Transcript Highlights:

• In only 20 years, yet our wages are not keeping up with that.
• wages that workers are earning.
• They're not getting their full wages. It's a percentage.
• It's based on different factors, but it's not their full wage.
• Their wage when they're not at work, I think that's a real big issue with the public, Mr.

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6170 , SB6176 , SB6182 , SB6335 , SB5647 , SB6047 , HB2367 , HB2606 , SB5998 , SB6005 , SB6003 , SB6129 , SB6225 , SB6228 , SB6231

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, contracting rules, state highway construction, procurement limits, state regulations, infrastructure funding, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law

Summary: The Senate convened with roll call, prayer, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then moved to a resolution honoring piano teachers. Senate Resolution 8698 was adopted after remarks from Senator Conway and others describing the role of piano teachers in music education, family life, and community service. Members of the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then took up the operating budget and considered a long series of amendments. Several amendments focused on housing costs and local planning, utility and energy policy, ballot measure costs, state spending growth, tort liability, and paid family and medical leave. Some amendments were adopted, including a study of utility cost impacts from climate laws, a grid-related funding amendment, a tort liability oversight/reporting amendment, and a workgroup on services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Others were rejected, including proposals to create a housing task force, cap state spending growth, fund ballot initiative costs, restore local planning grants, and change paid family and medical leave usage rules. Debate on the budget amendments was often partisan and detailed, with supporters arguing for fiscal restraint, cost transparency, and relief for taxpayers and local governments, while opponents emphasized existing work, program solvency, and the need to preserve services. The Senate also heard amendments on zero-based budgeting, federal education tax credit opt-in language, reproductive health funding, food assistance work requirements, and support for the Pediatric Interim Care Center; some were defeated and some were adopted. Roll-call votes were taken on certain amendments, and the transcript ends during consideration of Amendment 0787, which would restore funding for the Pediatric Interim Care Center.

Transcript Highlights:

• wage theft over the past three years.
• Does not have repeated state or federal violations of prevailing wage or wage theft over the past three
• or wage theft over the past three years.
• People deserve to be paid the wages that they have earned, and we need to take a stand.
• And for folks who haven't been following this issue, it's not just wage theft.

Committee: House Ways and Means

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• We reimburse based on employee wages while they're doing training.
• </c><00:09:44.720><c> So</c> wages while they're doing training.
• So wages while they're doing training.
• Companies that pay higher average hourly wages receive higher points.
• Companies that pay higher average hourly wages receive higher points.

Keywords: Cabinet for Economic Development – Bluegrass State Skills Corporation Overview 02:35 ----Discussion of BR 868, 2026 Regular Session 24:08, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with a quorum call and approval of the August 21 minutes. The main presentation was from the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development on the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation (BSSC), which was created in 1984 and is administratively tied to the cabinet. Staff explained that BSSC supports workforce training for companies in Kentucky through two main programs: the grant-in-aid reimbursement program and the skills training investment tax credit. They also described the board’s structure, quarterly meetings, annual audit, and the metropolitan tax credit tied to UPS in Louisville, along with public-private training consortia supported by the program. The cabinet outlined eligibility and funding rules: applicants must be qualified companies, trainees must be full-time Kentucky residents meeting wage requirements, and eligible training includes in-house company-specific training, train-the-trainer efforts, safety/OSHA training, and outside training through KCTCS or other providers. Grant-in-aid is a 50% reimbursement program capped at $75,000 per company per fiscal year and $2,000 per trainee, while the tax credit is capped annually and is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications are scored based on county tier, wages, workforce development activity, veteran hiring, participation in consortia, and job growth. Members asked for data on trainees and industries served, and staff said they could provide it. They also discussed coordination with other workforce programs, especially KCTCS and the state’s TRAIN program, to avoid overlap and double dipping. Several members asked about program usage and differences between fiscal years. Staff said the tax credit is less popular because it is not refundable and requires tax liability, while grant-in-aid is more attractive because it is cash reimbursement. They said lower or delayed spending in some years can reflect one-year training windows, reimbursement lag, new facilities ramping up, consortia activity, and special allocations such as those tied to Ford facilities. Questions also covered support for new businesses, which staff said can receive favorable scoring for new jobs and may have funds set aside for new location projects. On veterans, staff said they connect companies to Kentucky Valor and other resources, but the program does not track veteran retention outcomes. The final discussion was on a draft bill related to the Kentucky Horse Park and the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Representative Vanessa Gracel and Kentucky Horse Park President Lee Carter explained that the proposal is intended to help the park maintain integrity and protect athletes, volunteers, coaches, trainers, and guests from abuse and misconduct. They described SafeSport’s federal role in Olympic and Paralympic sports and said they hope to move the draft forward as legislation in 2026. No votes were taken on the BSSC presentation or the horse park discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• One thing we don't want to do is cut wages to state employees.
• It's cut wages to state employees. We don't want to lay off state employees.
• Thank you for making those statements about the wages and the increases.
• There's real hard data that demonstrates how wages have increased, especially under this administration
• And the high-wage jobs that are going to come are going to be for our community.

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee first discussed the state budget and employee compensation, focusing on the 1% pay increase proposal and the broader cost of state employee raises and benefits. Members noted that over the past several years the state has invested heavily in payroll, pension contributions, pay studies, and band realignments, and several senators argued that the 80/20 health insurance change and other benefit improvements amount to significant compensation increases even without an additional raise. Others cautioned that recurring revenue is limited, that recent revenue collections were weaker than expected, and that the state should be careful about committing to ongoing costs given possible economic slowdown, federal uncertainty, drought, wildfire risk, and the possibility of future budget pressure. The committee then heard extensive testimony on SB 177, a major economic development proposal centered on quantum computing, advanced energy, robotics, synthetic biology, and related technologies. Supporters described the bill as a large strategic investment intended to leverage New Mexico’s national laboratories, universities, and existing quantum workforce to attract companies, create high-wage jobs, and diversify the economy. Testimony emphasized that much of the quantum workforce would be skilled trades and technicians rather than Ph.D.-level researchers, and members asked detailed questions about whether the state would receive long-term returns, how intellectual property and clawbacks would be handled, and whether the package included recurring costs. Witnesses also explained the bill’s trade association and workforce-development components, and several senators raised concerns about energy use, water use, guardrails, and ensuring the state does not subsidize outside interests without benefits returning to New Mexico. After debate, the committee moved to table SB 177 indefinitely, with members noting that the funding and structure were already incorporated into House Bill 2. The motion passed on an 8-0 vote, with several members excused. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Archelotta, do your members ever show frustration in the downward pressure on wages because of the cost
• ...the downward pressure on wages because of the cost of maintaining benefits without change.
• But maintaining that is holding their wages, I mean, there's only so much money, so it's...
• But maintaining that is holding their wage, I mean, there's only so much money.
• So it's holding out how much the state can spend on wages as opposed to benefits because we keep it.

Bills: SB2160

Committee: House Industry, Business and Labor

Keywords: health insurance, public employees, uniform group insurance, retirement, state employees, 908, all

Summary: The committee resumed work on Senate Bill 2160, which would move the Public Employees Retirement System health plan from grandfathered to non-grandfathered status under the Affordable Care Act. PERS officials Rebecca Frickie and Derek Holbein explained that the bill would allow more flexibility in plan design, including higher deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket maximums, while also adding enhanced preventive benefits. They clarified that ACA “essential health benefits” apply to individual and small-group markets, not to PERS as a large employer, and that the bill’s projected cost increases were based on actuarial estimates and prior bid scenarios from Sanford and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Members debated whether the bill would actually save money or simply shift costs to employees. Supporters argued that non-grandfathered status would create more levers to manage medical inflation and could produce net premium savings through plan redesign, citing prior bid comparisons showing potential reductions of 1% to 8% depending on the option. Opponents, including Representative Schauer and North Dakota United president Nick Archelette, questioned how the state would pay for the estimated $25 million to $30 million in added benefits and warned that employees could face higher out-of-pocket costs amid already strained household budgets. Frickie said the legislature would control funding decisions and that current law requiring the state to pay full family premiums could be changed only by statute. The committee also discussed reserve funding, with members noting that a $4.3 million reserve draw in the bill was intended to cover the final months of the biennium and could be modified. After testimony and discussion, Vice Chair Johnson moved a do-pass recommendation and referral to Appropriations. The motion passed 10-3-1, with Representatives Ostlie, Schatz, and Schauer voting no. Representative Gump agreed to carry the bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• federal and state laws, and the industry is already highly regulated both federally and by other state wage
• No, they would still have OSHA protections, wage protections; all the protections that are there would
• They would pay minimum wage.
• Will they still be guaranteed minimum wage and not be charged exorbitant fees for safety equipment and
• I don't believe so because they're still going to have all the protections under all your wage laws,

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and heard seven measures, including four bills and three proposed committee substitutes. HB 6033, repealing the Labor Pool Act, was presented as a cleanup measure to remove duplicative regulation; supporters argued workers would still be covered by OSHA, wage laws, workers’ compensation, and liability insurance, while opponents raised concerns about losing specific protections for day laborers. The bill was reported favorably on a 4-? vote, with several members voting no over concerns about worker protections. HB 453, dealing with pool and spa contractors, was described as a technical update to Chapter 489 that would better align licensing scopes with current industry practice and allow contractors to perform related work without stopping for additional licensed trades. An amendment making only drafting changes was adopted, and the bill passed unanimously. CS/HB 277 on veteran benefits assistance was also reported favorably unanimously after testimony focused on protecting veterans from predatory claims-assistance practices while preserving choice and requiring disclosures, fee limits, and data-security safeguards. The committee then approved PCS for HB 291, which would require personal mobility device batteries sold in Florida to meet an IPX-7 certification standard, after the sponsor cited fire risks from lithium-ion batteries; the measure passed unanimously. PCS for HB 709, allowing valid pari-mutuel permit holders to lease facilities to nearby high-li permit holders, was amended to require a minimum of 59 live performances and then passed unanimously. CS/HB 4011, expanding who may serve as a building official on Palm Beach County’s Building Code Advisory Board, passed unanimously as a good-government fix to fill vacancies. Finally, PCS for HB 499, allowing small craft breweries under 31,000 gallons to self-distribute, drew extensive testimony from brewers and distributors about small-business growth versus the three-tier alcohol system; despite concerns about weakening distribution safeguards, the bill was reported favorably by a 13-2 vote. The meeting then adjourned with no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• And what it does is it sets a wage cap in our jails that prevents counties from paying incarcerated people
• true pathway to employment after their release, and not on our artificially inflated. creating inmate wages
• We already have a $2 wage in the code which means we have already acknowledged that there should be a
• wage paid.
• I think it makes sense for local governments to be able to determine what that wage is based upon the

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those allowable training expenses will include wages and benefits, not to exceed $26 an hour, tuition
• Those allowable training expenses will include wages and benefits, not to exceed $26 an hour, tuition
• Um, this program is something that by paying a livable wage, by providing the education that's would
• We need to have enough funds that we can have full-time people making decent wages.
• </c> full-time people making decent wages. full-time people making decent wages.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We get weekly wage reports so we can track what's being used.
• We get weekly wage reports so we can track what's being used.
• We get weekly wage reports so we can track what's being used.
• We get weekly wage reports so we can track what's being used.
• We get weekly wage reports so we can track what's being used.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities, Environment, and Climate

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• After that, I went on to work at several different jobs not making a livable wage, and then I learned
• </c> site and it gives you reasonable wages site and it gives you reasonable wages along<00:09:52.560
• Starting wages are around $50,000 to $60,000, and many are making over $100,000 by the end of year four
• and benefits whether bargain for wages and benefits whether it's<00:31:11.760><c> healthc</c><00:31:
• </c><00:31:29.480><c> and</c><00:31:29.679><c> health</c> with family sustaining wages and health with

Bills: HF1439 , HF1004 , HF498 , HF1326

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: HF1439, Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation, Carts to Careers, workforce development fund, DEED, Department of Employment and Economic Development, grocery industry, food industry, food retail, retail workforce, job training, career pathways, scholarships, certifications, workforce pipeline, one-time appropriation, industry training, labor shortage, youth employment, apprenticeship

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> over half a billion dollars in wages over half a billion dollars in wages attributed<00:58:31.599
• You get $75 million in household wages, $324 million in economic impact.
• These thriving wage jobs, with the benefits that we've negotiated on a national and international scale
• </c><01:02:23.319><c> $324</c> of $75 million in household wages $324 of $75 million in household wages
• jobs it takes a lot of the thriving wage jobs it takes a lot of the away<01:03:18.039><c> of</c><01:

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology met on March 12, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures. On SB 9, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation testified in support, and there were no questions or objections. On SB 148, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs offered comments, and a member of the public testified in support of combining boxing and MMA oversight into a single combat sports commission, with amendments to preserve safety standards and separate or distinct treatment for the two sports. Committee discussion focused on whether proposed requirements were primarily safety-related or cost-related, how to handle smaller events, and whether a one-year implementation delay was necessary; the department said many safety provisions already exist in the MMA program, that it was open to continued discussion on costs, and that it needed time to combine rules and appoint new commissioners. The chair suggested possible amendments to account for event size and to reduce burdens on smaller events. The committee then heard SB 816, which drew extensive testimony on providing legal representation for immigrants in immigration proceedings. Supporters included the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, ACU Hawaii, the Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic, the Legal Clinic, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Pride at Work Hawaii, and others. Supporters argued that immigration cases can be as serious as criminal cases, that counsel is essential for due process, and that representation improves outcomes; several also emphasized the economic importance of immigrants to Hawaii. One supporter noted a suggested amendment to include training for attorneys and partners doing deportation defense and asylum work. Opposition came from a Navy veteran who argued the bill would use state resources for a federal issue, create inequities, and impose fiscal burdens. The chair noted 69 testimonies in support and 44 in opposition, and later an additional supporter brought the total to 70 in support. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The committee also heard SB 125, with the Department of Economic Development, the Agreed Business Development Corporation, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association in support, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii offering technical comments about complicated nested definitions in the bill. Testimony on SB 125 focused on updating the Enterprise Zone Program so local manufacturers selling directly to retail could qualify, along with value-added products and certain health-related sectors. Finally, on SB 732, the State of Hawaii Creative Industries testified with comments, raising concerns about county permit-fee waivers, implementation timing, and the bill’s lack of a carry-forward provision for the film tax credit. The witness said uncertainty in the credit was already causing productions to delay coming to Hawaii and urged stability to support the industry and local workers. The committee then moved on to additional testimony on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• and they really do not talk minimum wage and they really do not talk about<00:04:15.040><c> the</c><
• </c><00:04:23.280><c> that</c><00:04:23.680><c> everything</c> uh increasing the wages that everything
• uh increasing the wages that everything else<00:04:24.240><c> stays</c><00:04:24.560><c> static,</c>
• I thought that was a $20 minimum wage.
• as they deliver people or food or wage as they deliver people or food or or<00:08:00.400><c> what</c

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard seven bills on consumer protection, DBEDT-related matters, and tourism/creative industry issues. On SB 2031, DCCA supported aligning state law with the FTC’s 2025 rule on hidden fees and pricing misrepresentations in live event ticketing and short-term lodging; hotel and financial industry witnesses also testified, and senators asked for complaint and enforcement data. On SB 2129, DBEDT and business groups supported a study of minimum wage impacts, with testimony emphasizing effects on hours, employment, prices, and business viability; a senator asked whether the study could also examine the gig economy and business closures, and DBEDT said that may be possible but would require more research and data access. On SB 2259, which would promote dementia-friendly businesses, DBEDT said the measure fit better with another agency and lacked the department’s expertise, while the Executive Office on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association supported the intent and offered to help with curriculum, branding, and training. Testifiers described dementia as a spectrum and said businesses should be trained to communicate effectively with customers and employees living with the disease; suggested amendments included changing the branding language and requiring at least 85% of employees to complete training rather than all employees. A senator also raised concerns about stigma and whether early-stage dementia should affect a person’s ability to function, and the witness responded that people can often function well in early stages. The committee also heard SB 2577 on sports tourism, which DBEDT and the Retail Merchants of Hawaii supported as a way to better understand which events draw visitors and economic benefits. SB 2578, creating a film commission, drew broad support from DBEDT, Creative Industries, SAG-AFTRA, the Hawaii Film Alliance, the Hawaii Film Office, and others, but several witnesses urged changes to the commission’s composition and authority, including more labor representation and limits on the commission’s ability to adjust the production cap. Senators questioned staffing, costs, and whether current film office employees should transfer to the new commission, and one senator proposed a friendly amendment to add musicians, SAG, IATSE, and Teamsters, though the department cautioned that too many members could make the commission difficult to manage. The transcript ends during discussion of the film bill, with no final votes or committee actions stated for the measures heard.

Transcript Highlights:

• It is a percentage of your wages and it will vary depending on what your wages are.
• It is a percentage of your wages and it will vary depending on what your wages are.
• ><c> vary</c><00:58:06.960><c> dependent</c> of your wages and it will vary dependent of your wages and
• it will vary dependent on<00:58:07.720><c> what</c><00:58:07.880><c> your</c><00:58:08.039><c> wages
• that they would otherwise get but wage that they would otherwise get but otherwise<00:58:39.240><c>

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• These careers provide a livable wage and benefits and help to meet the workforce needs specific to our
• /c> healthcare these careers provide a healthcare these careers provide a livable<00:05:22.000><c> wage
• > benefits</c><00:05:23.400><c> and</c><00:05:23.560><c> helps</c><00:05:23.840><c> to</c> livable wage
• and benefits and helps to livable wage and benefits and helps to meet<00:05:24.199><c> the</c><00:05
• First of all, we do train all of our programs fall under the high-wage, high-demand category for the

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the actuaries have assumed for the wage the actuaries have assumed for the wage growth<00:29:10.240
• Because those are when you actually start having a livable wage, a wage that'll support a family with
• Because those are when you actually start having a livable wage, a wage that'll support a family with
• Because those are when you actually start having a livable wage, a wage that'll support a family with
• Because those are when you actually start having a livable wage, a wage that'll support a family with

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• some of the job creation and clean energy, which is a really growing sector that provides some high-wage
• And for an overburdened community like ours, it means more family wage jobs and more investment back
• some of the job creation and clean energy which is a really growing sector that provides some how wage
• And for an overburdened community like ours, it means more family wage jobs and more investment back

Bills: SB5420

Committee: House Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans

Keywords: veterans, military spouses, service members, uniformed services, National Guard, reservists, active duty, qualifying discharge, veterans preference, hiring preference, public employment, state benefits, license renewal, professional licensing, retirement service credit, pension, public retirement system, Washington RCW, military leave, reemployment rights

Transcript Highlights:

• escalating high health insurance costs... ...directly constrain their ability to offer competitive wages
• And those investments clearly directly impacted wages and impacted the ability... ...clearly directly
• impacted wages and impacted the ability to see those vacancy rates improve.
• as a whole is looking at a net population drop for the first time in decades, it's going to require wages

Summary: The Workforce Support Subcommittee of the Status of Persons with Disabilities met, approved the prior November minutes, and heard a presentation from the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers (ADDP) on its 2025 workforce metrics survey. ADDP described its membership and the survey’s scope, which covers community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and brain injury. The presenters said 102 of 132 members responded, and reported that overall vacancy rates improved for the third straight year, falling from 19% in 2024 to 15% in 2025, with declines across all program types. However, they emphasized that nearly 4,000 positions remain unfilled, licensed practical nurse and clinician vacancies remain especially high, and almost 1,800 people are still waiting for day services. ADDP also highlighted a new survey question on health insurance costs, reporting that nearly 90% of respondents saw premium increases averaging 11%, which providers said limits their ability to offer competitive wages and benefits. Members and commissioners discussed the significance of the data, the need to balance survey length with useful trend information, and the impact of immigration and workforce availability on provider staffing. ADDP said it plans to repeat the survey in the fall and continue monitoring these pressures. The subcommittee then elected Rachel Caprillion and Leo Sarkisian as co-chairs by voice vote. Members discussed possible speakers for the next meeting, including state and out-of-state workforce experts, JVS, Josh Cutler or his office, Juan Vega, Human Services Research Institute, and NASDDDS, with an emphasis on training, turnover, apprenticeships, and broader workforce supports. The meeting ended with a motion to adjourn, which was seconded and approved.

Transcript Highlights:

• Employers can then choose to provide wage replacement benefits for either birth or adoption, caring for
• This amendment prohibits payment of benefits from being considered as wages in lieu of workers' compensation
• This amendment prohibits payment of benefits from being considered as wages in lieu of workers' compensation

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 965, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• from what government was subsidized Do you have middle-income folks' wages?
• So we're capturing in our analysis, attempting to capture the wages paid, the corporate income taxes,
• paid the gross receipts taxed on any activity, and then also those wages paid to those employees.
• You know, I just don't know how they're going to do that on a minimum wage.
• But a lot of and then let's be frank, there's still going to be minimum wage.

Transcript Highlights:

• Apprentices are just about universally placed, near 100% placement, with the majority experiencing wage
• It is a job where you can make money and earn a living and a good wage in California.
• That's not salaries and wages, that's just payroll at fringe and admin.
• And that's not salaries and wages. $150,000 per year, and that's not salaries and wages, that's just
• These programs stabilize creative labor, support equitable wages, strengthen workforce pipelines, and

Committee: Senate Joint Committee on the Arts

Summary: The Joint Committee on the Arts held an informational hearing on California’s first sector-specific creative economy strategic plan, developed under AB 127 by the California Arts Council with an interagency work group and outside research support. Committee members and panelists described the plan’s purpose as strengthening the state’s creative workforce, stabilizing creative businesses, expanding equity and access, and building infrastructure for long-term implementation. The opening presentation highlighted major forces shaping the sector over the next decade, including AI, climate disruption, affordability, access to capital, and social cohesion, and outlined six action areas: workforce preparation, business growth, cultural tourism and identity, cross-sector incentives, ROI/data tracking, and state capacity-building. Testimony from the California Department of Education and the Workforce Development Board focused on existing workforce pipelines, including updated arts/entertainment/design CTE standards, the Entertainment Equity Alliance, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship pathways, and High Road Training Partnership investments. Speakers said these efforts are producing strong placement outcomes, including paid on-the-job training, union placements, and support for workers facing barriers, while also emphasizing the need for entrepreneurship training and wraparound supports. Committee discussion also centered on a major unresolved issue: how to define and measure the creative economy consistently across agencies, since current labor data often misses gig, contract, nonprofit, and business activity. A second panel of practitioners and advocates described local examples of the plan in action. The Handy Foundation, Arts for LA’s Creative Jobs Collective, the Arts Council of San Bernardino County, and the California Arts Council chair all argued that artists and creative workers should be treated as essential contributors to education, community health, local economies, and resilience, not as peripheral workers. They urged stronger school partnerships, more arts access, and better recognition of creative careers. Members also discussed AI’s impact on creative work, with panelists saying it should be treated as a tool that requires guardrails, training, and union and educator involvement rather than as a replacement for human creativity. No formal votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and members expressed support for continued implementation, better data systems, and additional funding in future budget and policy actions.