Transcript Highlights:

• We advocate on behalf of the over 700 cities that have populations under 5,000. We are here.
• We advocate on behalf of the over 700 cities that have populations under 5,000. We are here.
• What we really have been seeking is ongoing revenue that we can count on.
• So what we really have been seeking is ongoing revenue that we can count on.
• Orr was saying that he was counting on—or the small cities were counting on—$18 million, and they're

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: House File 5 was heard in the Transportation Committee and moved by the author, Representative Jim Joy, to be referred to the Tax Committee. Joy described the bill as a package to make Minnesota more affordable by fully eliminating the Social Security tax subtraction, ending the motor fuels tax indexing, repealing the retail delivery fee, and studying vehicle registration/license taxes compared with neighboring states. Committee fiscal staff explained the bill’s fiscal effects across the general fund, highway user tax distribution fund, transportation advancement account, and metro county sales tax allocations, including that the delivery fee repeal would reduce Transportation Advancement Account revenue and that the bill would shift some revenue sources to offset losses. Several stakeholders testified. The Minnesota Grocers Association strongly supported repealing the retail delivery fee, arguing it is costly and complex for retailers to administer, especially small businesses, and that the costs are ultimately passed on to consumers. The Minnesota Propane Association also supported repeal, saying the fee is burdensome for propane businesses, that only a small share of deliveries are actually subject to it, and that compliance costs can exceed the fee revenue collected. Fiscal staff noted that delivery fee revenue forecasts have fallen below earlier projections, and explained that the fee is imposed on sellers with several exemptions, including a $100 transaction threshold and exemptions for some sales such as bars, restaurants, nonprofits, and certain small businesses. Opposition came from local government groups. The League of Minnesota Cities said it supported the Transportation Advancement Account and its 2023 funding sources, including the delivery fee and motor vehicle parts sales tax, and warned that the bill would prematurely alter a funding structure that cities rely on for predictable transportation revenue. The Minnesota Association of Small Cities said small cities had long lacked dedicated transportation funding and wanted a stable, ongoing revenue stream, but were neutral on the exact source as long as it was reliable. Metro Cities echoed support for stable, predictable transportation funding for metro-area cities. The committee took testimony and discussion only; no final vote was recorded in the excerpt beyond the motion to refer the bill to the Tax Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• I don't remember the count exactly.
• I don't remember the count exactly.
• this is a based on a very recent count this is a based on a very recent count and<04:34:42.439><
• > information<04:34:51.719> in have that count prelimary information in have that count
• We asked them to do an October 1 head count and then we asked them to do a November 1 head count, so

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Finance Division II committee heard a Department of Education budget presentation from Commissioner Frank Edelblut and CFO Tammy Valen-cour. The department outlined its organizational structure and emphasized that it functions largely as a flow-through agency for school funding. The commissioner reviewed general fund and Education Trust Fund items, including state aid, dropout prevention, special education, building aid, lease aid, charter schools, Education Freedom Accounts, and the district adequacy calculation. He also highlighted the public school infrastructure fund, saying the state has invested well over $50 million in school safety since 2018 for measures such as access controls, locks, and window film, and argued that safety spending should be ongoing rather than reactive. Members asked about the variability in the school infrastructure line, special education aid, and the Discovery Education learning platform. Edelblut explained that some safety funding had come from one-time surplus appropriations rather than the agency line, and said special education aid was underappropriated because districts submitted more invoices than expected; he said the governor added $16 million to address the shortfall. He also described CTE renovation funding, noting four projects were initially proposed but only Jaffrey and Milford were still moving forward, with local votes required and the state covering 75% of costs. He said Milford’s project was omitted from the governor’s budget by oversight. The department also reviewed enrollment trends, noting public school enrollment has fallen from about 230,000 students in 2002 to about 185,000 today. Edelblut clarified that charter students are not eligible for Education Freedom Accounts, while EFA students attending non-public schools are counted as EFA students. He described several one-time surplus-funded initiatives, including Student Clearinghouse, MTSSB work, civics curriculum development, computer science education, and adult education. He also discussed a $4 million CTE tuition and transportation grant, saying it was kept as a competitive grant rather than a formula grant to avoid creating an ongoing maintenance-of-effort commitment that could jeopardize federal Perkins funding. In the final portion, Edelblut identified prioritized needs in the department’s budget, especially funding for a state administrator for assessment to support the legislatively required civics assessment, and additional support for the Discovery Education platform. He said every school in the state is using the platform and cited more than 1.5 million educator engagements, while a member raised concerns about mixed reviews and uneven district awareness of the program. No votes or formal actions were taken during the presentation and question period.

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the total population of students enrolled in person or online out of Gallup? Sure.
• So our student population that we're certifying across the UNM system is probably less than 10%.
• So, $15 million is what we're looking at to get an actual count. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
• In New Mexico, we have a hugely rural population.
• Speaking of the veterans count...

Transcript Highlights:

• That counts, right? I have student kids who are in sports year-round, and so culture has changed.
• That counts, right? I have student kids who are in sports year-round, and so culture has changed.
• That counts, right? I have student kids who are in sports year-round, and so culture has changed.
• <00:35:27.320> right that counts right that counts right I<00:35:28.280> have<00:35
• is about 1% of a District's population is about 1% of a District's population Minnesota<00:57:53.160

Bills: HF1124, HF1457, HF1803

Keywords: school calendar, education, school year, Labor Day, state law, school construction, landfill, dump site, closed landfill, contaminated site, pollution control agency, school siting, public school, charter school, environmental health, student safety, brownfield, solid waste, waste disposal site, site contamination

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, even in 2012, In 2021, the fact that people of color make up at least 95% of the population
• Twenty-seven percent of the Hidalgo County population lives below the poverty line.
• by 5.6%, and the multiracial population by 276%.
• We should be able to say that our vote counts and mean it, and if through these redistricting we are
• There is... a smaller number of those than correctly represents the population of Texas.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And if an individual does reoffend during that time, it doesn't count.
• In this bill, by my count, could be wrong, there are 18... ...or not.
• This requirement has not prevented long stays of segregation for this population.
• Kastner worked just as hard to make sure they never got counted.
• To this day, those perfectly legal ballots never got counted.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard extensive testimony on several Judiciary bills, with the largest portion focused on S. 1178/H. 2052 to reduce mass incarceration and end life without parole. People incarcerated at MCI Framingham, MCI Norfolk, and NCCI Gardner described personal growth, rehabilitation, restorative justice work, family separation, and the belief that parole eligibility after long sentences would better reflect public safety and human development. Speakers emphasized that life without parole removes hope and can undermine rehabilitation, while supporters argued that many lifers are older, less likely to reoffend, and could contribute positively if given a chance at parole review. Committee members did not take votes during the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on S. 1139 to restore the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims involving tobacco use, with Sen. Keenan explaining that a recent SJC decision had cut off claims where the injured person did not sue within three years before death. He said the bill would restore families’ ability to seek redress in cases involving long-latency tobacco harms like COPD. Another major topic was S. 1205, which would add abusive litigation to the definition of coercive control in domestic violence law; Sen. Michael Moore said the bill would stop abusers from using repeated court filings to harass and financially burden survivors. The committee also took up S. 1114 on automatic record sealing, with Sen. Friedman and others arguing that the current petition-based process is slow, burdensome, and disproportionately harms people with criminal records, especially Black and Latino residents. Testimony also supported H. 1965/S. 1132 on compensation for wrongful conviction, with advocates and sponsors describing a faster administrative claims process, transitional support, and higher compensation without the current cap. Sen. Payano testified for S. 1241 to expand educational programming for incarcerated emerging adults, saying education reduces recidivism and improves reentry outcomes. A substantial portion of the hearing focused on S. 2522, an update to Massachusetts’ shield law for reproductive and gender-affirming care. Sen. Friedman, the Attorney General’s office, and DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said the bill is needed to strengthen protections against out-of-state legal attacks, protect patient and provider data, clarify enforcement authority, and add a state-level EMTALA-style emergency care requirement. Committee members asked detailed questions about prescription labeling, the prescription monitoring program, attorney discipline, custody and full faith and credit issues, and whether the bill’s enforcement language could create unintended limits or conflicts. The Attorney General’s office said it would provide follow-up written testimony on several technical questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• with special education needs, and a growing number of people in long-term care because of an aging population
• <00:03:32.000> A<00:03:32.159> lot care because of aging population.
• A lot care because of aging population.
• one thing with our budget for the next two years out, it's six billion in total numbers, but that counts
• one thing with our budget for the next two years out, it's six billion in total numbers, but that counts

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's actually somewhat of a small population of students.
• But it will count as 30% of their overall great as opposed to a pass fail scenario this year.
• So you the legislators, we count on you to make our laws on evidence-based policies.
• logistical challenges for districts that span geographical areas that are large and have seasonal population
• We also experience a significant increase in our population during season, which coincides with much

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ,<01:19:26.280> slide<01:19:26.640> three, counts, slide three, counts, slide three, you'll
• with population increase. with population increase.
• That's our population. population. population.
• Residents, it's a one-for-one count, right?
• So, um we went from in count, right?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee met on May 29 and approved the draft minutes. DHHS Commissioner Weaver then opened the department update by asking Medicaid Director Henry Litman to brief members on federal and state Medicaid changes, and later turned to DHHS Chief Operating Officer David Weathers for an update on data governance. Members also asked that acronyms be spelled out in future materials and requested a follow-up on the federal Medicaid rule once it is published. Litman reviewed several federal Medicaid provisions tied to HR 1/"OBBA" and related state implementation issues. He said the first major change would be restrictions on certain non-citizens’ Medicaid coverage, affecting about 400 people in New Hampshire, with notices likely 30 to 60 days before the effective date. He also discussed new work requirements/community engagement rules, saying New Hampshire is on track to implement them and will likely need a state plan amendment rather than an 1115 waiver. Other changes included shorter retroactive coverage periods, a new state option for certain community-based services with an estimated $740,000 in implementation support, a freeze and phased-down reduction in the Medicaid enhancement tax beginning in state fiscal year 2029, and limits on directed payments to hospitals after a grandfathering period. He also noted that Medicaid enrollment has fallen from pandemic-era levels, with about 167,000 people covered as of May 1, and that the department is working with CMS on child premiums and other cost-sharing changes approved in HB 2. Committee members asked how the department could plan for the 2029 changes given the number of elections before then, and Litman said federal rules may be adjusted over time as states and stakeholders raise concerns. He emphasized planning for the worst while hoping for the best, and said rural health care transformation funding would help the state prepare. In the second presentation, Weathers explained that data governance is now embedded in DHHS operations to control access, manage reporting, and respond to risk. He defined it as managing what data is collected, how it is used, who can access it, and what laws apply, and said DHHS has moved from governance as a committee to governance as an operational process. He described privacy impact assessments for new systems going into production, monthly privacy and security training, and ongoing review of access controls and data-sharing rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• For what it's worth, as you're trying to count votes and see where the support lies...
• The bottom line is that schools that are seeking to try to serve more challenging populations could be
• a school district that the State Board of Education places in receivership and that has a student count
• The students are... it's a student count, and the no fault of the board members out there.
• for each plan offered, ...of the current benefit program year, including monthly enrollment counts for

Bills: SB1004, SB1424, SB1497, SB1507, SB1572, SB1684, SB1711, SB1741, SB1754, SB1763, SB1798, SCR1012, SCR1041, SCR1051

Keywords: sex offender registration, sex offender registry, A.R.S. 13-3821, sexual offenses, public safety, GPS monitoring, electronic monitoring, transient offender, homeless registrant, online identifiers, internet identifiers, sheriff notification, Department of Public Safety, DPS, DNA collection, juvenile adjudication, kidnapping of a minor, unlawful imprisonment of a minor, lifetime registration, community notification

Transcript Highlights:

• I tried to count these the other day.
• The legislative webpage involves a lot of manual counting to go through and figure out what the numbers
• Now again, it probably depends on how you’re going to ask me during questions, "Well, how did you count
• And so the way we would count those legislative districts before... changed with redistricting, and that
• Do I not count? You absolutely count. Is that your career? Okay. If it's... It's a good example.

Transcript Highlights:

• Significantly, this lawsuit featured Massachusetts resolutions in their count, including a 1977 resolution
• prevent the undermining of democracy globally and recognizes the significant Cambodian American population
• By my count, 71% of the members of the United States House of Representatives have served less than 12
• These groups are also trying a new math out where they're trying to count to the 34-state threshold.
• Would the delegates be selected by state or by population? Would each state have one vote?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs was opened by Chair Joe McGonagle and Vice Chair Senator Mike Rush, who noted that Chair John Velis was deployed with the Massachusetts National Guard. The chairs explained the hybrid format, three-minute testimony limit, live streaming, and filing deadlines, and said the committee would hear 11 House bills and eight Senate bills dealing with federal and overseas issues. Much of the hearing centered on competing resolutions about Article 5 constitutional conventions, along with related resolutions on D.C. statehood, child labor, Citizens United, and Cambodia. Supporters of H. 4692 and S. 284, a joint resolution to rescind all prior Massachusetts Article 5 convention applications, argued that old resolutions from the 1930s and 1970s could be used to count Massachusetts toward the 34-state threshold for calling a federal constitutional convention. Testifiers from Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU, Reproductive Equity Now, labor groups, and others warned that a convention would have no clear rules, could not be reliably limited to specific topics, and could put civil rights, reproductive rights, labor protections, and other constitutional protections at risk. Several speakers also cited a recent federal lawsuit and said the safest course was to remove outdated applications from the books. A large opposing panel testified in support of H. 3888, a resolution calling for a Convention of States to propose amendments limiting federal power, imposing fiscal restraints, and establishing term limits. Supporters argued that Article 5 provides a lawful way to address federal overreach, debt, and congressional stagnation, and said the process would be limited by state applications and ratification by 38 states. Some committee members and witnesses raised concerns about a runaway convention, broad language in the resolution, and whether Congress could or should set rules for such a convention. Representative Gentile also testified in support of several related resolutions on overturning Citizens United, D.C. statehood, and the child labor amendment, while Representative Howard and Representative Tongue supported a Cambodia resolution condemning political oppression and urging free and fair elections. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• elementary students, being present for any meaningful instruction during any part of the day would count
• And similarly, schools that are serving a more economically disadvantaged population, as measured by
• So if a kid is in an out-of-school suspension, do we count that toward absenteeism?
• I'm not trying to speak for any other district, but that's our population.
• I'm not trying to speak for any other district, but that's our population.

Summary: The committee on Pre-K through 12 Education met to discuss chronic absenteeism, district attendance interventions, and related truancy procedures. Chair Simon reviewed Florida’s attendance laws and escalation process, including school-based interventions, child study team meetings, referrals to the Department of Juvenile Justice, truancy petitions, and possible sanctions for parents and driving privileges. The committee heard first from University of Florida professor Dr. Chris Curran, who presented state and national absenteeism data showing chronic absenteeism has risen sharply since the pandemic, with Florida at about 31.4% in 2023-24. He emphasized that absenteeism has multiple causes, including transportation, mental health, housing instability, safety concerns, and family barriers, and said effective responses include early warning systems, multi-tiered supports, mentoring, and community partnerships rather than relying only on punitive measures. Members questioned Dr. Curran about whether absenteeism is a behavior or barrier issue, whether exclusionary discipline is counted, the need for a uniform definition across districts, and whether more punitive truancy enforcement is effective. He said the issue is usually a mix of barriers and choices, that excused and unexcused absences both matter for chronic absenteeism data, and that root-cause analysis and supportive interventions are generally more productive than punishment alone, though consequences can still play a role. The committee then heard from Collier County Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli and district staff, who described a highly structured attendance system built around attendance specialists, social workers, mental health staff, home visits, attendance contracts, multilingual outreach, and frequent parent notifications. They said Collier’s chronic absenteeism rate was about 9% in 2023-24 and credited their success to early contact, community partnerships, and a strong district culture around attendance. Volusia County Schools Executive Director Mike McAuliffe described a newer districtwide attendance initiative that uses automated letters, same-day notifications, data dashboards, MTSS tiers, incentives, and community supports such as bikes, washers and dryers, and faith-based partnerships. He reported Volusia reduced chronic absenteeism from 34% in 2023-24 to a projected 29% and said the district is now seeing about 20% in the first quarter of the current year. No formal votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• , and then also um into home care count, and then also um into reflecting<00:12:17.880> costs<
• at the point of Family were not counted at the point of Family First<00:12:21.440> implementation
• home care population and costs are<00:12:28.200> increasing.
• population that that program is serving. population that that program is serving.
• different populations. different populations.

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:19 DCBS 00:01:58, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• indicated that Parkinson's disease was significantly more common in firefighters than the general population
• Thank you. ...was significantly more common in firefighters than in the general population.
• The study demonstrated a finding of three out of four cases per thousand in the general population, compared
• We're counting on you.
• We stopped counting in 2016, the last time we did a count, and it was over $10 million for a certain

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of bills affecting public safety and public sector employees, with most of the discussion focused on expanding occupational presumptions and retirement protections for police, firefighters, correction officers, court officers, and other public employees. Testifiers from the Legislature, police and fire unions, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, PERAC, and the AFL-CIO generally supported bills covering cancer presumptions, contagious disease presumptions, Parkinson’s disease for firefighters, PTSD-related disability and death, and equity for post-certified police officers under the Heart Law. Several speakers emphasized that these conditions are linked to long-term occupational exposure, that current law leaves out agencies such as UMass police, Environmental Police, DMH police, and other state or campus police, and that the bills would correct gaps in existing benefits and presumptions. Representative Colleen Garry and Senator Joan Lovely spoke in support of expanding the Heart Law and cancer presumption protections, while Representative and Senator sponsors for the firefighter and PTSD bills described the health risks faced by first responders and urged favorable reports. PFFM and MassCOP representatives argued that firefighters and police officers face toxic exposures, infectious disease risks, and chronic stress, and cited studies and other states’ laws in support of the measures. PERAC testified that the PTSD accidental disability bill would clarify confusing case law and update filing requirements so traumatic incidents can be used in applications even when PTSD develops later, while still requiring medical review and retirement board approval. Additional testimony came from correction officers and trial court officers seeking comparable disability and pension protections, including a bill to extend a 100% disability pension to correction officers injured in violent attacks and a bill to treat court officers more like police and firefighters when injured in the line of duty. The committee asked a few clarifying questions, including about whether the PTSD bill would address post-retirement claims and about the impact of excluding “forgotten” police agencies. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee ultimately adjourned after hearing all scheduled testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• you're counting high school students. you're counting high school students.
• I do have a count of where everyone is at. I just have to find it.
• I do have a count of where everyone is at. I just have to find it.
• <02:25:53.359> along says here Hawaii state population along says here Hawaii state population
• You can't count on necessarily people.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Statewide, the adult population is projected to be about flat next year, but we are still continuing
• population since that point in time.
• We think this approach would create better incentives for districts to support this population.
• We see a lot of value for the student population.
• Transferable skills that can be counted toward a college degree or certificate.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance held a hearing focused on California Community College budget proposals. Chair Alvarez opened by emphasizing the system’s role in access, transfer, workforce training, and serving more than 2 million students, while also noting persistent challenges in enrollment, persistence, transfer, and graduation. Public commenters and system representatives broadly supported COLA, enrollment growth funding, deferred maintenance, student support block grants, and additional flexibility for districts facing uncertainty. The first major panel covered the student-centered funding formula, COLA, and enrollment growth. The Department of Finance said the Governor proposes a 2.43% COLA ($230.4 million) and 0.5% enrollment growth funding ($30.4 million). The LAO said the COLA was reasonable and recommended funding at least the proposed growth amount, citing uneven enrollment recovery and regional differences. The Chancellor’s Office supported both proposals and asked for additional changes, including using the greater of current-year or three-year average for apportionments and lifting the 10% local enrollment cap, arguing these would better fund growing districts. Members questioned how the formula works, whether SCFF is improving outcomes, and how much additional funding would be needed under different growth scenarios. The committee then reviewed categorical program COLAs, Rising Scholars, career education proposals, IT proposals, and student housing. The Governor proposed a 2.43% COLA for selected categorical programs ($31.9 million). For Rising Scholars, the Governor proposed $30 million ongoing and removal of the cap on participating colleges; the LAO urged waiting for outcome data before doubling funding, while the Chancellor’s Office said the program is serving more students and supports equity for justice-impacted students. On career education, the Governor proposed $50 million for credit for prior learning and $50 million for a career passport; the LAO supported more reporting on credit for prior learning but recommended rejecting the career passport as too undefined, while the Chancellor’s Office supported both. On technology, the Governor proposed $162.5 million for a common cloud data platform and $168 million for a common ERP system; the LAO said both were premature or lacked sufficient planning and recommended rejection, while the Chancellor’s Office argued they would improve real-time data, security, and systemwide efficiency. The committee also heard an update on student housing: the administration said the 2024 shift to a lease-revenue bond model remains in progress for 13 approved projects, with 11 still active, and members asked about withdrawn projects and possible use of any returned funds. No votes were taken, and several items were held open for further discussion and May Revision updates.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Kids Count director. Hartzfield.
• I am the Kids Count director at Voices for Alabama's Children.
• These outbreaks with the measles significantly impact this population that we're concerned about. population
• vaccination status is unknown. 11% of the cases have been hospitalized, with the under five years population

Bills: HB491, SB85

Keywords: HB491, public schools, K-12, school nutrition, school lunch, cafeteria, artificial dyes, food additives, food coloring, synthetic dyes, Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, Green Dye No. 3, school fundraising, vending, snacks

Transcript Highlights:

• You always count the penalties from...
• You always count the penalties from one year to 10 years, from 10 years to 20 years, and up.
• and the taxes collected there. ...population and the taxes collected there.
• I don't know about criminals counting police cars. I don't know about counting police cars.
• They are some of the four most populated cities in the state of Alabama.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• identify the mental health population identify the mental health population and<00:21:37.520>
• SPMI population.
• <01:09:07.520> Um, It's a double count. Um, It's a double count.
• general population. general population.
• population that we're taking care of. population that we're taking care of.

Keywords: 910, house, all