Transcript Highlights:

• Is there a backlog understand that there's a backlog that there? Can you kind of expand on that?
• I just want to be in fact and say there's definite backlog in teacher certification.
• So I can definitely get into there's definite a backlog.
• A lot of times that is a backlog that we have created the teachers have created for themselves.
• So it may be that may be what we hear about the backlog.

Transcript Highlights:

• These construction documents, the construction manager takes when they're all done and goes out to the
• We would have moved into construction documents, which we had given to the construction manager, who
• We would move to construction phase, and that construction phase, if we started in December, would be
• We've paid $12.9 million out in invoices for pre-construction services, construction site preparation
• That addresses any unforeseen construction—anything unforeseen in the construction—so that you just have

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• It was formed in 1944, and their mission was to clear a massive backlog of mail for American soldiers
• ><00:27:34.000> clear<00:27:34.240> a<00:27:34.480> massive<00:27:34.880> backlog
• <00:27:35.679> of<00:27:35.919> mail was to clear a massive backlog of mail was to
• clear a massive backlog of mail for<00:27:36.480> American<00:27:36.960> soldiers<00:27
• of a single family home on construction of a single family home on a<00:57:21.359> lot<00:57:

Keywords: 981, all

Summary: The House convened with a quorum, approved the corrected journal, and heard several announcements about upcoming committee meetings, events at the Capitol, and recognitions, including Music Therapy Day, Black History Month activities, adoptable puppies, and a Colorado Agricultural Forum. Members also celebrated Representative Story’s birthday and recognized the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) for its long-running support of arts, culture, science access, and economic impact in Colorado. The House adopted Senate Joint Resolution 12, designating February 20, 2026, as Colorado FFA Day, by a vote of 64-1 with one excused. The chamber then moved to special orders for several bills. The first major bill considered was House Bill 1017, which would prohibit insurers from receiving criminal restitution unless they are direct victims. Sponsors argued the bill prioritizes human victims, prevents restitution from becoming an unpayable burden on low-income defendants, and clarifies the law in response to court concerns and stakeholder feedback. Opponents argued it would shift costs to taxpayers and policyholders and could increase civil litigation and insurance premiums. An amendment, L005, was adopted to clarify the bill’s scope, and the bill then passed as amended. The House also took up House Bill 114, concerning minimum lot size and local land-use rules. An amendment, L002, was offered to prohibit certain local lot frontage, setback, open-space, or coverage requirements that would effectively prevent construction of a single-family home on a 2,000-square-foot residential lot. Supporters framed the measure as protecting housing access, while opponents argued it would override local land-use decision-making and public hearing processes. The transcript ends during debate on a substitute motion related to the amendment, before final action on House Bill 114 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, I think that's a very constructive piece of advice. We will take that seriously.
• <00:28:04.000> piece<00:28:04.159> of that's a very constructive piece of that's a
• very constructive piece of advice<00:28:05.760> we<00:28:05.840> will<00:28:06.159>
• of Maintenance there is now of backlog of Maintenance there is now of course<00:54:29.040> our
• lodging or construction materials lodging or leasing<01:26:46.960> of<01:26:47.119> a<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Having spent 30, gosh, I guess about 35 years in the construction space now, and served locally in city
• it's come up every year, the goal is to make this whole process more efficient for development, construction
• HB 927 simply provides a collaborative tool to improve efficiency, reduce backlogs, and help local governments

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, but in the meantime, perhaps we're creating a backlog of money that we will owe to OHA when we So
• Um, but in the meantime, perhaps we're creating a backlog of money that we will owe to OHA when we >
• <00:55:47.599> of perhaps we're creating a backlog of perhaps we're creating a backlog of
• But this particular division in DLNR is backlog and it's been a real impediment to moving forward on
• particular division in DLNR is backlog particular division in DLNR is backlog and<01:46:00.560><

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on House Bill 2046, which would establish and fund an Olo Hawaii Commission to coordinate and promote initiatives supporting the use of Olo Hawaii. The Attorney General suggested adding an end date because the bill creates a temporary commission, and several supporters from the University of Hawaii, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission said the commission could improve coordination, funding decisions, and consistency across agencies. Members discussed whether the commission should include broader representation, including expertise on Niihau dialect speakers and other stakeholders, and the bill was then set aside as the committee moved to the next measure. The committee next considered House Bill 2438, creating the Hawaii Cultural Trust within DBEDT, authorizing an income tax credit for contributions to the trust and qualified cultural organizations, and creating a special license plate to support the trust. DBEDT said it would need additional resources, including staff, to administer the program. The Department of Taxation recommended changing the effective date to 2026 to allow time for implementation and adding a requirement that credits be claimed within one year. OHA supported the bill but objected to language that would require it to maintain a prequalified list of organizations, saying that could limit applicants and conflict with its grant process. The Tax Foundation said it supported cultural funding but preferred direct appropriations and grants over a trust fund and tax credit structure. The final measure discussed was House Bill 2584, which would temporarily increase public land trust revenues transferred to OHA while reaffirming the state’s obligation to the 20% pro rata share, with a repeal date of June 30, 2028. The Attorney General recommended deleting the bill’s requirement that OHA receive a minimum amount equal to the 20% share, arguing the constitution and Admission Act do not specify a precise dollar amount and that the legislature must determine allocation. OHA strongly supported the bill, arguing the state currently pays only about 5% and that historical records show much higher amounts are owed; OHA also pointed to a carry-forward account it said held about $55 million. DLNR opposed the bill because the fiscal impact was unspecified and could affect land management and special fund budgets. Several OHA trustees and supporters urged the committee to pass the bill, and one testifier criticized the state for underfunding Native Hawaiian obligations. No votes were taken in the portion provided, and the committee continued hearing testimony on HB 2584.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that dismissing cases in order to shorten the OF's backlog is shortsighted, and it concerns me
• I could say a lot of things about the OF's backlog, but one of the concerns I have is that the OF is
• I think that dismissing cases in order to shorten the OF's backlog is shortsighted, and it concerns me
• I could say a lot of things about the OF's backlog, but one of the concerns I have is that the OF is
• about the of's backlog but one of the about the of's backlog but one of the concerns<00:31:14.320>

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Backlogs continue to be a problem.
• They've grappled with significant backlogs.
• Government Accountability Office released a report showing that in government-wide, request backlog has
• Long response times and backlogs violate the law and run counter to the spirit of the law.
• In your experience, what impact have agency backlogs had on your use of FOIA?

Transcript Highlights:

• months, offering meaningful solutions during the years it typically takes to route, permit, and construct
• The backlog of natural gas.
• advanced power flow controller, a semiconductor-based device that can be used to enable major construction
• You know, I would just urge everyone, when you come up here, talk about constructive ways to balance
• [name]’s question because he said to come up here with something constructive.

Bills: HB551, HB 1281, HB1378, HB1617, HB2868, HB2881, HB3374, HB4439, HB4726, HB4732, HB4878, HB4914, HB4921, HB4958, HB5200, HB5318, HB5360, HB5402, HB5568, HB5573, HB5623, HJR218

Keywords: political contributions, address privacy, Texas Ethics Commission, election transparency, campaign finance, international organizations, World Health Organization, jurisdiction, state law, enforcement, United Nations, World Economic Forum, attorney general, Texas attorney general, state sovereignty, legal enforcement, Texas Attorney General, electric energy storage, municipal regulation, county regulation

Transcript Highlights:

• unintended consequences that could happen, especially if a rate increase could come with, you know, or a backlog
• And I have met with OID, got a lot of constructive feedback from them.
• I got a lot of constructive feedback from them.
• Although I don't think the way it is constructed here is workable.

Bills: HB3048, HB3259, HB3646, HB3696, HB3780, HB3781, HB3802, HB3818, HB4294, HB4488, HB2929

Keywords: insurance, nonadmitted insurers, surplus lines, insurance regulation, Oklahoma, health insurance, contracting entities, medical providers, enrollment, beneficiary rights, property and casualty, rates, filing, Insurance Commissioner, regulation, property, regulations, actuary, rate filing, independent review

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now there is a backlog of people waiting for competency reviews in the courts because we have a
• there<00:07:55.759> um<00:07:55.919> is<00:07:56.160> a<00:07:56.400> backlog
• He said it was constructed in 1914.
• The first prison in Stillwater was actually constructed in 1858 and only lasted about 55 years before

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, the backlog of projects is significant.
• Um, and we're not meeting that backlog, not significantly, but uh we're doing a lot of work for the people
• <00:01:35.320> is Um the backlog of projects is Um the backlog of projects is significant.
• Um and we're not meeting that<00:01:37.800> backlog,<00:01:38.360> not<00:01:38.560>
• significantly,<00:01:39.240> but<00:01:40.240> uh that backlog, not significantly,

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: The interview focused on the Minnesota Senate DFL’s end-of-session accomplishments and frustrations. The senator said the caucus entered the session expecting little to get done in a divided, election-year legislature, but instead passed a range of major measures, including emergency rental assistance, immigration enforcement, gun violence prevention, an independent Office of the Inspector General, consumer protections for homeowners associations, and a $1.2 billion bonding/infrastructure bill for water, roads, and bridges. He said the bonding bill was a success but criticized the limited funding for lead pipe replacement, noting only $15 million was included. He also discussed affordability measures, especially a vehicle tab fee reduction negotiated in connection with the bonding bill, saying Democrats wanted the relief to take effect sooner but Republicans pushed implementation to January. He described other unfinished or blocked items, including a small business relief package tied to Metro Surge and efforts to protect Medicaid and SNAP from federal changes. He said many Senate proposals were developed through committee hearings and were meant to be negotiated publicly, but argued the House often failed to do comparable work, leading to last-minute deals and more party-line votes. The senator was sharply critical of federal actions under the Trump administration, saying cuts and mandates were harming states, counties, Medicaid, and SNAP, and weakening the state-federal partnership. Looking ahead, he said interim work will likely focus on procedural changes and health care, including stabilizing HCMC and supporting rural hospitals. He said the session’s work was aimed at serving Minnesotans first, and expressed optimism about the upcoming election season and the possibility of changing legislative practices next session.

Transcript Highlights:

• This amendment ensures the continuity of operations, reduces our backlog, and has no net fiscal impact
• Of those cases, there were, it's in the budget amendment, around 70,000 or 73,000 backlog, meaning the
• So it does seem like there's a backlog in the federal CMS approval process.
• So CMS is making progress on clearing the backlog on a lot of these state-directed payments that were
• And I'm happy to hear that they're getting the backlog done.

Summary: The Legislative Budget Commission considered 21 budget amendments, most of them routine authority adjustments tied to federal grants, Medicaid payment programs, and trust fund realignments. The Department of Education received $14.751 million for a Preschool Development Grant to support early learning system improvements, workforce credentialing and training, IT modernization, and related early childhood certification work. The Department of Veterans Affairs shifted $2.2 million within its trust fund to cover higher nursing home occupancy, replace contract nursing with OPS staff, and meet rising operating costs. The Department of Health moved about $9.1 million to support Disability Determinations, where roughly 140,000 cases were pending or in process, and said the change would help reduce backlog and avoid a deficit. The Agency for Health Care Administration presented multiple amendments for Medicaid-related programs, including $766 million for indirect medical education, $1.9 million for managed care network adequacy audits, $209 million for the Rural Health Transformation Program, and several large supplemental payment programs for hospitals and physicians; members asked about CMS approval delays, provider access, and how rural funds would be distributed. The commission also adopted an amendment realigning KidCare funds, placing a $32.1 million surplus into reserve, though several members objected that the state had not yet implemented the 2023 KidCare expansion and that children remained on a wait list. Another Medicaid amendment placed a $376 million surplus into reserve after updated estimating conference projections. Other agencies also received approvals. FDLE received $16.26 million to buy counter-unmanned aircraft systems equipment such as radar and RF sensors to detect and mitigate drone threats. The Department of Juvenile Justice received $1.6 million for the Florida Scholars Academy and a Social Services Block Grant realignment, with staff confirming corrective action had been taken after prior audit findings about allowable SSBG spending. The Division of Emergency Management received federal pass-through authority for FIFA World Cup security and counter-UAS funds, both controlled by the Miami host committee, and members noted the state had little direct oversight over how those local grants would be used. The Department of Commerce received $148.4 million for Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery work, with questions focused on the split between housing, infrastructure, and administrative costs. The Department of State received $408,377 for arts and culture federal grant obligations. All amendments were adopted, generally without objection, after brief questioning and no public testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• This investment will increase engineering construction plan review fees to align with current costs to
• plan review and inspections construction plan review and inspections at<01:04:56.520> Food<01
• maintenance and sealing of construction maintenance and sealing of wells<01:08:42.640> and<01
• <01:48:50.440> and<01:48:50.840> process reduce that backlog and process reduce that
• backlog and process applications<01:48:51.800> more<01:48:52.040> quickly<01:48:53.080

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on January 28, 2025, to review Governor’s budget proposals for several health-related licensing boards. The chair said no formal action would be taken and noted that final budget language was not yet available. The committee began with an overview from Bridget Anderson of the health-related licensing boards, who explained that the boards are fee-funded, operate as independent executive agencies, and handle licensing, complaints, rulemaking, and disciplinary matters. She also noted that the Board of Dentistry’s budget includes the Administrative Services Unit and criminal background check program, which can make the budget graphs appear larger than the dentistry board’s own operations. The Board of Dentistry requested funding for a new administrative staff position, estimating about $100,000 in salary, insurance, and fringe costs, to replace support lost when an administrative position was reclassified. Anderson said the board handled more than 300 complaints last year, with cases becoming more complex, especially involving surgical and implant procedures and imaging. Members asked about dental Medicaid access, but Anderson said that issue would be better directed to DHS’s Medicaid oral health division. The Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy requested a full-time position due to rapid growth in the number of regulated professionals, from about 4,000 in 2014 to nearly 10,000 now, and also sought authority to set a fee for out-of-state applicants under the Counseling Compact, with a cap of up to $100 though the board expects to charge much less. The Board of Podiatric Medicine asked to raise its fee ceiling, saying fees had not been increased since 1999 and that the board now faces a structural deficit of about $40,000 per year and declining reserves. Several senators expressed concern about “not-to-exceed” fee authority, calling it too open-ended and suggesting the legislature should scrutinize specific fee needs rather than approve broad ceilings. Similar concerns were raised during the Board of Chiropractic Examiners presentation, where the board sought $100,000 in additional spending authority and a fee increase after 32 years without an adjustment; members questioned the proposed ceiling approach and asked for more historical information before deciding. The Board of Dietetics and Nutrition Practice also discussed fee-setting authority, with the executive director explaining that the board had previously lowered fees without clear authority and later faced audit questions; she requested funding for a vacant administrative position, saying applications and revenues have increased sharply and no fee increase would be needed. The final presentation began with the Board of Pharmacy, which said it serves more than 26,000 licensees and oversees the Prescription Monitoring Program and opioid product registration. The board requested an extension of previously appropriated general fund dollars through fiscal year 2027 to continue paying legal costs tied to the insulin safety net lawsuit, emphasizing that this was not a new funding request but an extension of existing authority. No votes or formal actions were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• During that time, the Veteran Benefits Administration had the lowest disability claims backlog in history
• Well, when I showed up, the backlog was pretty low, but we drove it down.
• And what we see now is an enormous claims backlog.
• At the same time, I worry that the backlog is large and growing.
• If the Musk operation is. causing a cut in those employees, it could be increasing the backlog.

Keywords: veterans affairs, VA modernization, employee layoffs, mental health, suicide prevention, transparency, senate committee, bipartisan support, oversight

Summary: The meeting involved detailed discussions on various veterans' issues, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) amidst a backdrop of significant staffing changes. Members expressed deep concerns over the recent layoffs of over 1,000 VA employees, emphasizing the crucial nature of these positions in the context of mental health support for veterans, particularly amid rising suicide rates. Senators articulated the need for transparency and effective communication between the VA and Congress to avoid further breakdowns in services. The session also spotlighted the ongoing modernization of VA systems and the urgent need to streamline processes to benefit veterans effectively.

Transcript Highlights:

• The minor new construction exemption is one example of exemptions in the SEPA rules.
• I'd love to see some examples of under-the-light construction.
• We have David Van Skaik from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections.
• I'm from what we call SDCI, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections.
• A rural home, new construction, on a 40, A rural home, new construction, on a 40-acre piece, probably

Summary: The Local Government Committee met in work session and heard a series of presentations on SEPA, permitting reforms, and building code implementation. Department of Ecology staff gave an overview of the State Environmental Policy Act, explaining its role in state and local decision-making, common exemptions, planned actions, and recent housing-related statutory changes such as transit-oriented development exemptions and SEPA appeals protections for certain local ordinances. Committee members asked about repeated SEPA reviews, cultural and historic resource review, and how SEPA relates to NEPA; Ecology responded that repeated reviews usually occur when proposals change and that programmatic EISs can help front-load analysis. Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections described how recent SEPA exemptions reduced residential review volume and supported more housing permits, and said the city is considering raising thresholds further. The State Building Code Council provided an update on code adoption timelines and legislative tasks tied to the 2024 codes, including single-stair housing, multiplex housing, dwelling unit size, and temporary emergency shelter standards. Council staff said the content of the codes is largely set, but administrative timelines have been delayed, prompting a motion to postpone final adoption while pursuing ways to preserve the planned implementation schedule. Members asked about the timing of code changes and the impact on housing costs, and staff said the legislative topics remain on track for inclusion in the 2024 code package. Committee staff then reviewed recent permitting legislation, including SB 5290’s permit decision deadlines and fee-refund provisions, later bills limiting pre-application meetings and clarifying that building permits are excluded from those timelines, and project-specific changes affecting middle housing, ADUs, lot splits, passive house projects, self-certification, transit-oriented development, and parking requirements. Commerce’s Dave Anderson reported on SB 5290 implementation, including guidance on permit fees, studies on staffing and statewide permitting systems, grants to local governments, and the first annual performance report, which showed mixed results and highlighted the importance of digital tools, clear checklists, staff training, and coordination across departments. Local officials from Issaquah and Kitsap County described their own process improvements, including code updates, optional pre-application meetings, new staffing, reporting systems, and a phased “Two by Six” review model in Kitsap, while also noting challenges from staffing shortages, agency coordination, and the burden of implementing multiple new mandates.

Transcript Highlights:

• The issue, though, is specifically for the Oklahoma County jail backlog.
• So, I do want to be clear that we probably have the largest backlog in Oklahoma County jail, but it does
• affect every single jail that has a similar backlog.
• So, the intent of this bill is to reduce and remove the backlog.
• I realize there's a backlog. I know what you're trying to do, and I appreciate that very much.

Bills: SB1636, SB1584, SB1730, SB1255, SB1627, SB137, SB2062, SB1470, SB1284

Keywords: cold case, unsolved homicide, violent crime, case file review, law enforcement, police records, victim family, immediate family member, designated person, forensic testing, witness reinterview, investigative leads, cold case unit, unsolved murder, public safety, Title 21, Oklahoma statutes, sexual assault, evidence kits, DNA testing

Transcript Highlights:

• and we did some investigations and found a portion of that site that would not be disturbed by construction
• <00:09:22.640> So, construction of a building. So, construction of a building.
• Um however, we have a a large permit backlog,<00:43:14.440> and<00:43:14.920> um<00:43:
• , and um moving some of these backlog, and um moving some of these permits<00:43:17.040> to<00
• Many don't know a trail is considered until construction is underway.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , 14 counties. 47 of those have been underwritten and actually closed, with 43 currently under construction
• So not vertical construction, as is kind of the realm of Housing New Mexico, but infrastructure gaps
• So that is income that otherwise would not be generated with these construction loans and the development
• And so those are the backlogs that I've been accountable for.
• And they ask for $20 million, right, for construction. But we don't, I don't have that.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The need for capital projects includes the construction of a new $80 million public safety complex that
• Do they understand that not having prosecutors means not putting away bad guys in a backlog system that's
• Costs can far exceed 2% in any given year, such as for construction, which is up 40% since the pandemic
• But if you're a growing city, you get extra money from the new. construction value.
• The construction price index is up 10%. Construction concrete actually peaked a year ago at 35%.

Bills: HB17, HB23, SB 10

Keywords: property tax, school funding, enrollment changes, inflation adjustment, tax rate notice, property tax exemption, ad valorem tax, Texas Tax Code, nonprofit corporation, charitable organization, educational nonprofit, scientific nonprofit, agriculture support, youth programs, community education, county population threshold, large county, local government revenue, leasehold interest, possessory interest