Transcript Highlights:

• one out of 12 or 13 jobs in California is in the nonprofit sector, and it's very critical to my district
• On the other, they must navigate burdensome administrative processes here in the state of California.
• So all of those things are a lot to navigate. And it's why it's than responding to that.
• So while we're navigating the political attacks that we're facing, navigating the bureaucratic structures
• They do provide free trainings to help providers successfully navigate the procurement system.

Summary: The joint Senate and Assembly Select Committee on the nonprofit sector held a hearing focused on the importance of California’s nonprofit sector and how state systems can better support it. Chair and co-chair remarks emphasized that nonprofits are essential to the state’s economy and public services, especially as federal cuts and administrative burdens increase pressure on organizations that deliver health care, food assistance, homelessness services, disaster response, and other safety-net functions. CalNonprofits CEO Jeff Green described the sector’s size and complexity, citing roughly 110,000 nonprofits in California, about 1.4 to 1.5 million nonprofit workers, and major concerns about funding uncertainty, delayed reimbursements, and federal threats to nonprofit funding and nonpartisanship. He said many organizations are being forced to use reserves, reduce services, or take out loans while waiting for state payments. The Little Hoover Commission presented findings from its study of state grant and contract administration, arguing that nonprofits often subsidize state services because of late payments, insufficient advance funding, and inadequate reimbursement for overhead. The commission recommended requiring advance payments, expanding prompt-payment protections, matching federal indirect-cost rates, standardizing emergency contract amendments, creating an Office of Nonprofit Empowerment, reducing duplicative reporting, moving to electronic payments, improving feedback to unsuccessful applicants, and using longer grant periods. Committee members expressed support for these ideas and discussed shifting state contracting culture toward outcomes and better coordination. The commission also noted that SB 1240, which would create the Office of Nonprofit Empowerment, and SB 1366, related to payment delays, align with its recommendations. The Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Section then outlined its rollout of a new online filing system for charities and charitable fundraisers. Elizabeth Kim said the system, launched in stages beginning in 2024, is intended to replace paper filings, reduce incomplete submissions and bounced checks, and speed processing; the final phase is expected to cover renewals, delinquency, raffles, professional fundraisers, dissolution, and complaints. Committee members asked about staffing impacts and complaint handling, and DOJ explained that complaints are reviewed based on allegations, public filings, and, when needed, requests for additional information. A final panel featured Matt Gonzalez of Nonprofit New York, who described New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services as a model for reducing contract backlogs, increasing advance payments, and improving coordination through ombudsman-style support and chief nonprofit officers. Public commenters from the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, SEIU, and CalNonprofits urged support for stronger state-nonprofit partnerships, transparency, and modernization of contracting systems. No formal vote was taken; the hearing concluded after testimony and public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Gerry Pollet, 46th District. Representative Gerry Pollet, 46th District. Rep.
• Mari Leavitt, 28th Legislative District.
• So our navigators— So our navigators, we have five navigators across the state.
• And these navigators act as facilitators and navigators and case managers to help these folks connect
• Continue career navigation.

Committee: House Postsecondary Education & Workforce

Summary: The work session focused first on apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship in Washington, with Labor and Industries explaining the registered apprenticeship system, the role of the state apprenticeship council, minimum training and classroom requirements, and the use of the ARTS database and navigators to help people find programs. Members asked whether the system was saturated and how people learn about openings; presenters said apprenticeship is tied to actual jobs and training agents, and that navigators and centralized tools like Career Bridge are important because L&I does not track hiring openings. The panel also described pre-apprenticeship requirements, youth apprenticeship, and statewide growth in apprentices, training agents, and prep programs, while noting strong earnings and employment outcomes for completers. Representatives from the building trades emphasized that the multi-employer union apprenticeship model is labor-management governed, privately funded through employer and worker contributions, and supported by recruitment, retention, and diversity efforts. They argued that the main constraint is not a lack of apprenticeship capacity but a shortage of jobs and training-agent employers willing to take apprentices, and said public policy tools such as apprenticeship utilization requirements, project labor agreements, and construction-related public investments can help create demand. They also presented data showing many workers on out-of-work lists and many apprenticeship seekers on waitlists, and said support services are needed because apprentices often face unstable wages, transportation costs, tools, and benefit cliffs. Nicole Miller described the Constructed Career initiative, a grant-funded pilot that provides outreach, navigation, case management, and wraparound supports for building trades apprenticeship seekers and first-year apprentices. She said the program has enrolled nearly 1,200 participants, with about 775 currently in apprenticeship, and reported high retention among participants; common supports include transportation, tools, work clothes, and help with barriers such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, and reentry from incarceration. Megan Pearson then described Build Up, a newer nonprofit offering similar statewide support services, including a prison-based boot and PPE program and assistance with insurance, licensing, and other barriers, funded through a mix of public and private sources. Aaron Frazier closed the apprenticeship portion by describing a new oversight committee created by legislation to examine construction training in correctional facilities and improve pathways from prison-based training to apprenticeship, college, or work. The second half of the meeting shifted to Renton Technical College, where college leaders highlighted strong enrollment growth, a median student age of 30, a diverse and largely nontraditional student body, and recent budget cuts that forced program and staffing reductions. Health and human services leaders described short-term and longer-term health programs and noted rising enrollment and completion. Early childhood education faculty then explained how they rebuilt a low-enrollment program by moving to hybrid evening and Saturday offerings, adding Spanish-language instruction, and creating in-person, step-by-step support sessions for application, financial aid, and registration. A committee member raised the issue of English literacy for Spanish-speaking students, and the presenters said the program does not directly teach English reading and writing but is working to support students as they transition into the workforce.

Transcript Highlights:

• Louis Park District.”
• Louis Park District.”
• She wants to share the importance of these children helping families navigate.
• However, it's not an easy system to navigate.
• We have to help them navigate that whole process.

Bills: HF22 , HF45

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• These are also the people representing school districts, educational service districts, community-based
• The Navigator Program provides funding for one Behavioral Health Navigator at each of the nine educational
• Behavioral health navigators provide a wide range of navigation supports and training to districts in
• And you also heard that there are behavioral health navigators in each of the educational service districts
• There are behavioral health navigators in each of the educational service districts.

Bills: HB1634

Committee: House Education

Keywords: mental health, behavioral support, education, school districts, student assistance

Transcript Highlights:

• And what we're helping them with are being able to navigate all the resources.
• We're in all the districts.
• , navigating their intellectual property, navigating what those challenges are from customer discovery
• It's through the SBDC that really allowed us to navigate that.
• What an opportunity to navigate with partners like the SBDC.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing focused on the California Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network and its role in helping small businesses access capital, recover from disasters, and scale innovative companies. Chair Salas and Vice Chair Castillo opened by emphasizing the importance of small businesses to California’s economy and noting recent passage of AB 685, described as a small business resiliency and innovation measure. Witnesses from multiple SBDC regions and business owners testified about the network’s statewide reach, confidentiality, multilingual advising, and partnerships with universities and state agencies. Panelists described SBDC’s work in three main areas: disaster recovery, startup and innovation support, and capital access. Testimony highlighted SBDC assistance after major disasters such as the Camp Fire, Dixie Fire, San Diego floods, and the Los Angeles fires, including help with insurance claims, grant applications, debt restructuring, and reopening businesses. Business owners from Altadena and Sacramento shared personal stories of how SBDC guidance, grants, and connections helped restore operations, preserve jobs, and navigate crises. Another panel focused on technology startups and the “valley of death,” explaining how SBDC helps founders with customer discovery, grant strategy, intellectual property, and financing; examples included a mobility-tech company and a biodegradable plastics startup that secured major grants, investment, and jobs with SBDC support. A third panel focused on access to capital, with SBDC staff explaining lending options, state loan programs, and finance centers that package loans and match businesses with lenders. They said many small businesses need less than $100,000 and often turn to high-cost alternatives without guidance; SBDC helps them refinance and secure better terms. A beverage company founder described using SBDC to move from a failed public affairs firm to launching a tequila brand, raising capital, and building distribution. Members asked about barriers facing immigrant-owned businesses, disaster aid gaps, and regulatory burdens; SBDC representatives said their services are confidential, available to eligible businesses regardless of immigration status, and designed to connect clients to whatever public or private resources exist. No formal vote was taken at the hearing, and the meeting ended after public comment with the chair urging continued funding for SBDC and related small business support programs.

Transcript Highlights:

• But, you know, we have to navigate the law. We have to navigate...
• I live in District 23.
• I live in District 23.
• These policies have been found in more than a thousand school districts, including Idaho school districts
• , ...have been found in more than a thousand school districts, including Idaho school districts, and

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• Cutting LEA is simply harming the districts that are low property value districts.
• to help their school districts.
• And it's for every student, whether they're in an under-resourced district or another district.
• It levels the playing field between property-poor districts and property-rich districts.
• I'm a recovery navigator.

Summary: The committee held a public hearing on the Senate operating budget proposal, beginning with a staff briefing from James Kettle. He described the budget as built on relatively flat revenue after multiple forecast updates, with substantial mandatory cost growth, especially in Health Care Authority, DSHS, and DCYF. He highlighted major policy-level additions and savings, including large tort liability costs, continued support for long-term services, reductions tied to child care and K-12 items, several assumed revenue bills, and major transfers from reserves and other accounts. Kettle also noted the four-year outlook remained positive overall, with about $1 billion ending fund balance in the final year and roughly $3 billion in total reserves. A committee member asked about a diagram showing the loss of federal funds, and staff said they would follow up. Public testimony then focused first on K-12 education, where school leaders, teachers, OSPI, PTA, and rural district representatives largely opposed the proposed cuts to local effort assistance, transition to kindergarten, bus depreciation, and related school funding items. Many argued the reductions would disproportionately harm rural and property-poor districts and weaken early learning access, while several students and educators spoke in favor of career and technical education and IT Academy funding. The committee also heard support for wildfire prevention funding from the Commissioner of Public Lands, who thanked the Senate for restoring those dollars but raised concerns about recreation program reductions. Higher education testimony was mixed but generally supportive of the Senate proposal compared with the governor’s budget. Community and technical college leaders warned that the budget still shifts compensation costs to tuition and reduces Running Start funding, while university representatives from Western, Eastern, Central, WSU, and UW thanked the committee for avoiding deeper cuts. Private vocational college students and administrators urged extension of Washington College Grant eligibility for students already enrolled, and others asked to preserve IT Academy and related certification funding. In early learning, child care and advocacy groups praised the decision not to cap Working Connections Child Care but warned that child care and transition to kindergarten still bear a disproportionate share of cuts; they also requested continued support for Dolly Parton Imagination Library and Pierce County early childhood programs, including Family Connects. The hearing continued with testimony on employee compensation, mental health, and human services. State employee and retiree groups supported the budget’s COLA and wildfire funding but objected to cuts in retiree health benefits. Behavioral health and public safety advocates supported mentoring, Trueblood-related funding, crisis stabilization, and the Recovery Navigator Program, while others opposed reductions to those programs and to community-based recovery services. In human services, witnesses thanked the committee for funding victim services, child welfare supports, health homes, adult day care, community health centers, energy assistance, and disability services, while urging the committee to avoid further reductions to skilled nursing, case management, and recovery navigation. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• I know the recommendation is kind of another layer of navigation.
• I know the recommendation is kind of another layer of navigation.
• I'm wondering in the conversation, where is, is of navigation.
• I represent the Fifth Legislative District, and I'm thrilled to be here. I'm Lisa Callan.
• District is North King County, South Pierce County.

Bills: HB2429 , HB2171 , HB2314 , HB2364 , HB2415

Committee: House Early Learning & Human Services

Keywords: behavioral health, youth support, mental health services, children's health, support services, foster youth, child welfare, education, mental health, dental care, habilitation centers, residential services, healthcare access, patient rights, poverty, task force, legislative, executive, social programs, fatalities

Transcript Highlights:

• These are also the people representing school districts, educational service districts, community-based
• The Navigator Program provides funding for one Behavioral Health Navigator at each of the nine educational
• Behavioral health navigators provide a wide range of navigation supports and training to districts in
• You also heard that there are behavioral health navigators in each of the educational service districts
• There are behavioral health navigators in each of the educational service districts.

Summary: The House Education Committee held a work session on the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group and its school-based behavioral health and suicide prevention subgroup, followed by a public hearing on House Bill 1634, as amended in a proposed second substitute. Work group leaders Lisa Callan and Tisha Kirschbaum described the group’s statewide, cross-agency structure, its Washington Thriving strategic plan, and the goal of moving toward a more integrated “system of care” for children and youth. They emphasized that behavioral health, physical health, and education are interconnected, that families and schools often face a fragmented system, and that Washington’s youth flourishing outcomes show a need for stronger supports. Committee members raised concerns about regional disparities, rural access, language and cultural responsiveness, and the burden on schools and educators, while the presenters stressed that schools should be supported to identify needs and connect students to outside clinical services rather than carry the full burden themselves. Representative My-Linh Thai and Christian Stark then outlined the school-based subgroup’s work and recommendations. They said the subgroup meets monthly, includes students, parents, educators, providers, and agencies, and has focused on prevention, early identification, early intervention, and crisis response in schools. For the 2026 session, the subgroup recommended maintaining current investments in school behavioral health programs, strengthening statewide guidance on school behavioral health, and creating a coordinated technical assistance and training network for schools. They explained that the proposed substitute for HB 1634 would direct OSPI and the educational service districts to work with behavioral health agencies and community partners to conduct a needs assessment, map resources, and build a statewide framework for technical assistance and training, with public posting required by August 1, 2027. Testimony in support came from school staff, OSPI, behavioral health professionals, students, parents, and advocacy groups, who described high student anxiety, suicide risk, staffing shortages, and the need for coordinated, accessible supports. One witness from a psychiatric watchdog group opposed the bill, arguing it could increase labeling and drugging rather than holistic care. No vote was taken in the transcript provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the navigability issue in sovereign lands is whether that water body was navigable or susceptible
• to navigability at the time of statehood.
• My name is Kathy Frelich, and I represent District 15.
• That's all land now. navigable at statehood.
• We need to know where's the boundary between navigable and non-navigable water connected to Devil's Lake

Committee: Joint Agriculture and Water Management Committee

Summary: The committee met for its third interim meeting, approved the prior meeting minutes, and heard a series of statutory reports from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Water Resources. Chair Hauck noted that Legislative Management had denied the committee’s earlier request for a fertilizer capacity study, and that the committee would also revisit the proposed Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger later in the day. Commissioner Doug Goring reported on several agriculture topics, including uncrewed aerial systems grants to detect noxious weeds, irrigation expansion potential, the low-carbon fuels program for ethanol plants, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Fund, model zoning ordinances for animal feeding operations, and fertilizer production and usage in North Dakota. He emphasized that fertilizer supply depends heavily on natural gas and water, that most nitrogen fertilizer is imported, and that large-scale fertilizer plants require very large capital investments. Members discussed fertilizer storage, natural gas pipeline capacity, water availability, and the role of state infrastructure in supporting value-added agriculture. A major portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Water Resources’ economic analysis tool for water conveyance and flood-related projects. Dr. Dwayne Poole explained that the tool was created under 2017 legislation to help evaluate projects expected to cost $1 million or more, and that the department is proposing adjustments to better account for end-of-useful-life conditions and changing hydrologic data. He said the changes would remain focused on direct, demonstrable costs and benefits, not indirect impacts, and would be implemented through guidance and operating procedures rather than statutory changes. Committee members and water users discussed whether the revisions would better reflect real-world conditions, including deferred maintenance, changing rainfall patterns, and downstream effects. A representative from the Water Resource District Association said the group was working with DWR and hoped to review test scenarios before the June meeting. The committee then received a detailed presentation on Devils Lake, its outlets, and the Tolna Coulee control structure. State Engineer John Paskowski reviewed lake history, outlet capacities, sulfate and downstream flow constraints, and the purpose of the Tolna Coulee structure in limiting head cutting and preventing uncontrolled downstream releases. Members questioned whether the structure was effectively a dam, whether the lake would naturally overflow without it, the last time the outlets ran, and whether water quality in Devils Lake has improved over time. Paskowski said the outlets last operated in August 2025, that sulfate levels still limit operations, and that the lake has freshened somewhat but not enough to eliminate water-quality concerns. The discussion also touched on whether water from flooded areas or closed-basin systems could be reused for irrigation, and on the broader implications of wet cycles, inundated land, and drainage management across the state.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned navigation, right?
• So if we had a mental health navigator, a youth mental health navigator, who just plugs in to that one
• , you have to have mental health navigators, you have to have health care navigators, you have to have
• these navigators.
• this wild world that you're trying to navigate.

Summary: The hearing focused on youth mental health and treatment access in California, with the chair opening by citing elevated distress, self-harm-related emergency visits, access barriers, and a statewide behavioral health workforce shortage. The chair and Assembly Member Lori Davies emphasized that historic state investments, including the California Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and school-based mental health funding, still face implementation and sustainability challenges, especially because many programs rely on one-time dollars. The committee framed the hearing as a way to hear from county systems, providers, schools, and students to inform future policy and budget action. Panel One described San Diego County’s behavioral health system, including Medi-Cal specialty care, payment reform, new crisis and residential facilities, workforce pipeline efforts, and the Behavioral Health Services Act transition. County and school representatives said CYBHI and the school-linked fee schedule could help make school-based services more sustainable, but they stressed that districts need technical assistance, clearer guidance, and time to build billing systems. San Marcos Unified and Poway Unified representatives said schools are now first responders for mental health, described rising acuity and the importance of counselors, peer programs, and on-campus therapy, and warned that insurance-data collection, reimbursement delays, and grant-dependent staffing threaten program stability. In the provider panel, a child psychiatrist described the emergency-room crisis model as inadequate because youth often leave with either a short inpatient stay or a discharge plan that lacks a warm handoff, outpatient follow-up, or school coordination. He urged more school wellness time, parent education, peer support, mobile crisis response, and intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization options. Rady Children’s Hospital described major growth in behavioral health services, including depression screening, urgent care, psych emergency services, primary care integration, and a new institute combining programs, while also highlighting low reimbursement rates, long payment delays, high denial rates, and administrative burden as major barriers to sustaining care and staffing.

Transcript Highlights:

• You mentioned navigation, right?
• So if we had a mental health navigator, a youth mental health navigator, who just plugs in to that one
• , you have to have mental health navigators, you have to have health care navigators, you have to have
• these navigators.
• this wild world that you’re trying to navigate.

Summary: The hearing focused on youth mental health and treatment access in California, with opening remarks emphasizing that youth distress, self-harm-related emergency visits, and difficulty obtaining care remain elevated, while workforce shortages and reliance on one-time funding continue to limit access. Assemblymember Lori Davies echoed concerns about unstable funding and said lawmakers need to hear directly from providers and families as they prepare for the budget and legislation. The chair framed the hearing as a chance to hear from county, school, provider, and student perspectives, especially in San Diego County, where needs are high and investments have not always matched demand. County and school officials described the current system and recent state initiatives, including the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, school-linked fee schedules, payment reform, and the Behavioral Health Services Act transition. San Diego County Behavioral Health said it serves Medi-Cal youth with specialty mental health needs through a broad continuum of care, including outpatient clinics, school-based services, crisis response, residential treatment, and new crisis and residential facilities. San Diego County Office of Education and San Marcos Unified School District described efforts to expand school-based services and reimbursement through CYBHI, but said implementation is slowed by complex billing rules, insurance-data collection concerns from families, administrative burden, and uncertainty about sustaining staff positions funded by grants or soft money. School counselor testimony highlighted reduced stigma through campus outreach and clubs, but also noted that counselor-to-student ratios remain well above national standards and that budget cuts threaten supports. Provider testimony stressed that the system remains fragmented and that youth often move between emergency rooms, inpatient care, outpatient therapy, schools, and county programs without smooth handoffs. A child psychiatrist described crisis cases in which the main choices are brief hospitalization or discharge with limited follow-up, and argued for stronger warm handoffs, more outpatient and intensive outpatient options, better school-clinic coordination, and broader use of mobile crisis and 988. Rady Children’s Hospital and Aurora Behavioral Health described large increases in behavioral health demand, expansion of integrated care, and major barriers tied to low reimbursement rates, delayed payments, and administrative complexity. Across the panel, witnesses called for more stable funding, clearer reimbursement rules, better parent education on warning signs, and stronger collaboration among schools, counties, hospitals, and community providers to reduce stigma and improve timely care for youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• So when we say fully implemented, we had the entire district or the majority of the district in the room
• That is 65 buildings, 23 school districts.
• That is 65 buildings, 23 school districts.
• John's School District. ...in a school exercise conducted by St. John's School District.
• other school districts.

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee began with opening remarks about moving to a monthly, two-hour schedule for more timely and focused oversight of Auditor General findings. Members also recognized Melanie Chesney for 32 years of service to the Office of the Auditor General, with several speakers praising her work and her role in strengthening the relationship between the Auditor General’s office and J-LAC. The main agenda item was the Auditor General’s December 2025 special audit on the school safety interoperability fund and interoperable communication systems. Staff reported that about $26 million had been allocated to 14 law enforcement agencies for systems intended to improve real-time communication between schools and first responders. The audit found that all 14 agencies used the money for interoperable systems, but four agencies allowed private or tribal schools to participate contrary to statute, and several agencies failed to submit required annual expenditure reports. It also found that none of the three systems reviewed met every statutory requirement as written, in part because some requirements were vague or interpreted differently by vendors and agencies. The audit recommended that agencies recover and report any improper benefit to non-public schools, avoid using fund money for ongoing costs tied to non-public school participation, submit missing reports, and improve cost planning and contract monitoring; it also recommended that the legislature clarify eligibility for private and tribal schools and revisit unclear system requirements. The audit further found procurement and contracting problems at nine of 14 agencies, including weak or missing sole-source justifications, contracts that lacked accountability and termination provisions, and poor documentation of pricing and deliverables. Several agencies had not planned for ongoing annual costs, which the audit estimated could range from about $16,000 to $382,000 per rural county depending on the system. In the discussion, members expressed frustration with sole-source contracting and lack of documentation, and some said they would oppose future vendor bills without competitive bidding and stronger payment controls. The auditor also described mixed system performance: some agencies reported useful features such as panic alerts, camera access, and map sharing, but other systems were not fully functional or had never been implemented. The committee then heard from the Arizona Sheriffs’ Association, whose president said sheriffs support the goal of improving school safety, described county implementation challenges, and defended the use of local staff to manage the projects, while acknowledging that smaller counties face staffing and connectivity limits.

Transcript Highlights:

• But the navigability issue in sovereign lands is whether that water body was navigable or susceptible
• to navigability at the time of statehood.
• And if it's supposed to... navigable at statehood.
• We need to know where the boundary is between navigable and non-navigable water connected to Devil's
• One, what was the definition of navigable...

Summary: The committee opened its third interim meeting with roll call, approved the November 13, 2025 minutes, and the chair reviewed prior committee work, including a denied request for a fertilizer-capacity study and a planned later discussion of the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger issue. Commissioner Doug Goring then presented Department of Agriculture updates on uncrewed aerial systems grants to detect noxious weeds, the state’s irrigation potential, the low-carbon fuels program for ethanol plants, the Environmental Impact Mitigation Fund, model zoning ordinances for animal feeding operations, and fertilizer production and supply in North Dakota. Members asked about funding sources, fertilizer storage and availability, natural gas and water needs for future fertilizer plants, and how the model zoning website would help counties and townships apply setback and odor tools. A substantial portion of the meeting focused on the Department of Water Resources’ economic analysis tool for water conveyance and flood-related projects. Dr. Dwayne Poole explained that the department is proposing changes to better account for end-of-useful-life conditions and updated hydrologic data, while still limiting the model to direct, demonstrable costs and benefits. He said the goal is to make the analysis more realistic and consistent without changing statute, and he provided examples of how project benefits could change as drains age or as rainfall and flood data evolve. Committee members and water-user representatives generally supported continued work on the proposal, while raising concerns about downstream impacts, closed-basin projects, and whether the changes would meaningfully affect project approvals. The committee then heard from John Paskowski, state engineer, on Devil’s Lake, the West End and East End outlets, and the Tolna Coulee control structure. He reviewed lake history, outlet capacities, sulfate and downstream flow limits, and explained that the control structure is intended to prevent a catastrophic uncontrolled release by slowing erosion and head cutting. Members asked about water quality trends, the length of the downstream flow constraint, and whether the Tolna Coulee area had been studied for possible natural overflow or silt buildup. The discussion emphasized ongoing flooding concerns, mitigation for affected landowners, and the need to balance outlet operations with downstream water quality and infrastructure protection.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what we're helping them with are being able to navigate all the resources.
• We're in all the districts.
• , navigating their intellectual property, navigating what those challenges are from customer discovery
• It's through the SBDC that really allowed us to navigate that.
• to navigate with partners like the SBDC.

Committee: House Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact

Transcript Highlights:

• Cutting LEA is simply harming the districts that are low property value districts.
• to help their school districts.
• And it's for every student, whether they're in an under-resourced district or another district.
• It levels the playing field between property-poor districts and property-rich districts.
• I'm a recovery navigator.

Bills: SB5998

Committee: Senate Ways & Means

Keywords: fiscal appropriations, budget, state funding, financial management, operating expenses

Transcript Highlights:

• Skid Row is in my district. What does this look like?
• About our districts, about how we feel of the people we represent.
• They're going to get additional navigation services?
• They're going to get additional navigation services?
• Second, fund automation and navigators so people can stay covered without navigating complex paperwork

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Summary: The Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the impacts of H.R. 1 on California’s safety net, focusing on Medi-Cal and CalFresh. The chair and vice chair framed the discussion around major federal changes to work requirements, eligibility redeterminations, immigrant eligibility, and financing rules, while noting the state’s own structural budget deficit and the need for a second hearing later in March on county and safety-net impacts. The first panel included the Legislative Analyst’s Office, the Department of Finance, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, and the Food Research and Action Center. LAO and Finance described H.R. 1 as driving major enrollment losses and cost shifts. LAO estimated that Medi-Cal work requirements and six-month redeterminations could affect 3.5 million people, with 1 to 2 million potentially disenrolled, while CalFresh changes could subject more than 800,000 people to work requirements and cause over 600,000 to lose food assistance. They also highlighted new ineligibility for certain non-citizens, reduced federal matching for emergency Medi-Cal services, tighter provider tax rules, and higher state and county administrative costs for CalFresh. Finance said the governor’s budget reflects about $1.4 billion in new General Fund costs in 2026-27 and a $2.4 billion reduction in federal funds, with larger out-year impacts and up to 2 million Medi-Cal disenrollments by 2029-30. The UC Berkeley Labor Center projected up to 3 million Californians could lose full-scope Medi-Cal by 2028 when H.R. 1 is combined with state budget changes, though it said the state could limit losses by choosing not to apply some new requirements to state-funded populations and by keeping some immigrants in full-scope state-funded coverage. The Food Research and Action Center argued that CalFresh cuts and time limits would increase hunger, homelessness risk, and health costs, while also hurting local economies and increasing administrative burden. Committee members from both parties questioned the fiscal sustainability of Medi-Cal growth, the 11% CalFresh error rate and possible $2 billion penalty, county indigent care costs, and the effect of work requirements; several Democratic members argued the federal changes and state cuts would disproportionately harm low-income Californians, immigrants, and communities of color, while Republican members emphasized program growth, work incentives, and the need for budget restraint. No votes were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• one out of 12 or 13 jobs in California is in the nonprofit sector, and it’s very critical to my district
• On the other, they must navigate burdensome administrative processes here in the state of California.
• And then, just the kind of messiness of trying to navigate the procurement system, right?
• So while we're navigating the political attacks that we're facing and navigating the bureaucratic structures
• They do provide free trainings to help providers successfully navigate the procurement system.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Residency challenge in house district Residency challenge in house district 40b<00:57:44.520><c>
• </c> 40b and the contest in house district 40b and the contest in house district 54a<00:57:47.000><c>
• </c> Bill eblad election security Navigator Bill eblad election security Navigator so<01:06:33.279><c
• District Court for the District of Minnesota struck down another election law, 20013, I think it was,
• Court for the Friday the um US District Court for the District<01:35:16.199><c> of</c><01:35:16.280>

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:03:41.400><c> of</c> Public Schools is a school district of Public Schools is a school district
• </c> we were definitely a targeted district we were definitely a targeted district within<00:04:06.760
• My district and the district that you're going to hear from soon also have serious impacts.
• My district and the district that you're going to hear from soon also have serious impacts.
• Lewis said about Fridley District, our district also did not have virtual height set up for K through

Summary: Representative Cedric Frazier opened the meeting by describing the ongoing harms from Operation Metro Surge, saying the state was still dealing with family separation, school disruption, workforce damage, and economic instability. He framed the issue as a statewide crisis and called on Republican colleagues to acknowledge the harm and work with DFL members on accountability and relief. He said the current budget work was urgent but could not fully backfill the damage, and later noted that the issue had been a top priority since the surge began. Testimony from school and business leaders focused on concrete impacts. Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis said her district, which serves a large Black, Hispanic, and East and West African student population, was targeted during the surge and saw major enrollment losses, including students moving out of state or country or being held in Texas facilities. She said the district lost over $1 million in revenue and that the loss could equal about 40 teachers or an entire elementary school. Columbia Heights School Board Chair Mary Granlund said her district, with a limited tax base, was also heavily affected and warned that business closures and unfunded mandates would shift costs to homeowners and force cuts to classes, teachers, and programs. Lee Ann Rasiejka of Women Venture and the CDFI coalition said small businesses across Minnesota were facing compounded disruption from federal law enforcement activity, tariffs, rising costs, and fear, with more than $213 million in lost revenue reported across Twin Cities corridors and many businesses cutting hours, delaying hiring, or pausing growth. In response to questions, Frazier and other speakers said the proposed aid would be statewide rather than focused only on the Twin Cities, and that the bill currently had no set dollar amount but they hoped for around $100 million. They said CDFIs and local community groups would help distribute resources. Frazier said some Republican members had acknowledged harm in their own communities and suggested compromise was possible, though he criticized leadership for dismissing some testimony as hearsay. He also said ongoing law enforcement investigations into alleged crimes by federal agents would not be necessary to establish the harm, pointing instead to direct testimony from affected residents and school officials. No votes were taken in the portion provided.