Transcript Highlights:

• I never add up the amount.
• I never add up the amount.
• </c> national average on this. national average on this.
• statewide average of twice the average statewide average of property<01:46:25.119><c> per</c><01:46:
• </c> this briefly and if you allow me, Mr. this briefly and if you allow me, Mr.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• So the our hospitals as an aggregate have an average of... ...whole as an aggregate have an average of
• We're seeing uncompensated care amounts.
• If... ...less overall in total amounts.
• and nonallowable ratios, allowable and nonallowable costs.
• Um, you'll see much higher amounts go to states like California, ...amounts go to states like California

Committee: Joint Health Insurance Affordability Task Force

Transcript Highlights:

• From 1980 to 2024, the average is about 9 events, and the annual average for the most recent years, which
• This in-housing allows us to do that. It allows us to have full control over our own data.
• What are those amounts that you are seeing now, and is it the total amount that you are looking to create
• Last year, allowing the passage of legislation that allows investors and utilities to develop low-income
• I can't remember what the amount was.

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• California has one of the highest average teacher salaries. It's roughly around $95,000.
• the national average.
• Our cost of living is about 2 percent above the national average.
• We spent $28 million, so more than five times the amount.
• We spent $28 million, so more than five times the amount.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K - 12 Education

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met to hear the governor’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget recommendations for education from the Office of Policy and Budget and the Department of Education. Shelby Salmons and Commissioner Stasi Kamoutsis outlined the governor’s proposed $117.4 billion state budget, including about $32.5 billion for education, with major emphasis on public schools and early learning. The presentation highlighted a $30.6 billion K-12 budget, a $486 million VPK program, continued funding for VPK Summer Bridge, TEACH, HIPPY, and Help Me Grow, as well as increases for teacher pay, base student allocation, mental health, school safety, civics education, and school hardening initiatives. The commissioner also cited a 92.2% statewide graduation rate and Florida’s national rankings in education and education freedom. Senators used the question period to raise concerns about counselor staffing, mental health services, school closures, school choice oversight, the Guardian Program, data reporting, and school capacity. Senator Jones asked about counselor ratios, school closures in historically Black communities, and whether school choice schools are properly monitored for safety and instructional quality. Senator Osgood argued that mental health funding should support more clinical services on campuses, not just academic counselors, and Senator Bradley asked whether the centralized data repository includes scholarship students. Senator Gates praised the civics and debate funding and asked for more detail on the Guardian Program’s performance; the commissioner said 53 of 67 districts participate and described it as a successful safety option with sheriffs approving training. Senators Simon and Osgood also pressed for better use of the FISH report and more accurate space data to understand school capacity and right-sizing. During public testimony, Pinellas County School Board member Laura Hine said her district is an A-rated district with no D or F schools, but spends far more on safety and mental health than it receives in state categorical funding. She said Florida’s mental health staffing ratio is about one counselor per 2,203 students, compared with a recommended one per 1,106, and urged the committee to consider funding full-day VPK statewide, estimating it would cost about $375 million. Committee members followed up on her comments about local flexibility and whether districts can shift funds to meet needs. The meeting ended after members thanked DOE and executive branch staff for the presentation, and the committee adjourned without taking any substantive vote on legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so in regards to the incentive amounts, specific incentive amounts will be determined by the PUC
• When utilities expect the peak amount of electricity consumption to approach the amount of electricity
• It costs a certain amount.
• shift is on average 14.2%.
• Since 2010, the average household bill has risen 88 percent, double the national average, and now stands

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy heard several bills focused on clean energy, electrification, and grid planning. AB 1813 (Ward) would revise California’s community renewable energy program to better support community solar and storage, especially for renters and low-income customers, by tying credits to avoided costs and requiring at least 51% low-income participation. Supporters said the current CPUC program is unworkable and has stalled development; utilities raised concerns about cost shifts, CCA impacts, and the bill’s late substantive amendments. The bill was discussed but no vote was recorded in the excerpt. AB 2313 (Berman) would create a gas service line replacement alternative program allowing customers facing planned gas line replacement to instead choose electrification and receive an incentive. Supporters argued it would reduce long-term gas infrastructure costs and give customers more choice, while opponents warned it could divert money from safety-related gas replacement work, create affordability issues, and conflict with the recently approved SB 1221 pilot. Committee members pressed the author on safety, funding sources, and renter impacts; the author said the bill includes emergency replacement exemptions and is intended to lower costs for remaining ratepayers. AB 1975 (Schultz) would require the CPUC to develop a grid utilization metric and consider expanded grid management programs to better use existing distribution infrastructure and reduce the need for costly upgrades. Supporters said better utilization could save ratepayers billions and help integrate batteries and flexible load; utilities generally opposed rigid utilization targets but were open to further discussion. The committee passed AB 1975 on a 7-0 vote to Appropriations. AB 2612, on plug-in photovoltaic systems, passed 9-0 to Appropriations after supporters said it would expand access to low-cost solar and utilities requested clarification that they would participate in the standards process. AB 1849 (Pappin) would direct CARB to study the need for decarbonized gaseous fuels in hard-to-electrify sectors and for grid reliability. Supporters framed it as a technology-neutral assessment for sectors like industrial heat and backup power; opponents argued it was biased toward a preferred fuel pathway and duplicated existing state studies. After a lengthy exchange over the lack of a statutory definition for “decarbonized gaseous fuels,” the bill passed 10-0 to Appropriations. AB 2088 (Pappin) would authorize investor-owned utilities to own and operate thermal energy networks, with safeguards for safety, workforce, and ratepayers. Supporters described TENs as efficient, low-emission heating and cooling systems that can use geothermal energy or waste heat; the bill passed 9-0 to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• The year following, the average will be even lower, and eventually no building permits allowed anywhere
• The year following, the average will be even lower, and eventually no building permits allowed anywhere
• The year following, the average will be even lower, and eventually no building permits allowed anywhere
• The year following, the average will be even lower, and eventually no building permits allowed anywhere
• The year following, the average will be even lower, and eventually no building permits allowed anywhere

Committee: House Housing

Transcript Highlights:

• $34 an hour and the back of the house averages $19 to $21.
• </c> hour and the back of the house averages hour and the back of the house averages 19<00:08:16.560>
• This average tax cut for bottom rate.
• amount of money it's amount for the same amount of money it's selecting<00:34:11.760><c> one</c><00:34
• But we are fighting to give any amount of tax relief we can to working families.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a holdback amount, I believe it's $675,000, which will allow us to operate for at least six
• There is a holdback amount, I believe it's $675,000, which will allow us to operate for at least six
• There is a holdback amount, I believe it's $675,000, which will allow us to operate for at least six
• There is a holdback amount, I believe it's $675,000, which will allow us to operate for at least six
• So currently statewide, the average what we call a win per unit per day, which is the amount that's in

Summary: The meeting featured presentations from the Department of Administrative Services and the Treasury Department on state revenue reporting and unclaimed property. State Comptroller Dana Call explained DAS’s role in compiling statewide revenue reports, including the annual revenue plan set through the budget process and the monthly revenue focus reports that track cash receipts. She noted that unrestricted general fund revenue is about $2 billion annually, while miscellaneous other revenue is a much smaller and less predictable category, averaging roughly $30 million to $32 million a year. She also described two more material internal revenue lines: statewide indirect cost recoveries and post-retirement benefit recoveries, which are billed to agencies and often tied to federal reimbursement rules. Members asked about the interest line in the revenue charts and about how the figures were presented, and Call clarified that the totals were in millions and that the interest item would be explained by the Treasurer. She also explained that the indirect cost and post-retirement recoveries are internal cost allocations that flow back into the unrestricted revenue pool and are reflected in agency budgets as interagency costs. Treasurer Monica Meissner then outlined Treasury Department functions, including bank deposits, statewide disbursements, banking relationships, investments, debt management, compliance, the FONA College Savings Program, the ABLE Plan, scholarship programs, and the abandoned property program. In discussing unclaimed property, she said holders report property after a five-year dormancy period, the state uses automated systems and outreach to locate owners, and claim activity has increased. In fiscal year 2024, the state returned about $12.2 million to citizens through roughly 12,000 claims; over the last 10 years, about $72.6 million has been returned. She also said the state escheated $19.9 million to the general fund and $1.8 million to counties last year, and explained that securities-related proceeds are harder to estimate because they depend on market conditions. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This academic year, the award amount decreased by 35%.
• This allows the board to set lower growth targets for high-cost hospitals.
• It's a new statute that allowed that so the state can help respond.
• On average, and averages paint a very broad picture, but on average this would be a loss of $101 per
• existing caseworkers to process more complaints, and reduce the amount of time.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, that was the whole purpose of charters is to allow for innovation and to allow for some different
• national average as well.
• So our average active member earns an average compensation of $56,990.
• Now for our purposes, average compensation is salary plus fringe benefits, so this is not the average
• Same thing on our retired member, the average retired member, average annual benefit is $24,191, and

Committee: House A&B Education Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• The estimate for the amount of cannabis...
• The average age of the customer using this Bitcoin was 71. The average loss was $8,000.
• And then we see a fair amount of fraudulent checks.
• We see a fair amount of fraudulent checks.
• This slide shows the average virtual currency kiosk transaction amounts.

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Summary: The committee began with a work session on the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee’s cannabis market study, presented by Susanna Pratt. JLARC found that Washington produced roughly two to three times more cannabis than retailers sold in 2023, and that incomplete, unreliable traceability data limits the Liquor and Cannabis Board’s ability to regulate, verify taxes, and track diversion. The presentation also reviewed canopy estimates, market conditions since legalization, and the social equity program. JLARC recommended that LCB submit a plan by the end of 2025 for obtaining accurate licensee data by the end of 2026; LCB partially concurred and said a 2027 implementation timeline was more realistic. JLARC also recommended the legislature consider broader ways to increase equity beyond new producer licenses, noting that 10 new producer licenses would likely have only a minimal effect on overall production capacity. Members asked about social equity licensing delays and about whether Washington could look to other states’ traceability systems, including Biotrack and Metric, for model practices. The committee then heard a series of presentations on financial fraud and scam prevention. Paul Benda of the American Bankers Association described the scale of fraud losses, the role of telecom spoofing, social media scams, SIM farms, and crypto ATMs, and argued for a shared-responsibility approach involving banks, telecoms, social media companies, and regulators. He noted that Australia’s whole-of-government anti-scam model has reduced losses and said Washington could look to other states for model legislation, including crypto ATM restrictions and telecom accountability measures. Katie Clark of IQ Credit Union described member-to-member fraud, romance scams, and the emotional and financial harm to victims, emphasizing the need for education, information sharing, law enforcement partnerships, and stronger protections around scam-related transfers. She also highlighted the role of high school financial education and the challenges posed by authorized peer-to-peer transfers and crypto ATMs. Kyle Innes of SIFMA focused on investor scams, especially “pig butchering” and other crypto-related relationship scams, and said Washington’s 2009 report-and-hold law for vulnerable adults helped shape similar laws in most other states. He stressed that fraud has become more professionalized and international, and that better coordination among adult protective services, law enforcement, and financial firms is needed. Brian Gerard and Ali Higgs of the Department of Financial Institutions then described pig-butchering scams in more detail, including fake profiles, fake trading platforms, and escalating demands for more money, and said recovery is difficult because funds move quickly through crypto channels. They pointed to DFI’s investment tracker and other consumer education efforts as tools to warn the public and disrupt scams.

Transcript Highlights:

• Of the total amounts, Commerce assumes IT costs, which would likely be the same regardless of the amount
• The average cost per individual in a juvenile facility is $291,000.
• These per-pupil amounts were increased last session by $500 per pupil.
• Estimates for local governments assume average impact.
• It is not a one-for-one dollar-in, dollar-out amount.

Summary: The committee heard public hearings on several bills. HB 2675 would eliminate a number of state accounts and transfer remaining balances from two accounts to the general fund, while also changing how revenues in the Salary Insurance Contribution Increase Revolving Account are deposited; OFM testified in support and there was no public opposition. SHB 1903 would create a statewide low-income energy assistance program through the Department of Commerce, funded by the general fund and Climate Commitment Act revenues; supporters said it would address Washington’s underfunded and uneven energy assistance system, while utilities and rural co-ops raised concerns about cost, reporting burdens, utility authority, and implementation details. SHB 2384 would require actuarial reviews for certain continuing care retirement communities with prepaid life care contracts; residents and consumer advocates supported the added transparency, while providers opposed the added review costs and said they already pay for actuarial work. SHB 1982 would expand the ability of tribal members to vacate convictions tied to treaty rights, add OPD representation and a tribal liaison position, and then an amendment was described that would remove the liaison position and eliminate the fiscal impact; the sponsor and OPD supported the bill, and testimony emphasized correcting past treaty-rights convictions. The committee also heard SHB 2389, a broad juvenile justice bill that would expand suspended disposition options, create midpoint review hearings, reduce some robbery ranges, and address juvenile rehabilitation capacity and transfers. Supporters argued it would reduce racial disparities, favor community-based rehabilitation when safe, and improve outcomes, while prosecutors, sheriffs, counties, judges, cities, victim advocates, and some tribal law enforcement warned it would weaken accountability for serious violent offenses, increase court and local government burdens, and shift costs without funding. Several witnesses and the bill sponsor discussed proposed amendments, including removing presumptions and the mid-sentence review. The committee then heard SHB 2439, which would raise tobacco and vapor product license fees, create a responsible vendor program, add manufacturer certification and enforcement provisions, restrict certain products and sales practices, and redirect tobacco tax revenue to public health, cancer research, and youth prevention accounts; public health and prevention groups supported it, while retailers and industry representatives opposed the fee increases and some of the new restrictions. Finally, HB 2681 would sharply increase cannabis license fees and index them to inflation; OFM supported the change as aligning fees with program costs, while cannabis businesses and associations opposed or sought changes to the fee structure and CPI indexing. The committee also heard a briefing on SHB 2215, which would require the Caseload Forecast Council to forecast SNAP and state food assistance caseloads in light of upcoming federal cost-sharing changes; no questions were raised at the briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Find out an exact amount for you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
• And also our national average.
• below the national average.
• The average age of our bridges is actually over 50 years old.
• The average cost to build a bridge in 2020 was approximately $400.

Transcript Highlights:

• Grover and said, well, what do you think an average pass is?
• And just maybe talk a little bit about the dollar amount.
• Grover and said, well, what do you think an average pass is?
• And if the district falls below that one, which would be the average, then the amount that they're responsible
• to pay back would be discounted by the proportionate amount of their index relative to the average index

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill is allowing physicians to use expedited, expedited part. is this bill is allowing physicians
• Current law allows for that for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
• So long term, it'll lower average cost. For sure.
• The Medicaid program uses currently an $11.81 amount.
• The Medicaid program uses currently an $11.81.801 amount.

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Summary: The committee first adopted the minutes from several prior 2025 meetings, then took up HB 574 by Rep. Spell, which updates the names of two organizations on the Mental Health Advocacy Service Board of Trustees. Rep. Spell explained it as a technical cleanup bill to correct the names of the Louisiana Mental Health Association and the Louisiana State Medical Society so the board’s membership records match current organization names. With no objections, HB 574 was reported favorably. The committee then heard HB 486, also by Rep. Spell, to join the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PsyPact) and allow Louisiana psychologists to provide telepsychology and temporary in-person services across state lines. Rep. Spell and PsyPact representatives said the compact would expand access to mental health care, especially in rural areas, while maintaining standards and disciplinary oversight. The committee adopted amendments on fees and the effective date, and HB 486 was reported favorably with amendments. HB 198 by Rep. Eccles proposed a Medicaid reimbursement methodology for ambulatory surgical centers, using a Medicare-based rate to improve access for Medicaid patients needing specialty procedures. Amendments were adopted to add ophthalmology-related services and to cap reimbursement at the lesser of the outpatient hospital rate or 100% of the Medicaid rate, along with a technical amendment to address the fiscal note. Supporters from GI and ASC groups said the bill would improve access and lower long-term costs, and the bill was reported favorably with amendments. The committee spent the most time on HB 182 by Rep. Travis Johnson, which would require hospitals to ensure access to sexual assault forensic exams and related training. Johnson, law enforcement witnesses, and the Attorney General’s office emphasized the need for timely evidence collection, especially in rural areas, and said the current system leaves victims traveling long distances or losing evidence. Hospital and coroner witnesses supported the goal but opposed the bill as written, arguing it could impose duties on hospitals without enough trained personnel, funding, or a workable statewide training and coordination system; they urged a statewide coordinator, mobile SANE units, and clearer implementation. The bill was not finally disposed of in the portion of the meeting provided, and members discussed continuing to work on amendments and timing before floor consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• Asian women on average and white women on average made more than Black men.
• Asian women on average and white women on average made more than Black men.
• average Black or Hispanic household.
• This amounts to a 47% increase.
• And so students take on a tremendous amount of debt.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion

Transcript Highlights:

• We saw a good amount of coverage when California average prices exceeded $6.
• That's in the straight average of AAA or Opus.
• So if you look at the $6 average, the only stations that are above $6 on average as of April 27th were
• It's also going to be the highest priced on average.
• I think the current statutes allow for most of it.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy held a hearing on the impact of the Iran conflict and global oil supply disruption on California fuel markets. Committee members and administration witnesses from the California Energy Commission and the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight described California’s heavy reliance on imported crude and refined products, the state’s shrinking refining base, current inventory levels, and how global supply tightness is affecting gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel prices. CEC officials said near-term supply looked adequate for roughly the next six weeks, but warned that continued disruption would likely raise prices further and increase competition for imports. DPMO said the conflict is a real supply shock, but also emphasized a separate, longstanding problem of unusually high California retail gasoline prices, especially among major branded stations. Witnesses and members debated the causes of high prices and the state’s longer-term fuel strategy. Professor Severin Borenstein argued that much of the price gap beyond taxes and environmental costs comes from a “mystery gasoline surcharge” downstream of refineries, while also noting that California’s shrinking number of refineries creates market-power and supply-resilience concerns. Western States Petroleum Association CEO Jody Mueller argued that state policies have weakened California’s refining system and made it more vulnerable to global shocks, urging the state to protect remaining refining capacity and improve infrastructure for imports. United Steelworkers Local 675 Vice President Norman Rogers stressed the need for safe, reliable refinery operations and adequate staffing. Several members pressed witnesses on whether California should rely more on imports, how to manage inventories and port/storage capacity, and whether the state needs clearer authority and better data collection to coordinate fuel policy. Discussion also covered branded versus unbranded gasoline pricing, the role of California fuel specifications, and whether a floating gas tax or other policy tools could buffer consumers from global price spikes. No formal votes or committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It also allows cities and counties to carry forward provision allowing them to repurpose funds and discouraging
• :04:42.560><c> provision</c><00:04:43.080><c> allowing</c> carry carry forward provision allowing carry
• It allows a local benefit for owners.
• c> vehicle,</c> The average new $50,000 vehicle, The average new $50,000 vehicle, that<00:09:16.240><
• </c> picture not allowed for that? picture not allowed for that?

Summary: Minnesota Senate Republicans held a press conference unveiling a package of affordability and tax-relief bills aimed at property taxes, taxes on tips and overtime, and vehicle registration costs. Leader Mark Johnson said the proposals were meant to counter rising costs for wages, homeownership, and driving, and argued that Democrats’ policies had made life more expensive. Several senators echoed that theme, saying Minnesotans need immediate relief and that the state has room to act because of a reported surplus. Senator Michael Kunesh described a property-tax cap bill that would limit increases for cities and counties to inflation plus 50% of population growth, with higher increases requiring voter approval. He said constituents, including seniors, a disabled veteran, and young people, are seeing unsustainable property-tax hikes, and he argued that state and federal mandates have driven local costs. In response to a question about added county workload from federal SNAP and Medicaid changes, he said the solution is both to pause new mandates and to cap property-tax growth. Senator Karin Housley outlined a proposal to end state taxes on tips and overtime, with deductions up to $25,000 for tips and $12,500 for overtime, phased out at $150,000 for individuals and $300,000 for families. She said the measure would help workers keep more of what they earn and would not cost small businesses directly. Senator John Jasinski proposed rolling back vehicle registration tab fees to pre-2023 levels, saying Minnesota’s fees are far higher than neighboring states and that the change would save drivers money over time. Senator Julia Coleman also supported the package, saying the bills would provide practical relief for families facing high housing, driving, and work-related costs. No votes were taken; the event ended with questions from reporters about fiscal impacts, offsets, and whether the proposals would worsen the state’s structural budget imbalance.

Transcript Highlights:

• .. ...have dignity and a reasonable quality of life during their later years in retirement, which allows
• service the average expected lifetime and working period for employees is around 11 to 12 years and
• No, so that term is the average expected working lifetime.
• Now, when you think about it, people are going to live or work for a certain amount of time and then
• So if they work the same amount of years—20 years, 30 years—they're going to be retiring later.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not necessarily representative of your average 24-year-old driver.
• This is not necessarily representative of your average 24-year-old driver.
• “So we are overall, on average, meeting, if I could continue, the average is meeting that floor.
• The other thing that you mentioned was the average, and that's great.
• We heard of tabulating the entire amount of good time on the front end.

Summary: The Judiciary interim committee met with a full quorum and approved the June 17 minutes. The main discussion centered on a detailed Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation presentation about prison population, placement authority, classification, recidivism, and the role of transitional facilities. Director Colby Braun emphasized that DOCR’s job includes incarceration, supervision, victim services, and reentry, and said the department is operating over capacity, with people waiting in county jails and deferred placements. He described current and planned bed expansions, including added beds at MRCC, a proposed 600-bed minimum-custody men’s facility, and broader campus studies, while stressing that minimum, medium, and maximum custody are different security levels and that transitional facilities are tightly controlled placements, not releases. Committee members questioned the meaning of “release” versus “placement,” the use of terms like inmate and resident, and whether state law should be clarified to distinguish incarceration from supervision or placement in community-based settings. Braun said the parole board controls release authority, while DOCR controls placement, and explained that people who reoffend while in community placement are generally returned to prison after due process. He also reviewed data showing lower one-year recidivism in recent years, the impact of GPS monitoring, and statistics indicating that most people released never get a transitional-facility placement, while those who do generally have better outcomes. Members also discussed whether transitional facilities and work-release programs should be considered halfway houses and how much freedom and security they involve. The committee then heard a report from the Attorney General’s office on House Bill 1193 funding for law enforcement retention bonuses and tuition assistance. The office said all funds had been distributed, 73 of 101 recipients had reported back, 1,490 officers had received bonuses, and the average bonus amounts differed by agency size. Members generally viewed the program positively. Representative Steve Vetter also presented a pretrial services report, describing constitutional and statutory limits on pretrial detention, the use of risk assessment tools, court reminders, victim-notification practices, and North Dakota’s pilot pretrial programs. He suggested possible future legislation to expand detention authority for certain serious offenses and to require the Judiciary Committee to receive updated jail-population data before sessions. Finally, Megan Gordon from Legislative Council began her annual technical corrections bill presentation, outlining a series of non-substantive Century Code fixes such as cross-reference corrections, punctuation changes, and obsolete-reference removals.