Video & Transcript : 'school construction assistance program' :
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HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
JHA Public Hearing - Thu Feb 19, 2026 @ 2:00 PM HST
Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> for the victim witness assistance for the victim witness assistance programs.<01:57:58.639><c> and
- I too support programming.
- I too support programming. In efforts. I too support programming.
- program and earn that discharge.
- program and earn that discharge.
Committee:
House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Summary:
The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs recessed briefly for a joint hearing, then reconvened and took up House Bill 2494, which would limit warrantless arrests for petty misdemeanors and violations, require officers to document arrest justification, expand citation-in-lieu-of-arrest use, and direct the Judiciary to create a standardized citation form. The chair also outlined hearing procedures and testimony time limits. Committee members later received an overview from the Policing Project about national trends in expanding citation use.
Testimony was divided. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Office of the Public Defender, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and the Policing Project, argued the bill would reduce unnecessary arrests and pretrial detention, lessen jail overcrowding, save law enforcement time, and reduce harms such as job loss, housing instability, family disruption, and recidivism. They also said the bill preserves officer discretion through public-safety and flight-risk exceptions, and several supporters urged the committee to adopt a standardized citation form despite the Judiciary’s request for a delayed implementation date.
Opposition came from the Department of the Attorney General, the Judiciary, county prosecutors, Honolulu Police Department, and other individuals. They argued the bill would unduly restrict law enforcement discretion, create administrative and data-processing problems, and make it harder to identify repeat or habitual offenders because of changes to citation information and fingerprinting. The Judiciary requested implementation no earlier than January 1, 2028 and said the citation form would need major changes. Opponents also warned the bill could increase litigation, suppress evidence, and not meaningfully reduce overcrowding because most jail populations are held on felony matters. The chair reported 14 testimonies in support, 21 in opposition, and one with comments; no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.
AR
Arkansas 2026 1st Special Session
ALC-HIGHWAY COMMISSION REVIEW AND ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE Mar 16th, 2026
ALC-HIGHWAY COMMISSION REVIEW AND ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE
Transcript Highlights:
- You guys ask me anything you want, but we're just working hard to deliver the program.
- We're just working hard to deliver the program.
- We'd love to see schools using that.
- But our team has worked hard to reach out to the largest school districts in the state.
- We'd love to see schools using that.
Summary:
The committee received a report from Director Wiley of the Arkansas Department of Transportation on a series of routine and quarterly items, including the closeout of the department’s efficiency review. Wiley said all five remaining recommendations from that review had been implemented, highlighted a new public maintenance dashboard on the agency website, and reported four surplus properties sold since the last meeting. He also noted that ARDOT had obligated $3.14 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to date and reviewed the annual expenditure report tied to 2019 revenue changes, which funded $98.7 million in maintenance projects last year.
Members asked about the balance between maintenance and new construction, with Wiley saying about 75% of construction dollars go to maintaining the existing system and that ARDOT’s overall spending is overwhelmingly focused on upkeep because of the size of the state highway network. He also discussed major projects and corridor priorities, including Interstate 57 and Highway 5 work in Lonoke County, Interstate 49 public meetings, passing-lane improvements on Highway 412/62 in north central Arkansas, Highway 82 widening in south Arkansas, and long-range plans to widen Interstate 40, possibly including a toll study. On the Toad Suck Bridge flood mitigation project, he said the design had been revised to reduce public impacts and would not require a long-term bridge closure.
The committee also discussed safety and enforcement tools in work zones. Wiley said new work-zone cameras and cell phone detection tools were being used on projects such as I-30, I-57, and I-49, mainly to improve safety rather than issue citations. In addition, he said ARDOT spends about $8 million annually on litter control and is expanding anti-litter efforts, including a spring cleanup day involving more than 2,500 operations employees and some office staff. He also announced agency initiatives on human trafficking awareness training for field and office staff and the Street Smart education program for middle school students, with plans to expand it to high school content next year. No votes were taken, and the meeting adjourned after the director’s presentation and member questions.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am
Transcript Highlights:
- These are great programs.
- So we have them programming at Persevere. These are great programs.
- So, medication programming, we've talked about our medication program.
- So, medication programming, we've talked about our medication program.
- Our parole preparation program is also a partnership where people are coming in to assist individuals
Summary:
The commission met with a new member from Prisoners’ Legal Services and approved the July 11 minutes. The main presentation came from Department of Correction Commissioner Sean Jenkins and Deputy Commissioner Mitzie Peterson, who gave an overview of DOC facilities, population trends, and the department’s broad mission, including sentenced prisoners, pretrial detainees, civil commitments, Bridgewater State Hospital, and the Section 35 program. They noted the custody population has fallen from about 10,000 in 2016 to roughly 6,000–6,600, while the share serving first- or second-degree sentences has increased. They also reviewed the department’s facility footprint, including Souza-Baranowski, MCI Norfolk, MCI Framingham, Bridgewater, and the planned transfer of the Section 35 program to Health and Human Services by the end of 2026.
A large portion of the discussion focused on programming, education, health care, and reentry. DOC described tablet access for all incarcerated people, free phone calls, email, and more than 330,000 hours of educational, vocational, and reentry use. They highlighted partnerships with colleges and universities such as Tufts, Boston College, Emerson, and others, along with HiSET completion, vocational training, and programs like The Last Mile and Persevere. Health care spending was discussed in detail, including a total annual health-related contract cost of about $300 million, with separate contracts for prison health care, Bridgewater State Hospital, MassAQC, and MAT services. DOC said it has nearly eradicated Hep C and MRSA and now offers all three FDA-approved MAT medications, including long-acting injectables when clinically indicated.
Commissioners also asked about specialized programming, language and disability access on tablets, and how programming is distributed across facilities. DOC explained that nothing is mandatory, but program participation is encouraged and can affect parole consideration. Staff described assessments using COMPAS, criminal thinking interventions, trauma-related treatment, and specialized units for emerging adults, mental health, and substance use. The department said programming costs were about $101 million in fiscal year 2025, or roughly 12% of the operating budget, excluding health care. Members praised the elimination of restrictive housing and the rollout of body-worn cameras, while DOC said the cameras required new policy and union negotiations but are now used for training, accountability, and de-escalation. The meeting ended with a plan for DOC to return in September with more detailed information on SAUs, programming statistics, and facility structure, and the commission voted to adjourn.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
2026 Legislative Session - Day Twenty Eight - Thursday, February 26
Missouri House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- He attended Sumner High School, the only high school west of the Mississippi that accepted Black scholars
- But we had the Elias High School volleyball championship team.
- On the street or the fact that their school is underfunded.
- It tells schools to follow the First Amendment.
- There were incidents at Francis Howell High School in St.
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous day’s journal by a 132-0 vote. Members then used personal privilege remarks to recognize Black History Month, honor several Black colleagues and public servants, observe a moment of silence for the late Dr. Steven Leon, and deliver a lengthy tribute to the late Freeman Bosley Sr. The chamber also welcomed numerous guests and school groups, including congressional and local officials, mental health advocates, FFA students, championship volleyball players, elementary and junior high students, and other district visitors.
The House then took up several bills on third reading. The most contentious debate was over House Committee Substitute for House Bills 1663, 1607, and 1973, which removed a sunset from Missouri’s restrictions on transgender athletes in school sports. Supporters framed it as protecting fairness and women’s sports; opponents argued it targeted a very small number of students, was discriminatory, and distracted from more pressing issues. After extended debate, the measure passed 98-37. The House also passed House Bill 2682, a school-related First Amendment bill, after debate over whether it would protect hateful student speech; it passed 99-47.
Lawmakers next passed House Bill 2274, the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, to make it easier for teachers to transfer credentials across states, especially for military families, by a vote of 133-13. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 1883, dealing with sales tax on durable medical goods and certain auction items, passed 98-36 after criticism that it was too broad and would benefit high-end auction sales. House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2085, a tobacco preemption bill that also allows localities to enforce a tobacco age of 21, passed 93-43 amid debate over local control and youth tobacco access. House Bill 2145, allowing businesses on two-lane highways to place signs across the road, passed overwhelmingly 142-2.
Finally, the House passed House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolution 169, which would limit state and local spending growth to prior-year levels plus inflation and population growth, with emergency exceptions. Supporters called it a way to restrain government spending and align with the Hancock Amendment; opponents raised concerns about how it could interact with future tax policy, including the proposed income tax elimination plan. The resolution was discussed at length but ultimately advanced by vote.
LA
Transcript Highlights:
- The program supports credentials to fill jobs in areas like health care, construction, IT, manufacturing
- Foster program.
- and that's the only high school in the parish, and they have to attend another school?
- All middle school—he was a middle school teacher. That's all he's ever taught.
- I'm the school board attorney for St. Charles Parish Public Schools.
Committee:
House Education
Summary:
The House Education Committee met on March 31, 2026, and heard several bills focused largely on workforce training, student aid, and school safety. HB 325 by Rep. Brass would add successful completion of nine dual-enrollment credit hours as a third eligibility pathway for the TOPS Tech Award; after a clarifying amendment limiting the change to students graduating in the 2026-2027 school year, the bill drew broad support and was reported favorably. HB 407 by Rep. Larvadane would return the M.J. Foster Promise Program’s initial eligibility age to 21 for two years, grandfathering in current younger participants while the state addresses funding shortfalls; despite concerns about access for 18- to 20-year-olds, the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill as amended on a 12-2 vote. HB 482 by Rep. Turner would loosen TOPS Tech requirements, including lowering one academic threshold, raising the age window to 25, and increasing the award amount at community and technical colleges; after an amendment expanding the affected institutions beyond LCTCS, it was reported favorably.
The committee also advanced HB 283 by Rep. Newell, which strengthens penalties and school responses for assault and battery on teachers and other school employees and expands sick-leave coverage for related medical, psychological, and rehabilitation treatment. Testimony from educators and union representatives described serious incidents of violence and fear of retaliation, while a school district attorney warned about unintended consequences for rural districts, transportation, and students with disabilities; the bill was amended to include students as protected victims and then reported with amendments. HB 448 by Rep. Adams would allow scholarships for firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty, and their spouses, to be used for graduate study rather than only a bachelor’s degree; after an amendment clarifying the scholarship could be used for bachelor’s or advanced degrees, it was reported as amended. HB 319 by Rep. Beham, a cleanup measure for the Louisiana Commission on Civic Education to improve quorum and update organizational references, was reported favorably. HB 195 by Rep. Beham, which would bar public postsecondary institutions from prohibiting students from carrying self-defense chemical spray on campus, was amended to add exceptions and then reported with amendments.
The committee also heard testimony on HCR 10 by Rep. Wilder, which asks the Louisiana High School Athletic Association to recognize dance and cheer as sanctioned sports; the sponsor said the resolution was prompted by a parent request and safety concerns, and an amendment was expected to broaden the measure. Throughout the meeting, members repeatedly emphasized workforce development, dual enrollment, and the need to align education programs with labor-market demand, while also debating how to balance student access, funding limits, and school safety.
VT
Transcript Highlights:
- </c> programs across the state. programs across the state.
- ,</c><00:12:58.800><c> focus</c><00:12:59.279><c> on</c> Universal after-school programs, focus on stronger
- </c> transportation, flood mitigation, school transportation, flood mitigation, school construction,<
- </c> mandate school closures. mandate school closures.
- school high school.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies Feb 23rd, 2026
Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies
Transcript Highlights:
- One of the most successful cost emissions reductions programs ever created.
- Your success in extending the Cap-and-Invest program to 2040.
- You're not subject to the cap-and-trade program.
- For the trajectory the program is being asked to follow.
- Four billion in the program design should be the highest goal.
Summary:
The committee heard an overview and discussion of CARB’s proposed amendments to California’s Cap-and-Invest program, implemented under AB 1207 and SB 840. Chairs and members emphasized the program’s role in meeting climate targets while balancing affordability, and CARB described the proposal as intended to preserve market certainty, strengthen cost containment, address utility affordability, and support the state’s 2045 carbon-neutrality goal. CARB also noted the public comment period, the planned board hearing, and the goal of an effective date of September 1, 2026.
Members questioned CARB on several implementation issues, including whether the rulemaking would be completed on time, the treatment of carbon capture and sequestration, the timing of the transfer of allowances from natural gas utilities to electric utilities, and the impact on ratepayers. CARB said it was on track to meet the May deadline, that CCUS/CDR could be further refined in the proposal and would also be addressed in a separate SB 905 rulemaking later in the year, and that it was seeking to protect ratepayers while inviting more utility data during the comment period. The committee also discussed refining-sector leakage risk, gasoline imports, and how imported fuel is accounted for under cap-and-invest versus the low-carbon fuel standard.
A second panel of outside experts and stakeholders then testified. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and IEMAC representatives explained the major statutory changes, including putting offsets under the cap, shifting allowances from natural gas to electric utilities over time, and changing how allowance value is divided among utilities, industry, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. They stressed that CARB has significant discretion in setting the allowance “pie,” and that more free allocations to utilities or industry reduce GGRF revenues. EDF’s representative argued the proposal should be adopted this spring, said the utility transition should happen faster, and urged a tighter near-term emissions cap. SCAPA, representing publicly owned utilities, opposed the proposed utility allocation changes, saying they would reduce expected allowances, undermine long-term planning, and could force higher rates or reduced decarbonization investments.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- Madam Vice Chair, they are federal constructs.
- funding from the program in charge.
- funding from the program in charge.
- That federal program typically influences state and local programs.
- Chair and Vice Chair, the HUD-VASH program, which provides homelessness assistance and housing to veterans
Committee:
House Government
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Energy Development and Transmission Committee Jul 22nd, 2026 at 09:00 am
Energy Development and Transmission Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- I think it's a good program.
- I think it's a good program.
- program and we don't have any funding for it.
- That's it under construction now at the Falkirk Mine.
- in light of increased construction costs... ...existing incentive programs in light of the increasing
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Is there a specific school?
- And it will happen at our schools and with your children too.
- It's billed directly to cities, counties, schools, and other entities.
- through my school.
- If you require assistance in registering to testify, please do so now.
Committee:
House State Affairs
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- SB 1350, outdoor-based therapy programs, grants.
- SB 1370, patriotic youth groups school access. Education.
- SB 1373, appropriation, summer youth employment program.
- SB 1391, stress management pilot program, SB 1391, stress management pilot program.
- SB 1408, appropriation, public schools, trees.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Finance Feb 3rd, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- , which is the Climate Commitment Act program that establishes a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from
- covered entities and a program to track, verify, and enforce compliance.
- First, it says that the coal emissions that are exempt from the Cap-and-Invest program are only those
- It supports the ABCD program and also supports the child health care after-school initiative. cost of
- also supports child health care after-school initiative. ...program also supports child health care
Summary:
House Finance heard several bills and took no recorded votes. HB 2367 would end special tax and emissions exemptions for the Centralia coal plant by limiting its Climate Commitment Act exemption to pre-2026 emissions, removing limits on additional greenhouse gas requirements, and repealing coal sales and use tax exemptions. The sponsor, Rep. Fitzgibbon, said the bill would help keep the plant’s transition to cleaner natural gas generation on track; Climate Solutions supported it, while business and clean-energy groups raised concerns about allowance-market impacts and asked for amendments to adjust the cap-and-invest allowance budget.
HB 1974 would authorize public housing authorities, public corporations, and nonprofits to operate as land banks for affordable housing, give them priority for tax-foreclosed properties, and provide property tax, leasehold excise tax, and REET exemptions for land bank transactions. Rep. Hill said the bill was narrowed to reduce fiscal impact and support existing land banking work in Spokane; supporters said it would lower land costs and speed affordable housing development, while questions focused on how public land would be used and whether affordability should be permanent rather than limited to 30 years.
HB 2650, a Department of Revenue request, would standardize notice and effective dates for local REET and lodging tax changes and clarify documentation for an affordable housing sales tax deferral. DOR supported the bill as an administrative efficiency measure, and there was no opposition testimony. HB 2626 would raise the premium tax on health maintenance organizations, health care service contractors, and self-funded multiple employer welfare arrangements from 2% to 3%, remove a dentistry-related exemption, and add a new 1% tax on certain disability and group stop-loss insurers. The sponsor said the bill is intended to help fund Apple Health and subsidies amid federal funding concerns; insurers and business groups opposed it as a cost increase likely to be passed on to consumers and employers, while patient and advocacy groups supported the revenue idea but urged that funds be dedicated to subsidies or other health care supports and that pass-through to consumers be prevented.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Committee on Housing and Homelessness Prevention - 02/27/25
Housing and Homelessness Prevention
Transcript Highlights:
- So this is a great program.
- So this is a great program.
- So this is a great program.
- So this is a great program.
- So this is a great program.
Committee:
Senate Housing and Homelessness Prevention
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Appropriations Feb 5th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- That includes the programs Floridians rely on to put food on the table.
- This program does not help with that. It makes those problems worse.
- I was a former assistant county administrator.
- This is the order and process to get people help and assistance.' Kevin stayed there.
- This is the order and process to get people help and assistance.
Summary:
The committee took up four bills before moving to a broader discussion of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Trust Fund. SB 434, which would prohibit counties from increasing a home’s assessed value because the owner installed wind mitigation measures, was presented as a homeowner protection measure and reported favorably. CS/SB 110, clarifying that certain 98-year-or-longer residential leaseholders remain eligible for the homestead exemption even if the lease ends at death, was also reported favorably without opposition. SB 856, requiring online real estate listing platforms to display estimated ad valorem taxes using prescribed calculation methods and not the current owner’s tax bill, drew supportive testimony from property appraisers, Zillow, and local government groups; members emphasized transparency for buyers, especially first-time homebuyers, and the bill was reported favorably.
The committee then spent most of the meeting on SPB 7040, which would recreate and extend the Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund through December 31, 2027. Supporters, including the Division of Emergency Management, argued the fund is needed for hurricanes, flooding, other disasters, and rapid response operations, and said the extension preserves legislative oversight that would otherwise lapse. Opponents from advocacy and policy groups argued the fund has been used too broadly, especially for immigration-related detention and enforcement activities, and criticized the lack of tighter guardrails and transparency. They cited deaths in detention facilities, the use of emergency dollars for non-disaster purposes, and concerns about political favoritism and public accountability.
Director Kevin Guthrie testified at length in support of the extension, explaining that the fund is used for natural, man-made, and technological emergencies, that reimbursements from federal and other sources are returned to the fund, and that the state has used it for hurricanes, flooding, civil unrest, international evacuations, and immigration-related operations under Operation Vigilant Sentry. He said the division has sought federal reimbursement for some expenses and that the fund helps the state respond quickly when emergencies arise. Members questioned the size of the fund, the amount spent on immigration-related activities, the status of federal reimbursements, and whether lawmakers should have more oversight or unannounced access to detention facilities. The bill discussion remained ongoing in the portion provided, with no final vote on SPB 7040 shown in the transcript excerpt.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- IDLA is a virtual program, and virtual schools have been using IDLA.
- IDLA is a virtual program, and virtual schools have been using IDLA. This eliminates that.
- This is a true school choice program. Homeschoolers use it. Public education uses it.
- This is a program that offers curriculum to existing schools.
- So you had virtual schools using virtual programs. That's no longer happening.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- If you have any issues filling out the form, please see a staff member to assist.
- Uh, so I can only compare to that historically across our program.
- Um, so we're, we're, I'm, I'm imagining this is a new construction project.
- Of course, we've never actually used that program internally to the state of Texas.
- So we would have to come up with a program.
Committee:
House Natural Resources
Keywords:
water filtration, public drinking water, health and safety, well maintenance, water quality, Edwards Aquifer, water conservation, reclaimed water, aquifer storage, environmental protection, public utility agency, dissolution, local government, regulatory framework, municipal authority, Texas Water Bank, Texas Water Trust, water rights, water banking, instream flow
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Jun 3rd, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- and maybe they could do some research on how to bring a thinning program in.
- Conservation programs, things like that.
- Um, if we have to absorb more federal programs into New Mexico in our budget.
- , higher education, MERD, and energy-related programs.
- children and the fact that um school children are absent from school because of continued bouts of nausea
Committee:
House Water & Natural Resources Committee
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Floor Session Jun 11th, 2026
California Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- had more on the floor, but Senators, I also want to recognize another very special birthday, Chief Assistant
- , mental health counseling, family court assistance, and much, much more.
- As policymakers, we must continue to support victims and assist in our lives.
- As policymakers, we must continue to support victims and assist with these programs and community-based
- In addition, he was executive director of the California State Sheriff's Association, assistant city
Summary:
The Senate convened with a quorum, opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, and handled several procedural matters, including referral of AB 686 to Rules, approval of motions to advance Budget and Fiscal Review Committee measures and adopt authors’ amendments, and requests to move AB 28 and AB 2539 to the inactive file. The chamber also confirmed two gubernatorial appointments: Maggie Hallahan to the Bodina Waterways Commission and Kansasaki to the Building Standards Commission.
On the floor, members took up two resolutions focused on public awareness and policy messaging. SCR 181 designated June 10 as Family Justice Center Day and highlighted the work of Family Justice Centers serving survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, and human trafficking; it passed 36-0. SR 112 declared June 14-20 as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Awareness Week to encourage awareness, family health-history sharing, and early screening; it also passed unanimously. SJR 18, a resolution opposing the Citizens United decision and calling for limits on corporate influence and dark money in elections, generated extended debate over campaign finance, transparency, unions, nonprofits, and corporate political spending before passing 28-8.
The consent calendar was then adopted on a 35-0 vote. The session concluded with multiple adjournment-in-memory tributes, including Larry Mazzola, Sr., Steve Zaley, and James J. McClain, Sr., followed by announcements that the Senate would recess and reconvene on Monday, June 15, 2026, at 2 p.m.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Formal House Session 54 Jun 10th, 2026
Massachusetts House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This data also does not include school libraries.
- their school library.
- have a child in the school or not.
- The school committee appoints a review board that's made up of school members.
- .from the school because the superintendent sits in the school committee meetings, but we put it on the
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Every morning, my daughters and I walk to school, and before school, we visit the school's playground
- Vaping devices are being found not only on middle school and high school campuses. but even on elementary
- We also need to focus on robust funding for prevention and cessation programs. programs, increasing taxes
- I didn't graduate from high school; I dropped out of school when I was in the sixth grade.
- . ...to have my high school diploma.
Bills:
SB30 , SB517 , SB1313 , SB1314 , SB1316 , SB1541 , SB1698 , SB1845 , SB1860 , SB2420 , SB2429 , SB 30
Committee:
Senate State Affairs
Keywords:
gambling, criminal offenses, penalties, defense, electronic devices, tobacco advertising, youth protection, public health, criminal offense, retailer regulation, e-cigarettes, nicotine products, health, public safety, regulation, advertising restrictions, health and safety, elections, election audit, county elections