Transcript Highlights:

• The kids started ninth grade with me, and then you read their names at commencement, and it was just
• kids started ninth grade with me and<00:31:47.000> then<00:31:47.120> you<00:31:47.240
• girl comes to class and she was grade girl comes to class and she was marching<00:31:57.039> to
• <00:32:26.960> comes students in the room 10th grade comes students in the room 10th grade
• The kids started ninth grade with me, and then you read their names at commencement, and it was just

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• What we see here is that, compared again statewide, we had charter school students in 11th grade with
• <01:00:07.280> with<01:00:07.480> a<01:00:07.640> 3% students in 11th grade
• So we try to kind of narrow it down to the grade bands.
• schools that have different um grade schools that have different um grade configurations<02:06:24.679
• <02:07:06.239> those performing schools to act scale those performing schools to act scale

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First grade was great. Kindergarten was great. Second grade was great.
• Her grades really started to plummet. We kept asking her, why are you getting these bad grades?
• What grade are you in? Fifth grade. And you want to be a scientist? Why not?
• was in the first grade.
• was in the first grade.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We are conducting grading uh potatoes.
• > grading<00:10:50.399> using<00:10:50.720> USDA quality and condition grading using
• USDA quality and condition grading using USDA standards.<00:10:52.240> Um<00:10:52.640> we're
• <01:26:28.400> and doing but at a lot much larger scale and doing but at a lot much larger
• scale and I'm<01:26:31.280> very<01:26:31.600> cognitive<01:26:32.159> of<01:26

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• They offer single-day workshops, multi-week clubs, and on-site education programs that focus on grades
• throughout the entire state and visit schools and classrooms from kindergarten up through the 12th grade
• experiences to engage students in grade experiences to engage students in grade specific<00:29:43.279
• a distinct experience es for each grade a distinct experience es for each grade K<00:29:59.480><
• The distinction is that the regional facilities provide unique, larger-scale recreation opportunities

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 75 miles Northwest of duth where scale 75 miles Northwest of duth where Bob<00:40:51.000> Dylan
• Chair, and it's fun just to have a little fatality, and I just think of all the third-grade, seventh-grade
• It's fun just to have a little levity, and I just think of all the third-grade, seventh-grade kids that
• It's, so, as Maria Jensen for the record, it's about economies of scale.
• would create better economies of scale would create better economies of scale for<01:37:59.440><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, I think, you know, getting, especially, you know, every third grader to read at grade level is
• Every third grader should be able to read at grade level, right?
• Just a quick clarifying question: what grade levels are we doing the screening?
• What grade levels are we doing this screening? K through 2, excluding TK. Okay, thank you.
• And now you have two different tools just for that grade alone, just for that age group alone, which

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget proposals focused on education finance, with repeated questions about whether the state’s investments are coordinated, targeted to the highest-need students, and likely to produce measurable results. On the first item, the administration proposed $1 million for a study of California’s curriculum framework, standards, and instructional materials process, plus $250,000 for supplemental ELA/ELD guidance. CDE and Finance said the study would examine how other states organize standards, frameworks, and adoptions, while the chair and members questioned why California has gone so long without updating some standards, what the study would actually accomplish, and whether the proposal was too vague to justify the cost. The issue was held open. The committee then took up a proposed $25 million statewide literacy network within the system of support. CCEE and CDE said the network would coordinate multiple existing literacy leads, create a clearinghouse of evidence-based resources, and improve coherence across the state’s many literacy initiatives. Members pressed on how a one-time, five-year allocation could support a long-term system, how the work would reach distressed and rural districts, and whether the proposal would translate into classroom change rather than just another layer of coordination. The issue was also held open. Next, the committee reviewed a $500 million proposal to expand literacy coaches and reading specialists and to create a math coaches program. CDE described the existing literacy coach cohorts as producing positive reports from participating LEAs, while the LAO recommended modifications, especially for the math coach portion, including limiting eligibility to elementary schools, setting minimum grant amounts, directing funds to eligible school sites, and making eligibility automatic rather than application-based. Members focused on whether coaches were actually being placed at the schools with the greatest need and whether the state has a coherent long-term strategy for literacy and math investments. The committee also heard a $40 million proposal for training and implementation of K-2 reading difficulty screeners, which the LAO said was reasonable but could be reduced because $25 million had already been provided for training; CDE said the new funds were needed for full implementation, procurement, and sustainability. Finally, the committee heard a $10 million proposal for a developmentally appropriate TK multilingual learner screener, with CDE explaining why the preschool language-identification process is different from K-12 EL assessment and the chair asking staff to explore whether a single, more consistent approach could be developed. The meeting concluded with a presentation on universal school meals and kitchen infrastructure, including a $31.5 million backfill, an $84.1 million increase for projected meal growth, a COLA adjustment, and $150 million for kitchen upgrades and training to support freshly prepared meals.

Transcript Highlights:

• , 10th grade, and let's talk about math, for example.
• Some of you might be in middle-grade math. Some of you might be in pre-algebra.
• They see me coming in and they're like, come here, let me show you my grades.
• , or an S grade.
• However, most vendors work on a sliding scale.

Summary: The Justice Budget Committee heard detailed presentations from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections on staffing, services, and budget needs. DJJ Secretary Hall emphasized that the agency’s main public safety strategy is education, along with prevention and recidivism reduction. He described major staffing improvements after pay increases for probation, detention, residential care, and prevention workers, and outlined DJJ’s mental health, aftercare, and education continuum, including the Florida Scholars Academy and Florida Youth College. He said the new statewide education model is showing early gains in progress monitoring, high school graduation, and postsecondary enrollment, while also noting ongoing operational issues such as IT connectivity, rural staffing gaps, and the need for geographic pay adjustments for teachers. He also discussed detention center replacement plans in Hillsborough, Broward, and Palm Beach, and said DJJ would transition the Broward JAC to a security contractor after the sheriff’s office pulls sworn officers from the site. Members asked about campus performance differences, teacher pay, detention education quality, and concerns about the rollout and leadership of the Scholars Academy. Hall said some campuses face rural access and infrastructure problems, but the blended learning model provides continuity when internet or staffing issues arise. He defended the superintendent’s qualifications and said early problems with inappropriate online content were addressed. Representative Porras raised concerns about educational quality and the superintendent’s past disciplinary history, while Representative Barrera urged more mentorship and fatherhood-focused programming in juvenile facilities. DOC Secretary Dixon said the prison system is under pressure from rising inmate populations, staffing shortages, and overtime costs. He argued that the system needs funded posts for every functioning housing unit, noting that the department has added housing units without enough staff and now relies heavily on overtime, mobile officer deployments, and shift conversions to keep facilities operating safely. He highlighted that many officers are new, that outside-hospital transports have risen sharply, and that mental health units require additional staffing. DOC’s mental health chief described a large and growing treatment system with outpatient, inpatient, intensive outpatient, and court-ordered services, saying about a quarter of the prison population has a diagnosed mental illness. Community corrections staff described treatment programs, employment specialists, mobile probation and reentry units, and a new mental health first aid training initiative. Reentry staff reported expanded substance abuse, education, CTE, chaplaincy, and digital learning programs, including Edovo and a forthcoming Work Bay platform. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• is allow local educational agencies on the secondary and post-secondary sides to apply for funds to scale
• This has been a fantastic program for scaling across the state, allowing us to expand that model into
• this is another workforce program that has been funded by you all and supported across the state to scale
• We do this on a different scale.
• students, as part of their student progression plans, must use the Zello platform in their middle grade

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that is so important to make sure that we're starting. with students literally in the third grade
• Unintended consequences and spillover opportunity to experiment and test and then see what can be scaled
• Public training programs are not scaling fast enough to meet the demands of our economy.
• And public training programs are not scaling fast enough in terms of... being able to make sure that
• But those programs are. committed in scale and funding.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And he had an extraordinarily simple scale that determined where you stood in the hierarchy of humankind
• So the ranking on a scale of one to five, humanness — here's what they were, from lowest to highest.
• Lowest grade a person could get: no good SOB. Easy.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These numbers show our progress, but they also show the scale of investment that is needed to keep New
• We administer the Federal Highway Administration Section 130 program, which identifies at-grade rail
• We are improving safety at grade highway-rail crossings.
• Grade that's certainly needed. We're looking to get that.
• Some of that funding comes to us to target. grade students to do education to prevent impaired driving

Transcript Highlights:

• Before becoming an attorney, I taught kindergarten through third grade in one of our most populous districts
• It's not unusual in small schools for there to be only one teacher in a grade level, or perhaps one teacher
• And, you know, we had a third-grade kid that brought something to school, and they didn't know what it
• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most urgent, what number would you place upon the need of the
• If I'm the only second grade bilingual teacher and there's a bilingual student, the student comes right

Bills: SB27, SB226, SB326, SB570, SB605, SB870, SB991, SB1871, SB1872, SB1873, SB1874, SB1924, SB1925

Keywords: residency, public schools, child safety placement, enrollment, education code, antisemitism, student conduct, education, disciplinary actions, Texas Education Code, truancy, attendance policy, chronic absenteeism, school attendance, student absence notifications, parent notification, home visit, attendance officer, truancy court, school district

Transcript Highlights:

• We commissioned the first utility-scale solar project in the state in Chasaw County in Okalona, and since
• And what this does, it creates a statewide accountability framework, assigning a through F letter grade
• It begins publishing annual grades by January 1, 2028.
• It begins publishing annual grades by January 1, 2028. It's effective July 1st of 2026.
• So it does the same thing: you get an A through F grade, same publishing requirements.

Keywords: Energy - Room 210, 2 February, 2026; 4:15 PM, 925, all

Summary: The committee took up several energy, utility, and infrastructure bills. Bill 2527 on solar decommissioning was presented as a landowner consumer-protection measure that would set statewide baseline requirements for solar lease agreements, preserve some freedom of contract, preempt duplicative local rules, and protect landowners from reclamation costs; after no questions, it was moved and passed. The committee also discussed changes to the Gulf Coast Regional Utility Act in HB 2058 and HB 2309, including new first-right-of-refusal language, prohibitions on unauthorized service, civil penalties and enforcement tools, and legislative intent language aimed at preventing duplication and protecting public investment; both were adopted as committee substitutes and passed. HB 2018 was amended to extend similar oversight to water systems, and it was reported after questions about the scope of the change. Several bills focused on water and wastewater oversight. SB 2311 and SB 2312 would create statewide A-to-F grading systems for drinking water and wastewater systems, require annual public reporting, and direct the health and environmental agencies to adopt objective scoring rules; both were passed. SB 2526 would create a Mississippi Rural Water Oversight Committee, require rate studies, capacity studies, and asset management plans for water associations, and provide staffing and funding support from existing revolving-fund resources; it was adopted as a committee substitute and reported, with supporters saying it would help identify and assist troubled associations. The committee also heard a bill creating the Metro Jackson Water Authority, allowing a lease of city system assets, special revenue bonds to refinance legacy debt, and supplemental revenue sources such as sanitation fees and possibly sales tax revenues; the sponsor said no general fund money would be used, and the bill was reported. The committee also advanced HB 2641, which was stripped down to a study committee on wind turbine facilities, grandfathered existing projects, and imposed a moratorium on new construction until the study is completed; members asked about existing projects and were told current projects under construction would not be penalized, and the committee substitute passed. SB 2783 would make targeted definition changes to BEAD-related broadband grant programs so remaining federal funds could support other state initiatives, including AI workforce training, and it was reported after questions about future federal guidance. Finally, HB 2787 would add propane to the school gas-leak testing statute; the sponsor said the inspections would not require additional state funding because propane dealers and the State Fire Marshal’s office already handle the checks, and the bill passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• The scale of gun violence, the gun violence crisis, is staggering.
• And in his third-grade classroom, 10 little boys are not just learning math; they're learning how to
• And in his third grade<00:13:28.880> classroom,<00:13:29.600> 10<00:13:29.839> little
• <00:13:30.079> boys<00:13:30.399> are<00:13:30.639> not grade classroom, 10
• little boys are not grade classroom, 10 little boys are not just<00:13:30.959> learning<00:13:

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard House File 3668, authored by Chair Beerman, which would create a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Beerman and several supporters framed gun violence as a public health crisis, arguing the office would improve research, coordination, data collection, and evidence-based prevention. Supporters cited firearm deaths among children and adults, the trauma experienced by survivors and families, and Minnesota’s need for a centralized structure to guide policy and prevention efforts. Testifying in support were representatives of the Minnesota Medical Association, Protect Minnesota, a parent affected by the Annunciation school shooting, family physicians, an OB-GYN, and a pediatric emergency physician. They described gun violence as a daily clinical and community reality, pointed to rising firearm deaths and injuries, and said Minnesota should apply the same public health approach used for motor vehicle safety, tobacco, and other crises. Several witnesses emphasized the impact on children, suicide prevention, maternal health, and the need for Minnesota-specific research and coordinated responses. Opposition came from the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, which argued the bill would create a taxpayer-funded bureaucracy that could be used to advance gun control policy and treat lawful firearm ownership as a public health problem. The group said the state should focus instead on enforcement, prosecution, and victim services. Vice Chair Nidau offered an A2 amendment to move the office from the Department of Health to the Department of Public Safety, citing data-sharing and accountability, but withdrew it after discussion with Chair Beerman. The hearing ended with additional member discussion, including concerns about existing violence-prevention spending and whether school safety investments would be a better use of funds; no final vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We came up with this idea in fourth grade after a trip to the State House with our grade.
• are graded as SPFs.
• graded as SPFs. graded as SPFs.
• This is an issue with the grading.
• It's based on the grading.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 163FN, dealing with requiring current, verifiable evidence of a species’ presence before land-use restrictions are imposed for habitat protection. Members discussed an amendment that had been worked on with agencies and stakeholder groups. Fish and Game testified that, while the amendment improved the bill, the agency still opposed it because of concerns about citizen science, how the proposal would apply to public versus private property, and how the transition to DES would work. Representative Darby argued the amendment was ambiguous, lacked a full hearing, and did not clearly address record verification or private-property access issues. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, with a minority report noted. The committee then moved to HB 1752FN, which would create a chain of custody for timber and carbon credits. Representative Davis presented an amendment saying it would help law enforcement investigate timber theft and add transparency to New Hampshire’s carbon registry by identifying buyers of carbon credits. Supporters said the change would impose little burden and align with practices in other states. Opponents, including Representative Darby, Representative Vale, and the state forester from DNCR, said the carbon market is complex, the amendment was not fully vetted, and a hearing with all stakeholders was needed; they also raised fiscal-note concerns. The amendment passed 8-7, and the committee then voted OTPA 8-7, again with a minority report. Finally, the committee opened a hearing on HB 1019, which would add an active water treatment professional to the state water well board. Representative Peter Petrino and Representative Wendy Thomas said the board should include expertise on contamination risks and treatment technologies, citing concerns about arsenic, radon, and PFAS in private wells. The chairman of the Water Well Board testified in opposition to the bill as drafted, saying the board supports the general idea of licensing water filtration work but does not currently have authority or rules to oversee that field and believes the proposal would put “the cart before the horse.” Members questioned whether the board’s current mandate even covers filtration systems, and the discussion ended with those concerns unresolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• But this has been a fantastic program for really scaling that across the state, allowing us to expand
• , another workforce program that's been funded by you all and supported across the state to really scale
• , another workforce program that's been funded by you all and supported across the state to really scale
• We do this on a different scale.
• We do this on a different scale.

Summary: The Higher Education Appropriations Committee met for its first session of the year, took roll, welcomed new member Senator Bracey Davis, and had members briefly describe their backgrounds and interest in higher education. Chair Harrell framed the committee’s focus on maintaining Florida’s top national ranking in higher education and workforce development, with an emphasis on funding decisions tied to student success, workforce needs, and the state college system. Senior Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell presented the Department of Education’s workforce and Florida College System budget requests and data. He described requested increases for adult education, Florida College System program funding, workforce development, and several grant programs, including workforce capitalization, apprenticeship/teacher apprenticeship, Open Door, and CAPE industry certifications. He highlighted record enrollment and completion growth across Florida’s colleges and technical centers, major gains in career dual enrollment, and expansion in programs such as nursing, AI, cybersecurity, welding, HVAC, and manufacturing. Members asked about labor-market demand, the impact of artificial intelligence on future job training, teacher apprenticeship details, mission creep and duplication in CTE programs, student placement and wages after graduation, and articulation between technical college clock hours and college credit. South Florida State College President Fred Hawkins testified about challenges facing a rural college, including low local college-going rates, long travel distances, limited faculty recruitment due to salaries, and the need for more operational funding to expand capacity. He cited strong job placement and licensure outcomes in nursing, dental hygiene, EMT/paramedic, and radiography, and said the college is exploring AI tools to improve student services and reduce staffing pressure. Pinellas Technical College Executive Director Mark Hunter described strong dual enrollment, high job placement, employer partnerships, and a reported 400% return on investment, while also warning that many programs have waiting lists because of staffing and equipment constraints. He explained how technical college coursework is aligned with state college credit through content-based articulation agreements. The committee then opened the floor for public comment, but no additional business was taken up, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• partners for the field who are also going to be sharing some really great examples of how they're scaling
• here in the state of Florida, which has been truly, really transformative in terms of how we have scaled
• the governor for this particular tool, because it has been absolutely instrumental in being able to scale
• here in the state of Florida, which has been truly, really transformative in terms of how we have scaled
• Workforce Cap, is we've had a multimillion-dollar investment in those programs in construction to scale

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee met to hear an overview of Florida career and technical education (CTE) from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell and presentations from Big Bend Technical College and Santa Fe College. O’Farrell described Florida’s CTE structure, including career clusters, postsecondary program types, enrollment and completion growth, apprenticeship expansion, and the state’s credentials review process. He said postsecondary CTE enrollment is near 480,000 students and completions reached a record 76,806, with strong growth in nursing, law enforcement, EMT, and other public-safety credentials. He also discussed the CTE audit, which uses retention/success, employment or continued education, and labor-market demand metrics; programs not meeting thresholds would eventually require phase-out plans beginning in 2026. He highlighted the workforce development capitalization grant as a major driver of program expansion and facility renovation, and answered questions about business outreach, construction trades, apprenticeships, and space-industry training. Shelby McCall of Big Bend Technical College described how the college responded to hurricanes, mill closures, and regional economic disruption by expanding rural workforce training. She highlighted aluminum welding, millwright, welding technology, health sciences, and a new advanced manufacturing facility funded by state grants and local partnerships, along with a new LPN-to-RN bridge program. She said the college has strong placement and certification results and is working with employers such as Lippert, NAMO, and others to align training with local demand. Senator Simon praised the college’s role in Taylor County’s recovery and workforce development. Dr. Paul Brody of Santa Fe College said state workforce grants have helped the college expand nursing, skilled trades, apprenticeship, automotive, diesel, and manufacturing programs, including partnerships with Bradford County Technical College, UF Health, Habitat for Humanity, and local employers. He reported growth in CTE enrollment, nursing credentials, apprenticeship enrollment, and job placement rates, and described new efforts in semiconductor training, CDL training, and a charter school model that combines high school, an AS degree, and industry credentials. The committee took no formal action beyond hearing the presentations and adjourned after Senator Berman moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• The top map is our large-scale regional water supply systems and their coverage.
• The top map is our large-scale regional water supply systems and their coverage.
• The top map is our large scale of regional water supply systems in their coverage.
• It affects eligibility, timing, and scale of funding.
• This helps pay for large-scale water projects where we have water shortages.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• they've conducted many large-scale they've conducted many large-scale research<00:01:56.960>
• We serve 300 students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
• Our school community through 8th grade.
• Hello, my name is Javon Wilson, and I'm an eighth grade student from SJ Academy.
• an eighth grade student from Sj Academy. an eighth grade student from Sj Academy.

Bills: HF3653, HF2717, HF3451, HF3857

Keywords: education finance, safe schools revenue, school safety, charter schools, funding, safe schools, school security, school levy, pupil units, safe schools aid, cooperative units, intermediate school district, school resource officer, peace officer liaison, sheriff liaison, drug abuse prevention, gang resistance education, violence prevention, suicide prevention, mental health services

Summary: The committee first adopted the March 3rd minutes by voice vote after Representative Lee moved them and there was no discussion. Members then reviewed hearing rules on decorum, safety, and participation before taking testimony from Dr. James Densley and Dr. Jillian Peterson of the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University. The presenters summarized research on mass shootings and K-12 school shootings, drawing on a database of homicides in school settings from 2000 to 2025 and a smaller set of 15 K-12 mass shooting cases. They said school shooters are usually insiders, most often current or former students, and typically young males. They described common patterns including a noticeable crisis before attacks, perpetrators viewing the shooting as a final act, studying prior shooters online, and “leakage” in which most tell someone in advance. They also emphasized that many perpetrators use unsecured firearms from family members and argued that prevention should combine reporting systems, behavioral threat assessment, counseling, mentoring, secure storage, and other layered interventions rather than rely on a single solution. The presenters also discussed broader violence trends in the Twin Cities, saying much school violence is spillover from community violence and that pandemic-era disruptions and weakened trust in institutions contributed to serious violence. They cited a national survey finding that exposure to gun violence is associated with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and fear of public spaces, especially among young people. During member questions, Representative Wam asked for clarification on the data set and the rural/small-town share of the survey sample.