Transcript Highlights:

• I am the Chief Operating Officer of Smith-Magley Incorporated, SBI, operating as Cellular One.
• They reap a lot of cost savings and benefits.
• Inflation from eating up that subsidy cost.
• And now costs have gone through the roof.
• because I need to come back and ask for money to continue the work. operations, and those are the operations

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Every day we wait, it costs the farmer. It costs our constituents. Thank you very much.
• We are also dealing with the high cost of land, the high cost of labor.
• And the cost of the agency that's overseen that, Again, that all costs is on us.
• It's cut down cost tremendously.
• It's cut down cost tremendously.

Transcript Highlights:

• the state's persistently high cost of living.
• cost of living.
• Energy costs are also rising rapidly.
• , energy costs, insurance costs.
• economy in which we operate.

Committee: Senate Revenue and Taxation

Summary: The committee heard several tax and revenue measures. SB 1277, by Senator Grove, proposed a California Cost of Living Tax Credit modeled on the 2022 middle-class tax refund to provide direct relief to low- and middle-income Californians facing high housing, gas, energy, and general living costs. Supporters said it would help working families, farmworkers, teachers, and others; opponents, including the California Tax Reform Association and the California Teachers Association, argued California already has a progressive tax system, that refundable credits are costly and can be difficult to administer, and that the bill would reduce General Fund revenues and Proposition 98 funding. The bill was held on call after extensive debate and no motion was made at that time. The committee then heard SB 1287, which would create a targeted tax credit to encourage private investment in short-line railroad infrastructure. The author and rail industry witnesses said the credit would support safety, bridge and track upgrades, emissions reductions, freight efficiency, and rural and agricultural supply chains, while opponents argued a direct grant program would be preferable to a tax credit. The bill was accepted with committee amendments and placed on call after a motion to move it forward. SB 1407 would exempt military retirement pay and surviving spouse benefits from state income tax, with the author, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and veterans’ groups arguing it would help retain veterans in California, support second careers, and keep federal retirement dollars in the state. The California Teachers Association and California Tax Reform Association opposed it as another tax expenditure that would reduce General Fund revenue. The committee approved the bill on a due pass as amended vote to the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, with several members voting aye and others not voting, and the bill was placed on call. The committee also heard SB 1349, which directs the Legislative Analyst’s Office to review major tax expenditures and evaluate their costs, beneficiaries, and effectiveness. Supporters, including CTA, AFSCME, cities, counties, and many teachers, said the state needs more accountability for roughly $94 billion in annual tax expenditures and their impact on schools and the budget. The bill was moved with committee amendments and placed on call. Additional measures discussed included SB 1078, authorizing Santa Cruz County to seek voter approval for a temporary local sales tax increase to fund health care and safety-net services; SB 1120, extending the California Competes Tax Credit through 2035 and making it refundable for certain strategic industries; and SB 1275, which would convert the state sales tax on vehicle purchases into a deductible vehicle license fee to reduce Californians’ federal tax burden. SB 1120 and SB 1275 both received support from business and industry witnesses, with no opposition testimony noted, and were moved on call or with a due pass as amended vote as the committee continued through the file.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> cost on or they do cover that cost cost on or they do cover that cost initially<00:02:08.239><c>
• the 50% cost?
• 50% would be $8.3 million for one year, transit cost plus state badge cost. Thank you. Yep.
• </c><01:02:46.960><c> operator</c><01:02:47.839><c> operators</c> hoisting machine operator operators
• Yeah, those are crane operators. So they are crane operators.

Committee: Senate Labor and Technology

Summary: The committees heard testimony on several personnel and employment bills. SB 2119 would require the state or counties to reimburse public officers and employees for approved work-related travel costs within 30 days; testifiers from the State Procurement Office, UPW, HGA, the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, and others supported the measure, citing delayed reimbursements. SB 3131 would update state position titles by changing “private secretary” to “executive assistant” and “secretary” to “administrative assistant” where applicable, and it drew support from DEED and comments from the State Librarian. SB 3069 would permanently exempt a limited number of specialized positions in DAGS Public Works and the Comptroller’s office from civil service; DAGS, HCDA, and DEED supported it, while UPW opposed it. Committee members questioned whether the exemption should be narrower and whether the positions should be consultants or actual employees, and DAGS said the roles were narrowly tailored, highly specialized, and intended to help manage complex projects such as Aloha Stadium, the convention center, and other major redevelopment work. The committee then heard SB 3180, which would repeal the limit on temporary employment in a single position for two 89-day terms. Testimony included support from the Procurement Office, DOE, DHRD, the State Librarian in opposition, UPW written comments, HGA, the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii, and others. Discussion focused on whether the bill was needed to address abuse of repeated 89-day hires and whether it would affect recruitment and career pathways. Finally, SB 2137 would allow departments, divisions, and agencies to assume hiring and recruitment functions from DHRD under certain conditions. DHRD opposed the bill, saying existing law already allows delegation and that agency-level recruitment often lacks the expertise and staffing to do the work; UHPA supported it, and UPW submitted written support. In questioning, DHRD said it had reduced backlog and was now current on screening, while also offering programs like Operation Hire Hawaii for faster agency-led recruitment.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><01:22:46.040><c> costs</c><01:22:47.000><c> and</c> expenses of their operating costs and expenses
• of their operating costs and why<01:22:47.360><c> should</c><01:22:47.560><c> it</c><01:22:47.679><c
• </c> any cost figures about the what it costs any cost figures about the what it costs the<01:41:50.199
• </c> reduction of their cost cost to they you reduction of their cost cost to they you know<01:43:25.920
• outlays, for instance, beds and things like that, rather than ongoing operating costs?

Summary: The Finance Committee held a hearing on several bills and announced at the outset that no votes would be taken because the measures would go to divisions later. The first major bill, HB 197, would require the state to pay 7.5% of political subdivision employer pension contributions for teachers, police officers, and firefighters. Representative Mike Edgar, the prime sponsor, argued the state had repeatedly reduced and then eliminated its promised share of retirement costs, shifting the burden to municipalities and property taxpayers. He said the bill would partially restore that commitment and provide relief to local governments, businesses, and taxpayers. Several witnesses testified in support of HB 197, including Representative John Cluder, Bradford selectman Marlene Fryer, the New Hampshire Municipal Association’s Margaret Burns, and Epping representative Mark Fone. Supporters said the bill would help with property tax pressure, school budgets, and municipal hiring, and they emphasized that much of the retirement cost reflects unfunded liability decisions made at the state level rather than by local governments. Committee members questioned whether the bill would change local incentives to control costs and how it would affect hiring and compensation. Burns said the state contribution would function as property tax relief because it offsets existing municipal expenses, and she noted the state is already on a long-term schedule to pay down the retirement system’s unfunded liability. After closing the hearing on HB 197, the committee opened a hearing on HB 97, introduced by Representative Tom Buco. He said the bill would continue funding for delayed and deferred wastewater projects and help municipalities finance expensive wastewater infrastructure, which he tied to housing development and local debt planning. No action or votes were taken on either bill during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• We don't have the final cost for that, but you can see the costs are fairly similar across the type of
• We’re saving on the paper costs as well as the copy costs.
• They have to be labeled as question costs.
• And like the legacy capital fund, I don't think there was any administrative cost or any funding to operate
• We get up to 4% to operate that.

Committee: House A&B General Government Subcommittee

Transcript Highlights:

• But the top two are super pressing to us, and that's just operational costs and personnel.
• The new operating rooms will be operative when? In the first quarter of calendar year 2028.
• So the managed care in general is to drive cost down and to maintain cost. Thank you.
• . in general is to drive cost down and to maintain costs and to keep them in there.
• As far as our state cost?

Summary: The subcommittee heard budget presentations and questions from several health and human services agencies, with members repeatedly emphasizing that agency numbers had been posted since October and that questioning should stay focused and brief. The Office of Juvenile Affairs said its $5.45 million request would support 162 employees receiving a pay adjustment, and members asked about juvenile care conditions and staffing. The Department of Human Services discussed major changes to child care subsidy funding, including a reduced subsidy request, a $11.5 million child care teacher recruitment/retention request, and planned eligibility and reimbursement changes; it also reviewed SNAP administrative cost shifts under federal law, the state’s SNAP error rate, and the risk of large future state costs if the error rate is not reduced. DHS also addressed TANF reserves, the DDS waiver wait list, the Greer Center buildout, the Advantage waiver supplemental, and meal service options for waiver members. OCCY described a largely personnel-driven budget, requests for more oversight staff, and workload pressures in juvenile competency evaluations. The Office of Disability Concerns reported a flat budget and said it relies mainly on mediation and informal resolution rather than enforcement. OSU Medical Authority said its Tulsa expansion, VA skybridge, and c-section suites remain on schedule, that psychiatric residency funding is being phased in over several years, and that it is working to reduce contract labor and evaluate service lines. J.D. McCarty Center reported its new ABA outpatient clinic is on time and on budget and is nearing full capacity. OMMA said its lab is following required standards, its FTE count is below budgeted levels because hiring depends on lab accreditation and other unknowns, and dispensary numbers continue to decline as the market matures. Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services said it needs about $1.4 million to avoid a maintenance-of-effort penalty and discussed aging campus capital needs and staffing vacancies. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority then outlined a very large budget requirement driven by utilization growth and the shift to value-based care, saying FY26 is currently stable but FY27 would likely require additional appropriations if the request is not fully funded.

Transcript Highlights:

• The costs that were intended in our base included those costs that needed to be annualized over the full
• capital costs would be funded.
• If you turn to slide 9, the next item, exceptional item 2, is focused on the costs of operating our brick
• health care costs.
• Those costs are extensive.

Committee: House Appropriations - S/C on Article II

Transcript Highlights:

• That was way before my time, but I assume then it would have been operated kind of like we operate our
• , as well as the cost of bringing that on to the project.
• So the judicial branch appropriations funds the personnel program and operating costs of the Supreme
• I'm the chief operating officer in the governor's office, also a member of this... ...the chief operating
• I first asked what the cost was, and the cost was too much, so I didn't put the driveway in.

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• done quickly, also on cost.
• Obviously the 345 is kind of an average cost from the transmission operators themselves.
• of transmission costs.
• is to assign cost to those who created those costs.
• And we want improved cost outcomes. allocation, making sure that those who cause the cost pay the cost

Bills: SB 6 , SB6 , SB504 , SB765 , SB815 , SB929

Committee: Senate Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• Operations that were not approved. Okay. Thank you.
• To adopting our operating budget. Seeing none, we've adopted our operating budget. And then, Mr.
• Care services are being provided at higher costs.
• Table 4 shows that telehealth cost and utilization is down.
• I understand that we're focused on the cost of ABA.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:05:10.800><c> requests</c> first one of our operational requests first one of our operational
• costs associated with this.
• cost um uh<00:11:58.880><c> a</c><00:11:59.000><c> lot</c><00:11:59.600><c> cost</c><00:12:00.000><c>
• </c> migrating over uh and this is the cost migrating over uh and this is the cost that<00:13:38.399>
• </c> an impact so impacts are going to cost an impact so impacts are going to cost to<00:31:47.480><c

Transcript Highlights:

• , like rising utility costs.
• on staying out of operations.
• to manage operations.
• What was once a collection of locally owned, locally operated, mom-and-pop hotel operations in cities
• What was once a collection of locally owned, locally operated, mom-and-pop hotel operations in cities

Summary: The Assembly Labor and Employment Committee heard and advanced a series of bills, mostly on worker safety, wages, workforce training, and retirement savings. AB 2137 (Chen) would strengthen safety rules and certification for artificial stone fabrication shops to reduce silica exposure; AB 2499 (Gibson) would require Cal/OSHA to develop heat-illness protections for incarcerated workers and staff in correctional facilities; AB 2300 (Arambula) would streamline the disbursement of state and federal workforce funds; AB 2646 (Krell) would establish a minimum wage floor for certain agricultural workers; AB 2227 (Connolly) would tighten licensing and bond requirements for farm labor contractors and add default-judgment procedures for wage claims; AB 1869 (Haney) would create a reporting process for alleged REIT interference in hotel operations; AB 2650 (Pellerin) would expand CalSavers with emergency savings accounts and other updates; AB 2634 (Zbur) would prioritize labor-management partnerships in High Road Training Partnership grants; and AB 1888 would require skilled-and-trained workforce and prevailing wage standards for work under the Safe Home Grant Program. AB 1534 (Irwin) would create California’s approval process for short-term Pell-eligible workforce programs. The committee also took up several consent items, including AB 1904, AB 1980, AB 2550, AB 2078, and AB 2682. Most bills were described as aligning state programs with federal law or improving worker protections and program quality, while opponents generally raised concerns about costs, administrative burden, regulatory uncertainty, or reduced oversight. Testimony was largely split along labor and industry lines. Supporters included labor unions, legal aid groups, workforce boards, and affected workers or family members, who emphasized heat illness, wage theft, silica exposure, poor prison conditions, and the need for higher-quality training and retirement access. Opponents on several bills, especially those affecting agriculture, REITs, and workforce administration, argued the measures would increase costs, create uncertainty, or duplicate existing law. On AB 2227, committee members engaged in extended discussion about Labor Commissioner delays and whether the bill’s default-judgment and bond provisions would meaningfully help workers. On AB 1869, members and witnesses debated whether the bill created new standards or simply improved enforcement of existing REIT rules. The committee voted to pass all of the measures heard, generally with motions to do pass and re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. Several bills were held open for absent members during the meeting, and later add-on roll calls recorded additional ayes, moving the bills out of committee. The meeting concluded after the consent calendar was approved and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> problems. uh this will increase costs problems. uh this will increase costs for<00:07:44.479><c>
• </c> the costs onto other property owners. the costs onto other property owners.
• When the bill increased these costs, the cost does not disappear or get paid by some third party.
• When the bill increased these costs, the cost does not disappear or get paid by some third party.
• They pass the costs right on.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first item up on the slide covers business operations.
• of vehicles will create additional cost savings for agencies.
• cost increases.
• And oftentimes the cost of the repair is more than the $10,000.
• And oftentimes the cost of the repair is more than the $10,000.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

Summary: The committee first took up confirmation of five water management district appointees: Ted Everett and Jerome Pate to the Northwest Florida Water Management District, Michael Romano to the Big Cypress Basin Board of the South Florida Water Management District, and Paul Bissfam, John Hall, and Virginia Johns to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Senator McClain moved confirmation, the roll was called, and the committee recommended all appointees favorably. Members then received the Governor’s Florida First budget presentations for environmental agencies. The environmental package totaled about $5.8 billion and emphasized Everglades restoration, water quality, resilience, land conservation, state parks, hazardous waste cleanup, wildlife management, wildfire response, and citrus support. DEP highlighted more than $1.4 billion for water resources, including $810 million for Everglades restoration, $202 million for Resilient Florida, $150 million for Florida Forever, $70 million for state parks, and $221 million for contamination cleanup. FWC, Agriculture, and Citrus funding priorities were also outlined. Members asked about Florida Forever funding, state park wastewater and septic needs, a reduction at the Florida Wildlife Research Institute, and beach renourishment funding for storm damage. The committee also heard the General Government portion of the budget, which totaled about $2.9 billion and covered DBPR, Lottery, Financial Services, Management Services, Revenue, PERC, and the Gaming Control Commission. DBPR requested funds for license processing, an animal abuse hotline, fleet replacement, and IT retention. FGCC sought new enforcement squads and an IT licensing/enforcement system. The Lottery proposed marketing, retail engagement, IT, and retention funding. DMS emphasized building modernization, fleet telematics, 911 and radio upgrades, cybersecurity, a local government cybersecurity grant program, and data interoperability. PERC described a sharp increase in labor cases and elections after SB 256 and requested staffing, election administration, and hearing officer pay increases. DFS highlighted My Safe Florida Home, fire marshal and first responder support, financial investigations, and gold and silver legal tender implementation. Revenue requested operational and IT funding and support for fiscally constrained counties. Questions focused on DBPR’s condo and HOA initiatives, cybersecurity grant reductions, and the My Safe Florida Home program’s abandoned grants and matching requirements. No additional votes were taken, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That said... ...wasn't cost efficient for me.
• There's a lot of bills that want the cost to reduce the cost of bills by 25%.
• Cutting these cost-effective programs will cost more than it will save.
• Specifically, it must be designed in a way that appropriately attributes costs of service, avoids cost
• Utilities competing individually in that market can only drive those costs higher, and those costs then

Summary: The committee hearing covered a long agenda of energy, utility, and data-center bills, with members hearing extensive testimony on affordability, ratepayer protections, wildfire liability, and grid planning. Several measures were presented by Assembly Member Irwin and others, including AB 2182 on industrial energy efficiency incentives, AB 2396 on allowing community choice aggregators to develop transmission projects, AB 2589 on returning federal tax savings to ratepayers, AB 2508 on shifting public purpose program costs off utility bills, AB 1577 on data center reporting, and AB 2383 on large energy-use facility rate design. The chair noted the hearing began without a quorum and later proceeded once quorum was established for the data-center and AB 2383 votes. AB 2182 and AB 2589 were discussed but not acted on during the portion shown, while AB 2396 drew substantial debate over wildfire liability, financing, and whether CCAs should be allowed to own transmission lines. AB 2508 generated the most divided policy discussion, with supporters arguing that public purpose programs and energy efficiency costs should not be borne by ratepayers and should instead be funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund or other public sources. Opponents warned that moving those programs to GGRF would threaten funding stability, undermine cost-effective efficiency programs, and jeopardize important safety-net and wildfire-related spending; wildfire survivor advocates asked for amendments to ensure victims are paid first before any reallocation. Committee members raised concerns about whether GGRF is an appropriate and stable funding source, and several said they could not support the bill as drafted. AB 1577, requiring data centers to report energy, water, and noise information, passed on a 10-1 vote after supporters said the bill would help local and state planners manage rapid load growth, while opponents argued it was burdensome, duplicative, and could expose proprietary or security-sensitive information. AB 2383, which would direct the CPUC to create a new rate structure for large energy-use facilities and require long-term contracts to prevent cost shifts and stranded assets, also drew strong support and opposition. The Little Hoover Commission and NRDC backed the bill as a way to protect ratepayers from data-center-related costs, while CCAs, the Chamber of Commerce, manufacturers, and petroleum interests objected to the bill’s scope and to CPUC oversight, especially as it could affect CCAs and other large users beyond data centers. After discussion about preserving local authority and avoiding stranded costs, the committee approved AB 2383 on a 13-0 vote and left the roll open for absent members. The hearing then moved to AB 1774, a wildfire accountability bill by Assembly Member Berman, which was introduced with testimony from fire survivors and consumer advocates emphasizing the need to verify that utility wildfire mitigation spending is actually performed before ratepayers are charged.

Transcript Highlights:

• And the operation cost, as we can imagine, we're paying people more money. That's going up.
• And the<00:28:19.360><c> operation</c><00:28:19.840><c> cost,</c><00:28:20.159><c> as</c><00:28:20.399
• ><c> we</c><00:28:20.559><c> can</c><00:28:20.720><c> imagine,</c> the operation cost, as we can imagine
• , the operation cost, as we can imagine, we're<00:28:21.360><c> paying</c><00:28:21.679><c> people</c
• We've had too many near misses already. to cost and is full cost, but it's an to cost and is full cost

Bills: HB0111 , HB0112 , HB0122

Committee: Senate Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> Division um to align that with the cost Division um to align that with the cost of<00:04:17.880>
• </c> assess are inadequate to fund the costs assess are inadequate to fund the costs of<00:04:33.600>
• Okay, moving on to the operating adjustment: there are two operating adjustments included in this proposal
• </c><01:24:31.560><c> gets</c> thank you go ahead um the cost gets thank you go ahead um the cost gets
• to cover the increased cost.

Committee: Senate Labor

Transcript Highlights:

• what it takes to operate that full testing program.
• Their operations corps can be found on page 370.
• Their operations corps can be found on page 370.
• Their operations corps can be found on page 370.
• So there's no annual subscription costs?

Committee: House Budget

Summary: The committee heard the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services present its FY 2027 budget request, with Director Sarah Wilson and budget staff describing the department’s mission, major divisions, and the impact of federal funding shifts, especially the FMAP change that will shift costs to general revenue. Wilson emphasized prevention, public health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and data modernization, while several members praised the department’s responsiveness and cost-cutting efforts. The discussion repeatedly focused on lapses, excess authority, and the department’s stated practice of spending federal and other funds before general revenue where possible. Members asked detailed questions about local public health agency support, nutrition programs, rural health and primary care, newborn screening, the state public health lab, and the department’s use of flexibility and reallocations. There was extended discussion of substance use disorder funding: the department explained that some funding is being reduced in its own budget because transfer authority is being added for the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Corrections, while some other SUD-related lines are actual reductions. Members also questioned tobacco prevention and cessation cuts, maternal and infant health programs, fetal infant mortality review, and minority health initiatives, with staff explaining program purposes and noting that some reductions were tied to excess authority or to moving programs to other departments. The committee also reviewed specific operational items such as the Health Initiatives Fund transfer, debt offset escrow for loan repayment defaults, donated funds authority, emergency preparedness, environmental health, health informatics, HIV/STI/hepatitis services, local public health incentives, and the COVID/ARPA authority reductions. Several members requested follow-up information on vacancies, lapse trends, grant spending plans, and program details. No final vote or formal action was taken in the portion provided; the chair recessed briefly and the hearing continued with additional budget testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's one dam that is owned and operated by ISC.
• A culvert costs a little bit more, gravel costs a little bit more, getting a contractor to come out—maybe
• The contractor costs you 40,000.
• to operate their system over the years.
• And what's the real cost?

Committee: House Water & Natural Resources Committee