Transcript Highlights:

• But I'm not going to talk a lot about that.
• You get a lot more bang for your buck, I will say that, because we've spent a lot of money.
• A lot of them acted out through violence.
• Coming to the parking lot, and they would do their reports in our parking lot.
• It's given us a lot of discussion, a lot of good discussion, a lot of robust discussion to talk about

Summary: The meeting focused on school safety funding and security practices in Oklahoma schools, especially how districts have used school resource officer (SRO) allocation money and related security grants. Kevin Rey of the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Office of School Safety and Security explained that the program, created under HB 2903, allows districts to use funds for SROs and physical security improvements such as cameras, access control, fencing, window film, bollards, metal detectors, and vape detectors. He said more than 170 districts used the money to hire SROs in 2024-25, and that the 2024 change allowing retired officers and armed security guards to qualify was a major help. Members questioned whether the money should also support prevention and mental health services, and Rey said the current program is mainly for security hardware and related measures. Mark Stout, chief of police for Putnam City Schools, described the district’s layered security approach, including weapon detection at middle and high schools and the ZeroEyes AI camera system, which monitors existing cameras for visible guns and sends alerts to trained monitoring staff and then to district police. He said the system is used as one layer among others, alongside officers, weapon detection, and school procedures, and noted the district is expanding coverage at athletic facilities. He also explained that the system is more economical than full weapon-detection setups, with annual costs based on the number of cameras. Tecumseh Superintendent Kinsey, Chief Kennedy, and Pottawatomie County law enforcement described the October threat investigation involving a student who posted a photo with a handgun and knife and discussed violence online. They said the FBI tip, rapid coordination among agencies, and an SRO already embedded in the district helped lead to a search warrant and arrest within hours, preventing a possible attack. Kinsey also described the district’s safety measures, including secure entrances, cameras, ALICE training, crisis communication planning, mental health support, clear backpacks, and a new staff alert system. He said community feedback after the incident favored more law enforcement partnership, limited entry points, handheld metal detectors, more SROs, stronger training, and more mental health support. Matt Riggs, former superintendent of McComb, said smaller districts face different security challenges because of limited local law enforcement and long response times. He explained that McComb used its funding for facility upgrades rather than hiring a full-time SRO because the district wanted improvements that would last beyond the three-year funding window. Throughout the discussion, several members emphasized the tension between visible security measures and prevention, with repeated calls for more counselors, mental health supports, and threat-assessment efforts alongside hardening measures. No formal votes or actions were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• You also quoted the graduation rate, which is A lot of progress.
• You know, we know a lot of our kids have lost a lot of learning after COVID.
• That's a lot of gas.
• So there's a lot of those variables, and it's a fair.
• So, you know, there are a lot of funding streams.

Summary: The subcommittee first heard an overview from Department of Education Chancellor Paul Burns on Florida’s K-12 governance structure and major divisions, including early learning, public schools, safe schools, school choice, and accountability. He highlighted school readiness and VPK, teacher preparation and licensure, school safety functions, scholarship and virtual/home education programs, and FAST progress monitoring. Burns also cited statewide gains such as higher mid-year reading performance, a record graduation rate of 89.7%, and record CTE enrollment, while members questioned the meaning of Florida’s “number one” education rankings, teacher pay, post-COVID learning loss, vacancies, and chronic absenteeism. St. Lucie County Superintendent John Prince then described the scale and responsibilities of a mid-sized district, emphasizing student safety, transportation, meals, hurricane shelter operations, career and technical education, teacher recruitment and retention, progress monitoring, remediation, and mental health supports. Members asked about school shelter construction standards, remediation funding, late school start times, attendance, and concordance scores; Prince argued for more flexibility for CTE pathways and noted that local districts use a mix of state and federal funds to support remediation and staffing. The committee then moved to an early warning systems panel. Burns explained that Florida law requires districts to use attendance, behavior/suspensions, course performance, FAST results, and other academic indicators to identify students needing support, with districts and families developing intervention plans. Superintendents from Putnam, St. Johns, and St. Lucie counties said chronic absenteeism is tied to achievement and NAEP decline, but causes vary by district, including poverty, transportation, daycare, family instability, travel, and student athletics. They described MTSS, PBIS, home visits, attendance letters, and community partnerships as responses. Members also discussed VPK access, full-day VPK funding, excused versus unexcused absences, and the need for earlier intervention in pre-K and K-2. Finally, Vice Chancellor Darren Norris outlined Florida’s post-Parkland school safety measures, including armed school officers, anonymous reporting, behavioral threat assessment teams, mental health training, panic alert systems, emergency drills, active assailant response policies, and firearm detection canines. Superintendents said compliance is costly and often requires shifting local funds, but they praised state grants for mental health, hardening, and mapping. They noted ongoing challenges with new mandates, capital costs, manual reporting burdens, and the need to balance safety requirements with classroom resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, said a lot, but the takeaway is this: Members have said a lot, but the takeaway is this: We
• There's a lot of reasons.
• So a lot of people to serve.
• Now, a lot of times that's difficult.
• We've met a lot with the providers.

Summary: The Health Care Budget Subcommittee met to organize the new term, take roll, and hear introductory presentations from the six agencies under its jurisdiction: the Agency for Health Care Administration, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, Department of Elder Affairs, Department of Health, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The chair outlined the committee process, including assigning members to review agencies and make budget recommendations. Each agency head gave a high-level overview of their budget, staffing, major programs, and priorities, with recurring themes including Medicaid, long-term care, disability services, child welfare, mental health, aging services, public health, and veterans’ health care. Several agency leaders highlighted recent initiatives and funding priorities. AHCA emphasized Medicaid managed care, provider regulation, Hope Florida, hospital-at-home, and cancer-related efforts; APD discussed iBudget services, Hope Florida, a managed-care pilot, online applications, and forensic care costs; DCF focused on child protection, foster care, adult protective services, food/cash/medical assistance, mental health, and opioid treatment; Elder Affairs highlighted Alzheimer’s services, community-based senior care, guardianship, ombudsman services, and disaster outreach; DOH covered cancer innovation, maternal telehealth, cybersecurity, HIV/hepatitis/syphilis screening, and school nursing; and Veterans Affairs described benefits and health care access for veterans, long-term care, and federal reimbursement. Several speakers also raised concerns about rising costs, provider rates, disaster response, and access to services. The committee heard two public comments from disability advocates about Medicaid redeterminations affecting iBudget waiver recipients and provider payment delays. In response, AHCA and APD said they were coordinating on data sharing, early outreach, escalation processes, and efforts to reduce disenrollments and make recertification smoother. Members then asked questions about provider rates, opioid settlement spending, managed care quality measures, pediatric rare disease grants, group home transparency, senior outreach, ABA services moving into managed care, annual Medicaid recertification, veterans’ service utilization, waiting lists for elder services, and prevention spending. No formal votes were taken during the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• Four people is also not a lot for the state, but I Four people is also not a lot for the state, but I
• I think we have a lot of work to do to improve in a lot of areas.
• We have a lot of districts and a lot of people who have disjointed efforts, and we're not synced.
• So it's a lot of stuff, a lot of things. So it's a lot of stuff, a lot of things. Yeah.
• Yeah, wow, that's a lot. It is a lot. I appreciate your situation. And then so... That's a lot.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It takes a lot to build a gristmill.
• There are a lot of people in Las Vegas that have been there a lot of years, but there are a lot of people
• A lot of the detail is provided there.
• It's not a lot: 15 or 20%.
• We're doing a lot of great cross-boundary work, and there are a lot of different partners involved.

Transcript Highlights:

• A lot of these cities and towns need some additional help.
• We heard from a lot.
• The first: a lot of people talked about remote and hybrid meetings.
• I can tell you when I started, I had a lot more hair and it was a lot darker. But here we are.
• It feels like that is something that we’ve talked a lot about lately.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on Governor Healey and Lt. Gov. Driscoll’s Municipal Empowerment Act, with administration officials and municipal leaders broadly supporting the bill as a package of tools to help cities and towns manage rising costs, staffing shortages, and service demands. The administration highlighted procurement reforms, including raising Chapter 30B advertising thresholds, clarifying cooperative purchasing, and removing the Commbuys notice requirement; permanent authority to amortize emergency-related deficits over three years; expanded authority and enforcement for removing double poles; continued flexibility for hybrid and remote public meetings; regionalization options such as regional boards of assessors and intermunicipal agreements; cybersecurity reporting to EOTSS; and several local revenue options and other municipal finance changes. They said the bill was shaped by listening sessions with municipal officials and was intended to increase flexibility, efficiency, and stability without imposing broad mandates. Committee members asked about regionalization, cybersecurity costs, Commbuys, hybrid meetings, and double poles. Administration witnesses said cybersecurity reporting would help the state target resources and that existing Community Compact and capital grant programs, including IT and municipal fiber funding, could support local needs; they said EOTSS would absorb reporting within existing resources. On procurement, they said the Commbuys notice change would be optional and that other public notice methods would remain available. On hybrid meetings, they emphasized flexibility for different types of boards and the burdens a one-size-fits-all mandate could create for small towns and volunteer boards. On double poles, they said the bill’s main change from last session was to give utilities more time and improve the removal process while keeping enforcement mechanisms aimed at speeding removal rather than raising revenue. The Massachusetts Municipal Association, MAPC, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and multiple mayors and town managers testified in support. They described the bill as a practical modernization measure that would help local governments operate more efficiently and respond to fiscal pressure. Witnesses from Northampton, Lynn, Gardner, Cambridge, Franklin, North Andover, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Ashland praised the hybrid meeting provisions, procurement changes, regional service-sharing, and emergency deficit amortization. Several also urged adoption of local revenue tools, including meals and lodging tax options and other local fees, as ways to preserve services and staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So there are a lot of things like that that we've made a lot of progress on, but we need to do more.
• So there are a lot of things like that that we've made a lot of progress on, but we need to do more.
• I think you're going to hear a lot of that today.
• There was a lot of great buzz in the room.
• You've heard a lot of requests from a lot of folks today, and we've all called that investment transformative

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee heard testimony on the BRIGHT Act, a higher education capital bill that would use Fair Share surtax revenue to fund major repairs, modernization, and decarbonization projects across UMass, state universities, and community colleges. UMass leadership described a $4.8 billion deferred maintenance backlog, aging buildings, and the need to modernize facilities, improve accessibility, and reduce emissions. Administration officials said the bill would authorize $2.5 billion in capital funding, split roughly 50-50 between UMass and the rest of public higher education, plus additional targeted funding for housing planning, smaller modernization projects, campus master plans, and workforce skills grants. They emphasized that the financing structure is modeled on the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and would not raise student costs, while also supporting affordability through financial aid and free community college. Members raised questions about regional equity, the distribution of funds among the five UMass campuses and the 24 state university/community college campuses, project labor agreements, whether the bill would unlock private or federal matching funds, and how the system is preparing for AI and changing workforce needs. UMass officials said project selection is data-driven, based on deferred maintenance, safety, accessibility, sustainability, and programmatic needs, and that the flagship campus in Western Massachusetts would likely receive a large share because of its size and needs. They also said UMass Boston would receive its own share and would not be shortchanged by the Bayside project. On labor, they said PLAs are commonly used and they would follow existing board and building authority policies. On affordability, they said the university has shifted hundreds of millions into need-based aid and that the state’s recent support has helped keep tuition low for many students. DCAMM and higher education officials said the state’s public campuses account for a large share of state-owned building space and a disproportionate share of operational carbon emissions, making decarbonization a major driver of the bill. They said the legislation would allow larger, more comprehensive projects that can address deferred maintenance, energy efficiency, and program needs at the same time, while also making some projects shovel-ready through the Fair Share supplemental funding already appropriated. A later panel from the State Universities Council of Presidents argued the bill’s authorization is still too small to meet long-term needs and urged the committee to increase the bond cap and ensure a more equitable distribution among segments. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Mandating all lot of these counties.
• <00:32:47.679> of of why why a lot of of why why a lot of the<00:32:48.960> what<00
• A lot of them are like, you know, 20 or 25-foot lots. They really are not developable.
• <00:36:58.359> a<00:36:58.440> lot If I'm stating it correctly, Yeah. a lot If I'm
• They really are not 25-ft lots.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, we talked a lot about it, and you were supportive of the concept and did a lot of work on
• Some portions of the downtown area are very hot, so we have a lot of heat, and we have a lot of heat
• I get that question a lot.
• There's a lot of federal funding available that we are hoping to acquire. A lot of it's on hold.
• There's a lot of questions about how it'll work, who will pay for it, and a lot of really good ideas

Transcript Highlights:

• then, our lot rent has gone up $180. then, our lot rent has gone up $180.
• And that's a lot of money.
• And that's a lot of money.
• And that's a lot of money.
• And that's a lot of money.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• A LOT OF WATER GOING TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE DOWN THE BAY.
• TIME AND AGAIN, LOTS OF DATA.
• AND WE HAD A LOT OF EVERGLADES CLEANUP PROJECTS.
• OF MODELING AND A LOT OF GEO TECHNOLOGY AND A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN THEN REVIEW.
• THERE IS LOTS OF TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX AND OPTIONS.

Transcript Highlights:

• This cost us $150,000, and we've got a lot of pride in this, a lot of community effort and engagement
• > and in this a lot of community effort and in this a lot of community effort and engagement<00
• numbers as we go but it's you know a lot numbers as we go but it's you know a lot of<00:37:26.079
• <00:38:22.400> of this you know we obviously a lot of this you know we obviously a lot of
• lot of talking with advocates, with city groups.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• It's just... it's a lot. The state requires a lot of documentation.
• And a lot of paperwork, a lot of compliance that is needed.
• Some of it might be farmed, but a lot of it we'd like to leave as open space because there's a lot of
• And we work extensively with the state, with whom we share a lot of boundaries and a lot of issues of
• not a lot of city land.

Transcript Highlights:

• There’s just not a lot in between.”
• It sounds like a lot, and it is a lot for state work, but the competitiveness factor of that talent base
• It sounds like a lot, and it is a lot for state work, but the competitiveness factor of that talent base
• There's not a lot of positions in there.
• Miller, just a lot of opportunity there.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review agency travel, budget reduction exercises, and member reports from agency meetings. Early discussion focused on the Department of Management Services (DMS), where members questioned the cost of travel for four out-of-state data/cyber staff and the secretary’s absence. DMS defended the hires as highly specialized enterprise cybersecurity and data personnel, said the positions were lawfully paid and posted, and explained that the staff work on statewide data cataloging and cyber risk reduction rather than agency-by-agency systems. Members also raised concerns about fleet inventory discrepancies and requested follow-up information on hiring, travel, and data inventory timelines. The chair said she would consider travel guardrails and possible reductions, and noted that DMS, the Lottery, and the Florida Commission on Human Relations did not meet the requested reduction target, while the Public Employee Relations Commission did not submit reductions. The committee then heard from the Florida Lottery about the secretary’s trip to Paris for the World Lottery Convention. Lottery staff said the trip was reimbursed through the multi-state lottery organization and was intended to share best practices and improve operations, though members questioned the value of the travel and requested reimbursement records and the trip agenda. The subcommittee also reviewed agency reduction exercises from several agencies. The Department of Revenue exceeded its target and was praised for frugality; DFS, the Florida Gaming Control Commission, the Office of Financial Regulation, the Office of Insurance Regulation, the Public Service Commission, the Division of Administrative Hearings, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation each described how they met or approached their reduction goals, often through vacancies, reversions, or expense cuts. OIR warned that further reductions could hurt insurance regulation capacity, while OFR and PSC said their reductions were based on historical reversions and lower post-COVID travel or vacancy levels. Members then reported back on agency meetings. DMS members raised fleet tracking, real property audits, salary studies, and health plan savings ideas, and asked for follow-up on the Florida PALM project, cybersecurity grants, and state IT modernization. DFS members said the agency was efficient and that its Palm-related work and insurance consumer programs were important. Lottery members emphasized the agency’s revenue generation for education and its low administrative overhead. Gaming Control members highlighted storage costs for seized gaming equipment and suggested technology-based alternatives. PERC members said a union-related law had doubled their workload and asked for more staffing and possible AI assistance. OIR members stressed the need for a Tampa satellite office and more resources to recruit and retain specialized staff. The chair closed by saying the committee would continue reviewing travel, staffing, and reductions with an eye toward taxpayer value and transparency.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had a lot of meetings, a lot of feedback back and forth. We had several drafts.
• He's anxious to get the bill in the House, and this is just a product of a lot of work from a lot of
• We had a lot of meetings, a lot of feedback back and forth. We had several drafts.
• He’s anxious to get the bill in the House, and this is just a product of a lot of work from a lot of
• <00:09:10.519> of<00:09:10.640> feedback lot of meetings had a lot of feedback lot

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore full meeting 00:00 – Meeting Start 00:37 – Attendance Roll Call 02:20 -Discussion on SB 69 18:10- Roll Call Vote, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Agriculture Committee met to reconsider a committee substitute for a bill dealing with equine dental care and the regulation of non-veterinarian dental practitioners. The chair reopened the bill after prior testimony, and members focused on how the bill would set standards for training, testing, insurance, continuing education, and a registry for practitioners. Discussion also centered on whether the measure would affect veterinary practice or create a precedent for other animal care areas; supporters said it was meant to preserve access and affordability for horse owners, especially in rural areas where veterinarians are scarce or unavailable for routine work. A major topic was the bill’s grandfathering or “legacy candidate” provision. Senators asked how existing practitioners would qualify, whether they would need to apply, and what documentation would be required. Committee witnesses, including a Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association representative and the Board of Veterinary Examiners executive director, said the board could set licensing terms by regulation, including an application process, background/history checks, and letters of recommendation from licensed veterinarians. They also said the process would include an application window to allow current practitioners time to comply. Several members explained their votes in favor, while noting lingering concerns they wanted addressed on the floor. Supporters emphasized that the bill was the product of years of work, surveys, stakeholder meetings, and multiple drafts, and that it was intended to legitimize existing practitioners while protecting animal welfare. The committee substitute was approved, the bill passed the committee unanimously, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's a lot of fish.
• That's a lot of fish.
• That's a lot of fish.
• think about our wildlife trust a lot. think about our wildlife trust a lot.
• that there's a lot of opportunity here. that there's a lot of opportunity here.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We got a lot more funding fortunately.
• and there was a lot that were struggling and there was<00:42:55.680> a<00:42:55.839> lot
• There was still a lot of heartache.
• There was still a lot of Vietnam.
• We could do a lot better. store. We could do a lot better.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So, 6,833—that's a lot of families on TANF.
• We do have a lot of different tools.
• That seems like a lot of office space. Mr.
• A lot of the money goes out of state. There is a whole lot of money to be made in healthcare.
• We guess that there are a lot of people who are licensed, a lot of physicians who are licensed in New

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll go to lots of meetings, right? This block. You see lots of people.
• We'll go to lots of meetings, right? This block. You see lots of buildings there.
• Lots of businesses, lots of different things that were there.
• Lots and lots of work goes on in between sine die and gaveling in the next session.
• The parking lot was completely refigured. We went down 30 feet and changed a lot of the utilities.

Summary: The State Administration Budget Subcommittee met to receive an overview and tour of Capitol complex construction projects funded through the Department of Management Services (DMS). Deputy Secretary Tom Berger gave a historical and project-by-project presentation on the Capitol campus, explaining the evolution of the historic Capitol and the current tower complex, and describing major ongoing work including the Waller Park west entry/ADA and waterproofing project, the east entry security screening area, Cabinet meeting room modernization, historic Capitol re-roofing, the large Capitol HVAC replacement, window replacement, Memorial Park improvements, the Holocaust Memorial, the North Loading Zone, and Knott Plaza upgrades. He noted that the Capitol windows and HVAC work are intended to address aging systems and improve resilience, security, and accessibility, and said the broader Capitol window project will continue over several years. Members asked questions about the African-American memorial, the old bank/archives building with water damage, the roofing material and expected lifespan, the legal definition of the Capitol complex, and the history of early legislative meetings in Pensacola and St. Augustine. Berger said the African-American memorial base is built and the installation should be completed in March or April, while the archives building is owned and managed by the Department of State. He also explained that the roof uses a slate-like material designed for a 50-year life cycle, though major storms could still damage it, and clarified that the Capitol complex can be defined differently in statute versus operationally. Chair Lopez and other members requested follow-up information, including a rendering of the African-American memorial and a table summarizing the Capitol investments and when the facilities were last updated, so members can better explain the spending to constituents. Berger said he would provide the requested information, and the committee then concluded the presentation and proceeded to the tour.

Transcript Highlights:

• But because the federal money has been shrinking, a lot of my colleagues don't have a lot of funding
• <00:42:49.920> of what I've seen, there's been a lot of what I've seen, there's been a lot
• So that makes a lot of sense.
• So that makes a lot of sense.
• :08:39.839> of lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of energy

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Call to Order and Roll Call 00:00:58 Putting Young Kentuckians to Work: First Year Update 00:04:06 Kentucky Talent Attraction Initiative 00:21:59 Kentucky Manufacturing Extension Partnership 00:57:15, 958, all

Summary: The committee met with a quorum, approved the October minutes, and heard first a progress report on the state-funded “Putting Young Kentuckians to Work” initiative. Workforce leaders from Cumberland Workforce Development Board and Kentucky Works said the HB 1 funding has allowed them to contract with all 10 workforce boards and build new pipelines with high schools, area technology centers, school districts, and community and technical colleges. They reported an end-of-year goal of 3,600 job placements, with 218 placements reported as of October 2025 and enrollment numbers continuing to rise. Testimony emphasized that the program is aimed at disconnected youth and high school seniors, that federal WIOA funds are too limited to support this work alone, and that the flexible state funding has enabled short-term training and placements in fields such as welding, CDL, and CNA. Members asked about barriers to implementation, wage levels, and services for students with disabilities; presenters said the main challenge was building school relationships and that wage growth should improve as students gain more skills and credentials. The committee then received an update on the Kentucky Talent Attraction Initiative. Representatives from Greater Louisville Inc. and Commerce Lexington explained that the General Assembly previously provided $250,000 for a consultant to develop a statewide talent attraction and retention strategy, and that more than 13 organizations across the state support the effort. Development Counsellors International described its research process, including statewide stakeholder engagement, and said the goal is to create a Kentucky talent value proposition that combines job opportunities with quality-of-place messaging. They reported that Kentucky faces a shrinking labor force and a projected national worker shortfall, while internal research found 47% of working-age respondents could consider leaving the state within two years because they are not confident in career opportunities. At the same time, they said 96% of surveyed higher education students would stay if offered a full-time job, and 72% of employers expect to expand staffing in the next two years. The presenters said they are moving from research into messaging and an action plan, and that the strategy should be customized and measurable rather than one-size-fits-all.