Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of the disputed claims of the disputed claims in<00:19:10.880><c> 2025.
• Members, I just do want to point out we have a state false claims act.
• Members, I just do want to point out we have a state false claims act.
• So it's state false claims act.
• 10.639><c> is</c> a state false claims act which is a state false claims act which is already<01:37:11.199

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• You talk about how there may have been adjustments in the schedule as you're going along.
• You talk about how there may have been adjustments in the schedule as you're going along.
• I'm having a hard time... amendment adjustments.
• Amendment adjustments. Yeah, I'm having a hard time imagining why that would be.
• The department's operating expenses are growing faster than its base resources are being adjusted.

Summary: The committee first heard a DMV budget presentation on the state-to-state verification system required for Real ID compliance and the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization project. DMV officials said the state-to-state system is a pointer-based exchange used when a person applies for a license in another state, with only limited identifying data shared initially and the full driver history sent only after a qualified request. Members raised concerns about privacy, possible misuse by other states or federal actors, notification to Californians, hacking, and whether California could detect or stop abusive access. DMV said it can monitor requests, see patterns of access, work with AAMVA and legal counsel, and seek to block or challenge misuse; LAO said California is in a difficult position and should consider guardrails rather than opt out. On DXP, DMV said the project is on its revised schedule and budget, occupational licensing is complete, vehicle registration is expected by the end of calendar year 2026, and the full system should be finished by fiscal year 2028-29, with phased rollout and reappropriated funding to keep costs controlled. The committee then heard from the California High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General on a trailer bill and AB 1608. The Inspector General said current law does not clearly authorize public reports or establish a framework for retaining and disclosing work papers, and the proposed trailer bill would create that framework while also adding authority to hire needed classifications and purchase goods and services. He also said the office needs a clearer statutory definition of “proposed agreements” and notice when the High-Speed Rail Authority is reviewing them, so the office can review contracts and related agreements effectively. LAO raised no concerns with the trailer bill language, and Finance said any amendments would come in the May revision. Members debated the scope of confidentiality in the Inspector General proposal, especially whether reports could be held confidential when they identify weaknesses in fraud controls, security, or other vulnerabilities. The Inspector General said confidentiality would be temporary, tied to articulating the risk, reassessing it every 120 days, and releasing the report once the risk is no longer substantial; he also said the office had already published reports at its discretion and had found at least one procurement violation involving an amendment that added services not in the original contract. Several members pressed for stronger transparency and suggested time limits or broader disclosure, while others argued the bill would improve oversight and make the Inspector General’s authority clearer. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the item was left for further work on the trailer bill and AB 1608 language.

Transcript Highlights:

• This forecast assumes larger inflationary adjustments for those services than we previously projected
• forecast assumes<00:24:47.399><c> larger</c><00:24:47.840><c> inflationary</c><00:24:48.480><c> adjustments
• </c> assumes larger inflationary adjustments assumes larger inflationary adjustments for<00:24:49.240
• </c> time to make the necessary adjustments time to make the necessary adjustments to<00:38:04.480><c
• </c><00:43:33.160><c> are</c> up this budget and make adjustments are up this budget and make adjustments

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Minnesota Management and Budget presented the February 2025 budget and economic forecast, with Commissioner Aon Campbell, State Economist Anthony Becker, and Budget Director Anam Mingi outlining updated revenue, spending, and long-term balance projections. The state’s FY 2026-27 general fund outlook remains positive but weaker than in November, with an ending balance of $456 million, down $160 million from the prior forecast. Looking ahead, the planning years FY 2028-29 show a projected deficit of just under $6 billion, driven largely by spending growth outpacing revenues. Officials emphasized that discretionary inflation is a major factor in the forecast, but also noted that those amounts are not automatically appropriated and would require legislative action. Becker said the national outlook has changed since November, with higher expected inflation, higher interest rates for longer, and slower growth in later years. He highlighted uncertainty around tariffs, trade policy, immigration policy, federal spending, and possible changes to tax and debt-ceiling policy, all of which could affect Minnesota’s economy and revenues. Minnesota’s labor market remains tight, with low unemployment and rising wages, and the revenue forecast was revised upward overall for FY 2026-27, including higher income and sales tax receipts, though corporate tax revenue was slightly lower than previously projected. Mingi said projected general fund spending is up $79 million in FY 2026-27 and $960 million in FY 2028-29 compared with November. The largest increases are in education and health and human services, especially due to inflation, higher pupil counts, special education costs, long-term care, and higher Medical Assistance spending. She noted that higher utilization of weight-loss drugs also raises Medicaid costs, and that a smaller assumed bonding bill helps offset some debt service costs. The commissioner and staff repeatedly warned that federal policy changes, especially possible Medicaid reductions, pose a major risk; they said Minnesota could face billions in lost federal funding, including a potential $2.4 billion hit if the enhanced Medicaid match for adults without children were eliminated. No votes or legislative actions were taken in the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• So as of right now, because the last time we had adjusted this cap was in 2008 or 2009, I'm sorry, parishes
• But the main difference—I want to draw your attention to page 1, lines 31 to 34— This adjustment to the
• We made a lot of adjustments to our sales and income tax the last couple of years.
• And as we've done so, we found that we just need to adjust some of the statutes to fit the bigger picture
• We made a lot of adjustments to our sales and income tax the last couple of years.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 16, 2026, and heard several bills dealing mainly with tax checkoffs, severance tax revenue, and estimated tax administration. The first major item was HB 156 by Rep. Bagley, a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the cap on the 20% share of severance tax revenues remitted to parishes where production occurs. Supporters from local government and the Police Jury Association argued that the cap prevents parishes from receiving the full share intended to help repair roads, bridges, drainage, and other infrastructure damaged by oil and gas activity. Members raised concerns about the bill’s roughly $42 million fiscal note and the state budget outlook, and the author ultimately agreed to voluntarily defer the bill after discussion of possible phase-ins and other compromises. The committee then took up HB 602 by Rep. Bamberg, another severance-tax-related constitutional amendment that would phase in a higher parish cap over five years, with a separate amendment tying the increase to parishes that exempt business inventory from ad valorem taxes. After questions about how it would interact with the pending inventory-tax amendment and its fiscal impact, the committee adopted the amendment and voluntarily deferred the bill pending a fiscal note. The committee also heard HB 852 by Rep. Lyons, which restores the income tax checkoff for donations to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence by lowering the performance threshold from $10,000 to $5,000; members discussed the number of checkoffs on the return and the need to keep the form manageable, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. Next, the committee considered HB 474 by Rep. Young, creating an individual income tax checkoff for the Grambling University National Alumni Association. Members again debated whether tax-return checkoffs amount to government-facilitated fundraising and whether they crowd the return, but the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard HB 633 by Chairman Bacala, a cleanup bill adjusting estimated tax penalty timing and calculations to match current tax law; an amendment set was adopted to replace references to personal exemptions with the standard deduction, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. The meeting concluded with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think it would have been helpful for us to have the inflation adjusted chart, given that I think
• They just adjusted it to the rest of the nation. And so whenever people present slide 4.
• is one that it does not adjust for inflation.
• Yeah, that, that's a big, big adjustment to make.
• So if we, if we adjusted our basic allotment to reflect inflation since 2019.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• This chart shows the projected formula allowances, as well as the forecasted inflation adjustment for
• This chart shows the projected formula allowances, as well as the forecasted inflation adjustment for
• would be, and then not adjusted for inflation is the blue line.
• would be, and then not adjusted for inflation is the blue line.
• would be, and then not adjusted for inflation is the blue line.

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Adjusted for inflation, that $250,000 is equivalent to about $350,000 today, making this update both
• Adjusted for inflation, that $250,000 is equivalent to about $350,000.
• SB 1044 modernizes the small business and DVB option by adjusting that threshold ceiling to $350,000.
• The cap will also be reviewed and adjusted every other year by DGS to align with the CPI, ensuring that
• So consequently, you know, it's not like that we're asking them to adjust it.

Committee: House Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• chance to look at your amendment, and I just wanted to know what the intent of the cost-of-living adjustment
• being on the House Elections Committee is that every year, Senator Kavanagh seems to run a bill to adjust
• thing, and I just figured it might be more efficient rather than him running a bill every year to adjust
• the amount if we just put in an inflation adjuster, which would allow us to focus.
• If we just put it in an inflation adjuster, which would allow us to focus on the many other pressing

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the journal, and recognition of the Doctor of the Day. Members also welcomed a visiting group from Women Leading Government and adopted a proclamation honoring Deputy Warden Veronica Parcell and National Corrections Officers and Employees Week. The House then agreed to request Senate consent to adjourn after completing its work on Wednesday, April 22, and later moved into Committee of the Whole to consider bills on the calendar. In Committee of the Whole, the House advanced several Senate bills. SB 1457, SB 1808, SB 1006, SB 1018, SB 1041, SB 1345, and SB 1512 all received do-pass recommendations, with SB 1552 also receiving a do-pass recommendation as amended. SB 1006 was amended to increase the anonymous small-donation reporting threshold and add an inflation adjustment, drawing debate over transparency. SB 1018, dealing with Sharia law, prompted sharp disagreement over constitutional concerns and community impact, but still advanced. SB 1041, a strike-everything amendment on electronic monitoring in assisted living facilities, drew supportive testimony about accountability and protecting vulnerable seniors. SB 1345 advanced with amendments after discussion of licensing timelines for health facilities and removal of an anonymous complaint provision. On third reading, SB 1167 and SB 1254 passed, and SB 1763 also passed after debate over school district finance rules. SB 1315, concerning school safety interoperability and communications with law enforcement, failed on a 25-25 tie after extensive debate over whether it was a vendor-driven bill and whether it created an unfunded or poorly designed mandate. After that vote, a motion to reconsider SB 1315 succeeded by a 30-18 vote. The House also concurred in Senate requests to return HB 2035 and HB 2249 for reconsideration. The session ended with announcements about the annual legislative charity softball game, a Democratic caucus meeting, and adjournment until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I would need a high level of your word here, of adjusting it not being a 100% reimbursement,
• So would you consider some sort of very realistic adjustment here to 50%, 30%, whatever?
• So would you consider some sort of very realistic adjustment here to 50%, 30%, whatever?
• Now, the author of this bill has demonstrated his willingness to work with people on this and adjust
• So anytime we full taxes, there's going to be some adjustment somewhere.

Bills: HB3044 , HB3465 , HB3625 , HB3704 , HB3759 , HB3920 , HB3972 , HB4191 , HB4311 , HB4426

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Keywords: veterans, tax refund, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, capital improvement, donations, Oklahoma Emission Reduction, incentive, taxation, environment, revenue, investment, school funds, treasurer, education funding, financial policy, income tax, scholarship, tax credit, Oklahoma Tax Commission, school funding

Summary: The Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee considered several House bills dealing with tax credits, fee changes, school funding, and investment authority. House Bill 4426 extended the sunset on the SIDE tax credit to December 31, 2032, and passed 7-2. House Bill 3704 elected Oklahoma into the federal income tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations and passed 9-2. House Bill 4311 raised the unclaimed property division’s administrative fee from 4% to 6% to cover increased duties and costs; it passed 8-3 after debate over whether the increase was justified. House Bill 3044 reauthorized the veterans income tax checkoff and the associated capital improvement fund, and passed 10-0. House Bill 4191 revised the Smaller Employer Quality Jobs Act by lowering job thresholds, expanding qualifying locations and industries, and changing other eligibility rules; it passed 6-4. House Bill 3465 extended the emission tax credit sunset from July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2029 and passed 6-4, with opponents arguing it subsidized compliance with federal mandates. House Bill 3972, a title-off bill addressing ad valorem reimbursement issues tied to the state purchase of a prison, drew extensive debate over precedent and scope; an amendment to add a sunset failed 5-5, and the bill then passed 8-2 as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• line 13 of page six, where it starts, “The Joint Finance Appropriations Committee shall consider adjusting
• It’s not like you can really anticipate the demand every year, so there has to be some means of adjusting
• So there has to be some means of adjusting.
• you know, we're waiting to hear and see what the final results are going to be, and we'll have to adjust
• you know, we're waiting to hear and see what the final results are going to be, and we'll have to adjust

Committee: House Education

Summary: The House Education Committee heard House Bill 918, which would realign the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA) by narrowing its mission, reorganizing its board, capping administrative costs at 30%, requiring outside and periodic LSO audits, setting course fees and a per-course state funding cap, and eliminating funding for private school, virtual school, K-5, and driver’s education participation, as well as custom sections except in limited emergency cases. The sponsor, Rep. Doug Pickett, said the bill was intended to address concerns about double-dipping, private use of a taxpayer-funded program, and IDLA expanding beyond its original supplemental purpose while preserving access for rural students and emergency staffing needs. Committee members questioned the rationale for the cuts, the board restructuring, the treatment of dual credit and advanced opportunities funding, and whether the bill would affect students taking IDLA courses during the school day. Pickett said the bill was designed to redirect dual credit through Advanced Opportunities, maintain flexibility without setting a hard enrollment cap, and keep the program focused on filling instructional gaps. IDLA Superintendent Dr. Jeff Simmons and several school leaders testified in opposition, arguing the bill would reduce school choice, shift costs to families and districts, limit middle school electives and dual credit, and disproportionately harm rural schools that rely on IDLA for courses they cannot staff locally. Supporters of the bill emphasized oversight, fiscal restraint, and limiting what they described as overuse of the program. After testimony, Rep. Galavis moved to send HB 918 to the floor with no recommendation. A motion to hold the bill in committee failed 10-4, and a substitute motion to hold the bill in committee to a time certain on Monday, March 23, passed on a roll call vote. The committee adjourned with the bill set to return on Monday.

Transcript Highlights:

• And there have been, in the years that we've had some money, some adjustments.
• And there have been, in the years that we've had some money, some adjustments for that.
• modeled several times, run through the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, and adjusted
• Are there plans, or is there flexibility to adjust for some of that shock? Yes.
• And we have been working internally for years, the community colleges, to adjust the way we're funded

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development met in executive session and first took up House Bill 2585. The committee adopted a House Committee substitute and a separate amendment, both described as clerical and technical changes to align the bill with Department of Higher Education workflow and state and federal law. The substitute for HB 2585 was then approved do pass by a 10-0 roll call vote. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1627, which would revise the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council by adding the Commissioner of Higher Education or designee, increasing business and commerce representation, shortening member terms, reducing required meetings, and adjusting reporting requirements. Representative Haley said the changes would better reflect workforce needs and strengthen ties between education and industry. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education testified in support, saying the changes were recommended by the advisory group. No opposition testimony was offered. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2123, a broader higher education funding proposal that also includes a Bright Flight scholarship increase to full in-state tuition. Representative Black and Representative Shields described the bill as an effort to modernize Missouri’s long-standing base-plus funding model by moving toward a metric- and performance-based system tied to workforce needs, with a phased testing and approval process before implementation. Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff, the Missouri Community College Association, and the Council on Public Higher Education testified in support of continuing the work, though the council urged removing bill language that was too specific about the consultant’s model and timeline. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact, implementation, and whether the model could be rolled out without harming institutions or students. The hearing on HB 2123 concluded without any vote taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The adjusted taxable estate is the value of the estate after all deductions and adjustments are made.
• Then the applicable exclusion amount is deducted, which is adjusted annually based on the Consumer Price
• This is a very straightforward adjustment to our estate tax.
• improvement are often discovered, and the PSH operations, maintenance, and services program is in need of adjustment
• this bill serves, as you've heard, as a proactive measure to give localities more flexibility to adjust

Summary: House Finance met on February 26 and heard several tax and housing-related bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6343 would extend the deadline to apply for a property tax exemption for improvements to single-family homes damaged by natural disasters, with sponsors citing recent flooding and the need to help displaced homeowners in multiple counties. Local officials from Kent and Algona testified in support, describing flood damage and ongoing recovery needs. The bill was heard but no vote was taken. Senate Bill 6347 would roll back the higher estate tax rates enacted in 2025, while leaving the higher exemption amount in place. Committee staff said the bill would reduce revenue to the Education Legacy Trust account by about $44.8 million starting in fiscal year 2027 and about $389.9 million over the 2027-29 biennium. Supporters argued the higher rates could harm family businesses and encourage wealthy residents to leave; opponents said the bill would mainly benefit very large estates and would worsen budget pressures by reducing funds for education and child care. Public testimony was mixed, and the bill was heard without action. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6244, which would extend a hazardous substance tax exemption for agricultural crop protection products stored in Washington for out-of-state sale until 2038. The sponsor and a logistics witness said the exemption helps farmers get products faster, supports regional distribution, and improves competitiveness; staff said the revenue impact would be small. Finally, Senate Bill 6114 would define “fixture” and “affixed” for real estate excise tax purposes to make tax treatment of attached property clearer, and Senate Bill 6027 would broaden allowable uses of several local affordable housing funding sources, including rehabilitation and operations of existing housing, rental assistance in some counties, and expanded uses for Affordable Housing for All grants. Both of those bills drew support from state and local housing officials and advocates, and the committee adjourned after the hearings with no recorded votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a very narrow technical adjustment to Missouri's existing educational contribution tax credit program
• It only makes a small administrative adjustment to how credits are applied.
• And then when we did learn more information from the medical field, we didn't adjust accordingly.
• They adjusted. They figured things out.
• They adjusted. They figured things out.

Committee: House Emerging Issues

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This has to do with when municipal boundary adjustments will take place, to prevent it from taking place
• This has to do with when municipal boundary adjustments will take place, to prevent it from taking place
• This has to do with when municipal boundary adjustments will take place, to prevent it from taking place
• has to do with when<00:09:32.880><c> municipal</c><00:09:33.440><c> boundary</c><00:09:33.839><c> adjustments
• </c><00:09:34.320><c> will</c> when municipal boundary adjustments will when municipal boundary adjustments

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The State and Local Government and Elections Conference Committee met on May 13, 2025, to adopt agreed-upon provisions from the elections article. The chair noted they initially lacked a quorum on both sides, but later confirmed quorum was present. Members and staff walked through a grid of proposed sections, covering voter registration and student proof-of-residence rules, public voter information list deadlines, electronic rosters for combined polling places, absentee ballot procedures, candidate filing and ballot preparation notices, write-in candidate timelines, municipal boundary adjustments, emergency polling place signage, county election training, special election filing periods for legislative vacancies, school district election timing, voting system testing, town elections, hospital board elections, and repeal of the voting equipment grant account. Several items were described as technical or clarifying changes, including wording fixes, consistency edits, and updated effective dates, with many provisions set to take effect January 1, 2026. One item, line 15, involving a cannabis-related provision, was set aside because an amendment had not been posted and printed in time; members agreed to take it up later. The committee also discussed a mix of House-only and Senate-only provisions, including third-party presidential electors, phonetic spelling on affidavits of candidacy, notification of ballot preparers when candidate names change, emergency polling place procedures, training requirements, and rules for temporary polling places on tribal land. After the staff walkthrough and brief questions, Vice Chair Aldenorf moved to adopt the provisions in the document titled “Elections Provisions Proposed Sections for Adoptions, May 13, 2025,” excluding line 15, and include them in the conference committee report. The motion passed on a voice vote with no opposition recorded. The committee then adjourned, with members noting that work on remaining elections provisions could continue afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• I really don't know that there is a way to adjust those spending unless we pull back dollars, and then
• issues, but if there are ways to address it in curricular areas, if there are ways for schools to adjust
• c><00:07:55.039><c> for</c><00:07:55.319><c> schools</c><00:07:55.840><c> to</c><00:07:56.280><c> adjust
• </c><00:07:57.280><c> um</c><00:07:57.560><c> their</c> are ways for schools to adjust um their are ways
• for schools to adjust um their personnel<00:07:58.680><c> as</c><00:07:58.840><c> far</c><00:07:59.000

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1551, budget stabilization fund transportation fund; SB 1554, unfair claims; SB 1552, ad revisions
• ; SB 1554, unfair claim settlement practices, chiropractic; SB 1555, property tax increment affordable
• aging; SB 1606, plug-in solar energy requirements; SB 1607, consumer assistance health insurance claims

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• review unit is established within the state attorney's office for purposes of reviewing plausible claims
• The reinvestigation information... ...attorney's office for purposes of reviewing plausible claims of
• exempt for a reasonable period of time during an active, ongoing, and good-faith investigation of a claim

Summary: The Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability met and first postponed Senate Bill 350. It then took up several Open Government Sunset Review bills, most of them extending or preserving public records or public meeting exemptions. Senate Bill 7000, relating to emergency shelter information for persons provided public emergency shelter during storms or catastrophes, was amended to set a new sunset date of October 2, 2031, and reported favorably. Senate Bill 7002, concerning Department of Military Affairs records in Department of Defense systems, was similarly amended to extend the sunset date to October 2, 2031 and reported favorably. Senate Bill 7012, dealing with Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles records on motor vehicle registration, dealer licensing, driver licenses, and private inspection providers, was amended to conform the effective date with the House companion and reported favorably. The committee also approved Senate Bill 7006, which preserves public meeting and records exemptions for portions of Florida Public Service Commission hearings involving confidential proprietary business information, and Senate Bill 7008, which preserves similar exemptions for Florida Gaming Control Commission meetings and records. Senate Bill 7004, concerning conviction integrity unit investigation information, was explained as maintaining confidentiality for reinvestigation materials during active innocence reviews and was reported favorably without amendment. Later, Senate Bill 7014, on Department of Legal Affairs records related to investigations of social media platforms, was taken up as a committee substitute that extended the repeal date for two exemptions from October 2026 to October 2031 and was reported favorably. Finally, Senate Bill 7016, which preserves the exemption for certain financial information held by an economic development agency for administration of small business loan programs, was reported favorably without amendment. No opposition or public testimony was presented on the bills, and the committee adopted the amendments and committee substitute by voice vote before taking recorded roll-call votes. At the end of the meeting, members were invited to record missed votes, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• review unit is established within the state attorney's office for purposes of reviewing plausible claims
• innocence; the reinvestigation information... ...attorney's office for purposes of reviewing plausible claims
• exempt for a reasonable period of time during an active, ongoing, and good-faith investigation of a claim

Committee: Senate Governmental Oversight and Accountability

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you adjust for inflation, it was 2007.
• So what you're seeing here is inflation-adjusted change in the average private sector wage.
• </c><04:16:17.800><c> median</c> the highest inflation adjusted median the highest inflation adjusted
• This is not adjusting for policy changes either, right?
• </c><04:38:26.760><c> for</c> bounce around this is not adjusting for bounce around this is not adjusting

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next on the list is Substitute Senate Bill 5840, and this makes adjustments to the campaign finance reporting
• There is language in the underlying bill that allows for a two-day period of adjustment for reports to
• There is language in the underlying bill that allows for a two-day period of adjustment for reports to
• the underlying proposal, this 24—I'm sorry, 48-hour period where a campaign committee can make adjustments
• So asking for a yes vote on this small adjustment from two days to three days.

Bills: SB5000 , SB5325 , SB6044 , SB6313

Committee: House State Government & Tribal Relations

Keywords: state nickname, evergreen state, identity, cultural heritage, tourism, state cactus, symbolic designation, ecological significance, state symbols, SB 6044, Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Washington state holidays, RCW 1.16.050, state holiday recognition, religious observance, Hindu holiday, Sikh holiday, cultural recognition, paid holiday