Transcript Highlights:

• Then the first two bills I have lined up are Griffin's bill, 2056, and the Majority Leader's bill, 2798
• or without this bill.
• Okay, let's move on to bills. Let's move on to Mr. Gress's bill, 2207, the Braille bill. 2207. Mr.
• So what this bill really tries to do is get granular and connect the dots between the spending of money
• Thank you to the bill sponsor for bringing this bill forward.

Committee: House House Appropriations Committee of Reference

Summary: The Appropriations Committee met on January 28 and heard several bills, beginning with introductions of members and staff. The committee first considered HB 2056, which would appropriate $100,000 to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for a feasibility study of brackish groundwater desalination sites. Sponsor Rep. Gail Griffin argued the state should explore use of large brackish groundwater reserves amid Colorado River concerns, while one speaker opposed the bill on aquifer-protection grounds. The committee voted 11-6-1 to give HB 2056 a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up HB 2798, as amended, which appropriates $100,000 to the Arizona Geological Survey to compile data on materials relevant to nuclear energy, including thorium and other non-uranium fuels. Rep. Carbone and others framed the bill as an economic development and national security measure, while opponents questioned whether Arizona has meaningful deposits and whether the state should fund the research. The University of Arizona testified that the Geological Survey could do the work. The committee adopted the Livingston amendment and then approved the bill 11-5-1. Next, the committee considered HB 2303, which codifies investment standards for the State Treasurer, emphasizing safety and principal preservation and prohibiting speculative investments and insider misuse. The Treasurer’s Office supported the bill, saying it reflects existing policy and ethics rules, though members asked for clearer definitions of “speculative” and how the bill would interact with other statutes. The committee passed HB 2303 15-0 with two members present and one not voting. HB 2344, which directs the Treasurer to manage the local government investment pool internally and allows a third-party contract only for emergency backup, also passed after questions about local control and whether the bill was necessary; the vote was 12-2-3 with one not voting. The committee later heard HB 2759, a $500,000 appropriation to the Department of Veterans’ Services to partner with an educational institution in Yavapai County for veterans programs. Retired Navy SEAL Chief Richard Rodriguez testified about Embry-Riddle’s veteran population and emergency assistance needs for housing, travel, and equipment, while opponents objected to using state funds for a private institution and argued veterans services should be broader and statewide. The bill received a due pass recommendation 11-6-1. The committee also approved HB 2207, which funds the prison Braille transcription program at $300,000 and was described as a successful rehabilitation and service program, and HB 2224, as amended to $1 million, which funds the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program through SNAP; supporters said it helps families, farmers, and local economies, and the committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• Make sure we're able bonding bill done.
• that spending is on the right trajectory<00:09:02.959><c> here?
• I to see is you saw spending going down.
• So I don't think there's a lot of spending in those packages.
• So I don't think there's a lot of spending in those packages.

Transcript Highlights:

• You'll see that this agency has a pretty good track record of spending what they're authorized to spend
• They're growing, they're spending, and then they're sending the bill out to the agencies the next year
• They're growing, they're spending, and then they're sending the bill out to the agencies the next year
• And so part of that billing model is to help them bill themselves. They need IT support too.
• And so part of that billing model is to help them bill themselves.

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation for the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), which is in the middle of a multi-year consolidation of IT staff and functions from other agencies. The analyst and administrator explained that ITS now has 243 authorized FTP, with more growth expected as Health and Welfare IT staff move over, and that much of ITS’s budget is driven by personnel, security, and pass-through technology purchases funded through dedicated revenues. The agency’s main 2027 requests included a personnel cash transfer to move costs off general fund and onto dedicated funds, $2.7 million for enterprise firewall/security upgrades, continued access to a federal E-CORE grant for an AI/data repository project, and funding for the Health and Welfare modernization/consolidation. Members asked about the grant, the 3% holdback, whether Health and Welfare’s budget would be reduced, the cost of delaying security upgrades, and why the agency’s FTP count has grown while overall IT costs are being centralized. ITS Administrator Alberto Gonzalez emphasized that the agency is defending against more than 100 million cyberattacks per month, with only a small fraction getting through, and said the firewall request was a critical security need. He said consolidation has produced efficiencies and a net reduction in IT personnel statewide, while also improving security and service delivery. He also explained that the agency is working on a possible policy change to separate continuously appropriated cash into a different fund for cleaner accounting. Questions from members focused on cybersecurity, bandwidth pressures from video/body-cam traffic, procurement speed, AI uses, and the rationale for office furnishings and equipment requests tied to the Health and Welfare move. The committee then moved to the Idaho State Tax Commission budget, another roughly $55 million portfolio with five programs and 447 authorized FTP. The analyst noted that the commission’s budget is heavily general-fund supported, but it also has several dedicated funds and large continuously appropriated flows tied to tax distributions and rebates. For fiscal year 2027, the commission requested additional dedicated-fund support for property tax outreach, $400,000 for GenTax automation, use of dedicated funds for the chief operating officer, replacement items, and the governor’s rescission. Chairman Jeff McRae said the agency returns more than $7.8 billion in revenue for about $55 million in spending, but warned the commission is at a “tipping point” where further cuts would reduce its ability to process revenue and serve taxpayers. Members questioned the commission about phone wait times, staffing levels, the multi-state tax compact, conformity work tied to the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” and the parental choice tax credit program. McRae said the call center would need about 45 staff to meet standard service levels but currently has about seven, and that conformity changes would require significant software, form, and testing work, likely with overtime and possible taxpayer filing delays. He also explained that the tax credit program was designed with electronic-only applications, income prioritization, audits, and criminal penalties to reduce fraud. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided; the meeting consisted of budget presentations, member questions, and agency responses.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> requests number one increase spending requests number one increase spending authority<00:20:30.120
• </c> increasing its spending increasing its spending Authority<00:35:46.079><c> the</c><00:35:46.160>
• </c><01:20:06.239><c> reduced</c> actually reduced spending reduced actually reduced spending reduced
• </c><01:21:29.120><c> for</c> I put in a bill for put in a bill for I put in a bill for put in a bill
• </c> they're basing this um spending they're basing this um spending reduction<01:32:54.199><c> on</c

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• If trailer bill language is put out there.” “That’s correct.”
• So we sold a bill of goods that gave a lot of promise and hope.
• So we sold a bill of goods that gave a lot of promise and hope.
• Pre-pandemic spending levels was $10 million ongoing.
• It's not spending money. Thank you.

Transcript Highlights:

• I have the Attorney General's Office that defends the bills that we create, the bills that we write in
• I would like the number of how much we spend on pro hac vice fees, how much we plan to spend this fiscal
• Did you spend it all? Yes. You did? Yes. And you're on track to spend it all this year? Yes. Okay.
• And we can't, if we don't spend it on that particular item, we can't go spend it somewhere else.
• Obviously, we want you to spend the money, and if we're not spending the money...

Committee: House Budget

Transcript Highlights:

• other could just be spending.
• other could just be spending.
• other could just be spending.
• other could just be spending.
• other could just be spending.

Committee: Senate State and Local Government

Transcript Highlights:

• Do we have anyone in favor of the bill and support of the bill?
• We spend money, Department of Mental Health spends money, the Department of Education spends money.
• All those monies are not... ...spends money, the Department of Education spends money.
• We like this bill. I think it's a good government efficiency bill, and not... We like this bill.
• We like this bill. I think it's a good government efficiency bill.

Committee: House Special Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> this bill. this bill.
• I move House Bill 1363 to the Chair. I move House Bill 1363 to the bill. bill. bill.
• Bill 2331. Bill 2331.
• </c> Bill 1390 to the bill. Bill 1390 to the bill.
• </c> Bill 1397 to the bill. Bill 1397 to the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• New spending in 26-27 of $2.687 million and new spending of $2.928 million in 28-29 from the general
• New spending in 26-27 of $2.687 million and new spending of $2.928 million in 28-29 from the general
• </c> Department of Agricultures policy bill. Department of Agricultures policy bill.
• Both bills have that. on is biocurity. Both bills have that.
• and the House bill is pretty good, too. and the House bill is pretty good, too.

Summary: The Agriculture Conference Committee met for an initial organizational and comparison session on House File 2446, the agriculture broadband and rural development bill. Members introduced themselves, noted that no conference target had yet been set, and agreed to begin with a side-by-side review of House and Senate positions. No oral testimony was taken; instead, the chair listed written testimony submitted by a wide range of agricultural, environmental, local government, food bank, and industry groups. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the major funding differences. Both bills included some shared items such as operating adjustments, wolf and elk damage compensation, and certain technical changes, but they differed on several major appropriations. The House generally proposed larger increases for meat inspection, local food purchasing, and the Board of Animal Health, and added items such as county inspector grants, biofertilizer innovation, a biosolids/PFAS-related study, a soil health study, broadband installation study funding, an Agri Works program, an Agri Support program, a milk grant program, and several House-only transfers and grants. The Senate included items such as a climate coordinator position, biofuel-related reductions and policy changes, livestock processing funding, farm-to-school and urban agriculture changes, MARL funding, cottage foods licensing updates, and several Senate-only pass-through grants and transfers. Staff also noted differences in the agriculture emergency account transfer approach and in how the two bodies handled the Second Harvest Heartland and related food distribution provisions. House Research then reviewed the policy language differences in the bill. The House language included provisions allowing more flexible use of grant administration funds, unpaid prior-year claims, county inspector grants, and updates tied to its own policy article, while the Senate language included the climate coordinator, PFAS-related commercialization language, cooperative development grant permissive language, and other Senate policy changes. The committee did not take any votes or final actions at this meeting; the session was informational and focused on identifying differences for later negotiation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly Bill 109 represents a budget plan that includes approximately $355.9 billion in total spending
• And this budget does not have spending reductions sufficient to cover... ...does not have spending reductions
• And nothing in AB 109 or these trailer bills—well, we don't have the trailer bills since we just found
• We've had bill after bill trying to hammer the refineries.
• expansions and new spending.

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:

• Separate, and you will see that full bill once the session begins when the bill is filed.
• We're spending over $9,000 a teacher to get trained.
• Well, they didn't spend any money, or are we not spending any money? Are you, your agency?
• Well, they didn't spend any money, or are we not spending any money? Are you, your agency?
• So my question is, did you really not spend any money?

Committee: All JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE

Summary: The committee heard budget presentations and took executive recommendations on several Department of Human Services divisions, including Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health Services; Children and Family Services; County Operations; Developmental Disability Services; and Medical Services, with most divisions showing little or no significant change in total appropriations. Staff and agency witnesses repeatedly explained that many large appropriations are maintained for flexibility, federal matching requirements, or contingency needs, even when actual spending is much lower than the authorized amount. Members also raised concerns about staffing vacancies, long-vacant budgeted positions, and the use of excess appropriation authority across DHS. In Aging, Adult and Behavioral Health, members questioned federal funding levels for mental health and substance abuse grants, the status of senior centers and Meals on Wheels, the Medicaid tobacco settlement program, community alcohol safety grants, and the veterans mental health grant. Agency officials said federal block grants are largely committed, that senior center funding had been delayed by shutdown timing but was now back on track, that the tobacco settlement program had been moved internally within DHS, and that the veterans mental health appropriation remains unfunded. Senators also criticized the adequacy of support for seniors and asked for more detail on how transportation, meal services, and local contributions are funded. In Children and Family Services, members asked about rising appropriation levels, foster care and adoption subsidies, professional fees, the number of children in foster care, and the Children’s Trust Fund. DHS said increases reflect added flexibility for residential treatment, adoption subsidies, and prevention services, while the foster care population has remained fairly steady at about 3,400 children. The Children’s Trust Fund was described as supporting primary prevention programs such as Baby and Me and community schools, and members asked whether it could be administratively combined with other efforts. Questions also covered TANF subgrants, with DHS explaining that it had reduced outside subgrants after discovering over-obligation and was rebuilding reserves. In County Operations, members focused on the summer EBT program, SNAP employment and training, the farmer’s market program, and the state’s TANF reserve position. DHS said summer EBT is still being funded through temporary appropriations because it is a newer program, SNAP employment and training is largely federally funded and may expand under a pending policy change, and TANF reserves were drawn down after prior over-obligation but are now being stabilized. In Developmental Disability Services, members asked about vacancies, human development center staffing, facility construction funds, and the Booneville work program, and DHS said the program has reopened and staffing recruitment continues. In Medical Services, members asked about FMAP, the Our Kids B CHIP program, school-based Medicaid reimbursements, nursing home distress funds, and several large appropriation lines that far exceed actual spending; DHS said these are maintained for claims payment, nursing home receivership contingencies, and other flexibility needs. Each division reviewed was adopted by executive recommendation after questions concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rachel, you mentioned $32 million in new spending that's been proposed. $32 million in new spending has
• Did you consider the spending on the Delta levees and the subsidence repair in new discretionary spending
• Spending commitments.
• Okay, if you know about the bill, maybe you can mention.
• Last year we had some introductions of some bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill is passed.
• bill bill &gt;&gt; momentarily.
• </c> of the bill?
• Without objection, the bill of the bill?
• </c> it's in the bill. it's in the bill.

Bills: SB4138 , HB4638

Keywords: SB4138, S. 4138, Public Law 119-80, Captain Cody Khork, Cody Khork, United States Army, Army promotion, posthumous promotion, honorary promotion, major, military honors, veterans, memorial recognition, 10 U.S.C. 1563a, notice requirement waiver, Congressional tribute

Transcript Highlights:

• in his bill.
• That bill is in the Senate, and we're talking about holding that bill and letting this bill move forward
• Bill 435, that bill will be deferred.
• of the bill.
• This bill is a consistent cost-control bill, and it’s a local option bill.”

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and considered several bills, mostly dealing with open meetings, public records, election administration, and local government notice requirements. Senate Bill 1 by Sen. Jenkins would authorize electronic voting under the Open Meetings Law and apply retroactively to validate prior electronic votes; after brief discussion and support from the Louisiana Municipal Association, it was reported favorably. House Bill 1052 by Rep. Spell would exempt certain child advocacy center and multidisciplinary team work product, forensic interviews, and related sensitive records from public records disclosure to protect child abuse investigations; testimony from child advocacy organizations emphasized the need to prevent misuse of records and preserve court-controlled access, and the bill was reported favorably. Senate Bill 289 by Sen. Abraham, concerning confidentiality of certain university records and negotiations, was amended to clarify protections for proprietary research, donor confidentiality, and limited confidentiality for industry negotiations, then reported favorably as amended. Senate Bill 218 by Sen. Talbot, allowing alternative certification programs for election officials if approved by the State Board of Election Supervisors, and Senate Bill 220, a technical correction regarding the official journal of the state, were both reported favorably. Senate Bill 161 by Sen. Seaball, repealing a requirement that certain high-salary unclassified state employees register vehicles in Louisiana, was also reported favorably after questions about its scope and purpose. The committee then took up House Bill 1193 by Rep. Sawyer, which authorizes the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to use indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity construction contracts for maintenance and emergency work. CPRA officials said the model would speed small repairs and pre-construction tasks, improve efficiency, and mirror a similar DOTD approach; an amendment narrowed the public-records language and excluded design-build contracting. Members raised concerns about public records transparency and inclusion of minority and small contractors, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. House Bill 249 by Rep. Green, a constitutional amendment creating an independent compensation commission for elected officials and tying adjustments to CPI, drew extensive debate over removing the legislature from setting salaries, the appointment structure, and whether the state could afford automatic increases. After opposition from several members and a roll-call vote, the bill failed to be reported, 6 yeas to 9 nays. Because HB 249 failed, the companion enabling bill, House Bill 248, was deferred. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 997 by Rep. Edmondson, which would let parishes, municipalities, and school boards use their own websites as an alternative to newspaper publication for public notices. Supporters from the Police Jury Association argued the bill would reduce duplicative costs, preserve all existing notice requirements, and simply add a third option alongside newspaper publication and newspaper-hosted digital publication. An amendment narrowed the bill to parishes, municipalities, and school boards, removing other political subdivisions. Members questioned transparency, enforcement, record retention, and whether the change would undermine newspapers; supporters said courts would still enforce notice requirements and that local governments already maintain the records. The bill remained under discussion at the end of the transcript, with no final action shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• We heard the bill.
• Section 2 of this bill says that when this bill decides, Section 2 says that when this bill decides that
• I don't think that this bill is the bill in front of us.
• But for me, the Of this bill.
• The bill is read a third time. Question comes on passing the bill to be engrossed.

Summary: The Senate took up several local and special bills for final passage, including measures on culverts and dams in Town Line Brook and Lindenbrook, alcohol license conversions and additions in Milford, Salem, and Bridgewater, and special legislation allowing William Pilarie to take a firefighter civil service exam in Arlington despite the age limit. All five bills were passed to be enacted. The Senate also concurred in House amendments to bills on alcohol licenses in Bolton and conservation restrictions in Hanson, and adopted a resolution commending the National Safety Council and recognizing June as National Safety Month. The chamber then considered Ways and Means reports and orders for House bills on improving Massachusetts home care and requiring health care employers to prevent workplace violence. Both bills were amended with new Senate text and ordered to second reading on July 16, 2026, with the new text pending and further amendment procedures specified. The Senate also advanced several House bills passed to be engrossed, including land transfers in Norton, transportation bond terms, and Watertown property tax classifications, each being ordered to a third reading. The main debate centered on Senate No. 30, a bill to protect children from addictive social media feeds, which was taken up with a Ways and Means substitute draft, Senate No. 3164. Senators supporting the bill argued it targets addictive design features such as algorithmic feeds, autoplay, infinite scroll, and overnight notifications while preserving access to social media, privacy, and First Amendment rights; opponents and some supporters raised concerns about parental authority and the role of the state. The Senate adopted a series of amendments, including changes to the definition of user, stronger limits on minors’ nighttime notifications, parental consent and privacy protections for location sharing and age verification, exemptions for nonprofits and open-source platforms, age-signal clarifications, dark-pattern restrictions, and data-security/reporting provisions, while rejecting several other amendments. The debate remained ongoing at the end of the transcript, with additional amendments and discussion still pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• We heard the bill.
• the bill out.
• Section 2 of this bill says that when this bill decides, Section 2 says that when this bill decides that
• I don't think that this bill is the bill in front of us.
• Of this bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then you have then you have another fiscal year to spend the money.
• will have 23 months to spend the funds.
• Will we still be able to use that money as part of our rule Renaissance Bill if it passes?
• >> Representative Hart, we don't have a role Renaissance bill at this time.
• Bills that have not been filed. You have follow-up?

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm concerned that what we're not doing is looking at the spending that we should be spending on our
• , the most engaged bill.
• And now the bills are coming due.
• It provides roughly 5% in tax relief and increases spending from that bill by 95%.
• If you're married, you are going to be penalized under this bill, under this tax bill.

Summary: House and Senate Republican leaders held a media availability focused on the final stretch of the legislative session, with most of the discussion centered on budget proposals, a proposed income tax on high earners, and several policy bills they oppose. They criticized the operating budget for relying on a new income tax, using one-time fund sweeps and pension-related financing, and drawing down the rainy day fund, while saying the capital budget was more bipartisan and the transportation budget had some positive emphasis on road preservation but still included concerns such as Public Works Trust Fund sweeps and ferry funding. A major topic was allegations that sign-ins on the income tax bill included duplicates or fraudulent entries. Republicans said they took the issue seriously, supported verification improvements, and argued that even after removing duplicates the bill still drew over 100,000 unique emails opposing it. They rejected claims that their side had manipulated the process and said the Legislature should fix the sign-in system, possibly with more IT safeguards, while also arguing the bill should lose its emergency clause so voters could weigh in through a referendum. Republicans also criticized bills they described as anti-police or anti-law-enforcement, including measures related to face coverings and sheriff qualifications, and they opposed a bill requiring arbitration before claims against the state or local governments can go to jury trial, saying broader tort reform is needed instead. They said the state’s liability problems stem from harm done in areas like juvenile rehabilitation and child welfare. On the budget side, they objected to cuts to Medicaid, child care, transitional kindergarten, rural school funding, and other programs, while also warning against using pension funds to balance the budget and against a proposed 75-year Sound Transit bond, which they called financially irresponsible. No votes were taken in this media availability.

Transcript Highlights:

• I was a joint author on the bill with Senator Blanco.
• the attorney fees bill to be paid by the legislature.
• I can't pay that bill as much as I want to spend the 20 or 25 million that...
• I think, **Senator Campbell**, that was your bill.
• I think **Senator Campbell**, that was your bill.

Bills: SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

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