Transcript Highlights:

• That's their job to update the inventory. That's not our job.
• They're doing our job. We should not allow this to happen.'
• Damien did a great job presenting our case, an amazing job.
• Hearing none, I think you did a really good job. Thank you very much.
• And they do a remarkable job with that, trying to help landowners.

Summary: The House Resources and Conservation Committee approved the February 13 minutes and rearranged the agenda to hear HJM 13, HB 737, HJM 14, and HB 676. HJM 13, a memorial urging implementation of the Sackett Supreme Court ruling on federal wetlands regulation, drew extensive testimony from Mike and Chantelle Sackett, who described their 20-year fight with EPA and the Army Corps over a home site they said was wrongly treated as wetlands. Supporters, including attorneys and water-user representatives, said the ruling is not being followed consistently and that clearer enforcement is needed. The committee voted to send HJM 13 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HB 737 would merge the Office of Species Conservation and the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources. Representative Boyle said the offices have similar permitting-related missions and could work more efficiently together. An Idaho Conservation League witness opposed the bill, arguing the offices have distinct roles and that merging them could create conflicts of interest and weaken species conservation funding. Several committee members spoke in support, saying the merger could improve coordination and help landowners and industry navigate federal permitting. The committee passed HB 737 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HJM 14, sponsored by Representative Fuhriman, urges federal cooperation on research, planning, and feasibility for expanding reservoir storage in East Idaho. It drew little opposition and was sent to the floor with a due pass recommendation. HB 676, sponsored by Representative Petzke, would allow certain municipal geothermal heating systems to use the reasonably anticipated future needs process if the system is non-consumptive and reinjects water. Supporters from the City of Boise, water-user groups, geothermal experts, and conservation advocates said the bill would streamline expansion of geothermal heating and support renewable energy development. One water attorney urged tabling the bill for further discussion among aquifer users, but the committee ultimately voted to send HB 676 to the floor with a due pass recommendation before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's my first job out of law school. So I've worked in both agencies.
• And I think we did a good job as the Senate in seeking to uphold professionalism for that department.
• I think they do a good job. In other words, I just, I think the system,...
• That take their jobs very seriously. I think they do a good job.
• And I think that historically, you know, up until now, we've done a pretty good job at it.

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been in the job for my 18th month now.
• And so she is doing a fantastic job.
• I thought there would be several people raising their hand wanting the job.
• I say that because I don't think there's people standing in line to take this job.
• Madison does a great job for members who don't know Madison.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• part of my job as well.
• That is the job of government.
• I mean, it's really the job of the legislature to control...
• They have to have special job requirements. The... ...to fill.
• Because I know that some of these jobs are also not very high paying.

Committee: House House Regulatory Oversight Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee met for its first hearing of the session, took roll, introduced members and staff, and reviewed committee rules and amendment deadlines. The chair also announced that video recording would not be allowed in the room and set the order and speaking limits for the day’s bills. The committee heard HB 2248, the Arizona Medical Freedom Act, which would bar governmental entities, businesses, schools, and ticket issuers from denying employment, entry, services, or participation based on whether a person has or has not received a medical intervention. Supporters framed it as protecting bodily autonomy, parental rights, and freedom from medical discrimination. Opponents, including physicians, child care and public health advocates, argued the bill was overly broad and could undermine vaccination policies, school and child care illness controls, and protections for immunocompromised people. The bill passed on a 3-2 vote. The committee then heard HB 2086, which would prohibit governmental entities and businesses from requiring vaccination or masks/face coverings, with limited exceptions for workplace safety and infection control. Supporters said it would prevent government coercion and protect individual liberty and business freedom; opponents warned it would interfere with private business decisions and public health measures. After testimony and debate over the scope of the bill and the relevance of Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the committee approved HB 2086 on a 3-2 vote. Finally, the committee considered HB 2688, which would require the Arizona Department of Administration to identify state budget positions vacant for at least 150 days and direct budget units to eliminate those positions each fiscal year, with some exceptions such as Corrections and DPS. The sponsor said the bill was intended to reduce waste and prevent vacant positions from functioning as slush funds, while critics raised concerns about hard-to-fill specialized roles. The committee passed HB 2688 on a 3-2 vote and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not criticizing that, but it is our job to keep those things in balance.
• I acknowledge that staff did an amazing job. It is part of your handout.
• These aren't easy jobs.
• I think this particular job is complicated, as we all show every time we meet.
• For your job and the tenure that you've had here, this is again, it's not an easy job.

Transcript Highlights:

• It certainly was for me the honor of a lifetime to do a job like you're preparing to do, and I certainly
• He's very excited about this job.
• And Dutch trade… trade and investment support more than 1 million American jobs.
• judgment, better in my view of life, better my values. to really make me more qualified to do this job
• And create jobs and opportunity here in America to come and visit.

Committee: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Keywords: diplomatic nominations, foreign policy, ambassadors, U.S.-European relations, Bilateral relationships, security, trade

Summary: The meeting focused primarily on diplomatic nominations, featuring discussions about the implications of these roles on U.S. foreign policy. Notable was the introduction of nominees for key ambassadorial positions, including ambassadors to the Dominican Republic, France, and the Netherlands. Senator Shaheen emphasized the importance of U.S.-European relations, particularly in light of current global challenges, while other members voiced their concerns regarding the nominees’ qualifications and the impact on bilateral relationships. Public support for these nominations was evident, as was the committee's commitment to fostering stronger connections with allied nations, particularly in addressing security and trade issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are the jobs that help forge the middle class.
• as unions and the public sector workforce are being attacked, this bill is about protecting union jobs
• This bill is our way to protect public sector union jobs in California.
• It's about getting employers to the table so we can try to save union jobs.
• Damon did an excellent job of giving you a summation of the problem. I've been here 23 long years.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement met for its first hearing of the session, adopted committee rules, and heard several labor-related bills. The chair reviewed hearing procedures, including limits on testimony and expectations for orderly conduct. Members then took up measures affecting public employee bargaining, contracting, confidentiality, school employee benefits, pay stub information, and state correctional health staffing. AB 672 would require public employers to notify PERB when filing court actions involving statutes PERB administers and allow PERB to intervene; it drew support from SEIU, AFSCME, school employees, labor groups, and no opposition, and was passed out of committee. AB 283 would move IHSS bargaining from the county to the state level; providers and recipients testified about low wages, long delays in bargaining, and care access concerns, while counties and public authorities raised cost, scope, and implementation issues. The bill passed 7-0 after members discussed family care worker concerns and the author said he would continue working on the issue. AB 339 would require local governments to give unions 120 days’ notice before contracting out bargaining-unit work. Labor supporters said the bill would make existing meet-and-confer rights meaningful and protect jobs, while counties, cities, special districts, chambers of commerce, and staffing groups argued it would burden local agencies and interfere with existing MMBA procedures. The committee also heard AB 340, which would make communications between employees and union representatives confidential for PERB purposes; supporters said it codified existing case law, while school administrators, special districts, counties, and business groups warned it could hinder investigations. AB 378 would extend the classified school employees summer assistance program to JPA employees, and AB 374 would require more detailed pay stubs for classified school employees; both had labor support and some education-sector opposition over implementation and cost concerns, and both advanced. AB 393 would require cost analyses before contracting out physician work at CDCR and the Department of State Hospitals; supporters argued the state was overpaying contractors amid high vacancy rates, and the bill also advanced. At the end of the hearing, the committee recorded final votes showing AB 283, AB 340, AB 374, AB 378, AB 393, and AB 672 all passing out of committee, while AB 339 remained on hold with a 4-0 vote and some members not voting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Are we limiting who can do this job now?
• I did their jobs. So I know it intimately.
• That was my job, similar to Mr. White.
• I did their jobs. So I know it intimately. My mind. I was in their shoes. I did their jobs.
• That was my job, similar to Mr. White.

Bills: SB237

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: child welfare, Department of Children and Family Services, mandatory reporting, abuse prevention, investigative teams, child ombudsman, forensic interviews, confidentiality

Summary: The Senate Committee on Health and Welfare met on May 20, 2026, with eight members present and approved the May 13 minutes. The committee quickly reported several bills favorably, including SB 1224, which requires DCFS review when a pregnancy involves a child under 17 and makes children under 12 a child in need of care; SB 1100, which repeals an old statute on unenriched bread; HB 1220, a continuation of prior work to codify certain provisions related to the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners; HB 1231, clarifying that continuous glucose monitoring is covered through Medicaid for any insulin-dependent diabetic, including gestational diabetes; and HB 198, setting reimbursement rates for ambulatory surgery centers for certain Medicaid procedures. The committee also adopted a personal privilege welcome for physicians on White Coat Day and repeatedly noted that several bills were being advanced with the understanding that further work might continue before floor debate. A major portion of the meeting focused on HB 1160, which would create a streamlined restricted license pathway for qualified international medical school graduates, especially for rural and shortage areas. Committee members pressed the Board of Medical Examiners about delays in promulgating rules under an earlier 2024 law and objected to rule language they said went beyond the statute. Board representatives acknowledged a misunderstanding about the original bill’s intent and said the program had been operating, but members warned against agencies writing rules that contradict enacted law. Despite the criticism, HB 1160 was reported favorably. The committee also reported favorably HCR 67, which creates a task force to study gaps in acute care for special-needs adults and children, following emotional testimony from the sponsor about her son’s death and the lack of appropriate care options. The committee then approved HCR 27, calling for a coordinated statewide evaluation of autism services by the Department of Health and Department of Education, with testimony emphasizing rising diagnosis rates, rural provider shortages, and the need for better data and coordination between medical and school-based services. HCR 28, which would study school nurse orientation and training, was also reported favorably after school nurses described the lack of standardized onboarding for new graduates and the risks of placing them alone in schools without adequate supervision. HB 469, which would have allowed pharmacy license renewal fees to be directed to Xavier University’s pharmacy school as well as public schools, was deferred after concerns about diverting funds from public institutions and the absence of testimony from affected schools. The committee also took up HB 223, which recreates DCFS, and adopted an amendment shortening the sunset date and requiring law enforcement reports to be accepted through a secure web-based platform; the bill was then reported favorably as amended. Another major discussion centered on HB 457 and HB 616, both tied to homelessness. HB 457, establishing minimum standards for shelters and related facilities, was reported favorably as amended after sponsor testimony and support cards. HB 616, which would allow the legislative auditor and local officials access to records and databases for audits of homelessness initiatives, drew extensive debate over privacy, federal funding, and accountability. Supporters cited a 2025 audit showing more than $216 million in federal homelessness spending in New Orleans and argued that auditors need access to performance data to detect waste and abuse; opponents warned about client privacy and the impact of funding cutoffs. The committee adopted an amendment changing permissive language to mandatory language for enforcement and then continued hearing testimony, with the discussion still centered on balancing oversight with confidentiality.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this would preserve the exemption where the majority of the jobs come from, when that initial work
• I have two jobs at Western and work as a server in downtown Bellingham.
• One of my on-campus jobs was recently restructured and the workforce reduced.
• In this job, I used to provide first-generation students like myself with resume support and job training
• coach support me with my job.

Summary: The Senate Ways and Means Committee heard an overview from OFM Director Katie Chapman See on Governor Ferguson’s 2026 supplemental budget proposal. She said the budget was built in response to higher caseloads and inflation, a roughly $390 million revenue forecast drop, new federal costs tied to H.R. 1, and a relatively small ending fund balance. The proposal would increase near general fund spending by about $1.1 billion and solve an estimated $2.3 billion two-year gap through about $800 million in reductions, revenue shifts and tax preference changes, use of other funds, and about $1 billion from the budget stabilization account. She also noted the budget is balanced over two years but not fully over four years under the state’s outlook rules. Chapman See highlighted reductions in Working Connections Child Care, including a soft cap on enrollment and holding subsidy rates at the 75th percentile, delays to long-term care and developmental disability-related changes, and across-the-board reductions to higher education and administrative spending. She also described investments in wildfire suppression and preparedness, affordability programs like utility rebates and home energy assistance, housing-related planning and permitting support, One Washington IT replacement, behavioral health workforce programs, and continued support for some K-12 initiatives such as ninth grade success and homeless student stability. In response to questions, she said some proposed cuts were based on the governor’s subjective judgment about what was critically necessary, that current child care enrollees would not be cut off immediately, and that the budget would maintain services for about 500 highest-acuity Medicaid clients who lost eligibility under federal changes. Public testimony was largely critical of the proposed cuts in K-12, early learning, and higher education. School officials, educators, nurses, and advocacy groups opposed reductions to Transition to Kindergarten, Local Effort Assistance, Running Start, MSOC, school leadership and support grants, and higher education funding, arguing the cuts would worsen existing funding gaps and harm student outcomes. Several witnesses supported restoring or maintaining funding for ninth grade success, Treehouse’s foster youth graduation program, homeless student stability, and Science on Wheels. In early learning, child care providers and advocates opposed the Working Connections cap and subsidy-rate reduction, warning it would reduce access and destabilize providers. In higher education, campus leaders and labor representatives opposed across-the-board cuts and fund shifts, while some institutions and advocates supported targeted investments such as behavioral health workforce programs and DigiPen aid restoration. In human services, Planned Parenthood advocates praised restored abortion access funding and Medicaid reimbursements. The committee took no votes or final action in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• It helps them do their job better.
• I love this job.
• They're doing the same job as other law enforcement agencies.
• No, listen, you did a fantastic job.
• No, listen, you did a fantastic job.

Bills: HB240

Committee: House S/C on County & Regional Government

Keywords: tax exemption, farm products, ad valorem taxation, tax code, producer ownership

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of county and regional government bills, with most measures left pending after testimony. HB 2097 would let counties that opt in give sheriff’s deputies an alternative appeal route for certain discipline cases through an independent hearing examiner instead of the Civil Service Commission. The author and a CLEET witness said it would be faster, cheaper, and fairer; questions focused on why the bill was needed and whether sheriffs could already use such a process. No opposition testified, and the bill was left pending. HB 4642 drew extensive testimony after the author said it was prompted by a death involving an out-of-state jail contract. The bill would require counties contracting with out-of-state jail facilities to include Texas-like jail standards and oversight provisions. The author, a former detainee held in Louisiana, his wife, and a Texas Jail Project advocate described poor conditions, lack of accountability, and multiple deaths of Texans housed out of state. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards director said five counties are currently housing 1,251 Texas inmates out of state, mostly because of staffing shortages, and said the bill would give the commission more authority and oversight. The bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 4350, which would allow peace officers to request redaction of personal information from online real property records. Supporters said officers face retaliation risks and should have protections similar to judges and other officials; a title industry witness cautioned that redaction should not compromise the integrity of land records. The bill was left pending. HB 3687 would require county fire marshals in counties over 100,000 to meet specified training and certification standards, and HB 4105 and HB 4205 would give Harris County preferences in construction contracting and require pay parity for comparable law enforcement ranks within the county, respectively; all drew support from county officials and were left pending. HB 5403 would repeal a special rule requiring Dallas and Tarrant county sheriffs to get commissioners court approval for commissary disbursements, and it was also left pending. Later, HB 4462 would let elected county officials in large counties choose outside counsel in civil cases involving them, rather than relying solely on the county attorney. Supporters argued this would reduce conflicts of interest and protect officials’ reputations; questions centered on who qualifies and whether it could conflict with county interests. Finally, HB 240 would restore a five-member quorum requirement for Harris County tax levies, effectively requiring all commissioners to be present before a new tax rate can be adopted; supporters framed it as a taxpayer protection, while the Conference of Urban Counties opposed it as giving one member a de facto veto and potentially disrupting the budget process. Both bills were left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• , steady, good-paying government jobs as well.
• </c> people who are then getting those jobs people who are then getting those jobs um<00:12:02.959><c
• So we strongly support jobs as well.
• We have white We have clerical jobs.
• </c> just not a glamorous or luxurious job. just not a glamorous or luxurious job. and<00:35:43.599><

Committee: House Labor

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I have been working on this issue for several years, this is the first time that I've been on the jobs
• I have been working on this issue for several years, this is the first time that I've been on the jobs
• I have been working on this issue for several years, this is the first time that I've been on the jobs
• I have been working on this issue for several years, this is the first time that I've been on the jobs
• committee and when I saw in the jobs committee and when I saw in the governor<00:03:54.200><c> Wall's

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Roberts has done a fabulous job and Mr.
• </c> you for the good job uh in the rollout. you for the good job uh in the rollout.
• </c> this a pretty easy job. this a pretty easy job.
• </c> part of this group, they did a good job. part of this group, they did a good job.
• I mean, I stay in a job I can't do?

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• &gt;&gt; Good<00:05:17.600><c> job.</c> &gt;&gt; Good job. &gt;&gt; Good job.
• That is our job. And I will be honest, it is a stressful job.
• That is our job. And I will them alive. That is our job.
• Your job is to try to front of you.
• But he readily got a job in rural Ohio.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:20:48.320><c> in</c> include the 63,000 indirect jobs in include the 63,000 indirect jobs in
• Uh, he's quoted as saying that job was the most painful job I ever had.
• So, great job.
• So, great<01:03:45.440><c> job.
• Uh we care with the great job.

Bills: HF3474 , HF3475 , HF3508

Committee: House Agriculture Finance and Policy

Keywords: agriculture, funding, research, agricultural institute, state appropriations, education, leadership council, compensation, research institute, dairy assistance, investment, relief initiative, farm support, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Immigrants do not steal jobs.
• That's literally our job.
• They take their job very seriously. act. They take their job very seriously.
• The job we have as legislators, my fellow colleagues, this job is a burden.
• </c> for the fine job. for the fine job. &gt;&gt; That's<04:27:56.640><c> fair.

Keywords: 981, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Job duties are not the same. Just... 200 people. Job duties are not the same.
• So, again, I don't want to get into personnel and job descriptions unless we want to—job descriptions
• at will, even though the salaries are determined by me within the confines of the approved... ...and job
• , unless we want to—job descriptions and employee performance evaluations—but even though a constitutional
• incentive to do that when maybe the previous office didn't have the need for those type of wages for the job

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee first reviewed a list of bills already ready for “do pass,” including several House bills (HB 1010, 1018, 1020, 1023, 1041, 1055, 1077) and Senate bills (SB 4, 16, 23, 24, 55, 59). It then took up the JBC Personnel Subcommittee report (B1), where a substitute motion to separate out the governor’s staff-related item for a separate vote was debated at length. Members raised concerns about transparency, a requested appearance by a governor’s staff member, and whether the administration should be compelled to testify. The substitute motion failed on a roll-call division vote, and the committee then adopted the subcommittee report as presented. The committee next questioned Treasurer John Thurston on House Bill 1034 and his office’s budget request, focusing on salary increases for his executive team, the size of raises under the new pay plan, office hours, and whether the increases were justified. Thurston said the request was to fully fund the approved pay plan, later reduced to a 10% increase after discussion with legislative leaders, and explained that salaries were set within the approved plan. Several members criticized the raises as too large or unfair, while others noted the compromise and thanked him for cooperating. The committee then adopted the HB 1034 letter. After that, the committee reviewed Schedule C and several special-language items, including amendments to SB 4, SB 58, HB 1052, and SB 77. It discussed a new item allowing DFA to establish a GAMP program for agricultural extension office improvements, with no funding attached, and adopted it. The committee then passed or adopted a series of measures, including SB 29, SB 51, HB 1034, and the remaining ready bills listed at the start of the meeting. SB 4 was set aside as not ready. The meeting ended with notice that the committee would reconvene in 15 minutes in another room to handle special language.

Transcript Highlights:

• staff, it makes more than the chief of staff of this governor, who oversees what, about 200 people, job
• Job duties are not the same.
• So, again, I don't want to get into personnel and job descriptions unless we want to—job descriptions
• at will, even though the salaries are determined by me within the confines of the approved... ...and job
• descriptions unless we want to—job descriptions and employee performance evaluations—but even though

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Keywords: 1204, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is all computer, so they don't create jobs, even though they eat up our energy at huge discounted
• It is all computer, so they don't create jobs, even though they eat up our energy at huge discounted
• It is all computer, so they don't create jobs, even though they eat up our energy at huge discounted
• , to remind people that quite a few states are making the same decision, because they don't create jobs
• And it will not impact the jobs or the economic activity from A.I.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then took up a Rules Committee report advancing several bills directly to third reading, including Senate Print 9630, an appropriations extender for government operations, and Senate Print 9631, an extender related to Part U1 of Chapter 61 of the Laws of 2023. The chamber then moved to the controversial calendar and debated the first extender, with Senator O’Mara questioning what the bill covered, how much funding it extended, and the status of budget negotiations. Senator Krueger said the extender covered about $1 billion for payroll and certain payments for agencies including Health, Law, OPWDD, and Veterans Services through April 7, and described the budget talks as still unresolved, with no announced follow-up Joint Budget Conference Committee meetings or table targets. She also discussed utility affordability proposals, including a three-year moratorium on A.I. and crypto data/storage facilities and support for green energy and low-income ratepayer relief. O’Mara argued the lack of urgency and absence of written proposals on climate and utility costs was concerning. Both extender bills were then passed, with the first receiving 59 ayes and the second passing 46-13 after debate over its two-year duration. The Senate then adopted the resolution calendar, excluding two items initially, and took up two resolutions. Resolution 1821, sponsored by Senator Ramos, recognized Farmworkers Day and highlighted the essential role of farmworkers, the history of organizing for farmworker rights, and concerns about immigrant workers facing fear and retaliation; Senator May added support, noting the importance of farm labor to dairy production and food supply and the impact of deportation fears on farms in her district. The resolution was adopted. Resolution 1823, sponsored by Senator Zellner, proclaimed March 20, 2026 as Behavior Analysis Day in New York, recognizing applied behavior analysis and its benefits for individuals with developmental disabilities, autism, education, healthcare, and other fields; it was also adopted. The chamber also welcomed a group of students from Queens visiting Albany, with Senator Comrie speaking about the importance of civics education and government engagement. After the introductions and acknowledgments, there was no further business, and the Senate adjourned until Wednesday, April 1, at 11:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• I stepped up and I got the job done for the people of Minnesota.
• I think that their job was to make folks who voted for that bill feel like crap, and I think that they
• I stepped up and I got the job done do.
• I think<00:03:48.879><c> that</c><00:03:49.120><c> their</c><00:03:49.440><c> job</c><00:03:49.599><c
• was to make folks think that their job was to make folks who<00:03:50.879><c> voted</c><00:03:51.200

Keywords: 1183, house