Transcript Highlights:

• The agency asked one of our existing contractors to conduct the study, the results of which do provide
• And, uh, has anybody ever done a study that to To figure out if, if there's a way to.
• I mean, maybe there, we should do a study about it, right? At some point.
• From 2019 to 2024, TBMDL has had to increase starting salary offers by an average of 34%.
• This is causing salary inequities within our existing staff that must be addressed.

Bills: HB294

Keywords: energy efficiency, tax exemption, residential properties, sustainability, real estate

Transcript Highlights:

• OPUC's salaries have historically lagged other agencies.
• We had to cannibalize those salaries to increase salaries in other areas of the agency, and we are now
• We had to cannibalize those salaries to increase salaries in other areas of the agency, and we are now
• A couple of key things I want to focus on, again, back to the salary issue.
• Which would include both the salary and equipment for 3 additional licensing staff.

Bills: SB1

Keywords: appropriations, budget, state funding, education, healthcare, infrastructure

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met to review Article 8, regulatory agencies, and began Article 9, general provisions, before recessing for floor action. The committee first heard budget presentations from the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC). The PUC budget recommendation was about $5.07 billion in all funds, including an additional $5 billion for the Texas Energy Fund, plus funding for staffing and technology needs tied to contested cases, infrastructure resiliency, and outage mapping. PUC witnesses emphasized the agency’s growing workload, the need for more staff and modern systems, and oversight of the Texas Energy Fund. OPUC’s recommendation was about $6.9 million, with a reduction in authorized FTEs to better match actual staffing; the agency requested additional funding for salaries, expert witnesses, and budget flexibility, and members highlighted OPUC’s role representing residential and small commercial consumers in utility proceedings. The committee then heard from the Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC), whose recommendation was just over $11.2 million. BHEC’s main requests included funding to fill vacant positions, money for continuous National Practitioner Data Bank queries, and a proposed Texas-owned psychology licensing exam in response to concerns about changes to the national exam. Agency leaders also discussed a rider request that would shift responsibility for certain judgments or settlements to the comptroller. Members asked about prior complaint backlogs, and BHEC said those backlogs had been cleared. The Board of Chiropractic Examiners followed, with a recommendation of just under $2.4 million; the board sought support for staffing, training, broadband, and salary retention, and described its work regulating chiropractors and workers’ compensation-related doctors. The Board of Dental Examiners was the last agency heard before the committee recessed. Its recommendation was just under $10 million, and it requested a 10% salary increase for eligible staff, three additional licensing staff, one staff member to handle required background checks, an additional attorney, and an executive director salary adjustment. Dental board witnesses said licensure growth, increased complaints, and low salaries were straining licensing and enforcement operations, even though the agency reported strong performance and high case completion rates. The chair ended the hearing early because the Senate had to return to the floor, and the committee remained in recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the third year of the study, so we'll actually have some final numbers because recidivism studies
• We're doing our own study uh for wise.
• because recidivism studies final numbers because recidivism studies usually<00:59:11.280> do<
• <02:19:02.399> and 89% of our FY26 funds are salary and 89% of our FY26 funds are salary and
• Rising salary and benefit at a cost.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But my question was, like, you're asking to go to a salary that is competitive within the market.
• They've also requested to lower the regular salary and match appropriation by $948,000.
• of the requested salaries doesn't math for me.
• I'm just not seeing where those employees' regular salaries match.
• It takes the salaries from $1.4 million to $969,000. It's $500,000 for almost 50 employees, right?

Summary: The committee first considered the Lieutenant Governor’s Office budget and personnel request. Office representatives said they wanted to move the office to the state pay plan to better align salaries with other constitutional offices and remain competitive, noting that OPM had approved the positions and grades. Senators questioned the size of the requested increases and the office’s workload, and after discussion the motion to adopt the proposal failed on an 8-8 tie. The committee then voted to expunge that vote and returned to the regular agenda. The committee approved a series of Governor’s letters involving position transfers and appropriation adjustments across several agencies. These included changes for AETN, the Department of Health and Nursing Board/Dietetics Board, multiple DHS divisions, DFA shared services and budget management, and the Department of Public Safety shared services division. Most of these items involved moving positions and associated salary appropriations between divisions, with no major opposition and motions passing. A lengthy discussion followed on the transfer of child nutrition and related nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture. Education and DFA officials explained that the programs fit better under Agriculture because the funding and commodities are tied to USDA programs, and they clarified that both state and federal funding and all related positions would move. Senators raised concerns about the math in the letters, the split between state and federal funding, and whether all program resources were being transferred. After the explanation, the committee approved the Education side of the transfer and then approved the Agriculture companion letter. The committee also discussed the Educational Freedom Account program budget. Officials said the $309 million request matched current participation and included a $70 million reserve in case applications increase. Several senators expressed concern about the program’s growth and its effect on public education funding and adequacy, while others noted that the program’s rules and funding levels could be adjusted through the State Board and future legislative action. The committee then approved a Public Safety classification change and a member amendment changing a title at East Arkansas Community College from assistant to the president to assistant to the chancellor, with no change in positions or appropriation.

Transcript Highlights:

• But my question was, like, you're asking to go to a salary that is competitive within the market.
• They've also requested to lower the regular salary and match appropriation by $948,000.
• of the requested salaries doesn't math for me.
• I'm just not seeing where those employees regular salaries match.
• It takes the salaries from $1.4 million to $969,000. It's $500,000 for almost 50 employees, right?

Summary: The committee first considered the Lieutenant Governor’s Office budget and personnel request to move that office onto the state pay plan and increase salaries for its positions. Office representatives said the request was intended to make pay competitive with other constitutional offices and state agencies, that OPM had approved the grades, and that the office did not plan to max out any positions. Members questioned the size of the increase and the office’s workload. A motion to adopt the proposal failed on a tie vote, and the committee then voted to expunge the vote before moving on. The committee then approved a series of Governor’s letters and related personnel transfers, including cuts for Arkansas Educational Television Network, transfers within the Department of Health and several DHS divisions, and a DFA shared services reorganization. The committee also approved moving child nutrition and related nutrition programs from the Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture, with department officials explaining that the programs fit better under Agriculture because the grants come from USDA and the transfer would include the positions and funding tied to the programs. Members raised questions about how the appropriations and positions were split between state and federal funding, and about the broader implications of the transfer, but the committee ultimately approved both the Education and Agriculture sides of the move. The meeting also included extended discussion of the Educational Freedom Account program. Members questioned the $309 million appropriation, whether it matched current participation, and whether future demand could require additional funding. Department officials said the amount covered current participation and that the governor had set aside an additional $70 million in case applications increased, but that any amount beyond the appropriation would require returning to the committee. Some members argued the program’s growth could threaten funding for public schools and adequacy, while others noted that the program is governed by rules under the LEARNS Act. The committee also approved a technical title change at East Arkansas Community College from assistant to the president to assistant to the chancellor.

Transcript Highlights:

• That bill allows school districts to let students leave for release time classes and biblical studies
• Salaries have increased, and so we can have a longer conversation about hypotheticals and which account
• So if teacher salaries did not change, then yes, you're, I believe you're correct.
• salaries did not change, then yes, you're, I believe you're correct.
• What we're studying here is the standard and ensuring that every Oklahoma elementary school is going

Bills: HB3622, HB3621, HB3151, HB3882, HB3661, HB4273, HB3644, HB3706, HB3708, HB2021, HB3986, HB3972

Keywords: HB3622, 2030 Census, Decennial Census, U.S. Decennial Census Revolving Fund, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Commerce Department, census preparation, federal census, state treasury fund, revolving fund, continuing fund, deemed appropriated, technology upgrades, census outreach, redistricting, population count, Title 74, OMES, State Treasurer, budgeting

Transcript Highlights:

• We set to provide a 3% salary increase to all public school personnel.
• Because we took at least a year, we studied the issues, we traveled on it, and I don't remember why it
• But I'm going to say, you know, this does need to be studied. Mr.
• Because you're essentially wiping out your appropriation for salary.
• Like what you just said, it wipes out salaries and other things too.

Transcript Highlights:

• just pass a bill for a study.
• just pass a bill for a study.
• just pass a bill for a study.
• <06:27:02.080> Thank<06:27:02.240> you, study. Let's do the study.
• Thank you, study. Let's do the study. Thank you, Madam<06:27:03.080> Speaker.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• ...cents, and that includes the teacher's salary increase. Is that correct?
• Because that it's not going to the classroom if it's going to FRS and salary.
• officers, and I think we're just doing a 2% salary increase.
• Under current law, presidential salaries for universities are capped at $200,000.
• because, say, such a salary over $200,000 is seen as excessive for the public's dime.

Summary: The House met on the final day of session, swore in Representatives Boyles and Hodgers, and observed a moment of silence for the Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as for Representative Rosenwald’s father. The chamber then moved into final budget work, with leaders outlining the plan to take up H.J.R. 5019, HB 7031, HB 5017, HB 5015, and then the general appropriations act once the Senate transmitted it. H.J.R. 5019, a proposed constitutional amendment to expand the budget stabilization fund, was explained and amended to raise the rainy day fund cap, require annual deposits, and allow withdrawals for critical state needs by a two-thirds vote; it passed 100-1. The House then adopted the conference report on HB 7031, the tax package. The bill repeals the business rent tax and aviation fuel tax, delays the natural gas fuel tax, creates or expands several sales tax holidays and exemptions, including permanent exemptions for disaster-preparedness items, hunting/fishing/camping items, and ammunition and firearms-related purchases, and makes changes to property, corporate income, local tax, and economic development provisions. Members debated the removal of recurring housing trust fund and transit-related revenue streams, the new ammunition exemption, and the data center tax changes; supporters argued the package reduces taxes and preserves annual budget flexibility, while opponents raised concerns about housing, transportation, and gun violence. The conference report passed 93-7. HB 5017, creating a debt reduction program funded by a recurring transfer to retire state bonds early, passed unanimously. HB 5015, the state group insurance conforming bill, which directs DMS to develop a formulary management plan and codifies the administrative health insurance assessment, also passed. The House then began explanation and questions on the fiscal year 2025-26 general appropriations act, described as a $115.1 billion budget that is down $3.8 billion from the current year and includes more than $12 billion in reserves. Subcommittee chairs summarized major spending areas, including pre-K-12 funding increases, health care funding for Medicaid, KidCare, nursing homes, opioid treatment, and mental health, transportation and economic development funding, environmental and water projects, higher education, state administration, justice, and information technology. Questions focused on school vouchers, inflationary pressures on school districts, and the adequacy of funding for housing, transportation, and other priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• We didn't have a food service worker salary, so we used the salary in the model for custodians.
• Uh we did a study on our cost We did a study on our cost per meal for the 24-25 school year to evaluate
• Our labor is inclusive of salary and Our labor is inclusive of salary and benefits, and it is about 60%
• We did have to study that to analyze our cost.
• Our salaries are half of that, $510,000. Benefits, $272,000.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The pensions weren't being adjusted because any move district judges salaries are not being adjusted
• upward because any vote to adjust the district court judge's salary would be a vote of the legislature
• Um, and they're still studying this law as well in looking at.
• It sounded as though the rule was limiting judges' salaries and and retirement money to the amount of
• So and just to be clear, this won't affect the judges' salaries, right?

Transcript Highlights:

• and salaries.
• and salaries.
• And we just pay bills and salaries. This is a bill. Yeah, it is a bill.
• We might have 160 people now because people study leaving with a small time. Thank you.
• We haven't received our rate study yet. We did that because it has to be done.

Summary: The committee approved the prior meeting minutes and then received updates on delinquent water and sewer reports, including seven new reinstatements and a reduction to four remaining delinquent filers. Staff also reported on municipal accounting code noncompliance, removing Denning and Gum Springs from the 60-day clock after improved records were verified, and presenting repeat findings for Fargo, Lead Hill, Alma, Jericho, and Haynes. Members discussed repeated audit problems, the length of time some issues had persisted, and whether towns should be given additional time or face stronger action; motions were made and adopted to place some entities on a 60-day clock or defer action to later meetings. For Fargo and Alma, staff described extensive repeat accounting deficiencies, including missing budgets, bank reconciliations, financial statements, receipts, journals, and supporting documentation. Fargo’s mayor said the town had been understaffed and was beginning to improve its office systems; the committee voted to defer the matter for 60 days and file the report. Alma’s officials said they were trying to correct water audit and accounting issues, and the committee likewise deferred the matter to the August meeting while warning that water-audit delays could jeopardize turnback funds. The committee then reviewed misuse-of-street-funds findings for Jericho and Haynes. Jericho’s police chief and officials explained that traffic fines, drug-related arrests, and other citations had pushed the town over the statutory threshold, while staff clarified that the speed-trap calculation excludes certain add-on fines and is referred to the prosecuting attorney for any action. Haynes officials said repayment problems stemmed from lost revenue and staffing changes, including the loss of the police department, but staff reported the town remained behind on its repayment plan and also owed the IRS. The committee voted to defer the Haynes matter to September and to defer Jericho as well, with members emphasizing the need for consistency and possible broader legislative review of small-town viability. A special report on the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District drew substantial discussion. Staff cited findings involving board approval of payroll and contracts, credit card documentation, car allowances and personal vehicle use, competitive bidding, and unusually high advertising spending, as well as the sale of trailers and other equipment at low prices. The district director said the board had delegated authority for many expenditures, that personal use was reported for tax purposes, and that advertising was necessary to educate the public about recycling. Members questioned the procurement and disposal decisions and the size of the advertising budget; after discussion, the committee deferred the report to September and asked the director to return. The meeting also included brief deferred reports on Biggers, Gilmore, and Holly Grove, which were filed after local officials described ongoing efforts to resolve long-standing audit and tax issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:26:45.360> of<00:26:45.440> a part or all of the salary of a part or all of the
• salary of a lobbyist<00:26:47.159> and<00:26:47.360> then<00:26:48.600> um<00:26
• of a lobbyist but nothing in its salary of a lobbyist but nothing in the<00:33:38.919> section
• I’m going right back to the division of salaries and such.
• Again, fiscal notes are consistently a troubling thing, and we do have a lot of study commissions.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 118 in executive session and adopted Amendment 0882H, which would remove the House and Senate members from the Child Care Commission while leaving the commission in place. Members said the amendment was a continuation of earlier committee discussion and supported it as a needed change. The committee then voted 12-0 to recommend ought to pass as amended, and HB 118 was placed on consent. The committee next considered House Bill 142, dealing with Gold Star Mother’s Day. The sponsor explained that the bill was unnecessary because existing statute already directs the governor to issue a proclamation for Gold Star Mother’s Day and to urge appropriate observance, including flag-related ceremonies. Several members discussed how to ensure the proclamation and flag observance would happen and whether the committee report should note the existing statute. Other members said they would oppose killing the bill because the recognition was important. The committee voted 9-3 to table/ITL the bill, and HB 142 was declared inexpedient to legislate. The final major item was a public hearing on a non-germane amendment to House Bill 456, with a related draft amendment also discussed. The sponsor said the amendment would raise the annual membership allowance from $20 to $75, rename fees as dues, prohibit dues from being used to pay lobbyists, require NHMA dues to be brought before voters as a separate warrant article for transparency, and require separate accounting so lobbying funds are not co-mingled with other funds. Supporters said the goal was to keep taxpayer-derived money from funding lobbying while preserving non-lobbying services such as legal advice and training. Opponents argued the proposal was an overreach and would micromanage local towns. No vote was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• In reviewing the two salary adjustment proposals, they both seem reasonable to us.
• The salary differentials are... ...or state government operations being headquartered here.
• The salary differentials are more competitive in that area.
• are being done, those classification studies are being done.
• are being done, those classification studies are being done.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee 5 on State Administration held a May Revise hearing focused on state administration proposals, with the chair noting no actions would be taken and all items would remain open. The committee heard presentations on a range of budget proposals, including technical adjustments for the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement and the California Workforce Development Board, security and election-related funding for the Secretary of State, modernization and loan-backfill requests for the Department of Consumer Affairs, and multiple Employment Development Department updates covering EDD Next, UI and DI/PFL benefit estimates, workforce funding, and an EMT training reappropriation. Several items drew discussion from the LAO and committee members. The LAO generally supported technical or modernization items such as PERB’s implementation requests, GoServe’s College Corps adjustment, the Secretary of State’s security and HAVA grant items, and the Board of Pharmacy modernization proposal, but raised concerns about the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education’s proposed $10 million General Fund backfill and interest-free loan language. For EDD, the LAO flagged the size of the DI/PFL benefit adjustment and the unusual structure of the document management system proposal within EDD Next, while EDD said the changes reflected higher participation and benefit levels after SB 951 and ongoing modernization needs. The Department of Industrial Relations drew the most extensive questioning. It proposed funding for legal unit reclassifications, EAMS and Cal/OSHA data modernization, a new Cal/OSHA emerging technologies unit, a COYA reappropriation, and trailer bill changes requiring electronic payment of employer assessments and adjusting the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board timeline. Members pressed DIR on high vacancy rates, long wage theft and workers’ compensation backlogs, low collection rates for fines, and the need for clearer workload and outcome measures. DIR said the requests were intended to improve efficiency, support audits and corrective action plans, and better address emerging workplace risks, while the LAO said the workload drivers behind delays remain unclear. The hearing also included support for CalHR’s employee assistance program consolidation and CDT’s proposal to expand “Poppy,” a statewide generative AI assistant for state employees.

Transcript Highlights:

• So they've done studies where they've done studies where they've conducted time motion studies and looked
• The salary, they're paying the benefits, they're paying whatever else.
• You just get a smaller and smaller percentage each year in your salary.
• We need to pay you more salary, And so people can talk.
• We can either pay you more salary or a little less salary and give you a better insurance plan.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, Senator Moriwaki. compensation study. So, we're looking at compensation study.
• We can do a separate salary schedule for that.
• So, we took those out of the typical salary schedule and did it.
• We can do a separate salary schedule for that.
• So, we took those out of the typical salary schedule and did it.

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures relating to public employment, the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF), retirement benefits, and cafeteria plans. HB 2472 and HB 2276, both concerning EUTF staff and investment office staff salaries, drew support from the trust fund and labor groups, and no opposition was heard in person. HB 2272 and HB 2273, emergency appropriations for public employment cost items, were supported by the administration and labor representatives; members briefly clarified which bargaining units were covered. A longer discussion centered on HB 1664, which would address a dispute mechanism for EUTF-related negotiations. HGEA said the current process lacks a dispute resolution path and that the bill would allow interest arbitration when the state and union disagree. The Department of Human Resources Development and the Budget and Finance director raised concerns about consistency across bargaining units and the role of an arbitrator unfamiliar with the complexities of the system. Senator Moriwaki questioned whether another dispute forum might be more appropriate, but no alternative resolution was settled. The committee also heard HB 1655, which would make retirement benefits negotiable, and HB 1658, concerning collective bargaining repricing. ERS opposed HB 1655, saying it could create administrative and tax problems if retirement benefits were negotiated separately across many bargaining units, while UPW, HGEA, HSTA, and UPA supported it as a bargaining issue. On HB 1658, DHRD explained that repricing is an internal classification tool meant to preserve equal pay for equal work, not to address market pay, and said a single arbitrator or the Merit Appeals Board could handle disputes; HGEA preferred a neutral arbitrator and opposed the Merit Appeals Board as too employer-controlled. The final measure, HB 1661 on cafeteria plans, was supported by UPW and HGEA. DHRD said it planned to raise the maximum contribution through rulemaking but needed to manage plan solvency and timing because IRS limits change on a calendar-year basis while the state plan runs on a fiscal year. The committee then moved into decision-making and adopted recommendations to pass HB 2472 and HB 2276 as amended/unamended after a brief correction to the vote language.

Transcript Highlights:

• Capital Fellows who are employed through the CSU Center for California Studies.
• Additionally, salaries for Capital Fellows are not adjusted annually for a rising cost of living.
• The last time that salaries were increased was in 2022-23.
• Given these reasons, we recommend the legislature approve a 10% salary increase for Fellows.
• In the staff analysis to the Assembly and Senate fellows programs, is the salary comparable?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, battery disposal study—I had a feeling.
• the time of the study?
• I believe this is in your silo, but I have a question about a battery disposal study.
• We're going to move on from the battery disposal study. Nothing to see here, folks.
• I regret that there's no across-the-board increase in salary for our state employees.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• . $150,000 for the Ethnic Studies Administration to administrate that.
• But we don't give extra funding for math, science, or social studies. $175,000 per year to administer
• 150,000 for the Ethnic Studies 150,000 for the Ethnic Studies Administration<00:33:49.440> to
• <00:41:26.720> and fully pay uh staff salaries and fully pay uh staff salaries and benefits
• I've taken the time to study it in depth.

Bills: HF751, HF3550, HF3764, HF1490

Keywords: parental notification, school safety, bullying, harassment, violence, prohibited conduct, student discipline, charter school, school district, data practices, student privacy, parent rights, guardian notification, school incident reporting, cyberbullying, restraint, reasonable force, anti-bullying policy, school administration, student conduct

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:45:14.640> and members commission s receive salary and members commission s receive salary
• they're already getting their salary they're already getting paid<00:56:14.400> anyway<00:56:
• Yes, I'm sorry. >> And that basically just takes away legislative PDM and salary.
• <01:04:37.039> Uh<01:04:37.680> that's legislative uh PDM and salary.
• Uh that's legislative uh PDM and salary.

Bills: HB0116, HB0056

Keywords: water rights, beneficial use, industrial production, hydrogen, applications, public welfare, carbon capture, energy standards, public utilities, environmental regulation, state law, 916, all