Transcript Highlights:

• I think P is going to maybe also add to the discussion of what the impact of using that word is, and
• Senator Putnam’s bill was two or three million, and I’m still uncertain as to what the impact would be
• <00:16:28.639><c> uh</c> impact uh impact uh would<00:16:30.000><c> be</c><00:16:31.000><c> um</c><00
• </c><00:41:10.960><c> by</c><00:41:11.599><c> tax</c> and impacted by tax and impacted by tax increment
• values and due to due to inflating values and due to inflating inflating inflating budgets<01:06:17.000

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and commitment made a lasting impact and commitment made a lasting impact particularly<00:23:04.159
• will be impacted.
• will be impacted.
• will be impacted.
• </c> $120 billion in annual economic impact $120 billion in annual economic impact but<02:11:47.719><

Bills: HJR35 , HR695 , HR469 , HR250

Keywords: environment, EPA, waste emissions, petroleum, natural gas, environmental protection, methane, regulatory disapproval, Charlie Kirk, political assassination, free speech, First Amendment, public safety, official photography, House of Representatives, session, government transparency, public engagement, payment system, Bureau of the Fiscal Service

Transcript Highlights:

• The program has had a huge impact on DeafBlind lives.
• So I'm sure you feel the impact as well. I wanted to thank you for your time.
• They are structural funding problems that directly impact students.
• In a district of nearly 10,000 children, this impact is felt in every school.
• We're a restorative justice organization led by system-impacted people.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• Inflation impacts government as well.
• Inflation impacts government as well.
• County recording fees to catch up with inflation.
• by inflation.
• And as was noted from the impacted families, extremely important to get right.

Committee: House Local Government

Summary: The Assembly Local Government Committee heard a long slate of bills, with the chair opening by outlining hearing rules, noting in-person testimony only, and identifying several bills for the consent calendar. The committee repeatedly operated without a quorum for much of the hearing, so several authors closed with requests for aye votes before formal action could be taken. AB 407 (Jackson) was heard first and would broaden eligibility in state loan and financing programs to help small businesses fund environmental, seismic, and ADA upgrades; it drew support from the Treasurer’s office and no opposition. AB 93 (Papan) would require state and local agencies to develop best practices and reporting around data center water use; supporters emphasized water scarcity and transparency, while the Data Center Coalition opposed it as overly restrictive and potentially burdensome. The League of California Cities and water agencies were generally supportive or neutral with amendments. The committee also heard several housing-related bills. AB 650 (Papan) would give cities earlier RHNA information and require HCD to provide clearer, more actionable housing element feedback; it received broad support from cities, planning groups, and housing advocates, with no opposition. AB 507 (Haney) would streamline adaptive reuse of office buildings into housing, especially in downtowns, and AB 1294 (Haney) would create a more standardized housing application process; both drew strong support from housing and business groups, while local government groups raised concerns about one-size-fits-all mandates and local discretion. AB 610 (Alvarez) would strengthen housing element transparency and limit new local housing constraints and fees after certification; supporters said it would improve certainty, while legal aid and city groups opposed it as too rigid and potentially harmful to inclusionary housing and local fee authority. AB 610 ultimately received a 7-0 do-pass recommendation to Appropriations. Other measures included AB 1044 (Macedo), which would create a new groundwater sustainability agency structure for Tulare County to help the region comply with SGMA; it was backed by county and agricultural water representatives and had no opposition. AB 523 (Irwin) would allow proxy voting for single-representative member agencies on the Metropolitan Water District board, with support from several water districts and no opposition. AB 1112 (Wallace) would repeal an outdated property tax carve-out affecting Rancho Mirage; the city supported it as restoring equity, and the committee called the roll after reaching quorum, then moved the bill do pass as amended to Appropriations by a 6-0 vote with the roll left open. Finally, AB 698 (Wicks) would require analysis of the housing, market-rate, and property tax impacts before a local transfer tax is adopted; supporters said it would inform local decision-making, while opponents, including a coalition tied to Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, argued it could undermine local revenue tools and housing funding. The committee discussed that the bill was forward-looking and not retroactive, and then moved it forward as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, each of the last three legislative sessions, this committee has helped usher impactful legislation
• This committee has helped usher impactful legislation on behalf of veterans and those who serve, bringing
• And I’m here before you in support of policies that impact the lives specifically of our military families
• Since 2020, inflation has run 20.9% in the Boston metro area, feeding into veterans benefits at that
• So we’re asking for a COLA to address that yearly change in inflation.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs

Summary: The Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs held its first public hearing of the 2025–2026 session, with House Chair Rep. Joe McGonagle outlining the committee’s focus on veterans’ benefits, military families, and related policy priorities. He noted the committee’s recent record of advancing major veterans legislation, described the hearing as hybrid, and explained that testimony would be limited to three minutes. The committee then heard testimony on several bills, including H. 3886/S. 2503, H. 3863/S. 2480, and H. 3859, among others. Melissa Willett of the Department of Defense and Rep. John Stanley testified in support of H. 3886/S. 2503, which would expand support for military families by improving school open enrollment flexibility, special education continuity, concurrent jurisdiction for juvenile matters on military installations, and coordination around military protective orders. Committee members questioned the juvenile jurisdiction and protective-order provisions, with concerns raised about federal versus state authority and due process; witnesses said the jurisdiction change would be case-by-case and that military protective orders are commander-issued decisions that could be used as evidence in civilian proceedings. The Department of Defense said the proposal aligns with priorities from military stakeholders and other New England states. Jim Keene testified in support of H. 3863/S. 2480, seeking a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans’ benefits and extending certain benefits to Guard and Reserve members killed on active duty. Allie DeBateau of the Massachusetts Municipal Association testified on H. 3859, which would streamline veterans benefits administration by having the state pay benefits directly rather than reimbursing municipalities quarterly; she said this would reduce local administrative burden while leaving local veterans service officers’ roles unchanged. Committee members asked about municipal support and the fiscal impact, and the hearing concluded with no votes taken, followed by adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Medical Director at First Physicians East University Family Medicine, where she made a strong impact
• But their impact didn't stop there.
• the multi-decade spin-thrift stewardship of our country by the federal government. its resultant inflation
• And so that is probably the best way of handling it. inflation.
• And I think that this helps hedge against inflation and monetary... instability.

Bills: SJR34 , SB10 , SB18 , SB19 , SB21 , SB72 , SB140 , SB262 , SB370 , SB480 , SB495 , SB627 , SB703 , SB767 , SB790

Transcript Highlights:

• Inflation over the last many years. Our citizens cannot afford another boondoggle.
• With the pace of inflation in Minnesota and thus increased costs.
• This, by the way, I think is going to have a significant impact on the state's budget.
• But there is no fiscal impact; we don't need to re-refer it, and we are keeping the money in place.
• that in the near term, this bill does not have a fiscal impact.

Transcript Highlights:

• Could you give us an idea of the inflation rate over that same period, either Idaho or regionally, so
• But this isn't necessarily answering your question directly on the inflation rate; what I've done is
• But after you adjust that number for inflation, now it puts that budget in real dollar terms.
• So clearly inflation has played a part in the growth in the budget on a lot of those fronts.
• certainty surrounding the revenue number and your certainty surrounding the conformity bill fiscal impact

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> uh the cutting taxes will have an impact uh the cutting taxes will have an impact on<00:22:38.559
• So that the there's a of inflation.
• </c> change in population, how that impacts. change in population, how that impacts.
• </c> results in more inflation. results in more inflation.
• Um, that's been<03:54:07.920><c> impacted.</c> been impacted. been impacted.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• But when it comes to income taxes, it does have a direct impact.
• It also has indirect impacts that we'll talk a little bit about.
• We also need to consider inflation.
• You just can't catch up with inflation.
• and how that's going to impact.

Committee: House Revenue Stabilization & Tax Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• It's really not going to impact area.
• </c> the state of Wyoming and how impactful the state of Wyoming and how impactful it<00:09:20.040><c
• </c><00:29:05.960><c> Wyoming,</c> as it impacts Wyoming, as it impacts Wyoming, uh<00:29:07.360><c>
• </c> significant increase in inflation. significant increase in inflation.
• </c> looking at it adjusted for inflation. looking at it adjusted for inflation.

Committee: Joint Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation should have no negative impact on the general fund.
• quite a bit over the decades to try to work into a certain result as opposed to really tracking what inflation
• And I've frankly been searching for what I think would be a good measure of inflation.
• Also, I believe inflation is caused by expansion of the money supply.
• For the last few years, I've been thinking about a population increase and an inflation increase, some

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• And the families in the state of Idaho are facing close to a 3% inflation rate.
• I'm not exactly sure how that suggests that I've heard as high as 7% inflation rate.
• And the families in the state of Idaho are facing close to a 3% inflation rate.
• I'm not exactly sure how that suggests that I've heard as high as 7% inflation rate.
• Thank you. inflation rate. So they're already taking a hit.

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Now, what is the impact of that on the average taxpayer?
• We also, of course, had high inflation in recent years.
• We had inflation rates of 6, 7, 8 percent, inflation that we hadn't seen in decades at that high rate
• , and there are other cost drivers too, and then the impact of Proposition 2 1/2.
• But when inflation is running as high as it has, the math just doesn't work.

Summary: The Senate took up a long series of FY26 budget amendments during debate on the Ways and Means budget bill. Early on, an amendment on debt service and the Debt Affordability Committee was rejected. A major education amendment offered by Senator Lewis and supported by Senator Comerford was then adopted; it directs DESE to begin a public process, with $200,000 in funding, to review and recommend updates to the Chapter 70 municipal contribution formula and related school funding structures as the Student Opportunity Act nears full implementation. Senators argued that school districts across the Commonwealth are under severe fiscal strain, citing rising special education, transportation, health insurance, and Proposition 2 1/2 pressures, and that the current formulas are increasingly out of alignment with local needs. The chamber also considered and voted on many other amendments, with several adopted and several rejected. Adopted amendments included measures on public payroll transparency, regional EMS, a small business group purchasing cooperative pilot, simplifying Medicaid eligibility determinations, and early education background checks. Rejected amendments included proposals on first-time homebuyer savings accounts, population change studies, competitiveness studies, emergency contract reform, natural gas cost containment, a $200 per pupil aid increase, regional school reimbursement increases, a Foundation Budget Review Commission-related study, special education service studies, welfare benefit audits, short-term capital gains, and an MBTA sustainability plan. Senator Durant also spoke in support of Amendment 766, which would create a crumbling concrete assistance fund for homeowners affected by pyrrhotite, with tax-exempt aid, federal funding applications, audits, and a stakeholder working group. Near the end of debate, Senator D. DiDomenico praised the Shannon Grant program for gang violence prevention, and the Senate adopted a final corrective amendment containing technical fixes and local earmarks. The bill was then ordered to a third reading and, after a roll call on engrossment, passed to be engrossed by a vote of 38-2. The Senate also approved a motion to adjourn to the following Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and recessed in memory of Yaron Lashinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgram, and Leslie A. Feeney.

Transcript Highlights:

• identified to do this, and it's just essentially validating the data that they turn over for fiscal impact
• So that's going to have an impact on the entire market and how our providers— So that's going to have
• would be for our state employees and teachers and others impacted.
• The inflation number and the tracking that we've experienced as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act
• And that's what impacted future forecast.

Committee: All ALC-STATE INSURANCE PROGRAMS OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTEE

Summary: The committee reviewed several State Board of Finance actions related to employee and retiree health benefits, insurance contracts, and reserve funding. Members first considered a rule implementing Act 956 of 2025 requiring vendors working with the Employee Benefits Division to have their data validated by a third-party actuary; it was reviewed without objection. The committee then approved multiple pharmacy and medical formulary recommendations for June, July, and August, including shifting to lower-cost generics, excluding new-to-market drugs pending more evidence or better pricing, re-tiering specialty and limited-distribution drugs, and adjusting prior authorization, step therapy, and age restrictions. Members asked about how Navitus and EBRX develop recommendations, how rebates and coupons are tracked, and whether rebate incentives could influence coverage decisions. The committee also reviewed and approved a one-year Colonial Life accidental death and disability contract extension with level rates for 2026-2027, a one-year UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage extension that decouples medical and pharmacy benefits and raises premiums for state and public school retirees, and a new three-year financial auditing contract with Crow Chesnik after an RFQ produced only one response. The UnitedHealthcare renewal was described as the full extent of the increase for the year, with officials saying future increases are likely but should become more predictable. The committee then heard a presentation from Segal Group on public school plan funding and reserve adequacy, which projected that if funding stayed flat the reserve would be drawn down over time and could be exhausted by 2029. Segal presented scenarios showing that maintaining the target reserve would require substantial increases in the minimum district contribution alone, or more moderate increases if costs were spread across district, employee, and Department of Education funding. Members questioned the assumptions behind the projections, including why prescription drug claims were projected to grow 45 percent from an earlier forecast, why actual expenses had come in 17 percent above prior projections, and how federal changes, rising drug costs, and GLP-1 utilization might affect future costs. Several members raised concerns about the loss of wellness visit incentives, the need to control duplicate or inappropriate prescribing, and whether the target reserve level should be revisited. EBD said it is working on cost containment, wellness program redesign, and additional analysis, and indicated it expects to bring a funding and policy recommendation to the committee in September or October. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we are talking a lot about the impact of cuts federally and how that impacts Minnesotans.
• </c> that will uh both impact that will uh both impact SNAP<00:14:55.279><c> access</c><00:14:55.680>
• </c><00:51:49.920><c> uh</c> impact that inflation has on uh impact that inflation has on uh Minnesota
• </c> impact that is not a a progressive tax. impact that is not a a progressive tax.
• We heard about inflation, some finger-pointing on inflation.

Transcript Highlights:

• It does not make any change to current state policy and it does not have a fiscal impact.
• Worrying about the impact on your constituents. The impact is relatively insignificant.
• You know so many of them are struggling right now with inflation.
• People, because of inflation, just aren't going out to eat anymore.
• And I mean... with inflation.

Bills: SB264 , SB542 , SB924 , SB1008 , SB1029 , SB1036 , SB1057 , SB1058 , SB1185 , SB1202 , SB1358 , SB1364 , SB1376 , SB1569 , SB1664 , SB1697 , SJR50

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> to understand is the economic impact to understand is the economic impact that<00:05:11.919><c>
• </c> passed and the in it's got an inflator passed and the in it's got an inflator on<00:19:43.159><c
• </c><01:07:42.119><c> it's</c> of CO2 for environmental impacts it's of CO2 for environmental impacts
• </c> figure out those environmental impacts figure out those environmental impacts over<01:07:45.720>
• It wouldn't impact fee structuring; it just impacts the amount of revenue that's in the account.

Bills: HF198 , HF269 , HF185 , HF303 , HF305 , HF189

Committee: House Transportation Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF198, shared time pupils, shared-time enrollment, nonpublic school, private school, public school, career and technical education, CTE, secondary credit, school funding, state aid, education finance, Minnesota Statutes 126C.01, compulsory attendance, school district, education policy, HF269, Spicer, Minnesota bonding bill, capital investment

Transcript Highlights:

• this modification would exempt the lobby compensation thresholds in Government Code 305.005 from inflation
• Currently, the lobby compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data
• Compensation thresholds increase each year based on inflation, shifting more data into the lowest threshold
• This modification would ensure that the inflation adjustments would be rounded, either to the 10, 100
• The Sunset Compliance Report assessed recommendations impacting 24 entities, including 159 statutory

Summary: The Sunset Advisory Commission met for its final meeting of the biennium, established a quorum, and approved the December 11, 2024 minutes. Members then voted on staff recommendations for several agencies, including the Angelina and Netties River Authority, Lower Netties Valley Authority, and Trinity River Authority of Texas, adopting all recommendations for those entities without modification. The Texas Ethics Commission received the most discussion. Members adopted a modified recommendation to exempt lobby compensation thresholds from inflation adjustments and another modification to round inflation-adjusted amounts. The Commission also adopted a series of new recommendations addressing TEC customer service staffing, late filing penalties, post-election reporting penalties, waiver of penalties when notice cannot be produced, review of the substantial compliance standard for corrected reports, review of the definition of principal purpose for campaign finance reporting, more prominent public posting of delinquent penalties, and clearer training and guidance on lobbying registration and filing requirements. The Commission also adopted two previously omitted Texas Department of Criminal Justice recommendations, 6.5 and 6.6. The Commission then took its required final record vote to forward all recommendations adopted during the biennium to the 89th Legislature; the motion passed with nine ayes. Sunset staff provided a status update on implementation of 2023 Sunset recommendations, reporting that the State Auditor found 89% of selected management actions fully implemented and that Sunset staff found 68% of 163 statutory and related changes fully implemented, with the remainder mostly in progress. The meeting also noted the recently completed evaluation of the Texas Lottery Commission and ended with closing remarks from the chair and vice chair before the Commission recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• To spend time together and the impact that they have on the economy.
• We need to take some time to look at this data and see the impact that it's making and also see the impact
• But, I want to focus on the linking of the per-pupil formula to inflation.
• So by keeping the formula linked to inflation, this is a really good thing.
• But in reality, those amounts weren't keeping up with inflation.