Transcript Highlights:

• based on on three e really<00:34:49.119> a<00:34:49.280> three-legged<00:34:49.679> stool
• ><00:34:50.480> if<00:34:50.599> you<00:34:50.720> will really a three-legged stool
• if you will really a three-legged stool if you will U<00:34:51.760> education<00:34:52.320>
• the<00:35:04.000> legs<00:35:04.599> of<00:35:04.800> that<00:35:05.079> stool
• impacts one of the legs of that stool impacts one of the legs of that stool education<00:35:07.000

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 46, which would allow lottery winners of $1 million or more to remain anonymous. After brief discussion and a motion with a second, the committee approved the bill unanimously and sent it to the House floor. Members then heard House Bill 54, a workforce and education measure aimed at aligning dual credit and project-based learning with licensed construction trades and other high-demand careers. The sponsor and witness said the bill is intended to help students meet both education and on-the-job training requirements, address labor shortages, and speed entry into the trades. Several members raised concerns about possible abuse of internships, the need for input from unions and other trade groups, and the amount of authority left to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction to write regulations. The sponsor said the bill does not replace current hands-on training requirements and expressed willingness to continue discussions. The committee passed the bill, with some members explaining their votes as conditional or in hopes of further amendments. The committee also approved House Bill 261, which would let retired CPAs provide certain uncompensated services, such as nonprofit work, while retaining their CPA designation, and would create a retirement-based CPE waiver for those limited services. A question from Representative Donworth focused on how retired CPAs would disclose their status to nonprofits; the board representative said retired status is noted in board records, but there is currently no separate requirement governing use of the CPA designation. The bill passed. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 262, which would remove restrictions on small CPA firm names after an owner dies or retires. The sponsor said Kentucky is an outlier because current law requires the remaining owner to change the firm name. The bill passed unanimously. After that, the chair turned the gavel over to the vice chair and began presenting House Bill 306, which would change engineering education requirements for licensure, especially to help Eastern Kentucky University fire protection engineering technology graduates qualify for licensure in Kentucky rather than leaving the state. The sponsor and witnesses explained that the bill would not change the rest of the PE licensure pathway, only the education component, and said most other states already allow this route. Members noted that engineers may have concerns and encouraged continued discussions before the bill advances further.

Transcript Highlights:

• The way I look at it is sort of like a stool. I want to rehabilitate.
• > the three stool uh three-legged stool the three stool uh three-legged stool the rehabilitation
• Do you think my stool with my three legs is inaccurate?
• I agree you hear me every year saying I have my stool. I want rehabilitation.
• Do you think my stool with my three legs is inaccurate?

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our three-legged stool, one of the legs of our three-legged stool is cut off.
• Tarrant, Senator, no, but that is part of the three-legged stool, not just of our...

Transcript Highlights:

• look at how an employee gets paid here in the Commonwealth, we're just one leg of the three-legged stool
• look at how an employee gets paid here in the Commonwealth, we're just one leg of the three-legged stool
• look at how an employee gets paid here in the Commonwealth, we're just one leg of the three-legged stool
• look at how an employee gets paid here in the Commonwealth, we're just one leg of the three-legged stool
• look at how an employee gets paid here in the Commonwealth, we're just one leg of the three-legged stool

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee heard capital plan presentations from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, the Personnel Cabinet, and the School Facilities Construction Commission. The Justice Cabinet described its large portfolio of more than 900 facilities across the state and said decades of underfunded maintenance have created a backlog of repairs. Requested projects included a high-acuity mental health treatment facility for juvenile justice youth, two female detention centers to support the regional detention model, major corrections repairs and replacements, a new kitchen at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, a new dormitory at the Kentucky Correctional Institute for Women, completion of a new Eastern Kentucky prison, DOCJT training facility upgrades in Richmond and Madisonville, State Police radio system replacement and post construction, a combined Frankfort headquarters/Post 12 facility, and expanded crime lab and storage capacity. When asked about the high cost of the EKCC kitchen project, staff said construction inside an operating facility raises costs and that building a new adjacent kitchen would be more economical in the long run. The panel also asked about Fish and Wildlife officers training at DOCJT; staff said they do and that the training is funded through the CLEFT fund. The Justice Cabinet also said the recently enacted Senate Bill 4’s AI inventory and registry requirements would be part of its enterprise application and AI inventory system work. The Personnel Cabinet requested funding to replace CHRIS, the state’s human resources and payroll system, which supports payroll and benefits for about 48,000 employees and the Kentucky Employee Health Plan for roughly 192,000 members. Staff said the current SAP-based system went live in 2011, is approaching end of support in 2030, and has not received functionality enhancements since 2016. They said the replacement is estimated at $151 million, with most of the cost tied to professional services and software, and that the project would begin in July 2026, go live by July 2030, and require a stabilization period through 2032. In response to questions about outsourcing payroll or reusing existing systems, staff said the complexity of state HR, payroll, tax updates, and integrations with other agencies makes outsourcing or partial reuse impractical. The School Facilities Construction Commission introduced its role in helping all 171 school districts address unmet facility needs, focusing on core school facilities such as roofs and elementary buildings rather than athletic projects. No votes or formal actions were taken during the excerpted discussion; the meeting consisted of presentations, explanations of requested projects, and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• When one of those legs of the stool breaks, the three-legged stool, when one leg crumbles, that stool
• That stool will crash, and when you lose your job I can assure you you're going to lose your home.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The meeting was the third public session of the Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. Members introduced themselves, and the commission approved the prior meeting minutes. The main presentation came from the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association, led by several sheriffs, who described the role of sheriffs’ offices as independently elected county institutions that operate jails and houses of correction, regional lockups, civil process, 911 communications in some counties, school resource officers, and investigative units. They emphasized that most of their population is pretrial, that admissions and releases are far higher than the Department of Correction’s, and that their facilities now house more people overall than DOC despite having a smaller budget. The sheriffs argued that their work has shifted toward rehabilitation, reentry, and public health, highlighting extensive programming in mental health, substance use treatment, medication-assisted treatment, education, vocational training, and gender-specific, trauma-informed services. They said standardized risk/needs assessments and better funding would help make services more consistent across counties. They also described specialized units and models such as regional evaluation and stabilization units, older-adult housing, emerging adult and gang-intervention programs, and reentry centers that connect people to housing, employment, family support, and community services. Several examples were cited, including Suffolk’s Project Evolve, Middlesex’s older-adult unit, Hampden’s MAGIC program, Worcester’s STOP program, and county reentry centers across the state. A major theme was that these programs are expensive but, in the sheriffs’ view, reduce recidivism and improve safety by stabilizing people before release and supporting them afterward. They pointed to COVID-19 as a period when sheriffs adapted facilities for quarantine and medical care, and said they continue to work with public health partners. They also stressed that their facilities are heavily audited by state and federal agencies and that maintaining humane, safe conditions requires significant staffing and operating costs. Commission members responded favorably at points, noting the importance of the turnover in sheriff populations and the need to understand the different correctional mission compared with DOC. The meeting ended with discussion of future commission dates and a note that the presentation materials would be shared electronically.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is the third phase of the three-legged stool to get the steam pipes replaced.
• So this is the third phase of the three-legged stool to get the steam pipes replaced.
• So this is the third phase of the three-legged stool to get the steam pipes replaced.
• The good news is that the drawings are now at 85% of the three-legged stool to get the steam pipes replaced

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held an informational hearing on budget issues for the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Cannabis Control, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the California Arts Council. The chair noted there would be no votes. CalVet gave an overview of its programs serving veterans and families, including transition assistance, county veterans service officers, education approvals, housing and homelessness programs, home loans, long-term care homes, and state veterans cemeteries. Members asked about future long-term care needs for aging veterans, staffing and recruitment challenges at veterans homes, and the Yountville steam infrastructure replacement project, for which CalVet sought a $38.8 million reappropriation and said federal reimbursement was expected. CalVet also discussed the role of county veterans service officers in helping veterans file claims and avoid predatory unaccredited representatives. The Department of Cannabis Control described its regulatory role from seed to sale and requested one position to implement SB 1064’s combined activities license. Members and public witnesses focused heavily on the illicit cannabis market, enforcement staffing, and the impact of taxes and fees on the legal market. DCC said it had roughly 87 enforcement positions with about a 15% vacancy rate and more than 200 compliance staff. Its economist presented the 2024 cannabis market report, which found licensed production and retail quantity were up, but retail value and prices were down, with an estimated 11.4 million pounds of illicit production and about 60% of California consumption still coming from the illicit market. Industry witnesses argued the legal market is in crisis, urged repeal of the scheduled excise tax increase, stronger enforcement against illicit cannabis and hemp-derived intoxicants, and expanded retail access. The Department of Consumer Affairs briefly presented nine budget proposals, including a $2.6 million ongoing request to maintain a business modernization system for several boards and bureaus. The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls described its work on economic and educational equity, health care, violence prevention, student rights, and archival and outreach projects, and said its budget request would convert limited-term positions to permanent. A member urged the commission to narrow its priorities toward current issues such as affordability, child care, and women’s health. The California Arts Council outlined its role as the state’s only statewide arts funder and requested restoration of $5 million in local assistance; supporters testified that the funding would leverage additional local investment and help sustain arts access, especially in rural communities. The hearing ended after the non-presentation items were noted and no further public comment was offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes he’s packed with people, and sometimes he’s sitting on a stool by himself, but he’s always
• :17:55.280> a people and sometimes he's sitting on a people and sometimes he's sitting on a stool
• :56.520> by<00:17:56.679> himself<00:17:57.080> but<00:17:57.200> he's stool
• you know by himself but he's stool you know by himself but he's always<00:17:57.840> available

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The House opened with a prayer, pledge, and roll call, then approved the prior day’s journal and confirmed a quorum. The main business was organizing the chamber for the 2025–26 session, beginning with the election of Pat Murphy as chief clerk. Members from both parties praised Murphy’s long service, parliamentary knowledge, work on remote voting during COVID, and commitment to youth programs and the integrity of the House. After nominations closed, Murphy was elected by a 67-0 vote and took the oath of office. The House then adopted a resolution allowing the remaining front-desk officers and assistant sergeant at arms to be elected on a single roll call unless there was more than one nominee for an office. Representative Niska nominated Stephanie Miller, Kathy Carlson, Erica Brinson, Andrew Olen, and Carl Hamry, and the slate was approved by voice vote. The House also elected Lori Hadap as chief sergeant at arms by a 67-0 vote after nominations and supportive remarks about her law-enforcement background, security work, and responsiveness to members; she then took the oath of office. After the chamber was organized, the House adopted resolutions directing the chief clerk to notify the Senate that the House was duly organized and appointing a four-member committee to notify the governor. The appointed committee consisted of Representatives Paul Anderson, John Koznick, Ben Bakeberg, and Max Rymer, who reported back that the governor had been notified. Members also observed a moment of silence honoring former Representative Mary Murphy for her long service. The House then set its next meeting for 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 16, 2025, and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, I'd like to point out the way I look at it is like a stool.
• Um, Senator Pearl, you probably have a three-legged stool somewhere out in that barn of yours.
• We do want to rehabilitate people; that's one leg of the stool.
• <01:14:22.440> um the way I look at it is like a stool um the way I look at it is like a stool
• <01:14:31.600> we people that's one leg of the stool we people that's one leg of the stool

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of David Sheets, our curator, who found these in our collection, and you will notice that the old stools
• <00:15:12.160> that<00:15:12.399> the<00:15:12.639> old<00:15:12.959> stools
• <00:15:13.600> are<00:15:13.920> not will notice that the old stools are not will notice
• that the old stools are not thrown<00:15:14.480> away.

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But I think the problems that Cal OSHA is facing is really a sort of a three-legged stool.
• The second leg of the stool is people need to know what they're expected to do.
• And the third leg of the stool is Cal OSHA management needs to be in a position to know whether or not
• It's incredible that an agency that has been around for decades doesn't have any legs to its stool.
• It's incredible that an agency that has been around for decades doesn't have any legs to its stool.

Summary: The hearing focused on a state audit of Cal/OSHA titled “The Division of Occupational Safety and Health: Process Deficiencies and Staffing Shortages Limit Its Ability to Protect Workers.” Committee leaders and the audit team described serious workplace tragedies, argued that California’s worker protections are not being adequately enforced, and said the audit was prompted by concerns that Cal/OSHA was too often relying on letters instead of inspections, delaying investigations, and closing cases without enough documentation. Members repeatedly emphasized that the issue was not just staffing, but also outdated policies, weak oversight, and inconsistent enforcement. State Auditor Grant Parks said the audit found a 32% vacancy rate in 2023-24, heavy reliance on hard-copy files, outdated or unclear policies, and inconsistent decision-making in complaints, accidents, citations, and fine reductions. He said Cal/OSHA conducted on-site inspections in only about 20% of complaints, used letter investigations more than 80% of the time, often lacked evidence that hazards were corrected, and sometimes failed to inspect serious injury cases on time. The audit also found weak documentation for fine calculations and settlement reductions, with some penalties reduced substantially without clear explanations. Parks said the agency had accepted the findings and would provide progress updates later in the year. Committee members pressed the auditor on vacancy rates, the use of letter investigations, the low rate of criminal referrals, and whether fines were being reduced too often. Cal/OSHA and DIR officials responded that the vacancy rate had fallen to 12% partly because 66 vacant positions were eliminated in a statewide budget reduction and partly because of hiring; they said 126 people had been hired in the first half of the year. They also said they had hired a policy writer, were updating several policies, were planning periodic internal audits, and were developing a new data management system expected to go live in late 2026 or early 2027. On fines, officials said Title 8 sets base penalties and allows adjustments based on factors like employer size, history, and good faith, with appeals and informal conferences also affecting final amounts. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Internal and external working groups are developing response plans to the three-legged stool, if you
• Like I mentioned, the preparedness effort in the response plan is likened to a stool with three legs;
• The three-legged stool is sterile fly production.
• The second leg of the stool involves quarantine and movement restrictions of animals.
• That guy was talking about a three-legged stool a while ago.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We look at how many of those were colonoscopies, how many of those were Cologuard kits, different stool-based
• We look at how many of those were colonoscopies, how many of those were Cologuard kits, different stool-based
• We look at how many of those were colonoscopies, how many of those were Cologuard kits, different stool-based
• We look at how many of those were colonoscopies, how many of those were Cologuard kits, different stool-based

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved contracts 98, 99, and 100, then heard from the Kentucky Department of Tourism on a contract with the United Kingdom and other European markets. Tourism officials said the state has had similar international marketing contracts since 2013, that international visitors spend about six times more per day than domestic travelers, and that the work includes marketing, public relations, familiarization trips, and media outreach. After questions about costs and effectiveness, the contract was approved by roll call. Members then reviewed Finance Cabinet facilities contracts 29 and 48 for engineering and architectural services tied to project design, including a specialized lab expansion project. The chair raised concerns that the fees seemed high for services that do not include construction, while the agency explained the work covers design for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and architectural planning, and that the lab project’s specialized pathogen-related work limits the pool of firms. The committee voted to approve the contracts. The Attorney General’s office then presented an opioid abatement agreement. Senator Meredith asked how the commission coordinates with other state behavioral health efforts, and staff explained that the commission allocates settlement funds based on applications and includes related agency representation to help avoid duplication. The contract was approved. The committee also approved a behavioral health contract for 988 chat and text services, which will expand Kentucky-based crisis response coverage to 24/7 and move more of the state’s calls, chats, and texts from a national center to local specialists. A related amendment for the Voices of Hope overdose response contract was approved after staff said the increase simply extends services into the next fiscal year. Finally, the committee approved a DCBS contract for the Building Bridges Initiative, which provides training and peer mentoring for residential child care providers, and then approved three contracts for the Council on Developmental Disabilities. Those contracts were explained as necessary because the council is the designated state agency for federal DD Act funding, and one questioned item involving an advocacy and sexuality initiative was described as part of the council’s five-year plan focused on self-advocacy, systems change, and capacity building. The committee also discussed a food insecurity survey contract with a Kentucky nonprofit, with staff saying the organization was chosen for its statewide network and ability to gather raw data, while members raised concerns about whether the study should distinguish between lack of food and poor diet. All of the reviewed contracts were approved by roll call.

Transcript Highlights:

• we've, uh, internal and external working groups developing response plans, uh, to the three-legged stool
• mentioned, the, the treatment or the preparedness efforts in the response plan, uh, that likened it to a stool
• Uh, one leg of the three-legged stool is sterile fly production.
• Uh, the second, um, leg of the stool, uh, we talked about quarantine and movement restrictions of animals
• But if we're gonna address this, that guy was talking about a three-legged stool a while ago.

Transcript Highlights:

• we all know, I think, that engaged in all three of those aspects—because those are the three-legged stool
• pieces of a three-legged stool approach to successful reentry—when they're engaged, they're successful
• Those are the pieces, as Sheriff Cochie was talking about, legs in the stool.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Criminal Justice Reform 3.0 heard a presentation from the Massachusetts Parole Board focused on consolidation, cooperation, and evidence-based supervision across the correctional system. Parole Board Chair Angela Gomez-June described the board’s mission, its coordination with the Department of Correction, houses of correction, courts, probation, law enforcement, victim services, and UMass partners, and outlined 2024 activity including 2,810 institutional release hearings, 18,238 victim notifications, 53 pardon petitions, 70 commutation petitions, 41 early termination applications, and supervision of 2,993 parolees. She emphasized the board’s shift toward individualized, data-driven decision-making, including revised GPS use, graduated sanctions, and more service-oriented community supervision. Members and sheriffs pressed for clearer breakdowns of the board’s data, including the difference between releases, hearings, and active supervision; average length of supervision; the share of lifers in the caseload; and how many people are placed in housing, employment, and treatment. The board said its active supervised population fluctuates around 1,600 to 1,800, with more than 400 lifers, and that about 30 to 36 percent of its population is housed through programs such as MASH, community justice resource centers, and sheriff-run residential programs like Rocky Hill and HOPE. Members also discussed parole refusals, noting that some individuals decline parole to avoid supervision or to serve time inside instead, and asked for a more detailed breakdown of those cases. The board and commission also discussed collaboration with DOC and UMass on risk assessment, reentry planning, and community pathways, including a tablet video explaining the parole process and pharmacist support for medication-related drug test issues. The board reported that after the SJC’s Matus decision, 210 individuals were identified as affected, 144 were immediately eligible for hearings, 100 hearings had been completed, and 10 more were scheduled; it also said clemency and commutation work had been slowed by staffing and Matus-related demands. The meeting ended with a request for follow-up data on outcomes, supervision lengths, housing and employment placements, and other consolidated statistics, and the commission announced its next public hearing for March 9 at 10 a.m. before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• A colonoscopy has a 96 percent detection rate, stool-based tests have 87% accuracy, and the blood-based
• Even when dropping off a stool sample is incredibly difficult—I think I never do that when I get my little

Transcript Highlights:

• off of, and a student threw that at her hard enough that it broke the stool, and my wife got in trouble
• gotten<00:35:51.520> her<00:35:51.800> a<00:35:51.880> nice<00:35:52.320> stool
• to teach off of, gotten her a nice stool to teach off of, and<00:35:54.560> a<00:35:54.640>
• ,<00:35:58.840> and<00:35:58.960> my enough that it broke the stool, and my enough
• that it broke the stool, and my wife<00:35:59.359> got<00:35:59.520> in<00:35:59.600>

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I also want to note our appreciation for amending this bill back to including stools again, and I won't
• 29.480> including amending this bill back to including amending this bill back to including stools
• <00:05:30.360> again, stools again, stools again, uh<00:05:31.560> and<00:05:31.680>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll hear an analogy talked about in regulatory animal health circles called a three-legged stool.
• World screwworm, we really believe that the sterile fly facility is one key part of that three-legged stool
• The bigger concern that we have is the 3rd layer of that stool, excuse me, the 3rd leg of that stool,

Transcript Highlights:

• It was created on a three-legged stool.
• help us transition to a different business model, a different funding model than the three-legged stool
• It was created on a three-legged stool.
• <01:56:09.200> We<01:56:09.280> need<01:56:09.520> you stool we've had in the
• We need you stool we've had in the past.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This model not only serves the student, but, as the image shows here, it becomes a three-legged stool
• If you think back to that three-legged stool image that I shared earlier, the challenge grant can be
• seen as the seat to the stool, as it is the glue for the FBM program model.
• think back to that three-legged stool think back to that three-legged stool image<00:37:13.880><
• as it is the glue for the to the stool as it is the glue for the fbm<00:37:21.319> program<00

Bills: HF711, HF653

Keywords: agriculture, agricultural education, leadership development, Minnesota Agricultural Education and Leadership Council, MAELC, chapter 41D, grant funding, general fund appropriation, commissioner of agriculture, farm education, youth agriculture programs, ag literacy, workforce development, extension education, research funding, extension services, technology transfer, grant programs, 1183, house