Transcript Highlights:

• They do pay the biggest part of our bills as it relates to our fares.
• They do pay the biggest part of our bills as it relates to our fares.
• riders onto transit, but also because we think that their parents and their guardians will come to and pay
• riders on to transit, but also because we think that their parents and their guardians will come to and pay
• And so there's additional safety costs, including overtime and very late-night overtime.

Summary: The Senate Subcommittee on LOSSAN Rail Corridor Resiliency held an informational hearing focused on the corridor’s financial stability, service reliability, governance, capital planning, and long-term resiliency. Chair Lackey opened by criticizing the unfinished SB 1098 report and the underwhelming Transit Transformation Task Force work, arguing that the corridor remains at a crossroads with weak ridership recovery, poor on-time performance, and major capital projects that are not moving quickly enough. Senator Archuleta emphasized safety, maintenance, and the need to avoid state subsidy if ridership and revenues can support service. CalSTA and Caltrans described major state investments and ongoing planning efforts, including $125 million for San Clemente resiliency work, additional leveraged federal and state funds, more than $25 billion in funded projects in the pipeline, and the development of a corridor project database and service-planning tool under SB 1098. Caltrans also reported restoring Surfliner service to 13 weekday round trips between Los Angeles and San Diego, piloting expanded service to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and reorganizing internally to elevate transit and rail oversight. On zero-emission strategy, officials said hydrogen fuel-cell trains are being procured for longer-distance service while electrification remains the long-term ideal and battery-electric options are being explored for shorter routes. The committee then heard from Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle and Caltrain representative Jason Baker. Metrolink described its shift to “regional passenger rail,” with schedule changes aimed at all-day service, better transfers, and growth in student and weekend ridership, but warned of a fiscal cliff because member agencies now cover most operating costs while fare revenue remains low. Kettle said the agency has not reached consensus among its five county partners on a dedicated revenue solution and warned that service cuts may be unavoidable without new funding. Caltrain reported strong post-electrification ridership gains, improved customer satisfaction, and expanded service, but also warned of a large annual operating deficit that could force reductions in frequency, weekend service, stations, and evening operations if stable funding is not found. Members also discussed public safety, marketing, station placemaking, parking and concession revenue, and hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Senators urged stronger promotion of rail service, safer and cleaner stations, and more ambitious planning to match the state’s investments. No votes or formal actions were taken; the hearing was informational, with officials asked to continue reporting back on SB 1098, San Clemente planning, service performance, and funding solutions.

Transcript Highlights:

• When compliance breaks down, children can pay the price.
• I really want to thank the staff; they put in a lot of extra innings and overtime to get us to this point
• Because unlike the federal government, when you procure land through eminent domain, we have to pay fair
• In addition to that, you have to pay for both parties' attorneys, appraisals of land.
• VALUE SO YOU  CAN UNDERSTAND COST PROHIBITIONS  1462 THERE IN ADDITION TO YOU HAVE TO  PAY

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and began by welcoming students and coaches participating in the inaugural Sunshine State Debate. Members then heard and voted on a series of education-related bills, with most measures receiving favorable reports by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The first bill, HB 1081, created a Cybersecurity Internship Clearance Readiness Program in the Department of Commerce for NCACE-designated universities and Florida College System institutions; a friendly amendment expanded access to private schools, and the bill passed 19-0. HB 1201 updated Florida’s epilepsy/seizure plan law to clarify protections for charter school students, require acceptance of physician-submitted plans, extend training validity to five years, and expand training to regular bus drivers; epilepsy advocates supported it, and it passed 19-0. HB 851 required annual autism-specific professional learning opportunities for teachers and school-based administrators, and it also passed 19-0. HB 615, dealing with IEPs, required quicker parent notice when services are missed, faster access to service logs, individualized parent orientation, and standardized district service logs; parents and advocates testified strongly in support, and the bill was reported favorably. HB 1503 added technology-related competencies to education courses and directed the Department of Education to develop computer science certification coverage; it passed 19-0. HB 371 required public schools to display portraits of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington in common areas and passed 19-0 after testimony both for and against. HB 731 revised extracurricular eligibility rules and allowed local policies for compensating coaches and activity sponsors; an amendment broadened manual requirements and clarified fee actions, and the bill passed 18-0. The committee also took up HB 173, a parental rights bill that drew the most extensive debate and public testimony. The bill would require parental consent for many medical decisions for minors, give parents access to medical records, and expand parental review/opt-in rights for certain school surveys and biofeedback devices. Supporters argued it restores parental authority, improves safety, and prevents children from being cut out of important medical decisions; opponents warned it would remove confidential access to STI treatment, crisis mental health care, and other services for minors in unsafe or abusive homes. Members raised questions about abuse exceptions, emergency care, and how the bill would affect routine treatment and time-sensitive care. The bill was not voted on in the portion provided, and debate continued through multiple rounds of sponsor responses and member comments.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this bill gives us that opportunity to bring that before voters to see if we're also willing to pay
• According to the USDA, take-home pay for Washington State farmers is the lowest of the 50 states.
• Farmland is lost when farms cannot pay their bills. Agritourism is not a threat to agriculture.
• Farmers are facing mandatory overtime rules without piecework flexibility, vanishing vegetable and berry
• Farmers are facing mandatory overtime rules without piecework flexibility, vanishing vegetable and berry

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several local government bills, with most of the discussion focused on HB 2480, which would require cities and counties planning under the Growth Management Act to allow residential uses in commercial and mixed-use zones and limit local requirements for ground-floor retail or mixed-use conditions. The bill sponsor and supporters, including the Lieutenant Governor, Governor’s Office, Commerce, builders, business groups, and housing advocates, argued it would unlock underused commercial land, reduce housing costs, and help address Washington’s housing shortage. Opponents and some cities said the bill could undermine local planning, walkable mixed-use centers, tax base, and neighborhood retail, and asked for more exemptions or narrower application. Several speakers supported the proposed substitute as a compromise, while others urged not to weaken the bill further. No vote was taken. The committee also heard HB 2223, which would create an exception to the conflict-of-interest rules for irrigation district directors whose spouses work for a district contract, modeled on an existing exception for public hospital district commissioners. The sponsor and the Washington State Water Resources Association said the change would help irrigation districts recruit and retain volunteer board members in rural areas while preserving disclosure and recusal requirements. The hearing was brief and no action was taken. HB 2530 would extend the deadline for forming a public facilities district for regional aquatics and sports facilities from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2028. Supporters from Olympia and Tumwater said the extension would give local governments more time to collaborate and pursue an aquatic center that has long been a community priority; one testifier said removing the deadline entirely would also be acceptable. The committee then heard HB 2459, which would expand authority to site certain schools outside urban growth areas and extend utilities to serve them. Supporters, especially representatives of the Tahoma School District and related groups, said the bill would let districts use land they already own to relieve overcrowding. Opponents, including Futurewise, argued it would weaken Growth Management Act planning and local multicounty policies and should remain a local process. Finally, HB 2129 on agritourism was briefly heard, with the sponsor describing it as a way to help farms stay viable and preserve rural character; the committee heard supportive comments about farm preservation and openness to a work group or amendments. No votes or final actions were taken on these bills during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> and choosing whom they want to pay. and choosing whom they want to pay.
• You refuse to pay.
• You refuse to pay.
• We can pay these workers. can fund TSA. We can pay these workers.
• . pay. pay.

Bills: HB5103 , HR1131 , HR1135

Keywords: appropriations, Department of Homeland Security, local beautification, navigable waters, government oversight, House committees, membership, legislative process, election, governance

Transcript Highlights:

• We can cut taxes on overtime pay and tips. We can give our seniors a break.
• off debt, or put food on the table, or pay the utility bill.
• To pay for ongoing investments, I am proposing one key action: make data centers pay their fair share
• We've launched a war on the cost of housing, and it's starting to pay off.
• A war on the cost of housing, and it's starting to pay off.

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a conservative governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, accountability, school choice, election integrity, and water policy, while also highlighting plans for tax cuts and cooperation across chambers. Governor Hobbs centered her address on the “Arizona promise,” stressing affordability, security, and freedom. She highlighted prior actions on job growth, medical debt relief, housing, public safety, border security, water management, and economic development, and announced new proposals including a middle-class tax cut package, a capacity and efficiency initiative to save state funds, a new active management area for La Paz County, a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund funded in part by a short-term rental fee. She also called for more accountability in the ESA program and for renewing Prop. 123 to support public schools. The governor and legislative leaders also addressed political violence, honoring retiring Senator Lela Alston and recognizing public safety and firefighting personnel. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the session; it concluded with the joint session being dissolved after the governor’s remarks.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> address that going forward to pay address that going forward to pay unemplyment<00:45:27.960><c>
• Okay, so you guys are paying 12.
• Okay, so you guys are paying 12.
• paying is it proportionate<01:13:14.080><c> per</c><01:13:14.840><c> they</c><01:13:15.040><c> pay</
• I think we really can make this happen. it will really uh pay off for the uh for it will really uh pay

Summary: The Committee on Finance held an informational briefing with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations on its budget, staffing, and operations. The director reviewed department leadership and reported on recruitment and retention efforts, including a 14% vacancy rate, a 10.5% workforce increase from filling 189 positions, and the Hela Imua internship program, which has placed 516 interns since inception and led to 62 permanent hires. The department also described modernization efforts, including the UI Huakai project and the Disability Compensation Division’s electronic case management system, and said the unemployment compensation trust fund exceeded $71.5 million, triggering Schedule C for calendar year 2025. The department’s main budget requests included $2.9 million for fiscal year 2026 to support maintenance and operations of the electronic case management system, plus restoration of two enforcement specialist positions. Officials said those positions are needed to address a decline in investigators from 11 to six since 2009, improve compliance, and handle Hawaii Compliance Express certificate work. Additional requests included two human resources specialists to address recruitment backlogs, two labor enforcement specialists to reduce a backlog of Chapter 104 prevailing wage and wage cases, and two positions for the Office of Community Services to expand immigrant services and access centers. The department also discussed federal funding for unemployment insurance and workforce programs, including National Dislocated Worker Grants and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds, and said some funding is received in increments and may require extensions. Members asked about Kauai inspection coverage, federal funding uncertainty, the size of the special unemployment insurance fund, and whether the department could ramp up staffing during a future crisis. Officials said Kauai is currently served by inspectors from Honolulu and there are no plans to open a permanent island position because of staffing constraints. They said the department is meeting federal guidelines and is not in jeopardy, and that the special unemployment insurance fund has about $10 million, with current UI operations funded at a little over $15 million, meaning the fund may need to cover roughly $5 million if federal support declines. The director said the department would use the special fund to supplement shortfalls, but noted that federal funding cuts and the loss of ARPA support have already affected operations.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the last year, we created tens of thousands of jobs and increased take-home pay.
• We can cut taxes on overtime pay and tips. We can give our seniors a break.
• off debt, or put food on the table, or pay the utility bill.
• To pay for ongoing investments, I am proposing one key action: make data centers pay their fair share
• We've launched a war on the cost of housing, and it's starting to pay off.

Summary: The transcript is the opening joint session of the Arizona Legislature’s 57th Second Regular Session, featuring remarks from House and Senate leaders and Governor Katie Hobbs. House and Senate leaders emphasized a Republican governing agenda focused on affordability, public safety, parental rights, tax cuts, election integrity, school choice, and holding government accountable, while also highlighting cooperation on water policy and border security reimbursement. Senate President Warren Petersen said the legislature would pursue a major tax cut, send an election integrity measure to voters, defend women’s sports and school choice, and continue negotiations on Colorado River guidelines. Governor Hobbs framed her agenda around the “Arizona Promise,” stressing affordability, public safety, water security, housing, and economic opportunity. She highlighted prior-year accomplishments including job growth, medical debt relief, lower costs for child care and housing, public safety investments, and major business recruitment. She called for an immediate middle-class tax cut, more efficient government spending, and new initiatives including a Colorado River Protection Fund, elimination of the data center tax exemption, a housing acceleration fund, and an Arizona Affordability Fund financed in part by a nightly fee on short-term rentals. Hobbs also announced a new active management area for La Paz County to address groundwater depletion, defended her administration’s water and housing policies, and urged renewed funding for public schools while criticizing the ESA program for lack of accountability. She called for bipartisan action on disaster relief after floods in Globe and Miami, and condemned political violence. No legislative votes were taken; the joint session concluded with the governor’s address and the session was dissolved.

Transcript Highlights:

• OVERTIME EVERY ONE OF THESE FACILITIES PLANNING FOR HOW THEY PROTECT FRESHWATER RESOURCES, HOW THEY USE
• AND WE WORKED WITH DEP FOR MANY YEARS TO COME UP WITH I WE SPENT $14 MILLION UPGRADING WE ARE STILL PAYING
• ARE GROUNDWATER IS THREE FEET DEEP AND NOBODY WANTS TO PAY FOR IT AND WE CAN'T HARDLY FIT IT IN OUR RIGHT

Transcript Highlights:

• Businesses paying this proposed higher NIIT would be paying 10.85% on this income, the fourth-highest
• Should these taxpayers be forced to liquidate them, pay a capital gains tax in order to pay their new
• </c> there's no cash available to pay? there's no cash available to pay?
• </c> earners would pay more. earners would pay more.
• their and pay their premiums and pay their and pay their food<01:11:56.120><c> bills</c><01:11:56.920

Summary: The committee heard presentations on two tax bills: House File 4123, by Representative Agbaje, would expand Minnesota’s net investment income tax to include certain business income, especially income from S corporations and LLCs not subject to federal self-employment taxes, while keeping the current rate and million-dollar threshold; she said it would raise an estimated $88.7 million next year. House File 4616, by Chair Gomez, would impose a 1% annual tax on fortunes above $10 million. Gomez framed the bill as a response to growing wealth inequality and argued that wealthy households and large fortunes should contribute more to public services, while Agbaje said her bill would broaden the tax base and help meet state needs. Public testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including Nan Madden of the Minnesota Budget Project, Erica Mominee of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, Lauren Richards, and teacher Kristen Sinicariello, said the bills would help address wealth and income inequality and provide needed revenue for public health, education, and other public services. They pointed to federal tax cuts for high-income households, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and strains on state agencies and schools. Richards said small businesses already pay more than large corporations like Amazon, and Sinicariello argued that higher revenue would support classrooms and help equalize opportunity. Opponents, including Brian Cook of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Dalton Danielson of the Minnesota Business Partnership, and John Beschi of NFIB Minnesota, warned that both bills would hurt business competitiveness and investment. They argued that HF 4123 would effectively create a new higher tax tier for pass-through businesses and that HF 4616 would be difficult to administer, could force sales of illiquid assets, and could discourage entrepreneurship and capital investment. No votes or final committee action were taken in the portion of the meeting provided; the committee moved through bill presentations and public testimony before member discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• This will help with the staff at TCEQ and overtime and all of that.
• It just says that those funds coming from, that the industry's paying for the expedited process, those
• The account that pays for the current permitting activities discussed in your bill consists of fees from
• The fee for a waste hauler permit is $100 annually, and so they have to pay $250. $50, $100 fee, and

Bills: SB2122 , SB2050 , HB16

Committee: Senate Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:

• They can't pay their rent. They're unable to pay for gas.
• They're unable to put food on their table to pay for medicine.
• They can't pay their rent. They're unable to pay for gas.
• It codifies existing overtime pay requirements for hourly workers who provide supported living services
• to provide parity with in-home support services overtime pay requirements.

Summary: The Senate session opened with a roll call, prayer, and Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through a long series of floor recognitions and votes. Members spent substantial time honoring the Los Angeles Dodgers, celebrating their back-to-back World Series championship and highlighting the team’s history, community role, and connections to Jackie Robinson, Fernando Valenzuela, Vin Scully, and Jaime Jarrín. Senators also recognized summer interns and welcomed members of Kappa Alpha Psi’s Kappa League and Guide Right program to the floor. The chamber then took up several measures, beginning with AB 182 on ballot order and proposition numbering for the 2026 statewide ballot, which passed 38-8 after debate over whether placing legislatively referred measures first was fair. SR 113, commemorating the International Day of Peace and honoring Dr. Yongshik Cho’s role in proposing it, passed unanimously after supportive remarks about peace, education, and California’s diversity. The Senate also adopted SJR 16 urging Congress to restore commercial driver’s licenses for affected California truck drivers, and SCR 185 designating Probation Services Week. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to budget trailer bills. The Senate concurred in Assembly amendments to AB 112, AB 150, AB 152, AB 181, and AB 179, covering Medi-Cal, child care, human services, education governance, and housing. It also passed or concurred in SB 168, SB 169, SB 170, SB 171, SB 172, SB 174, SB 177, and SB 180, addressing public resources and energy, transportation, executive branch reorganization, labor, state government, courts, Medi-Cal financing, and taxation. Several of these drew opposition centered on energy costs, transparency, business impacts, or the proposed “fair share” approach to Medi-Cal costs for large corporations, but most measures passed on party-line or near-party-line votes. The Senate also confirmed three California Horse Racing Board appointments and ended with adjournment motions, including a request to adjourn in memory of Francis Lydia Limos of American Canyon.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> well as a way to decrease the gender pay well as a way to decrease the gender pay Gap<00:47:55.200
• It pays off.
• It pays off.
• It pays off.
• </c> you folks want to have the employer pay you folks want to have the employer pay for<01:17:47.159

Committee: House Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• Medicaid covers pays for are more than half of the births in the state and half of the nursing facility
• people in Medicaid are receiving services through what we call managed care, that's where the state pays
• out a benefit or pays out a claim. way on the other end of the spectrum to conduct by somebody that
• They may have to pay three times back. what they took as a result of their violation.
• So we've just begun the transition to this, we're not paying providers more to do what they do to do

Committee: House Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• We were paid only the minimum wage for the 12 hours we worked, but received no pay for overtime and no
• don't pay.
• Times article entitled... ...sequences if they don't pay. An L.A.
• And at the end of the day, if you have an outstanding judgment, you pay it.
• If you pay the workers, then you won't lose your license. I respectfully ask for an aye vote.

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee met on March 19, 2025, adopted its rules, and approved the consent calendar before hearing several bills. AB 538, by Assemblymember Berman, would require awarding bodies on public works projects to make a timely attempt to obtain certified payroll records from contractors when the public requests them, rather than simply saying they do not have the records. Supporters said it would clarify existing prevailing wage enforcement; county, city, special district, and housing groups opposed it over workload, privacy, and potential funding risks. The bill passed the committee on a do-pass recommendation to Appropriations. The committee then heard AB 485, authored by Chair Ortega, which would direct state agencies to deny or renew business licenses for employers with outstanding wage theft judgments unless the judgments are satisfied or bonded. Supporters, including labor groups and a caregiver who described delayed recovery of unpaid wages, said the bill would give workers meaningful leverage to collect judgments. The California Hospital Association opposed it, warning that license action could threaten patient access to care. The bill passed on a do-pass recommendation to Appropriations. AB 596, by Assemblymember McKinnor, would codify workers’ right to wear a face covering or respirator at work unless it creates a direct safety hazard. Supporters said the measure would protect workers from illness, wildfire smoke, and employer restrictions after prior Cal/OSHA protections expired; the Chamber of Commerce opposed it narrowly, asking for an exception where masks are infeasible for certain tasks. The committee supported the bill and sent it to Appropriations. The hearing concluded with the roll kept open for absent members and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, right at almost like an overtime situation.
• Honest, you know, right at, like, almost like an overtime situation. That would be going to be.
• And, you know, at the time when... honest, you know, right at, right at, like, almost like an overtime

Summary: The House opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior day’s journal, and a long series of introductions recognizing student groups, interns, FCCLA and FBLA participants, a Missouri Rural Water Association delegation, medical students, family guests, and legislative assistants. Members also highlighted the Tipton Lady Cardinals girls basketball state championship team and several job-shadowing students from across the state. Announcements included committee meetings and a Missouri Department of Conservation Earth Day tree-seedling giveaway in the rotunda. On legislation, the House received committee reports recommending passage of several measures, then took up House substitute for House Committee Substitute for House Bills 3068 and 3049. Members discussed the bill as a vehicle for multiple bipartisan provisions, including public safety, AI, trafficking training, and other topics; opponents raised concerns about anti-trans language and the bill’s breadth, while others defended it as a package of widely supported items. The House passed the measure 117-10 with 17 present. The chamber also truly agreed to and finally passed Senate Bill 914, dealing with soil analysis/perk test issues, by 108-34 with one present, and Senate Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 1142, a Secretary of State business filing measure for series LLC certificates of good standing, by 142-0 with one present. The most extended debate was on House Bill 1758, a daylight savings time trigger bill. The sponsor argued Missouri should lock in daylight savings time if the federal government authorizes a nationwide change, to avoid neighboring states forcing Missouri into standard time and to support tourism, safety, and economic activity. Supporters cited health, mental health, family, and business benefits, while opponents argued for standard time, raised concerns about children, circadian rhythms, and prior failed experiments, and questioned the federal-state authority issues. After extensive discussion and a point of order, the House ordered House Bill 1758 perfected and printed. The session ended with announcements and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 950, an act relating to compensation for certain state employees, the pay act, introduced
• c><00:05:23.120><c> act,</c><00:05:23.680><c> introduced</c><00:05:24.360><c> by</c> employees, the pay
• And whereas the teams fervently battled into a second overtime period when, with 9 minutes 38 seconds
• period when with into a second overtime period when with 9<00:10:01.520><c> minutes</c><00:10:01.960
• </c> whoever will pay. whoever will pay.

Transcript Highlights:

• And rather than highlighting evidence-based practices itself, we want to reward and pay counties for
• They actually do contracts with hotels and direct pay for them.
• Get reimbursed or a check from FEMA, they actually do contracts with hotels and direct pay for survivors
• For example, they have likely paid their staff for overtime, worked in the early part of the disaster
• For example, they have likely paid their staff for overtime, worked in the early part of the disaster

Summary: The committee heard a broad public safety budget hearing focused on youth justice funding, probation incentive grants, and disaster response and recovery. On the youth justice item, the Office of Youth and Community Restoration described a proposed change to the JJRBG funding formula that would shift resources away from a DJJ-based measure and toward county youth population, serious offenses, and step-down placements in less restrictive programs. Members asked about data on Native American youth; OYCR said statewide data are limited, but its SYTF data show about 1% of youth in secure youth treatment facilities were Native in 2024. The Department of Finance had no objections, and the item was discussed as a way to support alternatives to long-term incarceration. The committee then reviewed the community corrections performance incentive program for county probation departments. The Department of Finance proposed stabilizing the program with a maintenance payment, updating the performance baseline, and adding a growth factor; the LAO agreed the formula needed changes but recommended using 2022-23 data instead of 2021-23, using marginal rather than average cost assumptions, rejecting the growth payment and minimum guarantee, and adding stronger oversight through the BSCC. Finance said it was open to some technical changes but opposed a new BSCC audit framework, noting Judicial Council already surveys probation departments and that evidence-based practice use has increased over time. Members and staff indicated the proposal still needed further work. A major portion of the hearing focused on the January 2025 Southern California wildfires and state disaster response. A resident of Altadena gave emotional testimony about evacuation failures, loss of home, and the need for accountability. LAO and Cal OES outlined the disaster response and recovery system, including mutual aid, alert and warning, debris removal, FEMA and state funding streams, and the long timeline for reimbursement. Cal OES said it had pre-positioned resources, temporarily took over the county’s wireless emergency alert function for about three weeks, coordinated debris removal and recovery operations, and had already allocated more than $286 million in state funds. Officials also discussed the 100% federal cost share for emergency work for 180 days and the uncertainty created by changing federal processes and the cancellation of the BRIC resilience program. The committee also heard two smaller Cal OES items: a request to reappropriate about $22 million for the law enforcement mutual aid reimbursement program, which the LAO said should be placed in statute with clearer goals and reporting, and an update on Victims of Crime Act funding, where Cal OES said federal VOCA allocations have fallen sharply and that roughly $224 million would be needed to maintain current service levels if federal funding does not improve. Public comment included a request for funding to expand datacasting and emergency alert receivers for wildfire and earthquake warning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Because you want to pay a lawsuit that may bankrupt your school district.
• Conference USA requires them to pay athletes.
• Conference for UNM doesn't require them to pay athletes.
• Why would a conference require you to pay athletes?
• Because they don't want to raise the money in the conference to pay them.

Bills: HB97 , HB280 , HB183 , HB151 , HB202

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: Shaken Baby Syndrome, abusive head trauma, child safety, training and education, healthcare funding, youth internships, workforce development, education, grant funding, employment, drinking water, water quality, environment, public health, water filtration, private well testing, federal funding, childhood sexual abuse, time limitations, civil actions

Transcript Highlights:

• Just because you have an idea, if you haven't answered the question of how you actually pay for it, we
• Others have left to take higher paying opportunities, either in full-time salaried positions or other
• However, the pay structure of the court appointed counsel system has fallen out of sync with the rest
• Their panel. which they pay $175 an hour.
• There are other counties with their misdemeanor appellate panel which pay $140 an hour.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:25:47.640><c> the</c> the hotels have to have to pay the the hotels have to have to pay the guests
• </c> rightfully so these are well-paying rightfully so these are well-paying career<00:31:05.440><c>
• No, what would I pay to have stream that? Oh, uh, probably you'd have to pay $80 million or more.
• </c> just record just cuz you went overtime just record just cuz you went overtime was<00:55:51.920><
• So if I put a $100 wager down, generally you pay 10 bucks for the juice.

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The committee heard several measures on agriculture, energy, stadium governance, and hotel consumer protections. On SB 448 relating to agriculture, Agra Business Development Corporation and the Hawaii Farm Bureau testified in support of a proposed conservation easement acquisition in Central Oahu; the chair asked follow-up questions about the exact location, cost, and agricultural potential of the land, and the witness said the parcel had good soil and water and was former pineapple land, with cost still to be provided. On SB 827 relating to meat processing, the Department of Economic Development and Tourism said the state needs more meat-processing capacity and that any grant program should complement, not compete with, existing efforts; the Attorney General’s office warned the bill lacked legally sufficient standards for grants of public money under the state constitution and offered draft standards. Several industry and chamber witnesses supported the measure, while discussion focused on the need for brick-and-mortar or modular facilities, infrastructure costs, federal inspection needs, and access for hunters and neighbor islands. The committee then took up SB 1269 relating to geothermal resources, which drew broad support from county officials, energy consultants, utility representatives, and community advocates, with one witness opposing it. Supporters described geothermal as a viable, indigenous, firm baseload energy source that could help reduce Hawaii’s high electricity costs and support clean energy goals; one witness emphasized prior work in New Zealand and another urged the state to move forward with exploration. A DBEDT representative explained that the department is coordinating geothermal-related work with the Hawaii Technology Development Corp., the University of Hawaii, and the Hawaii State Energy Office, noting a prior $3 million appropriation, phase-one community engagement work, and plans to seek a contractor for geoscience and exploration in phase two. Members pressed DBEDT to explain how this bill fits with other geothermal measures moving through different committees, and the chair asked the department to review SB 993 and better coordinate the package of geothermal bills. On SB 1337 relating to the Stadium Authority, the stadium manager testified in support of clarifying quorum rules, explaining that the authority currently has eight seated voting members out of nine possible voting seats and that the bill would help ensure voting members are counted for quorum; he said meetings have not been delayed. Finally, on SB 883 relating to hotels, the Attorney General’s office raised First Amendment and contract-law concerns and recommended adding a purpose statement and a non-impairment savings clause. Unite Here Local 5 and other supporters said guests should be notified of hotel service disruptions such as construction, closures, or labor disputes, while opponents questioned who would enforce the law, what penalties would apply, and whether the measure could require hotels to pay damages even without a complaint. No votes or final committee actions were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.