Transcript Highlights:

• I have been on the job for nine weeks.
• We also provide mobile access and mobile broadband for those driving through and enjoying the beautiful
• It was very important that they had mobile access to this broadband.
• So we find it critical that mobile broadband plays a role in the future.
• Mobile broadband, you have to supply at least four and a half gigabits and be at least a 3G.

Transcript Highlights:

• And please take your jobs serious. Lives matter, and you are the backbone of that whole society.
• And please take your jobs<00:39:22.880><c> serious.</c> jobs serious. jobs serious.
• They just make it so hard for us to do our job.
• </c><01:33:56.719><c> I</c><01:33:56.960><c> mean,</c> it so hard for us to do our job.
• I mean, it so hard for us to do our job.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the assembly member did an excellent job. I've been outlining the issues that we're facing.
• The NASW California chapter mobilized over 2,000 social workers across the state to address, support,
• Some candidates must wait months for available classes, leading them to seek jobs elsewhere, further
• And for that reason, the dental assisting on the job training pathway is a really excellent low barrier
• As for cross-border practice or mobility, This has been an integral part of the accounting profession

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want equity gaps to increase because of AI influencing coming into the job markets.
• credit and that economic mobility.
• We're looking to get our students significant economic mobility, and that's the way we do it.
• , and improve their economic mobility.
• , and improve their economic mobility.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard updates on several higher education budget items, beginning with a pulled follow-up item on the State Library’s administration of the Imagination Library. The chair said the committee had received new documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance late the prior evening, and staff would review it before deciding whether additional oversight or accountability measures are needed. The committee then turned to the California Community Colleges budget request, with Chancellor Christian outlining strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery, asking for 3% enrollment growth funding, changes to the three-year average formula, removal of the 10% growth cap, and support for several one-time and ongoing initiatives including the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, AI literacy, Rebuild L.A., veterans services, Calbright College, and the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and fraud prevention in enrollment systems; the chancellor said the system is using DMV and other identity verification tools, AI screening, and audits, and that reported final enrollment numbers are clean. The committee then reviewed the student-centered funding formula. The Department of Finance described the governor’s proposal to fully repay $408.4 million in deferrals, provide a 2.41% COLA, and add one-time funding to cover current-year apportionment costs, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended prioritizing the proposals within available Proposition 98 funding. Community college finance staff said most districts are growing, many would benefit from current-year funding rules, and that without the proposed apportionment funding districts could face a deficit factor and reduced course access. Members asked about infrastructure prioritization, deferred maintenance, safety, accessibility, and campus police; staff explained that life safety projects are prioritized first, followed by modernization and growth-related facilities, and that colleges are built to high safety standards under the Field Act. Enrollment growth was discussed separately, with Finance and LAO supporting the governor’s 1.5% growth proposal split across two fiscal years, while noting that growth is being driven in part by dual enrollment, regional demographic shifts, and unemployment. The Chancellor’s Office said 54 of 72 districts grew year over year and that funding more growth could help districts move off hold harmless status, though some districts face long-term demographic challenges. The committee also heard from Calbright College President Agita Menon, who described Calbright’s role serving adult learners statewide, its completion and wage gains, and the governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing funding. The LAO recommended transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula beginning in 2027-28, arguing that the current proposal lacks a clear funding rationale and performance linkage; Calbright responded that its competency-based, non-credit model is structurally different and should be funded separately, while agreeing to continued accountability reporting. Finally, the committee received an update on the Community College Higher Education Student Housing Program. Finance said the governor proposes about $11 million ongoing General Fund for debt service on approved student housing projects, and that 11 projects are in the financing pipeline, with two completed, three under construction, four in working drawings, and two in preliminary plans. Finance also noted that some projects have withdrawn and that about $81 million in bond authority remains unallocated, which the Legislature may need to address going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• ,</c> economic productivity, freight mobility, economic productivity, freight mobility, and<00:10:16.880
• ,</c> positively impacts hundreds of jobs, positively impacts hundreds of jobs, dozens<00:15:05.000><
• 24:51.600><c> and</c> This division complicates mobility and This division complicates mobility and access
• </c><01:26:33.040><c> as</c> approximately 100 well-paying jobs as approximately 100 well-paying jobs
• </c><02:24:14.280><c> and</c> our staff you guys do a great job and our staff you guys do a great job

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• or it's going to be in the very low end jobs. and we're not necessarily going to be in high road jobs
• a job with an employer that aligns with what I want to do, I can at least look at creating a job for
• get to their next path or space when it comes to economic mobility, there are a lot of jobs that happen
• He got a job in Tracy making $32 an hour.
• They're going to be replaced by highly skilled jobs that require really STEM jobs.

Summary: The committee held an information hearing on California’s economy and household affordability, with the first panel focusing on inflation, housing, energy, wages, and the likely effects of new federal tariff policy. PPIC’s Sarah Bone said Californians remain deeply pessimistic about the economy, with inflation the main driver of concern; she noted prices are still about 23% higher than in January 2020, with especially large increases in food, energy, and housing costs. LAO’s Brian Euler emphasized that housing is the largest household expense and pointed to insurance, electricity, gasoline, and health care as other major cost pressures, urging the Legislature to review whether existing policies are actually reducing costs and to consider studies of why recent housing laws have not produced more units. UC Davis economist Catherine Russ warned that tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico, and potentially broader imports could raise consumer prices, disrupt supply chains, and hurt California exporters, farmers, and small businesses; she suggested monitoring prices, strengthening food assistance, and preparing transition support for affected workers and producers. Members pressed the panelists for concrete, near-term policy ideas, especially on housing and tariffs. Questions centered on whether accessory dwelling units are making a meaningful dent in affordability, how to improve implementation of pro-housing laws at the local level, and how to measure the impact of tariffs on consumers, health care, and agriculture. Panelists said ADUs help but are limited, that state laws can be undermined by local implementation and litigation, and that tariff effects may show up quickly in prices and later in hiring and investment. Several members stressed that the tariff issue is not a minor disruption for constituents and asked for more data on consumer impacts, food aid needs, and crop-specific farm losses. The second panel shifted to regional economic development and small business support. Go-Biz’s Derek Kirk described California Jobs First and the state economic blueprint as a first-in-decades, regionally informed strategy to create good-paying jobs, support key sectors, and align workforce and business development across 13 regions. The California Association for Local Economic Development’s Gerbach Sahota argued that local governments need practical tools, stable policy, and stronger partnerships with the state, while warning that prosperity is not always perceived as shared and that rural communities can be left behind. He urged the Legislature to use hearings, local input, and existing funding streams more effectively, including for recovery and infrastructure. David Fitzgerald of the Small Business Development Centers said California’s SBDC network serves hundreds of thousands of clients, many of them women and historically underrepresented entrepreneurs, and has generated billions in economic impact, capital access, revenue, and jobs. He said the biggest gaps are outreach to the state’s many self-employed businesses with no employees, better labor data on those workers, and more flexible support for direct services. Committee members then asked what small businesses need most in the face of inflation and tariff shocks, including lower licensing costs and other relief, and the discussion continued on how to better target state support to businesses and households under pressure.

Transcript Highlights:

• I also have a day job, and this isn't it.
• Meanwhile, rebuilding our home has become another full-time job.
• And for many families, including those in condos or mobile homes, even longer.
• I don't have a job. My ALE is running out. Where am I going to go, to live in my car?
• SB 996 recategorizes mobile homes as real property. It might take a look at that.

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee held an outcomes review of AB 238, the wildfire mortgage forbearance law, focused on how the law has worked for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Chair Valencia and Assemblymember Harabedian said the hearing was intended to hear directly from survivors, assess whether the law is being implemented as intended, and identify fixes. Several survivors described losing homes, facing long rebuild timelines, and struggling with insurers, housing costs, and mortgage servicers. Many said they encountered confusion, inconsistent information, requests for financial documentation, lump-sum repayment demands, credit reporting problems, or loan modifications that they viewed as undermining the law’s purpose. Some urged clearer consumer education, a consumer bill of rights, and an extension of forbearance relief; one witness specifically advocated for AB 1847 to extend forbearance to 36 months. DFPI Chief Deputy Commissioner Suzanne Martindale said the department had received about 300 wildfire-related consumer complaints, mostly about mortgage forbearance, and that more than 91% had been resolved in the consumer’s favor. She said the department works with both state-licensed and federally regulated institutions, but its authority is limited when national banks are involved, so it often uses outreach and direct contact with lenders and federal partners to resolve complaints. She also described recurring complaint themes such as difficulty obtaining forbearance, customer-service breakdowns, withholding of insurance funds, and non-interest-bearing impound accounts. Committee members pressed DFPI on which institutions were noncompliant, what enforcement tools were available, and how much data the state could collect and make public. Representatives of the California Bankers Association and California Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders had provided early disaster relief and were working to comply with AB 238, but emphasized that mortgage servicing is constrained by federal law, investor requirements, and secondary-market guidelines. They argued that forbearance is temporary relief, not forgiveness, and warned that extending it without a clear repayment path can create future payment shock or larger debt burdens. They also said many servicers use disaster protocols tied to federal declarations and that clearer communication is needed. In response to committee concerns, the mortgage bankers said they would continue working with the Legislature and federal agencies, but could not promise changes beyond investor and agency rules. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the WSDOT Assistant Secretary for Urban Mobility, Access, and Mega Programs.
• , not dollars. 1.8 million jobs, not dollars.
• , not dollars. 1.8 million jobs, not dollars.
• But we know they have a tough job.
• Again, this encompasses the state policy goals of both safety and mobility.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation from WSDOT on balancing uncertainty in capital program estimates and cash flow management. WSDOT explained the differences between design-bid-build and design-build delivery, its tiered risk-assessment process by project size, and how it uses base estimates, inflation, and risk modeling to set budgets. Staff said design-bid-build estimates are generally accurate within about 1% across the program, while design-build projects carry much wider uncertainty and are better communicated as ranges; they cited a P85 budget approach and noted that large, complex projects can be affected by market competition and long procurement timelines. Members asked about the Columbia River Bridge cost growth and about value engineering, and WSDOT said it uses value engineering but has limited scope to cut costs because of project requirements and policy mandates. Troy Swing also discussed cash flow, noting that a few large projects can significantly affect biennial funding needs, and said a risk pool would not reduce overall program risk but could help manage timing if paired with appropriation and cash-flow controls. The committee then received the final presentation in the WSDOT Project Delivery and Innovative Practices study from HKA Global. The consultant said WSDOT’s estimating practices are generally robust and recommended improving transparency by presenting budget authorizations as ranges or estimate classes, better tracking estimate growth over time, and adjusting advertisement timing to avoid competing lettings. The report also discussed surety bonding, suggesting the legislature consider restoring authority for reduced bonding on select large design-build projects or using phased bonding and alternative securities. On indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracting, the consultant said current job order contract rules are restrictive and recommended legislative changes to make such tools more usable, especially for smaller tasks and to help use unspent funds more flexibly. The committee also heard a follow-up presentation on transit-oriented development policy recommendations tied to HB 1491. The Urban Institute’s Yona Freemark said Washington has been a national leader on TOD but that housing construction, especially in the Puget Sound, has slowed sharply since 2022. He said rising construction costs, high financing costs, and local tax and rent conditions are making many TOD projects infeasible, and recommended that the state fill infrastructure funding gaps around stations, revisit MFTE affordability requirements, consider minimum rather than average density requirements near transit, and create a statewide system to track TOD outcomes such as affordability, gentrification, and transit access. Members questioned the study’s developer interviews, the role of rent control and crime, property tax assumptions, and parking needs; the presenter said the study included five private developers, that rent control was not part of the study scope, and that parking was included in the model assumptions. Finally, the committee began a presentation on regulating emissions from ocean-going vessels at berth. Staff and consultants described California-style at-berth rules, which require shore power or equivalent emissions controls so ships can shut off diesel auxiliary engines while docked. The study is examining vessel traffic, emissions reductions, implementation costs, labor and operational needs, and possible effects on port competitiveness and cargo diversion. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, I'm kind of curious because I know that in my day job at the port, we are also looking at fleet
• Have we looked into different types of EV charging equipment so that it could be mobilely used to help
• We have one agency that we had worked with that did kind of a mobile solar charging project, but the
• It's cost effective, and it helps people get to jobs and makes jobs.
• And then there's also the Tribal Transit Mobility Program. We're pretty excited about this one.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• To me, the Metro is Mobile.
• I think that Alabama has done a good job of creating...
• I would like to see us having job training and support.
• That's troubling, but Alabama is doing a great job with this.
• Last year, you did a nice job with this.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• On slide 11, you have up there about mobile homes. Could you elaborate a little more?
• And in the earlier committee, ...mobile homes, they’re like selling it and the people are moving out.
• So this particular program for mobile and manufactured homes is only for a tie-down.
• And you guys have done a terrific job and we appreciate it. Thank you, sir.
• And mobile homes are eligible projects.

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and heard two hurricane-recovery presentations focused on Florida’s response and long-term recovery efforts. Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, reviewed response and recovery operations for Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton, including meals, water, sheltering, search and rescue deployments, power restoration, debris removal, flood-control efforts, and generator distribution. He also described ongoing public assistance and mitigation funding, the state’s FROC system for standardizing and speeding reimbursement documentation, and the Elevate Florida residential mitigation program, which will use about $400 million to elevate or reconstruct eligible flood-insurance properties and may expand to county-run programs. Senators asked about manufactured homes, school shelter hardening, mobile home tie-downs, reimbursement for USAR teams, debris hauling, regional sheltering, and FEMA review delays; Guthrie said the state is trying to move recovery faster and more proactively, while acknowledging some limits and federal bottlenecks. The committee then heard from Justin Domer, Deputy Secretary of Community Development at Florida Commerce, on HUD Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs. He explained that Commerce administers long-term recovery funds through its Office of Long-Term Resiliency for housing, infrastructure, and economic development, with funds used as a last resort after FEMA and insurance. Domer outlined the process for the most recent $925 million allocation covering multiple disasters, including Idalia, Debby, Helene, Milton, Broward flooding, and North Florida tornadoes, and said the state currently manages about $3.4 billion in DR funds, rising to over $4 billion with the new allocation. He highlighted completed and ongoing housing programs for Hurricane Irma, Michael, and Ian, plus workforce recovery programs and subrecipient infrastructure grants. Senators asked about Broward and Fort Lauderdale funding, homeowner turnaround times, and mobile home eligibility; Domer said Broward and Fort Lauderdale will have separate HUD-directed programs, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lack of access to adjacent free lanes reduces access to businesses, restricts mobility, and increases
• Uh, those toll lanes were operated and maintained by North Tarrant Express Mobility Partners.
• The moment to invest in a wide range of infrastructures and mobility options in Texas is now.
• I'm the chairman of the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority and I represent that entity. Um.
• Without mobility we really have no commerce.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> that we were good enough to hold jobs. that we were good enough to hold jobs.
• >> No, I don't think it was a few jobs back. >> A few jobs back. >> Yeah, a few jobs back.
• Birmingham, Birmingham, Mobile, Mobile, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa, Tuskegee.
• We had to move where the jobs were. My ancestors had to move to Mobile, work on the docks.
• Mobile. Mobile.

Keywords: 920, all

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the pledge, and a roll call establishing a quorum of 35 senators. The journal was adopted without objection, absent senators were excused, and there were no house messages, committee reports, motions, or resolutions before the first bill was called. The main item of business was House Bill 1, described as a conditional measure to set a process for electing U.S. House candidates in Alabama’s congressional districts 1, 2, 6, and 7 if a federal court order lifts current injunctions. The sponsor said the bill would only take effect if the court order is issued and would allow quick compliance with federal rulings. Debate centered on whether the bill was truly responsive to the court or instead an attempt at mid-decade redistricting; opponents argued it would violate Alabama’s constitutional limits on elections and ignore the court’s redistricting orders, while supporters said they were trying to comply with the court and that the issue was partisan rather than personal. Much of the discussion focused on Allen v. Milligan, the Voting Rights Act, and the meaning of the court’s injunctions. One senator argued the bill would dilute Black voting strength and was being driven by national Republican politics, while the sponsor and others insisted the legislature was acting only conditionally and that the court had not ordered the specific action being debated. The exchange became lengthy and contentious, but no final vote or other action on HB1 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• of of and the is just the mobility of of and the population<00:07:21.919><c> growth</c><00:07:22.400
• </c><00:08:01.280><c> due</c><00:08:01.599><c> to</c><00:08:02.720><c> job</c> students, uh the mobility
• due to job students, uh the mobility due to job opportunities<00:08:03.599><c> and</c><00:08:03.919>
• </c> talked about notaries and mobile talked about notaries and mobile notaries<00:22:04.000><c> and<
• </c> the equipment they need to do their job? the equipment they need to do their job?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Summary: The committee of conference first met on Senate Bill 221, which concerned annual voter roll verification and the lookback period for checking voter registration lists. The Senate favored looking back to presidential elections to reduce the number of voters removed, while the House argued for annual verification with a one-year lookback because the voter roll database now makes the process easier and because of population mobility and student turnover. Members discussed possible refinements to the 30-day letter process and agreed to recess and return Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. to continue negotiations. The committee then took up Senate Bill 213 and Senate Bill 218, both involving absentee voting and public employee electioneering restrictions. On SB 213, the discussion focused on clarifying identification/documentation requirements for absentee ballot-related applications and on a House amendment to preserve the ability of certain public employees to provide factual information to the public about official matters without violating the bill. On SB 218, the Senate wanted to remove outer envelopes from absentee voting materials, while the House supported keeping the bill but clarifying that only applicable documentation is required. Members raised concerns about voter access, clerks’ procedures, and whether the electioneering language was too broad; both bills were held over and recessed for further work. The committee also considered Senate Bill 287, which dealt with public employee electioneering and a related carve-out for factual responses by appointed public employees. The House and Senate discussed combining amendments, but the House member said the underlying bill was needed to curb partisan electioneering while still allowing factual public information. The committee then moved to Senate Bill 118, which would adjust a personal needs allowance for nursing home residents, address Hampstead Hospital employee bonuses, and create a maintenance fund for the hospital. The Senate objected to a House-added cannabis cultivation provision, saying it was unrelated to the bill and could jeopardize the measure because of the Senate’s and governor’s opposition to cannabis language; the committee recessed to revisit the issue later, with the House noting the base bill’s importance to nursing home residents and Hampstead Hospital.

Transcript Highlights:

• person from charging different prices based on consumer characteristics in physical, website, and mobile
• If all were adopted, they would have the same expansion to include mobile sales and website sales, but
• House Bill 2397 is the bill relating to reimbursements under the State Fire Services Mobilization Plan
• From the conclusion of the mobilization. Thank you very much. Any questions about this amendment?
• under the Washington State Fire Services Mobilization Plan.

Bills: HB2325, HB2481, HB2503, HB2397, HB2278, HB2417

Keywords: tourism, tourism promotion, Washington Tourism Marketing Authority, assessment, self-supported assessment, visitor economy, destination marketing, statewide marketing, lodging, hotels, restaurants, travel services, attractions, recreation, retail, beverage producers, arts and culture, tribal nations, tribal businesses, rural communities

Summary: The Technology, Economic Development, and Veterans Committee met in executive session and considered six bills. House Bill 2325, creating a tourism self-supported assessment program for statewide tourism promotion, was amended to add certain large restaurants and retailers to the assessment, adjust enforcement language, remove a report-reference requirement, and make the Washington State Tourism Marketing Authority the governing agency. The committee adopted Amendment WAIL 264 and then voted 12-0, with one excused, to report the substitute bill out with a do pass recommendation. Members supporting the bill emphasized tourism’s economic benefits, local flexibility, and the need to increase statewide marketing. House Bill 2481, addressing surveillance-based price discrimination and surge pricing for retail goods, was discussed with a proposed substitute and several amendments, but Representative Kloba withdrew the substitute proposal before action, leaving the bill as written. Members debated fairness in grocery pricing, with supporters arguing consumers should pay the same price regardless of personal data and opponents expressing concern about the bill’s mechanics and impact on retailers. The committee voted 8-4, with one excused, to report the bill out with a do pass recommendation. House Bill 2503, concerning documentation of data used to train AI and generative AI systems, was amended to require posting additional documentation describing efforts to remove child sexual abuse material from training datasets. The committee adopted the amendment and then voted 8-4, with one excused, to pass the substitute bill out of committee. House Bill 2397, on reimbursements under the State Fire Services Mobilization Plan, was amended so the 60-day reimbursement clock begins when complete documentation is received; it then passed 12-0, with one excused. The committee also unanimously approved House Bill 2278 on tourism promotion areas and House Bill 2417 on victim protections under the Washington Code of Military Justice, each by 12-0 votes with one excused.

Transcript Highlights:

• She recognizes the lady from Mobile, Virginia...
• I am from Mobile, Alabama. I'm a girl.
• It's owned by Mobile Area Water and Sewer.
• Mobile Area Water and Sewer is tied to Spanish Fort. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> Okay. >> The Mobile, I mean
• Then I got me a job working... Then I got me a job working at a sawmill.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the next request is for regional mobility management.
• So, we have a statewide mobility manager that we contract for, and we have eight regional mobility managers
• This again regional mobility management.
• So, we have a statewide mobility bienia.
• </c><00:20:56.400><c> managers</c> eight regional um mobility managers eight regional um mobility managers

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Capital Project Overview Committee approved the minutes from its February 24 meeting and then received a briefing on the legislative parking garage from Terry Poff, Chief Operating Officer for the General Court. He reported that the pre-stressed concrete garage, being built with panels fabricated by Unistress in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, remains on schedule, with erection expected in late July through August and functional occupancy targeted for March 17, 2026. He said the garage will provide 409 spaces, security cameras, a communications repeater, and a maintenance plan developed from the outset. In response to questions, he explained nearby street excavation is for drainage vaults and oil-water separators, and that temporary closures will be needed during panel deliveries. He also said the garage was designed with future EV charging infrastructure in mind, but current charging stations would need to be located outside the secure facility; he has begun discussions with city officials about possible curbside charging options. The committee then heard and approved a $754,000 capital request for Cannon Mountain/Franconia Notch State Park maintenance projects. The request, recommended by the Cannon Mountain Advisory Commission, covers lodge exterior repairs, lift maintenance, snowmaking pipe replacements and pump controls, and equipment purchases to improve maintenance operations. The committee approved the item after brief discussion. Next, the Department of Transportation presented two toll-credit requests. The first, CAP 250007, sought toll credits to support transportation planning, regional planning commissions, GIS and asset-management work, and related federal planning requirements; members asked about coordination with Granite data and the effect of a prior budget decision on regional planning officers, and staff said the request would not affect the regular federally funded program. The committee approved the item. The second, CAP 25010, sought $245,000 in toll credits for bus terminal improvements, regional mobility management, a statewide transit assessment, and an intercity bus pilot intended to connect Keene with southern New Hampshire or Concord. Members asked about the subsidy structure and ridership reporting; staff said the intercity service would be a net-cost subsidy and agreed to provide updated ridership and route information. The committee approved this item as well. At the end of the meeting, the committee noted that a quarterly capital projects report from DAS and the community college system was informational only, and members opted not to hear a separate presentation that day. The next meeting was set for September 29 at 9:00 a.m., with a request to invite HHS to discuss closed-loop referral system projects. Members also asked for future updates on the planned sale of the Cenuunu Center, and the committee adjourned after a motion carried.

Transcript Highlights:

• homes, with the mobile home um associations, mobile home owners, mobile home, um.
• , mobile home owner, uh, what are they called?
• Um, we supported, um, almost 6000 local, uh, construction jobs and long-term jobs.
• Another one is a mobile home replacement program.
• But if you lose your job.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't want equity gaps to increase because of AI influencing coming into the job markets.
• By us building out the infrastructure, we can mobilize and do what?
• come in to get that credit and that economic mobility.
• , and improve their economic mobility.
• , and improve their economic mobility.

Summary: The subcommittee first noted that item one on the Imagination Library update was being pulled pending review of newly received receipts, invoices, and backup documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance. The chair said the committee would continue reviewing the materials and later determine whether additional oversight and accountability measures are needed regarding taxpayer funds and implementation of the program. The main discussion focused on the California Community Colleges budget request. Chancellor Christian described strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery and asked the Legislature to fund 3% enrollment growth, change the funding formula to use the highest of the three years rather than a three-year average, and remove the 10% growth cap to avoid unfunded FTES. She also urged support for the Governor’s proposals on COLA, deferral repayment, the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, and Calbright College, while adding requests for AI literacy funding, a Rebuild L.A. workforce effort, veterans services, and support for the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about high district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and enrollment fraud; Christian said reserves are complex but should be addressed district by district, and that identity verification and AI tools are being used to prevent fraudulent enrollments. Finance and LAO staff then reviewed the student-centered funding formula and enrollment growth proposals. DOF said the Governor’s budget fully repays $408.4 million in deferrals, provides a 2.41% COLA, and includes funding to cover current-year apportionment costs; LAO recommended prioritizing those proposals but suggested beginning enrollment growth funding in 2026-27 rather than revising the current-year target. Chris Ferguson said most districts are growing, that 54 of 72 districts would benefit from a formula change favoring current-year enrollment, and that unfunded growth remains a concern. On facilities, staff explained that deferred maintenance needs are about $2.2 billion, with projects prioritized by life safety, modernization, and capacity needs. The final item was Calbright College. President Menon said Calbright serves more than 6,200 adult learners statewide, with strong completion and wage gains, and asked for the Governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing increase. She and staff emphasized Calbright’s flexible, competency-based model, its partnerships with employers and other colleges, and its role in serving working adults and caregivers. LAO questioned the proposed funding level and recommended moving Calbright onto the student-centered funding formula in the future to better tie funding to enrollment and outcomes, while Calbright argued its structure is different from traditional colleges and needs separate treatment. No votes were taken during the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• the way, has also been impacted by millions of dollars of cuts to capital projects and to federal jobs
• the way, has also been impacted by millions of dollars of cuts to capital projects and to federal jobs
• I'm a tenant of the Colony Mobile Home Park here in Vancouver, Washington.
• Today, I'm a tenant of the Colony Mobile Home Park here in Vancouver, Washington.
• All of these provide jobs, recreation, carbon sequestration, and more for our communities.

Bills: SB6003

Keywords: capital budget, funding, infrastructure, state projects, budget allocation, 904, all

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee held its first meeting of the 2026 session to hear Governor Ferguson’s proposed supplemental capital budget from OFM. Jen Masterson said the budget uses about $396 million in new appropriations, leaving $5.4 million in bond capacity, and includes funding from the Common School Construction account, Climate Commitment Act accounts, and federal funds. She highlighted housing as the largest share of the proposal, along with urgent state facility repairs, K-12 school seismic and modernization grants, natural resource projects, and higher education preservation and minor works. Committee members asked about the timing of housing projects, and Masterson said the proposed supplemental projects would not be completed within the year. Public testimony was heavily focused on housing. Supporters praised the Housing Trust Fund, especially the $73 million for affordable homeownership, $20 million for manufactured housing preservation, and related investments in land banking, workforce housing, right-to-counsel, and community projects such as Thrive Center Tacoma, Alliance Place, and the African diaspora cultural anchor village. Several speakers urged the legislature to increase housing funding beyond the governor’s proposal, while others emphasized the need to preserve manufactured home communities and support rural and flood-impacted households. One testifier criticized overall state tax levels, but the chair noted the capital budget is bond-funded rather than a direct tax increase. Testimony on K-12 and higher education generally supported the budget’s school modernization, seismic safety, lead remediation, and college preservation funding, though some districts and campuses asked for additional project funding. Rural districts described the small schools modernization program as essential because local bonding capacity is limited. In higher education, UW and WSU speakers said the budget did not fund certain decarbonization and renovation projects they wanted, while community and technical colleges, Western Washington University, Central Washington University, and Eastern Washington University supported the preservation and minor works investments. Natural resources testimony backed salmon recovery and community forest funding, with requests to expand those programs. Local government and utility groups opposed the proposed $75 million transfer from the Public Works Assistance Account to the operating budget, warning it would weaken infrastructure lending and could jeopardize projects already underway. No votes or formal actions were taken; the meeting ended after public testimony.