Transcript Highlights:

• made was 600 million dollars into this effort in 2021 i'll note that that number through budget reductions
• The DFPI has been able to sustain operations despite the fiscal deficits by maintaining optimal program
• According to the evaluation, the department has a structural deficit that stems from a mix of costs,
• And to address this deficit, the administration has provided you with a trailer bill language that would
• The department's plan is to utilize its existing authority to resolve deficits beyond those that require

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• calling on them now to join us to forestall what we understand could be harmful and damaging budget reductions
• Department of Agriculture gets the resources that they need to compensate for known and unknown deficits
• Department of Agriculture gets the resources that they need to compensate for known and unknown deficits
• <00:09:54.800> caused<00:09:55.160> by for known and unknown deficits caused by for
• known and unknown deficits caused by The<00:09:55.440> Disappearance<00:09:56.000> of<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This was also the second item, and this was part of the amendment you added today, was the 34% reduction
• in pill payments so right now reduction in pill payments so right now those<00:10:26.880> payments
• I believe a tribal nation has been impacted by this reduction also.
• <01:15:23.560> also this reduction also this reduction also okay<01:15:25.679> chair
• , an estimated predicted reduction of...

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 2437, the governor’s proposed tax bill, and first adopted the A25-Z42 amendment to put the bill in the desired shape. Commissioner Paul Marquardt of the Department of Revenue then presented the bill as part of Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan’s budget, describing it as a response to budget pressures that would make the tax system more fair and stable while supporting economic development and jobs. Marquardt walked through the bill’s major provisions. These included sustainable aviation fuel policy, repeal of K-12 education credit assignment, elimination of the political contribution refund, expansion of the research and development credit, short-line railroad infrastructure modernization, changes to the state airport fund levy, replacement of attachments and appearances with distribution systems, a narrow personal property tax exception for low-income housing tenants, reduced aquatic invasive species aid, and a 34% reduction in PILT payments. He then focused on the sales tax article, saying it would lower the statewide rate by 0.75% while expanding the base to selected professional services such as accounting, banking, brokerage, and legal services, with business-to-business transactions exempt. He said the proposal would be effective for sales and purchases after September 30, 2025, and estimated a first-year rate-cut impact of about $99 million versus $215 million from the service expansion, while arguing that most households would see a net tax cut. He also noted other changes such as landlord penalty adjustments, a 30% reduction in sustainable aviation fuel incentive payments, repeal of local government cannabis aid, and repeal of the tax filing modernization account. Public testimony began with Kyle Playford of the Financial Planning Association of Minnesota, who strongly opposed the proposed sales tax on professional services, especially financial planning. He argued that financial planning is an essential service for retirement, investment, and long-term financial security, and said the tax would raise costs for consumers, reduce access for middle-class families, small business owners, and retirees, and put Minnesota firms at a competitive disadvantage. The chair then indicated that additional public testimony would continue before member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we're managing over 140,000 cases, and without this adjustment, we risk a deficit that would limit
• We experienced a reduction in the base budget for the Division of Disability Determinations.
• realignment of general revenue and trust fund appropriations to address projected surpluses and deficits
• services to individuals and Medicaid long-term care budget entities to address projected surpluses and deficits

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission considered 21 budget amendments, most of them routine authority adjustments tied to federal grants, Medicaid payment programs, and trust fund realignments. The Department of Education received $14.751 million for a Preschool Development Grant to support early learning system improvements, workforce credentialing and training, IT modernization, and related early childhood certification work. The Department of Veterans Affairs shifted $2.2 million within its trust fund to cover higher nursing home occupancy, replace contract nursing with OPS staff, and meet rising operating costs. The Department of Health moved about $9.1 million to support Disability Determinations, where roughly 140,000 cases were pending or in process, and said the change would help reduce backlog and avoid a deficit. The Agency for Health Care Administration presented multiple amendments for Medicaid-related programs, including $766 million for indirect medical education, $1.9 million for managed care network adequacy audits, $209 million for the Rural Health Transformation Program, and several large supplemental payment programs for hospitals and physicians; members asked about CMS approval delays, provider access, and how rural funds would be distributed. The commission also adopted an amendment realigning KidCare funds, placing a $32.1 million surplus into reserve, though several members objected that the state had not yet implemented the 2023 KidCare expansion and that children remained on a wait list. Another Medicaid amendment placed a $376 million surplus into reserve after updated estimating conference projections. Other agencies also received approvals. FDLE received $16.26 million to buy counter-unmanned aircraft systems equipment such as radar and RF sensors to detect and mitigate drone threats. The Department of Juvenile Justice received $1.6 million for the Florida Scholars Academy and a Social Services Block Grant realignment, with staff confirming corrective action had been taken after prior audit findings about allowable SSBG spending. The Division of Emergency Management received federal pass-through authority for FIFA World Cup security and counter-UAS funds, both controlled by the Miami host committee, and members noted the state had little direct oversight over how those local grants would be used. The Department of Commerce received $148.4 million for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery work, with questions focused on the split between housing, infrastructure, and administrative costs. The Department of State received $408,377 for arts and culture federal grant obligations. All amendments were adopted, generally without objection, after brief questioning and no public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, yeah, a little bit of a deficit, obviously, for Division II to start its work with those revenues
• The times I've been here, we've never had a deficit, as I can recall, in the Education Trust Fund.
• So for me, this is the first time that I'm seeing a deficit.
• So if she misses that lapse, then the deficit is going to be a lot larger, correct?
• They projected a $4 million deficit for this next upcoming two years.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up HB 129, which would redefine “evidence-based” in public education. The Department of Education testified that the bill’s definition would conflict with federal definitions and be very restrictive, potentially affecting a wide range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, teacher training, civics requirements, suicide prevention training, and other programs. The department said the bill could force a broad overhaul of school practices, create local implementation burdens, and require at least one new state position, with a fiscal note estimating roughly $118,000 in FY 2026 rising in later years. Members also raised concerns about possible impacts on federal pass-through funding and whether the bill was workable. Representative Papovich moved to retain HB 129, and the motion passed 7-0. The committee then heard HB 133, a Department of Safety/DMV bill involving follow-up when a person votes using an out-of-state license or non-driver ID and then does not obtain a New Hampshire credential within the statutory timeframe. DMV officials said the bill would require a $40,000 technology upgrade plus a new full-time position, and that the fiscal note did not include postage or fully account for the manual work needed to match records, send notices, and review responses. They said the proposal also raised broader tracking issues because it would apply not only to voters but to anyone who had not obtained a New Hampshire license within 60 days, and they questioned whether DMV was the proper agency to make those inquiries. Committee members pressed the department on how the 60-day clock would be determined, whether the bill could amount to a kind of poll tax or raise privacy concerns, and whether voter ID cards or other exceptions would avoid that problem. The department explained that New Hampshire offers a free voter identification card through town clerks for people without a license or state ID, but said the bill did not exempt those cards and that the DMV would still be asked to investigate status after voting. Officials also said the bill would be difficult to enforce, that some cases would be ambiguous, and that any response from the DMV would likely amount to a request for information rather than an enforceable consequence. No vote on HB 133 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You are referring to the 10% to 5% reduction. Is that clear? Representative Eskamani: Yes, Mr.
• in response time, a reduction in just training on how to respond with the new technology... ...and just
• You're going to see a reduction in staff.
• So when we talk about the potential deficit from this H.J.R., we are talking about jobs being lost.
• major deficit—and it's going to negatively impact services.

Summary: The House met in special session, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the journal, and adopted the special order report setting the day’s calendar. The chamber then took up CS/House Joint Resolution 1F, the Governor’s property tax proposal, which would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes, lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and restrict county and municipal ad valorem revenue to public safety and certain other uses. Sponsor Rep. Overdorf said the measure would return money to homeowners and give local governments flexibility, while opponents repeatedly argued the ballot language was misleading and that the proposal could create large local revenue shortfalls, shift costs to other taxpayers, and threaten local services and debt obligations. Members debated a series of amendments aimed at protecting specific programs from the bill’s effects. Rep. Bartleman’s amendment to exempt Children’s Services Councils and Children’s Trusts was defeated 25-74 after supporters said those entities fund child care, mental health, aftercare, and family support, while opponents said local governments could still choose to fund them. Rep. Cross’s amendment to include water management districts in allowable uses of ad valorem taxes was also defeated, despite testimony that the districts are essential for flood control, water supply, Everglades restoration, and drought response. Rep. Eskamani’s amendment to require the Legislature to backfill public safety funding failed 25-71 after debate over whether the proposal could reduce police and fire budgets and response times. The House then rejected Rep. Woodson’s amendment to require state backfill for senior services, with supporters citing Meals on Wheels, transportation, adult day care, and other aging services, and opponents saying the state already funds senior programs. Finally, Rep. Gant’s amendment to protect veteran services was introduced and debated, with members emphasizing housing, mental health, transition assistance, and homelessness concerns for veterans; the transcript cuts off before the vote on that amendment. Throughout the debate, sponsors and supporters of the main resolution maintained that local governments would retain spending discretion and could use other revenue sources, while critics argued the measure lacked clear backfill provisions and could force cuts or tax shifts at the local level.

Transcript Highlights:

• To continue addressing the department's long-standing operational deficits, the budget also includes
• This is a 1% reduction for these eight, what we're going to? Senator Avila: Thank you, Mr.
• This is a 1% reduction for these eight, what we're going to?
• What is the economic fix from a legislative perspective if we're making incentivized reductions at a
• These funds are redirected from the debt reduction program established last session in HB 5017, which

Keywords: 998, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Again, the A7 amendment contained a similar reduction; this is slightly lower.
• slight this is similar reduction slight this is slightly<00:35:45.680> lower.
• Um, we are in a structural deficit in this state.
• Um, we we are in a structural<00:44:45.040> deficit.
• structural deficit. structural deficit. um<00:44:47.119> in<00:44:47.440> this<00:

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 3874, the Judiciary budget bill, and first moved it to the Ways and Means Committee. The bill was described as funding the judicial branch’s budget request, including courthouse and judge security measures, home safety for judges and staff, a $1 million courthouse safety grant program, and funding related to paid family and medical leave costs that the courts must absorb. A court administrator explained that some base adjustments were budget-neutral internal shifts within the court system, moving money from district courts to other courts to better meet overall needs. Members then debated several amendments. The A7 amendment, which reduced some of the requested security funding for administrators and aligned it more closely with legislative security levels while retaining flexible Supreme Court security personnel, was adopted. The A1 amendment, which would have deleted the additional operating adjustment for paid family and medical leave, failed on a 7-7 tie after debate over whether the courts should bear the employer share of that cost and whether the program itself was an unfunded mandate. The A2 amendment, also related to paid family and medical leave funding, likewise failed on a 7-7 tie after similar discussion about the judiciary’s ongoing employment costs and the branch’s inability to raise its own revenue. The committee then adopted the A4 amendment, which increased the courthouse safety grant program from $1 million to $4 million. Supporters said there was unmet demand for courthouse security grants and that the money would help with hardware such as screening equipment, while the court administrator said the branch would not spend more than it could use and that the grants would be reviewed by a committee including law enforcement and county representatives. The administrator noted the funding would be one-time money and would not cover staffing costs. The committee also discussed the judiciary’s ongoing need for funding, with members arguing both that the courts should be treated like other employers and that the judicial branch, as an independent branch of government, must be funded by the legislature. The final A5 amendment was then introduced, with staff noting it would delete a section already covered by the adopted A7 amendment and reduce an appropriation on page four, line 14.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then item seven is reduction of overtime and getting paid, so all those things the governor asked
• So, I mean, do you think that the reduction in the workforce over there is contributing to your need?
• perhaps I will benefit from a slight reduction or a slight reimbursement from that.
• I have serious concerns that this bill only guarantees a budget deficit in our near future.
• I have serious concerns that this bill only guarantees a budget deficit in our near future.

Keywords: 1182, all

Summary: The joint House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees met to hear identical conformity bills, HB 2153 and SB 1106, which would align Arizona tax law with the federal Internal Revenue Code as of Jan. 1, 2026, including some retroactive provisions for tax year 2025. Staff explained that the bills would exclude three federal provisions: the higher federal SALT deduction, the new senior deduction as written in H.R. 1, and the deduction for interest on new car loans. They would instead include a $6,000 retirement-income deduction for taxpayers age 60 and older, a $6,000 Roth IRA contribution deduction, a higher dependent tax credit, and a deduction for child and dependent care expenses above the federal credit. JLBC estimated the package would reduce general fund income tax revenue by about $441.3 million in FY 2026. Members also discussed that the Department of Revenue’s forms had been issued assuming full conformity, and staff and supporters argued the bills were needed quickly to avoid confusion and amended returns during filing season. Committee members and sponsors largely framed the bills as tax relief and a way to provide certainty for taxpayers and preparers. Supporters said the package would help families, seniors, and workers, and noted that the Arizona version was negotiated to keep the overall tax relief roughly comparable to full conformity while shifting benefits away from the SALT deduction and toward child credits, retirement income, and child care. The sponsors also criticized the governor’s executive action and urged prompt passage so taxpayers would know how to file. Opponents argued the bills would reduce state revenue, worsen the budget outlook, and disproportionately benefit higher-income taxpayers and corporations. Several witnesses and members also raised concerns about the child care deduction, the retirement-income deduction, and the business expensing provisions, while supporters responded that the bill was designed to help working families and encourage saving and investment. Public testimony was mixed. The Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club supported the bills, emphasizing early conformity, filing certainty, and reduced confusion for taxpayers and software providers. Opponents included Save Our Schools Arizona, the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, Opportunity Arizona, and several individuals, who argued the package would deepen budget problems and favor the wealthy. One witness objected to a federal school-choice-related provision she said was being tied to the bill, though committee members said the measure before them was a tax conformity bill and not a school finance bill. The hearing included extended debate over the fiscal impact, the governor’s prior requests for some of the same tax changes, and whether taxpayers would need to file amended returns if the legislature later changed course. The transcript ends during testimony from NFIB, with no final committee vote or action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking on page 24 at the Employment Outlook, I'm examining the federal employment reduction for FY26
• If AI does result in a larger reduction in the labor force, that's a risk.
• Is a one-for-one dollar reduction to your tax liability.
• But there was also a reduction in the number of hours to be eligible for both the full-time credit and
• And so, in this most recent report, we've had, a significant reduction in what we think the impact is

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 15 years, a couple specific periods of meteoric growth stand out, both immediately following the reduction
• My hope is that, you know, ultimately, in this case, we'll have, we'll see a reduction in property taxes
• little bit even though some of the cities, the smaller cities will have just an incremental, uh, reduction
• Houston, will that $1.5 million go directly back to the taxpayers or will it be used to Plug, uh deficit
• almost All of the Texans within our members' jurisdictions are affected in some way by this hidden deficit

Transcript Highlights:

• We can't raise their pay because of recapture and our deficit budget.
• For everybody on our staff, it'll put us back into a deficit budget.
• If we give them raises, that's going to have to come from our school budget, and it will cause a deficit
• In Frisco ISD, we just balanced a $30 million structural deficit.
• And you can't give raises to current employees if you're running a deficit. Correct. Okay.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: public education, teacher compensation, certification, funding, school finance, educator rights, education funding, charter schools, staff compensation, state aid, retention allotment, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When it comes to the federal budgets, budget deficits, and debt, you can see that we've been spending
• The 10% reduction begins in January of 2028, so that's your state fiscal year 28.
• I want to ensure there's an understanding that yes, it could be a reduction.
• And we're expecting about an 83,000 reduction in enrollment.
• So that reduction to Medicare rates that is referred to in that presidential memo theoretically could

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, our preschool, uh, we are now about $60,000 in deficit.
• Um, so, as of June 26, we have about a $60,000 deficit in our preschool fund.
• Uh, we oppose this change as it creates a 20% reduction in our funding allocation.
• a 20% reduction in our funding<00:52:50.680> allocation.
• reductions to our compensatory<00:53:59.760> education<00:54:00.320> program.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the reduction you saw. Okay.
• So that's the reduction you saw. Okay.
• , if that's what we're going to do, basically that's going to average out for another $44 million deficit
• if we're thinking that we're going to get down to 150, I've just been figuring that we're having a deficit

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the reduction you saw. Okay.
• So that's the reduction you saw. Okay.
• million, if that's what we're going to do, basically that's going to average out to another $44 million deficit
• if we're thinking that we're going to get down to 150, I've just been figuring that we're having a deficit

Summary: The committee considered a series of appropriation, transfer, and review items, approving most requests in Sections B through J. These included temporary appropriations for state technology upgrades, personnel management, court reporters and interpreters, crime victim claims, juvenile sex offender assessments, radiation lab testing, higher education workforce grants, an ARPA grant for the UAFS LPN program, an IIJA grant for geological/critical minerals work, a restricted reserve transfer for 102 State Police vehicles, a transfer to the Arkansas Heroes Program, several cash fund requests for the Real Estate Commission HVAC and AV needs, and overtime appropriations for Emergency Management and Military. One budget classification transfer request from the Commissioner of State Lands for $250,000 to cover operating expenses tied to a new building was discussed at length but failed on the vote after questions about the lease and operating costs. A major portion of the meeting focused on a $25.7 million pay plan appropriation request for 15 agencies. Members questioned why the Department of Human Services had not requested additional pay-plan dollars for human development centers, where DHS acknowledged staffing shortages, high turnover, and heavy overtime but said the issue was not lack of pay-plan funding. DHS was asked to provide a written plan to address staffing problems. The Department of Corrections testified that the pay plan had improved retention and hiring, and committee members asked for follow-up data on vacancies and staffing outcomes. Members also clarified that the pay-plan request was appropriation only, not new funding, and approved it. The committee then reviewed fund reports, including the restricted reserve, Budget Stabilization Trust Fund, Tobacco Settlement, State Central Services, Education Adequacy, Medicaid Trust Fund, IIJA, and Revenue Services transfer reports. DHS and DFA were questioned closely about the Medicaid Trust Fund, with members noting a $90 million February draw and asking about projected year-end balances; DFA and DHS said February was a high-expense, low-revenue month and projected the fund would remain solvent through the fiscal year, ending between $150 million and $200 million, while a second $100 million set-aside is planned for FY27. The committee also discussed a state hospital damage report, where DHS explained that insurance proceeds would not fully cover the repair costs because of depreciation and the age of the buildings; members expressed concern that the state would recover far less than originally expected, and DHS said any additional insurance recovery would be limited and returned to restricted reserve.

Transcript Highlights:

• We actually, in this year, had to make an investment in a deficit budget, which we feel secure about,
• but that's scary to us as a nonprofit to have a deficit budget this year.
• We actually, in this year, had to make an investment in a deficit budget, which we feel secure about,
• but that's scary to us as a nonprofit to have a deficit budget this year.
• or the reduction in the value<00:42:55.160> of<00:42:55.240> a<00:42:55.440> dollar

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cash-flowing ones, but today many properties are in deficit from day one.
• cash-flowing ones, but today many properties are in deficit from day one.
• <00:39:50.599> in pandemic we could manage deficits in pandemic we could manage deficits in
• today many properties are in deficit today many properties are in deficit from<00:39:58.040>
• After we did a rent reduction, we've had three years of double-digit increases in expenses.

Bills: HF1143, HF1548, HF1340, HF2549, HF2559, HF1673, HF2740, HF2507, HF2461, HF2381, HF2695

Keywords: education funding, unemployment aid, special education, Minnesota statutes, appropriations, housing, redevelopment, local government, trust funds, community development, HF1340, housing infrastructure bonds, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, MHFA, affordable housing, supportive housing, permanent housing, adaptive reuse, area median income, AMI

Transcript Highlights:

• This budget also improves the Commonwealth's structural deficit, and it's in balance by nearly $1.5 billion
• We will continue to see the reduction of critical taxes that will allow our state to grow and continue
• to see the reduction of critical taxes that will allow our state to grow and prosper and continue to
• way to turn around our demographic crisis, and it's the only way to ultimately fix our structural deficit
• And we were even able to decrease our structural deficit. That's all great. That's all great news.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, communications, committee reports, and leaves of absence. The journal was approved 50-0. The chamber then took up House Bill 1505, which drew extended debate over school funding and adequacy/tax equity. Senators Coleman and Keefer argued the bill continued to pour money into districts like Allentown without accountability or improved results, while Senators Costa, Miller, Haywood, and Anthony Williams defended the funding as a response to historic underfunding and the Commonwealth Court decision. A motion allowing Senator Coleman a third speaking turn was adopted 27-23, and the bill ultimately passed 45-5. The Senate then considered House Bill 2400, the General Appropriation Act. Supporters, including Senators Martin, Dush, Phillips-Hill, Costa, Ward, Street, Hughes, and Pittman, emphasized that the budget was balanced without using the rainy day fund or raising taxes, reduced the governor’s proposal, increased education and child care funding, supported nursing homes, rape crisis centers, infrastructure, and workforce programs, and shifted money from lapsed or unused accounts to current priorities. Opponents, including Senators Saval and Muth, said the budget failed to address structural deficits and omitted new revenue options, emergency services funding, and other major issues. The bill passed 44-6 with amendments and was returned to the House for concurrence. The Senate also passed a series of other bills, including House Bills 2412, 2413, 96, 858, 1042, 1286, 1646, 1851, 1862, 2017, 2024, 2401, and 2559, with varying margins, and sent them to the House, some with amendments. House Bill 1042 drew a negative recommendation from Senator Costa over a late amendment involving second-degree murder/felony language, but after reconsideration and vote changes it passed 30-20 with amendments. House Bill 1862, creating an Ignition Interlock Driver’s License, passed 45-5 after support from Senator Judy Ward. House Bill 1248 passed 43-7 and designates Pennsylvania rye whiskey as the official state spirit, with Senators Bartolotta and Robinson speaking in support. The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 216, after defeating Senator Haywood’s amendment to narrow the scope of a proposed Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study of managed care organizations; the resolution passed 31-19. Several other bills were held over in their order, and the Senate later moved toward a condolence resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Department of Corrections, the conference report fully addresses the department's current-year deficit
• To continue addressing the department's long-standing operational deficits, the budget also includes
• This is a 1% reduction for these eight—what we're going to?
• What is the economic fix from a legislative perspective if we're making incentivized reductions at a
• These funds are redirected from the debt reduction program established last session in HB 5017, which

Summary: The Senate took up the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27, with Chair Hooper and the appropriations chairs walking through the $114.5 billion budget. Major highlights included pay increases for state law enforcement, firefighters, park rangers, and correctional officers; funding for teacher salary increases and K-12 enrollment stabilization; workforce and university funding in higher education; major Medicaid, nursing home, waiver, and opioid-related investments in health and human services; corrections and prison-capacity funding; transportation, housing, and emergency management spending; and large environmental appropriations for Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, and water quality projects. Members then asked detailed questions about specific items. Senators pressed on the Hamilton Center at UF, the difference between assistant state attorney and public defender pay, declining student enrollment funding, private school scholarship vouchers, mental health funding in schools, the lack of preeminence funding, APD’s iBudget waiver wait list and provider rates, ADAP premium assistance and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, prison staffing and air conditioning, Florida Forever land-buying versus easements, SNAP and Sun Bucks funding, Hope Florida, election audit funding, and the IDD managed care program. Chairs generally explained the negotiated compromises, noted where funding was flat or omitted, and in several cases said items would be revisited next year or depended on agency implementation. Several senators used debate to praise the budget while also criticizing major policy choices. Leader Berman argued the state should have expanded Medicaid, invested more in public schools instead of vouchers, and accepted federal summer EBT funds. Other senators highlighted local wins such as Biscayne Bay restoration, Tri-Rail, housing assistance, ADAP funding, and declining enrollment support. The transcript ends with debate remarks thanking Chair Hooper for his work on the budget; no final vote is shown in the excerpt.