Transcript Highlights:

• sudden expansion of data center construction is leaving many local governments doing their best to balance
• see a welcoming regulatory environment and a level playing field for data centers in Florida while balancing
• see a welcoming regulatory environment and a level playing field for data centers in Florida while balancing
• We have to balance that with the public good and the public interest.

Summary: The committee took up a long agenda of land use, public records, infrastructure, and local-government bills. The most debated measures were CS for CS for HB 399 and CS for HB 979, both sponsored by Rep. Borrero, which sought to streamline development approvals and reduce local-government barriers. HB 399 would require simple-majority approval for certain land development applications, mandate local definitions of compatibility, and add provisions affecting destination resorts, manufactured housing, historic properties, and a study of urban development boundaries. HB 979 would allow administrative rezoning of environmentally damaged five-acre-or-larger parcels in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties for residential use if adjacent to neighborhoods. Supporters argued both bills would increase housing supply, encourage cleanup of contaminated land, and lower costs; opponents argued they preempt local decision-making, weaken voter-approved growth controls, and do not guarantee affordability. Both bills were amended and then reported favorably, with HB 399 passing 16-10 and HB 979 passing after debate. The committee also approved CS for HB 437, a public records bill by Rep. Andrade, on a 25-0 vote. The bill requires agencies to respond to public records requests within three days by producing the records, citing why they cannot, or giving a good-faith estimate of time and cost; it also limits agencies from later relying on exemptions not previously raised. Proponents said the measure addresses long delays and nonresponses by agencies, while school district representatives warned the timeline could be difficult for large, complex requests. The committee adopted the bill and sent it favorably. Several local and special district bills were also approved. CS for CS for HB 1103 would help local governments coordinate with FWC on derelict vessels and anchoring issues and passed unanimously. CS for HB 1245, dealing with biosolids regulation, also passed unanimously. CS for HB 4081 to expand the East Point Water and Sewer District passed 25-0. CS for HB 4103, creating a state special district for the Apalachicola water and sewer system, passed 25-1 after testimony from city officials who argued the city had improved its water system and should retain a role. CS for HB 4105, expanding the Port St. Joe Port Authority into a multi-county regional board, passed 23-3 despite opposition from residents concerned about infrastructure, environmental impacts, and local control. The committee also began consideration of PCS for CS for HB 433, an agriculture-related bill with changes to surplus lands and other provisions, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• certified nurse midwives, and one public member, in addition to the licensed midwives, ensuring balanced
• two certified nurse midwives, and one public member, in addition to the licensed midwives, ensuring balance
• hear concerns directly, understand the practical implications, and work collaboratively toward a balanced
• hear concerns directly, understand the practical implications, and work collaboratively toward a balanced

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2307, as amended, which would require the Department of Health Services to contract with out-of-state secure mental health facilities when Arizona beds are unavailable for certain involuntary commitment cases involving defendants found dangerous and incompetent. The sponsor and supporters framed it as an emergency stopgap to prevent individuals who are deemed non-restorable from being released because Arizona lacks secure behavioral health beds, while opponents argued it would raise due process, disability rights, family access, and cost concerns, and questioned whether the state could even implement such interstate placements. After debate, the committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and advanced HB 2307 on a 6-5 due pass vote. The committee then heard House Bill 2083, which updates diabetes-related coverage language in health plans to include newer devices and supplies such as continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and smart insulin pens. Supporters said the bill modernizes outdated statutes and improves access and outcomes for people with diabetes, while an insurer representative offered soft opposition, warning that writing these items into statute could create a state mandate and potential cost exposure, especially if the language is read to include GLP-1 medications. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and moved HB 2083 forward on an 11-1 due pass vote. Next, House Bill 2673 was heard, addressing mental health screening and treatment for incarcerated people. The sponsor said the bill was being reworked into a study committee concept after stakeholder feedback, but the underlying proposal would require prompt evaluation of prisoners showing mental disorder symptoms and faster referral for treatment. A family member testified about her son’s severe deterioration in jail and death, while an attorney opposed the bill as overbroad and legally problematic. Despite the sponsor’s indication that the bill would become a study committee, the committee voted 12-0 to give HB 2673 a due pass recommendation. The committee also advanced House Bill 2923, which revises timelines, procedures, and notice requirements for judicial review of court-ordered mental health treatment; supporters said it clarifies outdated language and improves communication with families, while opponents argued it shifts burdens onto patients and could prolong confinement. HB 2923 also received a 12-0 due pass vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just to see what the balancing of all of that might be. >> It's in state facilities. >> Yeah.
• Just just to see what the balancing<00:14:56.079><c> of</c><00:14:56.399><c> all</c><00:14:56.560><c>
• </c><00:14:58.079><c> Um</c> balancing of all of that might be.
• Um balancing of all of that might be.

Bills: SB2543, SB2435, SB2352

Keywords: state construction, construction manager, design review, public works, capital improvement, DAGS, Department of Accounting and General Services, DOE, Department of Education, comptroller, pilot program, design review special fund, county permit review, accessibility compliance, Disability and Communication Access Board, state infrastructure, government construction, project oversight, civil service exemption, county agencies

Summary: The Committee on Government Operations reconvened on February 10, 2026, to take up measures previously heard on February 5. It advanced SB 2983 on criminal destruction of trees with technical, non-substantive amendments and a committee report note asking Judiciary to clarify that removal of invasive species remains allowed; the measure passed with one no vote. SB 2930 on the state risk management revolving fund also passed with amendments, including blanking out the amount, setting a defective date, and directing Ways and Means to review a spreadsheet before further action. The committee likewise passed SB 2928 on making the small business procurement program permanent and SB 2970 on standards of conduct for state agency contracts, adopting the Ethics Commission’s recommended language assigning compliance responsibility to department directors and deputy directors. SB 2927 and SB 3068 on procurement were deferred to a time certain on February 12, and SB 3015 on personal information, SB 2929 on public notice, and SB 2938 on search and rescue were also deferred for further discussion or to avoid re-referral issues. SB 2662 on external consultants was amended to remove a cap and preemptive approval language, narrow the expertise standard, and note possible auditor staffing or appropriation needs; it then passed with amendments. The joint GVO-EIG hearing then took up SB 2543 on state construction projects and an Office of the State Construction Manager within DAGS. Testimony from the Hawaii Iron Workers Stabilization Fund strongly supported the bill, saying it could reduce wasteful spending on large design-build projects and free money for tax credits and other public needs. DAGS, the University of Hawaii, and DLNR offered written comments, while one witness from KIC opposed the measure and asked for an exemption for member-owned electric cooperatives. A Hawaii Solar Energy Association witness also supported the bill but asked that landscape architects be excluded from the bill’s definition of design professionals, and Rocky Mold said Kauai permitting was efficient enough that he had no objection to carving it out. The committee adopted amendments from DNR, DAGS, and UH and passed SB 2543. The hearing also considered SB 2435 on EV charging infrastructure at state facilities. DAGS and the Hawaii State Energy Office supported the concept and explained that the goal was to retrofit managed parking facilities with infrastructure that can meet current and future EV needs, while acknowledging that some stalls can sit unused and that the state must balance space and enforcement. Members raised concerns about whether dedicating 25% of stalls to EV charging would reduce usable parking, and about rural and Big Island conditions where EV range and battery capacity remain limiting. The discussion noted that DOT, DNR, DOE, and DOH may have their own parking facilities outside DAGS control. The committee then indicated it would broaden the bill to apply to all state agencies and lower the threshold in response to member concerns, with final action not fully shown in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• While California's pending budget deficit and the balancing budget requirement, it's important to better
• like one of the broad components of this discussion, reflects a very deliberate attempt to try and balance
• The challenge is always one of balance.
• And there's always just the balancing act of how much do you want to potentially double tax a lot of

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1544 strikes that balance, and it fosters greater public confidence in our probation system by making
• reform... ...because this proposed change removes one of the key features of pension reform, which balanced
• Right now you've got a credit card that's got a major balance on it, to the tune of several billion dollars
• plus that whole nut to be able to then move forward and not have really any change in your total balance

Bills: SB1046, SB1317, SB1376, SB1416, SB1448, SB1471, SB1493, SB1498, SB1502, SB1504, SB1538, SB1544, SB1550, SB1579, SB1581, SB1584, SB1624, SB1673

Keywords: telecommunications, broadband, internet infrastructure, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, national security, foreign adversary, China, Chinese equipment, supply chain security, network equipment, microchips, Arizona Corporation Commission, telecommunications provider, communications infrastructure, Huawei, ZTE, state-owned enterprise, sanctions, infrastructure security

Transcript Highlights:

• unlimited time to prosecute, while well intended, this approach undermines due process and shifts the balance
• You're balancing, on one side, people's freedom to not be put into mandatory treatment.
• As part of that legislation, the legislature directed the courts to balance their workload to ensure
• So over decades, we've seen a balanced geographic structure that voters and lawmakers have created, and

Summary: The Judiciary and Elections Committee approved the January 21, 2026 minutes and held SB 1208. It then heard SB 1211, which would allow victims of felony aggravated harassment involving domestic violence to seek a lifetime injunction against a convicted defendant. Supporters from victim advocacy organizations and a survivor described the bill as an important safety measure that would reduce repeated court appearances and trauma. The committee voted 7-0 to give SB 1211 a do pass recommendation. The committee next considered SB 1239, which removes the statute of limitations for failing to register as a sex offender or providing false registration information. The sponsor said the bill closes a public-safety loophole and was requested by DPS, while opponents argued existing warrant procedures already address the issue and raised due process concerns. After discussion, the committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1239 do pass. SB 1240 would exclude probationers convicted of dangerous crimes against children from the probation incentive payment formula. The sponsor tied the bill to a recent child sexual assault case and said the change would keep those cases separate from probation performance incentives; defense attorneys warned it could discourage treatment and push more people into prison. The committee voted 4-3 to recommend SB 1240 do pass. The committee also heard and approved SB 1095, as amended, which bans gender transition procedures and referrals for minors and restricts public funding and facilities for such care; supporters called it necessary child protection, while opponents said it was discriminatory. The committee then heard SB 1243 and SB 1244, both related to court-ordered mental health treatment. SB 1243 adds notice to guardians and lets them seek continued treatment, while SB 1244 creates a continuing court-ordered treatment process after repeated annual reviews. Supporters, including family members of seriously mentally ill patients, said the bills would close gaps and prevent dangerous lapses in care; opponents raised due process concerns and warned about expanded involuntary treatment. Both bills received do pass recommendations, with SB 1243 passing 7-0 and SB 1244 passing after amendment and roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's based in a type of reading instruction that's called balanced literacy, which we know is not what
• of reading instruction<00:28:56.720><c> that's</c><00:28:56.960><c> called</c><00:28:57.120><c> balanced
• </c> instruction that's called balanced instruction that's called balanced literacy,<00:28:58.480><c>

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's trying to come up with the balance, and it sounds like every state has struggled with that balance
• And so that's a balancing act that in my mind... And so how do y'all do that balancing act?

Summary: The meeting began with roll call, approval of the agenda, and approval of the prior minutes, followed by a presentation from Julie Grenwald of Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry. She described the nonprofit’s work collecting and distributing protein to food banks and agencies statewide through freezer clean-out days, deer donations processed by more than 50 processors, fish donations through Venice Marina, and a paused-but-planned-to-reopen feral hog program. Members asked about processor locations, signage, exotic species, funding, sponsorships, and disease safety; Grenwald said the program is protected under Louisiana’s Good Samaritan Law and that wildlife and fisheries agents help connect processors and promote the program. She also noted the organization is looking for more partners and ways to expand access and awareness. The task force then received an update from Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on chronic wasting disease testing. Jonathan Bordelon reported more than 2,800 samples collected and over 2,300 results returned, with nine positives to date: eight in Tensas Parish and one confirmed new detection in Concordia Parish from a hunter-harvested deer. He said the Concordia positive triggered the state’s CWD response plan, including a declaration of emergency and a future rulemaking process to adjust control-area boundaries. Members asked about symptomatic deer, harvest trends, and whether the disease appears to be spreading along the river; Bordelon said most positives were asymptomatic hunter-harvested deer and that harvest numbers remain near record highs. William McKinley of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks then gave an extensive presentation on Mississippi’s CWD experience. He said Mississippi has had 529 detections across 18 counties since 2018, with prevalence rising from about one in 500 samples to roughly one in 40 this year, and that some counties near the Tennessee line are seeing severe impacts. He described Mississippi’s surveillance system, voluntary sampling, taxidermist partnerships, targeted tags for properties near positives, bans on feeding and baiting in CWD zones, and research on environmental contamination, raccoons, and strain differences. Members asked about high-fence enclosures, live deer movement restrictions, Tennessee’s regulations, environmental testing capacity, and whether more aggressive measures or LSU research capacity could help Louisiana; McKinley said the disease is expanding despite management efforts and emphasized early detection, rapid response, and continued interstate coordination.

Transcript Highlights:

• Does that give us a negative type of balance sheet? Mr.
• Representative Lujan, people can carry over their SNAP balances for up to 274 days.
• So how are you balancing that, Madam Chair, Mr. Chair? Mr.
• I just think we need, like you said, it's an all-approach, but we have to balance the books here.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then, of course, we have to balance public safety with civil liberties.
• Chair, I just want to conclude it's playing out as it should, with the courts in the balance, trying
• to strike the balance, whether we should have to deal.
• But yes, that's what the checks and balances are all about. And I appreciate that.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 1 is a responsible balanced budget that falls within.
• Despite these new funding demands, we sought the... ...balance the core priorities of the Senate while
• Our goal is to craft a budget that carefully balances the state's needs, remembering that every dollar
• So I believe this conference committee report is a good balance between the two chambers' priorities

Bills: SB27, SB1494, SB2121, SB2373, SB2431, SB1, SB8, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB30, SB37, SB260, SB268, SB331, SB379, SB441, SB447, SB457, SB568, SB650, SB763, SB1405, SB1506, SB1540, SB1566, SB1610, SB1637, SB1660, SB2018, SB2024, SB2217, SB2308, SB2337, SB2601, SB2753, SB2878, SB2900, SB2972, SB3059, HB4, HB40, HB46, HB119, HB145, HB300, HB493, HB705, HB1545, HB2011, HB2017, HB2067, HB2516, HB2885, HB2963, HB2974, HB3071, HB3372, HB3556, HB3595, HB3642, HB3909, HB5138, HB5246, SJR36, SJR50, SJR63, SCR12, SCR39, SB2023, SB62, SB666, SB847, SB284, SB854, SB810, SB1505, SB583, SB507, SB1434, SB1772, SB2016, SB1122, SB731, SB397, SB508, SB1436, SB287, SB1882, SB393, SB1791, SB209, SB2429, SB1085, SB1975, SB2717, SB1262, SB636, SB2056, SB884, SB1200, SB1845, SB2458, SB801, SB3014, SB3013, SB758, SB2797, SB2076, SB2876, SB1640, SB1449, SB1181, SB1234, SB2926, SB2841, SB1528, SB1854, SB317, SB1250, SB2082, SB1237, SB2819, SB629, SB2608, SB1602, SB2009, SB867, SB640, SB1698, SB2680, SB913, SB1071, SB1086, SB1087, SB1483, SB1444, SB1553, SB1556, SB1703, SB2133, SB2297, SB2298, SB2622, SB2955, SB2334, SB1367, SB2044, SB2363, SB2565, SB1888, SB3036, SB3057, SB3043, SB3063, SB3035, SB203, SB2688, SB2522, SB2459, SB2655, SB2251, SB1884, SB2928, SB2566, SB2549, SB2553, SB2919, SB1944, SB1232, SB1798, SB2603, SB2607, SB2683, SB1319, SB3045, SB3071, HB796, HB1523, HB5294, HB748, HB3395, HB180, HB3171, HB146, HB5596, HB5694, HB1135, HB3225, HB186, HB1449, HB3793, HB112, HB104, HB3336, HB3520, HB3320, HB5663, HB2399, HB111, HB3483, HB4580, HB3748, HB632, HB4730, HB5690, HB5689, HB3385, HB4359, HB5381, HB123, HB5606, HB1057, HB3664, HCR141, HCR40, HCR59, SR634, SR687, SR703, SR709, SR715, SB1494, SB2121, SB2373, SB2431, HB46, SB1, SB8, SB12, SB13, SB15, SB37, SB260, SB331, SB379, SB441, SB447, SB457, SB568, SB763, SB1405, SB1540, SB1566, SB2018, SB2308, SB2337, SB2878, SB3059, HB705, HB2017, HB2067, HB3071, HB3372, HB3556, HB3595, HB3909, HB5246

Keywords: elections, local governance, political subdivisions, general elections, Texas Election Code, data brokers, personal data, regulation, business entities, consumer protection, financial exploitation, artificial intelligence, phishing, legal liability, criminal offense, civil penalty, foreign language, study abroad, higher education, language credit

Transcript Highlights:

• number of people, and I think they'll attest that we were listening, and we've listened to find a balanced
• The powers relating to impeachment are a vital check and balance between branches of government.
• Her life is now hanging in the balance, so she's in critical condition.
• Her life is now hanging in the balance, so she's in critical condition.

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Pastor Jim Harris of Tilden Baptist Church, followed by remarks from Senator Zaffirini recognizing his service and retirement as an agricultural teacher. The chamber also received a message from the governor on appointments to the Coastal Water Authority Board of Directors. Senators then adopted SR 434 honoring Goodwill Industries of San Antonio’s 80th anniversary, with Senators Gutierrez, Menendez, and Zaffirini praising its workforce training and second-chance employment mission; SR 435 recognizing Dr. Christine Ramos Camacho as Doctor of the Day; and a group of additional resolutions adopted by voice vote. Senator Zaffirini also introduced the McMullen County Day delegation, and Senator Gutierrez introduced the Doctor of the Day. The Senate then took up and passed several bills. SB 1951 addressed penalties for late property rendition filings and removed a financial incentive for appraisal districts; SB 1261 related to financing water supply projects in the state water plan; SB 1620 created a Texas Forensic Analyst Apprenticeship Pilot Program; SB 530 updated higher-education accreditation rules; SB 2183 standardized fireworks sales periods statewide; SB 2368 strengthened the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act and added foreign-affiliation safeguards for electricity market participants; SB 1398 limited children without placement (CWOP) practices and added community-based care transparency; and SB 1960 established digital replication rights for voice and visual likenesses. Each of these bills advanced through suspension of the regular order, passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage, with recorded votes generally showing strong support and some opposition on a few measures. The chamber also debated SB 825, which would require an annual study of the economic, environmental, and financial impacts of illegal immigration. Senators Middleton, Hinojosa, Gutierrez, and Eckhardt debated whether the study should include positive as well as negative impacts; an amendment to require that broader analysis failed, and the bill was left pending after passage to engrossment. Other measures passed included SB 2010, prohibiting political subdivisions from operating guaranteed income programs; SB 546, requiring reporting and continued implementation of school bus seat belts; SB 586, establishing the Historical Texas Cemetery designation program; SB 1150, requiring inactive oil and gas wells to be plugged or returned to production under a compliance plan; SB 1184, lowering the minimum age of wine eligible for sale by wine collection sellers; SB 2185, clarifying bilingual education allotment funding; SB 1923, making child support follow the child in certain temporary placements; SB 2252, expanding early literacy and numeracy supports and screening tools; SB 1870, barring local decriminalization of drugs; and SB 2405, the major TDCJ sunset bill, which included facility planning, parole and rehabilitation reforms, and an amendment protecting parole board discretion. Most of these bills were adopted after floor amendments and passed with recorded votes, often along party-line or near-party-line divisions.

Transcript Highlights:

• The retainers on our balance sheet, that's correct. Yes. So therefore, is it not earned? Yes.
• board, including contractors, public members, and a state agency representative to keep the process balanced
• I respectfully urge this committee to explore alternative approaches that balance safety, security, and
• On that $37 million in reserves, that's earned because that's on your balance sheet as an asset, correct

Bills: HB2963, HB3005, HB3287, HB3288, HB3289, HB3290, HB3344, HB3712, HB3862, HB3874, HB4196, HB4308, HB4901, HB4984

Keywords: digital equipment, repair rights, manufacturers, maintenance, consumer rights, construction contracts, payment regulations, public works, dispute resolution, audit procedures, construction, trust funds, mechanic's lien, contractor, subcontractor, residential properties, disputes, payment obligations, accountability, payment disputes

Transcript Highlights:

• As a property owner in Texas, I'd love to have a totally different universe, but balancing that is a
• practical... insights on how we can work together to ensure that our cities grow responsibly. while balancing
• Cities and counties must... retain reasonable authority to ensure sustainable growth that balances private
• do we want privately controlled, unaccounted... ...or will we ensure strong local governance that balances

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• reduces accountability for employers, removes essential rights to report retaliation, and shifts the balance
• and<00:14:33.800><c> it</c><00:14:33.920><c> shifts</c><00:14:34.240><c> the</c><00:14:34.399><c> balance
• </c><00:14:34.639><c> of</c><00:14:34.880><c> power</c><00:14:35.279><c> in</c> and it shifts the balance
• of power in and it shifts the balance of power in favor<00:14:36.160><c> employers</c><00:14:37.160>

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00 Roll Call 01:37 HB 398 Discussion 02:18 HB 398 Vote 30:35, 958, all

Summary: The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment met for its first 2025 session meeting, took roll, and established a quorum. The committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 398, an act relating to occupational safety and health, before hearing testimony. Sponsor Representative Walker Thomas said the bill is intended to align Kentucky’s occupational safety and health rules more closely with federal standards, provide clearer reference points for employers, and improve consistency and compliance while maintaining worker safety. He also explained that the substitute added and clarified a de minimis citation provision and defined “qualified representative,” and he noted a typo in the substitute would be corrected on the floor. Members asked whether the bill would change Kentucky’s OSHA structure or affect state offices, and Thomas said Kentucky remains a state-plan state with its own offices and enforcement staff, and that the bill would not eliminate those offices. He said the measure is meant to streamline rules and clarify that certain notices would carry no penalty when there is no substantial impact on safety or health. He also said employers must be given an opportunity to be present for inspections, typically with 45 minutes to an hour to arrange representation. Opposition testimony came from Dustin Ryan Stadler of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO and Gerald Atkins of Working Strategies 2 on behalf of the Kentucky State Building and Construction Trades Council. They argued the bill weakens worker protections, reduces accountability, limits who may request inspections, and could prevent family members from seeking inspections after a fatal workplace incident. Stadler described a fatal construction accident he witnessed in 2006 and said OSHA protections exist for a reason. Atkins cited workplace deaths and injuries, said the bill would go beyond prior 2021 changes, and warned that allowing Franklin Circuit Court to award uncapped costs and attorney fees against OSHA could chill enforcement. Several members then questioned whether federal standards are sufficient, with supporters saying the bill simply aligns Kentucky with federal rules and opponents arguing Kentucky should retain the ability to keep stronger protections for certain industries. No final vote on House Bill 398 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a result of decisions made by the voters that affect the balance of power. bills has been done
• voters<00:26:25.799><c> that</c><00:26:26.000><c> affect</c><00:26:26.240><c> the</c><00:26:26.360><c> balance
• </c><00:26:26.679><c> of</c><00:26:26.880><c> power</c> voters that affect the balance of power voters
• that affect the balance of power here<00:26:28.080><c> well</c><00:26:28.399><c> we're</c><00:26:28.520

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So in other words, where you balance back to target, we're very careful to do so.
• And if I may, just to be clear, so if I look at the current balance of the investment-grade fixed income
• And I'm not there here to they can speak about that the balance invested.

Summary: The Legacy Fund Committee received updates from the North Dakota Retirement Investment Office (RIO) on fund performance, liquidity, in-state investments, and internal management. Scott Anderson reported strong returns for the Legacy Fund across multiple time periods, with performance exceeding the policy benchmark and expectations, driven largely by strong equity markets and effective implementation. He also reviewed private market pacing, noting commitments were on plan but that unfunded obligations and distributions were lower than expected, and presented a new liquidity analysis showing the fund had substantial capacity to meet obligations even under stressed market scenarios. The committee also discussed RIO’s internal investment program and cost savings. Anderson explained how internal management of fixed income, equity, and cash overlay strategies has reduced fees and transaction costs, while improving flexibility and portfolio construction. Members asked about staffing needs, and RIO leadership said asset growth has outpaced current staffing, with a request for additional FTEs likely coming to support investment, operations, risk, and legal functions. The committee also reviewed the Legacy Fund’s in-state investment program, including 50 South Capital and infrastructure lending, and heard that one manager’s buildout is progressing more slowly because many opportunities are still early-stage. Adam Odison presented a preliminary estimate of the 2026 Legacy Fund earnings distribution, projecting about $894.8 million under current law, with roughly $237 million to the Highway Fund and $554 million to the Property Tax Relief Fund after the sinking and interest fund allocation. Jody Smith then gave a project update on a new standalone Legacy Fund website required by statute, intended to consolidate performance, holdings, governance, fees, and use-of-funds information for the public, with a planned launch around the October State Investment Board meeting. She also raised a possible future proposal to place the Legacy Earnings Fund back under State Investment Board management so the cash could remain invested longer before being transferred out, though members noted liquidity, accounting, and bank-deposit implications would need further review. Finally, Kelvin Holden of the Bank of North Dakota reviewed the match loan program, explaining how it supports large economic development projects by pairing Bank of North Dakota loans with State Investment Board CDs. He said the program currently has about $272 million outstanding and has supported projects such as Coal Creek Station and the MDU gas line to Gwinner. Members discussed whether the program’s return is appropriate and noted a prior moratorium on new investments so the committee can revisit the policy next session. The committee then elected Senator Klein as chair and Representative Hogan as vice chair, and the meeting ended with members thanking staff and partners for the fund’s progress.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, members, Don Kepke, on behalf of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance
• variety of stakeholders—labor, public leaders, and the business community—with the goal of finding balance
• There is the balance between holding facilities accountable and what the state needs in terms of these

Summary: The joint oversight hearing focused on the Board of Environmental Safety (BES), created by SB 158 in 2021, and on broader DTSC reform efforts, including permitting, community engagement, fee setting, and the hazardous waste management plan. Chair Connolly opened by noting the board’s original goals of improving transparency, accountability, and fiscal stability, and raised concerns about a recent board appointee later becoming a lobbyist with DTSC-regulated clients. Witnesses and members also discussed the long-delayed SB 673 regulations on facility permitting and community vulnerability protections, as well as the board’s role in approving the hazardous waste management plan and reviewing permit appeals. Community and environmental justice witnesses argued that the board has improved access by creating a public forum, ombudsperson, and appeal process, but said it remains too passive and lacks authority over budgets, staffing, and implementation. They urged more statutory direction, stronger community participation, better transparency on how comments are used, and more meaningful authority in permit and plan decisions. One witness suggested the Legislature consider a separate oversight body or stronger legislative engagement, while another called for youth representation and paid fellowships on advisory bodies. Business and regulated-community testimony was more supportive of the board’s structure, emphasizing that SB 158 was a negotiated compromise that improved transparency and accountability while avoiding politicization, and calling for faster fee analysis and clearer budget information. Board Chair Andrew Rakestra and DTSC Director Barbara Butler reported that reform has produced measurable gains: more public engagement, stronger enforcement, fewer continued permits, improved compliance, increased revenues from the generation-and-handling fee, and progress on Exide cleanup, safer consumer products, and community revitalization grants. They acknowledged, however, that the board’s authority is limited, permit appeals can be slow, SB 673 regulations remain unfinished, and public trust still needs work. Both said the board is most effective when involved early and when DTSC shares information proactively. Members asked about fee stability, the hazardous waste management plan, and whether the Legislature should give the board a more formal role in budget change proposals, regulatory processes, and implementation oversight. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're trying to balance the legislative intent of that increase in limitation for additional investigators
• while still trying to balance... ...that increase in limitation for additional investigators while still
• trying to balance the fiscal responsibility of the agency.

Keywords: 907, all

Transcript Highlights:

• More specifically, it cancels $163 million of old pork balances from prior budgets that have been sitting
• The old pork balances we proposed to redirect went to things that were never explained but were later
• S. 4436 by Senator McGuckin requires the return of unexpended balances for certain FY 2023, 2024, and

Keywords: 1146, all