Transcript Highlights:

• Our pastures are clothed with flocks, our fields are covered with corn and wheat.
• It covers a number of items, which I'll talk about very briefly, that I think are important to the people
• President, this bill will appropriate funds for certain state-related entities. Mr.
• President, this bill will appropriate funds for certain state-related entities within the Commonwealth

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, communications, committee reports, and leaves of absence. The journal was approved 50-0. The chamber then took up House Bill 1505, which drew extended debate over school funding and adequacy/tax equity. Senators Coleman and Keefer argued the bill continued to pour money into districts like Allentown without accountability or improved results, while Senators Costa, Miller, Haywood, and Anthony Williams defended the funding as a response to historic underfunding and the Commonwealth Court decision. A motion allowing Senator Coleman a third speaking turn was adopted 27-23, and the bill ultimately passed 45-5. The Senate then considered House Bill 2400, the General Appropriation Act. Supporters, including Senators Martin, Dush, Phillips-Hill, Costa, Ward, Street, Hughes, and Pittman, emphasized that the budget was balanced without using the rainy day fund or raising taxes, reduced the governor’s proposal, increased education and child care funding, supported nursing homes, rape crisis centers, infrastructure, and workforce programs, and shifted money from lapsed or unused accounts to current priorities. Opponents, including Senators Saval and Muth, said the budget failed to address structural deficits and omitted new revenue options, emergency services funding, and other major issues. The bill passed 44-6 with amendments and was returned to the House for concurrence. The Senate also passed a series of other bills, including House Bills 2412, 2413, 96, 858, 1042, 1286, 1646, 1851, 1862, 2017, 2024, 2401, and 2559, with varying margins, and sent them to the House, some with amendments. House Bill 1042 drew a negative recommendation from Senator Costa over a late amendment involving second-degree murder/felony language, but after reconsideration and vote changes it passed 30-20 with amendments. House Bill 1862, creating an Ignition Interlock Driver’s License, passed 45-5 after support from Senator Judy Ward. House Bill 1248 passed 43-7 and designates Pennsylvania rye whiskey as the official state spirit, with Senators Bartolotta and Robinson speaking in support. The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 216, after defeating Senator Haywood’s amendment to narrow the scope of a proposed Legislative Budget and Finance Committee study of managed care organizations; the resolution passed 31-19. Several other bills were held over in their order, and the Senate later moved toward a condolence resolution.

Transcript Highlights:

• savings, primarily at the federal level, to entrepreneurs and business owners that have pass-through entities
• grow, knowing that with that Wayfair tax coming in, there's going to be a windfall profit to taxing entities
• And I know we've covered some of these things already today, but I want to walk back through them.
• And I know we've covered some of these things already today, but I want to walk back through them.

Summary: The Missouri House met with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, approval of the prior House journal, and numerous guest introductions, including a tribute to Harris-Stowe State University President Dr. Latanya Collins-Smith during Women’s History Month. The chamber then took up House Committee Substitute for House Joint Resolutions 173 and 174, which would place on the ballot a constitutional change to gradually eliminate Missouri’s individual income tax and allow the legislature to broaden the sales tax base to services if needed. The sponsor and supporters framed the proposal as a long-term tax reform that would let Missourians keep more of their earnings, spur economic growth, and ultimately let voters decide the state’s tax structure. Supporters argued that no-income-tax states have stronger growth, more business relocation, and better population trends, and said the resolution includes triggers and revenue-neutral safeguards, including protections for school funding and local governments. Several members said the measure is only a referral to the voters, not an immediate tax change, and emphasized that the plan is designed to phase out the income tax only as state growth allows. Opponents countered that the measure would ultimately require a large sales tax increase on goods and services, shifting the burden onto working families, seniors, renters, and low-income Missourians, while threatening public schools, services, and tax-credit-supported nonprofits. They also criticized the ballot language as misleading and warned that the fiscal impact could be as high as an $8.5 billion revenue loss. Members debated comparisons to Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Washington, Oregon, and Kansas, with supporters citing those states as evidence that lower or no income taxes can attract growth, while opponents said Missouri’s economy, tourism, and budget structure are not comparable and that the Kansas example shows the risks of tax-cut experiments. The sponsor and several allies repeatedly stressed that the proposal is a constitutional amendment for voters to decide, not a final legislative tax hike, and said the plan is different from Kansas because it uses triggers and a defined path to zero. The transcript does not show a final vote on the resolution in the excerpt provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• But y'all cover a lot more than what we're going to realize in this committee.
• I will say we've been working very closely with them, as the vast majority, if not all, of those entities
• I think we have existing contracts that can cover that, so I don't foresee us asking for additional budget
• We granted six of those grant applications and awarded each of those entities up to $20,000 to use in

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated people, and to require health insurance companies to cover
• And he... ...cover autism treatment, first for children and teens, and later through adulthood.
• income on pregnant people, requiring the Early Childhood Education and Care Department or an approved entity
• to conduct home visits for participants in the pilot. ...and Care Department, or an approved entity

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Require a construction employer that obtains a zero estimated exposure policy to provide all entities
• improvement services written notification of its use of the policy and a copy of the policy, and for the entity
• Aid that school districts can cover costs going forward. That was Representative Bakeberg's bill.
• To put this into perspective, the 2.74% inflationary increase on the formula would cover the costs of

Transcript Highlights:

• So some of our parole offices are covering areas that are a couple hours away.
• And we've provided mutual aid in disaster times as well to other public safety entities.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met with quorum and first considered several governor’s appointments not required to appear. The committee voted to advance Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission appointments: Anacubas and David Hubner, with the latter two receiving split votes but still moving forward. The committee also approved the reference of bills to committees and later, by unanimous add-on votes, approved floor acknowledgments and the remaining appointments on the agenda. The main hearing was on Brian Bishop’s appointment as Director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR. Bishop described his law enforcement and Marine Corps background and said his focus would be balancing public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. Senators asked about risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, out-of-county placement, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with local agencies, exclusion zones for victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reviews. Public testimony supported Bishop’s confirmation, including from reentry providers and advocacy groups. The committee then voted 5-0 to advance his appointment to the full Senate for confirmation. The committee also heard from Sarah Larson, appointed Director of the Division of Facilities Management and Construction at CDCR. Larson discussed aligning the prison footprint with a declining population, addressing aging infrastructure and heat issues through cooling pilots, and using projects like the San Quentin Rehabilitation Center as a model for safer, more healing facilities. Senators asked about prison closures, cold shutdown status, disaster planning, water and utility issues, and how to manage closed or deactivated facilities. Larson said closed facilities are maintained minimally, reactivation would be costly, and the department is exploring more holistic infrastructure planning. Public witnesses from criminal justice and reentry organizations strongly supported her, and the committee voted 5-0 to advance her appointment to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• So some of our parole offices are covering areas that are a couple hours away.
• And we've provided mutual aid in disaster times as well to other public safety entities.

Summary: The Senate Rules Committee met to consider several governor’s appointments and routine agenda items. It first approved, on call, appointments not required to appear for Olivia May Assuncion to the Commission on Disability Access, William Adams to the California Exposition and State Fair Board of Directors, and two California Law Revision Commission nominees, with one of the law revision appointments drawing a split vote. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments before moving to appointments required to appear. Brian Bishop, nominated to lead the Division of Adult Parole Operations at CDCR, testified that he would emphasize public safety, accountability, rehabilitation, and staff well-being. In questioning, senators focused on risk assessment for higher-risk parolees, GPS monitoring, coordination with local law enforcement, victim protections, supervision of unhoused parolees, and oversight of private reentry/housing contractors. Bishop said DAPO uses data-driven supervision, risk tools, compliance sweeps with law enforcement, exclusion zones and administrative transfers to protect victims, and contract monitoring through invoices, site visits, and utilization reports. Public commenters from reentry and justice organizations supported his confirmation, and the committee voted 5-0 to send the nomination to the full Senate. Sarah Larson, nominated to direct CDCR’s Facilities Management and Construction, described her CDCR background and said she wanted to help modernize the department’s aging infrastructure to support staff and incarcerated people. Senators asked about aligning facilities with a declining prison population, cooling and heat mitigation, safety during construction, prison closures such as Norco, disaster planning, and how closed facilities are maintained or could be reopened. Larson said CDCR has reduced its footprint, is piloting cooling upgrades at several sites, maintains closed facilities in cold shutdown with minimal upkeep, and uses emergency planning and mutual aid for disasters. She also said the department is exploring infrastructure master planning and more substantial, targeted improvements, and the committee again heard supportive public testimony before voting 5-0 to advance her nomination to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• So some of our parole offices are covering areas that are a couple hours away.
• And we've provided mutual aid in disaster times as well to other public safety entities.

Committee: Senate Rules

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The casino or the whoever, the entity? Of course they would.
• Well, before I get to that, you know, we have one network that covers public television for the entire

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

Summary: The committee reconvened and took up several amendments and bills. Senate Bill 15 was amended to transfer Keep Arkansas Beautiful functions to ARDOT and replace the current commissioners with an advisory council; the amendment was adopted without objection. An amendment to Senate Bill 7 lowering the claims-data threshold for group health insurance from 50 employees to 25, to help smaller employers and municipalities shop for coverage, was also adopted. An amendment to Senate Bill 41 that would have restricted University of Arkansas at Fayetteville athletic funding from academic funds was rejected after members questioned its scope and fiscal basis. The committee then considered an amendment to House Bill 1051 that would cap online sports-betting free play at 5% of gross receipts. Senator Hester argued the current unlimited promotions were predatory and effectively subsidized casinos, while other members questioned the tax and accounting assumptions and whether the proposal belonged in a fiscal committee. The amendment failed, and a separate agriculture-related amendment from Representatives Vaught and Painter to exempt certain tractor parts tied to diesel exhaust fluid systems was also not adopted, with members citing drafting and enforcement problems and suggesting it should go through the revenue committees. After suspending the rules to add items, the committee adopted a technical correction to Senate Bill 4 clarifying physician licensure language so the rural workforce pathway would apply to underserved and primary care shortage areas, rather than the narrower federal term originally used. The committee also adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 77 deleting a fund-transfer section and instead increasing appropriation authority and creating a matching-fund mechanism to help Arkansas TV pay PBS dues, with supporters saying it would leverage private donations and preserve PBS access while allowing the commission to decide programming. The bill passed as amended, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I can just kind of briefly cover it. Let me do my investigation.
• I mean, because they already had entities within their boundaries, and to make that change, that's huge

Committee: House House Government Committee of Reference

Summary: The House Committee on Government heard and advanced several bills. SB 1479 would require photo identification for certain documents recorded at county recorder offices, add identifying measures for notarized real property documents, and increase the penalty for knowingly submitting a false claim or forgery related to real property from a Class 1 misdemeanor to a Class 5 felony. Testimony from a deed fraud victim, county assessors, the Attorney General’s office, and an online notary representative emphasized the bill’s role in preventing deed fraud; the chair also said he would run a floor amendment to tighten the ID-recording provisions. The committee voted 7-0 to give SB 1479 a due pass recommendation. SB 1473 would prohibit counties and municipalities from capping the number of residents in assisted living homes, restricting such homes on residentially zoned property, or requiring extra administrative documents based solely on resident count. Supporters from the Arizona Assisted Living Homes Association and a Paradise Valley operator said local occupancy reductions from 10 beds to 6 could force closures, worsen the shortage of senior care beds, and undermine affordable residential care; members discussed parking concerns and the growing need for assisted living. The committee voted 7-0 to give SB 1473 a due pass recommendation. The committee also considered SB 1663, which creates a Freedom of Speech Monument Committee to nominate two deceased individuals each year for the Freedom of Speech Monument and allows placement of a monument in the governmental mall. After limited testimony, including one opponent, the committee voted 4-1 to advance the bill. Finally, SB 1686, which would rename Wesley Bolin Plaza the Wesley Bolin and Charlie Kirk Freedom Plaza and authorize memorials for Charlie Kirk and Don Bowles, drew extended debate and an unsuccessful amendment to separate the Charlie Kirk and Don Bowles provisions. After testimony for and against, the committee voted 4-3 to give SB 1686 a due pass recommendation, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, I can just kind of briefly cover it. Let me do my investigation.
• I mean, because they already had entities within their boundaries, and to make that change, that's huge

Committee: House Government

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's the HASA, which is the future health professionals entity. Or is that just a revision?
• So this is just, you know, you guys giving us cover to keep working on this.

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development met in executive session and first took up House Bill 2585. The committee adopted a House Committee substitute and a separate amendment, both described as clerical and technical changes to align the bill with Department of Higher Education workflow and state and federal law. The substitute for HB 2585 was then approved do pass by a 10-0 roll call vote. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1627, which would revise the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council by adding the Commissioner of Higher Education or designee, increasing business and commerce representation, shortening member terms, reducing required meetings, and adjusting reporting requirements. Representative Haley said the changes would better reflect workforce needs and strengthen ties between education and industry. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education testified in support, saying the changes were recommended by the advisory group. No opposition testimony was offered. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 2123, a broader higher education funding proposal that also includes a Bright Flight scholarship increase to full in-state tuition. Representative Black and Representative Shields described the bill as an effort to modernize Missouri’s long-standing base-plus funding model by moving toward a metric- and performance-based system tied to workforce needs, with a phased testing and approval process before implementation. Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development staff, the Missouri Community College Association, and the Council on Public Higher Education testified in support of continuing the work, though the council urged removing bill language that was too specific about the consultant’s model and timeline. Some members raised concerns about fiscal impact, implementation, and whether the model could be rolled out without harming institutions or students. The hearing on HB 2123 concluded without any vote taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there's the HASA, which is the future health professionals entity. Or is that just a revision?
• So this is just, you know, you guys giving us cover to keep working on this.

Committee: House Higher Education and Workforce Development

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that there's a bucket of money and it doesn't cover everything, and unfortunately, we wish it
• So some entity does need to be in there, and we were lucky enough to serve Idaho with that.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We simply do not have the liquidity to cover the estate tax as currently designed.
• discussion, but real estate sales occur all the time, as you know, and from DOR's vantage point, as the entity

Summary: House Finance met on February 26 and heard several tax and housing-related bills. Substitute Senate Bill 6343 would extend the deadline to apply for a property tax exemption for improvements to single-family homes damaged by natural disasters, with sponsors citing recent flooding and the need to help displaced homeowners in multiple counties. Local officials from Kent and Algona testified in support, describing flood damage and ongoing recovery needs. The bill was heard but no vote was taken. Senate Bill 6347 would roll back the higher estate tax rates enacted in 2025, while leaving the higher exemption amount in place. Committee staff said the bill would reduce revenue to the Education Legacy Trust account by about $44.8 million starting in fiscal year 2027 and about $389.9 million over the 2027-29 biennium. Supporters argued the higher rates could harm family businesses and encourage wealthy residents to leave; opponents said the bill would mainly benefit very large estates and would worsen budget pressures by reducing funds for education and child care. Public testimony was mixed, and the bill was heard without action. The committee also heard Senate Bill 6244, which would extend a hazardous substance tax exemption for agricultural crop protection products stored in Washington for out-of-state sale until 2038. The sponsor and a logistics witness said the exemption helps farmers get products faster, supports regional distribution, and improves competitiveness; staff said the revenue impact would be small. Finally, Senate Bill 6114 would define “fixture” and “affixed” for real estate excise tax purposes to make tax treatment of attached property clearer, and Senate Bill 6027 would broaden allowable uses of several local affordable housing funding sources, including rehabilitation and operations of existing housing, rental assistance in some counties, and expanded uses for Affordable Housing for All grants. Both of those bills drew support from state and local housing officials and advocates, and the committee adjourned after the hearings with no recorded votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• And it's made a tremendous difference outside of even the normal response that's covered as a part of
• As part, being that you are a HEAL Act obligated entity, and you don't have to answer this question right

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2104 would make permanent the Aviation Assurance Funding Program, which lets DNR provide aerial wildfire response resources to local fire departments during initial attack. The prime sponsor, Rep. Tom Dent, said the program helps small rural districts avoid costly state mobilization and keeps fires small; DNR and local fire officials testified in strong support, citing rapid response times, major property protection, and even a rescue of a trapped civilian. No opposition testimony was heard, and the sign-in record showed 215 pro and one con. HB 2348, a DNR request bill, would streamline timber and land sale procedures by allowing more online notice, changing where sales may be held, permitting re-offering of no-bid sales, and clarifying appraisal and fair-market-value standards for certain land transfers. DNR said the bill would improve efficiency and reduce administrative burden, while the American Forest Resource Council and Washington Forest Protection Association supported it as a modernization measure that preserves fiduciary protections for trust lands. Committee members asked about the scope of the trust-land language and potential savings; the sign-in record showed 43 pro and one con. HB 2454 would raise the surface mine reclamation threshold from three acres to seven acres of disturbed area, reducing the number of small gravel and aggregate operations subject to DNR permitting. Rep. Andrew Engel argued the change would help small rural producers compete against larger corporations and lower burdens on local material suppliers. DNR opposed the bill, saying acreage alone does not determine environmental risk and that the permit process provides important review, technical assistance, and reclamation planning; the agency said it was open to discussing alternative approaches. A remote industry witness supported the bill, saying it would help small sources remain viable while county regulation would still apply. The sign-in record showed 143 pro and three con. After the hearings, the committee adjourned without taking votes on the bills.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well, I mean, ever's already covered by law. Okay, so let me back up. Thank you.
• So I would think that would be an entity that we would want to connect with as we're trying to change

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard four items, including one consent bill, and began before quorum was established. AB 760, by Assemblymember Ta, would temporarily allow mobile home park-owned homes to be rented to people displaced by a natural disaster in areas under a declared state of emergency, including adjacent jurisdictions. Supporters said it would quickly add housing after fires, floods, or earthquakes; there was no opposition at the hearing, and members generally praised the narrow committee amendments. The bill later passed on a due-pass-as-amended vote. Chair Haney presented AB 1445, which would let cities create downtown recovery districts to finance office-to-housing conversions and other downtown revitalization projects using growth in property tax revenue. Support came from the California Travel Association, Housing Action Coalition, IKEA, Spur, Abundant Housing, and Circulate San Diego, with members saying the bill could help downtowns recover and expand mixed-use housing. The committee voiced support and interest in broader use of the tool, and the bill was approved on a due-pass-as-amended vote. AB 456, by Assemblymember Connolly, drew the most extensive debate. The bill would prohibit mobile home park managers from requiring interior repairs or improvements as a condition of sale and would require timely written lists of exterior repairs, with supporters arguing that park managers are interfering with sales and delaying closings. Opponents, led by the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association, argued that interior inspections are needed to protect buyers and park residents from unsafe conditions and potential liability. Members raised questions about safety, disclosure, HCD oversight, and liability; after discussion, the bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended vote, with some members not voting or expressing reservations. The committee also approved the consent calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:54:08.880><c> So,</c> care is going to be covered by TANF.
• So, care is going to be covered by TANF.
• </c><03:21:11.439><c> choose</c><03:21:11.840><c> to</c> local governmental entities choose to local
• governmental entities choose to raise<03:21:12.479><c> and</c><03:21:12.720><c> so</c><03:21:12.960><
• Can you give me some help on that thing that you said covers the minimum standards?

Committee: House Education Funding

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We make special train announcements, and we also have certain partnerships with other Bay Area entities
• We have three light rail lines, 44 miles of track covering 55 stations.
• We have 82 bus routes that cover a 600-square-mile service territory.
• Speck covered, once you think about a downtown, you really should think about the pedestrian experience

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We make special train announcements, and we also have certain partnerships with other Bay Area entities
• We have three light rail lines, 44 miles of track covering 55 stations.
• We have 82 bus routes that cover a 600-square-mile service territory.
• Speck covered, once you think about a downtown, you really should think about the pedestrian experience

Summary: The Select Committee on Downtown Recovery held an informational hearing on the future of public transit and its role in downtown recovery. Chair Haney framed the discussion around how downtowns have changed since the pandemic and how transit, walkability, housing, and street design can support more 24/7 activity. The hearing included three panels: transit agency representatives, street design and curb management experts, and housing/transit development advocates. Transit agency witnesses from BART, LA Metro, and Sacramento Regional Transit described post-pandemic ridership shifts, with more weekend, evening, and event-based travel and less reliance on traditional weekday commute patterns. BART highlighted downtown San Francisco’s dependence on transit, its event service, safety investments, and transit-oriented development pipeline, while asking the state to protect transit funding and honor SB 125 and greenhouse gas reduction fund commitments. LA Metro emphasized special event service, especially around the World Cup and Union Station activations, as a way to make transit a destination and improve customer experience. Sacramento Regional Transit reported bus ridership recovery above pre-pandemic levels, light rail lagging behind, new vehicles and stations, stronger security measures, and concerns about future funding cuts affecting student fares, capital projects, and service levels. The second panel focused on making downtown streets more walkable and transit-friendly. Jeff Speck argued that walkability depends on places being useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting, and urged cities to restripe streets, reduce lane widths, add bike protection, improve crossings, and redesign one-way streets. Mark Vuksevich of Streets for All said downtowns are statewide economic assets and called for frequent transit, bus priority, modern curb management, parking pricing tied to availability, and parking benefits districts that reinvest revenue locally. He also said the state should provide model enabling legislation and more flexibility for local experimentation. The final panel focused on housing near transit. California YIMBY’s Aaron Eckhouse supported AB 2074, which would encourage large-scale housing in transit-rich downtowns, and argued for more financing tools, condo reform, and building code changes to reduce costs. Transbay Joint Powers Authority Executive Director Adam Van Water described the Transbay Transit Center and surrounding district as a case study in transit-oriented downtown growth, with millions of square feet of development, thousands of residents, and a major portal project still awaiting funding and pre-construction work. Members discussed office-to-housing conversions, the need to repurpose underused office stock, and the importance of state funding and policy support for transit, housing, and downtown revitalization.