Transcript Highlights:

• The communities where natural resources are produced bear the direct impact of that production.
• We're just saying, let us help you take care of it. We need money to take care of the roads.
• We don't really care. We just want to receive more.
• Health care costs are out the roof.
• I think that takes care of most parishes.

Summary: The Ways and Means Committee met on March 16, 2026, and heard several bills dealing mainly with tax checkoffs, severance tax revenue, and estimated tax administration. The first major item was HB 156 by Rep. Bagley, a proposed constitutional amendment to remove the cap on the 20% share of severance tax revenues remitted to parishes where production occurs. Supporters from local government and the Police Jury Association argued that the cap prevents parishes from receiving the full share intended to help repair roads, bridges, drainage, and other infrastructure damaged by oil and gas activity. Members raised concerns about the bill’s roughly $42 million fiscal note and the state budget outlook, and the author ultimately agreed to voluntarily defer the bill after discussion of possible phase-ins and other compromises. The committee then took up HB 602 by Rep. Bamberg, another severance-tax-related constitutional amendment that would phase in a higher parish cap over five years, with a separate amendment tying the increase to parishes that exempt business inventory from ad valorem taxes. After questions about how it would interact with the pending inventory-tax amendment and its fiscal impact, the committee adopted the amendment and voluntarily deferred the bill pending a fiscal note. The committee also heard HB 852 by Rep. Lyons, which restores the income tax checkoff for donations to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence by lowering the performance threshold from $10,000 to $5,000; members discussed the number of checkoffs on the return and the need to keep the form manageable, but the bill was reported favorably as amended. Next, the committee considered HB 474 by Rep. Young, creating an individual income tax checkoff for the Grambling University National Alumni Association. Members again debated whether tax-return checkoffs amount to government-facilitated fundraising and whether they crowd the return, but the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee heard HB 633 by Chairman Bacala, a cleanup bill adjusting estimated tax penalty timing and calculations to match current tax law; an amendment set was adopted to replace references to personal exemptions with the standard deduction, and the bill was reported favorably as amended. The meeting concluded with adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• There are about 400 children in foster care in Jasper County on any given night.
• I don't care if you're for it or against it. I really don't.
• This is one of those things, and I don't care how much tax money is gathered.
• Lady, I don't recall any direct quote of that.
• Well, you know, you might be better poised to direct that inquiry to him.

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal by a 134-0 roll call vote, and then moved through a series of introductions recognizing guests and student groups at the Capitol, including Turning Point USA chapters, CASA volunteers and staff, JAG students, university groups, nursing students, and several legislative interns. The chamber also handled a point of order about an unauthorized prop in the room, which was removed. The first major bill taken up was House Bill 1766, dealing with personal property tax treatment and new construction calculations. Supporters argued it would treat personal property more like real estate under Hancock-style limits and provide fairness to taxpayers, while opponents warned it could reduce revenue for taxing districts. After debate, the House passed HB 1766 by a vote of 94-50. The House then considered House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2989, a major gaming measure that would criminalize illegal gaming machines, create a regulated framework for video lottery terminals, give local governments an opt-out, and expand enforcement authority for the Attorney General and prosecutors. Members debated whether the bill was a needed enforcement tool or an inappropriate expansion of gambling, with concerns raised about addiction, local control, revenue distribution, and whether the bill should have gone to Fiscal Review. A motion to refer the bill to Fiscal Review failed 69-44, and the bill itself passed 83-66 with one present. The chamber next took up House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2014, the supplemental appropriations bill. The sponsor said it provided just over $3 billion in additional authority, including tax refund authority, disaster relief, St. Louis tornado recovery funding, and major MoDOT funding, along with other smaller items. Members from both parties supported the bill, while also noting concerns about reliance on supplementals and the need to budget more accurately in the future. The House adopted an amendment reducing some general revenue authority, then adopted the bill and perfected and printed it. The meeting ended with announcements, including a notice that the Super Committee on Tourism would meet immediately in Hearing Room 6.

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's why it also requires that districts work with the county continuum of care, who specialize
• So that's why it also requires that districts work with the county continuum of care who specialize in
• Will upset the careful balance that was established by SB 1061.
• And Assembly Member Gallagher, I care about all children in this school district, in this state.
• But I know, and I'm going to reaffirm that, that I know that everyone in here cares about kids.

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met at the start of the 2026 session and heard four bills. AB 673 (Jackson) would create a five-year Unaccompanied Youth Support Grant Program for 16- and 17-year-old homeless students who are not in a parent or guardian’s custody, with grants to local education agencies for housing referrals, basic needs, tutoring, employment readiness, and related services. Support came from the Department of Education and an Alameda County Office of Education representative. Members raised questions about funding, reporting burdens on small districts, and coordination with county and nonprofit services, but the bill was approved 6-0 and sent to Human Services as amended. AB 1493 (Avila Farías) would have required school board special elections to be consolidated with the next primary or general election. The author argued this would reduce costs and increase turnout, while opponents including CFT and the California School Boards Association said it would reduce local accountability and preserve too much time for appointed members without voter input. Committee members debated turnout, democracy, costs, and whether the bill should instead address signature thresholds; the author said she was open to further work, but the measure failed on a 2-2 vote and did not advance. AB 68 (Gallagher) would require rural school districts, as defined in the bill, to have at least one school resource officer on campus, with a good-cause exception and a compliance plan if a district cannot meet the requirement. The author and a Glenn County superintendent said rural schools face long response times and need more protection, while CSBA, the Small School Districts Association, and several advocacy groups opposed the mandate, citing local control, costs, and evidence that SROs can increase anxiety and disciplinary actions without improving safety. After a lengthy debate over safety, local control, and funding, the bill passed 5-2 and was sent to Public Safety. AB 296 (Davies), which would create a standalone website for schools to buy and sell used career technical education equipment, drew support from construction industry groups and passed unanimously 8-0 to Appropriations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students aren't just balancing school and work; they're being pulled in two directions at once. 85% in
• go into communities and actually uplift health care as an education.
• People being able to get health care, people being able to afford homes.
• People being able to get health care, people being able to afford homes.
• People being able to get health care, people being able to afford homes.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact held an informational hearing in Paramount as part of its “Pocketbook Tour,” focused on affordability, cost pressures, and household impacts in Los Angeles County. The first panel centered on workers and learners, with testimony from the UCLA Labor Center and the Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Development Board. Speakers described how rising living costs, tuition, and low wages force many students to work long hours, often in unrelated, low-wage jobs, while struggling with food, rent, bills, anxiety, and limited financial aid. Recommendations included expanding state-funded work study, creating a statewide internship tax credit for small businesses, improving financial aid formulas to reflect regional cost of living, increasing flexibility for students, and strengthening worker-rights education and career pathways. The second panel focused on microbusinesses and small business affordability. Testimony from microenterprise advocates, the Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network, and local business owners described rising commercial rents, labor costs, tariffs, supply chain disruptions, insurance, utilities, and disaster-related pressures as major threats to small businesses. Witnesses emphasized that small businesses are central to local economies and asked the state to expand technical assistance, low-interest financing, disaster support, supply-chain development, and community-based outreach. They also urged more intentional support for microbusinesses and home-based entrepreneurs, including networks that connect them to resources and help them build collective buying power. Committee members asked about possible state actions, including tax credits for hiring local workers or interns, support for trades and apprenticeships, and ways to partner more closely with SBDCs and chambers of commerce. Public comment echoed the hearing themes, with speakers highlighting student hardship, nonprofit mental health funding, renewable energy jobs and internships, and the need for state support for clean-energy incentives. No formal votes were taken; the hearing concluded with closing remarks and adjournment at 11:05 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida State University represent about 5% of our overall revenue, and this includes direct support
• We have eight of those direct support organizations.
• And then when a big piece of our budget is considered non-recurring, we just have to be very careful
• And then when a big piece of our budget is considered non-recurring, we just have to be very careful
• The foster care system has a number of waivers associated with it that cost around $1.1 million.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education met to examine how Florida’s state universities are funded and to begin discussing a possible university funding model. The panel included the State University System chancellor and CFOs from FSU, UF, FAMU, FAU, UNF, and UCF. Members first reviewed major cost drivers, which the universities said are broadly similar across institutions: wages and benefits, equipment and supplies, financial aid, professional services, utilities, IT, and maintenance. Several institutions noted unique pressures from geography, growth, research intensity, and mission, such as UCF’s size and engineering focus, UF’s land-grant and research enterprise, FAMU’s need to recruit top talent while serving a high-Pell student population, and FSU’s large facilities and research obligations. The chancellor also summarized systemwide cost growth since 2012-13, including higher health insurance, retirement, and salary costs, while noting tuition had been held flat. The committee then discussed other revenue sources, including auxiliaries, restricted funds, capital projects, and component units such as foundations and health systems. University leaders explained that many of these funds are restricted to specific purposes, and some, like UF Health, account for a large share of operating expenses. Members also discussed the current performance-based funding process. University representatives generally praised it for transparency, accountability, and its focus on student success, but said the heavy use of one-time funds, nonrecurring appropriations, and unfunded mandates makes long-term planning difficult. FSU and others argued that rising employee costs, waivers, and facilities expenses are not fully covered, while FAMU said performance funding has improved outcomes but can disadvantage institutions serving more low-income students. In response to questions about improvements, the universities suggested more recurring and predictable funding, better coverage of mandated costs, more flexibility in fees, and continued investment in research and strategic priorities. The chancellor said the Board of Governors is considering a version 3.0 of performance funding that would benchmark institutions against peers and Carnegie classifications. The committee also explored whether universities should have more flexibility to set out-of-state tuition and professional school tuition. Most university leaders favored giving boards of trustees more authority, while the chancellor cautioned that increasing out-of-state enrollment or tuition too much could affect legislative support. No votes were taken; the meeting ended with the chair thanking the panel and adjourning the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• of our our officials, um, we're not care of our our officials, um, we're not going<00:29:32.880><c>
• So if you don't have the means to travel to go get medical care and you have to just stay here, that
• So using that same definition of medical care. >> So if I wanted if I needed to have cataract surgery
• . care. care.
• </c> comes um they'll have a direct comes um they'll have a direct relationship<00:54:01.599><c> with

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee first took up Senate Bill 2693 relating to capital improvement projects for aerospace infrastructure. Members had no questions, and the recommendation to pass the bill with a defective date of July 1, 2050 was adopted unanimously. The committee then deferred decision making on Senate Bill 26980 relating to transportation and Senate Bill 2374 relating to the blue economy until Thursday, February 19, 2026, in Room 229, pending additional information. In the joint hearing on Senate Bill 2816 relating to state enterprise zones, agencies and organizations including DBEDT, HTDC, Taxation, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Oceanit, the Hawaii Medical Association, and the Queen’s Health System testified in support or submitted written comments. One public testifier urged expanding enterprise zones around the Kakaako/Cancer Center area and combining them with the foreign trade zone to reduce taxes and attract business. A senator questioned whether the enterprise zone program had ever been comprehensively evaluated, noting DBEDT said it had not done a full study in recent years and cited annual report figures including about $221 million in company revenues and $460,000 in foregone state revenue in 2022. The discussion focused on whether the bill would subsidize existing activity or support new economic development, and on the broader policy question of whether enterprise zones should be used to revitalize depressed areas or to target strategic sectors like health care technology. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2900 relating to sports officials. The Department of Education supported the measure, saying the Attorney General is best positioned to represent employees in temporary restraining order matters and that elevating intentional bodily injury of a sports official to a class B felony would improve safety. The Office of the Public Defender opposed the bill, arguing it would escalate conduct already covered by existing assault statutes and go beyond other protected classes. The Department of the Attorney General recommended narrowing the bill by inserting “substantial” before bodily injury in the criminal section and deleting a section that would make the AG’s office act like plaintiff’s counsel in civil matters, suggesting instead that departments adopt policies to help employees obtain TROs without creating an open-ended civil representation role. Several sports and school-related organizations testified in support, and members discussed whether the bill should be narrowed or coordinated with other measures before further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• THAT CHILD'S CARE.
• ALL MY GRATITUDE TO YOU FOR CARING FOR EDUCATION, FOR CARING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. I KNOW YOU DO.
• PARENTS CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN, SO TO DOCTORS.
• IT QUITE FRANKLY BLOCKS CARE. SILENCES YOUTH AND THREATENS PUBLIC HEALTH.
• THE PARENTS WHO LOVE AND SUPPORT AND CARE FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

Committee: House Education & Employment Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• These students and families struggle to find affordable and quality accessible care elsewhere.
• If you could stay on just in case there's a question directed your way.
• </c> quality accessible care quality accessible care elsewhere<00:31:01.200><c> so</c><00:31:01.440><
• </c><01:19:21.199><c> funding</c> Rewritten slightly in direct funding Rewritten slightly in direct funding
• <01:39:27.440><c> admissions</c> direct admissions direct admissions schools<01:39:29.960><c> um</c><

Bills: HF984 , HF921 , HF922

Committee: House Education Finance

Keywords: education funding, nonpublic schools, counseling services, guidance services, transportation for students, HF921, tax increment financing, TIF, excess tax increment, school district aid, levy adjustment, property tax levy, education finance, Minnesota education aid, decertification, local government finance, school funding formula, state aid reduction, referendum equalization aid, debt service equalization

Transcript Highlights:

• So our advice is that be very careful what you put in your information unless you want someone else to
• what you put you in information unless you want someone to So, our advice is that be very careful what
• It's not a direct reflection here. This would just focus on actually getting a license.
• It's not a direct reflection here. This would just focus on actually getting a license.
• The public expects and deserves a high standard of patient care for their pets.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure opened its first hearing of the session with remarks from Chair Chan and Senate Co-Chair Pavel Payano, who emphasized consumer affordability and professional licensure reform. The chairs also reviewed public testimony rules, noting the hearing was recorded, testimony would be public, and speakers should avoid including sensitive personal information. The committee then heard testimony on several bills carried over from prior sessions and new proposals, with each witness generally speaking in support of the measure they addressed. On self-storage, Joe Doherty of the Self Storage Association supported House Bill 340 and Senate Bill 236, saying the bills would clarify abandonment procedures, allow electronic delivery and signatures for rental agreements, and address situations where a renter fails to return a signed contract after a facility sale, while preserving existing consumer protections. On housing and fair housing education, Nicholas Pelletier and counsel Justin Davidson of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors supported House Bill 343 and Senate Bill 232, which would require fair housing education for real estate licensees; they said fair housing training is already part of MAR’s programs but is not required for all licensees, and Pelletier described a personal example of discriminatory treatment in a rental application. Senators asked whether other states have similar requirements and requested follow-up information. The committee also heard strong support for House Bill 348 and Senate Bill 220 on licensure of applied behavior analysts from Dr. Pauli Gidej of MABA and Dr. Charlie Newfield of Beacon ABA Services. They argued that a dedicated board would improve oversight, speed licensing, and help reduce delays that affect access to autism services, noting the growing number of practitioners and the strain on families waiting for care. Later, Robert Mellion of the Massachusetts Package Stores Association testified for House Bill 390, which would expand alcohol license suspension penalties to all business activity for certain retailers; members questioned the impact on grocery and big-box stores, the difference between suspending alcohol sales versus closing an entire store, and whether fines in lieu of suspension would be sufficient. The committee also heard testimony in favor of House Bill 407 and Senate Bill 277 to license veterinary technicians, with witnesses saying standardized education and licensure would improve animal safety, clarify scope of practice, and better distinguish technicians from assistants. Finally, Craig Orlin of Honda supported House Bill 474 and Senate Bill 291, which would use RMV contacts to notify drivers of open safety recalls and require recall completion as part of registration renewal; he said the bills could improve recall completion rates and address the large number of unrepaired vehicles on the road. At the end of the hearing, the chair noted several bills that did not receive testimony that day, invited written submissions by email, and announced the committee would reconvene in about two weeks. Representative McKenna moved to adjourn, Representative Keefe seconded, and the committee voted to close the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The reason I'm here is because I care about this issue deeply. I care about my kids.
• I'll tell you the reason I care about this is I care about the future of our kids.
• I care about the future of Arkansans.
• All we're asking is to help take care of the people that feed us. Thank you.
• I have a bunch of the ladies that take care of me around theirs.

Committee: All JBC-SPECIAL LANGUAGE

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

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we can look at it later once we get our comprehensive managed care in place.
• One of the things I actually liked about when you come to the managed care aspect and the behavioral
• And as we look at the rural health money, we've got to be very careful on how we do that.
• But who is entitled to that high level of care? And I know the bill that the Senate had drawn...
• But who is entitled to that high level of care? And I know the bill that the Senate had drawn.

Summary: The committee heard reports from the Senate and House Health and Welfare chairs on budget pressures, especially Medicaid and related programs. Senator Julie Van Orden said her committee supported closer legislative scrutiny of Health and Welfare spending, opposed moving 988 crisis services into the behavioral health managed care contract at this time, and favored more targeted reductions rather than broad across-the-board cuts. Representative John Van der Woude said the House committee was advancing a bill to hold back about $21 million in residential habilitation funding, paired with audits and oversight to ensure proper use of the money. He also raised concerns about rural health funding, provider rate reductions, and the need to consider restoring rates if revenues improve. Members questioned the chairs about whether changes to 988 or Medicaid expansion would be policy decisions, and about possible intent language, work requirements, and asset tests for Medicaid expansion. Van der Woude said he was drafting a bill to let Medicaid expansion expire and restart with work requirements, an enrollment cap, and possible asset-based verification, and said he hoped to bring it this session. Several members debated the balance between cost-cutting and maintaining services, including dental coverage and developmental disability services, with some warning that cuts could harm vulnerable people and others emphasizing personal responsibility and fiscal restraint. The committee then heard from House Agriculture Committee Chair Gerald Raymond, who reviewed the agriculture budget and emphasized the importance of dedicated funds, invasive species prevention, and water infrastructure funding. He described ongoing spending for quagga mussel prevention, Mormon cricket and Japanese beetle control, and cereal crop fungus response, and urged continued support for boat inspection check stations because prevention is cheaper than treatment. He also said the University of Idaho CAFÉ project was nearing completion and noted that his committee had not yet discussed the recent 2% cuts affecting check stations. No formal votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair announced the committee would move into daily budget-setting workgroups, with the next meeting scheduled for 7:15 a.m. the following day.

Transcript Highlights:

• Kane is talking to the police to give them directions from his GPS to get to the bus.
• Hilbert and Senator Aaron Reinhart, the Oklahoma... legislature respectfully honors Kane Lee and directs
• I thought you guys cared about me more than this. Members, it's a real treat today.
• We've recognized those that can no longer care for themselves.
• on my wife and daughters every weekend to keep me humble. to share their opinions, guidance, and direction

Bills: HR1052 , SB2184 , SB171

Keywords: 4-H, youth development, community service, education, volunteering, Oklahoma, statutory revision, consolidation, law amendment, emergency legislation, legal clarity, SB171, state government, Capitol security, peace officer commission, legislative security, Department of Public Safety, Commissioner of Public Safety, President Pro Tempore, Speaker of the House

Transcript Highlights:

• So anything that was read has already been taken care of.
• It sounds to me like everybody's rowing in the same direction, or is a little bit out of sync.
• I think we're all rowing in the right direction.
• I think we're all rowing in the right direction.
• So if it's okay with Chairman Lent, I mean, I'm fine moving that direction as well.

Committee: Senate Education

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So this is a good move in the right direction. I'd ask for a yes. I'd ask for a yes.
• Largely overplayed by media, so this is a good move in the right direction. I'd ask for a yes.
• We can pick it in health care, education, or many other industries.
• This is the wrong direction for our state. Please vote no. Expanded it. In recent years, Mr.
• Speaker, this is the wrong direction for our state. Please vote no. Further remarks.

Keywords: 904, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard a prayer before moving through introductions, caucuses, and messages from the Senate. Several bills were taken up under third reading, with the chamber suspending rules to advance them to final passage. The day also included recognition of Colville Tribal Business Council members and the adoption of prior minutes without objection. Members approved House Bill 1269, which raises pawnbroker interest rates and fees, with supporters arguing the changes are modest and needed to help small businesses serve unbanked customers; it passed 83-14. Substitute House Bill 2123, dealing with foreign national participation in Washington elections, passed 68-29 after debate over whether the bill appropriately reduces burdens on candidate campaigns while preserving restrictions for initiative campaigns. Substitute House Bill 2178, a technical court-rules bill aligning statutes with court procedures, passed 89-8, and House Bill 2120, which reduces or eliminates certain JLARC reports to free staff time for higher-value audits, passed unanimously 97-0. The House also passed House Bill 2309, eliminating postgraduate degree requirements for some state jobs to reduce barriers to state employment, by a 97-0 vote. Substitute House Bill 2158, authorizing electronic remote notarization of physical documents, passed 96-0 with bipartisan support focused on access in rural areas. Substitute House Bill 2411, expanding shared leave eligibility to include employees affected by hate crimes or immigration enforcement actions, passed 60-36 amid concerns about cost and scope. House Joint Memorial 4004, a nonbinding request to Congress related to tribal management of sea lions to protect salmon, passed 80-16, and Substitute House Joint Memorial 4001, honoring Russell Blount by naming the East 34th Street overpass over I-5, passed 96-0. The House then adjourned until the following Friday morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• consider where that balance should be struck and whether this particular bill moves us in a better direction
• I mean, that's my understanding—that they find out it's too much to care about.
• creating a process in which rates would potentially increase, and I think that's going in the wrong direction
• I just hope we wouldn't go that direction. Okay, members, questions?
• In fact, I think it goes the opposite direction a little bit. I'm not following that question.

Bills: SB1642 , SB1643 , SB2530

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: Texas Department of Insurance, commission appointments, insurance regulation, oversight, consumer advocacy, insurance rates, property insurance, commercial automobile insurance, rate approval, consumer protection, windstorm insurance, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, administrative penalties, coastal counties, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> those in foster care. those in foster care.
• For many of the standard of care.
• </c><00:20:42.320><c> Thank</c> tasked with caring for. Thank you. Thank tasked with caring for.
• </c> shouldn't be providing foster care. shouldn't be providing foster care.
• </c> was a in foster care and was adopted. was a in foster care and was adopted.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The people and residents we care for and the future of care.
• The people and residents we care for, and the future of care in our state.
• additional $3.40 an hour of state and federal funding that is required to go directly to nursing home and direct-care
• While my testimony today focuses on nursing home workers, all direct care and home care workers face
• Health care workers care for some of Michigan's most vulnerable residents.

Committee: Senate Labor

Summary: The Senate Committee on Labor met with a quorum, adopted the June 4 minutes, and then took up Senate Bill 948, the Workplace Employees Boundaries Act (WEB Act), after adopting an S-1 substitute by a 4-1 vote. Senator Geis presented the bill as a Michigan “right to disconnect” measure that would generally bar employers from requiring employees to access or respond to work communications outside usual work hours, allow employees to set availability hours, prohibit retaliation, direct LEO to write rules, and provide complaint and enforcement procedures with exceptions for emergencies and existing collective bargaining agreements. In questioning, Senator Albert raised concerns about how the bill would apply in small businesses and practical situations like staffing calls, school notifications, and emergency-like circumstances; Geis said the bill was meant to protect non-work time while preserving emergency carve-outs and informational messages. NFIB’s Amanda Fisher opposed the bill, arguing it was too broad, difficult to define across industries and schedules, potentially duplicative of existing wage-and-hour law, and likely to create confusion and reduce flexibility, especially for small employers. The committee then shifted to testimony on health care workforce and labor disputes. Nurses from Teamsters Local 332 described a 291-day strike at Henry Ford/Genesis over safe staffing, return-to-work terms, and alleged union-busting, saying the hospital’s staffing levels and use of replacement workers threatened patient safety and could displace experienced specialty nurses. Michigan Nurses Association president Aaron McCormick and Marquette RN union president Christina Hanson said Michigan’s problem is not a shortage of licensed nurses but of nurses willing to stay in overworked, hostile workplaces; they cited retaliation, slow grievance/arbitration processes, hospital consolidation, rural OB closures, and unsafe staffing ratios as drivers of burnout and departures. They urged stronger protections and faster dispute resolution, especially given the limited effectiveness of the NLRB and delays in labor processes. Additional testimony came from UAW Local 4911’s Kim Wheeler, who said UMH Sparrow was outsourcing two low-paid support groups—patient transport/housekeeping and food and nutrition—despite their importance to hospital operations and despite a recently ratified contract, and asked for transparency and limits on corporate outsourcing. Don Hill of SEIU Health Care Michigan described chronic understaffing in nursing homes, mandatory overtime, burnout, retaliation fears, and the need for enforceable patient-to-staff ratios and stronger wage support; he also noted that home care workers are negotiating first contracts after restored bargaining rights. The committee took no vote on SB 948 beyond adopting the substitute, heard extensive testimony, and adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• from the beginning she Community Care from the beginning she organized<00:04:58.120><c> over</c><00:
• We're prepared to take that on along existing trails that we already take care of.
• The exhibit generated $5.6 million in direct sales and $9.5 million to the overall economy.
• The exhibit generated $5.6 million in direct sales and $9.5 million to the overall economy.
• about and I care about the whole state of Minnesota.

Committee: House Legacy Finance

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Its first statewide report on reproductive health care in county jails.
• These are case-by-case decisions made with care.
• And the ones that are the threat, they don't care about rules.
• But expanding this limit to three guns is a direct response to that decision.
• I don't care.

Summary: The committee first adopted a seven-bill consent calendar, then heard several public safety measures. AB 1127 by Assembly Member Gabriel would restrict sale of certain semi-automatic handguns that can be easily converted to automatic weapons with “switches”; supporters, including Everytown and Moms Demand Action, said it targets a specific Glock-style design flaw linked to mass shootings, while the NRA and gun-rights groups argued the bill duplicates existing federal law and effectively bans popular handguns. The bill was moved on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Judiciary and remained on call. AB 468, also by Gabriel, would increase penalties and clarify offenses involving looting and impersonating emergency personnel in evacuation zones and during disasters; firefighters, district attorneys, and law enforcement supported it as a deterrent, while public defenders and justice advocates warned it was overbroad and could worsen racial profiling. The committee approved the bill on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, also held on call. The committee then heard AB 1187 by Assembly Member Celeste Rodriguez, which would require eight hours of firearm safety training, including live-fire instruction, before obtaining a firearm safety certificate and would add a requirement for new residents who import firearms. Supporters said California should require training comparable to other safety-sensitive activities and that the measure would reduce gun deaths; opponents argued the bill misunderstands the existing FSC process, would be hard to implement because of range and instructor limits, and would burden a constitutional right. The bill passed on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations and was held on call. The committee also heard AB 1424 by Rodriguez, which would require CDCR climate resiliency and heat-safety measures in prisons, including temperature monitoring, shade, showers, fans, and emergency planning. Prisoner-rights and labor groups strongly supported the bill, citing extreme heat, wildfire, and flooding risks, while one opponent said the monitoring mandate could be too costly; the bill was moved on a due-pass motion to Labor and Employment and held on call. Finally, the committee began hearing AB 1258 by Assembly Member Kalra, which would extend the sunset of the Young Adult Deferred Entry Program through 2029 for selected counties. Kalra and Santa Clara County Judge Erica You described the program’s success in reducing recidivism and providing wraparound services for young adults with felony charges, including housing, counseling, and parenting support. The transcript cuts off before the committee completed action on AB 1258.

Transcript Highlights:

• Farmers care deeply about the environment and continue to be stewards of the land.
• Farmers care deeply about the environment and continue to be stewards of the land.
• </c> building organic matter Farmers care building organic matter Farmers care deeply<01:03:51.760><c
• We care deeply about the environment, and we ask for your support on this program.
• </c><01:35:50.800><c> contained</c> out some of the directives contained out some of the directives contained

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development

Keywords: 1187, senate, all