Transcript Highlights:

• Starting on page 24, during the course of the audit, it was noted that the city wrote off and made adjustments
• So I did speak with the RCCA that we're using, and she is going to adjust it so that each account has
• So we're making different adjustments and changes in our budget. ...different adjustments and changes
• behind you on to your right is my friend Senator Critcher with the Municipal League. different adjustments

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Summary: The committee approved the prior meeting minutes and then received updates on delinquent water and sewer reports, including seven new reinstatements and a reduction to four remaining delinquent filers. Staff also reported on municipal accounting code noncompliance, removing Denning and Gum Springs from the 60-day clock after improved records were verified, and presenting repeat findings for Fargo, Lead Hill, Alma, Jericho, and Haynes. Members discussed repeated audit problems, the length of time some issues had persisted, and whether towns should be given additional time or face stronger action; motions were made and adopted to place some entities on a 60-day clock or defer action to later meetings. For Fargo and Alma, staff described extensive repeat accounting deficiencies, including missing budgets, bank reconciliations, financial statements, receipts, journals, and supporting documentation. Fargo’s mayor said the town had been understaffed and was beginning to improve its office systems; the committee voted to defer the matter for 60 days and file the report. Alma’s officials said they were trying to correct water audit and accounting issues, and the committee likewise deferred the matter to the August meeting while warning that water-audit delays could jeopardize turnback funds. The committee then reviewed misuse-of-street-funds findings for Jericho and Haynes. Jericho’s police chief and officials explained that traffic fines, drug-related arrests, and other citations had pushed the town over the statutory threshold, while staff clarified that the speed-trap calculation excludes certain add-on fines and is referred to the prosecuting attorney for any action. Haynes officials said repayment problems stemmed from lost revenue and staffing changes, including the loss of the police department, but staff reported the town remained behind on its repayment plan and also owed the IRS. The committee voted to defer the Haynes matter to September and to defer Jericho as well, with members emphasizing the need for consistency and possible broader legislative review of small-town viability. A special report on the Pulaski County Regional Solid Waste Management District drew substantial discussion. Staff cited findings involving board approval of payroll and contracts, credit card documentation, car allowances and personal vehicle use, competitive bidding, and unusually high advertising spending, as well as the sale of trailers and other equipment at low prices. The district director said the board had delegated authority for many expenditures, that personal use was reported for tax purposes, and that advertising was necessary to educate the public about recycling. Members questioned the procurement and disposal decisions and the size of the advertising budget; after discussion, the committee deferred the report to September and asked the director to return. The meeting also included brief deferred reports on Biggers, Gilmore, and Holly Grove, which were filed after local officials described ongoing efforts to resolve long-standing audit and tax issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• interim session, legislative staff roles, the schedule and the interim session, operational workload adjustments
• We're going to legislative staff roles, the schedule and the interim session, operational workload adjustments
• It highlights the need for the legislative assembly to plan for a more intentional system design, adjusting
• If you're legislating, you're thinking maybe I want to change or adjust that rate.
• If you're legislating, you're thinking maybe I want to change or adjust that rate.

Committee: Joint Legislative Procedure and Arrangements Committee

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And in '23, it adjusted the rate that was going to be effective. It goes into '27.
• It adjusted the rate that was going to be affected. It goes into '27.
• That's going to be escalated back through, and this adjustment with this rate that...
• And this adjustment with this rate that I would say that when you pass the bill, it was sitting there
• Some newspapers won't need to adjust their rates much above one and a half cents. I won't. Okay.

Summary: The committee met on April 15 at 5:13 p.m. with a quorum present and took up several local and municipal bills out of order to accommodate members’ travel. HB 87, which would increase the per diem for the Livingston Parish Gas Utility District No. 1 board, was presented as a local bill with no opposition and was reported favorably without objection. HB 481, dealing with the cost of publishing official proceedings and public notices, drew extensive testimony from the Louisiana Press Association, the Police Jury Association, and committee members. Supporters said a prior agreement intended a 15% to 20% reduction in notice costs, but a calculation error would instead produce roughly a 40% reduction, threatening small newspapers; opponents questioned the process and impact on local governments. The committee ultimately voted 10-5 to send HB 481 to the floor, with members urging further negotiation and possible amendment. HB 573, a major New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board governance bill by Rep. Hilferty, was amended in committee and then supported by Mayor Helena Moreno and several council members as a way to shift more oversight and accountability to the New Orleans City Council. Supporters argued the current structure diffuses responsibility and that local elected officials need more direct authority over operations, contracts, and transparency. Dr. Tracy Washington of the Louisiana Justice Institute opposed the bill, warning that transferring control could worsen financial strain, blur accountability, and raise equity and human-rights concerns for vulnerable residents. Despite the opposition, the committee voted to report HB 573 favorably to the floor. The committee also advanced HB 162, allowing the Jefferson Place/Bocage crime prevention and improvement district to impose a fee after local approval, and HB 368, which raises penalties for unauthorized demolition in New Orleans historic districts to the greater of $50,000 or 15% of assessed value. Both were reported favorably after brief discussion. HB 441, a cleanup bill clarifying that New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board employees remain in city civil service rather than state civil service, was also sent to the floor without objection. Finally, HB 257, concerning the powers and duties of the police chief of the city of Central, was amended to require consultation with the city attorney before discipline or dismissal and to delay effectiveness until January 1, 2027; after debate over due process and the chief’s authority, the committee voted to report it favorably.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the 10 years that I've worked within public assistance, it has had little to no adjustments or improvements
• Uh, do we know if we're getting any federal funding to support the adjustment to the changes that we're
• to support getting any federal funding to support the<00:39:52.200><c> the</c><00:39:52.640><c> adjustment
• to</c><00:39:54.160><c> the</c><00:39:54.280><c> changes</c><00:39:54.680><c> that</c> the the adjustment
• to the changes that the the adjustment to the changes that we're<00:39:54.960><c> supposed</c><00:39

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• c><00:34:23.760><c> earlier</c><00:34:24.079><c> question,</c><00:34:24.399><c> vice</c> >> Just adjusting
• we were just comparing apples to apples, spending the same amount of money that we spent in 2018 adjusted
• same amount of money that we spent in same amount of money that we spent in 2018<00:34:43.599><c> adjusted
• for</c><00:34:44.800><c> inflation</c><00:34:45.280><c> today,</c><00:34:45.599><c> we</c> 2018 adjusted
• for inflation today, we 2018 adjusted for inflation today, we would<00:34:45.839><c> be</c><00:34:45.919

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on a series of economic development, tourism, and tax measures. SB 2411 drew broad support from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the University of Hawaiʻi, the Chamber of Commerce, and Retail Merchants, with one technical amendment suggested to change a partnership term from six to seven years. Members asked about implementation and annual costs, and the department said it would follow up with cost information. HB 2583 HD1, relating to economic development and a loan loss program, also received support, but DBED noted the state already has the CBED loan program and suggested the proposal could be placed under that existing framework rather than creating a new program. HB 1612, based on business revitalization task force recommendations, was supported by DBED and several business and advocacy groups, including the Small Business Regulatory Review Board and Grassroot Institute. Testimony emphasized improving Hawaii’s business climate and using a ranking/reporting tool to measure progress, while one senator questioned whether the bill would simply fund another study instead of direct improvements. HB 1613, relating to HTDC, was supported by HTDC, the Chamber of Commerce, and startup and industry representatives who said a permanent marketing/branding specialist would help attract tech talent, founders, and investors; a member asked why the position was not in the budget, and HTDC said federal NIST funding uncertainty affected the request. HB 1614, also on economic development, was supported by HTDC and business groups, and members discussed whether the state was missing federal funds due to lack of matching dollars; HTDC said it was difficult to know, but matching funds could help leverage more federal grants. The committee then took up HB 2590 on taxation for creative industries. The Motion Picture Association and Hawaii Film Alliance strongly supported the bill, saying it would correct GET treatment for payroll service companies, restore motion picture and TV production as manufacturing, and repeal a 2022 provision affecting qualified expenses; the Department of Taxation said it would provide revenue-impact information later. Finally, HB 1950 HD1 on the transient accommodations tax drew strong support from DBED, HTA, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, hotel and resort groups, and others, who argued for a dedicated tourism marketing fund and said the state needs more stable, long-term marketing investment. The Tax Foundation opposed the special fund approach, arguing it would reduce legislative flexibility. Members pressed witnesses on the appropriate percentage for the fund, with HTA suggesting 10% to 12% of TAT collections, and the discussion focused on how marketing spending relates to visitor spending, tax revenue, and long-term tourism competitiveness.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yeah, can you talk a little bit more about the adjustment in the Senate?
• Are you talking about like an end date for the process so it would have a conclusion of this adjusted
• A flat tax that never adjusts for inflation is not reasonable in my opinion, especially when neighboring
• That will adjust our portfolio and thus adjust that 15% to that overall portfolio. Thank you.

Committee: House Utilities

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 2383, Representative Simmons’s bill addressing theft of copper and other infrastructure-related property. After a brief executive session and no further discussion, the committee voted the bill do pass by a roll call of 17 ayes, 1 no, and 1 present. The committee then heard House Bill 2711, sponsored by Representative Deal, which would lower the assessed valuation of broadband communications equipment from 33.5% to 12% for new broadband equipment placed in service after August 28, 2026, with a proposed sunset period discussed as part of a substitute. Representative Deal and several industry witnesses, including AT&T, Verizon, Missouri Cable Association, Missouri Broadband Providers Association, Missouri Chamber, and electric co-ops, argued the measure would improve Missouri’s competitiveness, encourage private investment, and help expand broadband in rural and underserved areas. Opponents, including county assessors, argued the bill would reduce local tax revenue, create unequal treatment, and could become a precedent for other industries. Committee members questioned whether the bill would apply only to new builds or also to upgrades and existing infrastructure, and whether the tax relief would actually drive expansion into rural areas. The committee then began hearing House Bills 2402 and 2816, which deal with solar energy siting and taxation. The sponsors described the bills as setting local assessment rules for solar projects, establishing a per-megawatt valuation, requiring larger setbacks from homes, schools, and churches, and limiting the amount of tillable land that can be used for solar in a county, while also addressing Chapter 100 agreements and decommissioning concerns. Supporters, including Missouri Farm Bureau and county officials, said the bills would provide needed guardrails, local control, and more consistent taxation. Opponents and affected landowners said existing solar projects have caused glare, dust, noise, and property value concerns, while some developers said they wanted clearer statewide rules and consistency for future projects. The committee did not take final action on the solar bills before going into recess.

Transcript Highlights:

• One thing we want to note is that the agency did make some budget adjustments in fiscal year 2025, including
• So my questions are: Were audited adjustments with the material findings, and did they change the school's
• just want to say I commend you all again for listening to us and really working hard to make these adjustments
• Yes, Madam Chair, I believe the catch-up cleanup process can make adjustments to language items like
• So when a district or charter increases their enrollment quickly, there's a specific factor that adjusts

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• President, I do ask unanimous consent that the dress code for the New Mexico State Senate be adjusted
• So on the 40th day, isn't that count what's used for the enrollment growth and for the final adjustment
• , the way I'm understanding it, and I think this will make it kind of clear, there has to be an adjustment
• emergency clause that could cost the state up to $46 million and every student in this state to get an adjustment
• An act relating to public employee pensions, providing a temporary cost-of-living adjustment for certain

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's that the issue is that when the private sector has a market adjustment and people start making more
• And is that done with a budget adjustment request? How does that work? Mr.
• probably how it's laid out to you in your sheets in front of you, it does represent a relatively small adjustment
• The remaining increase addresses an unavoidable cost driver, including adjustments as a result of the
• implementation of— As an unavoidable cost driver, including adjustments as a result of the implementation

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, for this fiscal year, we had an adjustment to the Works of Art special fund.
• Also, for this fiscal year, we had an adjustment to the Works of Art special fund.
• year<00:21:03.840><c> we</c><00:21:04.000><c> had</c><00:21:04.080><c> an</c><00:21:04.320><c> adjustment
• </c><00:21:04.559><c> to</c><00:21:04.720><c> the</c><00:21:04.799><c> works</c> year we had an adjustment
• to the works year we had an adjustment to the works heart<00:21:05.360><c> special</c><00:21:05.600>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we have a severe winter and we think we've lost a lot of deer, we'll go in and adjust seasons.
• When we have a severe winter and we think we've lost a lot of deer, we'll go in and adjust seasons.
• When we have a severe winter and we think we've lost a lot of deer, we'll go in and adjust seasons.
• When we have a severe winter and we think we've lost a lot of deer, we'll go in and adjust seasons.
• If they think they want to go back and look at their limits and make further adjustments, we could give

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first handled routine business, approving the consent calendar and the minutes. It then took up a Department of Employment Security rule, 24193, where the only issue was that a form had not been incorporated by reference. The department submitted an oral conditional approval request with revised language, and the committee approved the rule conditionally. A second Employment Security rule, 195, raised concerns that the notice language was too broad and vague and could amount to oral rulemaking; because the agency had not yet finalized revised language, the committee granted a one-month waiver so the rule could return next month with a conditional approval proposal. The Department of Safety’s contact person notification program rule, 24237, drew comments about Social Security number collection, unclear drafting on one section, and ambiguity about which application needed a signature. The agency agreed to remove Social Security number references from the rules and forms and to adopt the suggested clarifying language with minor edits. After discussion about why the identifiers were needed, the committee approved the rule conditionally with the oral changes. The committee then moved a previously consent-calendar item, OPLC rule 2547, off consent after Representative Maguire objected that the renewal application form was too health-care-focused and user-unfriendly for other professions; the agency said it would revisit the form, and the committee postponed action until next month without needing a waiver. The final major item was Fish and Game’s HB 2548, which changes licensing and permit rules for taking deer, bear, moose, turkey, and furbearing animals. Staff noted extensive public testimony, including a coalition submission, and said the main dispute was over what data the agency should rely on in setting seasons and take limits. Fish and Game explained that declining trapper participation made capture-per-unit-effort data less reliable, so it also uses hunter surveys and UNH research projects funded in part by federal money; the agency said current trapping removals are very low and do not appear to threaten populations. Committee members and public witnesses questioned whether the agency’s responses to comments were sufficiently specific under the new public-comment law, but no final vote on the Fish and Game rule was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that between 1 and 67 complaints claim that between 1 and 67 complaints that<03:59:52.000><c> were</
• </c> of so that would say any person claiming of so that would say any person claiming so<04:05:43.159
• to be AG neighbor's Uncle claiming to be AG grieved<04:05:47.279><c> by</c><04:05:47.439><c> an</c><
• It says any person claiming to be grieved by a violation of this section may initiate a civil action
• claiming to be grieved<04:11:55.479><c> by</c><04:11:55.600><c> a</c><04:11:55.760><c> violation</c>

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 763, an early bill concerning AED access at athletic events and venues. Representative Morris offered amendment 0743H to clarify the bill by removing charter schools from the language and tying AED placement to American Heart Association guidance, emphasizing that AEDs should be readily accessible within a reasonable walking distance rather than mandated on every field. The amendment and then the bill as amended both passed 17-0, and the bill was reported out as Ought to Pass with Amendment. The committee then considered House Bill 781, requiring school districts to adopt cell phone-free education policies, and a related bill, House Bill 131. HB 781 was amended to include charter public school boards, cover other personal electronic communication devices, require at minimum restrictions on student personal cell phones during class instruction, allow superintendent-approved exceptions for medical or language needs, protect students with medical needs or disabilities under Section 504, and set an effective date of July 1, 2025. Some members argued the amendment was too prescriptive and limited local control, while supporters said it still left districts flexibility outside classroom instruction. The amendment passed 16-1, and the bill then passed Ought to Pass as Amended 16-1. HB 131, described as a mirror bill, was then retained by a 17-0 vote. House Bill 398, a title bill requiring Holocaust and genocide studies to include impacts on people with disabilities, was moved to ITL after Representative Selig reported the genocide commission believed the topic was already being covered. That motion passed 17-0. The committee also agreed to hold several bills for later consideration, including HB 754, HB 1221, HB 360, and HB 699, citing the need for more review or missing copies. Finally, the committee took up House Bill 361, prohibiting mandatory mask policies in schools. Supporters argued the bill would preserve individual choice while preventing statewide or districtwide mandates in future public health emergencies, and cited a Department of Health and Human Services letter saying masks remain effective but decisions should be based on individual choice and risk assessment. Opponents emphasized local control and the need for districts to respond to different public health conditions. The transcript cuts off before the final vote on HB 361 was completed.

Transcript Highlights:

• , that of being a husband and a claim, that of being a husband and a father. father. father.
• We offer ourselves and our prayers, claiming the certainty found in your sovereign name. Amen.
• While they claim that coal is an energy of the past, clearly that is not the case.
• My friends on the other side of the aisle claim that they are for all of the above.
• We cannot claim course, cuts both ways.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, September 18, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Highlights of this bill include $4.2 billion General Fund for the Medi-Cal program to adjust for the
• It enacts a 2.01% cost-of-living adjustment for subsidized child care providers.
• SB 719 simply adjusts the compliance deadline for the in-vehicle shutoff and the in-vehicle notices.
• It implements statutory changes to support investments and other adjustments to our health care system

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Give it to the insurance company, the insurance company will reassess the value of the house and adjust
• <00:34:25.359><c> and</c> reassess the value of the house and reassess the value of the house and adjust
• > the</c><00:34:25.919><c> insurance</c><00:34:26.679><c> amount</c><00:34:27.440><c> offered</c> adjust
• the insurance amount offered adjust the insurance amount offered accordingly. accordingly. accordingly

Bills: SB2057 , SB2109 , SB2400 , HB1752 , SB2599 , SB2930

Keywords: immigration enforcement, sanctuary policy, detainer, ICE, federal immigration authorities, 8 U.S.C. 1357(g), 8 U.S.C. 1373, 8 U.S.C. 1644, deportation, undocumented immigrants, noncitizen, migrant rights, local police cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, hold request, judicial warrant, probable cause, civil immigration enforcement, county police, state police

Transcript Highlights:

• that, so let's, for argument's sake, say that instead of a $30, $25 decal, it went to an inflation-adjusted
• $37-ish... ...$25 decal that went to an inflation-adjusted $37-ish dollars for the decal, that money
• And yes, all those would be inflation-adjusted.
• Benny's question is $11 million which is some of those two and yes all those would be inflation adjusted

Committee: Joint Arizona Off-Highway Vehicle Study Committee

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So now we did make that adjustment in here for... ...by any of them, it's sort of decreasing.
• So now we did make that adjustment in here for less production coming off the Three Affiliated Tribes
• We were granted 25 new positions to move forward, one, I think, to adjust for some of the being under-resourced
• We've sort of adjusted our goals as to where these people would be a little bit.

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, we tend to monitor that and then make adjustments every 3 to 4 years.
• then</c><00:26:25.120><c> make</c> to monitor that and then make to monitor that and then make adjustments
• </c><00:26:27.520><c> This</c><00:26:27.720><c> one</c> adjustments every 3 to 4 years.
• This one adjustments every 3 to 4 years.

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor and Technology heard testimony on several measures relating to public employment, the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF), retirement benefits, and cafeteria plans. HB 2472 and HB 2276, both concerning EUTF staff and investment office staff salaries, drew support from the trust fund and labor groups, and no opposition was heard in person. HB 2272 and HB 2273, emergency appropriations for public employment cost items, were supported by the administration and labor representatives; members briefly clarified which bargaining units were covered. A longer discussion centered on HB 1664, which would address a dispute mechanism for EUTF-related negotiations. HGEA said the current process lacks a dispute resolution path and that the bill would allow interest arbitration when the state and union disagree. The Department of Human Resources Development and the Budget and Finance director raised concerns about consistency across bargaining units and the role of an arbitrator unfamiliar with the complexities of the system. Senator Moriwaki questioned whether another dispute forum might be more appropriate, but no alternative resolution was settled. The committee also heard HB 1655, which would make retirement benefits negotiable, and HB 1658, concerning collective bargaining repricing. ERS opposed HB 1655, saying it could create administrative and tax problems if retirement benefits were negotiated separately across many bargaining units, while UPW, HGEA, HSTA, and UPA supported it as a bargaining issue. On HB 1658, DHRD explained that repricing is an internal classification tool meant to preserve equal pay for equal work, not to address market pay, and said a single arbitrator or the Merit Appeals Board could handle disputes; HGEA preferred a neutral arbitrator and opposed the Merit Appeals Board as too employer-controlled. The final measure, HB 1661 on cafeteria plans, was supported by UPW and HGEA. DHRD said it planned to raise the maximum contribution through rulemaking but needed to manage plan solvency and timing because IRS limits change on a calendar-year basis while the state plan runs on a fiscal year. The committee then moved into decision-making and adopted recommendations to pass HB 2472 and HB 2276 as amended/unamended after a brief correction to the vote language.

Transcript Highlights:

• certain requirements regarding property tax notices to remove requirements that fiscal disparity adjustments
• :08.560><c> disparity</c> requirements that fiscal disparity requirements that fiscal disparity adjustments
• </c><00:09:11.279><c> Article</c> adjustments be included on them.
• Article adjustments be included on them.

Bills: HF9

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: energy policy, renewable energy standard, carbon-free standard, solar standard, hydroelectric, hydropower, electric utility, Public Utilities Commission, PUC, renewable portfolio standard, carbon capture and sequestration, CCS, greenhouse gas emissions, climate policy, nuclear power plant, certificate of need, fossil fuel plant demolition, utility compliance delay, beneficial electrification, sales tax exemption

Transcript Highlights:

• want to tone it up that way and I want to thank everybody again for being here and allowing me to adjust
• and allowing again for being here and uh and allowing me<00:01:58.560><c> to</c><00:01:58.880><c> adjust
• c> schedule</c><00:01:59.600><c> a</c><00:01:59.759><c> little</c><00:01:59.840><c> bit</c> me to adjust
• the schedule a little bit me to adjust the schedule a little bit this<00:02:00.159><c> morning.

Bills: HF3393

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

Keywords: unemployment insurance, iron ore mining, additional benefits, labor force, economic support, 1183, house