Transcript Highlights:

• I was told I had to pay thousands of dollars, which I could not afford. ...humiliating.
• I was told I had to pay thousands of dollars, which I could not afford.
• But is it a slippery slope that allows people who are fully able to pay, who are...
• So that warrant process doesn't exist if it's just for not paying parking tickets.
• Hundreds of incidents with driverless AVs have prompted city post.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard a series of bills focused on transportation safety, climate resilience, wildlife connectivity, parking enforcement, and EV charging reliability. AB 605 would create a pilot program allowing certain hydrogen internal combustion cargo-handling equipment at ports; supporters said it could help ports stay competitive while reducing emissions, while South Coast AQMD raised concerns about possible nitrogen oxide emissions and limits on future regulation. The bill passed on an 11-0 vote to the Natural Resources Committee. AB 1132 would require Caltrans to incorporate community resilience indicators, including socioeconomic factors, into climate vulnerability assessments; supporters from Greenlining, AARP, and others said it would better protect seniors, people with disabilities, and transit users during heat waves and disasters, while some members questioned the cost during a tight budget year. It passed 9-0 to Appropriations, with some members not voting. AB 382 would lower school-zone speed limits to 20 mph and give local agencies more flexibility in how the limit is posted and enforced; supporters cited child pedestrian deaths and safety research, and the bill passed 11-0 to Appropriations. AB 902, as amended, would require transportation projects in wildlife connectivity areas to include wildlife passage features where feasible; supporters emphasized reduced collisions and habitat fragmentation, while the California Building Industry Association and COGs moved from opposition to neutral after amendments. It passed 9-1 to Local Government. AB 1014 would give Caltrans more discretion to lower speed limits on state highways based on local conditions rather than the 85th percentile rule; supporters said it would improve safety in rural and tourist areas, and the bill passed 13-0 to Appropriations. AB 1022 would end towing or booting vehicles solely for unpaid parking tickets, with supporters describing the practice as punitive and harmful to low-income drivers, while cities and parking groups argued it would weaken enforcement and create problems for out-of-state vehicles. The bill passed 9-3 to Appropriations. AB 1423 would require publicly funded EV chargers to meet reliability standards and allow enforcement of uptime requirements; supporters said taxpayers need functioning chargers, while charging-industry opponents objected to retroactive standards and possible conflicts with existing agreements. The bill passed 14-0 to Utilities and Energy. The committee also approved a consent calendar of five bills by voice vote and held roll calls open for additional members to add on.

Transcript Highlights:

• But a key unanswered question in this community-homeowner space is: Who pays? Should the state pay?
• Should local governments be paying? Should homeowners be paying?
• The cost that a customer pays is the premium plus the premium tax.
• For me, the question is— Who pays and who orders the work?
• And then if I pay, what about my neighbors on each side?

Summary: The Senate Committee on Insurance held an information hearing on the impacts of climate change and catastrophic wildfire on California’s insurance market, with opening remarks focused on the state’s affordability, availability, and stability problems. Chair and members discussed the role of SB 254’s report, the Sustainable Insurance Strategy, the growth of the FAIR Plan, and the need to better align insurance regulation, mitigation, and land-use decisions. The Vice Chair noted the importance of hearing from industry as well as consumer and academic experts, and Senator Becker said the report would inform further committee work. Amy Bach of United Policyholders described how climate-driven wildfire and flood risk, combined with inflation, insurtech, and risk modeling, have reduced competition and pushed more homeowners into the FAIR Plan and non-admitted surplus lines coverage. She said availability is improving somewhat, but affordability will depend on mitigation, insurer competition, and fair rate regulation. In response to questions, she emphasized underinsurance as a long-running problem, supported stronger insurer responsibility for replacement-cost estimates, and suggested a public reinsurance backstop and more mitigation funding rather than removing wildfire coverage from basic policies. Nancy Watkins of Milliman and Michael Wara of Stanford argued that the market problem is fundamentally that expected claims and expenses now exceed premiums because too many homes are burning. They said California needs both risk reduction and actuarially sound pricing, along with a state mitigation framework that targets the highest-risk communities and prioritizes home hardening, defensible space, and community-scale mitigation over broad acreage-based spending. They also discussed the role of non-admitted carriers as a gap-filler, the need for better data on reconstruction costs and mitigation effectiveness, and the importance of sustained funding rather than one-time grants. A later panel with Frank Freebalt of Cal Poly and Michael Golnar of UC Berkeley focused on modeling and mitigation science. They said wildfire policy should treat the issue as a structure-ignition and urban conflagration problem, not just a wildland fire problem, and stressed integrated land-use, utility, and community mitigation. Members asked about zoning, building codes, utility hardening, and who should pay for mitigation; witnesses said older, denser neighborhoods are the highest priority, that utilities must improve operational safety measures, and that targeted mitigation in the highest-risk areas offers the best return. No votes or formal actions were taken at the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• the best pay, or do you talk about going to figure out what the average pay is and offering him just
• the average pay to entice him to come run your company?
• near the profits to be able to pay what they want to pay.
• Who are they paying? Who are they paying? The state? Who are they paying? Who are they paying?
• He's not even paying attention right now.

Summary: The committee first heard and favorably reported House Bill 1175, which updates aeronautics-related definitions to make Louisiana more attractive to the aviation industry. It then approved House Bill 655, giving DOTD clearer authority to contract for operation and maintenance of state ferry systems on a cost-plus basis, with testimony focused on flexibility for the Cameron Ferry and other state-run ferries. House Bill 1037, which reorganizes certain DOTD operations by shifting duties to a chief operating officer and extending work on a unified permitting platform, was also reported favorably, as was House Bill 1174, which recreates the Department of Transportation and Development on a revised cycle. House Bill 714 was voluntarily deferred. The committee next took up several port-related measures. House Bill 871, which would have added two St. Tammany appointees to the Port of New Orleans board, was voluntarily deferred after the author said the timing was premature given ongoing work on the LIT project and regional trade zone issues. House Bill 345, expanding the Rail Infrastructure Improvement Program to include rail infrastructure at ports, was reported favorably. House Bill 713, which would cap the Caddo-Bossier Port executive director’s compensation at the statewide average of the top ten port directors, drew extensive testimony for and against; supporters argued the salary was excessive and the port needed accountability, while opponents said ports are different from one another, the local appointing authorities already oversee the board, and the bill could hurt recruitment. The committee voted 12-1 to involuntarily defer HB 713. House Bill 667, which would change the Caddo-Bossier Port Commission from appointed to elected members, also drew strong opposition over cost, voter confusion, and loss of local appointing authority, and it too was involuntarily deferred by a 12-1 vote. The committee then favorably reported House Bill 743, creating the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish, after testimony that the airport should be managed as a dedicated economic development asset. House Bill 836, which would reconfirm members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East, was amended to move the reconfirmation date from August 1, 2026, to December 1, 2026, to avoid disrupting hurricane-season operations, and was reported favorably by substitute. Finally, House Bill 730, concerning the use of ADS-B aircraft tracking data, was discussed with an amendment limiting the bill’s application to smaller aircraft; the measure was presented as a privacy and safety bill to prevent assessors or others from using ADS-B data to impose fees or taxes on aircraft owners.

Transcript Highlights:

• scale and at the bottom of the pay scale.
• I mean, it's the top of the pay scale?
• scale and at the bottom of the the pay scale and at the bottom of the pay<01:16:22.000><c> scale.
• And so I think this fits pay scale.
• </c> this amendment will do is it will prompt this amendment will do is it will prompt us<01:26:49.360

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a fight that's way above any of our pay grade.
• If a nonprofit applies for a loan but can't get audited, they pay a higher interest rate.
• If an individual can't afford tax advice and files incorrectly, they pay penalties.
• </c> advice and files incorrectly, they pay advice and files incorrectly, they pay penalties. penalties
• </c><05:21:25.200><c> and</c> pages are a series of prompts and pages are a series of prompts and responses

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the liono Lakes 2019 at the prompting of the liono Lakes chief<01:15:01.800><c> of</c><01:15:02.000
• is going<01:33:11.040><c> to</c><01:33:11.159><c> them</c><01:33:11.280><c> to</c><01:33:11.480><c> pay
• </c><01:33:11.639><c> rent</c><01:33:11.920><c> it's</c><01:33:12.040><c> a</c> going to them to pay
• rent it's a going to them to pay rent it's a grandmother<01:33:12.639><c> it's</c><01:33:12.760><c> an
• And should Minnesota taxpayers be paying, you know, I think that's whatever three-fourths of a million

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Those numbers are so different when you got to pay your prevailing wage, right?
• You got to pay them a per diem. You got to pay them housing, you got to pay them a bonus, right?
• So Quay County has and pays for their reservation.
• They pay that annual allocation to maintain that reservation.
• We're going to pay for O&M through a portion of our membership contributions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I asked that exact question, and they told me that it would be close to what they're paying now, maybe
• acquired by an agency through eminent domain may be transferred to another state agency without prompting

Bills: SB1195, SB1245, SB1379, SB1420, SB1473, SB1534, SB1743, SB1769, SB1945

Keywords: nuisance, racing facility, racetrack, qualified defense, local property rights, noise regulation, legal claims, felony offenses, criminal justice reform, drug offenses, DUI penalties, residential treatment, human trafficking, victims, prevention, support services, Attorney General, pilot program, grant funding, public comment

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Shaheen, is there something that prompted the filing of this bill, some event, or, uh,
• Um, Last year Capital Metro, a bus operator was attacked and robbed by just requesting that they pay

Transcript Highlights:

• We were actually at a pivotal juncture in human history prompted by a scientific paradigm shift.
• having to close because they just can't absorb these costs or they have to raise prices and all of us pay
• These costs or they have to raise prices and all of us pay for that.
• In other words, the developer could pay up front for the necessary infrastructure.
• In other words, the developer could pay up front for the necessary infrastructure to be expanded to their

Summary: The Assembly Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee met in person and established quorum after beginning briefly as a subcommittee. The committee adopted its rules and then heard several bills focused on economic recovery, housing, technology, retail theft, and utility infrastructure. AB 265 (Caloza) would create a $100 million state-funded small business and nonprofit recovery program for organizations affected by declared emergencies; it drew broad support from small business, nonprofit, chamber, city, and community groups, with no opposition voiced. AB 797 (Harabedian) proposed a zero-cost state financing structure using CRA-backed securities to help community nonprofits buy wildfire-damaged properties at fair market value and prevent predatory investor purchases; it was presented as a community stabilization tool and received support from the California Community Foundation, with no opposition. AB 940 (Wicks/Ellis) would establish quantum innovation zones to strengthen California’s quantum computing economy, and AB 949 (Shiavo) would create a retail theft grant program for small businesses to fund security improvements and theft prevention measures; both bills were supported by business and university witnesses, though one member said they would not vote for AB 949 due to concerns about broader crime policy. AB 1347 (Carrillo) proposed a pilot program to speed utility interconnections in priority growth regions, including allowing developers to trade expedited connections for upfront infrastructure cost recovery and use microgrids in some cases; it had no opposition in the hearing. Committee members generally expressed support for the bills, especially those aimed at disaster recovery and small business resilience. Questions on AB 940 focused on where quantum innovation zones might be located and how local governments and universities would coordinate; the author and witnesses said the zones should be open statewide and could build on existing research centers such as Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech, UCSB, UCLA, and UCSC. On AB 797, members discussed the need to protect homeowners from below-market offers after wildfires. On AB 949, the author emphasized that modest grants could help small businesses make security upgrades and prevent repeated theft losses. The committee voted to send AB 265, AB 797, AB 940, AB 949, and AB 1347 forward, generally on party-line or near-unanimous votes, with the bills reported out of committee and placed on call as needed. The consent calendar, including AB 254, AB 415, AB 655, AB 1232, AB 1254, AB 1477, and HR 27, was also approved. The hearing adjourned at 10:33 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I think I pay 26 cents a kilowatt. And if you live inside the city, you pay 13.
• Boxing promoters pay a fee, which then goes into a fund.
• They pay $0.53 a kilowatt. They don't care what power costs them.
• Power for California, they pay $0.53 a kilowatt.
• I think it's people not paying attention.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Cost validation tools ensure that we pay only what is contractually agreed to, not a penny more.
• And so we pay, in terms of an ingredient cost for the drug, the average acquisition cost for the drug
• , and then we pay the pharmacist for their professional services a professional dispensing fee.
• And they said, no, we're paying more for drugs than we ever had.
• You pay the pharmacy five bucks, you bill the plan 11 bucks, and you pocket the difference.

Summary: The Senate Insurance Committee met on May 13, 2026, adopted the May 6 minutes, and then took up several bills dealing with pharmacy benefit managers, prescription access, behavioral health coverage, and Citizens Property Insurance. HB 938, as amended, was the main PBM reform measure. After the committee adopted a large amendment set that narrowed the bill, members heard extensive testimony in support from Mark Bloom, Justin Joseph of Capital Rx, and Kathy Ue of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, all emphasizing transparency, pass-through pricing, reverse auctions, and patient access. Supporters described savings from reverse auctions and administrative models, while the cancer center testified that PBM-owned specialty pharmacy requirements can delay cancer medications and create financial hardship. The committee reported HB 938 favorably with amendments. The committee also heard HB 1154, which prohibits prior authorization for certain generic medications prescribed by qualified physicians, with a $250 cap discussed as a safeguard against higher-cost generics. The bill was supported by representatives from Ochsner Health and the Louisiana State Medical Society and was reported favorably. HB 909, which requires commercial coverage for behavioral health crisis services, was amended to clarify the insurers covered and then reported favorably with support from the Office of Behavioral Health and several outside groups. Testimony on HB 909 focused on reducing emergency room and law enforcement burdens and expanding crisis response capacity across the state. HB 1187, dealing with excess emergency assessment funds from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, was explained by the Insurance Commissioner as a way to transfer remaining Katrina-era assessment funds to the Fortified Roof Program. The committee reported the bill favorably. Finally, SB 511 and SB 512 were deferred and converted into a study resolution approach because there was not yet consensus on the underlying issue. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• We will keep time of your opening, and we will prompt you when you are approaching that time.
• And if it's due to the overpumping, then the groundwater sustainability agency has to pay for it.
• So kind of back to what you were, the first question that you were asking about, you know, who pays for
• Who pays for it, I'm referring to what our requirements are, because these basins have come to us.
• And we will keep a tab of your time and prompt you when your time has concluded. Thank you.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Did y'all not know that she was supposed to be paying?
• are paying?
• My question is, who pays for the municipalities?
• The big apartment owners are paying that.
• And our position is, hey, you have to pay rent.

Summary: The committee first approved the May 5 minutes and then heard House Bill 578, which would define sex in Louisiana law as biological sex, replace references to gender with sex in various statutes and forms, and direct the Law Institute to make conforming changes. Supporters from the governor’s office said the bill would bring clarity and consistency, while opponents argued it could create conflicts with existing law and weaken protections tied to gender identity. After debate, the committee reported HB 578 favorably. Members then considered House Bill 1250, a measure aimed at aerospace-related litigation. The bill would allow a special motion to strike certain claims against aerospace flight entities when the claims are preempted by federal law. Senators raised concerns that the language was broad enough to affect airports, airlines, contractors, and even unrelated incidents, and the author said he was willing to work on narrowing amendments. The committee nevertheless reported HB 1250 favorably. House Bill 718, dealing with liability protections for private airstrips used for recreation, was amended to narrow its scope and then reported favorably, while House Bill 163, a narrower related airstrip bill, was voluntarily deferred so the committee could work from the other measure. The committee also approved House Concurrent Resolution 61, which asks the Louisiana Law Institute to review possible conflicts between the constitution and statutes on expropriation. House Bill 180, defining foreign adversaries and agents of foreign adversaries for a proposed constitutional amendment, and House Bill 192, a constitutional amendment barring foreign adversaries from expropriating land in Louisiana, were both reported favorably. House Bill 1008, which sets out academic freedom and whistleblower protections for higher education, was rejected on a roll-call vote after concerns about its scope and limits on university discipline. House Bill 638, a prompt-payment bill for contractors, was set aside while amendments were being located. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 71, which would extend existing liability protections for justified use of force to properly trained armed security guards. The author and the Board of Private Security Examiners said security officers receive training and often face dangerous situations, but opponents argued the bill would give too much protection to personnel with far less training than law enforcement and could shield bad shootings. After debate, the committee voted to defer HB 71. The last measure discussed was House Bill 1082, which would change venue rules for lawsuits involving the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System so actions by the system would be filed where the employer is located; the author said the bill was meant to help small municipalities, and members indicated they were open to narrowing amendments.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what really prompted the discussion.
• landowners could come in and petition, and file new plats, and absorb that land, and of course start paying
• ESD had to make a decision of either, obviously, violating the law, which they didn't want to do, or pay

Bills: HB334, HB583, HB605, HB1327, HB1646, HB2115, HB2379

Keywords: family leave, leave pool, county employee, sick leave, vacation leave, family care, pandemic, guardianship, fencing, reservoirs, local government, regulation, land use, conservation capacity, property regulation, fence regulation, reservoir safety, county authority, fencing regulations, counties

Transcript Highlights:

• APPRECIATION FOR WHY HE'S CARRYING THE BILL FORWARD AND WHAT THE BILL IS ABOUT AND THE DIALOGUE IT'S PROMPTING
• THIS IS SOMETHING WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
• AND THE LIABILITY WILL HELP PAY THOSE MEDICAL BILLS THAT THEY HAD NO FAULT IN AT ALL. $1000 WOULD NOT

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• “Y’all didn’t know that she was supposed to be paying?
• are paying?”
• My question is, who pays for the municipalities?
• The big apartment owners are paying that.
• And our story is, hey, you have to pay rent.

Keywords: 974, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 1342 prompts Texas to maximize the use of its limited bond capacity.
• They do so again without pay. It was their only tiny benefit.
• And as long as the member pays the full cost of that coverage, I humbly write to close.
• They want the work themselves, and borrowers are paying the price.
• I have had to pay up to $300 an hour in the Pineywood region for the use of that room.

Bills: HJR40

Keywords: Medicaid, healthcare access, Affordable Care Act, federal funding, constitutional amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• And the way that it looked before this budget is that teachers don't pay into... ...it looked before
• this budget is that teachers don't pay into disability, right?
• And then you pay the difference of your sub out of your own salary.
• So your salary is then reduced to pay for the substitute in your public school classroom.
• So we are paying for the country.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the final three-party agreement for the 2026-27 state budget and 19 implementing bills, including two budget bill juniors and 17 trailer bills. Committee leadership and administration officials described the budget as a balanced plan that reduces out-year structural deficits, maintains large reserves, and makes major investments in health care, education, housing, child care, public safety, and other core services while also responding to expected federal cuts and fiscal uncertainty. The Department of Finance outlined the package’s major components, including Medi-Cal adjustments, education funding increases, higher education changes, child care and human services updates, housing and homelessness funding, energy and transportation provisions, and tax and general government changes. Members asked questions about several provisions, including CSU enrollment targets and turnaround plans, the Prop. 98 settle-up mechanism, the plastics market development payment program, housing accountability measures, NextGen 9-1-1 implementation, and veteran services. Staff and administration witnesses explained that the higher education language is intended to improve campus-by-campus reporting and oversight, that Prop. 98 settle-up would be finalized later through the statutory certification process, and that NextGen 9-1-1 now includes one-time funding, quarterly reporting, an independent technical review, and a state audit. Members also discussed the HAP homelessness funding increase to $900 million and the balance between accountability and timely distribution of funds. The most extended exchange centered on comparisons between funding for veterans and Medi-Cal/immigrant health coverage. Republican members argued the budget spends far more on undocumented immigrant services than on veterans, while Democratic members and Finance staff responded that the comparison was misleading because many veterans’ services are federally funded and the state budget also includes dedicated veteran support. The chair and other members emphasized that the budget reflects difficult tradeoffs and that the package protects vulnerable populations, preserves health care access, and advances affordability. No final vote was described in the excerpt, but members indicated support for the overall package and said they would support it on the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• Last August, my office issued an audit report on the Department of Cannabis Control that was prompted
• So there are some where it might be more obvious what is on a label and what they should be paying attention
• In summary, we urge the Legislature and DCC to take prompt action to address these critical regulatory

Summary: The Joint Legislative Audit Committee heard an audit on the Department of Cannabis Control’s oversight of cannabis packaging and labeling, focused on whether products attractive to children are being kept out of the legal market. The auditor said the department’s rules are often vague or subjective, leading to inconsistent enforcement, and that the state relies heavily on licensees to self-police because there is no upfront review before products reach the market. The audit cited examples involving cartoon-like images, bright colors, flavor references, candy-like imagery, strain names, and beverage packaging, and recommended clearer statutory standards, possible pre-approval of packaging, better enforcement tools, and stronger tracking of repeat violators. Assemblymembers and senators largely agreed that child safety is the priority, but differed on the best policy response. Some members argued for clearer legislative limits and even plain packaging, saying products like root beer, cherry pie, and cereal-like designs are plainly appealing to children. Department officials said they had already begun reforms, including a centralized label-review team, a rubric, improved databases, and more attention to repeat violations, while also emphasizing that the illicit and intoxicating hemp markets are major sources of youth exposure and that resource constraints limit inspections. They said they are open to working with the Legislature on more specific standards and additional funding. Public witnesses split between public health and industry perspectives. A pediatrician and public health advocate urged stronger restrictions, including plain packaging, limits on flavors and potency, and a pre-market review system, arguing that vague rules have failed children. Industry representatives said they support youth protections but want bright-line, objective standards so compliant businesses can know what is allowed; they argued that most youth-targeted packaging is in the illicit market and that the legal market needs clearer rules rather than broader bans. No formal vote or committee action was taken during the hearing.