Transcript Highlights:

• Pillar 3 was academic opportunity. 223 Advanced Placement, IB, ACT prep, and dual enrollment courses
• were all... 223 Advanced Placement, IB, ACT prep, and dual enrollment courses were offered across reporting

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests. The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students. A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• campaign and continuing to leverage that in the summer to kind of continue with the phase one approach of prep
• campaign and continuing to leverage that in the summer to kind of continue with the phase one approach of prep

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 and related federal actions on Covered California, Medi-Cal, and immigrant access to care. The chair framed the discussion around three main issues: expected losses in marketplace coverage as enhanced federal premium subsidies expire, new federal work and renewal requirements that would add administrative burden to Medi-Cal, and the loss of eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. Covered California testified that H.R. 1 and new federal rules, combined with the end of enhanced premium tax credits, are driving higher premiums, lower new enrollment, and more cancellations, especially among middle-income, Latino, and Black enrollees. The agency said California’s $190 million state subsidy program is helping lower-income enrollees but cannot replace the lost federal assistance, and it noted that roughly 120,000 lawfully present immigrants in Covered California will lose federal tax credits in 2027. On Medi-Cal, the Department of Health Care Services said H.R. 1 will require work and community engagement verification, six-month renewals for certain adults, and other changes that the department expects will reduce enrollment substantially. DHCS estimated 233,000 members could lose coverage by June 2027 from the work requirement and 289,000 from six-month renewals, with losses rising much higher by 2028; it also said it is using automation, outreach, clinic navigators, coverage ambassadors, community health workers, and street medicine providers to reduce procedural disenrollments. The department described a two-phase outreach plan and said it is working with counties on implementation, while the Department of Finance said the Governor’s budget maintains $190 million for the state subsidy program and does not propose additional changes at this time. The LAO said its independent forecast is somewhat higher than the administration’s, estimating about 2.1 million fewer Medi-Cal enrollees by June 2028, and urged the Legislature to review county administrative workload and readiness. Public testimony and member comments focused on the human and fiscal consequences of coverage losses. A representative from the Sacramento Native American Health Center warned that reduced reimbursement and coverage losses would destabilize community health centers, increase uncompensated care, and worsen outcomes by pushing patients into emergency care. Members raised concerns about paperwork burdens, county capacity, outreach effectiveness, and whether the state should do more to preserve coverage, including possible modeling of additional H-CARF spending and support for middle-income consumers and immigrant enrollees. The hearing did not take any votes or formal actions, but it ended with public comment and continued discussion of implementation and budget options.

Transcript Highlights:

• line nine, page three, the state board shall align literacy instruction coursework for teacher ed prep
• the department does to train active teachers who didn't get good training when they were in an ed prep

Committee: House Elementary and Secondary Education

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 2710, which would require the State Board of Education to create a simple A-through-F report card for every public school, charter school, and district, based on academic achievement, growth, and college/career readiness measures. Sponsor Rep. Dane Deal said the bill is intended to improve transparency for parents, keep the current testing system intact, and create a reward program for high-performing schools. Committee members raised concerns about the bill’s “moving target” provisions, the constitutionality and administration of performance bonuses, whether the grading system would oversimplify school quality, and how poverty, school size, and other demographics would be accounted for. Deal said he was open to revising timelines, bonus language, and other details with DESE and the committee. Supporters included a Louisiana education board member, who said Louisiana’s A-through-F system helped make school performance more understandable to families and was associated with major gains in NAEP rankings and reductions in the share of D/F schools. A researcher from the University of Missouri explained the state’s growth model and said growth measures are statistically designed to compare students to similar peers and are publicly available through DESE. Parent and advocacy witnesses from Missouri said families want a clear, digestible rating and that growth should be emphasized. They argued the bill would help parents make decisions and hold schools accountable. Some supporters also said the bill should be refined to ensure the letter grade is prominent and to better explain the underlying metrics. Opponents, including the Missouri State Teachers Association and other witnesses, argued that a single letter grade would oversimplify school performance, ignore factors such as poverty and staffing shortages, and create a punitive “moving target” by raising standards automatically as schools improve. They warned it could narrow curriculum, increase burnout, and lead to more administrative burden and possible litigation. Several witnesses said parents need a broader dashboard of information rather than one grade, and some questioned whether the system would fairly compare schools with very different student populations. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there’s been a lot of progress along the way and a lot of prep work, and now it’s just a matter of

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and first considered H.C.R. 89 by Representative Charles Owen, which directs the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a museum and trail dedicated to the Louisiana Maneuvers. Owen described the historical significance of the maneuvers and said the proposal would mainly involve markers and a modest museum. The committee moved the resolution favorably to the floor without objection. Members then debated H.R. 179 by Representative Marcel, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review, while others supported gathering data on crime trends, cameras, and district performance. Marcel said the study was intended to collect information, not mandate changes, and the resolution was moved favorably to the floor. The committee next took up S.B. 228 and S.B. 268 by Senator Duplessis, both related to replacing lead and copper water service lines. S.B. 228 was a constitutional amendment allowing public funds to be used on private property for replacement of lead-based and copper pipes, and S.B. 268 set out the process for municipalities or parishes to implement the program, including notice to homeowners and an inventory/testing process. Members questioned homeowner rights, the seven-day notice period, emergency entry language, contracting, and whether the work would fully address hazards inside homes; Rainwater said the program was narrowly tailored, federally funded through the EPA and LDH, and intended to replace lines from the main to the shutoff valve. Both measures were moved favorably as amended. Finally, the committee approved S.B. 283 by Senator Barrow, creating the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development in a food desert near Southern University, and moved H.R. 225 by Representative Eccles, which urges study of parish-wide solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services in Ouachita Parish. H.R. 223 by Representative Walters, urging Shreveport to partner on the Southern Soul City Initiative, was also moved favorably. The chair noted it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session, and members and staff were thanked for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it’s been—there’s been a lot of progress along the way and a lot of prep work, and now it’s just a

Summary: The committee met on May 13 and first took up House Concurrent Resolution 89, which asks the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism to study, with the Louisiana State Museum and the World War II Museum, the feasibility of a Louisiana Maneuvers museum and trail. Representative Owens described the historical significance of the Louisiana Maneuvers and said the proposal would help preserve and teach that history. The committee moved HCR 89 favorably to the floor without objection. The committee then heard House Resolution 179, which would create a study of neighborhood crime prevention and security districts and their effectiveness in reducing crime. Representative Marcel said the resolution was prompted by questions about crime data and district performance, while several members raised concerns about the number of study groups and the breadth of a statewide review. Other members supported the idea as a way to gather data on what works, including cameras and other security measures. The resolution was moved favorably to the floor. Next, the committee considered Senate Bill 228, a constitutional amendment to allow public funds to be used to replace lead and copper drinking water service lines on private property, and Senate Bill 268, the companion implementing bill that sets out the notice and replacement process. Paul Rainwater explained that the program would use EPA and state revolving-fund money, with work focused on the line from the meter to the shutoff valve, and that the city would inventory affected homes, give notice, and then proceed with replacement. Members asked about homeowner rights, emergency entry, contractor accountability, and whether the program could expand beyond New Orleans; Rainwater said he would return with more detail on the objection/emergency process. Both SB 228, as amended, and SB 268 were reported favorably. The committee also advanced Senate Bill 283, which creates the Boulevard at Harding Area Special District in Baton Rouge to encourage development near Southern University, and two resolutions: House Resolution 225, urging agencies and local governments in Ouachita Parish to study solid waste, debris removal, and disaster resilience services, and House Resolution 223, urging Shreveport and partners to advance the Southern Soul City Initiative. All were moved favorably to the floor, and the meeting ended with members and the chair thanking staff and noting it was likely the committee’s last meeting of the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• earned wage advances, debt settlement companies, and student loan debt relief, sometimes called doc prep

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration heard a series of budget change proposals and trailer bill items, beginning with Housing and Community Development (HCD) requests. HCD sought permanent authority for seven existing temporary positions to support the HCD Connect IT system, and a separate proposal to fund implementation of eight 2025 housing-related laws with $4.2 million General Fund and 16 positions, plus $470,000 one-time General Fund. Members asked about how HCD Connect would interact with programs moving to the new Housing Development Finance Committee, and HCD also explained that the estimated cost to implement AB 1053 had been revised downward from about $6 million to $1.9 million because of shared implementation with CalHFA and the new committee structure. The committee also heard a Cal ICH proposal for $339,000 one-time General Fund to implement AB 678 on LGBTQ+ inclusive and culturally competent homelessness services, with testimony emphasizing data gaps and the need for a contract-based approach because HMIS cannot be changed unilaterally. The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation presented three continuation proposals: $15.34 million and 53 positions for the California Consumer Financial Protection Law program, $13.5 million and 51 positions for the Debt Collector Licensing Act program, and $49,000 ongoing for two positions in the broker-dealer/investment adviser education program. Members and the public raised concerns about the size and fairness of debt collector assessments and licensing fees, while DFPI explained the pro rata fee structure, the current license count, and how larger assessments fall on larger firms. Public testimony also supported retaining funding for the Student Loan Empowerment Network and requested funding for a franchise broker registration program. The committee also considered a mandate item involving suspension of a disclosure requirement related to property taxation, and trailer bill language from the Government Operations Agency to amend AB 91 on MENA demographic data collection, with the administration emphasizing data nondisclosure, protection of federal funding, and delayed implementation. The Secretary of State’s office then presented Help America Vote Act funding requests: $10.3 million for VoteCal maintenance and operations and $4.492 million for HAVA spending plans supporting voter education, training, accessibility, auditing, and county assistance. The office also requested $660,000 General Fund to implement AB 1392, which would make voter registration information for elected officials and candidates confidential, and explained the need to modify VoteCal and county election systems. The committee also heard requests to continue the Cal-Access Replacement System with $11.8 million General Fund and to continue the Notary Automation Program Replacement Project with $9.75 million from the Business Fees Fund. Members asked about total project costs, testing, data migration, and the expected November 2026 go-live date for Cal-Access replacement. Votes were taken on the vote-only items once quorum was established, and the committee approved the items considered. The final informational item was an overview from the California Arts Council, which highlighted the agency’s 50th anniversary, its statewide grantmaking, and the economic impact of arts funding. Council staff described Creative Corps, cultural districts, and the role of arts funding in local economies, while members and public witnesses urged increased support, including a request to raise local assistance grant funding to $50 million and to provide additional funding for cultural districts. Testimony emphasized the arts as economic infrastructure, community infrastructure, and a source of civic and cultural vitality across California.

Transcript Highlights:

• And there's been discussions about how to coordinate the food prep, and a lot of money has been spent

Bills: SCR120 , SCR71 , SCR164 , SCR41

Committees: House Agriculture & Food Systems , House Agriculture and Environment

Keywords: rangelands, pastoralists, pastoralism, ranching, ranchers, paniolo, livestock, grazing, grasslands, land management, conservation, sustainable agriculture, agriculture, Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity, University of Hawaii, ecosystem services, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, Hawaii counties, International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists

Transcript Highlights:

• Mignonas—maybe I'm getting the name incorrect, but I can follow up, and I have an email prepped with

Bills: SB1039 , SB1061 , SB1068 , SB1069 , SB1099 , SB1127 , SB1148 , SB1271 , SB1426 , SB1448

Committees: House Judiciary , House House Judiciary Committee of Reference

Keywords: attorney discipline, legal costs, reputation damage, state bar, court costs, fentanyl, drug offenses, narcotic drugs, criminal penalties, Arizona Revised Statutes, educational institutions, public order, disruption, concealed weapons, safety regulations, firearms, muffling devices, weapon regulations, Arizona law, public safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Marine Corps, spoke of the importance of military schools and encouraged all the universities and prep

Committee: House Special Committee on Tourism

Transcript Highlights:

• cookware products, and we also use many appliances and kitchen tools in our delis and bakeries to prep

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Transcript Highlights:

• cookware products, and we also use many appliances and kitchen tools in our delis and bakeries to prep

Summary: The committee heard testimony on two main bills. ESSB 5975 dealt with lead limits in cookware and a proposed striker that would shift more of the standard-setting and testing process to the Department of Ecology under Safer Products for Washington. Supporters, including industry groups, Ecology, the Department of Health, and environmental advocates, said the striker would provide clearer, science-based, and more workable standards while still reducing lead exposure. Some witnesses, including environmental groups, argued the bill should remain stronger, while others said the striker was an acceptable compromise. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard extensive testimony on ESSB 5360, which would create tiered criminal penalties for violations of the Water Pollution Control Act, Clean Air Act, and Hazardous Waste Management Act, including felony penalties for knowing or negligent conduct in certain circumstances. The prime sponsor and Attorney General’s Office said the bill targets egregious polluters, adds whistleblower and worker protections, and responds to serious environmental harm cases. Tribal, environmental, and advocacy witnesses supported the bill as a way to hold repeat polluters accountable. Labor, business, industry, county, utility, and forestry representatives opposed it, warning that the language could expose workers and permit holders to criminal liability for mistakes or routine operations and that the bill needed more stakeholder work. At the end of the meeting, the committee took executive action on Substitute Senate Bill 6269, which updates the Motor Fuel Quality Act by modernizing the definition of motor fuel and folding alternative fuels into that definition. The bill passed the committee on a 19-0 vote, with two members excused, and was reported out with a do-pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• that you agree to take your land out of production, importantly to stop irrigating it, and then to prep

Summary: The committee first reviewed the Department of Water Resources budget. Analysts and Director Matthew Weaver explained the agency’s staffing, continuously appropriated funds, and the effect of ARPA and other one-time infrastructure dollars on the budget. Members asked about efforts to stabilize the Snake River Plain aquifer, the impact of budget holdbacks, groundwater monitoring, and the status of major recharge and conversion projects. Weaver and Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould said the state is working to reduce groundwater pumping, expand recharge, and build infrastructure to reach a long-term managed recharge goal of 350,000 acre-feet annually, with current recharge averaging about 251,000 acre-feet and capacity potentially exceeding 500,000 acre-feet in good water years. They also discussed project delays caused by permitting, federal land access, and coordination with multiple landowners, and said the $30 million infrastructure appropriation was fully obligated and largely spent. The committee also discussed water projects in other basins, including the Palouse Basin, Mountain Home, Elmore County, and the Bear River. Raybould said the board is considering a Bear River study to identify storage, recharge, and irrigation opportunities under the Bear River compact, and estimated that some future projects, such as a Moscow-area pump station and pipeline, could be very expensive. Members raised concerns about data centers, water quality in the Snake River Plain aquifer, and the role of private and local matching funds in water infrastructure. Weaver said data center water use is a public-interest issue that depends on scale and location, and that groundwater contamination issues are generally handled by the Department of Environmental Quality. The committee then heard the Soil and Water Conservation Commission presentation, which focused on the proposed merger/affiliation with the Department of Water Resources and on funding for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Weaver, serving as interim administrator, said a stakeholder review recommended moving the commission’s affiliation from Agriculture to Water Resources while preserving its current duties, nonregulatory mission, and resources. He said related legislation and a concurrent resolution would support that transition and allow time for further code review and a combined budget in 2027. Analysts also explained a supplemental and FY 2027 enhancement for CREP funding, noting that rising land values increased the state match needed for enrolled acres. Weaver said CREP can help reduce groundwater pumping, that about 11,000 of the 50,000-acre statewide cap are currently enrolled, and that full enrollment could significantly aid aquifer conservation. The committee adjourned after thanking the agencies and noting the next day’s agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the panelists and the members of each caucus has continuing work to do in prep for a very robust

Committee: House Civil Rights & Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• However, the panelists and the members of each caucus has continuing work to do in prep for a very robust

Summary: The Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills. On SB 5906, the SAFE Act, staff and Sen. Hansen described protections limiting immigration enforcement access to non-public areas in schools, early learning settings, higher education, health care facilities, adult family homes, and ballot-processing areas, and restricting collection of immigration-status information. Supporters said the bill would clarify and strengthen existing Keep Washington Working policies, while some witnesses requested amendments to better define health care facilities, clarify adult family home and election-related provisions, and keep Section 6 on ballot security. Some members questioned the factual basis for reported ICE activity near schools and daycares and the distinction between judicial and administrative warrants. The committee also heard SB 5886 on personality rights and forged digital likenesses. Staff explained that the bill would add digitally created or modified likenesses to the Personality Rights Act, raise civil penalties, and allow recovery of actual and non-economic damages in forged-digital-likeness cases. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is intended to address AI deepfakes and identity misuse while preserving satire and fair use; student and advocacy witnesses supported the measure as a way to protect students and victims of digital impersonation. The committee then heard SB 5169, which expands child hearsay and closed-circuit testimony rules to older children and additional offenses. Prosecutors and forensic interviewers supported the bill as necessary in trafficking and child abuse cases, while defense advocates opposed it as an overbroad expansion that could raise confrontation-clause issues and create legal challenges. Additional hearings included SB 5865, which would move garnishment form updates from statute to the Washington Pattern Forms Committee; judges supported it as a way to fix a wage-withholding calculation error and allow future updates without legislation. SB 5912 would reinstate the Indigent Defense Task Force to study statewide public defense delivery and recommend sustainable reforms; counties, the Office of Public Defense, and defense groups supported it. SB 6009 would make permanent the current process for direct review of administrative decisions by the Court of Appeals and retain land-use transfer provisions; a Court of Appeals judge supported the bill. SB 6087 would extend limited liability for donations of children’s items to religious organizations and add strollers and car seats, with support from Zero Waste Washington. The committee did not take final votes on these bills during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because session lasts 30 days or 60 days, and maybe there's some prep time and closing time, and so that's

Summary: The House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee met and first heard House Memorial 7, which asks Legislative Council Service, the State Personnel Office, DFA, and GSD to study the use of temporary, term, seasonal, casual, on-call, and other non-regular classifications in state government. The memorial was presented as a response to concerns that some workers are repeatedly terminated and rehired, sometimes after a one-day break, to avoid regular status and associated benefits. Testimony from CWA and AFSCME described long-term temporary workers at the National Hispanic Cultural Center and other agencies who allegedly do full-time work without health insurance, retirement, leave, or consistent pay progression, and who in some cases were denied union coverage. Committee members questioned the scope, definitions of temporary employment, and whether the issue should instead be referred to the state auditor; the sponsor said the study would gather data and recommendations first. The committee voted due pass, and House Memorial 7 passed unanimously. The committee then heard House Bill 177, which appropriates funds to the Veterans Services Department to contract for shelter and care of service and companion animals so veterans can access housing, medical care, and other services without fearing separation from their pets. Support came from the Veterans Services Department, Animal Protection New Mexico, and the Veterans and Military Families Caucus/Veterans Integration Center, all of whom said pets are often a barrier to veterans seeking care and that existing community-based animal boarding models could be used. The bill received no opposition, and the committee voted due pass with no opposition. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 43, a PERA cleanup bill intended to update and clarify the Public Employees Retirement Act and align it with administrative practice. Testimony focused on a provision allowing PERA to use licensed physicians, including out-of-state physicians who can be licensed in New Mexico, to serve on the disability review process when needed so disability cases are not delayed. Committee members raised concerns about ensuring medical expertise and avoiding abuse of the licensing flexibility, but PERA explained the change was meant to address recruitment difficulties and maintain timely review. The committee voted due pass on House Bill 43.

Transcript Highlights:

• Whoever prepped you for that, good goes to you then. Thank you. Good afternoon.

Committee: Senate Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• So many libraries also offer other resources for free, like GED, SAT, ACT Test Prep.

Committee: Joint Economic & Rural Development & Policy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• In addition to that, I was prepping to be a poll worker at that time.

Transcript Highlights:

• If this trend continues, essential services like tax prep, audits, and financial consulting could become

Summary: The Assembly Business and Professions Committee heard a long agenda of licensing, health care, and workforce bills. Measures discussed included AB 957, which would prohibit tobacco sales in licensed pharmacies; AB 447, which would allow patients to take home certain unopened medications started in emergency rooms; AB 427, joining the Social Work Licensure Compact; AB 667, allowing interpreters for certain licensing exams; AB 742, prioritizing descendants of slaves in licensing review; AB 873, changing infection-control training timing for dental assistants; AB 360, requiring a report on menopause education for physicians; and AB 1175, modernizing CPA licensure requirements and mobility. Testimony generally emphasized public health, access to care, workforce shortages, language access, and economic opportunity, while opposition or concerns focused on implementation, worker protections, compact authority, and constitutional issues in AB 742. Several bills drew broad support from sponsors, professional associations, and advocacy groups. AB 957 was backed by cancer and pharmacy advocates and pharmacists who said pharmacies should not sell tobacco; AB 447 was supported by emergency medicine and hospital representatives as a way to reduce waste and help patients leave with needed medication; AB 427 drew support from social work and mental health groups but concerns from AFSCME about standards and displacement; AB 667 was supported by immigrant-rights and community groups, with questions about whether translated exams would be preferable to interpreters; AB 360 received extensive support from women’s health advocates and medical groups, and opposition from CMA and ACOG was removed after amendments; and AB 1175 was supported by the Board of Accountancy and CPA groups as a way to expand the pipeline and improve mobility. The committee took votes after quorum was established. AB 360, AB 427, AB 447, AB 667, AB 873, AB 1175, and AB 742 were all approved and sent to their next committees, with AB 742 going to Judiciary and AB 1175 to Appropriations. AB 957 was initially held on call, then later passed after additional votes were recorded. The consent calendar bills AB 375, AB 1107, and AB 1496 were also approved. Most measures passed on largely party-line or near-unanimous votes, with some members not voting on certain items during the roll calls.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it also saves staff time on basic salad bar prep.

Committee: House Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development