Transcript Highlights:

• A strong interagency process delivers the best results for all Americans, and I believe OMB's collaborative
• , but other programs to be able to encourage people to get back into the workforce, increase labor force
• Should you be confirmed, you will face a daunting task of reining in the bloated federal government.
• And other reforms that we've seen historically work to get better labor force participation and a better
• budget from the Center for Renewing America proposed a eliminating LIHEAP funding entirely, which would force

Committee: Senate Senate Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• Those of you that know about the<00:15:48.720><c> Air</c><00:15:48.959><c> Force</c><00:15:49.920><c>
• that any pilot that flies the Air Force that any pilot that flies over<00:15:52.240><c> a</c><00:15:
• Interagency Council on Homelessness.
• Interagency Council on Homelessness.
• When I finished my 26-plus-year career in the Air Force and had seen a lot of things, I am glad to be

Transcript Highlights:

• The agencies in this bill operate on fees, self-generated revenues, interagency transfers, statutory
• This is $206.1 million funded in the State General Fund, $9.0 million from interagency transfers, and
• The funding is $206.1 million from the State General Fund, $9.4 million from interagency transfers, and

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: Senate Finance met on May 21, 2026, with nine members present. The committee first recognized Mother Pearl Porter during a personal privilege presentation by Senator Boudreaux. It then took up the major budget measures for fiscal year 2026-27, beginning with HB 1, the general appropriation bill. The committee heard that the state budget was about $46.6 billion and that recent Revenue Estimating Conference revisions required reductions in recurring spending. Amendments removed new funding for GATOR and increased MFP amounts, while also directing Revenue Stabilization Fund dollars toward infrastructure, economic development, and local government needs. The committee adopted amendment set 4238 and reported HB 1 as amended, with authority for technical changes. The committee next considered HB 312, the supplemental appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. Members were told the amendments balanced the budget to the May REC forecast through a net reduction in state general fund spending, including savings in Medicaid and other agencies, while covering updated costs such as medical vendor administration, DCFS operations, DOC offender medical expenses, and disaster-related costs. Amendment set 4239 was adopted, and HB 312 was reported favorably as amended. HB 2, the capital outlay/infrastructure bill, was then amended with set 4230 and reported as amended. HB 3, the omnibus bond act authorizing bond usage for HB 2, had no amendments and was reported favorably. The committee also advanced HB 313, the funds bill, which includes the constitutionally required deposit of $144.3 million of FY 2025 surplus into the Budget Stabilization Fund and various transfers and fund adjustments. Amendments expanded or created several funds and mechanisms, including infrastructure and economic development-related funds, and HB 313 was reported favorably as amended. HB 314, the revenue sharing bill distributing the constitutionally mandated $90 million to local governments, was reported favorably without amendment. HB 383, the ancillary appropriations bill for fee-supported agencies, received amendment 3138 and was reported favorably as amended. HB 983, funding the judiciary, was amended to remove judicial pay adjustments and instead fund a possible transfer of the integrated criminal justice information system to the Supreme Court if SB 141 becomes law; it was reported favorably as amended. HB 1126, the legislative branch appropriations bill, was amended and reported favorably as amended. Finally, HCR 3, the hospital stabilization resolution used to support Medicaid hospital reimbursements, was amended to give LDH more flexibility on the timing of directed payments and preprint submissions, then reported as amended. The committee adjourned after a motion to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• The agencies in this bill operate on fees, self-generated revenues, interagency transfers, statutory
• This is $206.1 million funded in the State General Fund, $9.4 million from interagency transfers, and
• This is $206.1 million funded in the State General Fund, $9.4 million from interagency transfers, and

Bills: HB1 , HB2 , HB3 , HB312 , HB313 , HB314 , HB383 , HB983 , HB1126 , HCR3

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: bond authorization, capital improvement, general obligation bonds, financial management, state treasury, revenue sharing, fund distribution, homestead exemption, state funding, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• And we recently actually created a vacant unit task force pilot where we procured two task forces with
• We procured two task forces with Worcester Housing Authority and Totten Housing Authority.
• We've kicked off a vacancy unit task force with Worcester Housing Authority and Taunton Housing Authority
• Two years ago, interagency dashboard development took months.
• We did stand up a testing task force.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• , and that employees can offer to be included in that layoff or reduction in force.
• , and that employees can offer to be included in that layoff or reduction in force.
• In 2024, ETS announced a company-wide restructuring and planned reduction in force.
• In 2024, ETS announced a company-wide restructuring and planned reduction in force.
• My co-panelist was forced to testify remotely, so she will be doing that after I conclude.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 1347, which would streamline cannabis testing lab accreditation by requiring the Liquor and Cannabis Board to accept Department of Agriculture accreditation as the basis for initial certification under certain conditions and to reduce duplication between agencies. The prime sponsor and several industry witnesses said the bill is intended to clarify authority, improve efficiency, and preserve consumer safety, while LCB said it had no policy objection but wanted implementation concerns addressed. Several witnesses supported the concept but said an amendment was needed to clearly assign accreditation authority to WSDA and avoid overlapping requirements. The committee also heard and later took action on several bills. House Bill 2229 would update the Professional Engineers Registration Act by changing board membership rules, increasing pro tem members, and revising registration and exam provisions; the sponsor and board director said it modernizes qualifications without changing licensure standards. House Bill 2091 would require more complete employee contact information to be shared with exclusive bargaining representatives under the Personnel System Reform Act; union witnesses supported it and a policy witness opposed it as a privacy intrusion. Second Substitute House Bill 1128 would create a Child Care Workforce Standards Board to make recommendations on child care worker standards; supporters said it addresses workforce shortages and retention, while providers and associations argued it duplicates existing work and could lead to unfunded mandates. In executive action, the committee voted do pass on Substitute House Bills 2492, 2107, 2151, 2355, and Gross Substitute House Bill 2471, and sent them to Rules. It also voted do pass on Second Substitute House Bill 2105 and referred it to Ways and Means. Other bills heard included House Bill 1701 on shared liquor license premises, where a small business owner supported more flexible shared-space arrangements and LCB suggested amendments to prevent undue influence; House Bill 2264 on unemployment benefits for employer-initiated layoffs, which was supported as a clarification to protect workers who opt into reduction-in-force programs; Substitute House Bill 2472 on fire sprinkler work enforcement, supported by labor and industry witnesses; and Second Substitute House Bill 2345, which would adjust paid family and medical leave premium allocations to address IRS tax guidance, with broad support from labor, business, and the agency.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so we created a separate entity called the Interagency Workforce Alignment Task Force.
• More acronyms, but the Alignment Task Force is where, on a regular basis, we get together with Commissioner
• And so we created a separate entity called the Interagency Workforce Alignment Task Force.
• More acronyms, but the Alignment Task Force is where, on a regular basis, we get together with Commissioner
• We had an ambulance issue after being on the tax task force for ambulance services.

Bills: HF4598 , HF4884 , HF3732

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: workers' compensation, Minnesota workers' compensation, Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, reinsurance association, Workers' Compensation Reinsurance Association, WCRA, occupational disease, presumption, first responders, firefighter cancer, PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, police officer, paramedic, emergency medical technician, correctional officer, security counselor, public safety dispatcher, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability

Transcript Highlights:

• Last year, we passed unanimously to allow for the Army, the Navy, uh, Air Force that if their medics
• Don't force these other hospitals and doctors that are trying to treat patients for whatever illness
• Don't force these other hospitals and doctors that are trying to treat patients for whatever illness
• Um, I encourage if anybody has any questions to go back and look at our livestream task force testimonies
• Um, I encourage if anybody has any questions to go back and look at our livestream task force testimonies

Committee: Joint Public Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• THE FIRST IS INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION WHICH ENABLES US TO HAVE BETTER CONNECTIONS TO OTHER DATA PROGRAMS
• THAT ALLOWS US TO GET THE PROVIDERS REAL-TIME SUPPORT INSTEAD OF FORCING THEM THROUGH MULTIPLE SYSTEMS
• THE START OF USER TESTING WHICH WOULD BE PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 20 IS WILL A HIGH NUMBER LATE MILESTONE TASKS

Transcript Highlights:

• being withheld food, being constrained with restraints for hours against their will, girls being forced
• supported by the Idaho Legislature and includes statewide adjustments for health insurance and interagency
• increase, but there is a 5% increase because of the statewide adjustments for health insurance and interagency
• approved in FY 2026 for one-time purposes and includes statewide adjustments for personnel and interagency
• in fiscal year 2026 for one-time purposes, and includes statewide adjustments for personnel and interagency

Transcript Highlights:

• Clearly, we want to make sure there's interagency cooperation for law enforcement.
• And there's a task force that's working on this, but we think this is a step in the right direction for
• I'm really glad to hear, though, that there's a task force, because I think that a lot more work needs
• like if you're talking about a robbery, whether or not force was used.
• But I think the task is going to be monumental. So it's back to you. Mr.

Bills: SB40 , SB104 , SB136 , SB164 , HB99 , HB38 , HB165 , HB127 , HB72 , HB151 , SB40 , SB104 , SB136 , SB164

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Keywords: SB40, Driver Privacy and Safety Act, automated license plate reader, ALPR, license plate reader, vehicle surveillance, privacy, data sharing, law enforcement data, immigration enforcement, reproductive health care, gender-affirming care, civil liberties, surveillance, public records, Inspection of Public Records Act, New Mexico State Police, Department of Public Safety, data sovereignty, vehicle tracking

Transcript Highlights:

• If not, thank you both for your work and obviously for the Small Business Task Force and the Governor
• We do have one Medicaid law enforcement officer down in the valley that's hooked up into a task force
• The Governor Abbott asked us to convene a teacher vacancy task force. several years ago we had teachers
• and people who hire and employ teachers on this task force very Interdisciplinary feedback and they
• So anyways, by the commissioner, that's a recommendation in the Governor's Small Business Task Force.

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also establishes an interagency working group to consider additional implementation details
• Those are the three tasks that you charged us with.
• If we're going to force vulnerable users who are on micromobility devices into the roadways and off of
• It's a different level of force and impact that's absorbed by their bodies.
• I'm also a member of the Boston Region MPO's Vision Zero Task Force.

Bills: H5400 , H5421 , H5430 , S3077 , S3089

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Transportation

Keywords: Boston, easement, highway improvement, Woburn, Burlington, public safety, transportation, land transfer, vessel transportation, Marston Mills, Osterville, Barnstable, state highway, traffic safety, maritime regulation, local legislation, Hyannis Transportation Center, Thomas S. Cahir, Cape Cod, commemorative designation

Transcript Highlights:

• the voters' education champion with the Legislature and the Governor, and increasingly serve as a force
• The interagency council... ...The interagency council that was mentioned, I raised some of these issues
• But we set up the Interagency Council last year, and I think a month later we were already being told
• An interagency council can't provide that level of leadership that we have a Cabinet secretary for in
• including something that’s so significant like this in the budget and wanting us to go that route forces

Transcript Highlights:

• up for consideration, and that was House File 3855, excuse me, which was a bill to establish an interagency
• me, which was a bill to<00:09:45.680><c> establish</c><00:09:46.200><c> an</c><00:09:46.320><c> interagency
• an interagency council on student<00:09:47.880><c> attendance.
• How do you figure out how to make this a stable force and ongoing?
• </c> force and ongoing? force and ongoing?

Committee: House Ethics

Transcript Highlights:

• Document Services provides interagency postal services.
• costs as much as possible and be as efficient as possible, especially in some of the more routine tasks
• know, for example, face team and group insurance during open enrollment, instead of doing high-value tasks
• costs as much as possible and be as efficient as possible, especially in some of the more routine tasks
• know, for example, face team and group insurance during open enrollment, instead of doing high-value tasks

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations for the Department of Administration and the Permanent Building Fund. For Administration, analysts reviewed the agency’s divisions, staffing, dedicated-fund structure, recent budget growth, and the governor’s and JFAC’s recommended changes. The department requested shifts of utility costs from the general fund to dedicated funds, three new positions and funding for Medicaid procurement and contract management, transfers of some positions between divisions, and one-time IT replacement funding. Members also discussed office-space utilization, vacant buildings and land at Chinden and elsewhere, and the department’s efforts to consolidate space and reduce general fund reliance. Director Bailey said the department has reduced or repurposed positions, closed duplicate printing operations, is exploring digital workflows and AI tools, and is trying to move toward a fully dedicated-fund model. He also explained the decision to remove GLP-1 weight-loss coverage from the state health plan due to rapidly rising costs, while noting diabetes coverage remains in place. Committee members questioned the need for higher-level procurement staff for Medicaid contracts, the role of Deloitte and the Department of Health and Welfare in the process, and the status of the MMIS procurement, which Bailey said is currently stayed by the courts after a legal challenge from the second-place vendor. He said the delay will affect MMIS implementation and, in turn, the timing of the broader managed care rollout. Members also asked about vacant state office space, the possible sale of older buildings, and whether agencies such as ITD and Health and Welfare could be moved into state-owned space to reduce lease costs. Bailey said the department is actively working on those facility-planning questions and that agencies at Chinden are paying rent for occupied space. The committee then reviewed the Permanent Building Fund budget, which finances state construction, repairs, and deferred maintenance through dedicated revenue sources and interest earnings. Analysts highlighted the fund’s multi-year project structure, the large deferred maintenance program funded in prior years, and a proposed one-time transfer of $33.75 million in canceled capital project balances to the general fund. They also described a possible redirection of fiscal year 2027 interest earnings to the general fund and a recommended new capital project for an Idaho National Guard readiness center. Administrator Barard reported that the Division of Public Works is managing 595 active projects, with most FY 2025 projects under construction, in design, or complete, and said the division continues to face labor shortages and rising construction costs. Members asked about canceled projects, including the North Idaho reentry center, the Carnegie Library purchase, the ISU pedestrian crossing, the Idaho State Police Lewiston facility, and other projects; staff said some are unlikely to return soon, while others may come back once land or other prerequisites are secured. The committee concluded the hearing and announced it would meet the next day for the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Office of the State Public Defender.

Transcript Highlights:

• task force to review and did include a task force to review direct direct direct certification<01:31
• </c><01:35:28.199><c> force</c> amended I am sad to see the task force amended I am sad to see the task
• a task force to do um but we don't need a task force to do the<01:35:35.000><c> right</c><01:35:35.119
• > some</c><01:39:06.520><c> I</c> as the task force goes that's some I as the task force goes that's
• Let's just make a task force and have them figure it out.

Bills: HF984 , HF921 , HF922

Committee: Senate Education Finance

Keywords: education funding, nonpublic schools, counseling services, guidance services, transportation for students, HF921, tax increment financing, TIF, excess tax increment, school district aid, levy adjustment, property tax levy, education finance, Minnesota education aid, decertification, local government finance, school funding formula, state aid reduction, referendum equalization aid, debt service equalization

Transcript Highlights:

• Because I know, I actually don't want to force them to participate in the regional things either.
• The Interagency Council on Homelessness has set a clear, measurable target.
• So the goal from the Interagency Council on Homelessness is that 70% have to exit homelessness.
• priority is for the state agencies and the governor, and for state programs, to prioritize the Interagency
• fiduciary duty, because those inspections have not all been completed, because there is no way to... ...force

Summary: The committee heard several housing-related measures. SB 866 by Senator Blakespear would require jurisdictions that do not receive HAP homelessness grants to include homelessness data strategies and regional coordination in their housing elements. Supporters said the bill would close a planning gap and improve transparency and accountability; opponents, including the League of California Cities and several cities, argued it would impose costly, duplicative reporting requirements and ask cities to collect data outside their control. Members raised concerns about burden on small cities and possible amendments for lower-population or low-homelessness jurisdictions, but no final vote was taken because the committee initially lacked a quorum. SB 967, also by Senator Blakespear, would allow qualifying interim housing units to count toward a portion of a jurisdiction’s RHNA obligation for acutely low-income housing, with safeguards against double counting and reporting requirements. Supporters said the bill would incentivize rapid, dignified interim housing and help move people out of encampments; opponents warned it would blur the line between temporary shelter and permanent housing and could reduce pressure to build deeply affordable permanent units. After extensive debate, the committee reached quorum and voted the bill out on a due pass basis to the Senate Appropriations Committee, with members noting continued work on amendments. The committee also considered SCR 131, a resolution calling for a coordinated state effort to end unsheltered homelessness and prioritize a broad range of interventions, including interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and prevention. Supporters emphasized the scale and urgency of unsheltered homelessness and the need for clearer state goals and funding. One member said the resolution’s language was too broad and abstained, but the author agreed to consider wording changes. The resolution was adopted on a roll call vote and held on call for absent members. Finally, SB 1238 by Senator Wahab would increase oversight and transparency for homeowners associations and HOA managers, including disclosures, reserve-fund rules, and a proposed fiduciary-duty standard. Realtors and homeowner supporters backed the bill as a way to improve accountability, while community-manager groups opposed the fiduciary-duty provision and raised concerns about litigation and insurance costs. Members discussed the reserve-fund language and fiduciary-duty issue, noting that further changes would be considered in the Judiciary Committee; the bill was not yet voted on in this hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1105 will uphold the safety and rights of Californians by requiring interagency agreements with the
• AB 2534 is a measure that will protect individuals from being forced into marriage and help survivors
• be safe from a forced marriage.
• After graduating from Stillman, Charles served in the United States Armed Forces from 1969 to 1971.
• In 2025, the California Transportation Agency's Transit Task Force encouraged the state to streamline

Summary: The Assembly met in session, established a quorum, and heard a prayer and pledge before moving through a long concurrence calendar and later Senate bill items. Early procedural actions included rereferrals of several bills to committees, approval of journal dispensation and adjournment-memory requests, and multiple unanimous-consent motions. The chamber also took up a brief moment of silence honoring Dolly Parton before returning to business after caucus recesses and a vote change on AB 1775. On concurrence, members acted on a wide range of Assembly bills covering housing, health, education, environmental regulation, elections, corrections, wildfire relief, tribal issues, alcohol regulation, and consumer protections. Many were described as technical, clarifying, or support measures and passed overwhelmingly or unanimously, including bills on behavioral health licensing, common course numbering, medical supervision sunsets, tribal child welfare, wildfire mortgage relief, Prop 65 oversight, water quality, and tied-house alcohol rules. A few measures drew some opposition, such as AB 1645, AB 1775, and AB 2348, but still concurred. The Assembly also adopted an urgency measure on AB 2663 to extend the Cocktails to Go program in time for New Year’s Eve. The chamber then considered numerous Senate bills. These included SB 608 on youth sexual health and contraceptive access, SB 633 on recycled plastic verification, SB 675 restructuring the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District, SB 747 on civil rights accountability against government officials, SB 772 on housing infrastructure grants, SB 891 and SB 1379 on missing and murdered Indigenous people and custody-death transparency, SB 1077 on CalFresh shutdown contingency planning, SB 1105 on limits for joint law-enforcement operations, SB 1114 on protecting sensitive state data, SB 1125 on water rate assistance, SB 1208 on returning stolen cryptocurrency to victims, SB 1213 on zero-emission vehicle pricing transparency, SB 1237 on pay data enforcement, SB 1276 on child sexual exploitation and AI-generated content, SB 1322 on tribal housing grants, SB 1388 on affordable housing insurance, SB 1393 on fisheries management, SB 329 on drug treatment facility complaint timelines, SB 758 on nitrous oxide sales restrictions, SB 828 on fireworks licensing disclosures, SB 909 on public works enforcement fees, and SB 920 on gambling fee transparency. Most passed with strong margins; some drew notable opposition, including SB 675, SB 747’s urgency vote, SB 1105, SB 1114, SB 1125, SB 1237, SB 1379, and SB 1388. The transcript ends amid debate on SB 920, with Assembly Member DeMaio raising budget concerns before the record cuts off.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's last year's Veterans Day on the Hill, where our commanders task force and the Minnesota Association
• We're going to hear from Chrissy Jano on behalf of the commander task force to talk about the request
• Um, so this is one of the top five priorities of the commander task force.
• Um, so this is one of the top five priorities of the commander task force.
• Um, so this is one of the top five priorities of the commander task force.

Committee: House Veterans and Military Affairs Division