Transcript Highlights:

• So with all of this, the state can set their priorities, and really what we're asking here is for the
• But the conversation about priority... It's really at the heart of what this is all about.
• I just want to make sure that no one came away from the hearing thinking that we don't have a priority
• on flood relief and that we certainly didn't have a priority on dementia.
• But we also put a priority on quality of life.

Bills: SB9, SB 9

Keywords: property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit, school assessment

Transcript Highlights:

• Safety is still our number one priority.
• It's a high priority for the public. It's a high priority for the legislature.
• It's a high priority for AAS. It's a high priority for the governor.
• It's a high priority for the public. It's a high priority for the legislature.
• It's a high priority for AAS. It's a high priority for the governor.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, that priority. One. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• The CHP, the Assistant Commissioner, you mentioned you want to move this to a top priority—top priority
• “Do you want to move this to a top priority?
• Top priority as far as the computer crimes and making sure that the sexual exploitation moves forward
• Now making it a top priority, do you envision more of the percentage of those dollars moving forward

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Public Safety heard several items focused on youth safety and law enforcement resources. The committee first took up tribal youth diversion programs, with the Legislative Analyst’s Office describing the Tribal Youth Diversion Grant Program and its two cohorts of grantees funded through the Board of State and Community Corrections. Tribal representatives from the Yurok Tribe and San Pasqual Band of Indians testified that diversion, tribal courts, school partnerships, mentoring, and culturally grounded services helped reduce truancy and justice-system involvement, but that short-term funding interruptions and limited capacity prevented them from serving all youth in need. Committee members discussed the importance of early intervention, tribal-state court collaboration, and possible misidentification of Native youth in the justice system. The committee then heard the California Highway Patrol’s overview of surge operations supporting local crime suppression, including organized retail theft. CHP reported that its surge teams have been used in response to mutual aid requests and cited arrests, stolen vehicle recoveries, and firearm seizures in Oakland, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino. Members asked about demand for these operations and whether CHP could meet requests without affecting other duties; CHP said requests have increased and are accepted when resources allow. The committee also heard CHP’s request for a $5 million General Fund augmentation and 12 positions for its Computer Crimes Investigation Unit to make child sexual abuse material and human trafficking investigations a higher priority. CHP cited rising cybertip volumes, a case involving AI-generated CSAM, and the need for more investigators and forensic capacity. A larger portion of the hearing focused on the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces and a separate $5 million ongoing General Fund proposal for Cal OES to continue the program. Task force commanders from Sacramento, San Diego, Silicon Valley, and Fresno described rapidly growing cybertip volumes, heavy caseloads, forensic backlogs, and the need for training and equipment for affiliate agencies statewide. They emphasized that the ICAC model relies on local partnerships, deconfliction, and subject-matter expertise to identify victims, execute warrants, and rescue children, and they gave examples of cases that led to arrests and child rescues. Members generally supported the work but raised questions about overlap between CHP and ICAC efforts, the need for broader statewide collaboration, and whether more resources should be directed to task forces and victim services. A public commenter also urged expansion of homeless youth exploitation services and the California Youth Crisis Line.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that is all of our priorities.
• I think that is all of our priorities.
• And is there a priority one, priority two, priority three?
• If people aren't able to service the folks who need it, I think we'd assume that's priority one.
• Does it state that they have to respond on, you know, downtime is obviously priority number one, but

Summary: The subcommittee heard a lengthy presentation on the Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ I-Connect system, based on an ILAB assessment of the platform’s performance and requirements. ILAB said the system provides useful centralized records, reporting, compliance support, and audit trails, but users described it as cumbersome, outdated, and inefficient, with excessive manual entry, weak navigation, limited notifications, no mobile app, poor printing/export options, and performance issues. ILAB also said the original 2013-era requirements were too high-level and that only a portion of the requirements could be verified, with some features de-scoped or never implemented. Their recommendations included better integration with electronic health record systems, improved performance monitoring, electronic signatures, OCR, and more modern export and verification tools. Public testimony from providers and advocates echoed those concerns. A support coordination provider said the system is nicknamed “I Disconnect,” described problems with EVV/GPS sign-ins, lengthy support plans, lack of a phone app, and possible HIPAA concerns. Another advocate said the system should have preserved family access to records and criticized the need for providers to use workarounds and additional software. APD staff said the agency has spent about $19.7 million through FY 2023-24, has regular build updates under the current contract with WellSky, and uses an internal help desk and vendor ticketing process to triage bugs versus enhancement requests. They said some issues are handled case-by-case, critical tickets have SLAs, and the agency is working on interoperability and other requested improvements. Members questioned whether the system should be fixed or replaced, whether the original contract and SaaS arrangement were sufficient, and whether the state received value for the money spent. APD said the system went live in phases and that all functionality was in place by June 2024, while ILAB and members noted significant technical debt and unresolved gaps. The committee also discussed record retention, provider access to records after a consumer changes providers, and whether federal funding or compliance could be affected. The meeting ended with broader budget remarks emphasizing completion over expansion, stronger upfront planning for technology projects, and more accountability before funding new systems or major enhancements.

Transcript Highlights:

• Growing up, education was a priority in our home without exception.
• In just a few years, it has been a priority for me at the Public Education Department to ensure that
• Chair, Senator Bergman, for me, my priority is really to deliver on the outcomes for our students.
• And that is my priority. Thank you, Senator. Thank you so much. Thank you, Senator.
• It's a priority for us, one of our top five strategic priorities in the agency, and we know it's essential

Transcript Highlights:

• So coming from the with priorities.
• when your guys, you know, your priority when your guys, you know, your priority areas<00:59:05.040
• But also, with that being said, violent crime is one of the chief's priorities, Chief Annex's priorities
• But also, with that being said, violent crime is one of the chief's priorities, Chief Annex's priorities
• Um and we've education a priority.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs held an informational briefing on violent crime clearance rates and what resources law enforcement and prosecutors need to improve them. Chair and members noted there would be no public testimony. The briefing was led by Marshall Clement of the Council of State Governments’ Justice Center, with later participation expected from state and county law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. Clement argued that solving violent crime is a systemwide issue, not just a local police function, and said clearance rates have declined nationally over decades for homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. He said Hawaii’s reported data, limited to Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, shows overall violent crime rates are lower than the national average and have been relatively flat with a pandemic-era spike followed by declines in 2023 and 2024. He reported that Hawaii’s overall violent crime solve rate fell from about 52% in 2014 to about 40% in 2024, with 2024 rates of 50% for homicides, 48% for aggravated assaults, and 26% each for rapes and robberies. He also estimated unsolved cases over the past three years at about 17 homicides, 3,300 aggravated assaults, 1,200 rapes, and 1,700 robberies. Members asked about victim and witness support, staffing shortages, the Denver example, whether clearance rates include cases not prosecuted, and whether HPD’s size or structure might affect solve rates. Clement said support can include victim-witness programs and coordinators that help maintain cooperation and trust, especially where clearance rates are low. He said resources, training, technology, and detective caseloads matter, citing Boston, Denver, and Omaha as cities that improved solve rates through relatively low-cost operational changes; he highlighted Denver’s increase in non-fatal shooting clearance from 39% to 65% in seven months after dedicating more resources. He said he had no research showing that breaking up a large department would improve solve rates, and noted that clearance data can include exceptional clearances such as victim noncooperation, prosecutorial declination, or a suspect’s death. No votes or formal actions were taken during the informational briefing.

Transcript Highlights:

• political agendas and outside influence, and that their objectives align with our constituents' priorities
• So we pause you on that because I'd like to hear some of your other legislative priorities.
• And what would be some of your other legislative priorities from a policy perspective?
• My priorities on this job are the priorities established by the legislature to encourage healthy insurance
• I don't know of legislative priorities that we're going to bring.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• you may have heard about, to ensure better alignment with both the executive and legislature's priorities
• you to turn it over to my colleagues who are present today to also present recommendations and priorities
• And so we are going to present to you today a unified list of priorities that all of our sectors have
• This really gets to the main issues for us as we think about the priorities for this year, which are
• New Mexico Tribal College Consortium Priorities: High school dual credit reimbursement funding.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• housing programs, wildfire prevention projects, clean drinking water, and many other legislative priorities
• Wildfire funding is among the top in my district, but there are many more priorities in there that I
• Your priorities are wrong. Thank you. Assembly Member Gallagher.
• I don't care where you come from, which side of the aisle you're on, what your priorities are.
• We made child literacy a top priority. We invested in nutrition for children and families.

Summary: The chamber reconvened after a late-night session and first adopted the consent calendar, including ACR 107 on the Diablo Range, by a 48-0 vote. Members then took up several Senate bills and Assembly measures, with repeated remarks about the long hours and the need to respect staff and keep proceedings moving. A vote change was also announced for Assembly Member Patel on SB 414, changing from aye to not voting. The main policy debate centered on energy, climate, and affordability. SB 237, dealing with oil and gas policy, refinery closures, pipeline safety, Kern County permitting, gasoline blend flexibility, and regional fuel coordination, drew strong support from members who framed it as a managed transition to stabilize fuel supply and protect jobs, and strong opposition from members who called it a giveaway to oil interests and a setback for climate goals. The bill passed 59-0. SB 254, an energy affordability and wildfire package, included wildfire mitigation financing, a successor wildfire fund, transmission cost reductions, clean energy permitting changes, and energization timelines; members raised some concerns about local control, but the bill passed 58-0. SB 840 and AB 1207 advanced the cap-and-invest reauthorization package, with supporters emphasizing emissions reductions, housing, transit, wildfire prevention, and community air programs, while opponents argued it would raise costs and function as a tax-and-spend scheme. SB 840 passed 54-15 and AB 1207 passed 55-10, both with urgency and immediate transmittal. Members also approved SB 352, which makes the Bureau of Environmental Justice permanent and requires air quality monitoring and reporting on AB 617 implementation, by 43-19. AB 825, authorizing California to help establish a Westwide electricity market, was presented as a way to lower bills, improve reliability, and reduce emissions; it passed 67-2 and was sent to the Governor. Additional actions included concurrence in Senate amendments to AB 8 on cannabinoids and AB 383 on firearms cleanup, and the chamber began consideration of AB 764 on wildlife as the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• As mentioned, safety is our top priority when considering our transportation system.
• They know exactly where the priorities are in their district.
• So it's imperative that the districts do identify their priorities.
• That was a high priority for you.
• So when we look at priority projects, I'm glad to hear that you're doing a study.

Transcript Highlights:

• I guess just finally then, what are some of your other priorities for the session?
• I guess just finally then, what are some of your other priorities for the session? Sure, yeah.
• ><00:03:26.760> of<00:03:26.800> your<00:03:26.920> other<00:03:27.080> priorities
• are your some of your other priorities are your some of your other priorities for<00:03:27.640><

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The interview focused on Rep. Godfrey’s reflections on his first legislative year after winning the special election in 40B. He described the experience as a “roller coaster,” citing the challenges of a tied House, the ongoing budget work, and the June 14 assassination of Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman as the lowest point. He said the Legislature still needs to recover from that tragedy while continuing its work. Looking ahead, Godfrey said he wants to find areas of bipartisan agreement, especially on budget issues, public school funding, and tackling fraud in a way he sees as nonpartisan and durable. He also said he plans to continue raising common-sense gun safety reforms, though he has not seen signs the other side is willing to discuss them. On the federal level, he said criticism of Washington would not change his approach in St. Paul, because he believes lawmakers can disagree strongly with the federal government while still working together on state issues. He also discussed local bonding and infrastructure priorities, including flood mitigation work connected to the Rice Creek watershed district. He said the project would help prevent catastrophic commercial shutdowns during high-water events and protect low-income residents. As another major priority, he said he wants to pursue worker protections related to artificial intelligence and other algorithmic technologies, arguing that the state should get ahead of job displacement risks.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, I'm concerned about the priorities reflected in this bill.
• highlight some things that have come out of our education subcommittee because it's on this is a high priority
• , the highest priority that we have according to how we budget.
• that out by the 687,000 students that are out there, that is real growth in funding our highest priority
• And while we are continuing to make steady growth and trying to shore up that gap, I think our priorities

Bills: SB1177

Keywords: education funding, mental health services, public safety, housing, state budget, 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, pictures communicate values, priorities, narratives to our children.
• I'm going to keep going back to that, things on the wall for young children illustrate values, priorities
• Again, I'm seeing a precedent being set here, and that not being consistent with legislative priorities
• And in the initial bill, there was kind of a section that gave some priority in respect to people that
• Gave some priority in respect to people that are already working in this space.

Bills: S0206, S0420, S0556

Keywords: autism, autism spectrum disorder, ASD, special education, exceptional student education, ESE, teacher preparation, educator certification, micro-credential, loan forgiveness, student loan repayment, teacher stipend, salary supplement, professional development, inclusive education, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, behavioral disabilities, school district compensation, collective bargaining

Summary: The committee first heard SB 420, which would require portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be prominently displayed in classrooms used for social studies and in all K-5 classrooms, with the Department of Education selecting the portraits. Senator Burgess framed the bill as a patriotic and educational measure tied to America’s 250th anniversary, while Senator Davis raised concerns about exclusivity, political precedent, and state intrusion into local classroom decisions. Senator Osgood and others asked about sensitivity to diverse student populations and whether additional figures such as Harriet Tubman could also be displayed. Burgess said the bill would not prevent other displays, emphasized the two presidents’ historical significance, and committed to funding support so the mandate would not burden districts. The committee voted the bill favorably. The committee then took up CS/SB 206 on autism education and teacher preparation. Senator Harrell’s strike-all amendment required teacher preparation programs to include autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, required ESE-certified teachers to complete an autism microcredential, created an autism loan forgiveness program and salary supplement provisions, and directed district professional development to include autism-specific training with local CARD centers. A second amendment removed a proposed change to the legal definition of autism so that issue could be handled separately. Senators Davis and Osgood asked about implementation timelines, grandfathering current teachers, and how the bill would affect educators already working in autism classrooms; Harrell said he was open to further discussion and wanted to ensure flexibility while still requiring the credential. Public testimony included support from Orange County Public Schools, a parent of children with autism, and others. The committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorably. Finally, the committee heard CS/SB 556, which allows students with disabilities to satisfy the high school physical education requirement by participating in Special Olympics for one year if included in the student’s IEP. An amendment also clarified that two years of marching band satisfies both the PE credit and a fine or performing arts credit. Supporters said the bill expands inclusive options and reduces administrative burdens, and Senator Yarborough praised the change as giving students more flexibility. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably. The committee also took up confirmation votes for appointments in tabs 4 through 7 and recommended all of them favorably by a single roll call vote.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the right-hand side, I've got the priority recommendations.
• I will say that there are many more priority recommendations than our budget requests.
• But the budget requests reflect the four highest priority ones that we wanted to focus on this year.
• That's kind of the top priority.
• So this is absolutely top priority. And probably has been a top priority for several years too.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• when we went back to that after being restored to that tie, and then the work that was done, our priority
• We know that this was a priority that we had, but we looked at the entire budget overall.
• We know that this<00:02:02.399> was<00:02:02.560> a<00:02:02.719> priority<00:02
• we<00:02:03.680> had,<00:02:03.920> but<00:02:04.159> we this was a priority
• that we had, but we this was a priority that we had, but we looked<00:02:04.479> at<00:02:04.640

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We just went through a student success workshop, and as we have our priorities, our priority number one
• And as we have our priorities, our priority number one is improving our student success rate.
• It's been wonderful to hear about some of the things that... ...our priorities, our priority number one
• Giving back to my community and to my university is a priority for me, and we'd be so grateful to serve
• really puts an emphasis on what we've talked about for the last two years in this committee, with priority

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education convened with a quorum and first took up CS for SB 1694 on technology education. The bill would require technology-integrated postsecondary general education core courses to include digital literacy and competency instruction, including use of artificial intelligence tools, and would encourage high school computer science courses that include AI to teach how AI systems use data, their benefits and limitations, and responsible use in academic and personal settings. The bill sponsor and several supporters emphasized preparing students for an AI-driven workforce while teaching critical evaluation and ethical use; one speaker raised concerns about overreliance on AI and the need to preserve real-world skills. Senator Davis supported the measure and suggested introducing similar instruction earlier, possibly in middle school. The committee voted the bill favorably, with Senator Leak later recorded in the affirmative. The committee then heard a large block of confirmations for higher education boards, including appointees to Tallahassee State College, the University of South Florida, the University of North Florida, Palm Beach State College, the College of the Florida Keys, Hillsborough College, Miami-Dade College, Florida A&M University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, Florida Polytechnic University, and the University of Florida. The appointees generally highlighted backgrounds in education, health care, law, business, technology, and public service, and described priorities such as student success, workforce alignment, affordability, fiscal responsibility, and institutional growth. One nominee to Tallahassee State College was asked about low NCLEX pass rates and said the college had a plan approved by the Florida Board of Nursing. Another nominee discussed Florida Poly’s STEM mission, and several members praised the nominees’ community ties and professional experience. After hearing the appointees, the committee voted to report the block of confirmations favorably to the Ethics and Elections Committee. The committee then received a high-level overview of the higher education budget, totaling $11.9 billion, with major emphasis on workforce training and development. Highlights included increases for school district workforce education, the Florida College System, workforce development capitalization, a rural educator recruitment program, funding for the USF Center for Nursing, preeminent research universities, UCF’s community school grant program, UF’s literacy and math initiatives, UF’s autism and neurodevelopment center, and a postsecondary guardian program for campus security. Members asked a brief question about a workforce fund transfer, and the chair explained it was a transfer of an existing program with new funds added. No public comment was offered, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is, by the previous discussion, your belief that priority would remain with the county to have tax
• liability; they would have priority, correct?
• So the lowest priority would be this new priority that we're adding to the bill.
• So the lowest priority would be this new priority that we're adding to the bill. Okay.
• remains... ...and also how priority remains at the county to be paid first.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• be stated that it's for this purpose, but school districts are going to choose and set their own priorities
• I was introduced to the Priority Schools Bureau programs through Elisa's work.
• And so inviting those schools to participate first is really important; it is our priority always.
• And then PSB, as we've been using it today, is a bureau within our agency, and it stands for the Priority
• PSB, the Priority Schools Bureau, has a program that is called SOAR, and it is just for superintendents

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's going to be a top priority that we are going to get through.
• Number one priority, and it was agreed upon by every one of us, Democrats and Republicans.
• His number one priority. And what is done? Taken out by leadership from the Democrats.
• And three, the respect for our chair, who's number one priority.
• I can't imagine; I had one little priority.

Bills: HF2436

Keywords: child welfare, economic assistance, child care, grant program, video security cameras

Transcript Highlights:

• the money for some reason isn't there, or there's a change in priorities within the new administration
• Ninety-one percent of those teachers seek to stay at that priority school.
• If the Legislature rejects this proposal, it would also free up funding for any Prop 98 priority.
• If the Legislature rejects this proposal, it would also free up funding for any Prop 98 priority.
• It focuses on teachers in high-priority schools, but there's no specific subject area targeting.

Summary: The committee heard an overview of the May Revision’s Proposition 98 changes for K-12 and community colleges. The Department of Finance said the minimum guarantee rises by $6.4 billion over the Governor’s Budget across the three-year window, with higher guarantees in each year, full payment of the prior settle-up, and larger deposits into the school rainy-day fund. The LAO said the revenue and LCFF updates were reasonable, but urged caution about the settle-up approach and recommended using more of the available funding to protect ongoing programs and build budget resilience. Members focused heavily on the size of the proposed $3.9 billion settle-up, the $10.3 billion reserve deposit, declining K-12 enrollment, and how much of the new funding should be ongoing versus one-time. The committee then reviewed the community colleges portion of the budget. Finance described the May Revision’s higher SCFF COLA, additional funding for enrollment growth, a student support block grant, apprenticeship adjustments, and continued funding for deferred maintenance, Calbright, Common Cloud, and credit for prior learning. The Chancellor’s Office supported the core investments but asked for more funding for enrollment growth, changes to the growth formula, and a COLA for Student Equity and Achievement. The LAO recommended prioritizing the statutory COLA increase, noted that more than half of districts are already above current-year growth targets, and said the new adult learner demonstration project should be rejected because districts already have tools to support similar services. Members also discussed a $52 million current-year apportionment shortfall, which Finance said was discovered too late for the May Revision and would need to be addressed later. Finally, the committee took up the proposed implementation of the federal Workforce Pell program. Finance proposed one-time funding for the California Student Aid Commission and Cradle to Career to build eligibility and data systems, along with trailer bill changes to set up state approval processes. CSAC said the program is promising but highly complex, that California lacks the needed infrastructure, and that the state will need emergency regulations, data linkages, and ongoing funding beyond the one-time proposal. The LAO agreed that some initial funding is needed but warned that the amounts and ongoing costs remain uncertain and that the Legislature should carefully draft the trailer bill language. Members asked about timing, other states’ actions, and how the state would ensure the program is ready for students and institutions.