passed without opposition. The committee next heard House Bill 760 from Rep. John Weber, which would create an optional county property tax exemption for workforce and affordable housing projects. Testimony from Dominium’s Austin Vanderhaden explained that the bill would allow Idaho-based nonprofit and for-profit partnerships, require rents at or below 60% of area median income, require annual county certification, and leave the exemption entirely to county discretion. Supporters from the Boise Metro Chamber, Idaho Realtors, and the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry said the bill would help address housing shortages, support employers and workers, and provide a local tool for communities. The committee voted to send HB 760 to the floor with a due pass recommendation; Representatives Monks, Ehlers, and Razor requested to be recorded as voting no. Finally, the committee considered RS 33471 from Rep. Jeff Ehlers, a DOGE Task Force recommendation to phase out general state funding for the Commission on Hispanic Affairs beginning July 1, 2028, while leaving the commission intact and shifting it toward private funding. Members debated whether the proposal would undermine the commission’s mission and whether it was appropriate to remove the commission from a list of charitable contribution options in the tax code. A substitute motion to return the RS to the sponsor failed, and the original motion to introduce the RS passed, with Representatives Birch and Gannon recorded as no votes. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• College in the high school and Running Start are concurrent enrollment programs.
• Of the six programs, three are college-led and three are high school-led.
• Programs are trying to do those things. School districts are strapped.
• We created a 10-week construction trades program to allow for a certification for construction trades
• We created a 10-week construction trades program to allow for a certification for construction trades

Summary: The committee began with a work session on dual credit, hearing first from the Council of Presidents and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, then from the Education Research and Data Center. The dual credit overview described Washington’s six dual credit programs, high participation rates, transferability, and recent efforts to improve transparency, pathways, and equity. Testimony emphasized both benefits and challenges, including access, funding, advising, and the need for clearer statewide coordination. ERDC outlined its annual report, dashboard, research briefs, and future work on school-level factors and possible causal effects of dual credit participation. No votes were taken during the work session. The committee then held public hearings on several bills. SB 6227 would direct WSAC to work with public higher education institutions to create formal data collection protocols for parenting students and convene a work group to recommend how to identify and support them. Senator Wilson and multiple student and advocacy witnesses supported the bill, citing the lack of consistent statewide data and the barriers parenting students face; WSAC testified that its research found significant food, housing, and child care insecurity among these students. SB 6235 would prohibit public colleges with athletics programs from entering certain private equity or sovereign wealth fund agreements involving athletics revenues or control. Senator Holy said the bill was intended to prevent loss of institutional control, while UW and WSU testified in opposition, warning it could limit flexibility and create competitive disadvantages. The committee also heard SB 6217, which would expand Washington College Grant eligibility to students in eligible non-degree credential programs beginning in 2027-28. Supporters from the community and technical college system, a community college president, and workforce representatives said the bill would help students access short-term training for family-wage jobs and address workforce shortages, especially in construction trades. Finally, SB 6209 would restore Washington College Grant and College Bound Scholarship eligibility for certain private four-year and career/vocational schools if they meet a gainful-employment standard. DigiPen, Evergreen Beauty College, Seattle Film Institute, and related students and administrators testified in support, arguing the bill would preserve access for low-income and nontraditional students in career-focused programs; some witnesses on the bill’s earlier panel also urged that certificate and two-year programs be included. The hearings were managed with shortened testimony times because of the large number of sign-ins, and no final committee action or votes were recorded in the transcript.