Transcript Highlights:

• like for us to get government jobs, we have to provide certified payroll and I'm not pay prevailing wage
• somehow we had the names of the folks who were on the jobs, we knew that those jobs were bid at a fair wage
• like for us to get government jobs, we have to provide certified payroll and I'm not pay prevailing wage
• somehow we had the names of the folks who were on the jobs, we knew that those jobs were bid at a fair wage

Committee: House Insurance

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Their wages and benefits fall far short of what’s needed to support themselves.
• That would include livable, competitive wages, affordable health care benefits, paid family and medical
• Wages aren’t high enough, workers don’t feel safe, they don’t feel supported, they don’t get enough hours
• Wages aren't high enough workers don't feel safe, they don't feel supported, they don't get enough hours

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several retirement and school employment measures. SB 301 by Sen. Grayson would prevent CERL-covered cities and districts from amending retirement contracts to exclude certain employee groups, closing a loophole similar to one previously addressed for CalPERS. The bill was supported by California Professional Firefighters and received no opposition. SB 443 by Sen. Rubio would clarify that employees transferring into a joint powers authority can retain CalPERS classic status even when the JPA expands later; the city of La Verne, a flood management agency, and AFSCME supported the bill, and it also drew no opposition. Both bills were moved out of committee on unanimous votes and sent to Appropriations, with the consent calendar items SB 521, SB 581, and SB 853 also approved. The committee then heard SB 494 by Sen. Cortese, which would give classified school employees the right to have disciplinary appeals heard by an administrative law judge rather than by the school board. Supporters, including CSEA, AFSCME, and CFT, argued the bill would create parity with teachers and community college faculty and provide a fairer appeal process. Opponents, including the California School Boards Association, county superintendents, school business officials, and community college groups, argued it would remove local control, impose a one-size-fits-all process, and shift costs to districts. The bill was passed out of committee and referred to the Committee on Higher Education. The committee also considered SJR 2 by Sen. Cortese, a resolution urging Congress and the President to enact federal protections for classified school employees, including better wages, benefits, safety, and workplace rights. Support came from CFT, CSEA, and other labor groups, with no opposition. The resolution was adopted and moved forward. At the end of the hearing, the committee reopened the roll to add votes, and all listed measures ultimately passed unanimously or near-unanimously before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• So just a point of, you know, statistic that actually wages grew in the last four years.
• Yeah, wages are growing. This is...
• Yeah, wages are growing.
• This is... statistic that actually wages grew in statistic that actually wages grew in the<03:25:44.040
• It is far too expensive for the median wage earner in this state.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee met in a work session on revenue estimates and reviewed updated spreadsheet pages for several tax categories, using prior agreements and new testimony to refine FY 2025-2027 estimates. Early discussion covered insurance tax estimates, where members reviewed a letter from the insurance commissioner saying he was comfortable with the numbers provided; the committee accepted those estimates without opposition. Members also discussed utility property tax, with testimony about recent infrastructure buildout, tariffs, depreciation, and the difficulty of forecasting future growth. After debate over whether to use the average of high and low estimates or lean lower, the committee unanimously adopted the utility property tax numbers. The committee then turned to real estate transfer tax and communications tax. For real estate transfer tax, members cited county input, housing market conditions, interest rates, lumber costs, and uncertainty about future policy; they agreed to use the averages and adopted those estimates unanimously. For communications tax, members noted the decline in landline-based revenue and the shift to data services. After discussion of whether to use the low estimate or the average, the committee settled on the average with a small rounding-down adjustment when the figure ended in .5, and adopted the numbers unanimously. The chair also clarified that these estimates remain subject to change until the final resolution is adopted. The committee next accepted interest and dividends estimates as presented, with members noting the decline in that revenue source and the lack of additional information beyond the department’s analysis. Finally, the committee began discussing tobacco tax revenue, with members noting long-term declines in smoking, offsetting effects from out-of-state sales, and a suggestion to take a slightly conservative approach by reducing the average by 0.5. The transcript cuts off during that discussion, so no final vote on tobacco is shown in the excerpt.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, people who are, you know, lower wage workers just have really immense challenges, and I would say
• Um, people who are, you know, lower wage workers just have really immense challenges, and I would say
• Um, people who are, you know, lower wage workers just have really immense challenges, and I would say
• </c> with technology and public sector wages with technology and public sector wages keep<01:19:19.400
• ><c> usually</c> then to rules but wage means is usually then to rules but wage means is usually the<

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• So the average wage of our workers is about $18.38. So imagine trying to make ends meet with that.
• So the average wage of our work out of their cars, which is what's happening right now.
• food insecurity and housing instability for an entire household relying on those IHSS wages.
• relying on those IHSS wages.
• And I think my folks would be 100% on board with a larger differential wage.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Paul imposed, or passed, the minimum wage law back in 2018 to be $15 per hour.
• that the rest of rights to minimum wage that the rest of workers<03:04:20.800><c> have.
• But oftentimes what's missing in this chamber is a true understanding of what it is like to be a wage
• But many of us who've worked in wage employment have also had really not very good bosses.
• But many of us who've worked in wage employment have also had really not very good bosses.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to be able to offer not just competitive wages, not just livable wages, but competitive wages
• We need to be able to offer not just competitive wages, not just livable wages, but competitive wages
• We need to be able to offer not just competitive wages, not just livable wages, but competitive wages
• We need to be able to offer not just competitive wages, not just livable wages, but competitive wages
• We need to be able to offer not just competitive wages, not just livable wages, but competitive wages

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• wage, then they are deemed as meeting that criteria.
• wage, then they are deemed as meeting that criteria.
• the what the minimum wage the minimum wage<00:29:10.320><c> standard</c><00:29:10.720><c> if</c><00:
• standard if they if they have wage standard if they if they have income<00:29:11.919><c> that</c><00
• and that's based on the minimum wage and that's based on the federal<00:29:16.399><c> minimum</c><00

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Attendance Roll Call 00:00:36 Department for Medicaid Services 00:01:44, 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Health and Family Services met for an overview of the Department for Medicaid Services budget. Commissioner Lisa Lee and CFO Steve Beal described Kentucky Medicaid enrollment at about 1.4 million members, including more than 600,000 children, and said the agency’s 2025 total budget was $20.6 billion. They reviewed enrollment trends before, during, and after the COVID-19 public health emergency, noting that redeterminations begun in 2023 reduced enrollment from its peak but that total membership remains above pre-COVID levels. They also explained the difference between the fee-for-service population, which includes long-term care and waiver members, and managed care members, and gave examples of the kinds of services and diagnoses seen in each group. A major focus was the governor’s recommended Medicaid budget and the department’s forecast process. Lee said the budget is split into benefits and administration, with benefits covering fee-for-service services, managed care capitation, transportation, and Medicare premiums, while administration covers contracts, personnel, operating costs, and IT-related advanced planning documents. She said the department uses a consensus forecasting group and actuary input, and that its forecasts have been within 1% of actual spending in recent years. The department also said the governor’s budget includes new waiver slots to address waiting lists, a 2% staff COLA, and a 10% phase-down on state-directed payments beginning in January 2028. Much of the discussion centered on House Resolution 1 and the funding needed to implement its Medicaid-related provisions, including community engagement requirements, six-month redeterminations, and future cost sharing. Lee said the department requested about $35 million in total funds for fiscal 2027, including about $8.2 million in general funds for system changes to the integrated eligibility system, claims processing, notices, and monitoring; and about $11 million in fiscal 2028 for ongoing maintenance, with about $1.6 million in general funds. She said the department expects to seek federal APD matching funds for the IT work. In response to questions, she explained that community engagement would apply to Medicaid expansion members, with qualifying activities including work, school, volunteering, or equivalent income, and that certain groups such as pregnant women, children, caretaker relatives, and some people with chronic disease or substance use disorder would be excluded. She said the department identified roughly 70,000 expansion members who could be subject to the requirement. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're looking to ensure that these wages are higher than the average wages in the area, and that... .
• ..the average wages in the area and that there's a positive return on investment in the state.

Keywords: 924, joint, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a tiered wage proposal. This has not yet been implemented. California.
• Let's cut their wages. And see how it feels. Let's cut what they need.
• wages.
• They are incredible people, but every single day, we lose future leaders because of wages.
• , and retain... the funding and reject the cuts for DSPU wage enhancements in the DDS budget.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are working people who are not receiving the wages that they need in order to be able to not be
• We want to be able to make sure that we're providing a thriving wage for us to, and I'm sure that that
• Here to request an ongoing $5 million from the General Fund to increase wages for community health workers
• Since Proposition 35 passed, CHWPRs have lost their promised wage increase.
• align our comments with the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network regarding the community health worker wage

Summary: The committee heard a budget oversight hearing on the Department of Health Care Services, focusing first on the overall Medi-Cal budget and a March General Fund loan to cover a current-year shortfall. DHCS said the 2025-26 budget proposal totals $193.4 billion, with Medi-Cal projected at $188.1 billion total funds and $42.1 billion General Fund, driven by higher enrollment, pharmacy costs, managed care growth, and costs tied to eligibility expansions and the COVID-era redetermination unwinding. The department said the $3.44 billion loan was needed to manage cash flow and ensure timely payments to providers and plans, while the LAO noted Medi-Cal’s cash-basis budgeting creates volatility and that more detailed estimates would come with the May Revision. Members discussed federal Medicaid threats, the need for transparency on cost drivers, and the impact of pharmacy spending, long-term care, and immigration-related coverage expansions. The second major topic was family health programs, including California Children’s Services, the continuous coverage unwinding, and opioid settlement fund spending. DHCS described CCS funding methodology changes, ongoing county stakeholder work, and a delayed rollout of CCS monitoring and oversight until July 1, 2025, while county representatives and advocates argued the program is underfunded and asked for more technical assistance and a delay in implementation. On the unwinding, the department explained that federal redetermination flexibilities helped maintain coverage after the pandemic, but the Governor’s budget proposes ending them at the end of June 2025; advocates urged making the flexibilities permanent to avoid coverage losses. For opioid settlement funds, DHCS and Finance said the budget increases funding for naloxone distribution while reducing other harm-reduction spending based on updated settlement revenues, prompting criticism from members and public commenters who argued the change would weaken effective harm-reduction programs. The hearing also included an update on Proposition 35 implementation. DHCS said the voter-approved measure continuously appropriates MCO tax revenues beginning in 2025, with up to $4.6 billion annually available for specified Medi-Cal and provider investments in 2025 and 2026, but implementation depends on consultation with the required stakeholder advisory committee. The department and LAO noted uncertainty about future federal rules affecting the MCO tax after 2026. Public testimony largely supported maintaining Medi-Cal expansions, protecting immigrant coverage, preserving harm-reduction funding, and increasing support for community health workers, pediatric dental care, and CCS county administration. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Project labor agreements not only add prevailing wage and apprenticeship utilization requirements in
• We recognize the need to expand family-wage job opportunities and clean energy in Washington State.
• We recognize the need to expand family wage job opportunities and clean energy in Washington State.
• Residents, the owners of small businesses, and those seeking the family-wage jobs in the area.
• It is struggling with higher wages, higher COGS, and inflation.

Summary: The committee took up executive action on the capital budget, Proposed Substitute Senate Bill 6003, and several policy bills. Staff described amendments to the capital budget that shifted funding among behavioral health, local/community projects, irrigation projects, and juvenile rehabilitation capacity, plus a technical fix to the water pollution control revolving program. The committee adopted Senator Dozier’s budget-neutral amendment and a technical amendment, then advanced the amended capital budget to the Rules Committee. It also moved House Bills 2441, 2124, 2471, 2133, 2610, and 2338 forward with due-pass recommendations, and advanced Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2251 on Climate Commitment Act accounts to the Transportation Committee after adopting two amendments and withdrawing three others. A major public hearing focused on Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2034, which would terminate and restate LEOFF Plan 1 in 2029, transfer surplus assets, and direct portions to the Climate Commitment Account and the pension funding stabilization account. Staff said the plan is currently about 160% funded and explained the bill’s IRS-review process, statute of limitations, and estimated implementation costs. Testimony was sharply divided: some retirees, firefighters, counties, and cities opposed the bill as an improper use of pension assets and urged benefit enhancements or protection of local medical obligations, while others supported using the surplus for broader public purposes. No vote was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee also heard House Bill 2179 on PERS coverage for certain port workers, with ports and the Washington Public Ports Association supporting clarification for railroad employees covered by the federal railroad retirement system. House Bill 1069, allowing Department of Corrections employees to bargain over supplemental retirement benefits, drew support from Teamsters and corrections workers, while House Bill 2091, expanding employee-information sharing with bargaining representatives, drew union support and privacy objections from Washington Policy Center. Finally, Second Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1210 on targeted urban area tax preferences drew support from labor, local governments, and project proponents, and opposition from contractor groups and environmental advocates over project labor agreement requirements and nuclear-related concerns; Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1408 on community preservation and development authorities and Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1974 on land bank authorities for affordable housing were also heard, with both receiving supportive testimony from community and housing advocates.

Transcript Highlights:

• and Medi-Cal, which is an important source of health care coverage for millions of California's low-wage
• Low-wage, bad jobs.
• And my community is suffering now from low-wage, bad jobs through the service economy immersion that
• The electronic data sources will provide exemption-related information, income and wage information,
• So in our minimum wage here in California, that's 25 hours of work per week.

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• thousand to single millions type of investment level—if they make that investment, if they pay a certain wage
• in terms of 100 to 2% of the median wage in the county, and if they also cover a certain level of health
• If they make that investment, if they pay a certain wage in terms of 100 to 2% of the median wage in

Keywords: 1182, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If they make that investment, if they pay a certain wage in terms of 100 to 2% of the median wage in
• If they make that investment, if they pay a certain wage in terms of 100 to 2% of the median wage in

Summary: The meeting began with a JLBC presentation on the state budget proposal. Staff reviewed revenue changes from the April forecast, which lowered expected growth slightly, and then walked through major tax policy provisions. Those included full conformity with HR1 for the current tax year, a shift to the provisions of SB 1106 for future tax years, new deductions for retirement/pension distributions and Roth IRA contributions, an increase in the dependent credit, and a child and dependent care subtraction. Staff said the tax changes had an overall fiscal impact of about $1.4 billion over four years. They also described offsets from repealing several tax credits and exemptions, including solar-related tax breaks, a renewable energy production credit, a new employment tax credit, a refundable R&D credit for smaller employers, and a pollution-control device credit, totaling about $75 million in added revenue. Another budget item would redirect Arizona Commerce Authority Competes Fund lottery distributions to the general fund. Members asked questions about the budget’s effect on ACCESS eligibility checks, state employee health insurance funding, and cuts to one-time funding for area agencies on aging and Alzheimer’s programs. The committee then moved to caucus items on several bills. HB 2249, as amended by the Senate, would expand the parents’ bill of rights to include access to a child’s complete educational record and notice if school staff facilitate social transitioning, and would require investigation of prior violations; the sponsor concurred with the amendment. HB 2035 would require DCS and courts to identify and consider extended family for kinship foster care placement, with Senate changes shortening a reporting deadline and adding adopted family members to the definition. HB 2170 would bar state contracts for electronic or IT goods with PRC-controlled companies, with a certification requirement added in the Senate. HB 2573 would remove a waiting period for ignition interlock restricted licenses after DUI revocation and adjust psychotherapy language. HB 2415 on kratom would classify synthetic kratom as a narcotic drug and add advertising, packaging, and retail restrictions, but the sponsor intended to refuse the Senate changes. HB 2873 would let local petition sponsors withdraw municipal referendum petitions retroactively, which members noted could affect the Marana data center petition effort. The final bill discussed, SB 1798, would create a Financial Aid Awareness Program in the Department of Education to recognize schools that support FAFSA completion. Members questioned whether the department would need additional staff or resources, but no fiscal note had been provided. The meeting ended with recognition of interns and a brief photo opportunity before the caucus moved into closed session.

Transcript Highlights:

• SOMETHING I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER IS THERE'S A SHORT-TERM GAIN HERE BY LOWER WAGES, BETTER BASIS
• THEY WILL HAVE TO PAY WAGES.
• THEY WOULD HAVE TO WORK HARDER TO WORK OUT THE PROCESS AND THE WAGES PAID TO GET THE AMERICANS OFF OF
• WORKING AT SUBWAY THEY CAN'T FIND ANOTHER JOB AT THEIR FIELD AT THE SAME SCHOOL LEVEL EARNING THE SAME WAGE

Committee: House Commerce Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• And so this is a real opportunity to create family-sustaining wages in drilling.
• And so this is a real opportunity to create family-sustaining wage.
• And so this is a real opportunity to create family sustaining wages in drilling.
• wage.
• Addressing the low wages of our staff and faculty is an urgent concern.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Higher Education

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its second public hearing of the 194th General Court on capital investments in higher education, focusing primarily on H.54, the Bright Act, along with H.1426/S.949 on green and healthy public colleges and universities and deferred maintenance, and H.1424 on capital investment in Gateway Cities. Chairs and administration officials framed the hearing as a response to aging campus infrastructure, climate goals, workforce needs, and federal pressures on higher education, and explained that testimony would be taken from pre-registered speakers in person and virtually. University of Massachusetts leaders strongly supported the Bright Act, describing large deferred maintenance backlogs, aging buildings, and the need to decarbonize campuses while modernizing research and teaching facilities. UMass officials said the bill would help keep tuition and fees lower by reducing the need for campuses to finance capital work themselves, and argued that the investments would improve competitiveness, support research, and create construction jobs. Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Secretary of Education Tuttweiler, and Secretary of Administration and Finance Gorzkowicz also backed the bill, saying it would leverage Fair Share surtax revenues for a proposed $2.5 billion in campus investments plus additional targeted grants, and that it would support affordability, economic growth, and climate resilience. Committee members asked about the balance between deferred maintenance and decarbonization, the role of grant programs versus direct spending, the impact on tuition and fees, and how the plan would help campuses respond to federal cuts such as NIH and NSF funding. Administration officials said the proposal was designed to be phased in quickly, with some projects ready to start immediately and others taking longer, and that the grant programs would be structured to include all campuses equitably. They also said the plan would build on an existing financing model similar to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund and could help campuses avoid future tuition increases tied to capital costs. Additional testimony came from MassBay Community College, where President David Podell and recent nursing graduate Deanna Cavazos described the benefits of a new Framingham campus building and said community colleges need modern labs, better planning capacity, and deferred maintenance support to serve the enrollment growth from MassReconnect and MassEducate. State university leaders, including President Mary Grant, President Linda Thompson, and President John Keenan, said their campuses face outdated classrooms, insufficient electrical capacity, and aging facilities, and urged passage of the Bright Act as a long-overdue investment in student success and workforce preparation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we'll present our first two assessments on the rural job tax credit and high wage job tax credit
• Chair, with that, I'll pass it back over to Maggie for high wage jobs. Maggie: Thanks, Brandon.
• the Job Training Incentive Program or JTIP for the creation of new high wage jobs.
• Businesses can receive up to 8.5% of wages, up to around $12,700 for a new high wage job.
• A high wage job is defined as one with wages over $60,000 in urban communities and $40,000 in rural communities

Transcript Highlights:

• Then going to House 223 and S130, an act relative to a livable wage for human service workers.
• testimony in support of House Bill 223 and Senate Bill 130, legislation that would provide a livable wage
• Fair, competitive wages are essential. Thank you so much.
• speaking to, our strong support for House Bill 223 and Senate Bill 130, an act relative to the livable wage
• At BAMSI, we see firsthand the consequences of this wage gap: dedicated professionals who provide essential

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities held a hearing focused on accessibility-related legislation, with the chairs emphasizing ASL and CART accessibility and asking testifiers to speak slowly and clearly. The committee heard testimony first on H.223/S.130, a bill to establish a livable wage for community-based human service workers by reducing the pay gap with state employees. Providers’ Council, Communities for People, the Key Program, and BAMSI all supported the bill, describing persistent wage disparities, high vacancy and turnover rates, and the impact on continuity of care for children, youth, and families. Witnesses said the bill would help recruitment and retention and stabilize services across the Commonwealth. The committee then heard extensive testimony on H.224/S.160, the ACE Act, which would create a dedicated funding source to improve accessibility in the creative economy. Arts organizations and advocates, including Community Access to the Arts, Abilities Dance Boston, Jacob’s Pillow, the Multicultural Arts Center, Northampton Community Music Center, Mass Creative, Open Door Arts, and Monkey House, described barriers such as inaccessible buildings, lack of ASL interpretation and captioning, inadequate lifts and backstage access, and the high cost of renovations. Testifiers said the bill would help smaller and historic institutions make physical and programmatic improvements and allow people with disabilities to participate as artists, workers, and audiences. The committee also heard testimony on H.4180, which would require DDS to consider neuropsychological evaluations when determining eligibility for intellectual disability services. Parents and advocates argued that IQ cutoffs alone can miss significant functional needs, especially for autistic adults and others with complex developmental profiles, and urged broader access to DDS supports. Additional testimony supported S.101 on closed captioning and telecommunications in public areas, and S.158 on requiring restaurants to have some chairs with arms to better accommodate physically disabled and older patrons. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair adjourned after hearing from the scheduled witnesses and noting a few signups that were not present.

Transcript Highlights:

• An estimated $240 million impact in wages. That's just in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
• From the Twin Cities to greater Minnesota, workers lost wages.
• </c><00:03:15.800><c> Owners</c><00:03:16.280><c> burned</c> workers lost wages.
• Owners burned workers lost wages.
• Workers lost wages. And families were afraid to shop, work, and move through their own communities.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: House and Senate DFL lawmakers held a Capitol news conference to press for a $100 million small business relief package in response to the economic fallout from Operation Metro Surge and related ICE enforcement activity. Representatives Cedrick Frazier and Jay Xiong, along with Senator Susan Pappas and other supporters, said the enforcement surge caused widespread fear, reduced customer traffic, lost wages, and closures for immigrant-owned and other small businesses in Minneapolis-St. Paul and greater Minnesota. They argued the state has a history of providing disaster-style aid when communities are harmed through no fault of their own and said this situation warrants similar action. Business and community testimony described specific losses: a Willmar restaurant closed after both parents were detained, a North Mankato grocery store opening was delayed, The Coven reported a 33% revenue drop at two locations, and Lake Street businesses were said to have lost substantial revenue and staff. Speakers said the damage affected workers, landlords, suppliers, and neighborhood corridors statewide, and several emphasized that the relief should come as grants or forgivable loans rather than additional debt. They also criticized House Republican leaders for tying the relief to changes in paid family leave and for blocking a public hearing. In response to questions, Frazier said negotiations were ongoing through committee chairs and conference committee, with the issue still being discussed in broader leadership talks. He said the House would need only one Republican vote in committee and on the floor to advance the measure, and identified Chair Baker as a possible supporter because of harm in his district. Speakers said the Senate has already passed the relief and urged the House to act quickly before the end of session.