Transcript Highlights:

• I am, and he signed executive orders, in his words, to get rid of the Green New Scam, which I've been
• I am, and he signed executive orders, in his words, to get rid of the Green New Scam, which I've been
• <00:52:17.839> paid<00:52:18.000> $37 executive paid $37 executive paid $37 million<00:
• prior to my joining limited executive prior to my joining limited executive comp<00:52:33.760>
• Commissioners and the executive Commissioners and the executive secretary<00:52:44.319> for

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The joint convention will attend to the canvassing of the votes for governor and executive council.
• The joint convention has been formed for the purpose of canvassing the votes for governor and executive
• [Applause] [Music] For executive council, in the First District, Joseph Kenny received 87,134 votes;
• This rule would give that authority over to the executive branch by causing them to take up a contempt
• The chair recognizes Representative Alissandra Murray. by the executive by the executive counsel<02:16

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Jonathan Cook, Executive Director with the Sacramento Housing Alliance, in support. Good morning.
• Liz Perlman, executive director for AFSCME Local 3299, is available to answer questions.
• Jonathan Cook, Executive Director with the Sacramento Housing Alliance, in support.
• Jonathan Cook, Executive Director with the Sacramento Housing Alliance, in support.
• Jonathan Cook, Executive Director with the Sacramento Housing Alliance and Jonathan Cook, Executive Director

Summary: The committee first heard AB 1157, the Affordable Rent Act, which would lower California’s annual rent cap, remove the single-family home exemption, and eliminate the sunset on existing tenant protections. The author and supporters argued that renters are facing severe affordability pressures, especially in single-family rentals, and that stronger statewide rent stabilization is needed to prevent displacement and homelessness. Opponents, including apartment, building, and property-owner groups, said the bill would discourage housing production, harm small landlords, and override a deal they said was intended to be temporary while the state focused on building more housing. Public testimony on AB 1157 was extensive, with many renters, tenant advocates, labor groups, and community organizations speaking in support, while many landlords, business groups, and property-owner representatives spoke in opposition. Committee members were split: some praised the bill as a necessary response to the rent crisis, while others warned it could reduce investment and worsen the housing shortage. The committee ultimately voted 7-5 to pass AB 1157 to the Assembly Judiciary Committee. The committee then approved the consent calendar, including AB 413, AB 1152, and AB 1275, on a 9-0 vote. It also heard ACA 3, which would require the University of California to make available a limited number of down payment loans for eligible long-term support staff who are first-time homebuyers. Supporters said the measure would help lower-wage UC workers afford homeownership and improve retention, while UC and other opponents argued the proposal was duplicative of existing state programs, unnecessary, and potentially harmful to UC finances. The discussion focused on financing mechanics and the relationship to CalHFA, but no final vote on ACA 3 was included in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• We've got some issues within the state on executive orders.
• The executive orders have spent $350 million, and that's reflected in that chart.
• Without the executive order spending, that blue bar would be $400 million.
• So that's where the governor pulls her executive orders, am I correct? Mr. Chair, yes.
• Do we limit her executive orders?

Transcript Highlights:

• And in the executive order, the second executive order, it allowed when they stop updating because they
• So I mean, we work well with the former executive director.
• So I mean, we work well with the former executive director.
• interaction with the executive interaction with the executive departments<00:25:58.880> and
• audit something that is not an executive audit something that is not an executive department because

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: The committee first accepted the minutes from the April 4 meeting, then moved to a discussion of potential audit topics and follow-up on prior performance audits. Christine Young, Director of Audits, and Jay Henry, performance audit supervisor, walked members through a spreadsheet showing the status of roughly 30 performance audit reports from the past 10 years, including the number of observations, whether agencies concurred, how many observations were fully addressed, and when each report was last updated. They explained that “fully addressed” only means the agency addressed the observations it agreed with, and that some reports include rejoinders when the audit office disagrees with an agency’s response. Members also discussed how some audits have been updated and others have not, including an example from the prescription drug monitoring program, which moved from the Board of Pharmacy/OPLC to HHS and was recently updated after staff contacted HHS. A major focus was the mental health workforce licensing audit, which was described as having little or no follow-up in the spreadsheet. Several members said this was especially concerning given the ongoing mental health crisis and argued that the committee should require a response. The committee agreed to start by sending letters to the chairs of the boards listed under that audit, asking the chair or designee to appear at the next meeting or respond in writing about what has been done and what remains unresolved. Members noted that the current process is voluntary and self-reported, which can lead to long delays or no response, especially for boards that meet only monthly and may have changed membership or leadership since the audit was issued. The committee also discussed other audit follow-up issues, including the liquor commission division of enforcement and licensing, which staff said was farther along than its percentage suggested, and a recently released human rights report that was not yet due for update. Members raised the possibility of using future budget reviews to ask agencies what they have done about old audit findings. In addition, the committee briefly discussed future audit topics, including a possible audit of local school districts related to special education, and staff explained that the statute allows the LBA to audit a limited number of non-state entities over a five-year period. The motion to authorize the chair and LBA to draft and send letters to the mental health workforce licensing boards passed by show of hands with one abstention. The next meeting was tentatively set for June 6 in State House 100, with staff to confirm the room and schedule.

Transcript Highlights:

• Claire Wendel, I'm the executive director of Texas Watch.
• Execute it the next day. It's quick.
• In when we can get the writ because that really gets when the writ is actually executed.
• If the problem is a writ, let's ...narrowly address the execution of writs.
• Have you ever seen a eviction session executed? Because I have.

Bills: HB32, HB15, HB171, HB421, HB581, HB644, HB745, HB349, HB917, HB204, HB923, HB15, HB171, HB204

Keywords: eviction, landlord rights, tenant rights, justice court, property law, court procedures, chemical dependency, court-ordered treatment, mental health, health care, treatment facility, juvenile justice, criminal justice reform, deep fake, digital impersonation, age verification, private cause of action, explicit content, consumer protection, HB 581

Transcript Highlights:

• Senators, as we discussed previously, President Trump's executive orders make it clear it's a new day
• The state board can also appoint an executive director who can approve up to $25,000 on his or her own
• Susan Martin, who was the Executive Director for the Barbara Jordan Commission, the U.S.
• Every executive order that’s come out on this issue ain’t going to do it.
• But what we do is we add additional burden onto those people who actually implement and execute these

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee met to hear SB 2-C, a major immigration enforcement bill sponsored by Senator Gruters and co-introduced by Senator Fine. The sponsor described the bill as a response to federal immigration priorities and said it replaces a single immigration officer with a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, expands local-federal cooperation, increases penalties for crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants, requires detention in certain cases, broadens information sharing, funds detention-bed expansion and law-enforcement training, and ends in-state tuition waivers for undocumented students. The bill also includes provisions related to sanctuary policies, voter fraud, transport of unauthorized aliens, and driver’s license-related offenses. The sponsor said the bill appropriates roughly $300 million overall, including $250 million for grants and $48 million for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for interdiction and border-related enforcement work. Committee members questioned the bill’s scope, costs, and implementation. Senators focused heavily on the tuition-waiver repeal, asking how many students would be affected and whether the bill would harm students who have long lived in Florida. They also pressed on whether the bill should include stronger E-Verify provisions, how sanctuary-policy enforcement would work, whether local officials could be penalized for policy choices, and how immigration status would be verified in court and jail settings. The sponsor and Senator Fine said the tuition waiver would be removed for undocumented students, that the bill does not address E-Verify, and that the measure is intended to make immigration status a factor in detention and sentencing. Questions also addressed detention-bed capacity, reimbursement rates, and whether corrections staff would receive bonuses or salary increases; sponsors said bonuses are included for participating law enforcement, while broader salary issues would be handled in the regular budget process. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters and information-only witnesses, including Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and former officials, said the bill would help Florida coordinate with federal authorities, expand bed space, and close loopholes in existing immigration enforcement. Opponents from the Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU of Florida, Florida Policy Institute, labor groups, and immigrant advocates argued the bill is unconstitutional, likely to trigger litigation, and harmful to families, schools, and the economy. They warned that the pretrial detention provisions could lead to wrongful detentions and that the tuition changes would reduce access to higher education and cost the state tuition revenue. No final vote is reflected in the transcript excerpt, but the committee continued through public comment and extended the meeting to complete the agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:34:33.839> office<00:34:34.839> I made up of the executive office I made up of
• the executive office I described<00:34:35.520> a<00:34:35.720> little<00:34:36.200>
• office including our go Bond executive office including our go Bond Debt<00:34:50.720> Service
• is uh the governor and and um executive is uh the governor and and um executive council's<00:47:
• For the executive counselors, we will go out.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee held an orientation meeting focused on introducing members, outlining committee norms, and hearing an overview from the Department of Transportation. Chair David Mills emphasized the committee’s long-standing bipartisan working style, asked members to share contact information for short-notice scheduling, and noted that the committee would need to complete as much work as possible before the building is vacated later in the year. Members introduced themselves and described backgrounds in engineering, construction, planning, local government, military service, education, and business. Several members highlighted prior service on planning boards, school boards, zoning boards, or in transportation-related fields as relevant to the committee’s work. Members repeatedly described the committee as collegial and nonpartisan, with most bills going to the consent calendar. The chair also noted that the committee’s work centers on state infrastructure, including roads, bridges, highways, and buildings. Representative Cluder, the ranking member, and others echoed that the committee is effective because it talks issues through and resolves disagreements collaboratively. One member mentioned a recent trip that reinforced the importance of infrastructure resilience after storms and rebuilding efforts in other states. Department of Transportation officials, led by Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer David Rodrig, gave a detailed organizational and operational overview. They described DOT’s structure, mission of “transportation excellence,” and major responsibilities across highways, bridges, rail, transit, aeronautics, maintenance, and administration. Rodrig reported 1,651 permanent positions and 404 vacancies, 2,160 state bridges with 115 on the Red List, 4,600 centerline miles of roadway, 25 public airports, 11 transit systems, and 194 active state-owned rail lines. He also outlined FY 2024 spending, project development activity, highway maintenance operations, fleet and fuel systems, and the distinction between the highway fund and DOT’s budget, including the role of federal funds and the turnpike enterprise fund. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this orientation meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, let's open an executive session now on House Bill 1723.
• executive session. executive session. while<01:17:31.040> we<01:17:31.199> deal<01
• Okay, let me open the executive session on House Bill 1733.
• point of order um on an executive point of order um on an executive session.<01:46:26.000> Do
• Okay, so that ends the executive session on House Bill 1736.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fire Marshal um Dory Booth, Executive Fire Marshal um Dory Booth, Executive Officer<00:55:17.200
• <00:55:37.839> protection, airports, harbors, executive protection, airports, harbors, executive
• <01:25:10.560> websites, developing and executing websites, developing and executing websites
• >> So with that project, we weren't able to execute a movement of it.
• >> Good afternoon, Executive Officer of the PUC.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The one section for the executive, judicial, and legislative facility holdings, and the second section
• Agenda item, and that would be item number 4, facility condition assessment and executive Office Building
• And before I go on to Executive Office Building, um, Mr.
• Chair, should I ask if there's any questions or go ahead and move on to Executive Office Building updates
• , unfortunately, we were not successful in receiving the $120 million that we did request for uh executive

Transcript Highlights:

• AND TO THIS DATE, DESPITE OVER 100 EXECUTIVE ORDERS, COUNTLESS RESCISSIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE
• of December 28, 2016, Executive Order 13984, of January 19, 2021, Executive Order 14110 of October 30
• , 2023, revoked by Executive Order 14148 of January 20, 2025, and Executive Order 14144 of January 16
• It was in weeks of me speaking with the Secretary that they issued this executive order.
• It was in weeks of me speaking with the Secretary that they issued this executive order.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 31, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1042 is re-referred to the Committee on Rules and Executive Nominations.
• House Bill 1042 is re-referred to the Committee on Rules and Executive Nominations.
• Senator Pittman requested a recess of the Senate for the purpose of a meeting of the Rules and Executive
• Attention, all members of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, please report to the Rules Room
• President, I report from the Committee on Rules and Executive Nominations.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and routine administrative business, including approval of the June 1, 2026 journal and several leave requests. The chamber then took up a series of bills and committee referrals, with House Bill 1042 initially sent to Appropriations and later re-referred to Rules and Executive Nominations after committee action. Several other measures were either passed, held over in their order, or re-referred, including House Bills 36 and 513 to Appropriations and various Senate and House bills set aside for later consideration. The most substantive floor debate centered on House Bill 96, where Senator Yaw offered Amendment A4096 to clarify the legal effect of historic tax sales of unseated lands. The amendment would treat certain historic tax-sale deeds as conveying full fee simple ownership, including severed subsurface rights, unless those rights were separately assessed, and would require documentary proof for claims of redemption. The amendment passed 36-14. The Senate also adopted Amendment A4183 to House Bill 1862 after a ruling that Senator Rothman had no conflict of interest and was required to vote; that amendment passed 46-4. Later, Amendment A4173 to House Bill 2559 was adopted 49-1, and House Bill 2559 then passed as amended. Several bills received final passage by unanimous 50-0 votes, including House Bills 482, 1102, 1830, 1860, and 2426, while House Bill 1862 and House Bill 96 were advanced as amended. The Senate also returned a slate of gubernatorial nominations to the governor on motion of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee. During petitions and remonstrances, Senator Tartaglione urged action to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage, arguing the budget should not ignore low-wage workers. The session also included recognition remarks for Ed Sheehan’s retirement and a submission to the record on the Treaty of Paris. The Senate then recessed until July 12, 2026, at noon, and several bills were signed in the presence of the Senate before recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• The veto letter I actually have with me is, and the largest thing there was that the executive branch
• The veto letter I actually have with me is, and the largest thing there was that the executive branch
• The veto letter I actually have with me is, and the largest thing there was that the executive branch
• felt that when we're looking at programs out of the state, The executive branch felt that when we're
• But we are working with the executive branch this year.

Summary: The Education and Employment Committee met with a quorum and considered one bill, HB 121 by Representative Overdorf, relating to nursing education programs. The sponsor said Florida’s nursing shortage is projected to worsen and argued that low NCLEX passage rates show some programs are not adequately preparing students. The bill would tighten probation for underperforming programs, require program directors to be accountable, authorize Department of Health on-site inspections, require admission criteria and public posting of NCLEX passage rates, and require tuition reimbursement and free remediation for students at programs with passage rates below 30 percent. Members asked about how the bill would interact with the Board of Nursing, the Commission for Independent Education, and other agencies, and whether it would address fraudulent or low-quality schools. An opponent from the Florida Association of Independent Nursing Schools said current law already requires Board of Nursing and commission review, institutional accreditation, and provisional status for programs on probation, and argued the bill could reduce the supply of nurses. He also said Florida’s NCLEX results had recently improved. A representative of the Florida Nurses Association supported the bill, saying weak programs waste students’ time and money and do not produce licensed nurses. During debate, several members described concerns about diploma mills, fraudulent programs, student debt, and the need for stronger screening and accountability. Others emphasized that raising standards would improve patient safety and help ensure better-prepared nurses. The chair noted the importance of private nursing colleges in the state’s nursing pipeline. The committee then voted 19-0 to report HB 121 favorably and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The governor put out his executive order and talked about his fraud prevention efforts, and we're grateful
• The governor put out his executive order and talked about his fraud prevention efforts, and we're grateful
• The governor put out his executive order and talked about his fraud prevention efforts, and we're grateful
• The governor put out his executive order and talked about his fraud prevention efforts, and we're grateful
• branch and so oversight of the executive branch and so I<00:05:16.680> hope<00:05:16.880>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Representative Kristin Robbins, chair of the new House Fraud and State Agency Oversight Committee, said the committee’s first public hearing was canceled and used the meeting to outline its planned work. She said the committee had invited DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead to discuss fraud during her tenure, but Harpstead declined, and the committee instead planned to hear from Bill Glan of the Center of the American Experiment about his fraud and waste tracker. Robbins framed the committee’s mission as oversight of state government fraud, citing the Feeding Our Future case and other ongoing investigations, and said the work was not partisan. Robbins said the committee would also hold hearings on specific areas such as CCAP and medical transportation, along with other issues raised by whistleblowers. She said she had heard from at least two dozen whistleblowers in the prior week, including people from multiple state agencies and private-sector grant administrators, and described efforts to protect their confidentiality. She also said she is authoring a bill to expand whistleblower protections and that the committee is setting up a whistleblower portal. In response to questions, Robbins said she had a private meeting scheduled with Harpstead before her departure from office and said the committee could schedule another hearing if the House is able to meet with a quorum. She said she hoped for bipartisan participation, emphasized that neither party wants taxpayer money wasted, and said the committee would continue meeting and organizing hearings as soon as possible.

Transcript Highlights:

• branch functions such like um executive branch functions such like um 81<00:52:26.520> one<00
• all executive all executive agencies<00:52:44.280> can<00:52:44.680> yes<00:52:45.240
• Um, I see this bill kind of as a shadow executive, you know.
• <01:15:35.000> so really setting up a shadow executive so really setting up a shadow executive
• state for the various types of executive state for the various types of executive directors<01:36

Bills: HF1, HF2

Keywords: Office of Inspector General, inspector general, legislative audit, fraud prevention, waste and abuse, public funds, grant oversight, state grants, grant management, whistleblower protection, retaliation, subpoena power, data practices, government transparency, accountability, law enforcement referrals, sanctions, debarment, payment withholding, public assistance fraud

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:54:02.280> branch<00:54:02.680> we're<00:54:02.839> really executive branch
• we're really executive branch we're really appreciative<00:54:04.040> of<00:54:04.200> our<
• branch is up considerably the executive branch is up considerably we've<00:54:46.000> gone<00
• The Internal Controls and Accountability Unit serves as a resource for the executive branch, offering
• internal controls across the executive internal controls across the executive branch<01:20:01.040

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met on January 9, 2025, to focus on internal controls, fraud prevention, and legislative oversight of state agencies. Legislative Auditor Judy Randall explained Minnesota’s internal control framework, based on the GAO Green Book, and described five core controls: assigning responsibility, separating duties, restricting access, maintaining policies and procedures, and keeping records. She tied each control to examples from recent audits, including DHS’s Medicaid provider debt recovery, the Minnesota State Academies’ travel reimbursement issue, privileged access at the Minnesota State Lottery, missing mileage-verification procedures at the Board of Firefighter Training and Education, and weak documentation in the Board on Aging’s senior nutrition program. Deputy Legislative Auditor Jod Mson Rodriguez then presented a new follow-up report on implementation of prior recommendations from 2022 through 2024, including special reviews. She said the office gathers agency documentation, evaluates progress, and categorizes recommendations from implemented to not applicable, while noting that some items require more work to verify and that this reflects OLA capacity rather than agency performance. Examples included the Department of Commerce, where some policy changes were verified but further work would be needed to confirm consistent investigator compliance, and the Metropolitan Council, where more data analysis would be needed to determine whether bonus payments were properly earned. She also noted that a legislature-directed recommendation to require grant manager training had not been implemented. Overall, OLA reported that state agencies had implemented or partially implemented close to 70% of its recommendations, while the legislature had implemented or partially implemented about 40% of recommendations from the last three years. Members generally praised the office’s work and discussed how agencies respond after reports are issued. Senator Westrom raised concerns about a recent media report on alleged fraud in CCAP, and Randall said OLA was aware of the issue but could not discuss details. Senator Draheim asked about post-report agency engagement, and Randall and Rodriguez said follow-up varies, with some agencies seeking private meetings and others engaging less, but that the follow-up process often prompts further discussion and improvement.

Transcript Highlights:

• As executive member, I'm part of the executive team at DCYF, as well as looking at our strategic priorities
• As executive member, I'm part<00:22:28.480> of<00:22:28.520> the<00:22:28.600> executive
• <00:23:01.640> We meet weekly as an executive team. We meet weekly as an executive team.
• Executive Director OPLC. Executive Director OPLC.
• executive director of OPLC on this? executive director of OPLC on this?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm joined by Jeff Hansel, Executive Director of the Belmont Media Center.
• Jeff Hansel, I'm the Executive Director of the Belmont Media Center.
• I'm the executive director of Chelmsford Telemedia.
• I'm the executive director of Pittsfield Community Television.
• I'm the executive director of Urban Media Arts in Malden.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee held its second hearing on a large docket of technology, internet, cybersecurity, broadband, and media bills. Early testimony focused on community media funding legislation, with lawmakers and local access advocates arguing that as cable subscriptions decline and streaming grows, revenue tied to cable franchises no longer supports community television and PEG programming. Supporters said community media remains a key source of local news, government meeting coverage, and civic transparency as newspapers disappear or consolidate. A related bill on cable contract oversight also drew support, with testimony that the Department of Telecommunications and Cable is backlogged and should more actively review municipal-provider agreements and report its workload to the committee. Another major topic was a proposal to create a Massachusetts Innovation Fund for state IT modernization. The Alliance for Digital Innovation backed the bill, saying agencies need flexible upfront capital to replace outdated systems and improve cybersecurity, and pointing to the federal Technology Modernization Fund as a model. The witness noted that funding for the state program still needs to be identified. The committee also heard strong support for a bill requiring free broadband in public housing, with Rep. Emmela Goodwin and MAPC describing internet access as essential for jobs, school, telehealth, and civic participation. They said the digital divide in Massachusetts is driven largely by affordability rather than infrastructure, though questions were raised about costs, wiring, and whether all housing sites already have broadband access available at the curb. A substantial portion of the hearing centered on bills to limit addictive social media feeds for minors. Supporters, including lawmakers, parents, teens, and advocacy groups, argued that algorithmic feeds contribute to addiction, anxiety, body image problems, and other harms, and said the bills would restrict surveillance-based curation and overnight notifications while leaving search and followed accounts available. Opponents, including FIRE, CCIA, and the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, argued the bills would require invasive age verification, threaten privacy and cybersecurity, burden adults’ anonymity, and likely face First Amendment challenges. They also warned the measures could disadvantage smaller businesses and may be unconstitutional based on recent court rulings in other states. The committee also heard support for blockchain-related bills creating a commission, a pilot program, and consumer education efforts, with testimony that Massachusetts has the talent but needs a coordinated state strategy. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kurt Gordon, Executive Counsel for the flood authority.
• Kurt Gordon, Executive Council for the flood authority.
• on by the board when y’all came out, or was that just done in executive session?
• “I would ask you, and I would invite you to come to our executive sessions.
• And again, when you come in executive session and you hear these things and you read the report that’

Summary: The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee met on May 6, 2026, approved the April 28 minutes, and heard several bills before moving into confirmation hearings. HB 205, by Rep. Bacala, would allow local governing authorities to supplement election commissioners’ pay by up to $100 per day; supporters from clerks of court and the Secretary of State’s office said the increase is needed to recruit and retain qualified commissioners amid longer days, training demands, and election security changes. The committee also reported HB 210, a cleanup bill clarifying retroactive application of a prior ethics law, and HB 228, which recreates the Department of State Civil Service and related entities through 2033. It likewise reported SR 86, which bars eyeglasses with audio/video recording capability in the Senate chamber without the Senate President’s permission, and HB 1177, which protects the identities of lottery hunt winners until after the drawing. HB 1045, limited to Pointe Coupee Parish, raises an audit threshold for certain water districts from $500,000 to $600,000 to reduce audit costs, and HB 813 would move Orleans Parish sheriff terms so the sheriff takes office in January instead of waiting until May; all were reported favorably. Senator Miller also announced that SB 491 would not be taken up that day. The committee then questioned nominees to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East. The first group, including Peter Vicari and Ronald Schumann, was asked extensively about recent personnel actions, an internal investigation, and the authority’s handling of a report that members said would likely be released after a board vote. Senators focused on the firing of the chief of police/operations personnel, allegations of payroll fraud, and whether the authority had improperly combined the chief of police role with compliance duties in a way that may conflict with statute and Civil Service guidance. Committee members also raised concerns about the chief’s contract, whether it had board approval, and whether the authority’s bylaws and salary practices complied with law. The nominees and counsel said some matters were still under review and that a separate compliance position was being considered. The committee later heard from additional nominees, including David Martin, Gregory Marsiglia, and Elton Jude Myers, who described backgrounds in engineering, law, procurement, and governmental contracts. Senators again pressed them on the need to separate compliance/auditing duties from the chief of police role, and the nominees generally agreed that those functions should be distinct and that the authority should have qualified auditing expertise. The meeting ended with no public comment and adjournment after the confirmation discussion.