Transcript Highlights:

• Hello, Sam Wilkinson with Grace and the in child poverty in California coalition. There you go.
• Hello, Sam Wilkinson with Grace and the in child poverty in California coalition. There you go.
• They’ve been cut also at the federal level, and other challenges around funding.
• Hi, Yusenia with Enchild Poverty, California.
• Yesenia Rubancho with End Child Poverty California, and also with the Dina Rise of Coalition.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Benjamin Henderson with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
• These rural counties have very low levels of growth, if not declining growth, and also low levels of
• Gresia Roscoe on behalf of the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment in support.
• and the state level.
• Greis Yarosco, with the Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment, in opposition. Thank you.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee heard a long series of bills, beginning with AB 2026 on groundwater recharge. The author and supporters said the bill would streamline permitting, codify existing CEQA exemptions for recharge diversions, and help California capture flood flows for storage in aquifers. Water agencies and local districts supported the measure, while environmental groups and some irrigation districts opposed it or sought amendments, warning about CEQA, streambed, Delta, and tribal-resource concerns. The bill was held open pending a quorum. Members then heard AB 1577 on data center energy accountability, which would require monthly reporting of energy use and related information to the Energy Commission and local agencies. The author and the Little Hoover Commission argued the bill would improve transparency, help protect ratepayers, and support grid planning. Data center industry and business groups opposed it as duplicative, burdensome, and uniquely targeted, while several environmental and local-government groups supported or supported if amended. The bill was left with a due-pass recommendation once a quorum was present. The committee also took up AB 2245 on producer responsibility for vehicle lubricant products and containers, AB 2170 on CEQA language-access and environmental protections in overburdened communities, AB 2059 on rural transportation/VMT analysis, AB 1808 on Western Joshua tree permitting and fee relief, AB 2182 on industrial energy efficiency program changes, AB 2231 on streamlining two hospital projects, and AB 2433 on density bonus housing incentives. Each bill drew a mix of support from sponsors, local agencies, labor, housing, or environmental justice groups and opposition or concerns from business, local government, or conservation organizations. Several measures were amended in committee, and multiple bills were reported out on due-pass or due-pass-as-amended votes, with some roll calls left open for absent members.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rebecca Gonzalez with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.
• Rebecca Gonzalez with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support. Thank you.
• And so what all this bill does is to say, whatever's happening at the national level, we need to have
• and the federal level.
• and Rebecca Gonzalez, Western Center on Law and Poverty, in support.

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee heard several Senate measures focused on student access, workforce needs, and institutional stability. Senator Laird presented SJR 4, which urges the federal government to restore NIH funding cuts and protect California’s research universities; UC testified in support and there was no opposition. Senator Ashby presented SB 761, the CalFresh for Students Act, to connect Cal Grant applicants with potential CalFresh eligibility and expand qualifying programs; the bill drew broad support from higher education, student, anti-hunger, and county groups, with members sharing personal experiences with food insecurity and no opposition. Senator Cabaldon presented SB 520 to create a California Nurse Midwifery Education Fund for a new master’s-level nurse midwifery program, citing maternal health disparities and provider shortages, especially in rural and Central Valley communities. Supporters from the California Nurse Midwives Association and the Black Wellness and Prosperity Center emphasized workforce shortages and maternal mortality; one member raised concerns about the bill’s use of inclusive language, but the bill was otherwise well received. Cabaldon also presented SB 640, which would create a statewide direct admissions process to CSU for eligible high school seniors using existing data systems; supporters said it would reduce barriers, improve equity, and help declining-enrollment campuses, while members raised questions about special education students, rural access, dual enrollment, and measuring effectiveness. The committee voted SB 640 out on a 6-0 roll call. Cabaldon’s SB 744 would preserve California students’ access to enrollment and financial aid if a federally recognized accrediting agency loses approval, by treating affected institutions as accredited for state purposes; the bill drew no public testimony and advanced on a 4-2 roll call. Senator Cortese’s SB 494 would require classified school employees’ disciplinary appeals to be heard by an administrative law judge, matching protections already available to teachers and community college faculty; labor groups supported the bill, while school districts and administrators opposed it over cost, local control, and implementation concerns. The committee also heard SB 550, a revised pilot to allow San Jose State and a nonprofit, state-accredited law school to jointly develop a public law school pathway; supporters argued it would expand affordable legal education and public-interest careers, while UC and independent colleges opposed it as inconsistent with the Master Plan. Members debated access, jurisdiction, funding, and bar pass rates, and the bill advanced on a 4-2 roll call to the Judiciary Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• in school and district level decisions. in school and district level decisions.
• My question is around poverty.
• building systems at the district level building systems at the district level to<01:31:46.400>
• <01:38:08.960> director either a level one or level two director either a level one or level
• <01:59:58.719> of can do to help level up uh this level of can do to help level up uh this

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:12 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:33 Kentucky’s New Assessment and Accountability Model Update: 00:03:50 Federal Education Policy and Its Impact on States: 01:00:55 Educational Leadership Training Opportunities in Kentucky: 01:26:44 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations: 02:10:38 Adjournment: 02:13:57, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Education met for its first interim meeting and established a quorum before taking up its first topic, Kentucky’s new assessment and accountability model. Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, joined by KDE staff and superintendents, described a multi-year effort involving the Kentucky “Now We Learn” Council, more than 50 educators and stakeholders, at least 18 pilot districts, surveys, focus groups, town halls, and four prototype frameworks. He emphasized three priorities for the new model: vibrant learning experiences, innovation in assessment, and collaboration with communities. Fletcher said the state accountability portion would continue to meet federal requirements and identify CSI/TSI/ATSI schools, while shifting toward more emphasis on individual student growth, grade-level equivalency in reading and math, career and technical education, graduation rate, and English language proficiency. He also said science would remain a required assessment but be reported separately rather than counted in the CSI/TSI calculation. He stressed that the model should focus on growth, local flexibility, and meaningful measures that reflect community expectations, while still preserving a statewide framework. The committee also heard from Bullitt County superintendent Jesse Bacon, who described his district’s local accountability work. He said Bullitt County formed a community coalition with broad representation from across the district, business leaders, and community members, met six times during the school year, and worked toward a public-facing dashboard that would show community expectations, evidence of accountability, and areas for improvement. Bacon said the district identified six community-defined pillars, beginning with student learning and foundational academic knowledge, as part of a system intended to communicate strengths and improvement areas to the public.

Transcript Highlights:

• And for some families in California, that actually puts them into poverty status.
• Can you walk me through the return on investment that child care brings to our local and state-level
• Can you walk me through the return on investment that child care brings to our local and state-level
• The return on investment that child care brings to our local and state-level economies? Yeah.
• It actually addresses poverty in California. And so, This is not just the moral thing to do.

Summary: The California State Assembly Select Committee on Child Care Costs held its first hearing to examine the state of child care access, affordability, and provider compensation. Chair Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and other members described child care as essential infrastructure for working families and the economy, noting that costs are unaffordable for many households and that providers are underpaid. Early testimony came from a San Francisco parent, Quinn Chung, who described the difficulty of finding safe care and the financial and career sacrifices caused by lack of child care, and from Tuolumne County provider Anita Viscini, who detailed her monthly costs, low margins, and the need to work weekends and teach CPR classes to make ends meet. Assemblymembers also emphasized the crisis in rural communities and the need for a long-term strategy. The first policy panel featured Jennifer Troia of the California Department of Social Services, Laura Pryor of the California Budget and Policy Center, and Alexa Frankenberg of Child Care Providers United. Troia said the state has nearly doubled child care funding in five years, expanded subsidy slots, and reached a new tentative three-year agreement with providers that includes cost-of-living adjustments, stabilization payments, and continued work on an alternative rate methodology and single rate structure. Pryor argued that despite funding gains, child care remains too expensive, only a fraction of eligible children receive subsidies, and provider wages remain far below comparable jobs, worsening racial and gender inequities. Frankenberg said the tentative agreement is progress but not enough, calling for a true cost-of-care system, fair wages, paid time off, better support for emergency and nontraditional care, and stronger integration of family child care into the mixed-delivery system. Members asked about why the crisis persists, how the alternative methodology will work, how family fees and sliding-scale help are being used, and why middle-income families still struggle. The panel said the problem reflects long-term underinvestment, a broken market, and a system that still leaves many families without access. The committee also heard an economic panel from Ashley Hoffman of the California Chamber of Commerce and Sarah Bone of the Public Policy Institute of California. Hoffman described employer child care benefits and public-private partnership models in other states, including shared-cost programs and local chamber efforts. Bone said child care costs reduce family financial security and labor force participation, especially for mothers of young children, and estimated that if mothers of young children worked at the same rate as mothers of older children, more than 80,000 additional women could be in the workforce each year. In the final panel, parent and provider advocates, including Jennifer Greppie and Black Californians United for Early Care and Education co-founder Keisha Doyle, argued for fully funding child care, ending waiting lists, protecting culturally affirming care, and addressing racial inequities and private equity’s role in the sector.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is too burdensome to voters to require this level of documentation.
• Most of us have not seen poverty up close. For most of my life, I didn’t.
• Poverty leads to many problems in collecting the documents that you need to vote.
• Most of us have not seen poverty up close. For most of my life, I didn't.
• And it's wrong on so many levels.

Bills: S0460, S0748, S1180, S1334

Keywords: special elections, vacancy, Governor authority, election timeframe, judicial determination, voting rights, felony, sentencing, civil rights, criminal justice, rehabilitation, elections, voter registration, citizenship, provisional ballots, election fraud

Summary: The Committee on Ethics and Elections met with a quorum and took up several election-related bills. CS/SB 1180 by Senator Arrington, which creates a recall framework for elected community development district board members and also addresses synthetic turf regulation and CDD eligibility, was presented briefly and then approved unanimously. SB 460 by Senator Polsky, requiring the governor to call special elections within set deadlines after vacancies and allowing judicial relief if deadlines are not met, also passed unanimously after members discussed flexibility for emergencies and the cost of delayed elections. The committee then heard SB 748 by Senator Bracy Davis, which would add constitutional voting-rights restoration language to the sentencing score sheet given to felony defendants. Supporters said it would improve clarity and notice without changing eligibility, and the bill was favorably reported unanimously. The committee also confirmed several appointees, including Jim Milliken and Alicia McShea to the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Robert P. Estalas as Director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and additional gubernatorial appointees listed on the agenda, all by favorable votes. The longest discussion centered on Senator Grall’s strike-all amendment for SB 1334, an elections bill dealing with citizenship verification, Real ID and SAVE database use, paper-ballot voting, candidate qualification rules, and related election administration changes. Supporters argued it would streamline verification and ensure only citizens vote, while opponents warned it would create burdens, disenfranchise eligible voters, and impose costs and administrative confusion. After extensive public testimony both for and against, the committee adopted an amendment to allow supervisors of elections to observe holidays when not otherwise required to be open, then approved the strike-all as amended by a 6-2 vote, with Senators Polsky and Bernard voting no. The meeting then adjourned after members recorded their votes on earlier items.

Transcript Highlights:

• These people live in deep poverty, so this small amount of money makes a world of difference for them
• People with disabilities have the highest rates of poverty of any group.
• Will help more people with disabilities at least have a shot at living at just the brink of poverty,
• But make no mistake, eliminating this practice will not solve poverty for people with disabilities, and
• We are not trying to hurt our folks in low-level wage-earning positions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hello, Sam Wilkinson with Grace and the in child poverty in California coalition. There you go.
• Hello, Sam Wilkinson with Grace and the in child poverty in California coalition. There you go.
• Google has been a private partner here, and so they have agreed to match that level of funding.
• Hi, Yusenia with Enchild Poverty, California.
• Yesenia Rubancho with End Child Poverty California, and also with the Dina Rise of Coalition.

Summary: The committee opened with the State Controller’s Office May Revision requests, including funding for Fiscal book-of-record stabilization, a Broadcom IDMS licensing adjustment, the California State Payroll System, ACFR reporting automation, and $3 million for unclaimed property outreach. Testimony emphasized progress on Fiscal becoming the state’s accounting book of record in July, faster ACFR publication, and the move to electronic unclaimed property claims. Members asked about the size of the unclaimed property fund and how quickly money is transferred to the General Fund; the Controller’s office said about $15 billion is held, with most excess transferred regularly, and the LAO noted the fund is the General Fund’s fourth-largest revenue source. No concerns were raised by Finance or the LAO, and the item was closed after no public comment. The committee then heard the administration’s proposal to tax prewritten digital software and software-as-a-service, with Finance saying it would modernize sales tax treatment and raise an estimated $450 million General Fund and $560 million local revenue in 2026-27. The LAO supported modernizing the tax but suggested broader digital goods coverage and a business-use exemption; industry and taxpayer groups opposed the proposal, warning of higher costs for consumers and businesses. Members also heard CDTFA’s administrative request tied to the proposal, plus a separate CDTFA budget reduction reflecting lower operational needs; that reduction was presented as a savings item and drew positive reactions. Next, the committee considered federal conformity for “Trump accounts,” which would align California tax treatment with federal rules for tax-deferred children’s accounts and avoid tracking burdens for families. The LAO recommended approval, and the item drew no opposition. The committee also heard a proposal to cut the first-year $800 annual business tax to $400 for LLCs, LPs, and LLPs; Finance argued it would lower startup costs and encourage new business formation, while the LAO said the benefit was not well targeted and could subsidize entities that would form anyway. Members discussed the policy tradeoff, and public commenters split between support for small business relief and concern about revenue loss. The final major revenue item was a permanent business tax credit limitation, capping credits at the greater of $5 million per corporation or 50% of pre-credit liability, while excluding the low-income housing tax credit and personal income tax credits. Finance said it would raise significant revenue from large profitable corporations, and the LAO said it was a reasonable option but noted it would mainly affect the R&D credit and could have future implications for programs like California Competes. Public testimony was sharply divided, with business groups opposing the cap and anti-poverty advocates supporting it as a way to recapture revenue. The committee also heard FTB’s CalFile realignment request, which would return most of the direct-file-related resources to the General Fund while retaining a smaller staff to improve CalFile, and the California Arts Council’s request to reauthorize the Keep Arts in Schools voluntary contribution fund, which members and advocates supported despite relatively modest annual donations. The hearing continued with GoBiz proposals on civic media funding, CA RISE reappropriation, and a semiconductor facility reversion, with the LAO supporting the latter two and members raising questions about the civic media program’s scope, outreach, and inclusion of broadcast and ethnic media.

Transcript Highlights:

• What most of this data gets at is the level of disengagement at the secondary level.
• the local level.
• We have a different test at the state level. Every state has a different test at the state level.
• So when we get to the third grade level and we're not up to standards, up to the reading levels, we'll
• What's our graduation rate at that level, at your level? Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• talent required to perform at this level talent required to perform at this level congratulations
• The math is about 20%, so we will double senior poverty the following year.
• The math is about 20%, so we will double senior poverty the following year.
• The math is about 20%, so we will double senior poverty the following year.
• The math is about 20%, so we will double senior poverty the following year.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, February 7, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that we get to serve as some really wonderful people, and none more than David McKinley and, to the level
• than David McKinley and to the level than David McKinley and to the level that<02:17:00.319>
• <02:29:26.000> to<02:29:26.160> fight<02:29:26.399> for against rural poverty
• It's exactly what we can't afford to replicate on the federal level.
• Think about the facilities level.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid under 400% of the federal poverty level, and then $90.9 million in non-recurring funding for
• Poverty level.
• level.
• Percent of the federal poverty level. So what kind of... how is that?
• Of those cases, 745 are level 1, 97 are level 2, and 1051 are level 3.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whitney Francis with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.
• And I think certainly when it is available, we'll have higher levels of adherence and insurance that
• Whitney Francis with the Western Center on Law and Poverty, in support.
• We just find that this bill goes a little bit too far, and we're unable to engage at that level.
• Whitney Francis with the Western Center on Law and Poverty in support.

Summary: The Assembly Health Committee heard several bills focused on health care access, oversight, and affordability. The first major item was SB 306 by Senator Becker, a prior authorization reform bill. Becker and supporters, including the California Medical Association and California Hospital Association, argued that prior authorization delays care, adds administrative burden, and can lead to serious patient harm. The bill was substantially amended late in the process to have DMHC and CDI identify services and drugs to exempt from prior authorization based on utilization data, with safeguards for fraud, waste, abuse, and patient safety. Health plans and insurers opposed the measure as written, saying prior authorization remains an important utilization-management tool and raising concerns about the 90% threshold, drug inclusion, and how modifications are counted. The committee also heard SB 35 by Senator Umberg, which would let cities or counties inspect unlicensed sober living homes if DHCS does not act promptly on complaints. Supporters said the bill would address weak enforcement and protect residents, while one behavioral health directors group opposed it unless amended. Members generally supported the measure, citing problems with unlicensed facilities and the need for local enforcement backup. The committee then heard SB 62, which would codify California’s updated essential health benefits benchmark if approved by the federal government. Senator Wiener said the package would add hearing aids, durable medical equipment, and infertility treatment including IVF, acknowledging that premiums could rise but arguing the benefits were worth it. Health Access California and other advocates supported the bill, while the California Family Council opposed it. The committee also took up SB 596 by Senator Menjivar, which would tighten the rules for hospitals claiming an on-call list as a defense to nurse staffing ratio penalties. Supporters, including nurses and SEIU, said hospitals have used vague or ineffective on-call practices to avoid accountability and that the bill would improve enforcement and patient safety. Hospital groups opposed it, arguing that staffing is highly dynamic, that hospitals need flexibility to manage acuity and emergencies, and that the bill could increase costs and interfere with collective bargaining arrangements. Finally, the committee heard SB 40 by Senator Wiener, the Insulin Affordability Act, which would cap insulin copays at $35 for a 30-day supply and restrict step therapy unless a plan covers at least one insulin in each drug type. Supporters, including physicians, diabetes advocates, nurses, students, and patient groups, said insulin is life-saving and too often unaffordable, forcing patients to ration or choose between medication and basic needs. There was no formal opposition testimony, though one member questioned why insulin remains so expensive. The committee also began discussion of SB 363, but the transcript cuts off before that bill’s full presentation or any action on the measures. No votes are recorded in the portion provided, and several bills were noted as consent items earlier in the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I just want to say that to you to that level that that say that to you to that level that that say that
• Law Center, he is he's speaking Poverty Law Center, he is he's speaking Poverty Law Center, he is he's
• Law Center, my very Southern Poverty Law Center, my very Southern Poverty Law Center, my very first
• of them, these are going to be low-level of them, these are going to be low-level violations, low-level
• misdemeanors, are violations, low-level misdemeanors, are violations, low-level misdemeanors, are able

Bills: HB265, HB146, SB254, HB202, HB3, HB42, SB18

Keywords: resisting arrest, penalties, criminal justice, law enforcement, public safety, youthful offender, capital murder, victims' rights, SB254, Alabama, statute of limitations, civil procedure, civil action, sex offense, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, survivor rights, tolling, disability, minor plaintiff

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a blank-check authority to raise taxes at the local level.
• Rebecca Gonzalez with a Western Center on Law and Poverty and Strong Support. Thank you.
• AB 1790 creates consistency and a level playing field. So I have a couple...
• Consistency and a level playing field. So I have a couple of questions.
• level.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation heard several bills dealing with tax policy, local revenue authority, consumer protections, and incentives for development. AB 1726 would create catastrophe savings accounts for homeowners to save pre-tax dollars for disaster mitigation and recovery costs; it drew support from the Department of Insurance and the California Bankers Association, while the California Teachers Association opposed it because of the General Fund and Prop. 98 impact. The bill was referred to suspense. AB 1768 would authorize Los Angeles and Contra Costa counties to ask voters to approve local transaction and use taxes to offset projected federal funding cuts affecting health care and safety-net services; it received broad support from health providers and county representatives, opposition from one member and a resident, and passed the committee 5-2 to the Assembly Local Government Committee. The committee also considered AB 1790, which would repeal the Waters Edge corporate tax election and require worldwide combined reporting for multinational corporations. The author and supporters argued it would close a loophole, raise several billion dollars annually, and help fund schools, Medi-Cal, and other programs; opponents warned of double taxation, compliance burdens, retaliation from foreign governments, and job losses. After extensive testimony and member debate, the bill was referred to suspense. AB 2020 would provide a full property tax exemption for the primary residence of 100% disabled veterans and surviving spouses, and AB 2069 would create a targeted sales and use tax exemption to spur development projects at fairgrounds; both measures had support from sponsors and related organizations, no opposition, and were referred to suspense. Finally, AB 2705 would regulate third-party “asset finders” who help claim excess proceeds from tax sales by requiring written agreements, disclosure that claims can be filed free with the county, and a cap on fees at 10%. County officials and local government groups supported the bill as a consumer protection measure, while recovery companies and related firms opposed it, arguing the work is complex and the cap would reduce access to services. The committee moved AB 2705 to the Assembly floor on a 4-0 vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• The person who did that in Texas went to jail because he was doing things on a federal level that...
• Or would we take that into serious consideration to understand the economic poverty that people who live
• economic interest and the lack of economic engines can help bring about a more extreme version of poverty
• are increasing economic interest and increasing economic value in communities... everyone who is in poverty

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• saying the last person who did that in Texas went to jail because he was doing things on a federal level
• Over a year, would we take that into serious consideration to understand the economic poverty that.
• of economic interest, the lack of economic engines can help bring about a more extreme version of poverty
• In communities, it brings everyone who is in poverty out of it without them having to use government

Transcript Highlights:

• If we could offer that level of support, then We must do the same again for those who have lost everything
• Yesenia Jimenez on behalf of End Child Poverty in California here in support.
• Gaskins, an Altadena wildfire survivor, wife, and mother of to an executive director of End Child Poverty
• California, also including Courage California, Friends Committee on Legislation and Poverty in California

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the subject the interest and level of the subject and<00:09:49.200> and<00:09:49.360> how
• New Hampshire's minimum wage is currently at $7.25 an hour, which is at the federal level.
• That erosion is part of why 30 states plus DC have set their own minimums above the federal level.
• About 31% of workers earning under $12 live in households that are below the poverty line.
• This challenges the poverty line.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That financing is tax-exempt federally and at the state level.
• Our most popular level of coverage is silver plans.
• Under this scenario, our enrollees with income under 400% of the federal poverty level.
• We'll receive less premium support, and our enrollees with income over 400% of the federal poverty level
• Whitney Francis with the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

Keywords: 988, house, all