Video & Transcript Research : 'skilled labor'

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AZ

Arizona 2026 Regular Session

03/25/2026 - Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Transcript Highlights:
  • The necessary skills needed as an assistant were skills I had the most. across the state of Arizona.
  • The necessary skills needed as an assistant were skills I had the most.
  • The necessary skills needed as an assistant were skills I had the moment I graduated because I had hands-on
  • And I believe the labor movement should continue to be honored.
  • And I believe the labor movement should continue to be honored.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • I think all of those skills make for a well-rounded individual.
  • We need them equipped to be the skilled workers they want to be.
  • With access to higher education, these students can contribute in-demand skills.
  • We didn't change a thing, not a thing, but what changed was labor costs and materials.
  • We also know that this would provide... ...an opportunity for highly skilled workers.
NM
Transcript Highlights:
  • example, Tularosa Library does this, as well as Questil Library, expanding cultural and linguistic skills
  • example, Tillerosa Library does this, as well as Questil Library, expanding cultural and linguistic skills
  • The librarians in these areas do so as a labor of love. Its librarians are very dedicated.
  • Even for well-paid, skilled jobs, some have reduced operations or abandoned expansion plans altogether
  • , which are the skills mostly needed by our small businesses and hospitality industry.
Summary: The committee heard a lengthy presentation from the New Mexico Rural Library Initiative in support of fully funding the rural library endowment with an additional $29.5 million. The presenters described rural libraries as essential community infrastructure that provide not only books and internet access, but also early childhood programs, adult education, workforce support, telehealth, disaster response, and civic meeting space. They argued that the endowment would provide stable annual support for staffing and operations, help sustain libraries in very small towns and tribal communities, and support new or developing libraries. Members asked about eligibility, county coverage, how funds are distributed, and whether the state tracks broader outcomes such as job placements or certifications; the presenters said the State Library administers the funds and that the initiative itself is a nonprofit capacity-building organization, not the fund manager. Some members raised concerns about whether an endowment is the best long-term model versus recurring annual appropriations, and about the need for better reporting and state-library involvement. The committee then heard from food bank leaders Jill Dixon and Katie Anderson about food security and its economic impact. They said New Mexico’s five food banks and more than 500 partner agencies serve all 33 counties, distribute over 45 million meals, and rely mostly on philanthropy, with some state and local support. They emphasized that SNAP is a major economic driver, supporting grocery access, jobs, and local spending, and that recent legislative growth funding helped food banks respond to a surge in demand during a SNAP disruption. They also highlighted food banks as community hubs that can connect people to health care, job training, and other services, including through clinic referrals and closed-loop systems. In response to questions, they said food access gaps remain in some rural areas, that clients can generally seek food at other distribution sites without barriers, and that longer-term solutions should include more grocery access, healthy corner stores, and stronger broadband and health care infrastructure. The final presentations came from the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce and the Artesia Chamber of Commerce. Gallup-McKinley described a shrinking workforce, youth outmigration, crime, health care shortages, malpractice costs, and gross receipts tax burdens as major barriers to rural economic growth, and urged action on workforce pipelines, housing, public safety, malpractice reform, and tax/regulatory changes. Artesia highlighted its murals, library, sports tradition, oil and gas, agriculture, federal training center, and refinery, while also noting workforce shortages, health care recruitment challenges, housing constraints, and the need for quality-of-life investments and more flexible regulation. The committee also briefly heard a bill presentation proposing a New Mexico-Ireland Trade Commission to promote bilateral trade and investment, especially in technology, agriculture, and energy sectors. No votes were taken because quorum was not reached, and the endorsement item was not acted on.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

PSM Public Hearing 02-19-2025

Public Safety and Military Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • Yeah, that's where my skill comes in: assessment, transition planning, knowing what's appropriate and
  • comes my skill um that's where my skill comes my skill comes<00:37:17.599><c> in</c><00:37:18.079><c
  • </c> re-entry and being that you have skill re-entry and being that you have skill set<00:38:00.839><
  • And then just to be clear, your nominee is not for someone representing a labor union.
  • Position was... not for someone representing uh a labor not for someone representing uh a labor union
Keywords: 912, senate, all
Summary: The committees met on February 19, 2025, to hear advice-and-consent nominations, beginning with GM 645/GM 650 for Mike Lambert as Director of the Department of Law Enforcement. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support from state officials, community leaders, nonprofit representatives, and others, who praised Lambert’s collaboration with communities, communication skills, and practical approach to public safety. Several speakers highlighted his work on homelessness, game rooms, community policing, and his ability to work across public health and law enforcement lines. Lambert told the committee he has 22 years of law enforcement experience, including patrol, community policing, training, narcotics/vice, and work on fentanyl, internet crimes against children, and ghost guns, and said his priorities would include building community trust, improving training and discipline, and addressing fireworks and firearms enforcement. Senators asked about fireworks, federal collaboration, ports and airport screening, recruitment, pay parity, and whether the department should expand into a more formal state police force; Lambert said he would need time to learn the new port/shipping environment and would support a state police class and expanded enforcement capacity. The committee did not take a final vote in the portion of the transcript provided. The committee then heard GM 567 for Jean Dello Jr. as chairperson of the Hawaii Paroling Authority. Supporters, including Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice and Hawaii Paroling Authority staff, described him as honest, ethical, fair, and experienced in balancing public safety with rehabilitation and re-entry. Dello said he came out of retirement in 2021 to serve on the board, and that his background in federal probation and state corrections led him to favor evidence-based practices over simple compliance monitoring. He emphasized the need to weigh public safety with giving inmates a real opportunity to transition successfully back into the community. No final action or vote was announced in the excerpt provided.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill's vision of getting more students ready for high-wage, high-skill jobs is bold and promising
  • It's one of the many pieces of the puzzle that's going to help address labor shortages our state faces
  • These labor shortages affect new home prices, but they also affect the cost of home ownership.
  • The skills gap and the number of open positions.
  • The bill requires the State Board of Education to adopt... new essential knowledge and skills for the
Keywords: 1185, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee Jun 29th, 2026

Budget and Fiscal Review

Transcript Highlights:
  • The next bill is AB 165 on skilled nursing facilities.
  • The next bill is AB 171, and it is a labor trailer bill.
  • impact on workforce stability and patient access to quality care in skilled nursing.
  • Chair and members, Elmer Lozardo with the California Federation of Labor Unions.
  • Elmer Lozardo with the California Federation of Labor Unions.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Education Committee Jun 24th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • And it would allow our community colleges to train people for those jobs and give them the skills they
  • Thank you. and offer them invaluable skills that can be applied to a long-term career.
  • Motion is due pass to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee.
  • Motion is due pass to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee. Irwin.
  • Motion is do pass to the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Over the past 17 years, the cost of materials, equipment, and labor has risen dramatically.
  • As union construction employers, our labor agreements are collectively bargained, and we don't have any
  • Yeah, I do have concerns about the ability for our labor partners to be able to dispatch and not being
  • in our societies, giving people good, stable jobs that come with benefits, which is something that labor
  • That is the benefit of a skilled and trained workforce, of having a unionized contractor, that it's not
Summary: The committee heard several measures focused on economic development, procurement, workforce equity, federal infrastructure funding, and food security. SB 1044 by Senator Reyes would raise and then index to inflation the cap for streamlined state contracts awarded to certified small businesses, microbusinesses, and disabled veteran business enterprises for services and IT work; supporters said the current cap is outdated and limits access, while opponents representing goods suppliers and some small business groups argued the bill could disadvantage goods contractors and should preserve lower thresholds for those contracts. After discussion about the ceiling versus floor effect of the cap and the impact on different types of businesses, the bill was approved as amended and sent to Appropriations. SB 247 by Senator Smallwood-Cuevas would create a bid preference for projects that hire workers from disadvantaged communities; supporters framed it as a way to connect public infrastructure spending to family-sustaining jobs, while union construction employers opposed it because they said they cannot control worker dispatch through hiring halls and the bill would be difficult to implement. The committee advanced the measure to Appropriations despite those concerns. The committee also approved SJR 6 by Senator Cortese, which urges the federal government to honor commitments under the bipartisan infrastructure law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, with supporters emphasizing the importance of certainty for California infrastructure, clean energy, and semiconductor investments. SB 1025 by Senator Hurtado would establish an Office of Food Security and Affordability to coordinate food assistance efforts and develop a statewide food security strategy; supporters from a Kern County food bank and the University of California said the state’s response to hunger is fragmented and needs better coordination, while committee members asked about deliverables and timelines. The bill was sent to Appropriations. The committee also took up consent items SB 700 and SB 1340, which were moved on consent to Appropriations, and the hearing ended with the remaining votes recorded and the bills advanced. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly discussed the need for clearer implementation details, data on program impacts, and how to balance equity goals with operational realities for state agencies, contractors, and small businesses.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
  • We really wanted to dive in more to child care and what that means for women's labor force participation
  • So looking into what existing data tells us about working moms in Arkansas, the Arkansas labor force
  • We looked at county-by-county-level data here that looks at labor force participation rates of moms with
  • In your report on the labor force participation graph, I think it's slide four or five, what caused the
  • because there are daycare programs that do pay for daycare for people who want to increase their skills
Summary: The committee first approved the minutes and then heard a presentation from Maddie San Juan of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas on the report “Holding It All Together: Working Moms and Child Care in Arkansas.” She said the research found Arkansas moms are working and want to work, but child care costs, inflexible schedules, inadequate paid leave, and the mental load of caregiving are major barriers. She cited survey and focus group findings showing flexible hours were the most requested workplace support, 69% of moms identified child care costs as a barrier, and many families spend a large share of income on care. Members asked about labor force trends, what flexibility means in practice, and the cost and age structure of child care assistance programs. The presenter also noted child care affects economic development and workforce recruitment, and mentioned a Department of Commerce option that may help pay child care for people seeking training. Department of Education and Office of Early Childhood staff then gave updates on internal dashboards for enrollment, applications, and provider participation in School Readiness Assistance (SRA), saying the tools are now live for internal use and should improve transparency and data access. They said CLASS transition funding from the PDG grant would be released soon to providers who completed observations, and clarified that OEP awards based on CLASS scores are separate from OEC’s work. They also warned providers about a payment interruption during the transition to a new system: June 26 would be the last day to submit SRA payments for processing, payments would stop June 30, and billing would continue without processing from July 1 to 13, with back payments expected when the system resumes around July 14. Members raised concerns about provider cash flow, early childhood special education funding, an overpayment appeal involving a child care center, and whether CLASS data would be public; staff said the data is FOIA-able but not used by the department to set current quality or rates. The department also said it is reviewing audit requirements tied to Head Start and SRA, that Early Head Start children remained in their facilities after a closure, and that a market rate survey/cost analysis is still in procurement. Staff reported that the QRIS process will begin with a June 23 webinar and that CLASS will be part of a broader quality system still being developed with provider and parent input. They also said the local lead network was re-competed and will cover all counties starting July 1 with 23 local leads, and that the PDG partner group has been formed to provide ongoing stakeholder feedback. The meeting ended with no further business and adjournment.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Education Committee Jun 17th, 2026

Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • CUSD is actively partnering with registered apprenticeship program sponsors, industry partners, labor
  • In addition, the district offers, ...workplace expectations and industry skills.
  • The motion is due pass as amended to Labor and Employment Committee. Patel, aye. Hoover, aye.
  • The motion is do pass as amended to Labor and Employment. Bonta, Garcia, Garcia, aye. Garcia, aye.
  • The motion is do pass as amended to Labor and Employment Committee. Bonta aye. Bonta aye.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • I know all three of you know about credit for prior learning, and this is really recognizing the skills
  • receive credit for prior learning, they can skip the first several courses that they already have skills
  • So we're looking at mapping those skills within the Google certificate, let's say data analytics, onto
  • And then a third factor you could consider is the ...while the labor market is weak.
  • And so we take a look at what is driving... ...skills attainment of our learners.
Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard updates on several higher education budget items, beginning with a pulled follow-up item on the State Library’s administration of the Imagination Library. The chair said the committee had received new documentation from the State Library and the Department of Finance late the prior evening, and staff would review it before deciding whether additional oversight or accountability measures are needed. The committee then turned to the California Community Colleges budget request, with Chancellor Christian outlining strong post-pandemic enrollment recovery, asking for 3% enrollment growth funding, changes to the three-year average formula, removal of the 10% growth cap, and support for several one-time and ongoing initiatives including the Common Cloud Data Platform, credit for prior learning, AI literacy, Rebuild L.A., veterans services, Calbright College, and the Chancellor’s Office. Senators raised concerns about district reserves, part-time faculty conditions, veterans’ credit pathways, and fraud prevention in enrollment systems; the chancellor said the system is using DMV and other identity verification tools, AI screening, and audits, and that reported final enrollment numbers are clean. The committee then reviewed the student-centered funding formula. The Department of Finance described the governor’s proposal to fully repay $408.4 million in deferrals, provide a 2.41% COLA, and add one-time funding to cover current-year apportionment costs, while the Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended prioritizing the proposals within available Proposition 98 funding. Community college finance staff said most districts are growing, many would benefit from current-year funding rules, and that without the proposed apportionment funding districts could face a deficit factor and reduced course access. Members asked about infrastructure prioritization, deferred maintenance, safety, accessibility, and campus police; staff explained that life safety projects are prioritized first, followed by modernization and growth-related facilities, and that colleges are built to high safety standards under the Field Act. Enrollment growth was discussed separately, with Finance and LAO supporting the governor’s 1.5% growth proposal split across two fiscal years, while noting that growth is being driven in part by dual enrollment, regional demographic shifts, and unemployment. The Chancellor’s Office said 54 of 72 districts grew year over year and that funding more growth could help districts move off hold harmless status, though some districts face long-term demographic challenges. The committee also heard from Calbright College President Agita Menon, who described Calbright’s role serving adult learners statewide, its completion and wage gains, and the governor’s proposed $38 million ongoing funding. The LAO recommended transitioning Calbright to the student-centered funding formula beginning in 2027-28, arguing that the current proposal lacks a clear funding rationale and performance linkage; Calbright responded that its competency-based, non-credit model is structurally different and should be funded separately, while agreeing to continued accountability reporting. Finally, the committee received an update on the Community College Higher Education Student Housing Program. Finance said the governor proposes about $11 million ongoing General Fund for debt service on approved student housing projects, and that 11 projects are in the financing pipeline, with two completed, three under construction, four in working drawings, and two in preliminary plans. Finance also noted that some projects have withdrawn and that about $81 million in bond authority remains unallocated, which the Legislature may need to address going forward.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Higher Education Committee Mar 17th, 2026

Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • come at a better time, as there are gaps in the workforce between the needs of employers and the skills
  • Connor Gussman, on behalf of Teamsters California and our 1,100 skilled trades workers at all 22 CSU
  • And the main driver of the costs are labor costs in the colleges that you're trying to address.
  • It's labor costs.
  • So I find this, frankly, appalling to have organized labor show up here and try to very cleverly pit
Keywords: 988, house, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

89th Legislative Session May 22nd, 2025

Texas House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Public Health Service through her leadership, skill, and commitment to excellence.
  • Through their participation in these two organizations, these future leaders are developing skills necessary
  • Senate Bill 243 by Flores, ruling to the regulation of migrant labor housing facilities, changing the
  • don't know, and I've told you already, I don't know about other restrictions under the law, under labor
  • can't speak again to all the laws that affect that because there are other things: employment law, labor
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Today our hearing will cover labor and workforce development.
  • Forty years ago I was a labor member of the Cal OSHA Appeals Board.
  • It aims to strengthen employer engagement to identify critical skills for the workplace.
  • I'm the Community Impact Director at the Sacramento Labor, Sacramento Central Labor Council.
  • One is at our national labor relations board level.
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Floor Session Mar 19th, 2026

California House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, she worked alongside my grandfather to secure the first labor contract at Almaden Vineyards
  • People like my grandfather, people like many of your parents and relatives, people who labored in the
  • He was a cement laborer in the Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 294, whose work
  • In retirement, he continued working with his hands as a skilled carpenter who did woodworking, and he
  • In retirement, he continued working with his hands as a skilled carpenter who did woodworking, and he
Keywords: 988, house, all
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Mar 11th, 2026

Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Senate Labor and Public Employment Committee will come to order.
  • I'm a labor economist and the director of the Low-Wage Work Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
  • You know, labor organizations were a part of that.
  • , industries where there's a large share of immigrant labor.
  • produce California's labor market data.
Keywords: 987, senate, all
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Working Group on Omnibus Jobs, Labor and Economic Development - 05/27/25

Minnesota Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, Jobs and Labor Finance and Policy Working Group. Welcome to all.
  • struggling labor market.
  • struggling labor market.
  • </c> prevented from leveraging their skills prevented from leveraging their skills and<00:12:14.480><
  • </c> chair of the Minnesota Senate Labor chair of the Minnesota Senate Labor Committee.<00:39:04.200>
Keywords: 1187, senate, all
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

IC - Science, Technology and Telecommunications Aug 25th, 2025

Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:
  • have all regular programming up there, as well as our post-secondary program which focuses on life skills
  • and job skills for our kiddos.
  • The expanded core curriculum is a set of nine areas that focuses on skills that folks with vision loss
  • Our labor hits about $3 billion, $3.3 billion.
  • Moving on to slide 11, our labor is over $1.8 billion. that we pay out in labor costs just in New Mexico
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • — But you covered it because I was struggling to find labor and delivery.
  • I was like, why aren't we talking about labor and delivery?
  • are skills that we don't have in-house.
  • are skills that we don't have in how.
  • So in the transform. technical assistance center because I think some of those skills are skills that
Summary: The hearing began with testimony from Let California Kids Hear and supporters urging action on pediatric hearing aid coverage. Advocates said California has repeatedly failed to enact a workable solution over the past eight years and argued that children need early access to sound to support development. The proposal discussed would limit the coverage mandate to the large-group market, which advocates said would cover roughly 70% to 80% of affected children and avoid the exchange-related cost issue that contributed to prior vetoes. Supporters, including parents, audiologists, and children’s health groups, backed the proposal, and the chair expressed sympathy and support while noting hope for a federal solution for exchange plans. The Department of Finance then gave opening remarks about the state’s structural deficit and the need to balance new investments against projected out-year shortfalls. HCAI followed with a broad overview of its programs, including CalRx insulin and naloxone initiatives, reproductive health grants, the Office of Health Care Affordability, hospital seismic compliance, workforce programs, and the diaper access initiative. Members asked about geographic targeting of workforce funds, the behavioral health workforce pipeline, and the status of the 21st Century Nursing Initiative, which HCAI said had reverted funds. The committee also discussed a proposed transfer of the Data Exchange Framework and Office of the Patient Advocate to HCAI, new reporting on long-term care staffing and health coverage waiting periods, and a Behavioral Health Services Act workforce proposal that would use BHSA funds to support training, stipends, and technical assistance while offsetting $100 million in General Fund spending; members and LAO questioned the offset and asked for more detail, and the item was held open. HCAI also presented the Rural Health Transformation Program, explaining that California received $233.6 million in federal funds for the first year and had to revise its proposal so that $35 million in provider payments would be tied to specific transformative activities rather than general financial relief. The program will fund rural care model redesign, workforce development, and technology/infrastructure improvements, with grants to be rolled out on a tight timeline and subject to CMS approval. Members asked about the size of California’s award, the use of funds for maternity care, labor and delivery access, dialysis, tribal set-asides, and the role of a technical assistance contractor. The department said the program will use supply-and-demand workforce modeling to target funding and that all funds must be obligated by October 30. Finally, the Department of Managed Health Care outlined its budget and two major bill-related proposals: SB 41 on PBM reform and SB 306 on prior authorization transparency. DMHC said SB 41 would require PBM licensure, ban spread pricing, require rebate pass-through, and regulate pharmacy network practices, while SB 306 would require reporting on prior authorization and create a list of services exempt from prior authorization. DMHC requested additional positions and funding to implement both measures.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Mar 11th, 2026

Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:
  • The Senate Labor and Public Employment Committee will come to order.
  • I'm a labor economist and the director of the Low-Wage Work Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
  • So, yes, I think if the labor market, the labor market... For their purchases.
  • You know, labor organizations were a part of that.
  • California's labor market data.
Summary: The Senate Labor and Public Employment Committee held an oversight hearing on federal policy impacts on California’s labor market. In opening remarks, the chair argued that federal actions, including immigration enforcement, tariffs, and cuts to safety-net programs, are harming workers, employers, and communities, and said the committee wanted to document impacts and identify state responses. The first panel featured economist Enrique Lopez Lira of UC Berkeley, who described slow job growth, wage pressures, high housing and care costs, and the large share of California workers in low-wage jobs. He said federal cuts to Medi-Cal and SNAP/CalFresh and increased immigration enforcement would worsen insecurity, especially in health care, retail, hospitality, agriculture, and care work. The chair asked about recession indicators, middle-wage stagnation, and which sectors rely most on safety-net programs, and Lopez Lira said worker organizing and unions were a source of hope. A second panel focused on federal immigration enforcement. UC Merced’s Edward Orozco Flores presented research finding that private-sector employment in enforcement-targeted states fell during escalated enforcement periods, with California experiencing unprecedented declines in 2025. He urged policymakers to consider wage-replacement or stimulus-style support for affected workers, including excluded workers who cannot access unemployment insurance. Shannon Sedgwick of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation said undocumented workers are deeply embedded in the county economy, generating substantial economic activity and supporting over a million jobs. She reported that intensified enforcement in Los Angeles County was associated with business disruptions, reduced sales and customer traffic, workforce instability, lower transit ridership in vulnerable areas, and losses from the downtown curfew. Committee members asked about impacts on small businesses, tax revenue, and recovery, and witnesses pointed to local resiliency funds, business toolkits, and know-your-rights efforts as partial responses. The hearing then heard from worker representatives. Flore Melendres of the Clean Car Wash Worker Center said car washes have been heavily targeted by federal agents, with hundreds of workers taken from workplaces, many businesses disrupted or closed, and workers living in fear; she urged support for AB 2271 to provide financial benefits to families who lost income because of DHS activity. California Nurses Association president Michelle Gutierrez-Vos said H.R. 1’s Medi-Cal and Covered California cuts threaten hospital finances, jobs, and patient care, and she backed CalCare (AB 1900), a hospital closure moratorium, and more support for nursing education. UAW 4811 president Rafael Jaime said federal research cuts are putting UC research funding and postdoctoral jobs at risk and endorsed SB 895, a proposed bond measure for health and scientific research. AFGE representatives Wallace Wade and Kendrick Roberson described the strain on federal workers during shutdowns, unpaid work, staffing losses, and the effects on TSA, Social Security, VA services, and worker housing stability; they supported SB 1155 to protect federal workers from eviction. Committee members thanked the witnesses and said the testimony showed both the human and economic consequences of federal policy. In the final panel, employer groups began responding to the same federal pressures. California Retailers Association president Rachel Michelin said retail is a major private-sector employer and a key entry point for young workers, and that retailers are seeing the effects of rising costs, supply-chain shifts, and consumer pressure at the checkout counter. The hearing continued with additional employer testimony beyond the provided excerpt.