Video & Transcript : 'The Arc' :

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NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Water and Natural Resources Jul 1st, 2025

Water & Natural Resources Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • I don't know if the Chair is coming from the County Commission, but we appreciate the city and the university
  • The university has the Center of Excellence for the Social Work Program throughout the state, and so
  • I think the question that the answer to that is both through the expertise of the folks that have PhDs
  • So then, are you going to manage the brush and the forage, foliage of the cattle eat and the elk and
  • the agency, the sponsor sponsor administers the program.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

State Committee Meeting - 2025-04-03

State Government Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:
  • the declaration, and the filer, which is the person who made the original filing.
  • The A6 is amended. The A6 is amended to the DE2. Then we will go to the DE2 next.
  • But just briefly, the A6, the changes that the committee just adopted to the DE2.
  • And then on the back of the A6 at the top, the Executive Director, it would revive the 20-year-old 2025
  • Founded by parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 1946, the ARC Minnesota
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session Jun 18th, 2026

California Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Would the members and our guests please be on the rail and in the gallery, please rise.
  • celebrates Juneteenth and the enduring legacy of those who fought to bend the arc of the moral universe
  • the MCO tax comes up, the MCO tax increased benefit payments for the employee and the employer.
  • The people who pay the price are always the same people.
  • I wish to remove the following bill, at the request of the author, from the consent calendar and place
Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then honored astronaut Captain Victor J. Glover Jr. for his achievements as a Navy officer, NASA astronaut, and California native. Senators Weber Pearson and Rubio highlighted his historic space missions and his role as an inspiration for students, especially in STEM, before the chamber took a photo with Glover and his family. The body then took up SCR 183 on Juneteenth. Senator Weber Pearson presented the resolution as a commemoration of emancipation and a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice. Senators Padilla, Smallwood-Cuevas, Valladares, and Becker spoke in support from the perspectives of the Latino, LGBTQ, Women’s, Hispanic, and Jewish caucuses, emphasizing historical memory, faith, and the need to continue fighting discrimination. The resolution passed unanimously, 39-0. The Senate next considered budget trailer bills SB 110, SB 122, and SB 125. SB 110 made technical budget amendments and passed 29-10. SB 122 expanded sales tax to electronically delivered prewritten software, extended and limited business tax credits, adjusted LLC minimum taxes, and included other revenue changes; supporters said it helped balance the budget and protect services, while opponents argued it would raise costs for businesses, hospitals, and families. It passed 27-9. SB 125 created a federally compliant managed care organization tax to support Medi-Cal and avoid deeper cuts; supporters said it was necessary after federal changes eliminated the prior tax, while opponents warned premiums could rise. It also passed 27-9. The chamber also adopted SR 114 designating June 15-21, 2026 as AVID Week, and SJR 14 urging a Congressional Gold Medal for World War II Army and Navy nurses, both by unanimous roll call. SCR 187 recognizing Father’s Day in California also passed unanimously. The Senate then approved a large consent calendar and closed with remarks about Juneteenth and the next session scheduled for June 22, 2026.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Appropriations Jan 14th, 2026 at 04:00 pm

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Appropriations Committee will come to order for the purpose of continuing the public hearing on HB
  • The Governor's budget puts the future of both the Climate Commitment Act and the Working Families Tax
  • The longer we wait, the deeper the hole gets, and the harder and more expensive it will be to fix.
  • I am the Chair Ormsby and the members of the committee...
  • My name is Kathy Murahashi, and I'm the public policy specialist at The Arc of Washington.
Bills: HB2289
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Appropriations Jan 14th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Governor's budget puts the future of both the Climate Commitment Act and the Working Families Tax
  • The Governor's budget puts the future of both the Climate Commitment Act and the Working Families Tax
  • The longer we wait, the deeper the hole gets, and the harder and more expensive it will be to fix.
  • I am the Chair Arnsby and the members of the...
  • My name is Kathy Murahashi, and I'm the public policy specialist at The Arc of Washington.
Summary: The House Appropriations Committee continued its public hearing on House Bill 2289, the fiscal biennial supplemental operating budget appropriations bill. The chair and vice chair explained the hearing process, limited testimony to one minute per person, and then heard extensive public comment from a wide range of advocates, local officials, service providers, and residents. No committee vote was taken during the hearing. Much of the testimony focused on opposition to proposed budget shifts involving Climate Commitment Act revenue, especially the proposed diversion of $569 million to other uses, including the Working Families Tax Credit. Environmental, public health, and local government witnesses argued those funds should remain dedicated to climate pollution reduction, wildfire resilience, clean transportation, natural climate solutions, and affordability programs. Several speakers also urged full funding for wildfire response and forest health, including the HB 1168 commitment, and opposed transfers from the Public Works Assistance Account. Other major topics included Medicaid and long-term care rates, with nursing home and assisted living providers warning that freezing or delaying rate rebasing would worsen staffing shortages and threaten access to care. Public health and health care advocates opposed cuts to foundational public health services, Apple Health expansion, and pharmacy benefit changes, while oral health advocates asked to preserve Medicaid dental funding and support Dentist Link. Testimony also supported or opposed funding for K-12 programs such as special education, the Ninth Grade Success Initiative, and homeless student stability; early learning and child care subsidies; disability services; public defense; housing and homelessness prevention; food assistance; higher education; and immigrant legal services. The committee concluded the hearing and adjourned after public testimony ended.
US

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

Hearings to examine certain pending nominations. Apr 29th, 2025 at 02:00 pm

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • Recently the Office of the U.S.
  • This is the second time he's entrusted me with the honor and the duty to head the Office of the Assistant
  • The second was at the United States Department of Labor, and the third was within the very office to
  • If you look at the trade data the year after the China phase one deal was signed between the U.S. and
  • And then it's the business's responsibility, the farmers, the associations, all the groups that support
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Legislative Health and Human Services Jun 25th, 2025

Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • So, in the Federal DED Act, the DD councils, the University Centers of Excellence, were essentially the
  • the 90s, the ADA.
  • at the hearing, so they have to do all the work to do the report, write the report, file the report,
  • I also wanna, um, just cause it came up at the ARC conference, um, your residential Accessibility Modification
  • Is the commission of the deaf for the deaf and hard of hearing and the commission for the blind, are
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • I am the face of the IHSS recipients. I am the face of the IHSS recipients.
  • Jim Frazier with the Arc of California and UCP Collaborative, and strong support for this bill.
  • union jobs at the end of the day.
  • I’ll emphasize the intent of the bill, which is to increase the transparency of the total compensation
  • The way the bill is written, we can't do the calculations accurately to provide for the whole pay period
Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement met for its first hearing of the session, adopted committee rules, and heard several labor-related bills. The chair reviewed hearing procedures, including limits on testimony and expectations for orderly conduct. Members then took up measures affecting public employee bargaining, contracting, confidentiality, school employee benefits, pay stub information, and state correctional health staffing. AB 672 would require public employers to notify PERB when filing court actions involving statutes PERB administers and allow PERB to intervene; it drew support from SEIU, AFSCME, school employees, labor groups, and no opposition, and was passed out of committee. AB 283 would move IHSS bargaining from the county to the state level; providers and recipients testified about low wages, long delays in bargaining, and care access concerns, while counties and public authorities raised cost, scope, and implementation issues. The bill passed 7-0 after members discussed family care worker concerns and the author said he would continue working on the issue. AB 339 would require local governments to give unions 120 days’ notice before contracting out bargaining-unit work. Labor supporters said the bill would make existing meet-and-confer rights meaningful and protect jobs, while counties, cities, special districts, chambers of commerce, and staffing groups argued it would burden local agencies and interfere with existing MMBA procedures. The committee also heard AB 340, which would make communications between employees and union representatives confidential for PERB purposes; supporters said it codified existing case law, while school administrators, special districts, counties, and business groups warned it could hinder investigations. AB 378 would extend the classified school employees summer assistance program to JPA employees, and AB 374 would require more detailed pay stubs for classified school employees; both had labor support and some education-sector opposition over implementation and cost concerns, and both advanced. AB 393 would require cost analyses before contracting out physician work at CDCR and the Department of State Hospitals; supporters argued the state was overpaying contractors amid high vacancy rates, and the bill also advanced. At the end of the hearing, the committee recorded final votes showing AB 283, AB 340, AB 374, AB 378, AB 393, and AB 672 all passing out of committee, while AB 339 remained on hold with a 4-0 vote and some members not voting.
MA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And last but not least, Mara Sullivan from the Arc of Massachusetts.
  • And the link on the right will connect...
  • And the link on the right will connect During our summit that we held in November, the link on the right
  • They learn about the strength of the individual and the resilience of the family and the community that
  • The sound, the gestures, the way we communicate, the fact that... ...the gestures, the way we communicate
Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held a public hearing focused on health equity for people with disabilities. The chair opened by explaining that the session was not about specific legislation, but about sharing data, lived experience, and strategies to inform more inclusive health systems. Presenters included representatives from the Health Equity Compact, the Department of Public Health, MassHealth, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, UMass Chan Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation, and the Arc of Massachusetts/Operation House Call. Speakers described how structural racism and ableism contribute to poor health outcomes, unemployment, poverty, and barriers to care for disabled people, especially disabled people of color. Testimony highlighted access problems such as inaccessible medical equipment, transportation, inadequate provider training, lack of culturally competent care, and insurance barriers. Several speakers emphasized the importance of collecting and disaggregating disability data, training providers in disability-competent care, and screening for accommodation needs. MassHealth described its Quality and Equity Incentive Program under the 1115 waiver, including disability-related metrics on data completeness, staff training, and accommodation screening, and reported early increases in hospitals collecting self-reported disability data. Brain injury advocates focused on inequities in rehabilitation access, including the impact of CMS’s “three-hour rule,” which they argued denies needed inpatient rehab to people with severe traumatic brain injury. They called for policy changes, a TBI task force, and possibly bipartisan legislation if CMS cannot revise the rule. Other testimony described DPH efforts such as one-to-one navigation, health promotion workshops, mini-grants for accessible recreation, and the Massachusetts Health and Disability Partnership. The hearing also highlighted medical education efforts like Operation House Call, which uses home visits and disability-led teaching to reduce bias and improve provider competence. No votes were taken and no formal actions were announced.
VA

Virginia 2026 1st Special Session

Disability Commission Jun 18th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • I do chair the Joint Commission on Health Care and the Education and Health Committee in the Senate.
  • I did some research for it, and the Advocate for the Disabled was the executive branch agency rather
  • In that case, it could be the parent of the person with the disability that is serving as the trainer
  • Ashley Wright, representing the Arc of Virginia.
  • They hold the license with the state.
Summary: The Virginia Disability Commission held its first meeting of the year on June 18, established a quorum, and introduced members. Senator Barbara Favola was elected chair and Delegate Amy Laufer was elected vice chair, both unanimously. The commission also reviewed and unanimously approved its electronic/remote participation policy, which mirrors last year’s policy and allows limited remote participation under Virginia FOIA rules. Staff then reviewed a package of 14 disability-related bills that passed last session and were signed into law. Topics included disabled veterans’ vehicle registration fee exemptions, open captioning requirements for movie theaters, guardianship/conservatorship order forwarding, service dog team definitions, education and transition planning for students with disabilities, Blue Envelope and driver communication training for law enforcement and driver education, deferred disposition and jury service protections, voting rights in guardianship cases, expansion of the Virginia Human Rights Act, continuation of a DD waiver eligibility change, and DMAS training authority for autism competency checklists. Members discussed implementation concerns, especially making the Blue Envelope/driver communication program more visible and considering a follow-up letter and DMV presentation. The commission then adopted its interim work plan unanimously, with discussion of possible presentations on DMAS and Medicaid waivers, DBHDS telehealth training implementation, SCHEV and VDOE transition planning, transition from institutions to community settings, criminal justice reform, transportation and parking accessibility, adult-sized changing tables, and school accessibility. Members also suggested adding EVV concerns, seclusion and restraint, rare disease issues, and insurance coverage problems for needed medications. Public commenters urged the commission to address burdensome EVV requirements for family caregivers, improve accessibility for local government meetings and documents, and explore a standardized credential/career pathway for direct support professionals. The chair said follow-up work would be assigned on EVV and implementation issues, and the meeting location would move to the Senate side of the Capitol going forward.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Jan 20th, 2026 at 08:00 am

Early Learning & K-12 Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • within a limit to the school and the teacher who developed the idea.
  • About the same thing, or all the urban school districts are complaining about the same thing.
  • Do they go to the registrar, to the counselor?
  • My read of the bill is that the school requests the waiver of the school board, and the school board
  • Yes, the bill language gives the authority to the local school board to grant the waiver.
Bills: SB6052 , SB6051 , SB5907 , SB5860 , SB5574
WA
Transcript Highlights:
  • within a limit to the school and the teacher who developed the idea.
  • So take the digital file and create the exchange.
  • Do they go to the registrar? To the counselor?
  • My read of the bill is that the school requests the waiver of the school board, and the school board
  • Yes, the bill language gives the authority to the local school board to grant the waiver.
Summary: The Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee heard three bills. Senate Bill 6052 would create a statewide digital transcript data-sharing environment for K-12 and postsecondary institutions, with student or parent permission required for disclosure. Supporters from universities, OSPI, school districts, counselors, and education groups said the bill would reduce paper handling, staff time, errors, and delays in admissions and enrollment, while improving security and student access; members asked about alignment with the High School and Beyond Plan, FERPA, apprenticeships, and out-of-state transfer issues. Senate Bill 6051 would allow local school boards to grant waivers or partial waivers of certain state laws and rules to individual schools, while excluding health and safety, civil rights, parental rights, basic education, and other protected areas. The sponsor said the bill is intended to give districts flexibility and surface recurring regulatory burdens, but OSPI, the State Board of Education, WEA, and school board groups raised concerns about broad scope, lack of definitions, possible impacts on special education and basic education compliance, and added complexity or legal costs. Some district representatives supported the idea of flexibility and relief from unfunded mandates, but suggested the bill needed more work. Senate Bill 5907 would expand ECEAP access for military families with incomes below 60% of state median income and prioritize children with deployed or single custodial military parents. The sponsor and supporters from ESDs, school districts, Head Start/ECEAP, child advocacy groups, and veterans organizations said military families face frequent moves, deployments, child care instability, and related stress, and that the bill would provide a modest, cost-effective benefit without state fiscal impact. In executive session, the committee adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5860 to Ways and Means, and adopted a proposed substitute and passed SB 5574 to Rules.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary May 7th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • They provide for security at the courts of appeal by the sheriff of the respective parishes of the courts
  • the orders of the court when the court is in open court.
  • Yeah, so at the right... ...the amendments. You made the motion. You made, okay.
  • Yes, at the right. At the right, and move favorable on the bill as amended, yes.
  • Yes, at the right. At the right, and move favorable on the bill as amended, yes.
Bills: HB302 , HB371 , HB597 , HB1097 , HB1190 , SB34 , SB164 , SB208 , SB232 , SB317 , SB357 , SB421 , SB510
Committee: House Judiciary
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Committee on Higher Education - 02/19/26

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • The presentation around the enrollment fraud working group report to the Legislature.
  • AND THE STUDENT ASSOCIATION LEADERS ON THE WORK OF THE OF THE EXISTING ROMAN FRAUD WORKING GROUP AND
  • Based on the findings of the working group, the following recommendations are offered to strengthen the
  • THEY CAN COLOR TEAMS CALLING IT THE PERSON ON THE ON THE PHONE.
  • And the answer on the other line was no.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Judiciary May 7th, 2026

Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:
  • They provide for security at the courts of appeal by the sheriff of the respective parishes of the courts
  • the orders of the court when the court is in open court.
  • hear the sound of vapes hitting the trash can.
  • And I know, like, I know other organizations do training for police officers, but I know that the Arc
  • Yes, at the right. At the right, and move favorable on the bill as amended, yes.
Committee: House Judiciary
Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard a series of bills, mostly from the Senate, covering military affairs, courts, veterans’ services, tobacco/vape regulation, and emergency alerts for missing persons with disabilities. Several measures were described as cleanup or modernization bills, including SB 317 adding the House and Senate military committee chairs to the Louisiana Military Advisory Council, SB 357 updating court administration and appellate e-case management provisions, SB 421 modernizing electronic records language, and SB 232 and HB 597 addressing judicial compensation and related funding/commission issues. The committee also heard SB 164, which would add public works employees to the definition of first responders, and SB 510, which would regulate certain licensed establishments that allow on-premises consumption of hemp/THC products and related age restrictions. These bills were generally presented as technical updates or alignment with existing practices, and the committee reported them favorably after brief questions and, in some cases, amendments. A major portion of the meeting focused on SB 208, which revises Louisiana’s law on services provided to veterans after a prior version was struck down. Senator Kathy and LDVA representatives said the bill is intended to protect veterans from unaccredited “claim sharks” by limiting fees and creating state-level safeguards, while an opponent argued the issue is preempted by federal law and should be left to Congress and the pending appeal. The committee also heard extensive testimony on SB 34, which would create “Bryan’s Call” emergency alerts for missing children and adults with cognitive or developmental disabilities, including wireless alerts and responder training. Family members and disability advocates described fatal risks from elopement and drowning, and supporters said the bill would fill a gap between Amber and Silver Alerts; the committee moved the bill favorably. Another bill, HB 302, sought to restrict vape sales near schools; the sponsor and Alcohol and Tobacco Control discussed possible language changes, and public health testimony supported broader protections for youth. Several bills were voluntarily deferred, including HB 1190, HB 1097, and HB 374-1, and the committee adjourned after reporting the remaining measures favorably.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Senate May 11th, 2026

Louisiana Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Let it be the case in our session today that the goal is the greater good.
  • Let it be the case in our session today that the goal is the greater good.
  • express the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the Senate of Louisiana upon the Senate of the Senate
  • The amendment actually named the act the Coach Safely Act. And that's all the amendments did.
  • So what we're doing here is we're letting the five systems—the Southern system, the LSU system, the UL
Bills: SCR63 , SCR12 , HB89 , HB451 , HB595 , HB617 , HB621 , HB730 , HB1064 , HB1125 , HB221 , HCR58 , SB106 , SB206 , SB248 , SB441 , SB104 , SB122 , SB180 , SB260 , SB424 , SB476 , SCR9 , SCR30 , SB57 , SB414 , SB525 , SB35 , SB65 , SB135 , SB215 , SB246 , SB249 , SB269 , SB276 , SB282 , SB296 , SB323 , SB363 , SB369 , SB474 , SB484 , SB490 , SB492 , SB500 , SB501 , SB513 , HCR31 , HB462 , HB547 , HB613 , HB691 , HB712 , HB720 , HB723 , HB728 , HB735 , HB747 , HB759 , HB825 , HB845 , HB846 , HB903 , HB904 , HB907 , HB923 , HB929 , HB941 , HB962 , HB965 , HB1036 , HB287 , HB370 , HB515 , HB521 , HB570 , HB1200 , HB29 , HB39 , HB58 , HB67 , HB73 , HB76 , HB77 , HB82 , HB112 , HB121 , HB125 , HB132 , HB134 , HB151 , HB154 , HB155 , HB161 , HB166 , HB187 , HB191 , HB207 , HB211 , HB224 , HB238 , HB241 , HB242 , HB250 , HB260 , HB265 , HB275 , HB300 , HB320 , HB338 , HB339 , HB349 , HB379 , HB399 , HB427 , HB463 , HB464 , HB468 , HB545 , HB550 , HB551 , HB565 , HB588 , HB639 , HB725 , HB782 , HB805 , HB808 , HB834 , HB847 , HB853 , HB858 , HB861 , HB883 , HB916 , HB937 , HB977 , HB1012 , HB1027 , HB1044 , HB1054 , HB1091 , HB1117 , HB90 , HB127 , HB138 , HB150 , HB201 , HB268 , HB273 , HB285 , HB315 , HB354 , HB355 , HB360 , HB376 , HB445 , HB506 , HB606 , HB649 , HB665 , HB681 , HB721 , HB746 , HB757 , HB781 , HB835 , HB844 , HB857 , HB872 , HB886 , HB889 , HB892 , HB982 , HB987 , HB1037 , HB1068 , HB1072 , HB1078 , HB1085 , HB1132 , HB1137 , HB1167 , HB1174 , HB1232 , HB1238 , HB23 , HB136 , HB17 , HB21 , HB51 , HB55 , HB74 , HB106 , HB108 , HB133 , HB140 , HB159 , HB168 , HB215 , HB226 , HB263 , HB296 , HB299 , HB322 , HB364 , HB519 , HB535 , HB538 , HB568 , HB571 , HB622 , HB635 , HB676 , HB772 , HB784 , HB1006 , HB1018 , HB1033 , HB1034 , HB1043 , HB1070 , HB1134 , HB1237 , HB1239 , HB36 , HB119 , HB126 , HB129 , HB245 , HB271 , HB280 , HB337 , HB351 , HB677 , HB726 , HB789 , HB850 , HB956 , HB966 , SB149 , SB382
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • And in that case, the restaurant officials would be receiving the, the, the, And in that case, the restaurant
  • they're receiving the price of the meal net of the tax and not including the service charge because the
  • So the planning at the beginning—working through the RFI, the RFP process... ...the business problem
  • the ARCS-Passen Inc. systems, to your point, Madam Chair, they were, those are all in 1997 to 2001 systems
  • And the millwrights are in support of the project, the SAF incentives included in the budget, and the
Summary: The subcommittee first heard an informational overview from the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GoServe), including California Volunteers, the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications, and the Youth Empowerment Commission. GoServe reported strong participation in programs such as California Service Corps, College Corps, Youth Service Corps, Climate Action Corps, and the new men’s service challenge. Testimony emphasized enrollment, retention, and completion outcomes, outreach results, and efforts to reduce administrative costs. The Department of Finance said the administration supports the programs but has already made reductions to help address the budget deficit, while the LAO said it had no new recommendations on the informational item. Committee members raised questions about program scale, demographics, and effectiveness, especially for Climate Action Corps and whether the programs are duplicative of existing volunteer opportunities. One member criticized the programs as too fragmented and costly, while others asked for more data on who is being served and whether the programs increase actual participation in state services. GoServe said it would follow up with demographic and regional impact information. The committee also discussed the men’s service challenge, which GoServe said has formed partnerships with organizations such as YMCAs and Big Brothers Big Sisters and has already attracted more than 2,000 participants. The item was informational only. The committee then heard a BOE overview and a budget request to implement SB 293, which gives wildfire-affected families additional time to claim intergenerational Prop. 13 property tax transfers. BOE requested $154,000 for guidance, public materials, and inquiry response, explaining that the work is urgent and tied to disaster relief in Los Angeles County, especially Altadena. The LAO had no concerns, and Finance had no comment. Members asked how many cases might be affected and whether more funding would be needed later; BOE said the full number is not yet known and that future requests are possible. The committee also heard BOE’s IT modernization proposal for the state-assessed property tax system, a 30-year-old mainframe replacement costing $3.2 million in 2026-27 and $3.1 million in 2027-28. BOE and Finance supported the project as necessary, while the LAO said it had no concerns but urged a high bar for new IT spending. Members generally supported modernization but cautioned about implementation risk. Finally, CDTFA presented an overview and two policy proposals. The department described administering 42 tax and fee programs, collecting $98 billion in FY 2024, and improving administrative efficiency. Members then discussed local sales tax tools and revenue-sharing agreements, with concerns raised about transparency, consultant-driven tax allocation disputes, and the impact on local communities. CDTFA and the LAO explained that local jurisdictions control how district sales tax revenues are spent and noted the Legislature could revisit the statutory cap on local add-on sales taxes. The committee then heard CDTFA’s proposal to treat all delivery network companies as marketplace facilitators so they must collect and remit sales tax on delivery-app orders. CDTFA said the change would resolve confusion, shift compliance from thousands of small restaurants to a few large platforms, and raise about $44 million annually. Several members questioned whether the proposal would effectively raise consumer costs and whether it would create a competitive advantage or disadvantage among delivery platforms. The item remained under discussion, with no vote taken in the transcript.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Education Committee Apr 22nd, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm on the board of The Arc of California. Most importantly, I have a child with IDD.
  • Jordan Lindsay with The Arc of California, one of the sponsors of the bill, in support. Thank you.
  • the role of the SPI.
  • The fact that the SPI serves at the pleasure of voters, not the pleasure of the governor, is a feature
  • entirety of the conflicts, the dual, the duplicative nature of the... ...conflicts, the dual, the duplicative
Summary: The committee heard several education-related bills, with the most extensive discussion focused on AB 2189, AB 2615, AB 2496, AB 1750, and AB 1644. AB 2189 would create an $800,000 grant program through the State Council on Developmental Disabilities to support a statewide parent network for special education advocacy and training. Supporters said families need stronger coordination and information to navigate special education, while an opponent argued the bill could duplicate existing family-led organizations. The bill passed 6-0 and was sent to Appropriations, held on call for add-on votes. AB 2615, a cleanup bill to AB 715 on antisemitism and instructional materials, drew the most controversy. The authors said it was intended to clarify prior commitments by removing references to professional responsibility standards, refining the “factually accurate” language, and clarifying how discriminatory materials are handled. Supporters said it would help protect students from discrimination, while many educators, civil rights groups, and other organizations opposed it unless amended, warning that the factual-accuracy language could chill teaching and be applied too broadly. The committee chair and members raised concerns about implementation but ultimately supported moving the bill forward; it passed 5-0 and was held on call. AB 2496 would streamline school accountability reporting by making the California School Dashboard the primary transparency tool, phasing out the School Accountability Report Card over time, and making mid-year LCAP reporting optional. Supporters said this would reduce duplication and administrative burden while preserving access to key data; opponents worried families could lose the simplicity and accessibility of the current SARC and that the mid-year update still serves an important purpose. The bill was approved 3-0 and held on call. AB 1750, which would extend full salary for an additional five months for school employees who exhaust sick leave due to illness or injury, was supported as a dignity and retention measure but opposed by administrators over staffing and cost concerns; it passed 4-0 and was held on call. AB 1644 would require a bell-to-bell smartphone ban in TK-8 and recommend it for high school, with exceptions for instructional and safety needs; supporters said phones are harming attention and learning, while opponents argued districts had just adopted local policies and needed more flexibility. The transcript ends during discussion of that bill.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
  • vessel name, the company name, the location, the date.
  • The graphic on the... The graphic on the left is the probability from Dr.
  • you took the three-arc coastal relief depth model.
  • So that’s what the top graph is based on, is that three-arc model. Corrected, got it. All right.
  • But the boats, the net boats, are inside the line.
Summary: The committee took up House Bill 886 by Rep. Orgeron, which would make seasonal catch totals and related reporting for the commercial menhaden fishery publicly available by carving out an exception to confidentiality rules. The author said the bill was intended to align with the original intent of prior reporting legislation and to ensure the public can see how much menhaden is being taken from Louisiana waters. Supporters, including Louisiana Wildlife Federation, CCA, charter captains, and recreational anglers, argued the fishery uses a public resource and that transparency is needed for policymaking. Opponents said they did not object to transparency in principle, but one speaker asked that size-sampling data be removed, arguing it has no scientific value and is already handled through NOAA and Gulf States Marine Fisheries Council processes. The committee reported HB 886 favorably without opposition. The committee then heard House Bill 855, also by Rep. Orgeron, which would establish a 22-foot depth requirement for the commercial use of purse seines in the menhaden fishery. The author said the bill was based on a state-funded bycatch study showing red drum bycatch rises sharply in shallow water and that the current quarter-mile buffer is insufficient, especially in nearshore areas where recreational fishing and sensitive habitats are concentrated. Supporters emphasized the public trust nature of menhaden, the economic value of recreational fishing, and concerns about bycatch, beach fouling, and localized depletion. Several speakers cited the bycatch study, public comments opposing the recent reduction from a half-mile to a quarter-mile buffer, and the belief that deeper-water fishing would reduce impacts on redfish and other species. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff and the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Scott Rayburn, answered questions about the current buffer rules, enforcement, and the science behind the 22-foot threshold. They explained that the recent reduction to a quarter-mile buffer came from a commission directive and that the department had investigated complaints but found no violations. Dr. Rayburn said the 22-foot figure came from modeling red drum bycatch as a function of depth and that the study focused on red drum because of its economic and social importance, while not analyzing every species in the same way. Opponents of the bill, including West Bank Fishing and Ocean Harvesters representatives, said the rule of three is a standard confidentiality concept, argued the bill should not be framed as anti-transparency, and urged removal of the size-sampling provisions. The committee heard extensive testimony but no final action on HB 855 was recorded in the excerpt.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Natural Resources and Environment Apr 8th, 2026

Natural Resources & Environment

Transcript Highlights:
  • vessel name, the company name, the location, the date.
  • The graphic on the left is the probability from Dr.
  • the three-arc coastal relief depth model.
  • So that's what the top graph is based on, is that three-arc model. Corrected, got it, yeah.
  • The boats, the net boats, are inside the line.