Transcript Highlights:

• We will be visiting in the days ahead.
• We were there the first day and stayed until the last victim was pulled from the water. Mr.
• The folks that have the expertise, uh, in care, especially for a brain injury.
• Brain Injury Care uh into the settlement Brain Injury Care uh into the settlement process<01:06:34.599
• Chair, could you give us an indication of what your plans will be in the next 10 days?

Committee: Senate Judiciary and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Representative Larva Day, President of Larva Day, present. Representative Larvadee, here, present.
• Representative Phelps, would you care if we take care of the amendments first and then go to you?
• one, day 10, you can join the union anytime you want; opt out anytime you want, day two, ten years later
• We come in every day. We stay here all day.
• And here we are on week 11 at the last day.

Summary: The House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations met for its final meeting of the session and took up SB 312 by Senator Talbot, a bill concerning labor organizations, employee dues and fees, withdrawal from unions, collective bargaining agreements, and related notice and reporting requirements. The author explained the bill would require annual notice to employees of their right to join or refrain from joining a labor organization, allow dues deductions to be authorized and revoked electronically, and require stoppage of deductions at the nearest possible payroll period after notice. The committee first adopted a technical amendment set, then considered a larger amendment set that shifted the withdrawal request to the employer, required the employer to notify the labor organization, placed the burden of proving notice compliance on the labor organization, and made the labor organization responsible for certain administrative costs. Supporters said the bill protected employee choice and could reduce taxpayer-funded administrative burdens; opponents argued the amendments created confusion, unnecessary bureaucracy, and unclear invoicing and cost-shifting procedures. Testimony came from business and labor representatives on both sides. Jim Patterson of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry supported the cost-shifting language as a way to protect taxpayers and public employers. Matt Wood, Peter Robbins-Brown, and Larry Carter, representing labor groups, said they had worked for months to reach a simpler opt-in/opt-out framework and objected to the new amendments as adding complexity and uncertainty. Several members questioned why police, firefighters, and later mass transit employees were exempted; the author and others said those exclusions were tied to federal law or because those groups had not requested inclusion. After debate, the committee adopted the large amendment set and then adopted a separate technical amendment adding mass transit employees to the exemption list. On the bill itself, members continued debating whether the measure was necessary if unions already allow members to opt out and whether the bill should apply only to public employees such as teachers and school workers. The committee ultimately voted to report SB 312 with amendments. The motion passed on a roll call vote, with several members voting no, and the meeting adjourned afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Tomorrow is his last day in this body, being on this floor.
• We thought we were going to lose you that day. It was heartbreaking.
• And we see it every day, continuously: people are being killed by drunk drivers.
• We thought we were going to lose you that day. It was heartbreaking.
• And we see it every day, continuously: people are being killed by drunk drivers.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the impairment while administering care. the impairment while administering care.
• </c> life and death decisions every day. life and death decisions every day.
• </c> My question is the care My question is the care that<01:03:02.680><c> any</c><01:03:02.880><c> of
• And because the half-life is 30 days.
• </c> to help them with the pain on the days to help them with the pain on the days that<01:06:42.840>

Transcript Highlights:

• They're serving kids during the school day.
• the day it would have to.
• We refer to as a day on the calendar, but the school day, which means from the time school starts the
• you know, that whole day.
• Senators speak to farmers every day. accustomed speaking. Senators speak to farmers every day.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the last day of our final mandatory 5-day recess. Um, my name is Della Au Belatti.
• </c><00:19:09.440><c> and</c> accomplished through that one day and accomplished through that one day
• Take care of two people for 14 days. And we talk about all those things.
• You don't have to be a rocket scientist to build a kit, take care of two people for 14 days, and we talk
• </c> Hector. on Halloween day in 2004. Hector. on Halloween day in 2004.

Bills: HB2437 , HB1815 , HB1614 , HB1613 , HB1612 , HB2411 , HB2597 , HB2583 , HB2474 , HB1863 , HB2590 , HB1813 , HB1838 , HB2138 , HB1967 , HB1576 , HB2139 , HB1605 , HB2113 , HB812 , HB1831 , HB1707 , HB2561 , HB1805 , HB2469 , HB2472 , HB2387 , HB1658 , HB1661 , HB1664 , HB1859 , HB2276 , HB2335 , HB1656 , HB2116 , HB2272 , HB2273 , HB2340 , HB2158 , HB2339 , HB2489 , HB2159 , HB2171 , HB2338 , HB2005 , HB1952 , HB1872 , HB1676 , HB2384 , HB2614 , HB20 , HB1776 , HB1565 , HB2310 , HB1975 , HB1801 , HB1668 , HB2114 , HB1972 , HB1546 , HB1518 , HB1131 , HB2208 , HB2156 , HB2268 , HB2622 , HB2581 , HB2498 , HB2443 , HB1577 , HB2033 , HB2031 , HB2023 , HB1969 , HB1973 , HB1974 , HB2315 , HB2343 , HB2501 , HB2505 , HB816 , HB1562 , HB1591 , HB1853 , HB1854 , HB1871 , HB1965 , HB1966 , HB1537 , HB1541 , HB276 , HB2606 , HB2270 , HB1920 , HB1756 , HB1727 , HB1718 , HB1715 , HB1713 , HB1711

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:04:41.280><c> Nursing</c><00:04:41.840><c> home</c><00:04:42.080><c> care</c> Nursing home care
• Community-based care is not an entitlement, and nursing home care costs are a lot higher than community
• care.
• </c> where they need that level of care where they need that level of care because<00:06:03.600><c> there
• </c> of the day being done, we are ajourned. of the day being done, we are ajourned.

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• rural areas, how much we care about affordability.
• That we care about each other.
• In Washington, D.C., it's almost impossible to do that these days.
• We say that today with a seven-day wait that is ruled unconstitutional.
• That is not careful policy.

Summary: The Senate convened, established a quorum, offered an invocation, and handled several announcements and courtesy motions, including excusing some members and relaxing the dress code. The chamber then adopted committee reports on several bills, including Senate Bill 50, Senate Bill 30, and Senate Bill 43. It then moved to third reading of Senate Judiciary Committee substitute for Senate Bill 17, the “Stop Illegal Gun Trade and Extremely Dangerous Weapons Act.” SB 17 was read at length and explained by Senator O’Malley and co-sponsor Senator Bergman as a gun crime prevention measure aimed at dealer security, employee training, recordkeeping, reporting requirements, inspections, and a ban on future dealer sales or transfers of certain firearms and accessories, including high-capacity magazines, .50-caliber rifles and cartridges, gas-operated semi-automatic firearms with detachable magazines, and machine guns. Supporters argued the bill targets the retail-to-criminal pipeline, improves accountability, and would help reduce gun trafficking and violence. Opponents argued it infringes on constitutional rights, would not stop criminals from obtaining guns, and would burden law-abiding citizens and dealers. The chamber then debated Floor Amendment No. 1 by Senator Brantley, which would have struck Section 7, the portion banning certain weapons and devices. Supporters of the amendment said Section 7 was the most constitutionally vulnerable part of the bill and would likely be litigated, while opponents said the section was central to the bill’s purpose and consistent with Second Amendment case law. The amendment failed on a roll call vote, 15-22. A second amendment by Senator Block, which would have exempted certain under-21 employees from the bill’s age restriction if they were military members, veterans, or had completed hunter safety or 4-H programs, was then taken up and debated, with supporters emphasizing military training and youth firearms education as evidence of responsibility.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:16:26.079><c> and</c> martial arts back in the old days and martial arts back in the old days
• Would you care to with this amendment.
• So you have three days to get out.
• So you have three days to clean house.
• </c> day and nail those down. day and nail those down. &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; Yeah. &gt;&gt; Yeah.

Committee: House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• to 15 days.
• </c> 180-day clock? 180-day clock?
• and seersucker day cream social that day and seersucker day as<04:40:14.440><c> well.
• Memorial Day is the day that we honor those who have fallen.
• And in 1971, that day was designated as Memorial Day.

Transcript Highlights:

• every day people email us asking for municipal audits.
• every day people email us asking for municipal audits.
• every day people email us asking for municipal audits.
• </c><00:12:33.760><c> every</c><00:12:34.000><c> day</c> of all of that and all day every day of all
• of that and all day every day people<00:12:34.959><c> email</c><00:12:35.440><c> us</c><00:12:35.839>

Transcript Highlights:

• about that—but if you go to traffic school, by God, the The Republicans don't care about that, but if
• That ESA funds could be rolled into 529 accounts back in the day.
• This is the kind of stuff that the federal government has been doing, and since the day Donald Trump
• It shows up in rent, groceries, utilities, and child care.
• Members, this week is African American Legislative Day.

Summary: The committee worked through a long Minority Caucus calendar covering a wide range of bills, with many items on consent and several pulled for discussion. Early items included resolutions on Judea and Samaria, bullion depository bills, a produce incentive appropriation, a biennial budget proposal, and a veterans services appropriation. Members also heard transportation-related bills on driver permits, citations, boat insurance, English proficiency for commercial drivers and motor carriers, photo enforcement, and a measure restricting incarceration for unpaid fines and fees. Several members raised concerns about constitutional issues, public safety, or whether bills were duplicative or targeted at specific groups. A large portion of the meeting focused on education and school governance bills. These included proposals on school district bond advisors, restrictions on school property leases and purchases, public meeting requirements, term limits and training for school board members, patriotic youth group access to students, computer science proficiency, and a bill requiring fingerprint clearance cards for traffic school instructors. Members repeatedly criticized what they described as inconsistent treatment of public schools versus ESA/private school programs, and several education bills were pulled from consent for further discussion. Other bills addressed child safety and family law, including DCS credit freezes, recorded child interviews, parents’ rights notices, mandatory reporting of threats by minors, sex offender residency and GPS monitoring, and a bill on guardianship rights during DCS investigations. The committee also considered a number of social services, health, and labor/consumer bills. These included SNAP work requirement and verification measures, a SNAP error-rate audit, dementia care telemonitoring funding, a Braille transcription appropriation, court fee limits, a physician assistant compact, pediatric licensure compact, and a kratom regulation bill. Members debated an earned wage access licensing bill at length, with opponents calling it predatory and akin to payday lending, while supporters argued it provided a regulated consumer option. Other measures covered cash acceptance by businesses, 529-to-Roth IRA rollovers, AI rules for state agencies, and a bill on public nuisance actions by the Attorney General. Several of these drew warnings about constitutional problems, preemption, or burdens on vulnerable populations. Energy, water, and tax policy also featured prominently. The committee heard bills on fuel formulations, gas tax relief, data centers and small modular nuclear reactors, utility reporting, and a Commerce Authority mandate to reduce fuel prices. Members criticized some proposals as favoring industry, preempting local control, or lacking a clear funding plan. The meeting ended after additional items on veterans, sample ballot mailing dates, and other miscellaneous measures, with multiple bills noted as pulled from consent or subject to later votes; no final roll-call results were detailed in the transcript excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• This helps us build a community and serve and care for our fellow man.
• I know you have a busy scheduled day, so I'll just really cut to the chase.
• On to bill number five of the day, Senate Bill 5892. Thank you, Mr.
• Initiative 775 to give individual provider home care workers the right to form a union.
• The paper signature compensation model rewards volume rather than care.

Bills: SB6081 , SB5902 , SB6034 , SB6035 , SB5892 , SB5973

Committee: Senate State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections

Keywords: SB 6081, Washington privacy, sex designation, gender marker, nonbinary, transgender, vital records, birth certificate, death certificate, fetal death, stillbirth, driver license, ID card, Department of Licensing, public records exemption, confidential records, record sealing, data sharing, government records, privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• with my sister who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, I am not about to complain at all about it being a hot day
• case managers, family and friends, missing work and losing needed income, missing critical health care
• These providers' day-in, day-out focus is on reaching people wherever they may be so they can get them
• We don’t care where you go, but you’re not going to be in our city.
• And then who sits at the dais and complains?

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills and moved most of them forward. SB 655 (Stern) would establish a state policy that residential units should be able to maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature, with supporters citing extreme heat deaths and the need for statewide guidance. Members raised concerns about the lack of a specific temperature standard and possible impacts on the electric grid, but the bill passed the committee 8-0 as amended to Appropriations. The committee also heard SB 634 (Perez), which would bar state and local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances that punish people or organizations for providing basic survival services to unhoused people. Supporters, including people with lived experience and homelessness advocates, argued that criminalizing food, water, blankets, and outreach prolongs homelessness and harms vulnerable residents; opponents from some cities and counties warned about limits on local control. The bill passed 8-2. SB 772 (Cabaldon) would continue and expand the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program by better supporting walkability, transit, and climate-resilient infrastructure for infill housing; it passed 8-0. The committee also considered SB 838 (Dutraslo/DeRazzo), which would keep the Housing Accountability Act focused on housing by excluding transient lodging from housing streamlining protections. Supporters said some developers have used housing laws to fast-track hotel projects instead of homes, while opponents worried the bill could be too broad and limit mixed-use financing. After discussion about possible clarifying amendments, the bill passed 8-2 to Local Government. Several consent items—SB 484, SB 489, SB 686, and SB 724—also passed unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• And just take when I was taking care of my in-laws at the end of their lives—like, if you have babies
• case managers, family and friends, missing work and losing needed income, missing critical health care
• These providers' day-in and day-out focus is on reaching people wherever they may be so they can get
• We don't care where you go, but you're not going to be in our city.
• And then who sits at the dais and complains?

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard several housing-related bills, with most of the discussion centered on SB 655, which would establish a state policy that residential units should be able to maintain a safe maximum indoor temperature. The author and supporters argued the bill responds to deadly extreme heat, especially in older and lower-income homes, while members raised concerns about grid impacts, regional differences, and the lack of a specific temperature threshold. The committee ultimately approved SB 655 on a vote of 8-0, and the consent calendar bills SB 484, SB 489, SB 686, and SB 724 also passed unanimously. The committee also heard SB 634, which would prohibit state and local governments from banning or penalizing organizations that provide basic survival services to unhoused people. Supporters described cases where service providers faced fines, arrests, or prosecution for offering food, water, blankets, or other aid, and argued criminalization worsens homelessness. Opponents from several cities and counties said local governments need flexibility to manage public spaces and homelessness responses. The bill passed 8-2. SB 772, which would revise the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program to better support walkable, climate-resilient infill housing, was presented as a way to expand infrastructure funding for housing and mixed-use development. Supporters said it would help make more housing feasible and add resilience features such as stormwater parks, levees, and wetland restoration. The committee approved the bill 8-2. Later, SB 838, which would exclude transient lodging from housing streamlining laws under the Housing Accountability Act, drew support from housing and labor advocates who said the laws should be used for homes, not hotels, and opposition from realtors and builders who warned it could limit mixed-use financing and local development options. The committee passed SB 838 8-2 and adjourned after taking up remaining votes.

Transcript Highlights:

• have, where a vast majority of those FTE are juvenile detention officers that work in the areas of care
• They could be there for 21 days.
• On any given day in detention, we do serve about 1,000 kids statewide in our juvenile detention centers
• The less time children are in foster care, the less money that costs.
• The less time children are in foster care, the less money that that costs.

Summary: The Justice Budget Subcommittee met for an introductory overview of the justice budget and the major agencies within it. Chair Maney explained that the committee would hear broad presentations rather than detailed budget questions, and the first panel included the Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Corrections, Commission on Offender Review, Department of Law Enforcement, Office of the State Courts Administrator, and the Attorney General’s Office. Each agency described its mission, staffing, budget, and major responsibilities, with repeated emphasis on public safety, rehabilitation, staffing shortages, technology needs, and the importance of mental health services and education in reducing recidivism. Secretary Hall described DJJ’s prevention-to-aftercare continuum, including civil citation, detention, probation, and residential commitment programs, and highlighted reductions in juvenile arrests and commitments. Secretary Dixon said DOC’s biggest issues are staffing, overtime, and inflation, while noting progress in education, reentry, and a low recidivism rate. FDLE Commissioner Glass outlined the agency’s investigative, forensic, intelligence, and protective functions, including work on fentanyl enforcement and crime reporting systems. The State Courts Administrator emphasized the judiciary’s constitutional role, case volume, and challenges in providing interpreters, experts, and technology support. Chief Deputy Attorney General Guard described the office’s litigation, criminal appeals, consumer protection, and opioid recovery work, especially defending state laws and recovering opioid settlement funds. Members then asked questions about prison conditions, immigration enforcement, court filing fees, crime reporting, staffing ratios, and transnational gangs. Agency leaders responded that they were not aware of ICE contracts in some cases, that FDLE works with immigration authorities and detention facilities under existing authority, and that filing fees are a legislative policy decision. The committee also heard from the Justice Administrative Commission, prosecutors, public defenders, guardian ad litem, regional conflict counsel, and capital collateral regional counsel, who focused on indigent representation, dependency and death penalty cases, and persistent staffing and retention problems. No votes were taken, and the meeting concluded after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're breathing it every day.
• So for seven days and seven nights, it was a slow fire with that, that is...
• So not just obesity, diabetes, heart disease, increasing the cost of long-term health care.
• But then they're generally only open one day a week or whatever.
• I don't think I got much sleep for three days straight. You never do.

Bills: HCR65 , HB512 , HB1194 , SCR23 , SB502

Committees: House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development , House Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture & Rural Development

Keywords: crawfish, agricultural labor, H-2A program, seasonal workforce, Louisiana economy, Healthy Food Retail Act, food access, food deserts, economic opportunity, public health, Louisiana agriculture, community development, fresh food, agriculture, national security, food production, supply chain, security task force, farm labor, Chinese investments

Transcript Highlights:

• And we've also started to look at it slightly differently to make sure that day-to-day usage is also
• Whereas a couple years ago it was days or weeks to exploit, now it's minutes.
• It can't be hours and days. I think that's right.
• Every day we're seeing 60 billion events, 30 of those are actual attacks.
• Well, we're debating whether or not we can adopt AI in our business day today.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Cybersecurity and the Committee on Emergency Management held a joint informational hearing on maximizing the value of state cybersecurity investments, with a focus on whether California is fully using the security features already included in vendor contracts. The first panel included Microsoft, Zscaler, and Palo Alto Networks, whose representatives described the products and services they provide to the state, including endpoint protection, data loss prevention, zero-trust access, attack surface management, incident response, and AI-enabled security tools. They generally said utilization is strong in some areas but that underuse can occur because of limited staff, lack of awareness, overlapping tools, audit-driven purchases, and the difficulty of keeping up with rapidly changing threats and products. They also emphasized the need for training, leadership buy-in, and coordination among IT, procurement, budget, and mission staff. Members pressed the vendors on risks such as ransomware, data loss, IoT and operational technology vulnerabilities, major events like the World Cup and Olympics, and the role of AI in both attacks and defense. The vendors said AI is already changing both sides of cybersecurity, speeding attacks but also helping defenders triage alerts and improve response times. They also discussed workforce shortages and the challenge of retaining trained staff in state government. One public commenter argued that restrictive software licensing can worsen cybersecurity by locking customers into vendors and limiting flexibility, integration, and modernization. The second panel featured the Department of Technology, Cal OES/CalSIC, and the California Military Department. CDT said its audits, maturity metrics, independent security assessments, continuous monitoring, advisory services, and vulnerability disclosure program are helping improve statewide security, and that departments are making progress but still vary in maturity. Cal OES and CalSIC described training, advisories, cyber advisory services, and statewide exercises like Cyber Dawn, while the Military Department said its assessment teams have seen significant score improvements over time. Officials said underutilization is not always due to lack of awareness; sometimes features are intentionally disabled to reduce attack surface or because tools overlap. The hearing also covered federal funding concerns, including the reduction of MS-ISAC support and the final year of the state and local cybersecurity grant program, and the meeting adjourned after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• through it, who are still going through it, and who have to live with the outcomes of our laws on a day-to-day
• We know how much you're going through, just how much on a day-to-day basis you are fighting just for
• It's with you every day.
• I am today in health care. I work for VA Care Community Health in Los Angeles.
• I also have a day job, and this isn't it.

Summary: The Assembly Banking and Finance Committee held an outcomes review of AB 238, the wildfire mortgage forbearance law, focused on how the law has worked for survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Chair Valencia and Assemblymember Harabedian said the hearing was intended to hear directly from survivors, assess whether the law is being implemented as intended, and identify fixes. Several survivors described losing homes, facing long rebuild timelines, and struggling with insurers, housing costs, and mortgage servicers. Many said they encountered confusion, inconsistent information, requests for financial documentation, lump-sum repayment demands, credit reporting problems, or loan modifications that they viewed as undermining the law’s purpose. Some urged clearer consumer education, a consumer bill of rights, and an extension of forbearance relief; one witness specifically advocated for AB 1847 to extend forbearance to 36 months. DFPI Chief Deputy Commissioner Suzanne Martindale said the department had received about 300 wildfire-related consumer complaints, mostly about mortgage forbearance, and that more than 91% had been resolved in the consumer’s favor. She said the department works with both state-licensed and federally regulated institutions, but its authority is limited when national banks are involved, so it often uses outreach and direct contact with lenders and federal partners to resolve complaints. She also described recurring complaint themes such as difficulty obtaining forbearance, customer-service breakdowns, withholding of insurance funds, and non-interest-bearing impound accounts. Committee members pressed DFPI on which institutions were noncompliant, what enforcement tools were available, and how much data the state could collect and make public. Representatives of the California Bankers Association and California Mortgage Bankers Association said lenders had provided early disaster relief and were working to comply with AB 238, but emphasized that mortgage servicing is constrained by federal law, investor requirements, and secondary-market guidelines. They argued that forbearance is temporary relief, not forgiveness, and warned that extending it without a clear repayment path can create future payment shock or larger debt burdens. They also said many servicers use disaster protocols tied to federal declarations and that clearer communication is needed. In response to committee concerns, the mortgage bankers said they would continue working with the Legislature and federal agencies, but could not promise changes beyond investor and agency rules. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> each and every day. each and every day.
• It has since crept into stewardship, where you're taking care of the culture, taking care of our natural
• It has since crept into stewardship, where you're taking care of the culture, taking care of our natural
• </c><01:32:17.320><c> of</c><01:32:17.400><c> the</c> taking care of the taking care of the the<01:32
• </c> uh taking care of our natural resources. uh taking care of our natural resources.

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard several governor’s message nominations to the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s advisory board. The first nominee, Daniel O’Leary, received strong support from HTA leadership and Deputy Director James Kunane Tokioka, who praised his visitor-industry knowledge and work on brand marketing and tourism planning. O’Leary said he hoped to contribute his experience and strengthen the organization’s integrity. Joel Guy was also supported by HTA, Tokioka, and several community testifiers, who highlighted his long work in Hana, his film-industry background, and his role in community-focused tourism planning. During questioning, Guy said the advisory board should still have influence, especially on strategic planning and community concerns, even though its role is advisory rather than decision-making. The committee then considered Linda Wong’s nomination. HTA and Tokioka strongly supported her, citing her long community experience and familiarity with HTA work. Wong said the new advisory board was collaborative, had no conflicts so far, and was trying to balance resident concerns with attracting higher-value tourists. Senator Kim questioned her about the advisory structure, and Wong said she believed the Legislature had reduced HTA’s authority because of past conflicts but that the new board could help turn things around and possibly regain more authority in the future. The committee also heard testimony on Kimberly Algos and Terry Fisher. Algos was described by HTA and Tokioka as a strong leader and solid board member; Tokioka explained that she and another co-chair were selected because of their busy schedules and that the advisory board’s committees were created so members could contribute beyond the single statutory duty of selecting the chair, president, and CEO. Fisher was supported for his tour-operator experience and strategic planning work. In questioning, he endorsed performance-based contracting and accountability for contractors, while acknowledging that external events can affect results. He also said the convention center is critical infrastructure that should be repaired and used to help fill tourism lulls and attract major conferences. The hearing included supportive testimony from industry representatives, but no votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.