Transcript Highlights:

• licensing fee for slot machine license holders, the exemption for children's services councils from sharing
• property tax revenues with CRAs, for children's services councils from sharing property tax revenues
• So with that, we just want to share. Don't know, and all the things in between.
• All right, members, as we wrap up special session today, I want to share something with all of you.
• It has been the privilege of a lifetime to share this journey with all of you.

Summary: The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for former Senator Don Childers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Officer Antonio Richardson as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber announced it would take up 11 budget conference committee reports, with no third-reading bills or special-order calendar items. Members were reminded that conference reports were subject to debate but not amendment, and that the required review periods had been satisfied. The first major action was on HB 7031E, the tax package. Representative Duggan explained that the conference report included a mix of retained, modified, and new tax provisions, including sales tax holidays, property tax and homestead-related changes, reductions in certain gaming and carbon-related taxes, changes to child care and documentary stamp tax credits, a new refund process for public works construction tax paid by universities and colleges, and other tax administration changes. Debate focused on the bill’s consumer impact, the reduction of the child tax credit from three years to one, the inclusion of firearm accessories in a sales tax holiday, the absence of gas tax relief and combined reporting, and the homestead exemption provision for certain deployed diplomatic and foreign service personnel. Critics argued the package favored niche or corporate interests over broad affordability relief, while supporters said it provided targeted tax relief and reflected conference negotiations. The House adopted the conference report and passed HB 7031E by a vote of 88-11. The House then began presenting the conference report for HB 501E, the state budget, which totaled $114.5 billion for fiscal year 2026-27 and was described as below the prior year’s spending level while maintaining reserves. Subcommittee chairs outlined major budget areas: pre-K-12 funding included an increase in FEFP, salary increases for veteran teachers, stabilization funding, and support for declining enrollment; higher education included full Bright Futures funding, workforce programs, college operating support, university initiatives, and school guardian expansion; IT funding focused on Palm, ACCESS, APD’s I-Connect replacement, corrections systems, emergency management systems, and cybersecurity grants; health care funding covered Medicaid, nursing home rates, waiver provider increases, ADAP funding and restructuring, child welfare, and behavioral health; transportation and economic development included housing, cultural grants, jobs and rural infrastructure, Visit Florida, Space Florida, highway patrol equipment, and local transportation projects; justice funding included correctional construction, juvenile justice facilities, law enforcement grants, and clerk and due process reimbursements; state administration included fire stations, constrained counties, building maintenance, and Safe Florida Home; and agriculture/natural resources funding emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, land acquisition, Florida Forever, state parks, and citrus research. Members then began questioning the budget details, including school voucher accountability, school funding formulas, public defender parity, prison technology, wastewater monitoring in prisons, ADAP policy, SNAP fraud controls and AI-assisted verification, Florida Forever funding, school lunch funding, and coral reef restoration. No final vote on HB 501E appears in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• programs like Firewise communities bring residents together to take collective action, addressing shared
• So as I come to the end of my testimony, I just wanted to share some quick current stats.
• It's just how can we share grant data with...
• of the wins that CWMP is having and honestly to bring Deanna to share her story because she is one of
• There is, at least temporarily at this moment, I think, a real shared camaraderie amongst us that we

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• programs like Firewise communities bring residents together to take collective action, addressing shared
• As I come to the end of my testimony, I just wanted to share some quick current stats.
• It's just how can we share grant data with folks who aren't part of the grant management process?
• of the wins that CWMP is having and honestly to bring Deanna to share her story because she is one of
• There is, at least temporarily at this moment, I think, a real shared camaraderie amongst us that we

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation held an oversight hearing on home hardening and defensible space as wildfire mitigation strategies. The chair opened by stressing that California has reached a tipping point, with repeated community-scale wildfire losses, rising insurance costs, and growing utility wildfire mitigation expenses. The hearing was organized around four panels: what home hardening and defensible space are, community risk reduction and coordination, evaluation of current defensible space programs and proposed investments, and the future of home hardening and the California Wildfire Mitigation Program. The first panel featured IBHS, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and local wildfire mitigation advocates. IBHS described wildfire spread through embers, flames, and radiant heat, emphasizing that structure separation, removing combustible materials within the first five feet of a home, and combining multiple mitigation measures significantly reduce loss. It highlighted its Wildfire Prepared Home and Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood standards, including an “essential” and “enhanced” level, and said California is ahead of other states but still needs scalable, standardized, and sustainably funded mitigation. The LAO outlined key policy questions for the Legislature, including the state’s role, intergovernmental coordination, cost-effectiveness, program design, measurement of success, long-term sustainability, and barriers to implementation. The chair and panelists discussed estimated costs, including roughly $15,000 for a basic retrofit and about $50,000 for more extensive ignition-resistant construction, and whether state funding should focus on the most cost-effective initial measures. The second panel focused on scaling adoption through local coordination, education, financing, and community-based programs. Megafire Action argued that home hardening is a market adoption problem and said the state should not try to pay for every home, but instead target high-leverage interventions across the “customer journey,” including education, financing, trusted certification, and neighborhood network effects. Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council described free home assessments, small retrofit grants, Firewise community support, and the importance of neighborhood-level action, local capacity, and cultural change. Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority described its locally funded model, grant program, public education efforts, and an Ember Ready program that helps residents navigate home hardening and Zone Zero compliance. The chair repeatedly emphasized the need for a coordinated statewide marketing campaign, stronger incentives, better insurance discounts, and more use of local, utility, federal, and private funding sources. The third and fourth panels addressed Cal Fire’s defensible space inspection program, the proposed defensible space financial assistance program, and broader state investments. Cal Fire said homes lacking compliant defensible space are far more likely to be damaged or destroyed and requested ongoing funding and staffing to stabilize inspections statewide; the LAO suggested the Legislature consider alternative funding sources such as GGRF or a reinstated SRA fee. Cal Fire and the State Fire Marshal explained that Zone Zero sets a minimum standard, local governments cannot go below it, and grant prioritization will favor jurisdictions that submit inspections. Cal Fire also said the new defensible space financial assistance program would focus on ember-resistant zone-zero work and, in the Southern California counties covered by the legislation, would assist about 3,125 homes at an estimated $8,000 per home. In the final panel, the State Fire Marshal described California’s layered strategy of parcel-level home hardening, defensible space, and neighborhood-scale mitigation, along with technical support, financial assistance, and incentives such as insurance discounts and builder marketing. The overall theme was that California must move from isolated efforts to a coordinated, science-based, and scalable statewide approach to reduce wildfire losses.

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently, statute does not guarantee that all 58 counties receive their fair share.
• I think maybe in the future we could look to that, but I just wanted to share that.
• Thank you for the opportunity to share the impacts of the bill, and I look forward to your questions.
• I've shared with everybody before that I could take Bus 93 to Palm and Hillsdale, and that's where the
• So I appreciate you bringing this bill, and I appreciate Karina for coming all the way here, sharing

Committee: House Human Services

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I know there are lobbyists involved and those kind of things, but maybe share that if you would.
• But thank you so much for running over here and sharing with us.
• I'm here in support of Senate Bill 1418, and to share my story with you.
• I want to share my experience with kratom with you.
• I want to share my experience with Kratum with you.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Absolutely, if you don't mind me sharing a few words. Thank you, Mr.
• I'd like to just share a little bit of the work that has been done over the last few years.
• I just wanted to share on two points that already came up.
• Haskin, do you want to share some of that wisdom and knowledge that you have? I do.
• Haskin, do you want to share with some of that wisdom and knowledge that you have? I do.

Bills: HB117 , HB228 , HB250 , HB260 , HB393 , HB400 , HB446 , HB534 , HB551 , HB576 , HB842

Committee: House House and Governmental Affairs

Keywords: Department of State, statutory entities, re-creation, termination, Louisiana laws, Department of State Civil Service, Louisiana legislation, government re-creation, authority termination, financial disclosure, public servants, ethics, immediate family, transparency, legislators, transportation, foreign travel, cultural exchange, public service, HB393

Transcript Highlights:

• I'd like to share this with you.
• It's interesting that the good gentleman just shared what he shared because I was going to ask a question
• It's interesting that the good gentleman just shared what he shared because I was going to ask a question
• That's what I don't like about it, and so I just wanted to share that.
• Yeah, that's what I want to share. There to bear on the motion for the second time.

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm grateful to be working with Wyoming Pathways Executive Director Mike Kuester, who will share more
• </c><00:21:26.520><c> more</c><00:21:26.760><c> with</c> Mike Kuester, who will share more with Mike
• This year I brought SF 93, shared custody amendments, which failed introduction by two votes.
• I'm asking this committee to consider and take up this topic of shared custody on a temporary basis in
• parenting or permanent orders of shared parenting?

Keywords: 916, all

Summary: The Judiciary Interim Committee met under time constraints and asked members to rank interim topics for a letter to Management Council. The committee then took brief public testimony on a series of proposed study topics, with no formal votes recorded in the transcript. Early testimony focused on landlord eviction rights, where speakers said the court eviction process is too slow, can worsen housing shortages, and leaves landlords unable to recover rent, fees, or damage costs. The foster care topic was presented as a request to examine whether the system gives too much weight to reunification and not enough to the child’s best interests, especially for younger children. A Blue Envelope Program proposal was also discussed; supporters said it would help law enforcement communicate with autistic or otherwise communication-challenged individuals during traffic stops and emergencies, and improve consistency statewide. The committee also heard a proposal to study Wyoming’s homicide-by-vehicle statute, with testimony from a constituent whose mother was killed by a repeat dangerous driver. Speakers argued the current law leaves a gap because prior DUIs, high-risk driving history, and other aggravating factors do not meaningfully affect charging unless intoxication or extreme conduct is present. Related testimony from Wyoming Pathways said the change should be a tool in the toolbox for prosecutors and could improve safety for pedestrians and drivers. Senator Cooper then raised campaign finance reform and dark money, urging a resolution asking Wyoming’s congressional delegation to seek a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and restore state control over election spending transparency. Additional topics included a request from the Wyoming Livestock Board to review peace officer statutes so its investigators could act on felonies committed in their presence or prevent imminent bodily harm, while remaining within their current duties and certification. Representative Lee asked for review of non-disclosure agreements in public-private partnerships and executive sessions so the public can eventually understand how such agreements were used. Senator Pearson asked for interim consideration of shared custody amendments, saying fit parents should have a fair opportunity for shared parenting after separation. Representative Storer proposed revisiting DUI penalties, especially for refusal of chemical testing, arguing that refusal often prevents prosecution and that the law should impose treatment and license suspension consequences. The committee also heard a request to review statutes involving political parties, and the state court administrator asked for interim study of remote public access to court records, citing ongoing automation efforts, privacy concerns, and funding needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• And if they're not sharing pertinent information, that could create some issues.
• We need to look at the local rights, and where it shares these resources, we understand that balance
• Providing for three times damages is not an idea the current budget can support, but I will share with
• I appreciate the work from Senator Dinger to make a phone call and share that with me.
• I also share the DNA of having served as a city council member, and what I will say, one of the most

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2340 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2254 , HB2353 , HB2431 , HB2441 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB1069 , HB2104 , HB2624

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Summary: The Senate received messages from the House transmitting several signed bills, then moved through a series of second- and third-reading actions on multiple measures. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2508, clarifying the scope and authority of the Office of Independent Investigations, was advanced to final passage without objection and passed 44-4. Senators supporting it described it as a technical housekeeping bill aligning statute with current practice, while noting it had broad support from law enforcement groups and the ACLU; opponents raised concerns about overlapping investigations and authority. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408, which dedicates a share of sales tax revenue from the stadium area to the South Downtown/Pioneer Square community preservation and development authority, was amended by a Ways and Means striking amendment declaring an emergency and then passed 47-1. Supporters said it would fund earthquake reinforcement, preservation, and community development in a historic district, with reporting and sunset provisions. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1500, dealing with resale certificates for common interest communities and homeowners associations, was amended to clarify disclosure and litigation provisions and passed 39-9. Substitute House Bill 1570, allowing collective bargaining for certain employees enrolled in academic programs at public institutions, failed an amendment to remove the emergency clause and then passed 29-19; supporters framed it as recognition of student workers’ organizing rights, while opponents warned it blurred student and employee roles. The Senate also passed Substitute House Bill 1390, repealing the Community Protection Program and directing participants into other developmental disability services, after rejecting a series of amendments that sought to preserve sex-offender-related restrictions, add assessments, damages, or prosecutorial review. The bill passed 29-20 amid sharp debate over whether the program was coercive and outdated or necessary to protect vulnerable people and communities. Other bills passed included Substitute House Bill 2114 on defective license plates, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2471 on collective bargaining if the NLRB is unavailable, House Bill 1069 on bargaining over supplemental retirement contributions for Department of Corrections employees, House Bill 2441 expanding medical premium reimbursements for surviving spouses of line-of-duty deaths, and Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1710 adding preclearance requirements under the Washington Voting Rights Act; the voting rights bill drew opposition over local control and litigation concerns. The transcript ends during the roll call on final passage of Engrossed Third Substitute House Bill 1710.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I'll be going around sharing that. And thank you for all the work you've done up to this point.
• We all share that goal. However, we must look at the reality of the global market.
• There should be a shared commitment.
• I shared this letter from a special education teacher in Mesa Public Schools.
• You shared that we should not be allowing this for elected officials. They're not elected.

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We actually have an online link that we can share with all of you.
• I'd like to share a couple examples.
• Have you lost market share since 7-OH has hit the market?
• I don't know the exact numbers in terms of market share.
• I think it's often being shaped as some kind of market-share war.

Committee: House Emerging Issues and Professional Registration

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and adopted House Committee Substitutes, then passed several bills by roll call vote. HCS for House Bills 1746 and 1769 was adopted and then voted do pass by 10-0. HCS for House Bill 3005 was adopted and passed 10-0 after the sponsor explained it removed a sentence requiring specific local review boards in library appeals processes. HCS for House Bills 1717 and 1643, dealing with alternative therapies, passed 7-2 with two present. HCS for House Bills 2817 and 2961 passed 8-1 with two present. HCS for House Bills 2035 and 2350 passed 10-0 with one present after a brief question about statutory citations. HCS for House Bills 1887, 2361, 1913, 2862, and 2321, a combined bill package, also passed 10-0 after members discussed digital depiction language and written victim request provisions. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 1914, which would change Missouri’s franchise law on warranty and recall reimbursement for auto dealers. Rep. David Castile presented the bill as a fairness measure, arguing manufacturers should pay dealers market-rate labor and parts reimbursement and that current warranty work often loses money for dealers and hurts service access. Supporters, including several dealers and technicians, said manufacturer time guides underpay warranty work, that the bill would help retain technicians, and that current appeal processes are cumbersome and time-consuming. They described large gaps between warranty and customer-pay labor times and said technicians often invest heavily in tools and training. Opponents, including the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Toyota, General Motors, Ford, and business groups, argued the bill would raise costs for consumers, amount to a large increase in dealer compensation, and interfere with existing contracts. They said manufacturers already provide a process for requesting additional time, that most requests are approved, and that warranty work remains a profitable captive source of business for dealers. Several witnesses also argued the bill would not directly raise technician wages because technicians are employed by dealers, not manufacturers, and suggested broader competition or allowing independent repair shops instead. The hearing featured extensive questioning about recall versus warranty work, labor time guides, documentation requirements, and whether the legislature should be involved in these franchise disputes.

Transcript Highlights:

• As the deputy commissioner of energy resources shared in this committee last week, with federal clean
• So, I'll share those with you.
• So, I'll share those with you.
• So, I I'll share<00:48:00.160><c> those</c><00:48:00.319><c> with</c><00:48:00.560><c> you.
• Um, thank you for share those with you.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Representative Craft presented House File 2986, as amended with the DE6, and asked that it be laid over for possible inclusion. He described the bill as an affordability measure centered on virtual power plants, explaining that aggregating distributed energy resources such as solar panels, batteries, EVs, smart thermostats, heat pumps, and water heaters can help utilities reduce peak demand and avoid costly generation and distribution investments. He said the bill would require utilities to reduce system peak through a virtual power plant program by 5% by the end of 2028 and 10% by the end of 2032, using an independent third-party RFP process, with plans incorporated into integrated resource planning and a savings clause if requirements prove infeasible. Testimony in support came from the Department of Commerce, Vote Solar, Solar United Neighbors, Kite Rocket, and Mincia. Supporters said virtual power plants can function like grid-scale resources, lower spot-market and peak costs, improve reliability and resilience, and make better use of existing distribution infrastructure. Commerce said the approach fits an all-of-the-above strategy and noted consumer protections in the bill, including standards for contracts, disclosures, dispatch frequency, notice, opt-out, and compensation. Several supporters cited estimates of significant savings, including a national DOE estimate of 10% to 20% of peak load by 2030 and a Minnesota-specific estimate from Solar United Neighbors of about $63.5 million in savings if 10% of peak demand were met with VPPs in 2030. Committee members raised questions about how much cheaper VPPs are than peaker plants and whether utilities, especially Xcel Energy, are already implementing similar programs. Representative Baker expressed concern that the bill could move faster than the technology or market would naturally develop and asked about the risk of forcing utilities into a mandate before the economics are fully proven. In response, a Solar United Neighbors witness pointed to a fact sheet and Brattle Group-based analysis comparing VPP costs and benefits in Xcel territory, while an Xcel representative said the company has been discussing the bill with Representative Craft for months. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion, and no final vote on the bill itself was taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And/or delay to the end of disproportionate share hospital payments from the federal government.
• We appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts with you today.
• We appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts with you today.
• We would also ask that you not reduce the cannabis revenue sharing with cities and counties.
• Good evening, Chair Ormsby, Ranking Member Co-Share, and members of the committee.

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee held a public hearing on proposed substitute House Bill 2289, the House operating budget. Budget staff Mary Monroe gave a detailed overview of the proposal’s near general fund outlook, reserve levels, major revenue assumptions, and major spending and savings items. She highlighted assumed revenue from capital gains and a proposed “millionaires tax,” a transfer from the budget stabilization account, administrative reductions across agencies, and several major policy shifts, including changes affecting Working Connections Child Care, K-12 education, higher education, long-term care, behavioral health, wildfire response, and state employee compensation. Members then asked questions, including about the higher education building account/operating fee swap and its interaction with the capital budget and Climate Commitment Act funds. The committee also announced amendment deadlines for the budget process. The bulk of the meeting was public testimony, with many speakers generally supporting or opposing specific parts of the budget. Supportive testimony praised funding for wildfire prevention, public health, reproductive health, civil legal aid, the Poison Center, some higher education institutions, and certain disability and child welfare services. Many speakers urged restoration or protection of funding for K-12 education, especially transition to kindergarten, local effort assistance, bus depreciation, and Running Start; others opposed cuts to child care, early learning, public defense, long-term care, adult day and home care services, occupational/physical/speech therapy for Medicaid patients, and community and technical colleges. Several local government, health, and nonprofit representatives also asked the committee to preserve public works, homelessness, energy assistance, environmental justice, and recovery/diversion programs, while some business and public safety groups sought continued funding for organized retail crime prevention and related initiatives. No votes were taken during the hearing. The committee recessed briefly and later resumed with virtual testimony, where additional witnesses repeated concerns about education cuts, long-term care, health care access, disability services, dispute resolution, early childhood programs, and the need for ongoing or increased funding in those areas.

Transcript Highlights:

• two experts over here testify, but I am really grateful that you invited me to sit at the table and share
• at the<00:05:25.440><c> table</c><00:05:25.840><c> and</c><00:05:26.479><c> um</c><00:05:26.639><c> share
• /c><00:05:26.880><c> my</c><00:05:27.120><c> passion</c><00:05:27.520><c> for</c> the table and um share
• my passion for the table and um share my passion for this<00:05:28.000><c> particular</c><00:05:28.479
• with us if you would you mind to share with us if you know<00:25:41.120><c> about</c><00:25:41.679><

Committee: House Local Government

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:02 Roll Call 00:00:23 HB 414 Discussion 00:01:58 HB 414 Vote 00:22:34 HB 43 Discussion 00:24:56 HB 43 Vote 00:26:37 HB 518 Discussion 00:27:37 HB 518 Vote 00:45:20 Adjournment 00:46:35, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So, thanks for coming and joining us and sharing the perspective.
• I'm sharing with you what I've learned. But there's a lot of hocus pocus going on, all right?
• I'm sharing to you what I've learned. But there's a lot of hocus pocus going on, all right?
• So 3% of our state would be our fair share.
• to pay the fair share, not a cut rate down to the 12% that's been proposed.

Committee: House Utilities

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:13:04.079><c> is</c><00:13:04.399><c> repaid</c><00:13:05.440><c> with</c><00:13:05.680><c> shared
• </c> projects which is repaid with shared projects which is repaid with shared appreciation<00:13:07.040
• So under this proposal, there would no longer be a buyback restriction or shared appreciation.
• </c> restriction or shared appreciation. restriction or shared appreciation.
• Um, a buyer shall repay to the corporation the corporation's purchased equity percentage share of the

Bills: SB2060 , SB2063 , SB2062 , SB2069 , SB2070

Committee: Senate Housing

Keywords: rental housing revolving fund, HHFDC, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, mixed-income housing, mixed-income rental project, affordable housing, low-income housing, housing finance, housing development, preservation, rehabilitation, pre-development, construction financing, equity investment, credit enhancement, collateral, gap financing, area median income, AMI, perpetual affordability

Transcript Highlights:

• And I will share that I, I've been very well — it's not on Alaba, I think I visited Kulani. >> I visited
• The response was that it would likely begin in July or August, and that the schedule would be shared
• When asked again, the speaker said the schedule would be shared and that the working group should track
• So, we will put together the minutes and we'll share the slide deck that was here.
• </c><01:14:04.480><c> the</c> together the minutes and we'll share the together the minutes and we'll

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But those submitted comments are shared with the senators and are posted on the committee's website for
• Our shared values and culture are, for the most part, our differences.
• I will share my story that I live in Austin and I grew up in Cleburne, which is up in Johnson County.
• With today's hearing focus on Central Texas, I felt it was the right time to share my perspective on
• I should share a representative with them, and not with people I live beside and rely on.

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first regional hearing, focused on South and Central Texas, including Bexar County, Travis County, and the Rio Grande Valley. After establishing a quorum, the committee adopted its rules on a 6-3 roll-call vote, with Senators Alvarado and Miles voting no. Chair Phil King explained the regional-hearing format, the use of 2020 census data, the online testimony process, and the availability of written comments and future hearings. Several members then gave opening remarks, with Republicans emphasizing public input and Democrats arguing the special session and mid-decade redistricting were unnecessary and aimed at minority districts. A major procedural issue arose over whether the committee should invite or subpoena the DOJ attorney who authored the July 7 letter that prompted the redistricting discussion. Senator Miles moved to subpoena the attorney; the motion was seconded but then set aside after the chair said the committee could not take formal action on a non-procedural matter during a regional hearing under the adopted rules. The chair said he would consult legal counsel about issuing an invitation, and members discussed the August 7 deadline referenced in the DOJ letter. The committee then moved on to public testimony. Witnesses, including Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, law professor Ellen Katz, and Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe, argued that the DOJ letter misread the law and that the targeted districts were lawful opportunity or coalition districts. They said the Fifth Circuit’s Pettway decision was limited to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and did not declare coalition districts unconstitutional, and they cited Bartlett v. Strickland as warning against intentionally dismantling effective minority districts. Garcia and Bledsoe said the hearing was politically motivated and would harm Black and Latino representation; Katz said Texas would act illegally if it followed the DOJ letter’s instructions. Members asked questions about the legal status of coalition districts, the 2021 map-drawing process, and the difference between opportunity, coalition, and crossover districts. The hearing continued with additional public witnesses, including labor representative Emily Amps, who said workers and communities of color were being harmed by the proposed redistricting effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• I guess I want to start off with just some commonalities and shared goals that we have with what the
• I have two core observations I'd like to share from my work relevant to this bill.
• California as part of a state-funded project on resilience helps two core observations I'd like to share
• And those who shared their concerns in the room today, that is what we do within every committee as we
• We've shared that.

Summary: The committee heard several energy and water affordability bills, with extensive testimony on SB 254 by Senator Becker, SB 541 by Senator Becker, SB 453 by Senator Stern, SB 292 by Senator Caballero, and SB 473 by Senator Padilla. SB 254 was presented as a broad utility affordability package addressing short-term climate credits, a Power Fund, tighter scrutiny of rate increases and utility profits, wildfire spending, securitization of future utility costs, and streamlining. Supporters, including TURN and several environmental and public power groups, said it could lower bills and reduce long-term costs; opponents from investor-owned utilities, labor, business, and local government raised concerns about market impacts, insufficient analysis, and the breadth of the bill. The committee approved SB 254 on a 6-3 vote and placed it on call. SB 541 focused on load flexibility and using existing grid capacity more efficiently. Senator Becker described it as a transparency and planning measure to identify cost-effective load shifting and reduce peak demand, while supporters said it could improve resiliency and save money. Several CCAs and utilities opposed the bill in print or unless amended, arguing that some language implied a mandate and that the concept needed more cost-effectiveness analysis; the author said amendments would remove language dividing the state goal among retail suppliers and clarify that the bill is not a procurement mandate. The committee passed SB 541 as amended to Appropriations on a 9-1 vote and left it on call. SB 453 by Senator Stern would return unspent ratepayer-funded microgrid program dollars and was described as a way to keep the lights on and redirect unused funds. It drew support from local government and environmental groups, with PG&E expressing concern about how the bill would affect its ability to spend awarded funds. The committee passed SB 453 as amended to Appropriations on a 12-0 vote. SB 292 by Senator Caballero would require more granular outage and reliability reporting, including census-tract-level data, to better inform resilience planning after PSPS events; utilities opposed unless amended, citing duplicative reporting and regulatory overlap, but the bill passed 12-0 to Appropriations. SB 473 by Senator Padilla would require or expand water utility decoupling to promote conservation and affordability. Supporters, including water utilities, labor, business, and local government groups, argued decoupling stabilizes revenue, supports conservation, and can keep rates lower for low-use customers. The Public Advocates Office opposed, saying prior pilot data showed no conservation benefit and about $1 billion in added costs, and that the CPUC had already rejected similar requests. Committee members questioned the conservation and capital-investment effects of the different rate structures; the author and supporters argued decoupling helps utilities fund infrastructure while allowing lower fixed charges for low-use customers. The transcript ends during that discussion, before a final vote on SB 473 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we work with our counties and try to address issues that exist in areas that are shared jurisdiction
• Thank you so much, and thanks for sharing that. That's really concerning.
• And I think our team's bought into that culture with it, and it's not just sharing good news, it's sharing
• ...the past decade than there was two decades ago, okay, as a share of overall community construction
• So they accomplished a lot in a year and are here to share their recommendations with you today.

Committee: Joint Joint Transportation Committee

Summary: The meeting began with introductions from members of the Joint Transportation Committee and a presentation from the Association of Washington Cities and the public works directors of Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, and West Richland. The cities described the Quad Cities region as one of the fastest-growing in the state and outlined shared transportation priorities that align with the committee’s focus on safety, multimodal access, climate resilience, and economic development. They emphasized Vision Zero efforts, complete streets, ADA accessibility, regional trail and bike/pedestrian planning, and coordinated long-range transportation and land-use planning to manage growth. The city officials also discussed major funding and delivery challenges, including rising construction costs, project phasing, pavement preservation, right-of-way acquisition, and delays caused by state and federal permitting and review processes. They highlighted regional cooperation through the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, Good Roads, and local funding tools such as impact fees, transportation benefit districts, REET, tax increment financing, and state and federal grants. Specific projects discussed included Richland’s SR 240/Aaron Drive complete streets project and downtown connectivity work, Kennewick’s Columbia Center Boulevard improvements and rail study, Pasco’s Court/Road 68, Sylvester Street corridor, I-182 bridge/interchange work, and a new north-south bridge study, and West Richland’s SR 224 Red Mountain corridor project, which officials said was awarded under budget and is scheduled to begin construction. Committee members asked questions about sidewalk connections to schools, state-agency right-of-way timelines, apprenticeship utilization, contractor selection, and whether complete streets requirements add burdens to pavement preservation projects. The city officials said new development is generally meeting sidewalk standards, but older infill areas remain a gap; that state right-of-way transactions can take much longer than expected; that apprenticeship requirements are common but harder for smaller contractors and local labor markets; and that low-bid contracting leaves little room to screen for performance history. They also said complete streets requirements are usually manageable on major projects but can be difficult to absorb in smaller preservation work. The committee then shifted to a JTC-funded study on transit-oriented development, presented by Urban Institute researcher Yona Freemark. The study examined TOD conditions in 33 cities in Snohomish, King, Pierce, Clark, and Spokane counties near rail and bus rapid transit stations. Freemark said Washington’s housing affordability crisis is severe, especially near transit, and found that high-cost cities have seen more development near stations but also signs of gentrification and loss of affordable housing, while lower-cost cities have had less development and worsening affordability relative to income. He identified barriers including high debt costs, land costs, infrastructure costs, zoning and parking rules, and limited subsidies for affordable housing. He recommended more neighborhood infrastructure funding near stations, stronger affordable housing investment, and better use of public land, noting that HB 1491 and related legislation are already changing some local requirements.