Transcript Highlights:

• GO TO THE EXCHANGE NOW ANY OF HUNDREDS POTENTIALLY OF OPTIONS TO PICK WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH THE BUDGET
• YOU ARE USING IN A TIME OF EIGHT TIGHT BUDGET WE WILL HAVE A DEFICIT.
• EACH COUNCIL OF RESIDENT HAS A BUDGET AND THEY ELECT A BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
• FLORIDA HEALTHCARE WAS PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION THAT WAS ULTIMATELY INCLUDED IN THE STATE BUDGET

Transcript Highlights:

• think it is important to understand the role property taxes play in local government finances and budgeting
• think it is important to understand the role property taxes play in local government finances and budgeting
• , the property appraiser, and the clerk, so all of those functions are running through the county budget
• We had January 1st that captured all that information, and then it was budgeted in the following year

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for a listening session focused on a presentation by Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research on local government revenues and expenditures. Baker reviewed statewide financial data for counties, municipalities, and independent special districts, using 2018-19 as a baseline year because it was stable and pre-COVID. She explained that counties rely heavily on taxes, with ad valorem taxes making up about 73% of county tax revenue and about 24% of total county revenues statewide, while municipalities rely more on charges for services and have a lower statewide ad valorem share of about 14.7%. She also noted wide variation across local governments, with some counties and cities highly dependent on property taxes and others using them minimally or not at all. Special districts were shown to be very different from counties and cities, with hospital-related revenues and expenditures dominating many of them, while water management districts were more reliant on ad valorem taxes and focused expenditures on the physical environment. Baker also summarized expenditure patterns: counties spent the largest share on public safety, while municipalities spent the largest share on general government services, followed by physical environment and public safety. She emphasized that local government structures vary widely and that the committee should study what characteristics are associated with greater property tax reliance. She said the next research steps would be to extend the analysis through later years, including the COVID and inflation period, and to examine institutional and legal factors that shape local fiscal structures. Members asked about unfunded mandates, fuel taxes, reserves, school taxes, millage rates, and how property taxes relate to specific services such as police and fire. Baker said the current analysis did not yet account for mandates or school taxes and that further work could examine links between revenues and expenditures, commercial versus residential tax burdens, and other factors. After the presentation, members reported back on local meetings with counties and municipalities. Several described large differences in millage rates, revenue mixes, and the impact of any property tax changes on fiscally constrained counties versus larger, wealthier ones. Concerns were raised about how local governments would replace lost revenue, especially for public safety and emergency response, and members discussed the need to consider both revenue replacement and ways to rein in spending. The co-chairs said the committee would continue gathering information, send members follow-up homework and requests for panel suggestions, and invite additional input from constituents, stakeholders, and local governments. The meeting ended with no votes or formal actions beyond adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• This was an exceptional item in the budget that TECO requested and was granted.
• The Congressional Budget Office 2025 Shipbuilding Plan will grow the United States Navy by 100 ships
• Something that the Legislative Budget Board did is they said that this bill would require TMD to establish
• During a state budget shortfall in 2003, the Sheriff's Association of Texas played a key role in securing

Bills: SB 36 , HB 1065 , HB2929 , HB2956 , HB3009 , HB3420 , HB3626 , HB3649 , HB4956 , HB4993 , HB5293 , HB5308 , HB5528 , HCR118 , SB36 , HB4023

Committee: House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Keywords: transportation, regional authorities, mobility, infrastructure, sales tax, employee classification, private security, misclassification, workforce regulations, Texas Workforce Commission, autism, peace officers, training program, law enforcement, intervention, communication, developmental disability, family violence, central database, criminal offense

Transcript Highlights:

• to be a key piece of, of that facility, uh, I understand because of Congress's inability to pass a budget
• at the end of the day, I understand because the continued resolution, because they couldn't pass a budget
• when you look at the fact is, is, uh, those entities which are the largest research and development budgets
• Approved the $335 billion budget, uh, seems like pennies, which it is, but is TDLR able to absorb that

Committee: House Higher Education

Transcript Highlights:

• We have some school district contacts That's a very small portion of our budget.
• Our budget, we have a mix of earned revenue and contributed revenue.
• There is a budget rider. in the budget to fund this program should the conferees agree to do that.

Bills: HB 1178 , HB1411 , HB1441 , HB1773 , HB1813 , HB2107 , HB2598 , HB2911 , HB2967 , HB3672 , HB5263 , HB3797

Committee: House Public Education

Keywords: education, temporary certification, out-of-state educators, teacher shortage, military spouses, personal leave, school holidays, employee compensation, overtime provisions, school safety, peace officers, mental health, de-escalation techniques, trauma-informed care, student trustee, school board, student representation, education policy, nonvoting position, school governance

Transcript Highlights:

• I ran here, as you all know, we're in the depths of budget discussion.
• /c><00:03:19.159><c> the</c><00:03:19.280><c> depths</c><00:03:19.599><c> of</c><00:03:19.799><c> budget
• </c> all know we're in the depths of budget all know we're in the depths of budget discussion<00:03:21.480

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• School food services directors work tirelessly to meet nutrition standards, stay within tight budgets
• Balance the budget. And get whole milk back in school.
• across the country, the funding levels we debate here in this room aren't an abstract number in the budget
• If the House Budget Chair's proposal to increase House income verification passes, I would have to process

Bills: SB222

Committee: Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Keywords: whole milk, school lunch, school meals, National School Lunch Program, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, Child Nutrition Act, USDA, nutrition standards, dairy, nonfat milk, low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk, lactose-free milk, nondairy beverages, plant-based milk, milk substitution, parental consent, legal guardian, food allergies, allergic reaction

Summary: This meeting of the committee focused primarily on the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, S222, which aims to permit schools to offer a fuller range of milk options, including whole, reduced, and low-fat varieties, that have garnered bipartisan support. Chairman Bozeman opened the session by highlighting concerns over children's nutrition and the obesity epidemic, emphasizing the significance of nutritious school meals in addressing these issues. Experts from various organizations were invited to discuss the implications of this bill as well as the current challenges facing school meal programs, including budget constraints and food supply issues. The meeting included passionate testimonies about the direct impacts of current dietary guidelines and federal funding reductions affecting schools' abilities to provide healthy meal options.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, our budget at the county is a tough one as well.
• In many counties, including Meeker, County budget constraints mean that emergency management is not a
• This uncertainty has caused a lot of fluctuations within our counties and their budgeting.
• Oftentimes, our counties are budgeting a full 12 months ahead of when the state is able to turn their

Bills: HF1354 , HF1901 , HF2124 , HF2130 , HF2260 , HF2099 , HF104 , HF134 , HF1769

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: public safety, school safety, active shooter, active shooter drill, violence prevention, threat reporting, anonymous tip line, See It, Say It, Send It, Minnesota Fusion Center, Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA, officer-involved death, missing person, endangered missing person, criminal background check, national background check, FBI fingerprint check, adult entertainment license, massage license, correctional facilities

Transcript Highlights:

• economic development just because they're in statute, as has been said, there's no direct impact state budget
• That's more than double my annual budget. One and half square miles. Roughly 4,000 citizens.
• That is what is in the budget. We are not trying to run to That is what is in the budget.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're talking about a $300 million hit that, if we can prep for and budget for through a concept like
• There's no budget impact. Secondly, it would ask who would benefit.
• debate on House Bill 14 and a tax bill, and just the concerns that we were not able to stay within a budget
• Chair, sorry, Representative, the general fund target was set as part of the overall general fund budget

Committee: House House Taxation & Revenue

Transcript Highlights:

• and being able to That I did find housing stability, knowing my monthly expenses, and being able to budget
• Listen, any of y'all that have been in any of the budget committees have seen all...
• Listen, many of y'all that have been in any of the budget committees have seen all the job openings that
• Listen, many of y'all that have been in any of the budget committees have seen all the job openings that

Summary: The Housing, Agriculture and Tourism Subcommittee heard and advanced several bills. HB 615, allowing landlords to send required notices electronically with tenant written consent, was amended to allow either landlords or tenants to send messages electronically and passed favorably after testimony from legal aid and tenant advocates urging stronger opt-in, opt-out, and notice protections. HB 665, dealing with local government impact fees and development permits, would limit certain art-related impact fees, define “extraordinary circumstances,” and require more public process before fee increases; it passed after local government and industry testimony focused on refining the extraordinary-circumstances definition and concerns about public art funding. HB 365, a tenant protection bill for affordable housing units receiving public incentives, was amended to apply only to leases of 13 months or less and to take effect in July 2026; it passed with support from housing advocates and AARP and was described as preventing mid-lease rent increases while preserving renewal-time adjustments. HB 381, requiring issuance of addresses and parcel identification numbers within a set timeframe, was amended to extend the deadline to 20 business days and shift the fee consequence to the address fee rather than the building permit fee; it passed after discussion about delays affecting developers and local government responsibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm sure they're driven by budget more than anything. Thank you. Are there any more questions?"
• those decisions I'm sure they're<00:10:58.920><c> driven</c><00:10:59.440><c> by</c><00:10:59.639><c> budget
• </c><00:11:00.160><c> more</c><00:11:00.360><c> than</c> they're driven by budget more than they're driven
• by budget more than anything<00:11:02.440><c> thank</c> anything thank anything thank you<00:11:05.399

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Transportation Committee met with a quorum and approved the minutes from its previous meeting. It then considered several transportation-related bills, beginning with House Bill 157 on special license plates. The bill, as amended by a committee substitute, would create a commercial Friends of Agriculture plate to support agriculture-related programs, with proceeds going to the same fund used by the existing farm tag. Members also discussed the committee substitute’s fee exemptions for military-related plates, and the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. The committee next took up House Bill 682 on utility relocation. Testimony from Charter Communications explained that the bill would update outdated law so cable and broadband providers are treated like public utilities for reimbursement when forced to relocate facilities for highway projects, while preserving the Transportation Cabinet’s discretion over reimbursements. Members asked about the current reimbursement process and fiscal impact; witnesses said the bill does not change cabinet discretion and therefore has no fiscal note. The bill was reported favorably. House Bill 443, which would shift the east end signage of the H. Rogers Parkway farther east to US 23 in Prestonsburg to reflect the already four-laned section and support future federal funding efforts, also received favorable expression. House Bill 444, a commercial driver’s licensing measure brought by the Transportation Cabinet and amended by committee substitute, would align Kentucky reporting requirements with federal law and allow drivers age 18 and older to qualify for a hazardous materials endorsement, with limits excluding school buses and interstate transport. Members discussed the safety rationale and the need for drivers in agriculture and propane delivery; the bill was reported favorably with the substitute attached. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 493 on towing and storage of motor vehicles. Representative Pollock and a Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance witness described it as a cleanup bill aimed at transparency and enforcement against predatory towing and inflated charges, and members noted constituent concerns about towing practices. The bill was reported favorably with a committee substitute attached. The committee also reviewed Administrative Regulation 600 KAR 1:041, which updates disadvantaged business enterprise certification rules to conform to federal nomenclature and related federal changes; the regulation was reviewed without further action.

Transcript Highlights:

• waiting for the benefits that many of the projects promise to bring in their communities and household budgets
• limiting unnecessary litigation. will help deliver critical infrastructure projects on time and on budget
• We get jobs done right, on time, the first time, safety, and on budget.
• Things get built on time, on budget, and done right.

Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works Committee

Keywords: environmental review, permitting process, infrastructure, bipartisan legislation, economic growth, Nucor, West Virginia

Summary: The meeting focused on critical discussions surrounding the need for modernizing the federal environmental review and permitting processes. Witnesses from various sectors, including Nucor, provided testimony on the delays and costs associated with current regulations, emphasizing the impact on infrastructure and economic growth. Major projects in West Virginia, such as the Corridor H and Coalfield Expressways, were highlighted as examples of initiatives stalled by excessive permitting hurdles, prompting calls for bipartisan legislation to streamline these processes while maintaining environmental protections. The committee expressed a commitment to address these issues immediately, highlighting the urgency to enhance efficiency in permitting to facilitate economic development.

Transcript Highlights:

• For example, last year the Bloomington schools budget cuts killed a summer program to teach English to
• 03.920><c> schools</c> last year um uh the Bloomington schools last year um uh the Bloomington schools budget
• 05.480><c> a</c><00:09:05.600><c> summer</c><00:09:05.959><c> program</c><00:09:06.320><c> to</c> budget
• cuts killed a summer program to budget cuts killed a summer program to teach<00:09:06.839><c> English

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: State Representative Bjorn Olson opened by discussing House File 733, which he said would roll back restrictions placed on electronic pull tabs and charitable gambling two years earlier. He argued the 2023 changes hurt charities, veterans groups, and local communities by reducing revenue for donations to fire departments, youth activities, and veterans services. Olson said the bill had just been heard in the Veterans Committee and had been sent on to Commerce, and he expressed optimism about advancing it further. Several charity and gambling representatives testified in support of the bill. Amanda Jackson of the Spring Lake Park Lions Club said the new rules stripped entertaining features from electronic pull tabs and reduced revenue, citing a drop in January EAB sales from $947,000 in 2024 to $816,000 in 2025. She described how Lions Club gambling funds local equipment, eyeglasses, clothing, school programs, food shelves, and shelters. Rachel Keller of the Bloomington Kennedy Activities Foundation and Tim Angstrom of the Bloomington American Legion said reduced gambling revenue would hurt school support, student needs, and community programs; Angstrom said the Legion had funded a $3,000 English program and other local services. Rachel Jenner of Allied Charities said the group was also working on sports betting legislation, but that any sports betting revenue would not make up for the losses from the electronic pull tab changes. She said the 2023 law took effect January 1 and that no current game on the market fully matches the features now required, forcing manufacturers and charities to adapt. In response to questions, Olson said the bill’s path would depend on further House and Senate action, and he suggested a possible compromise could involve restoring some playability features while continuing to seek tax relief for charities.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's the vast majority of their budget. They use those dollars to financially sponsor St.
• You appropriate an advertising budget, and you have a target market.
• You appropriate an advertising budget, and you have a target market.
• , and all my budget chairs, they know what a pain in the ass I am.
• , and all my budget chairs, they know what a pain in the ass I am.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, to offer the personal finance, you know, we need to look at the lifelong learning in the budgeting
• You know, to offer the personal finance, you know, we need to look at the lifelong learning in the budgeting
• :09:05.360><c> the</c> look at the lifelong learning in the look at the lifelong learning in the budgeting
• 09:06.920><c> debt</c><00:09:07.320><c> to</c><00:09:07.480><c> look</c><00:09:07.600><c> at</c> budgeting
• to look at debt to look at budgeting to look at debt to look at credit<00:09:08.079><c> management</

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• staff could follow up with us on that, because I think that's going to be a pretty big boost to your budget
• We've estimated about $93,000 in cash has been withheld, so that's just cash, not budget.
• I was completely thrown off when this particular school district fired, laid off employees due to budget
• I could be off on that number, but they laid off people due to budget cuts.
• I also worry, given how few dollars, I mean, in the budget we passed, I think Governor Hobbs wanted $45

Committee: Joint Joint Legislative Audit Committee

Summary: The committee first heard an update on Topok Elementary School District’s long-running noncompliance with Arizona’s Uniform System of Financial Records. The Auditor General’s office explained the USFR noncompliance process and reported that Topok had made substantial progress, correcting many deficiencies in areas such as open meeting law, procurement, payroll, attendance reporting, property control, and information technology. The district’s superintendent and staff described the corrective actions they had taken, the use of outside consultants, and their plan to maintain compliance through stronger leadership, training, and consistent procedures. Members praised the district’s progress and asked about the remaining deficiencies and the status of the 3% state-aid withholding, which the Auditor General said would be addressed by the State Board of Education. The committee then considered a request for a fourth school safety special audit, tied to concerns raised by Representative Martinez about Phoenix Union High School District and school violence response practices. The Auditor General said the proposed audit would be a new topic focused on policies and procedures for responding to credible threats of violence and allegations of staff misconduct affecting student safety, and could include Phoenix Union in the sample. Representative Martinez described a fatal 2024 shooting, weapons incidents, and concerns about district oversight. The committee approved the motion 10-0. Next, staff presented the fiscal years 2027-2028 school district performance audit schedule, describing 26 randomly selected school districts and career and technical education districts, plus 84 planned follow-ups. The Auditor General said the schedule is intended to shorten the average time between audits and that the school audits division is now fully staffed. Members asked about county coverage and the inclusion of ESA accountability, but the schedule was ultimately presented for review rather than approval. The committee also heard a detailed federal compliance audit presentation on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) administered by DES. The Auditor General reported repeated findings involving missing provider documentation, questioned costs, and FFATA reporting errors, including a 2024 sample that led to questioning $2.88 million in costs. The office recommended stronger documentation, record retention, reporting procedures, and staff training; DES concurred and said it would correct the findings in 2026. Members discussed the limits of the single-audit scope, the possibility of a broader special audit, and the federal government’s recent actions on CCDF oversight in other states. Finally, the committee considered and discussed a special audit request for CCDF that would broaden review to provider oversight, licensing, site visits, and billing accuracy across multiple state agencies, with estimated costs of $547,000 to $625,000 and a projected report date of July 31, 2027.

Transcript Highlights:

• For budgeting purposes, providers need to know their income is secure and theirs to spend.
• For budgeting purposes, answer.
• For budgeting purposes, providers<00:27:05.520><c> need</c><00:27:05.760><c> to</c><00:27:05.919><c>
• It allows providers to reasonably plan their annual budget.
• Unpredicted clawbacks or payments over one year under my own budget plan.

Bills: HF729

Committee: House Human Services Finance and Policy

Keywords: human services, provider enrollment, medical assistance, healthcare, housing stabilization, substance use disorder, vulnerable adults, fraud prevention, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• SSD operates on a public budget of more than a half billion dollars.
• Like, that is just not stable, especially when you're making these large, large budget decisions.
• You don't... ...when you're making these large, large budget decisions, you don't want to make such a
• Without SSD, special education services would vary dramatically depending on the district's budget, staffing
• What I don't like is that there was a review over the budget and who gets what debt, but there was no

Committee: House General Laws

Summary: The committee first met in executive session on House Bill 3070, a firearms-related bill. Representative Koslow argued the bill was not truly Second Amendment friendly, saying it could block return of stolen firearms, expose taxpayers to large payouts, and harm firearm dealers. Representative Greg said local law enforcement did not support it. The committee then voted 3 ayes and 9 noes, and HB 3070 failed to be reported do pass. The committee then held a public hearing on House Bill 2904, which would expand animal mistreatment law to include starvation and add a House committee substitute addressing false reports of animal abuse. Representative Don Mayhew said the bill responds to cases of animals left chained and neglected, and supporters from the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Humane World for Animals, and the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation backed the measure. No opposition testimony was offered. The bulk of the meeting focused on House Bill 2933, which would allow school districts in St. Louis County to withdraw from the Special School District of St. Louis County through board action and a local vote. The sponsor and supporters, including Lindbergh officials, parents, and an attorney, said the current SSD structure is too rigid, lacks accountability, and can fail to meet students’ individualized needs; they cited service delays, litigation, and concerns raised by families. Opponents, including SSD administrators, superintendents, parents, and advocates, said SSD provides specialized services that many districts could not replicate, warned the bill could fragment services and create instability, and pointed to the countywide history and existing review mechanisms for SSD. The hearing ended without a vote on HB 2933.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Representatives, House Bill 838 by the Appropriations Committee, an act relating to the state budget
• of Representatives, House Bill 875 by the Appropriations Committee, an act relating to the state budget
• to provide for a calculated reduction from the Governor's Budget Document.
• to coordinate with changes in the Internal Revenue Code that was passed in 2015 by the Bipartisan Budget
• The AG only has one office, one budget, and a thousand other cases.

Keywords: 989, all