Transcript Highlights:

• So I was just hoping maybe you could walk me through how effective some of these programs were.
• I've never heard of that as an effective tool in getting people to quit smoking.
• I was just hoping maybe you could walk me through how effective some of these programs were.
• I've never heard of that as an effective tool in getting people to quit smoking.
• I would question that and its effectiveness, but were you aware that it was being run out of someone's

Summary: The committee considered and approved several temporary appropriation requests in Section B, including spending authority for the Court of Appeals to pay appointed counsel in criminal appeals, Commerce/Aeronautics airport and aviation grants, and Insurance Department items for workers’ compensation benefits and premium tax refunds. It also approved ARPA-related requests in Section C to return unused federal funds from DHS aging, mental health, substance abuse, and Older Americans Act grants. In Section D, the committee reviewed and approved Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requests, including Agriculture grants for wildfire preparedness and forestry capacity, a large Commerce broadband BEAD request, environmental recycling-related reallocations, and Oil and Gas Commission grants for facility repairs and sample preservation. Members questioned the broadband program’s audit process and performance safeguards; the State Broadband Director said the funds are federal, subject to audits, and payments are released only after engineering certification of completed work. The committee also approved DHS reallocations in Section E, including major transfers within Medical Services from hospital medical appropriations to private and public nursing home lines, as well as transfers for children and family services, developmental disabilities, and youth services. The committee then reviewed cash fund requests, miscellaneous federal grants, pay plan and performance fund transfers, methods of finance, and a large set of contracts. A Northwest Arkansas Community College official explained storm-damage repairs and insurance settlement issues, and DHS explained its hospital medical transfer was moving excess appropriation rather than cash. Members also questioned several UAPB tobacco prevention subgrants, especially arts-based outreach, and asked for more data on effectiveness; the committee later voted to expunge and re-refer the J-2 item for further review at a later ALC meeting. Additional discussion covered a DEQ grant to Free Geek of Arkansas for e-waste recycling, a UAPB tobacco program, and various contracts for universities, DHS services, corrections, and public safety. The meeting ended with reports filed for information and a brief member comment thanking others for concern after a tornado in Stone County; no one was injured.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:28:52.080> people out of in California so we teach people out of in California so we teach
• to do this lesson I want to co-teach to do this lesson I want to co-teach with<00:48:45.960>
• and I've been teaching for 19 years.
• These are great things to teach kids, but it's not teaching them physically what to do with their body
• <01:24:02.760> them teach kids but it's not teaching them teach kids but it's not teaching

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So our students, uh, we're not teaching them what to think, we're teaching them how to think.
• teaching them what to think, we're teaching<00:12:28.720> them<00:12:28.880> how<00:12
• And so when teaching them how to think.
• 00:14:33.600> and fosters a highly effective and fosters a highly effective and culturally<00:
• So, and only two that teach high school math.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the September meeting minutes, and heard presentations from Carter G. Woodson Academy in Lexington and related school programs in Fayette County Public Schools. School leaders described the academy as an all-male public school option focused on culture, belonging, and opportunity, with a mission to educate, empower, and equip young men academically, socially, and morally. They emphasized culturally responsive instruction, restorative practices, mentorship, brotherhood circles, and access to advanced coursework, dual enrollment, and career pathways. Student speakers highlighted school culture, leadership opportunities, and clubs such as SGA, Beta Club, FFA, and the Bow Tie Club, along with service and community engagement. Presenters said the academy began in 2012, is housed with Frederick Douglass High School, uses an application and lottery process, and can serve up to about 350 students but is intentionally kept near 300 because of space. They reported 302 enrolled students, about 38 seniors, a 100% graduation rate, 95% average attendance, 100% postsecondary success, and $1.8 million in scholarship offers last year. They also shared demographic and achievement data, noting growth in MAP scores, strengths in reading and writing, and math as an ongoing focus area. The school said 90% of high school scholars are taking at least one dual credit class this year, and some students have earned opportunities at selective programs such as Gatton Academy and Craft Academy. Committee members praised the school’s results and asked about enrollment, funding, and whether the model could be replicated statewide. School leaders said the program is fully funded through Fayette County Public Schools, could be replicated with committed staff and training, and that teachers receive preparation through the Gearing Institute to better understand how boys learn. They also noted that Fayette County has other specialized programs, including girls’ academies and other options for underrepresented students. Members expressed interest in long-term tracking of graduates, and the school said it is preparing to study outcomes as the first graduating class approaches its 10-year anniversary.

Transcript Highlights:

• So one thing I like about this bill, it is merely a sentence if you don't count the effective date; it
• It also removes ambiguities in the law that could hinder the effect.
• And the same thing with the requirements to teach science and to have that replacement.
• Berger was trying to make; the READ Act has only been in effect for a year or so. We need data.
• As it expands to secondary education, as we look at how we teach disciplinary literacy and how we teach

Transcript Highlights:

• What was intended to set high standards has had the opposite effect.
• standards has had the opposite effect standards has had the opposite effect quite<00:04:47.639><
• I spent 35 years teaching in Minnesota and a couple years in Wisconsin.
• This bill is a very effective remedy. It removes the guesswork.
• This bill is a very effective remedy. It removes the guesswork.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That you can teach at an elementary school level with a BS, but you cannot teach in a college without
• They can still teach, and they can only teach for up to 5 years.
• They can still<00:49:20.080> teach still teach still teach and<00:49:21.240> they<00:49
• Thank you. or something of that effect. So or something of that effect.
• > that<01:53:55.360> when And history teaches us that when And history teaches us that when

Keywords: MS Senate Floor - 7 January, 2026; 10:00 AM, 925, all

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum present, heard an invocation from Reverend Chip Stevens of First Baptist Church in Jackson, and recited the pledge of allegiance. The body then dispensed with the reading of the journal, committee reports, and bill titles, and received several guest introductions, including the president of Mississippi University for Women, the physician of the day, and the session’s pages. The main item of business was Senate Bill 2004, the Mississippi PERS Stability Act. Senator Sparks explained that the bill would provide a $500 million infusion to the PERS accumulated employers account on July 1, 2026, followed by $50 million annually for 10 years, with backup funding from unobligated general funds if needed. He said the measure was intended to help address the system’s roughly $26 billion liability and to support both state employees and local government employers, noting that the state had already taken other steps to strengthen PERS. The bill was advanced to engrossed status, read for the third time, and placed on the calendar for final passage. Senator Norwood asked whether the funding would help local governments, and Senator Sparks said it would, because the liability is shared by all employers in the system and affects local balance sheets and bond ratings. Senator Bryan then spoke at length in opposition to the broader direction of retirement policy, criticizing the committee process, the fragmentation of retirement legislation, and what he described as incentives for privatization and unfair treatment of new hires. He said he would still vote for the bill because it sends money into the system, but argued that the state should focus retirement benefits on older retirees and avoid further benefit expansions. Senator Sparks responded that the bill was a necessary cash infusion to honor commitments to employees, stabilize the system, and avoid insolvency, and said more PERS legislation would follow.

Transcript Highlights:

• The wife has been teaching longer than the husband.
• I think anything that we can do to streamline the process, ensure that there is effectiveness.
• So I'm a huge believer in mentors in the teaching profession. So thank you so much.
• It makes accountability more efficient and more effective.
• For example, I received funds through the Educator Effectiveness Grant in 2020.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• um so if you effect the effect estimate um so if you can<00:10:35.920> see<00:10:36.160> the
• I like to<00:31:57.760> teach.
• <00:31:59.279> I'm to teach. I love this environment. I'm to teach.
• Um, I teach for the American places.
• You ever heard of the IKEA effect?

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met for its third meeting, approved the minutes, and heard testimony from Dr. Jack on behalf of the American Beverage Association and Kentucky Beverage Association. Dr. Jack argued that the “totality of the science” supports low- and no-calorie sweeteners as safe and useful tools for reducing sugar and calories, citing FDA and other domestic and international reviews, clinical trials, and the FDA’s recent healthy-label rule. He also described the industry’s transparency efforts, including a “Good to Know” database compiling ingredient and safety information, and said the beverage industry has voluntarily worked to offer more choices with less sugar. Members questioned him about whether beverage ingredients are restricted in other countries, possible health effects beyond weight and cancer, concerns about metabolic issues and gut microbiome effects, whether sweeteners are addictive, and why companies do not simply remove sweeteners. Dr. Jack responded that most ingredients are permitted in many jurisdictions, that broad food-safety reviews have looked at multiple endpoints and found the ingredients safe, that the gut microbiome is still being studied, and that recent clinical evidence does not show increased sweetness preference. He also said business decisions about formulations are up to companies and noted that cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are metabolically similar. The committee also discussed consumer apps and ingredient-scoring tools; Dr. Jack said the industry’s website presents facts without interpretation and is based on food-safety agency assessments. At the end of his testimony, the chair accepted additional fact sheets for the committee. The meeting then moved on to introduce Dr. Gary Huber, who began testimony by emphasizing integrative medicine, metabolic syndrome, and the role of diet, exercise, sleep, and stress in health, but his full presentation was not included in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so they say, look, tell you what I'll do: not only will I teach my child biology, but I'll set up
• a little business here, and I'll teach all of your children biology on some kind of organized basis,
• And so they say, look, tell you what I'll do: not only will I teach my child biology, but I'll set up
• a little business here, and I'll teach all of your children biology on some kind of organized basis,
• And if they were trying to deal with, say, a ballet teacher who was teaching ballet to, you know, 12

Summary: The committee first heard the Pre-K-12 education budget proposal for fiscal year 2025-26 and voted to adopt it as the committee’s recommendation to the full Senate Appropriations Committee. The proposed $34.7 billion budget includes increases for the FEFP, Family Empowerment Scholarships, VPK, school safety, the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, school hardening, Jewish day school security, and an education enrollment stabilization fund. Members asked no questions on the budget before it was advanced, and staff was authorized to make technical corrections. The committee then passed CS/SB 1402, which expands eligibility for dropout retrieval services to any individual who has withdrawn from high school and clarifies how school grades are calculated for virtual instruction providers that offer only dropout retrieval services. An amendment to clarify the grading calculation was adopted without objection, and the bill was reported favorably after a roll call vote. The committee also took up SPB 7030, a comprehensive scholarship-program bill sponsored by Senator Gates, which would separate Family Empowerment Scholarship funding as its own categorical, expand the education stabilization fund, create fall and spring application windows, require a single scholarship application and more documentation, assign student IDs, change payments to a monthly schedule, require background checks for paid instructional providers, mandate annual FTE audits by the Auditor General, and standardize reimbursement and eligibility procedures. After extensive discussion and public testimony, the bill was adopted as a committee bill and reported favorably, with Senator Osgood voting no. Finally, the committee considered CS/SB 508, which requires private schools participating in the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program to disclose in writing what accommodations, modifications, and services they will provide for students with existing plans such as IEPs, 504 plans, or ELL plans. An amendment was adopted to require public schools to consult with private schools about equitable services, and the bill was reported favorably. Public testimony included support from parent-choice advocates and concerns from private-school representatives about administrative burden and the scope of the required disclosures. The meeting concluded after the final roll call votes and adjournment motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Teachers who teach middle school math may be teaching advanced middle school math, but they're already
• Teachers who teach middle school math may be teaching advanced middle school math, but they're already
• My husband has spent his whole teaching career teaching in Title I schools, and over his career it has
• Just make sure that you're hiring the most effective people.
• Just make sure that you're hiring the most effective.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 4043, which would require each school district and charter school to ensure that at least one employee at each school is trained in CPR, first aid, and AED use by August 1, 2027. The sponsor said he would consider floor amendments to clarify that a trained person should be available at all times and to tie the requirement to schools that actually have AEDs. Supporters, including a constituent who lost a child, said the bill could help save lives; opponents and some members raised concerns about cost, staffing, and whether one trained employee is enough. The bill received a due pass recommendation on a 7-1 vote with several members voting present. The committee then took up House Concurrent Resolution 2015, as amended by a strike-everything amendment supporting at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity for students and prominent display of the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A public health advocate testified in favor, emphasizing chronic disease prevention in children. The committee adopted the strike-everything amendment and then gave the resolution a due pass recommendation on a 12-0 vote. House Bill 2621, as amended, addressed enrollment and special education access for pupils in unorganized territory, tribal land, and certain military-connected students, including changes to certificates of educational convenience and timelines for district and county action. The sponsor and stakeholders described it as a technical fix to reduce enrollment delays and improve access to services. After adopting both the strike-everything amendment and a Garcia amendment, the committee passed the bill 11-0. The committee also advanced House Bill 2385, which limits superintendent contracts to one-year terms during the first three years of employment and allows longer terms only after three consecutive years. The sponsor framed it as a way to reduce costly buyouts and give school boards more flexibility; there was no public testimony, and the bill passed 7-4. House Bill 4106, creating the One Arizona Service Fellowship Program, also passed after amendment. Supporters said it would build service opportunities and workforce experience, while some members objected to creating and funding a new state program; it passed 8-2 with one present. Later, House Bill 2992, as amended, established a pilot program in schools for child sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention, expanded to K-12 in the amendment and funded from the Victim Compensation and Assistance Fund. A survivor and anti-trafficking advocate strongly supported teaching children and training staff, while some members objected to the funding source and possible unintended consequences. The bill passed 6-5 with one present. House Bill 2370, concerning who may modify weapons detection systems and requiring superintendent notification to governing boards within 24 hours, passed 8-3 after a debate over school safety, accountability, and whether the bill was too vague or too narrow. House Bill 4056, as amended, would bar fees for legislators making public records requests in their official capacity and require electronic delivery; the sponsor cited large fees charged by school districts, while opponents warned against broad fee exemptions. It passed 8-3. Finally, the committee began House Bill 2478, which would create the Arizona Commission on Student Outcomes to study K-12 performance, accountability, graduation requirements, finance, and related issues, with a proposed amendment to add early childhood analysis. The sponsor said the commission would help drive a statewide conversation and that the Classroom Site Fund had sufficient unused balances to support it. Testimony from early learning and advocacy groups was generally neutral but supportive of including early childhood in the study, and the discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• The canoe journey, for example, is an exciting time for us and a way for us to teach our young people
• Exciting time for us and a way for us to teach our young people our traditions. Next slide, please.
• Teaching our team what it means to help is a primary focus. Next slide.
• Again, we had 12 tribes, 13 with Lummi if it becomes effective, that have removed the $30 wagers.
• It becomes effective once it's published in the Federal Register.

Summary: A joint hearing of the Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee and the House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee was held on an amendment to the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Gaming Compact. The Washington State Gambling Commission and Puyallup Tribal representatives described the compact as a restatement of the tribe’s 1996 agreement, updated to reflect prior amendments and current gaming operations. Commission staff outlined several changes, including authorization for electronic table games, extension of credit with customer-protection safeguards, removal of per-facility limits, changes to wager limits, a stepped increase in the tribe’s player-terminal allocation, and new licensing/eligibility/registration and definitions appendices. They also noted added provisions on responsible gaming, non-smoking areas if smoking is offered, emergency-services access, and community commitments. Puyallup Tribal leaders gave extensive testimony on how gaming revenue has supported tribal self-governance, cultural preservation, education, housing, health care, elder services, youth programs, environmental protection, and charitable giving. They said gaming revenue has funded tribal facilities, a school, a longhouse, housing projects, a funeral home, health and behavioral health services, substance-use treatment, and donations to nonprofits and local public health efforts. Tribal economic development staff also described diversification efforts funded by gaming, including businesses in hospitality, fuel, construction, manufacturing, logistics, and a planned terminal partnership with the Northwest Seaport Alliance. The casino CEO emphasized responsible gaming, compliance, self-exclusion tools, staff training, and a problem-gambling campaign. Committee members asked about the compact negotiation process and the state’s interests. Gambling Commission staff explained that compact changes are negotiated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, with the governor’s office, commissioners, and ex officio members providing policy input, and that the current hearing was required within 30 days of completion of the state process. Staff said the commission would hold a public meeting on Thursday to take comment and then vote whether to forward the restated compact to the governor or return it for further negotiation. No public testimony was signed up at the hearing, and no vote was taken by the legislative committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Educator Accomplished Practices, otherwise known as FEAPs, which are professional standards for effective
• distorting significant historical events, while at the same time stating that these programs may not teach
• distorting significant historical events, while at the same time stating that these programs may not teach
• To teach these truths is to not distort history. It is to illuminate it.
• However, relocating the council under Florida Memorial University would be a more effective and fiscally

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met and considered a wide range of education-related bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports. Early in the meeting, the committee approved CS/SB 754 on International Baccalaureate bonus funding, CS/SB 1122 on Florida Virtual School updates, and CS/SB 430 requiring public schools to adopt cardiac emergency response plans, train students and staff in CPR/AED use, and maintain accessible AEDs. Testimony on the cardiac bill came from the American Heart Association and the Florida chapter of the American College of Cardiology in support, and the chair noted a survey suggesting many districts already have AEDs in schools. The committee also approved CS/SB 1528 on educational opportunities for military children, which expands coordination and training under the interstate compact, and CS/SB 364, which would move the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys from the Department of Legal Affairs to Florida Memorial University for research and administrative support. The committee then adopted amendments and favorably reported CS/SB 1590 on educator preparation, which modernizes teacher standards and certification pathways, including updates to FEAPs, a revised teacher exam, and an alternative certification program. The SPLC testified in opposition to part of the bill, arguing that language on historical instruction and systemic racism was contradictory and could limit accurate teaching of history. The committee also approved CS/SB 1702 on education, incorporating a wireless-device-in-schools pilot and other education provisions, with support from the Florida Charter School Alliance and others. CS/SB 444 on human trafficking awareness was amended to require no-cost training for school employees and charter schools; FSU law students testified in support, emphasizing the need for school personnel to recognize trafficking indicators. The committee also approved CS/SB 650 on hazardous walking conditions, expanding transportation eligibility for students walking near limited-access facilities, though members noted the bill carried an indeterminate fiscal impact and no dedicated funding. Later, the committee favorably reported CS/SB 1102 on school readiness, which expands how disabilities can be identified for early learning services and ties additional funding to training on early identification of delays. It also approved SB 1382 on access to school readiness programs for economically disadvantaged households, revising eligibility and priority tiers to use state median income rather than federal poverty level and refining the waitlist and forecasting process. Several members recorded votes on bills they had missed during the meeting, and the committee adjourned after reporting all of the above measures favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our largest program is our TEACH program, which is where we come in and walk alongside our workforce.
• So while TEACH, our scholarship program that we maintain in the state, has mitigated some of that with
• I did the Teach for America Corps in the Mississippi Delta in 2007, and so I drank the Teach for America
• And so, going into my teaching career, I always understood how important your work is.
• We've done a lot of recruitment and TEACH being one of them.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and focused on School Readiness, specifically the new provider reimbursement rates and the School Readiness Plus program. The chair gave an overview of how School Readiness is funded and administered, noting that the Legislature now sets county-based reimbursement rates using market and cost data, and that School Readiness Plus was created to help families who would otherwise fall off the subsidy “cliff” at 85% of state median income by extending assistance up to 100% of state median income. Panelists from the Children’s Forum, the Association of Early Learning Coalitions, and the Division of Early Learning described the programs as major workforce and family-support tools that help parents stay employed and help providers recruit and retain qualified staff. Testimony emphasized that higher reimbursement rates increase parental choice, help providers cover rising child care costs, and support better staffing and lower turnover. The panel also said School Readiness Plus is easing the pressure on families to turn down raises or promotions for fear of losing child care assistance, though uptake is still early because the program only began in late 2024 and is only available to current School Readiness families at redetermination. The Division of Early Learning reported about 275 children enrolled in School Readiness Plus as of March 10, with expenditures of about $161,420 through January 2025, and said participation is increasing. Members asked about the federal-state funding split, wait lists, reverted funds, coalition accountability, county-based rate differences, and whether the entrance eligibility threshold should be raised or shifted to state median income. The panel said roughly 70% of School Readiness funding is federal, about 4% has typically reverted in recent years, and the wait list is around 12,000 children, with reasons including income ineligibility, lack of available seats, and funding limits. They argued that raising the entrance threshold would expand access but would require additional funding, and they also discussed the need to reduce workforce barriers such as in-person testing and training requirements. The meeting ended with no formal action beyond the presentation and member discussion, and the subcommittee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• When does this go into effect? >> The effective date is our standard October 1 of 26.
• questions about the teaching aspect. questions about the teaching aspect.
• the coming into Alabama to teach. the coming into Alabama to teach.
• granted certification and are teaching. granted certification and are teaching.
• medicine very effectively. medicine very effectively.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Senate first recognized the Montgomery Academy boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Class 3A state championship, their second straight title. Senator Barfoot introduced the team and read a resolution commending the players, coaches, and school community for the 66-39 win over Southside Selma, noting standout performances by Braden Gordon, Mason Ellis, and Jarrett Friendley. Coach Jeremy Aant and school head John Williams thanked the Senate and emphasized the team’s selflessness, teamwork, academic standards, service, and leadership development. The Senate applauded the team, added all senators to the resolution, and arranged for a picture and challenge coins for the players. After the recognition, the Senate came to order, established a quorum, excused absent senators, and adopted the previous day’s journal. Committee reports followed. The Committee on State Government Affairs reported House Bill 541 favorably with one amendment; the bill would create the Safeguard Alabama Voter Engagement Act, requiring party registration for primary voting, restricting crossover voting, retaining voter history as a public record, revising voter registration forms, and requiring parties to publish candidate qualifications. The bill was ordered to a second reading and placed on the calendar. The Committee on Local Legislation reported House Bills 630, 631, and 632 favorably, all relating to Etowah County, including changes to tax exemptions and personnel board membership. These bills were also sent to second reading and the calendar. The Senate then took up Senate Joint Resolution 117, commending Dylan Nut for winning the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic, and added all members as co-sponsors. During discussion, one senator used the opportunity to speak at length about a separate concern involving alleged unlicensed real estate solicitation and the need for legislation to protect citizens from property-related scams; he also discussed the calendar process and other bills. The floor later included extended informal remarks about fishing and a separate discussion of a proposal to designate Miss America as an official state ambassador, with support expressed for a possible stipend amendment.

Transcript Highlights:

• stated in the layout in 2003, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy had a 19-page advisory on the harmful effects
• ... ...different materials and stories from parents talking about the harmful effects that it has on
• We are against the widespread censorship and chilling effect this bill would implement.
• risks a chilling effect on literature by and about marginalized communities.
• Teaching our children about consent and respect is what will protect everyone.

Bills: HB186, HB201, HB229, HB796, HB1506, HB2702, HB2885, HB3225, HB3909, HB4285, HB5138

Keywords: social media, children, account verification, data privacy, parental control, financial crime, card fraud, motor fuel theft, law enforcement, criminal activity, skimmers, prevention, training, biological sex, government information, definitions, sex-based distinctions, public health, federal directives, state authority

Summary: The committee took up House Bill 186, which would require social media platforms to verify users are 18 or older before allowing account creation. Invited witnesses in support, including Mary Elizabeth Castle and David Dunmoyer, argued the bill would protect children from harmful algorithms, addictive design, bullying, sexual exploitation, and mental health harms, and emphasized parental rights and the idea that minors should not enter binding contracts with platforms. Committee members questioned them about how algorithms work, whether parents could realistically monitor content, and whether the bill would still allow educational use; the witnesses said the bill was narrowly aimed at harmful social media use and not educational content. Public testimony on HB 186 was largely in opposition, though several student witnesses said they supported the bill’s goals but wanted the age lowered to 16 or the bill amended to allow parental consent or joint accounts. Opponents argued the bill would be ineffective because teens could bypass age checks, would cut off access to educational tools, school communications, recruiting and NIL opportunities, and would burden free speech and privacy. Some witnesses also said social media helps teens with mental health, community, and creative or professional opportunities, while others warned the bill could disproportionately harm disabled and marginalized users. After public testimony closed, HB 186 was left pending. The committee then heard House Bill 5138, which Chairman Hughes said would respond to a court ruling limiting the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes unless invited by local prosecutors by changing the statute to require AG prosecution. Public testimony on HB 5138 was brief and opposed by at least one witness who argued it would further erode local control and expand state preemption. The bill was left pending after testimony. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 3225, a library bill aimed at keeping sexually explicit books and materials out of children’s sections in municipal libraries and requiring age verification for checkout, including digital access, with parental consent and other revisions added in the House. Supporters said the bill would protect children from explicit material and keep such content in adult sections, while opponents argued it would amount to censorship, be costly and difficult to implement, and could be used to target LGBTQ+ or other marginalized content. Library workers, parents, students, and advocates testified that existing library sections already separate age-appropriate materials and that the bill could reduce access to books, burden libraries, and infringe on parental choice and free expression.

Transcript Highlights:

• They got rid of a sexual predator and an inept educator, but they let him go teach somewhere else.
• There would be an incentive to effectively try to enjoin every single aspect.
• This guy is still substitute teaching in Leander ISD right now.
• And you can make effectively a mid...
• Interfering with a successful and effective system.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair: We will take up Tab Number One, CS for SB 182 on School Teaching Training and Mentoring - the
• The purpose of this program is to increase the effectiveness and implementation of best practices of
• Teacher mentors must have three years of teaching experience and earn a highly effective rating on their
• Senator Jones: This will go into effect July 1st. Chair: You are recognized to go back and forth.
• How will this work logistically as far as timing with other classes that they have to teach et cetera

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the effect, what is the legal effect of executive order?
• Their teachers are teaching 33 kids in a classroom instead of 20.
• A virtual program is only as effective as a student's ability. to access it.
• Absolutely, because that in effect increases student outcomes in terms of education.
• And I think a lot of times we forget what effect these things have on Children.

Bills: HB 120, HB20, HB150, HB6, HB 100, HB 124, HB210, HB215, HB1393, HB1587, HB 1151, HB 1268, HB142, HB451, HB39, HB 102, HB 126, HB290, HB300, HB2143, HJR2, HB147, HJR6, HB 120, HB20, HB150, HB6, HB 100, HB 124, HB210, HB215, HB1393, HB1587, HB 1151, HB 1268, HB142, HB451, SB1

Keywords: career readiness, education reform, workforce training, public schools, financial aid, applied sciences, career education, high school diploma, certificate program, work-based learning, job placement, high-growth jobs, technical training, cybersecurity, state command, information resources, data protection, incident response, mental health, telehealth

Transcript Highlights:

• Our Judaism teaches us one of its most foundational teachings: tikkun olam, repairing the world.
• And the teaching goes that the world was broken into a million pieces and that we were each put on this
• room, and so we have brought each of you a little token to teach about the Jewish concept of tzedakah
• immediately. ...to take effect immediately.
• Jewish tradition teaches us that we carry a responsibility to pursue justice and uphold the inherent

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened after a quorum call, heard a prayer from Rabbi Mona Alfie, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The chamber then held its first official Jewish American Heritage Month ceremony, beginning with Assembly Concurrent Resolution 195 by Assembly Member Gabriel. Gabriel and several colleagues from multiple caucuses spoke in support, emphasizing Jewish Californians’ contributions, the diversity of the Jewish community, solidarity with other communities, and opposition to anti-Semitism. The resolution was adopted by voice vote after 67 co-authors were added, and the Assembly then recognized 14 honorees for their service and leadership in California. After the ceremony, members offered guest introductions and the body moved to floor business. Assembly Constitutional Amendment 9 by Assembly Member Bonta, which would add affordability as a required factor in CPUC rate-making, remove telecommunications from the CPUC, create an Office of Broadband, and expand legislative appointments to the commission, was adopted. The Assembly also passed AB 1697 delaying implementation of a 2025 labor law, AB 2322 on stormwater permit definitions, AB 1653 on pupil instruction, AB 2274 and AB 2273 on criminal justice and child sexual abuse-related prosecutorial practices, AB 2512 on Anaheim Angels naming language tied to a potential land exemption, AB 1956 on suicide prevention for young men and boys, AB 1809 on job order contracting, AB 1970 banning step therapy for serious mental illness and substance use disorder medications, AB 1973 expanding authority for advanced practice clinicians, and AB 2055 on vessel law modernization. The Assembly also adopted ACR 186 designating May as California Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being Month and H.R. 111 recognizing the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia, after extensive debate reflecting both support and criticism over LGBTQ rights and parental rights issues. Several measures were passed with recorded votes, while some items were passed and retained on file or continued. The transcript ends as the Assembly was moving into AB 2059, a CEQA-related bill on rural transportation projects, with the sponsor describing it as a narrow exemption for 21 rural counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because the 12th step teaches you a major, important principle.
• Can you work with all of our members to teach them the tricks?'
• I've given it the best I know how to be effective for this district.
• Teacher mentors must have at least three years of teaching experience, earn a highly effective rating
• We talked about teaching retention.

Summary: The Senate convened with a quorum, opening prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and several introductions and recognitions, including a resolution honoring Bob Graham and a moment of silence for firefighter Roger Timmy Miley. The chamber then moved through a special-order calendar with multiple bills, many of them paired with House companions and amended before final passage. Early action included adoption of a tax conformity bill tied to federal changes in the Internal Revenue Code, with a 34-0 vote. The most extensive debate centered on CS/CS/SB 1758, a Medicaid and SNAP reform bill. The sponsor described provisions to strengthen fraud enforcement, impose work requirements for able-bodied adults, expand behavioral health services through a waiver, modernize Medicaid drug purchasing, and require a SNAP fraud-reduction plan and photo ID on EBT cards. Democrats offered amendments to delay work requirements until Medicaid expansion and to add protections for SNAP users such as caregivers, seniors, disabled individuals, and domestic violence survivors; both amendments failed. Senators also questioned implementation details, exemptions, and potential effects on vulnerable populations. After debate, the bill was placed on the calendar for third reading. The Senate also passed bills on technology education and AI instruction, a public records exemption and related Parkinson’s Disease Registry measures, designation of the SS American Victory as the state flagship, electronic payments for local governments, repeal of the sunset on legal tender recognition for gold and silver, public records protections for financial and digital-asset custodians, a Florida stablecoin pilot program, local government budget transparency, digital voyeurism, insurance customer representative licensing, and a medical freedom bill with amendments on vaccine-related materials and anti-kickback provisions. Most of these measures passed with little or no opposition, though the public records bill for gold/silver custodians and the legal tender repeal drew a few dissenting votes.