Transcript Highlights:

• This is limited to the three charges."
• To me, it goes to the weight of his credibility, and that's the extent of it.
• To me, it goes to the weight of his credibility, and that's the extent of it.
• To me, it goes to the weight of his credibility, and that's the extent of it.
• >> to me it just goes to the weight of his >> to me it just goes to the weight of his testimony

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission met on November 18, 2025, approved the October 14 minutes, and then took up five motions in ethics matters 24LEC3 and 24LEC6. Those motions included a renewed motion to dismiss and motion to quash by Representative Daniel Gberg, a renewed motion to compel/sanctions and continuance request by Mr. Jenkins, and competing motions in limine concerning evidence and redaction of deposition transcripts. Vice Chair Mike Schaw was appointed hearing officer for the motion practice, and the commission agreed to hear the motions one at a time in open session. Representative Chris Lily joined later by Zoom. Counsel for Representative Gberg argued the remaining allegations were minor, that the commission lacked key exculpatory materials such as an alleged LRC report, policies, procedures, and training materials, and that the record did not support the ethics charges. She also argued the case had been broadened by extraneous allegations and that the respondent had been unfairly prejudiced. Enforcement counsel responded that he had produced all materials in his possession, that any LRC materials were not in the commission’s custody, and that the commission’s probable-cause findings were based on sworn testimony and affidavits already in the record. He argued the motions to dismiss and for summary judgment should be denied because genuine issues of material fact remained and the commission had already found probable cause on three ethics violations. Commission members questioned both sides about the alleged LRC report and whether it was part of the commission’s record. The chair stated the commission had not relied on any LRC report and had not withheld anything, while another member emphasized that the proceeding concerned alleged violations of the ethics code, not LRC sexual-harassment policy. A commissioner also noted the unusual structure of the proceeding and questioned whether the complaints, taken as true, stated a basis for dismissal. The transcript ends during continued discussion of the standard for dismissal and summary judgment, with no final ruling on the motions captured in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• That will be, we really know more about that after the weights are determined, but in any event, once
• It was also partially dependent on the notion that there might be a high school weight.
• Says that if the report that comes to us determines that there should be a high school weight and the
• legislature hasn't enacted a high school weight by the time the foundation formula goes into effect,
• There's a limited service position. This was also part of bill H. 955 that we just voted on.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Division of Weights and measures is<00:04:03.720> and<00:04:03.959> they<00:04:04.159>
• and measures and to Division of Weights and measures and to your<00:05:28.319> question<00:05
• :29.120> uh<00:05:29.280> weights<00:05:29.840> measures<00:05:30.160> was
• $175 fee from the Division of Weights $175 fee from the Division of Weights and<00:15:44.920>
• <01:29:41.960> toll legislature did they don't limit toll legislature did they don't limit

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What are the limitations?
• Our current simulation space is very limited, and it's at capacity, and that limits the number of students
• It limits the frequency, the quality of the simulation experiences they're getting, and it limits our
• There’s no limit.
• Is it fair to say that AP would probably limit... Thank you.

Summary: The committee reconvened at North Dakota State College of Science for a presentation from President Dr. Flanagan and college leaders about NDSCS’s mission, enrollment growth, workforce training, and facilities needs. Flanagan highlighted student success in national competitions, strong placement and retention, growing enrollment, and new or expanding programs in aviation maintenance, fire science, dental hygiene, community health worker training, surgical technology, HVAC/plumbing, and precision agriculture. He also emphasized the college’s partnerships with industry, including John Deere, Fargo Jet Center, Sanford, and Comdel Innovation, and said NDSCS plans to seek approval next session for a revenue bond to build a new dorm and to remodel the library into academic and allied health space. Allied health dean Deb Smith testified that her division is at capacity and needs a simulation center, more lab and classroom space, and expanded dental and OTA facilities to meet demand and accreditation needs. Committee members questioned Flanagan and staff about workforce shortages, especially faculty pay, and whether the college can staff additional growth. Flanagan said the biggest challenge is recruiting instructors because industry pays more, but noted some health care and adjunct hiring is possible because of schedule flexibility and benefits. He also discussed shifting resources away from lower-demand programs like power sports toward higher-demand areas such as automotive and aviation maintenance. Members also asked about the college’s identity as a technical institution, with Flanagan arguing North Dakota would benefit from a more defined tech-school system. The committee then received a University System presentation from Jamie Wilkie on the cost of delivering dual credit. Wilkie explained the methodology used to allocate direct and overhead costs across subsidized and unsubsidized dual credit, noting that dual credit and early entry account for about 5.9% of total credit hours and 2.7% of formula funding. The analysis showed subsidized dual credit tuition revenue of about $5.5 million and unsubsidized revenue of about $2.9 million, with some institutions showing margins and others losses depending on the model. Members discussed whether K-12 funding should also be reflected, how payments to high schools and teachers are structured, and whether tuition-free dual credit would require replacing both tuition revenue and the current dual credit scholarship. No votes were taken; the committee simply received the presentations and discussed the findings.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:55.400> on<00:58:55.599> the $100 uh fee or limit on the $100 uh fee or limit
• North Dakota and South Dakota both have charges based on weight and age as well.
• Dakota both have charges based on weight Dakota both have charges based on weight and<01:16:10.960
• You said some of these are based on weight.
• Yeah, Iowa and North Dakota and South Dakota all have a small weight factor.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• However, that provision is quite limited and may not actually target the neighborhoods where there's
• And that starts to now really expose the limitations.
• We can't limit ourselves because we've provided the lowest common denominator solution.
• I guess, are they all limited to the $150,000? Yes.
• Maybe it would, I guess, are they all limited to the $150,000? Yes.

Summary: The Senate Housing Committee heard a series of work-session presentations focused on transit-oriented development, commercial-to-residential redevelopment, building code implementation, housing market trends, and the Covenant Homeownership Program. The first presentation, from the Urban Institute, reviewed research on HB 1491 and TOD feasibility, arguing that Washington has made major progress but faces diverging conditions across transit areas. The presenter said rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and lower rents in some markets have made many projects less feasible, and recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market communities, adjustments to MFTE and affordability requirements by local market conditions, more support for very low-income housing in high-market transit areas, minimum density standards near stations, expanded public land/joint development tools, and better tracking of TOD outcomes over time. Committee members asked about AMI calculations, immigration’s effect on construction labor, developer input, and whether a tracking mechanism had been removed from the bill. The Department of Commerce then outlined implementation of HB 1491 and demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, which is live and intended to help visualize zoning, overlays, and station-area conditions. Commerce said local governments will designate station areas, update zoning and MFTE policies, and handle anti-displacement measures, with Vancouver and Spokane first to implement and Puget Sound following later. Staff described a timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking on variances. The committee also heard from the Lieutenant Governor’s office on a report about converting commercial properties to housing, which found substantial potential for redevelopment on vacant or underused commercial land, especially near transit, but noted barriers such as ground-floor retail mandates, affordability requirements, infrastructure costs, private covenants, and slow implementation. The office urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster rollout of new housing laws. The State Building Code Council updated the committee on its three-year code cycle and several legislatively directed actions, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, and especially single-exit stairs and multiplex housing. Council staff said those code changes are nearing completion and will provide prescriptive solutions, while noting that elevator size and requirements were not changed and would require separate legislative direction if the committee wanted to revisit them. Members discussed the cost impacts of building and energy codes and the council said it is required to consider economic impacts and is increasingly looking at performance-based approaches. Later, the Washington Center for Real Estate Research presented its annual housing report, showing that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced affordability, flattened house prices in many cities, and slowed single-family permitting and completions, while multifamily construction has recently cooled after a prior surge. Finally, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission reported strong first-year results for the Covenant Homeownership Program, which provides zero-interest down payment assistance to eligible first-time buyers with family ties to Washington before 1968; the program assisted 547 homebuyers in its first fiscal year, with more than $60 million loaned, and the agency said participation has continued to grow after income-limit changes enacted in 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• And testimony is limited to what? Four minutes for invited testimony.
• Under current law, automatic admission eligibility is limited to SAT and ACT scores.
• In-school suspensions will still have no time limit, but the committee substitute requires a placement
• I was just wondering, on the immunity you mentioned, is it just limited to reporting under Chapter 37
• It limits...

Bills: SB530, SB757, SB769, SB1085, SB1241, SB1242, SB1409, SB1878, SB2138, SB2314, SB2231, SB2361, SB2431, SJR59

Keywords: accreditation, postsecondary education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, baccalaureate degrees, junior colleges, program delivery, faculty recruitment, higher education, performance standards, student loan debt, degree programs, funding, students with disabilities, accessibility, enrollment, report, SB 1085, Sul Ross State University, Rio Grande College, Del Rio

Summary: The Senate Committee on Education K-16 met with a large agenda and repeatedly recessed for floor activity and other committee conflicts. The committee heard and left pending several higher education bills, including SB 2361 to transfer University of Houston-Victoria from the University of Houston System to the Texas A&M System and rename it Texas A&M University Victoria; testimony from university officials, local leaders, and industry representatives strongly supported the move as a way to better align degree programs with regional workforce needs in engineering, agriculture, and STEM. SB 530, which would align Texas accreditation statutes with federal rules allowing institutions to choose among nationally recognized accreditors, also received supportive testimony and was left pending. SB 1085, allowing Sul Ross satellite campuses to offer lower-division coursework toward bachelor’s degrees, was laid out and left pending as well. The committee also took up a series of education policy bills. SB 1241 would expand the standardized tests Texas public universities may accept for admission beyond the SAT and ACT, with supporters from the Classic Learning Test, homeschool advocates, and student-choice groups arguing it would increase access and competition; it was left pending. SB 769 would require a TEA/Higher Education Coordinating Board report on barriers faced by students with disabilities in higher education, and testimony from The Arc of Texas and others emphasized the need for better data and accessibility; the bill was left pending. SB 2231 would designate the second week of October as Free College Application Week, and SB 1878 would modernize terminology and support workforce-oriented programs at the Josie School; both were laid out and left pending. The committee reported several bills favorably after adopting committee substitutes. SB 605, concerning charter school expansion applications while under conservatorship or a management team, passed on a 9-0 vote. SB 1871, SB 1873, and SB 1874, all related to school discipline and teacher immunity/placement review provisions, were adopted and reported favorably, with members noting the need for further discussion on some language. SB 762, dealing with flag displays in public schools, passed on a 7-1 vote. SB 1962, relating to public school accountability and challenges to school system operations, passed 7-1 after a corrected vote. SB 1750, replacing a $60 million statewide charter facilities cap with an attendance-growth-based allotment, passed 7-1 with one member voting present not voting. SB 2252, supporting kindergarten readiness and early literacy/numeracy, SB 2253, concerning educator preparation and certification, SB 2365, on student use of wireless devices during instructional time, and SB 1924, restoring local peace officer citation authority for school offenses and adding reporting and parent-notification requirements, were also reported favorably. The committee additionally heard SB 37 on higher education governance and compliance oversight, which passed 7-1 after a substitute that refined curriculum review, governing board authority, faculty senate rules, and a new compliance office within the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee amendment limits the judge's e-signature to photo enforcement citations.
• The committee amendment limits the judge's e-signature to photo enforcement citations.
• The weight is more than 350 grams, and with that, I'm available for any questions.
• Okay, we'll pull this one too, and as we spoke about last week on the floor, with term limits maybe the
• legislature should first enact term limits before we limit school boards.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee worked through a very long minority caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items being described and then either left on consent, pulled from consent, or noted for votes. Topics included bullion and state depository proposals, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget change, veterans services funding, driver licensing and traffic enforcement measures, procurement and public records changes, school board and school facilities rules, SNAP work requirements and verification, child welfare and juvenile justice provisions, housing and homelessness measures, energy and fuel policy, election administration, and several tax, commerce, and licensing bills. Members repeatedly raised concerns about constitutionality, federal preemption, duplication of existing law, and whether some measures were policy priorities that had been vetoed in prior sessions and were returning unchanged. Several bills drew extended debate. Members objected to English-proficiency requirements for commercial drivers and motor carriers, arguing federal law and the supremacy clause would bar them. Earned wage access regulation prompted strong opposition over consumer harm, overdraft cycles, and high effective APRs. School-related bills were criticized for overregulating public schools while not imposing similar requirements on ESA/private-school programs, especially on fingerprint clearance and reporting. SNAP-related bills were also opposed as setting unrealistic mandates and repeating vetoed proposals. Other contested measures included a drag-show criminalization bill, a bill restricting photo enforcement, a bill limiting local regulation of unmanned aircraft, and a bill conforming Arizona tax law to federal changes, which members said would benefit wealthy taxpayers and corporations without a clear funding source. The committee also heard a number of supportive or less controversial measures, including bills on veterans awareness, dementia care telemonitoring, Braille transcription funding, CPA licensure pathways, cash acceptance by retailers, and some child safety and court administration changes. Several bills were pulled from consent for further discussion, while others were noted as having unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The meeting ended with caucus announcements, including an affordability award presentation, an upcoming Latino Caucus discussion on community land trusts, and an invitation to African American Legislative Day activities, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members of the public in the hearing room will have an opportunity to state their position, but please limit
• And in order to facilitate the goal of the hearing as much from the public within the limits of our time
• Well, weight is actually in the language of the bill. I will ask Dr.
• Miller to address that issue because weight...
• So epinephrine is weight-based in the pediatric space.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• limit limit the<01:22:07.840> damage<01:22:08.239> that<01:22:08.560> this<01:22
• It brings most of that weight back on us. I just want everybody to be aware of that.
• It brings most of that weight back on us. I just want everybody to be aware of that.
• It brings most of that weight back on us. I just want everybody to be aware of that.
• It brings most of that weight back on us. I just want everybody to be aware of that.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, once we pass the bill through the agriculture committee, which raises the weight limit for hauling
• agriculture committee which raises the agriculture committee which raises the uh<00:26:31.440> weight
• <00:26:31.760> limit<00:26:32.080> for<00:26:32.400> hauling<00:26:32.960>
• > milk<00:26:33.600> uh<00:26:33.679> from uh weight limit for hauling milk uh from
• uh weight limit for hauling milk uh from 80,000<00:26:34.640> lbs<00:26:35.039> to<00:

Keywords: 00:20 Roll Call 01:56 HB 7 13:46 HB 7 Vote 17:54 HB 226 24:05 HB 226 Vote 25:13 HB 258 27:13 HB 258 Vote, 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met for its second meeting of the 2026 session and first took up House Bill 7, sponsored by Representative Hale, which would allow school districts to install stop-arm camera systems on school buses to enforce civil penalties against drivers who illegally pass stopped buses. Hale said the bill had passed the House before, described widespread violations and the danger to children, and outlined the bill’s provisions, including public warning signs, privacy protections, and fines of $300 for a first offense and $500 thereafter. Supporters cited child safety and personal experiences with school-bus-related incidents, while one member opposed the bill on the grounds that it relied too heavily on technology instead of a human officer. The committee then voted and reported HB 7 favorably. The committee next considered House Bill 226, sponsored by Representative Bratcher, which would redirect the $5 fee from Kentucky National Guard specialty license plates from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs to the Kentucky National Guard Association. Bratcher and National Guard representatives said the change would send roughly under $15,000 a year to support readiness, mobilization, and professional development for serving Guard members, and argued that specialty plate revenue should go to the organization tied to the plate. Representative Donworth raised concerns about taking money from the veterans trust fund and suggested a direct budget allocation instead, but the sponsor said the amount was small and that the current arrangement did not return the funds to the Guard. The committee voted to report HB 226 favorably. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 258, sponsored by Representative Payne, as amended by a committee substitute. The bill raises the weight limit for hauling milk from 80,000 to 90,000 pounds and clarifies that the rule applies to both state and federal highways, based on federal treatment of milk as a non-divisible product. After the substitute was adopted, the committee approved the bill, and HB 258 was reported favorably with the committee substitute attached.

Transcript Highlights:

• further inform the committee substitute. testifying today, please be aware of the two-minute time limit
• House Bill 2 will address the growing number of uncertified teachers in our classrooms by limiting their
• It doesn't limit us to just do what we can with what we've got.
• And so increasing the basic allotment. does provide more funding, but the way the weights tie onto it
• Despite the value of Pre-K partnerships, various design flaws have resulted in their limited. uptake

Bills: HB2, HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace

Transcript Highlights:

• measure like a frozen tax rate is limited to one.
• capital budget limit deficits.
• Capital budget limit deficits.
• needs, then being able to service those communities is limited as well.
• are kept within the limit.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard the January 2026 follow-up to the special audit of the Arizona State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. The auditor’s contractor reported that the board had implemented or was in the process of implementing most of the 28 recommendations from the 2024 audit, but three remained unimplemented: resolving complaints within 180 days and two open meeting law recommendations. The follow-up also identified new concerns about outdated or incomplete public disciplinary records and the lack of a complete public records request log and response procedures. Committee members pressed the board on open meeting compliance, complaint delays, transparency, and lobbying activities, while the executive director said the board had adopted new policies, added staff and investigators, created an intake committee, improved complaint prioritization, and was transitioning to a new licensing platform. She also said the board had ended broad subpoenas, improved conflict-of-interest tracking, and was working to formalize its practices in rule. The committee did not take a vote or other formal action in the transcript provided. The committee then received the Arizona school district financial risk analysis for January 2026. The Auditor General’s office reported that the number of highest-risk districts increased from two to nine, and districts approaching the highest-risk category increased from seven to nine. The presentation explained the financial risk measures used, common risk patterns among the highest-risk districts, and the district action plans posted on the report website. Tucson Unified School District was used as an example of a highest-risk district, and Scottsdale Unified as an approaching-highest-risk district. Members asked about declining enrollment, reserve balances, negative fund balances, and the use of capital monies for operations. Sierra Vista Unified School District then presented its response to being identified as financially at risk. The superintendent said she had recently taken over and was implementing a turnaround plan that included a school closure, staffing reductions through attrition, spending freezes, tighter purchase controls, a three-year sustainable spending plan, and efforts to stabilize enrollment through outreach, customer-service changes, and alternative program offerings. She also said the district was redirecting some capital assistance to operations, renegotiating contracts, and improving communication with families and staff. Committee members questioned the district about declining enrollment, instructional spending, school safety, academic performance, and whether the action plan adequately addressed those issues. No formal vote or action was taken on the school district item in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• weighting factors, you're going to count in the top half.
• So each of those levels have different weighting factors.
• Or is this—because I look at the weighting factor to 0.174 for Wapton—could that weighting factor be
• I mean, we're already doing it at the weighting factor.
• If we were to change the weighting factor, or the weighting factor is easy because we put it into a spreadsheet

Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then received a lengthy DPI presentation from Stanley Schauer on statewide reading and math assessment data for students with and without disabilities. He explained the assessment systems used over time, the absence of 2019-20 data, and how North Dakota’s standards are set by educators. Members asked about alternate assessments, cohort trends, the apparent drop in proficiency in higher grades, and the new NDA+ assessment. Schauer emphasized that the biggest pattern in the data was the relative stability of students with disabilities, the post-pandemic drop and partial recovery, and the need to focus on reducing the novice category. He also said the state plans to revisit high school standard setting and that future data could be broken out by program, disability category, and schools using science-of-math or other initiatives. Public testimony from special education staff suggested that the flat performance of students with disabilities during COVID likely reflected continued services and intensive supports, and committee members discussed whether the current disparity goal is realistic and whether growth measures would be more useful than simple proficiency buckets. After the presentation, the committee took a short break and then moved into discussion of special education funding models. Chair Richter said members should contact Schauer directly with ideas for additional data views and noted that the committee would continue its work on funding and possible model changes. Brandon Bomback of Grand Forks Public Schools began a presentation arguing that the special education funding formula, especially the weighting factor, should be reconsidered if the committee wants a system that better reflects accountability and student needs. He said his comments were based on the perspective of a larger district and focused on the special education weighting factor rather than other parts of the formula. The remainder of his presentation was not included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was not personally in favor of an unlimited weight.
• limit of maybe around 3,500 lb.
• So, he was in favor of a weight this.
• So, he was in favor of a weight limit<04:03:49.600> uh<04:03:49.840> of limit uh of limit
• Um I of a weight difference.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The secondary spending limit will give you the maximum amount of increased expenditures that you can
• The cap was $11 billion; the spending limit was $9.9 billion.
• We limited legislation to limit the amount the budget can grow.
• Then there's a waterfall where receipts over any of those limitations. receipts over any of those limitations
• We've had a lot of internal discussions in our committee about what those weights should be.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• resources or limited access to essential goods.
• resources or limited access to essential goods.
• resources or limited access to essential goods.
• <00:43:22.480> and<00:43:22.680> impact country this added weight and impact country
• this added weight and impact energy<00:43:23.359> will<00:43:23.520> also<00:43:23.720

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Minnesota House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee met on January 22, 2025, for its first meeting and took up House File 5, introduced by Representative Jim Joy and moved to the Tax Committee. Joy said the bill would make Minnesota more affordable by eliminating the Social Security tax, repealing the motor fuels tax inflator, removing the retail delivery fee, and changing vehicle-related taxes and metro-area sales tax allocations. Committee fiscal staff reviewed the bill’s fiscal effects, including impacts on the general fund, the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund, the Transportation Advancement Account, and the split between Metropolitan Council and metropolitan counties. Testimony was largely divided along stakeholder lines. The Minnesota Grocers Association and Minnesota Propane Association supported repealing the retail delivery fee, arguing it creates administrative burdens, requires costly software changes, and raises costs that are passed on to consumers; propane representatives said the fee is especially burdensome because most of their deliveries are exempt but still require tracking and reporting. In contrast, the League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of Small Cities, Metro Cities, and Minnesota Association of Townships emphasized the need for stable, predictable transportation funding for local roads and said they support the Transportation Advancement Account and related revenue streams, though some were neutral on the exact source of funding. The League and small cities groups said local governments need reliable annual revenue and that past funding has been inconsistent. Committee members asked about who pays the delivery fee, its exemptions, and how much revenue it has generated versus earlier forecasts. Fiscal staff said current estimates for delivery fee revenue are below original projections, and explained the fee’s exemptions and $100 transaction threshold. Representative Joy said his intent was to keep small cities and townships whole as the bill moves forward. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the bill was heard and referred as noted at the outset.

Transcript Highlights:

• limitations.
• limitations.
• So these three metrics are weighted.
• So the first metric regarding licensing doctors, that's a 33.34% weight.
• The first metric regarding licensing doctors, that's a 33.34% weight.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee conducted sunset reviews for the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy, the State Board of Nursing, the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners, and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants. The Auditor General’s reports praised each board for timely licensing in some areas but identified recurring problems with complaint investigations, public safety oversight, fee analysis, records/documentation, and internal controls. For Pharmacy, the main concerns were weak enforcement of controlled substances prescription monitoring program (CSPMP) requirements and slow complaint resolution; the board said it had implemented some recommendations, was pursuing a new database vendor, and supported legislation to strengthen CSPMP enforcement. For Nursing, the audit found a large and growing backlog of complaints and repeated delays in resolving cases; the executive director said the board was under-resourced and requested 28 additional investigative positions, while nursing stakeholders supported process reforms and cited a bill to improve timelines and fairness. For Occupational Therapy, the audit focused on missing or poorly documented fingerprint clearance card checks, delayed action on a serious criminal-charge disclosure, and other compliance issues; the board said it had accepted and was implementing all recommendations, including new procedures and rulemaking. For Physician Assistants, the audit found weak oversight by the executive director, extensive delays in complaint handling, and an incentive-pay system that did not align with key performance goals; the board said it had already made structural changes, was improving tracking and IT systems, and planned to continue implementing recommendations. After discussion and testimony from board officials, public members, and nursing stakeholders, the committee voted to continue the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy for six years until July 1, 2032, the State Board of Nursing for four years until July 1, 2031, the Arizona Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners for four years until July 1, 2030, and the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants for a continued term with statutory changes (the transcript includes the board review and related discussion, but the final motion text for the physician assistants board is not fully captured in the excerpt). The votes on the first three continuations were approved by roll call, with members generally supporting continuation while expressing concern about complaint backlogs and the need for reforms.

Transcript Highlights:

• would make sure the weights, the free weights, never go back in.
• associated with the free weights, from all the facilities.
• Put a limit on it.
• Can you make a time limit as the sheriff? No, we're actually not allowed to.
• Put a limit on it.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I do want to point out some limitations of this. This only includes two years of data.
• <00:02:10.600> point<00:02:10.840> out<00:02:11.000> some<00:02:11.160> limitations
• I do want to point out some limitations I do want to point out some limitations of<00:02:11.920>
• of using a may feel physical limitations of using a vertical<00:03:35.680> bow,<00:03:36.480>
• that uh when they get there, weight that uh when they get there, they're<00:25:41.840> probably

Keywords: 1183, house