Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, first GM 686 is Jeanette Gruel in support.
• Uh, first GM 686 is Jeanette Gruel in support.
• Uh, first GM 686 is Jeanette Gruel in support.
• Uh, first GM 686 is Jeanette Gruel in support.
• The first is primarily in two ways.

Committee: Senate Judiciary

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard Governor’s Message 572, the nomination of Kirsten Walker to the Commission on the Status of Women, and received testimony in strong support from representatives of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, and others. Walker described nearly a decade of community advocacy focused on women, gender-diverse people, homelessness, domestic violence, substance use, reproductive and gender-diverse health care, and support for criminalized communities. Members asked about the commission’s past work and future priorities, and Walker said it should continue supporting community initiatives, studies on violence, and women-led efforts. The committee voted to recommend advise and consent, with the measure adopted unanimously by the members present. The committee then considered Governor’s Message 685, the nomination of Arielle Castillo to the Board of Registration of the Island of Oahu. Testimony from supporters emphasized her civic engagement, volunteer work, and willingness to serve in uncompensated state work. Castillo said she had worked in local politics and voter engagement, including with Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, and explained her background in voter registration, election rules, and good-government efforts. Members questioned her on how she would handle close voting issues and whether her activism could affect her service; she said she would apply the law fairly, protect voting rights, and that her organization is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The committee again recommended advise and consent, and the nomination was adopted. Finally, the committee heard Governor’s Message 686, the nomination of Jonathan Simons to the Board of Registration of the Island of Hawaii. Supporters described him as thoughtful and analytical, and Simons said he is a Hilo civil engineer with a strong interest in civics and good governance. He said his role on the board would be to protect the franchise by preventing improper disenfranchisement and ensuring votes are counted appropriately, citing his mother’s work enforcing the Voting Rights Act. Members asked whether he would apply election laws fairly and without partisan bias; he said he would. The committee voted advise and consent on GM 686 as well, and all three nominations were adopted before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• First item on our agenda today is approval of the minutes, Representative Diger. Thank you, Mr.
• First up, Cleet Edmondson. Welcome back to House State...
• First up, Cleet Edmondson, welcome back to House State Affairs.
• First, I would like to thank Governor Little and IDL for putting health and safety first last summer,
• First, I would like to thank the Governor Little and IDL for putting health and safety first last summer

Committee: House State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So first, the legislature requires a recurring review.
• The first one...
• This brings us to the first two recommendations.
• We actually contracted in the first quarter of 2025.
• My first one is on slide 24, where you show the My first one is on slide 24, where you show that one.

Summary: House Finance met in work session on January 13, 2026, beginning with the introduction of new member Rep. Janice Zahn and a reminder about short-session amendment deadlines. The committee then heard JLARC’s 2025 tax preference performance reviews, covering nine preferences. JLARC recommended continuing several preferences, including natural gas transportation fuel exemptions, reduced B&O rates for travel agents and tour operators, a property tax exemption for nonprofit low-income housing developers, a property tax exemption for multipurpose senior centers, a sales and use tax remittance for disabled veteran adapted housing, a trade convention attendance nexus exemption, a B&O exemption for agricultural fertilizer and seed sales, and a hazardous substance tax exemption for certain pesticides. JLARC also recommended allowing unused silicon smelter-related preferences to expire. Members asked about legislative intent, data limitations, and how performance metrics should be tied more clearly to policy objectives; committee leaders and JLARC staff discussed a new standardized rubric for future tax preference performance statements and fiscal note review. The committee also noted that bills related to some of the reviewed preferences were already introduced. For the low-income housing exemption, JLARC said nonprofit developers were building homes as intended but that the current spending-based metric did not fully reflect the policy goal, and it recommended the legislature decide whether to continue or modify the preference. For multipurpose senior centers, JLARC said the exemption met its inferred objective and recommended continuation, with possible consideration of making it permanent. For the disabled veteran adapted housing remittance, JLARC said few eligible veterans were claiming the benefit and recommended continuation with changes to improve access and consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs. On the trade convention attendance exemption, JLARC said use was unknown but the preference likely helped keep Washington competitive with other states and recommended continuation, though members questioned the lack of direct evidence and the administrative-burden rationale. The committee then received an update from the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. The forecast showed the U.S. economy slowing but still growing, with Washington expected to have modest growth, weak employment gains, continued personal income growth, and slow construction. ERFC said tariffs and trade policy remained the biggest risks, inflation was expected to stay elevated in the near term, and the Federal Reserve had cut rates three times in 2025 with two more cuts projected in 2026. State revenues were up $105 million in the current biennium compared with the November forecast, but down $185 million in the next biennium, with growth driven in part by recent legislative changes and improved estate tax collections. Members asked about sector-specific employment trends, the impact of high-income households on retail sales, and how state revenues compare with personal income over time. The meeting adjourned after the forecast presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Department of Finance or LAO, who wants to go first?
• I think I'll go first and then the LAO and Finance can make comments.
• I think we've seen that with first Trump administration.
• First of all, I wanna thank you, Mr.
• First of all, I am very impressed that all of you are still here, and I appreciate this.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Of course, we should have Native American Day to celebrate our people, our first people.
• And I can't wait to celebrate the first holiday. Madam Secretary, please call the roll.
• I just want to thank the Assembly Member for bringing this first.
• But I also understand the unique nature of first responders.
• I did this bill because I really do support the lives of these first responders.

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public employment, retirement, and recognition of cultural and public service issues. AB 569 would allow local governments and unions to negotiate supplemental pension contributions for certain employees; AB 989 would make California Native American Day an official paid state holiday; AB 268 would recognize Diwali as an official state holiday; AJR 3 would urge protection of Social Security, Medicare, and Medi-Cal from federal cuts; AB 1067 would require misconduct investigations to continue even if an employee retires during the process; AB 1510 made technical and conforming changes to state employee pay and benefits laws and to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority labor law; and AB 1233 would create a statewide database of classified school employee employment history and serious misconduct records. The committee also took up AB 1383, which would lower the retirement age for certain first responders and restore some bargaining rights over retirement benefits, drawing extensive testimony for and against. Supporters of the holiday bills emphasized long-overdue recognition of Native American and South Asian communities and the importance of honoring California’s diversity. Supporters of AJR 3 described the reliance of seniors, people with disabilities, and families on federal and state health and retirement programs, warning that cuts would cause serious harm. AB 1067 was presented as a way to prevent employees from retiring to avoid accountability, while AB 1233 was framed as a student-safety measure to help schools identify applicants with prior egregious misconduct. Opposition to AB 1233 focused on due process and the breadth of the misconduct records, and opposition to AB 1383 argued it would reverse PEPRA reforms, raise pension costs, and strain local budgets, while supporters said firefighters and other first responders face unique health and safety risks and deserve earlier retirement. Most bills were reported out of committee on unanimous or near-unanimous votes and placed on hold for add-ons or referral to Appropriations or another committee. AB 912 was taken up on the consent calendar and held; AB 569, AB 989, AB 268, AJR 3, AB 1067, and AB 1510 all advanced with do-pass recommendations and were placed on hold. AB 1233 was moved to the Committee on Education. AB 1383 drew the most extensive debate, with many witnesses in support and opposition, and committee members largely expressing support for first responders while also noting concerns about cost and pension policy.

Transcript Highlights:

• First up, we have Assembly Member Stephanie presenting Assembly Bill 458.
• First of all, this is some of the hardest stuff to read, period.
• Yeah, well, I mean, I'll defer to Bethel, but honestly, you know, this is a first step.
• This is just the first step, and I'll defer to... Thank you.
• I think the first excerpt I'd like to highlight is from People v. Mejia.

Summary: The Assembly Public Safety Committee met to consider several bills, with six measures approved on consent, including bills on background checks, female offender prison facilities, a juvenile justice hunger survey, protective orders and firearms, a youth offender camp pilot, and peace officer behavioral health training. AB 710 and AB 848 were pulled by the authors. The committee also took up AB 458, AB 394, AB 1094, AB 1092, and AB 1036, with extensive testimony on each. AB 458, by Assembly Member Stephanie, would require state agencies purchasing firearms, ammunition, or accessories to vet vendors for compliance with firearms laws and procurement standards. Supporters, including Brady and the California Police Chiefs Association, said taxpayer funds should not go to dealers with serious violations; opponents argued the bill added burdens and vague standards. The committee approved the bill as amended and sent it to Appropriations. AB 394, by Assembly Member Wilson, would expand protections for transit workers and riders by broadening enhanced battery penalties, clarifying who may seek temporary restraining orders in the transit context, and making those orders system-wide. Transit agencies, labor groups, and law enforcement supported the bill, while public defender and civil liberties groups raised concerns about vagueness, duration, and impacts on access to transit. The committee passed AB 394 to Judiciary as amended. AB 1094, by Assembly Member Baines, would raise the minimum parole eligibility term for child torture convictions involving a child under 14 in the perpetrator’s care or custody from seven years to 20 years. Prosecutors, sheriffs, and police groups supported the bill, citing the severity of the abuse and the need to protect child victims; opponents argued the parole system already screens for risk and that harsher sentences do not improve public safety. The committee approved the bill as amended to Appropriations. AB 1092, by Assembly Member Castillo, would extend concealed carry weapon license renewals from two years to four years; supporters said it would reduce costs and administrative burdens, while the chair and others opposed it as unnecessary. The committee ultimately voted the bill down. AB 1036, by Assembly Member Schultz, would expand post-conviction discovery access for people convicted of felonies with sentences of one year or more, including Brady materials and jury selection notes. Innocence organizations and defense groups supported it, while district attorneys opposed the broader discovery obligations; the committee passed it to Appropriations as amended.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, we're going to take up the Office of the Attorney General in Article I.
• First, we're going to take up, though, the Office of the Attorney General in Article I.
• Listed first are the changes and recommendations for Capital Budget Rider 2.
• These cases, after I ran my first term, this was my focus.
• There's some other way of receiving payment you've got to go there first.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So first I want to welcome.
• So first I want to welcome.
• It's my first time at the Capitol. Y'all got us working.
• First of all, thank you for being here. I have a question.
• All right, well first I want to thank all the panelists.

Summary: The Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee met to hear a panel on the prosecution and enforcement of illegal gaming in Florida. The chair opened with a video showing seized machines at a Florida Gaming Control Commission warehouse and described the scale of illegal operations. Panelists included the commission’s executive director, local sheriffs and police officials, and state attorneys from several counties, who described widespread illegal slot-machine locations, often in strip malls or convenience-store-type settings, and said the machines are typically used in organized criminal activity rather than legitimate amusement gaming. Witnesses repeatedly said the current penalty structure is ineffective because possession and operation of illegal slot machines are generally second-degree misdemeanors, which they described as too minor to deter operators who can quickly reopen after paying fines or completing diversion. They said enforcement is resource-intensive, requiring undercover work, search warrants, machine seizure, storage, forensic review, and long prosecutions, often while the same operators reopen elsewhere. Several panelists cited associated crimes such as robberies, firearms offenses, prostitution, drug activity, human trafficking, and at least some homicides tied to illegal gaming locations. Members also asked about the difference between legal amusement devices and illegal slot machines, online gambling, illegal horse racing, local licensing and ordinances, and whether manufacturers or distributors could be pursued. The commission and prosecutors said legal slot machines are limited to specific regulated locations and that lawful amusement machines lack a material element of chance. They said many illegal machines are imported or reworked versions of gaming devices and that upstream accountability is difficult under current law. Panelists also discussed cooperation with licensed casinos, tribal gaming entities, and local governments, noting that some local ordinances have tried to permit or limit these businesses. The main policy takeaway from the panel was a call to increase penalties, likely to felony-level offenses, and to consider stronger forfeiture and enforcement tools. No vote or formal action was taken at the meeting, and the chair adjourned after thanking the panelists.

Transcript Highlights:

• First woman religious.
• They pay off the debt first. ACA 20 doesn't require that.
• For the first time in 15 years, the U.S.
• It helps support first-time buyers.
• We will hear ACA 21 first. Senator Ashby, you are recognized.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> when they can't afford it in the first when they can't afford it in the first place.<00:44:19.400
• First, this one comes from RTD and so we First, this one comes from RTD and so we want<00:45:33.800><
• The RTD board in the first place. Um.
• </c><01:01:09.040><c> Thank</c> ask the people's permission first.
• Thank ask the people's permission first.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first of which is to build a healthy California.
• Issue six, to provide an overview of our first BCP.
• We'd have to do that assessment first to make that determination.
• The first is...
• How does that—I mean, you mentioned the first doctor, the first CDC person for a month that came on,

Summary: The committee heard a series of budget and oversight presentations from CalHHS-related departments and agencies. CalHHS opened with a broad overview of its 2026-27 budget and priorities, including behavioral health, housing and human services integration, children and youth services, and aging/disability supports. OICR then presented its budget and its SB 823 realignment report on youth formerly committed to DJJ, saying county implementation varies widely but that the state has not seen evidence of net widening in the available data. OICR recommended climate surveys, youth advisory councils, stronger behavioral health and education programming in secure youth treatment facilities, better transitional planning, and improved longitudinal data systems. The agency also described a Title II federal grant transition problem, saying it cannot yet pay some subrecipients for prior work and is awaiting federal action on retroactive spending authority and an administrative funding adjustment. The Ombudsperson division requested two additional positions to address a growing complaint workload and access issues with counties over youth meetings, records, and grievance files; LAO raised no policy objection but noted the ongoing General Fund cost. The State Council on Developmental Disabilities requested $730,000 General Fund ongoing to cover the gap between federal limits on administrative overhead and the actual cost of an interagency agreement with the Department of Social Services. EMSA presented its department overview and several proposals, including a delayed AB 716 ambulance rate report, a $2.6 million request to replace aging disaster-response vehicles, a $250,000 security architecture assessment, and four positions plus ongoing General Fund for HR, enforcement, and legal workload. Members questioned the delay in the AB 716 report, the optics and timing of the vehicle replacement request, and whether EMSA was doing enough to prevent future staffing and enforcement problems. LAO repeatedly noted the ongoing General Fund implications of EMSA’s requests. The Department of Community Services and Development sought reappropriation of unspent Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund money for the Low-Income Weatherization Program and described a Proposition 4-funded continuation of the farmworker housing component, which would require a new statewide administrator and program design process. The Department of Rehabilitation requested authority to draw an additional $60 million in federal funds annually and add 54 positions to meet sharply increased Vocational Rehabilitation caseloads; LAO had no concerns. Child Support Services proposed restoring a prior reduction to local child support agency funding and reported higher federal performance incentives, while also presenting a supplemental report on full pass-through of child support collections to CalWORKs families, estimating about $150 million annually for full pass-through or about $80 million for a state/county-only approach, plus automation costs. Members questioned why funding should rise when caseloads are declining, and whether the policy could be made cost-neutral. CDPH closed the hearing with an overview of its $5.1 billion budget and its state of public health report, highlighting record-low mortality and higher life expectancy, but also rising overdose deaths among ages 25-44, persistent maternal and infant mortality disparities, and the need for stable public health and emergency-response capacity; no votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Just under a quarter of that for this first year.
• The first deadline is 2028 and then ultimately the 65% in 2032. Thank you.
• All right, whoever'd like to go first. Thank you.
• In early 2023, this was the first year that the new fee was implemented.
• Yeah, first I would mention that the... Is there a way to have access before then?

Summary: The subcommittee heard presentations on the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plans for extreme heat mitigation and outdoor access, then took up SB 54 implementation, SB 707 textile producer responsibility, and recovery needs related to the Los Angeles fires at state parks. For the extreme heat chapter, agencies described funding for the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, urban greening, urban forestry, fairground upgrades, and technical assistance for community-based climate programs. Witnesses emphasized that these are existing programs with strong demand, that technical assistance is important for reaching disadvantaged and tribal communities, and that the proposed funding would expand outreach and implementation capacity. Members asked for more detail on where funds have gone geographically, examples of successful projects, tree-planting totals, and how fairgrounds could better support fire staging and emergency preparedness. The LAO said the timing of the administration’s proposed funding generally made sense because the programs are already established, and no votes were taken. For outdoor access, State Parks, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources described funding for new parks in underserved communities, deferred maintenance, state lands access, and several new or pending programs. State Parks said the park development program would fund roughly 48 projects and that deferred maintenance funding would address high-priority health, safety, and access needs. Fish and Wildlife said its lands program would improve visitor amenities and access on properties that often lack basic facilities. The Natural Resources Agency also outlined three newer outdoor-access proposals: expanding recreation in disadvantaged communities, enhancing natural resource values and trail access, and a nature/climate/education facilities grant program. The LAO distinguished between existing programs, which are ready to move forward, and the newer proposals, where the Legislature may want more input before funds are allocated. Members also raised concerns about park police vacancies, the need to track outcomes for accessibility investments, and whether Prop. 4 could help with wildfire-related recovery at state parks. CalRecycle then presented on SB 54, the plastics and packaging producer responsibility law, and members pressed hard on the delay in regulations. CalRecycle said it has held workshops, formed an advisory committee, selected the producer responsibility organization, and completed required baseline and covered-material reports, but needs more time to address complex comments and novel features such as source reduction and eco-modulated fees. Members expressed frustration that a statutory deadline was missed and asked for a concrete timeline; CalRecycle said it expects regulations in place by 2026, ahead of the PRO’s January 1, 2027 plan deadline. Finance said the Beverage Container Recycling Fund is currently healthy enough to support short-term loans for implementation. The committee also reviewed SB 707, the textile EPR law, which would create the nation’s first textile producer responsibility program; staff said the proposal would add positions and loan authority, and members noted the statutory deadlines for PRO approval, needs assessment, and later regulations. The hearing ended with discussion of the January Los Angeles fires’ damage to Topanga State Park and Will Rogers State Historic Park, where State Parks described extensive losses, emergency response work, and ongoing damage assessment. Members asked about FEMA eligibility, state funding sources, and community engagement in rebuilding, and the department said it is still assessing costs and will work with the public on reimagining the parks.

Transcript Highlights:

• When I first met Billy personalities.
• </c> The yuseite grant of 1864 was the first The yuseite grant of 1864 was the first time<00:19:52.000
• Hageman, for five minutes. organized the first briefings ever about organized the first briefings ever
• This business first began as a trolley car rolling through the streets of Cheyenne in the first year
• . national security first.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We travel up and down New Jersey feeding veterans and first responders.
• First and most importantly, this bill is likely preempted by federal law.
• Colorado, I believe, was the first state that passed a similar bill.
• One of the first concerns raised when this bill first came about was that hospitals would use it as just
• Senator Meyer, it's the first bill we did. It's the first bill we did. It's...

Keywords: 1146, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First item on the agenda is RS-33-166. First item on the agenda is RS 33166.
• Representative Redman, is this the first of 50 or the first of five? Mr.
• Chairman, there's already been a first. Oh, okay. This is the second. Thank you, Mr.
• The first question is, Representative Wheeler, a couple questions.
• First up is Brittany... ...two people that wish to testify. First up is Brittany Shipley.

Summary: The House Health and Welfare Committee met with a quorum and first considered RS 33-166, a code cleanup bill to repeal the final remaining section of the county medical indigent program, which had already been repealed in 2022. One member raised concern about removing the section entirely in case the program ever needed to be reinstated, but the sponsor said the bill was simply final cleanup requested by counties. The committee voted to introduce the bill. The committee then took up RS 33-186, which would require hospitals that accept Medicaid to add a self-reporting immigration-status question to admission forms and to submit quarterly data to the Department of Health and Welfare on admissions, emergency visits, and uncompensated care by immigration category. Members questioned administrative burden, redundancy, and whether the information would be reliable, but the sponsor said the purpose was transparency and data collection on hospital utilization and costs. The committee voted to introduce the bill. House Bill 494 was presented next as a measure to move existing background-check rules into statute, with the sponsor saying it would not add new checks or costs but would help preserve FBI cooperation and provide clearer legislative oversight. Department staff said background checks cost $70 per person and confirmed sex-offender registry checks would remain part of the process. The committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. House Bill 531 updated Idaho law to allow schools to administer epinephrine through modern delivery systems, including nasal spray, rather than only EpiPens. Testimony from a parent, a school nurse, and an Idaho PTA representative supported the update, while one parent asked that the bill be broadened so blood glucose monitoring could be provided when prescribed for conditions other than diabetes. The sponsor said he was open to working on that issue in a separate bill, and the committee then voted to send HB 531 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. At the end of the meeting, a member invited the committee to a Medicaid listening session later that day, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I remember the first day you came in here.
• We also shared an aide in Bridget Wallace our first year.
• We also shared an aid in Bridget Wallace our first year.
• That means any of the first. It says any, any.
• First, the increase is capped at 2% annually.

Keywords: 1064, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I guess I just raise it because first of all, my understanding is we'd be the first state in the nation
• <00:54:17.400><c> of</c><00:54:17.520><c> all</c><00:54:17.720><c> I</c> first of all I first of all
• </c> my understanding is we we'd be the first my understanding is we we'd be the first state<00:54:21.080
• No, you're right, we're the first ones to do it.
• I'm wondering maybe the... we're the first ones to do it. Um now uh we're the first ones to do it.

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

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The first bill we'll take up is Senator Rashard's bill, Senate Bill 635.
• And on page two, lines four to six, the first-come, first-served language mirrors existing tax credits
• Um, to your first point, uh, good &gt;&gt; Sure.
• It's about third shift or first shift.
• The first make two changes to the bill.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the first meeting, just a little bit of a recap of the first meeting.
• So that's our first undertaking.
• So can Housing First work? Yep, it can. Can we afford... All right, so can Housing First work?
• As they became parents for the first time, she became a parent for the first time.
• First aid and CPR is addressed, and it needs to be pediatric first aid and pediatric CPR.

Committee: Joint Human Services

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Human Services Committee met in interim session and first approved the previous meeting minutes before receiving a series of presentations on homelessness and housing stability. Jennifer Henderson of the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency updated members on the new Interagency Council on Homelessness, describing its executive-order mandate to review resources, gather input from stakeholders, identify gaps, and develop recommendations. She said the council’s first work is building a statewide program matrix of existing homeless services and funding sources, with attention to youth, tribal communities, and other vulnerable populations. Members raised concerns about youth homelessness, homeless veterans, and how the council will stay focused on a practical framework rather than getting lost in details. The committee also discussed possible connections to the rural health transformation grant and agreed to continue the topic later in the spring. Beth Olson of Presentation Partners in Housing described the organization’s housing-first model in Cass County and Clay County, including homeless prevention/diversion, housing navigation, and Cooper House, a 42-unit permanent supportive housing building in Fargo. She said the organization focuses on people with long-term and chronic homelessness, many with mental health, addiction, health, domestic violence, and Indigenous identity-related barriers, and reported strong outcomes: 85 of 86 people housed in 2025, 91% still housed after one year, and major reductions in emergency room use, ambulance rides, jail stays, detox days, and shelter use. She also explained that state funding has grown from a small share of the budget to about $1.1 million in state-connected funding for fiscal 2026, largely through contracts tied to supportive services. Members asked about vouchers, rent contributions at Cooper House, length of stay, and whether similar projects could be expanded elsewhere. Andrea Olson of the Community Action Partnership of North Dakota outlined statewide homeless and housing-related services delivered through six community action agencies in all 53 counties. She explained the Community Services Block Grant structure, said housing was identified as the top need in the most recent statewide needs assessment, and described programs including Supportive Services for Veteran Families, North Dakota Homeless Grant services, and Home ARP supportive services. She emphasized that the end of North Dakota Rent Help has increased pressure on the system, that the current $2 million annual homeless grant is far smaller than prior rent-help assistance, and that community action is using case management and financial assistance to move households toward self-sufficiency. Members asked about funding formulas, rural service delivery, and coordination with Presentation Partners to avoid duplication. YouthWorks then began a presentation on youth homelessness, describing services for ages 12 to 24, the special needs of youth and former foster youth, and the organization’s use of federal and state funds to support transitional housing, emergency shelter, maternity housing, and diversion services.

Transcript Highlights:

• My first question is, Senator Avala, can you address My first question is, Senator Avala, can you address
• The first has to do with the colloquy.
• Senators, I want to start first. feel it.
• And I know Florida likes to be first.
• First, I want to very briefly thank you, Mr.

Summary: The Senate took up Committee Substitute for Senate Joint Resolution 2F, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand homestead property tax relief, lower the assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limit county and municipal ad valorem tax revenues to specified uses. Senator Avila presented the measure as a major property tax reform intended to provide relief to homeowners and restrain local government spending, while opponents argued it would shift costs to fees, services, and state appropriations and could harm local budgets, public safety, schools, and other services. Several senators also raised concerns about the ballot language and the lack of a completed fiscal analysis. The chamber considered and rejected multiple amendments. Senator Sharif’s income-based “circuit breaker” amendment failed, as did Senator Smith’s sunset clause amendment and Senator Berman’s amendment to rewrite the ballot statement for greater accuracy. During questioning, Avila said the revised language was meant to preserve flexibility for local governments and that future legislatures could set implementing procedures and, if necessary, prohibit certain local expenditures by general law. He also confirmed that the proposal would not affect refinancing or portability, and said the measure would not prevent local governments from continuing to fund many services such as libraries, parks, animal control, code enforcement, mosquito control, public housing, county health departments, and elections. Debate on final passage was extensive. Supporters described the proposal as overdue relief for homeowners and a way to force local governments to prioritize spending, while critics called it a risky tax shift that could reduce local revenue by billions and force cuts or higher fees. Some senators emphasized concerns about public safety funding, mental health and social services, and the accuracy of the ballot summary; others argued the measure would give voters a chance to decide on property tax reform. After debate, the resolution was rolled over for third reading and the Senate continued discussion, but the transcript provided does not include a final vote on the joint resolution.