Transcript Highlights:

• We're a small local business that's provided safe and affordable student transportation in the Commonwealth
• Over the past year, Doherty's has introduced competition to the local student transportation market by
• Our goal is to continue expanding our efforts and competing on more student transportation contracts,
• However, the... ...more student transportation contracts, adding much-needed vendor choice for the local
• This regressive tax policy disincentivizes adoption of better transportation options for the students

Bills: H3012 , H4008 , H4435 , H4444 , H4526 , H4547 , H4574 , H4575 , H4576 , H4577 , H4585 , H4605 , H4687 , H4703 , H4722 , H4754 , H4755

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Keywords: fines, property valuation, commercial property, real estate, tax penalties, property taxes, local option tax, marijuana sales, Salem, revenue generation, taxation, recreation, local government, commercial activities, Charlemont, property exemption, disabled persons, Swampscott, senior exemption, property tax

Transcript Highlights:

• I represent 8,000 students, including pre-K, and have 1,000 employees across 14 different schools.
• our three and four-year-olds, and in speech language services, we're currently serving 731 speech students
• thing I want to say, too, is that every area of education right now is looking for ways to allow students
• Our state universities graduated only 165 students at the bachelor's level and only 107 at the master's
• However, the other limitation is the number of students that they can take into the Master's program.

Bills: HB441 , HB445 , HB477 , HB441 , HB445

Committee: House Health

Keywords: speech-language pathology, licensure, clinical supervision, educational qualifications, healthcare assistant, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, THC, delta-8, delta-9, delta-10, consumable hemp products, psychoactive cannabinoids, cannabinoid regulation, hemp licensing, ABC Board, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, retail hemp sales, wholesale hemp distribution, hemp tax

Transcript Highlights:

• provides funds for projects such as preschool in the Parramore area and provided scholarships to students
• I have some statistics here: 13,500 students currently in university programs related to transportation
• , degrees, and engineering, and 21,000 students in trade and technical schools in programs related to
• I have some statistics here, 13,500 students currently in I have some statistics here, 13,500 students
• currently in university programs related to transportation, degrees, and engineering, and 21,000 students

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The Transportation Committee met and first considered SB 88, which would allow local governments to authorize utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) on certain low-speed county roads and municipal streets, with limits on who may operate them and where they may travel. An amendment from Sen. Wright was adopted to require minimum motor vehicle insurance, keep a registration certificate in the vehicle, and delay the effective date to January 1, 2026 for implementation. The bill drew mixed testimony: supporters said it would create a safe, locally controlled path for UTV use and reflect how the vehicles are already being used, while opponents from the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and Florida Justice Association argued UTVs are designed for off-road use and lack the safety features needed for public roads. After debate, the committee reported CS/SB 88 favorably, with Sen. Davis voting no and several members expressing support while noting safety concerns for future work. The committee then heard SB 274, which designates a portion of International Drive in Orlando as Harris Rosen Way in honor of the late hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen. Sen. Arrington described Rosen’s business success and extensive charitable work in Central Florida, and the bill received supportive comments from committee members and a representative from UCF. The committee voted the bill favorably without opposition. The final item was a discussion on transportation workforce issues led by FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue, with remarks from Florida Transportation Builders Association president Dan Hurtado. Perdue said Florida’s growing transportation needs, an aging workforce, and projected retirements require a broader workforce strategy, including a proposed Transportation Academy, craft and trade programs, learning labs, and a transportation research institute. He said FDOT has already reduced vacancies through recruit-and-retain efforts and hiring events, but still needs more skilled workers. Hurtado said FTBA supports expanding workforce development efforts and noted the industry’s own Florida Connect Academy. No vote was taken on the workforce discussion, and the committee adjourned at the end of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I am honored to have four page students with me today.
• These students are here with us today. ...and then I have their teacher, Ms.
• I'm trying to figure out how many students would avail themselves of this.
• It'd be probably less than 2,000 students what we're talking about initially. Is that right?
• So it's not geared... it's whatever the student wants to pursue.

Bills: HB188 , HB52

Committee: House Ways and Means Education

Keywords: healthcare, insurance, patient rights, medical treatment, access, affordability, income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Education rules relating to the classification, assignment, and verification of full-time equivalent student
• enrollment and student transportation reported under the Florida Education Finance Program, FEFP.
• education rules relating to the classification, assignment, and verification of full-time equivalent student
• enrollment and student transportation reported under the Florida Education Finance Program, FEFP.
• shadow events, and we also have a student auditor program where we part-time employ accounting students

Summary: The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee met to receive annual overviews of its oversight responsibilities and the work of the Auditor General and OPAGA. Committee staff reviewed the committee’s authority over state and local governments, enforcement of audit-report filing requirements, repeated audit findings, Transparency Florida reporting, and lobbying compensation audits. Auditor General Cheryl Norman described her office’s independence, audit standards, quality control, and major audit areas, including the state’s annual financial and single audits, school district and university audits, operational and performance audits, and attestation work. She also noted staffing shortages, recruitment efforts, and a request for carry-forward funds to study salaries. Members asked about whether audits can quantify recoverable dollars, how school district spending comparisons are handled, and how to raise concerns about DCF-related audits or a local city audit that has been pending for years. Norman said her office can quantify findings when possible, sometimes compares costs across districts in operational audits, and that members can bring specific concerns to the appropriate deputy auditor general or the committee. She also explained that citizen or local-government audit requests may require payment of audit costs. OPAGA Coordinator Kara Collins-Gomez outlined OPAGA’s role as a legislative research unit that conducts studies directed by law, the presiding officers, or the committee, and described its policy areas, methodologies, contract monitoring, and recurring statutory reports. Deputy Auditor General Matthew Tracy explained how to read operational audit reports, including findings, criteria, condition, cause, effect, recommendations, and management responses. Deputy Auditor General Greg Senators explained financial audit reports, including audit opinions, required supplementary information, internal control and compliance findings, federal program compliance, and management letters. The meeting concluded with thanks to the presenters and a motion to adjourn, which passed without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><03:10:55.760><c> each</c> impacted over 5,000 students each impacted over 5,000 students each summer
• </c> students and educators. students and educators.
• College should be again the broadest freedom students have possible to learn.
• </c> philosophies and then let that student philosophies and then let that student decide<05:21:26.240
• students have possible to<05:21:40.240><c> learn.

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I appreciate you coming, but as educators, as folks who oftentimes grade progress of students, we can
• I appreciate you coming, but as educators, as folks who oftentimes grade progress of students, we can
• are working with campus partners to bring this certificate program into existence and to welcome students
• Until 2022, our repository was managed by a faculty member and graduate student with only 10 to 20 hours
• I ask that because, as a parent, we need to make sure our children are taken care of, our students are

Summary: The joint hearing of the Select Committee on Native American Affairs and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee focused on the University of California’s compliance with NAGPRA and CalNAGPRA and the return of Native American human remains and cultural items. Senators and Assembly Members opened by emphasizing the sacredness of repatriation, the ongoing trauma caused by delayed returns, and the need for stronger systemwide accountability. The State Auditor presented the third audit of UC’s repatriation efforts, concluding that UC still lacks the urgency, oversight, and clear timelines needed to promptly return remains and belongings. The audit found thousands of remains and hundreds of thousands of cultural items still in UC custody, new undisclosed collections at several campuses, weak budgeting and underspending, and repatriation plans that often lacked concrete deadlines. The auditor recommended stronger UCOP oversight, performance metrics, proactive searches for undiscovered items, and possible legislative action to tie funding to measurable progress. UC officials responded that the system is committed to full compliance and has accelerated its work since adopting a new policy in 2022. UC Provost Catherine Newman said the system repatriated more than 2,800 ancestors and nearly 80,000 funerary belongings in the past year, and that UC now says 80.3% of Native American remains are either repatriated or available for repatriation. UC announced a new systemwide plan to complete repatriation of human remains by the end of 2028, to finish high-risk campus reviews by June 2026, to recall all loans by January 2026, and to require quarterly reporting to UCOP. UC also said it will spend an additional $8.8 million over three years, expand staffing, improve databases, support tribal consultation costs, and identify potential reburial sites on UC land. Berkeley and San Diego described increased staffing, consultations, and repatriation activity, while Santa Barbara said it had corrected earlier omissions, notified tribes about previously unreported ancestors, and was working toward completing repatriations and updated inventories. Committee members pressed UC on why progress has been so slow, why the audit’s timelines differed from UC’s public reporting, and whether the 2028 goal applies only to human remains rather than all cultural items. UC said the 2028 target is for human remains, while cultural items will take longer, and acknowledged that more work remains. Members also asked about the technical expertise needed for repatriation, the role of tribal experts, and whether repatriation should be embedded more permanently in UC governance or statute. Tribal leaders and representatives then testified that remains and belongings were taken without consent and must be returned with tribal consent and leadership. They criticized the repeated delays, stressed that tribes are the experts on their ancestors and cultural heritage, and urged UC to treat repatriation as a top priority and to return all associated items, not just human remains, so ancestors can truly rest.

Transcript Highlights:

• done in the budget last year was a big win, and we want to make sure the food we are serving to our students
• DONE IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS A BIG WIN AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE FOOD WE ARE SERVING TO OUR STUDENTS
• do enjoy and love, and they provide educational opportunities for the sciences and really get our students
• do enjoy and love, and they provide educational opportunities for the sciences and really get our students
• do enjoy and love, and they provide educational opportunities for the sciences and really get our students

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Joint Conference Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Housing opened budget negotiations for the 2026-2027 enacted budget, with Senate and Assembly leaders outlining their one-house proposals and committee members giving brief remarks. The discussion covered environment, agriculture, housing, parks, and energy, with repeated emphasis on affordability, climate resilience, and support for rural and urban communities. Senate and Assembly chairs described the process and noted the agencies present, while minority members criticized the overall size of the budgets and urged more attention to housing affordability, building stakeholders, and energy costs. On the environment and energy side, the Senate highlighted proposals for $138 million in additional clean water infrastructure funding, a $75 million increase to the Environmental Protection Fund, $95 million in restored parks capital, $200 million for the Energy Affordability Program, and $1 billion for Sustainable Futures 2.0, including a proposed revival of the NY STUN program. The Assembly said it increased the EPF to $500 million, raised clean water infrastructure funding to $800 million, and included targeted amounts for cities, rural housing-related water projects, Cornell Ag Tech, and the Center for Sustainable Materials Management. Democrats argued that high utility bills are driven by natural gas costs rather than clean energy, while Senate and Assembly Republicans said the CLCPA and other energy mandates are increasing costs and should be reconsidered. Agriculture remarks focused on research, farm support, and resilience. Senator Hinchey described funding for Cornell’s COWS program, Farm to School amendments, $7 million for farm worker housing, and a new $20 million Farm Weather Resiliency Grant Program. Chair Lupardo said the Assembly added $16 million over the Governor’s proposal for educational research and outreach, restored support for beginning and disadvantaged farmers, and backed dairy, livestock, hemp fiber, and natural fibers initiatives, while also accepting $30 million in farmer tariff relief if guidelines are set. Minority Assembly Member Tague supported dairy infrastructure funding but criticized the farm labor overtime phase-down and the CLCPA’s impacts on farms. Housing discussion centered on major capital and assistance programs. The Assembly proposed $200 million more for the Housing Access Voucher Program, $100 million for Mitchell-Lama and NYCHA, $50 million for down payment assistance, $4 million for fair housing testing, land banks, and $40 million for the Homeowner Protection Program. The Senate outlined similar priorities, including $500 million for NYCHA, $100 million for Mitchell-Lama preservation, $250 million total for HAVP, and additional funding for mixed-income rental development, vacant rentals, senior housing, and block-by-block infill. Chair Rosenthal said rent stabilization was not being changed in the budget, while Republican members argued that affordability requires lower taxes, lower utility costs, and fewer regulatory burdens. No votes were taken; the meeting was an opening round of budget negotiations and ended with closing remarks from both sides.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here in Massachusetts, we saw a high school student on the way to volleyball... ...practice, arrested
• A college student going home to Texas for Thanksgiving was deported to Honduras, a country she hasn't
• Thanks to the investments that we've made already, thousands of students took advantage of college or
• I was at a graduation ceremony back last year where a student was receiving their high school diploma
• And I'm telling you tonight that I've set a target: 100,000 students in early college within the next

Summary: The joint convention convened to receive the Governor’s annual State of the Commonwealth address. Before the address, the chamber adopted orders appointing committees to escort the Lieutenant Governor, constitutional officers, Executive Council, and Governor into the chamber, and the Archbishop of Boston and Rabbi Elaine Zacker delivered the invocation and benediction. The proceedings also included the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, and formal acknowledgments of guests and former officials. In her address, Governor Maura Healey focused on affordability and the state’s response to federal policy changes. She criticized actions by the Trump administration on tariffs, health care, immigration enforcement, and food assistance, while emphasizing Massachusetts’ efforts to lower costs and protect residents. She highlighted housing production and conversion of state and office properties, energy affordability measures, health care reforms including ending prior authorization for insulin and banning medical debt reporting, transportation improvements, economic development, education investments, and workforce training. She also announced short-term relief for winter utility bills, expanded support for food banks, and new proposals to protect children from social media harms. The Governor also discussed public safety and veterans’ services, citing reforms after the Gabriel House fire and improvements to the Chelsea and Holyoke veterans’ homes. She framed the speech around Massachusetts’ historical role in the nation’s founding and the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence, urging continued unity and leadership. After the Governor’s remarks and the benediction, the joint convention adjourned without any legislative vote on policy matters during the session.

Transcript Highlights:

• Here in Massachusetts, we saw a high school student on the way to volleyball practice arrested.
• A college student going home to Texas for Thanksgiving deported to Honduras, a country she hasn't lived
• Thanks to the investments that we've made already, thousands of students took advantage of college or
• I was at a graduation ceremony back last year where a student was receiving their high school diploma
• And I'm telling you tonight that I've set a target: 100,000 students in early college within the next

Keywords: 1212, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These in-school hours cover a total enrolled student population of almost 81,000.
• This year, we’re conducting school-based surveys, online surveys, and focus groups with students from
• I know that schools, if a student is found to be vaping or smoking, many times the student is suspended
• be in the conversations that you're having with the partnership. with the coalition is to see if a student
• wonderful opportunity, similar to last year, where Representative Thompson and I met with El Dorado students

Committee: House Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• have an app right now through the BCA that people can use, and we'd like more information given to students
• have an app right now through the BCA that people can use, and we'd like more information given to students
• have an app right now through the BCA that people can use, and we'd like more information given to students
• and we'd like more information<00:01:32.320><c> given</c><00:01:32.640><c> to</c><00:01:32.799><c> students
• given to students about that and<00:01:33.840><c> not</c><00:01:34.079><c> only</c><00:01:34.240><c>

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• , college students who Hampshire students, college students who currently<02:01:30.080><c> have</c><02
• So I'm than $3,000 per student.
• </c><02:29:06.479><c> in</c> continue funding even more students in continue funding even more students
• :39.760><c> state</c><03:26:40.080><c> about</c> each student by the state about each student by the
• When the student leaves the $14,000.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a House budget briefing focused on the overall state budget and the first of three divisions. The presenter reviewed the size and structure of the budget, noting that the state had eliminated the interest and dividends tax and still balanced the budget. He explained the major spending categories in the general fund and total budget, emphasizing that health and human services and education remain the largest areas, while transportation is largely self-funded. He also walked through the revenue picture, including business taxes, insurance taxes, court fees, communications taxes, and Medicaid recoveries, and said the remaining interest and dividends tax revenue reflected late payments from prior assessments. Members asked about the size of the tax cut from eliminating the interest and dividends tax, federal funding stability, and why Medicaid was being reduced if federal support was expected to remain steady. The response was that the lost revenue would have been about $200 million absent repeal, and that the budget gap was addressed through many small cuts across departments. On federal funds, the presenter said most aid is tied to multi-year grants and that core programs such as Medicare and Medicaid were expected to remain relatively stable, though some federal reductions could occur. He also said some agency reductions came from eliminating long-vacant, funded positions and from expected lapses. The discussion then moved into Division One, which covers smaller and miscellaneous agencies. The division made cuts to the governor’s office, eliminated a temporary position at the Governor’s Commission on Disability, reduced Department of Information Technology spending through a back-of-budget cut, and found savings in Administrative Services. It also delayed maintenance at the Sununu Youth Services Center, stopped advertising for paid family medical leave, changed retiree health insurance funding, and consolidated several personnel-related boards into one. The division eliminated the Commission on Aging and the Office of the Child Advocate, made a temporary special education advocate position permanent, reduced the Secretary of State’s budget, kept municipal rooms-and-meals distributions flat, and made changes to the retirement system, including $55 million to improve Group 2 retirement benefits and a new retirement structure for future state hires. The judicial branch was also asked to find savings and received two additional judges because of expected caseload increases from other eliminations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Students in this program receive core consumer topics and develop critical thinking skills while focusing
• Members, we have in the North Gallery, if you would please stand, graduate students in environmental
• , took all the AP courses, was an honors student, did all that stuff, wanted to go to Career Tech.
• To that question, the SGOs decide which students get scholarships.
• Well, it helps schools that have kids all in one location, one campus, 300 to 500 students, families

Bills: SB378 , SB985 , SB1246 , HB3720 , SB1500 , SB1984 , HB4118 , SB1644 , SB1546 , SB483

Keywords: bail bondsman, bondsman license, multicounty agent bondsman, surety bondsman, Insurance Commissioner, bail bond regulation, bond deposit, forfeiture, deposit ratio, writing capacity, license transfer, power of attorney, surety bond, bail industry, Oklahoma insurance law, financial solvency, administrative action, Oklahoma Local Food for Schools, school meals, local food procurement

Summary: The House convened, called the roll, and heard an invocation focused on “leading with the farewell,” followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a series of floor recognitions honoring guests and student groups. Presentations included the nurse of the day, Susan Hollingsworth, and multiple student champions and visitors, including the Clinton High School 4A hip hop state champions, Pryor High School’s Life Smarts state champions, the Elgin High School wrestling team, the Fort Gibson FFA livestock judging team, Putnam City North’s girls basketball champions, visiting students from Douglas, OSU environmental science graduate students, and Oklahoma Energy Resource Board teachers of the year. The chamber then took up several Senate bills. SB 378, updating bail bondsman regulations, passed 77-3. SB 985, codifying the local food for school program in statute, passed 79-0. SB 1246, which would update and speed up DEQ permitting while preserving transparency, drew questions about agency outreach and environmental impacts; after a division vote on advancing the bill passed 30-28, the bill itself passed 81-0. Later, SB 1500 on pharmacy benefit managers passed 81-0, SB 1984 on osteopathic medicine passed 74-0, and SB 1644 creating a reporting mechanism for suspected alpha-gal syndrome passed 82-0. The House also adopted Senate amendments to HB 3720, the local food freedom bill, and passed it 81-0. HB 4118, the family caregiver credit, also passed 81-0 after the Senate amendment restored the title “Caring for Caregivers Act.” A motion was made to reject Senate amendments to HB 2992 and request conference. House Joint Resolution 1100, relating to OMES proposed major rule changes, was read on second reading and referred to administrative rules. A lengthy debate centered on an amendment to SB 1546, a teacher-related bill, which would expand the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Scholarship Fund tax credit to support the Strong Readers Act, the Oklahoma Math Proficiency Act, and certain capital projects for scholarship-granting organizations. Supporters said it would encourage private investment in education and add instructional capacity; opponents argued it would favor wealthy private schools, do little for rural or high-poverty districts, and divert scholarship resources. The amendment was adopted unanimously, and the bill was advanced to final passage, with debate continuing at the end of the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• Student loans is one of the top things that takes a homeowner out of the market.
• Um, their parents are still paying off their student loans, so they can't help them.
• Student loans is one of the top things that takes a homeowner out of the market.
• Student loans is one of the top things that takes a homeowner out of the market.
• Student loans is one of the top things that takes a homeowner out of the market.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, what a fantastic opportunity there, not only for our students, but to also build up our input
• So we have the One Utah Service Fellowship, which is for college students and those maybe in that gap
• We have more than 700 students engaged in that at this point in time.
• And we support schools, but we also support the families and students directly.
• data showing that these math mentors who are working with students are really impacting not only the

Committee: Joint Economic Development and Workforce Services Interim Committee

Keywords: 985, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As County Manager Chris Bryce mentioned, we do have about 800 students that we bring from the port of
• These students are citizens of the United States.
• I called our school nurses this morning, and they told me that they have seen an increase in student
• But these students need to be in the classroom, and for that reason, Deming Public Schools supports any
• So there is a two-hour curfew for the buses to go get their students and get them.

Transcript Highlights:

• and, most importantly, in the case of school districts, this bill would have an adverse effect on student
• and, most importantly, in the case of school districts, this bill would have an adverse effect on student
• I am a medical student at the University of Minnesota, and I'm here today to testify in strong support
• </c><00:15:45.720><c> at</c><00:15:45.839><c> the</c> Hunter Krell I a medical student at the Hunter
• Krell I a medical student at the University<00:15:46.360><c> of</c><00:15:46.480><c> Minnesota</c><00

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Students come to the Capitol with their own ideas on how to solve national and international problems
• Students come to the Capitol with their own ideas on how to solve national and international problems
• Students come to the Capitol with their own ideas on how to solve national and international problems
• But that's not something that typically stops 16- to 18-year-old students.
• </c><00:28:14.919><c> write</c> program which also has students write program which also has students

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So with our distinction students.
• </c> standards mandatory for our student standards mandatory for our student safety<02:33:33.600><c>
• The success of our students education.
• So, been harmful to student achievement.
• </c> every student in this commonwealth. every student in this commonwealth.

Keywords: 958, all