Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a longtime resident of Contra Costa County, also of Rodeo.
• My name is Tommy Thompson, Solano County.
• Chair of members, Tommy Thompson, Solano County.
• Under the California Constitution to regulate county assessment practices, equalize county assessment
• Might have been part of the California Jobs First, the Orange County Business Council...

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard several budget proposals from CDTFA, the Board of Equalization, and the Franchise Tax Board. The first panel focused on cannabis, hemp, flavored tobacco, and related enforcement. CDTFA requested ongoing funding to implement cannabis tax changes, enforce the new intoxicating hemp restrictions and flavored tobacco seizure authority, and continue compliance work. The department said it is targeting illicit product, protecting licensed businesses, and using referrals from the public and lawmakers to focus inspections. The LAO supported some of the proposals but urged the Legislature to treat them as part of a longer-term enforcement strategy and raised concerns about the use of General Fund support for cannabis enforcement. Public testimony on the cannabis item largely supported stronger enforcement and funding for the legal market. The committee also heard CDTFA’s request to reappropriate funds for an upgrade to the CROS tax collection system, which would improve taxpayer services, security, and software maintenance without adding new money. A separate CDTFA proposal would make all delivery network companies, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, marketplace facilitators for sales tax purposes. CDTFA said the change would reduce confusion for restaurants and improve compliance, while the LAO questioned whether the proposal functioned more like a tax increase because it would also capture service fees. Members raised affordability concerns, but the proposal was framed by the administration as a parity and compliance measure. The subcommittee then considered a governor’s proposal for a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit. Finance argued the credit would help decarbonize aviation and support in-state production, while the LAO recommended rejection, citing cost, uncertainty about environmental benefits, possible diversion of diesel excise tax revenues from transportation programs, and concerns about consistency with voter-approved transportation funding rules. Testimony from airlines, labor unions, airports, and refinery workers strongly supported the credit, emphasizing union jobs, refinery conversions, and emissions reductions, while fuel retailers and some others warned about fiscal risk and higher fuel prices. The chair and some members expressed support for the proposal despite the funding concerns. Finally, the BOE presented an IT modernization project for state-assessed property administration, saying the current system is outdated and manual and that a new system is needed to improve accuracy, cybersecurity, and workflow efficiency, especially with a likely increase in workload from new VoIP assessments. The LAO asked for more justification for the timing, but BOE said the urgency stems from aging systems and growing workload. BOE also requested modest funding to implement SB 293 changes to intergenerational property transfers and wildfire relief guidance, which the LAO did not oppose. The Franchise Tax Board began its presentation on the final phase of its Enterprise Data to Revenue modernization effort, describing the project’s rollout across audit, collections, legal, and filing enforcement workloads and noting it is now in a warranty period.

Transcript Highlights:

• The program authorizes school districts and charter schools to place current and retired high-performing
• THE PROGRAM AUTHORIZES SCHOOL DISTRICTS   34 AND CHARTER SCHOOLS TO PLACE CURRENT  AND
• IS LORI   133 McCracken, and I'm the owner and operator of Baby Fox Academy in Sarasota County
• When she was at home, we lived in Escambia County, and she attended a center school specifically for
• KNOW BROWARD COUNTY IS ONE OF THEM.

Summary: The Pre-K-12 Budget Subcommittee met with a quorum and considered three bills. HB 157, School Teacher Training and Mentoring Program, would create a Department of Education program allowing school districts and charter schools to place current or retired high-performing teachers in D- or F-rated schools as mentors, with a proposed $3,000 stipend per mentor per mentee. Members questioned the funding source and contract-time implications; the sponsor said the program would use previously decategorized education funds and that mentoring could be done within existing planning, before-school, after-school, or weekend time. An amendment clarifying that the bill would use a contract template rather than a DOE contract was adopted, and the bill was reported favorably. The committee then heard CS/HB 859, Exceptional Students and Video Cameras in Public Schools, which would require school boards to adopt policies for video cameras in self-contained ESE classrooms upon a parent request, with redaction of other students from footage. Public testimony strongly supported the bill, including emotional accounts from a parent of a nonverbal adult with autism who described past abuse in a classroom and from the Autism Society of Florida, which argued cameras are a necessary safety measure for vulnerable students and noted other states already allow or require them. Members emphasized student safety and the need to fund the policy, and the bill was reported favorably. Finally, the committee considered HB 561, Educator Certification, which aims to reduce barriers for experienced educators returning to the classroom by expanding temporary certificate eligibility to those with expired Florida certificates, allowing prior subject-area exam results to count for reinstatement, and updating references related to educator professional learning support. The sponsor said the bill preserves standards while making reinstatement more efficient and less costly. There was broad support from members, who noted the value of retaining experienced teachers, and HB 561 was also reported favorably. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• That from ordinary title 15 authority.
• number one, UN County Wyoming, and we number one, UN County Wyoming, and we assess<00:37:30.160><c>
• , the school district, or the city county, the school district, or the city or<00:37:49.040><c> county
• I know we have control areas currently in Laramie County, Platte County, and Goshen County, but just
• And it is in the county.

Committee: Joint Select Water Committee

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've talked to four different police officers in Coos County.
• My name is Stephen Enders, and I'm an assistant county attorney in Merrimack County.
• .' at the request of state county or local at the request of state county or local law<04:24:05.800><
• The authors try to claim that it doesn't, but in fact it does.
• </c> wasn't fifth Federal Federal authorities wasn't fifth Federal Federal authorities have<06:31:05.240

Committee: House Criminal Justice and Public Safety

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's based out of Lexington, has locations in Grayson County, has locations in McCracken County, and
• </c> tenure and her position at Fyet County. tenure and her position at Fyet County.
• So, FA County for by the department.
• When the program started, it had 11 pilot counties and has now expanded to 18 counties. well as this
• It has started with 11 pilot counties.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the October 13 minutes and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and agreements, including a deferred list from the September 2025 agenda. Members questioned several agencies about the purpose, cost, and duration of the items before them, with repeated motions to consider the contracts reviewed without objection passing by roll call. The Office of Energy Policy and Energy and Environment Cabinet presented a solar-and-battery program. Members asked about panel and battery lifespan, warranty coverage, who would pay for replacement or disposal, and whether the program made sense in Kentucky. The agency said panels and batteries generally last 25 to 30 years, warranties would cover replacement during the warranty period, EPA guidance would govern disposal, and federal funds would cover program expenses. Officials estimated the program could reduce participating homeowners’ utility bills by about 70%, with a minimum required savings of 20%. The Department for Community Based Services explained a new vendor contract for SSI initial and redetermination work for children in out-of-home care, saying the work is federally required, the department lacks in-house capacity, and the contract replaced a prior vendor after an RFP protest and rebid. The Department of Highways described umbrella traffic engineering contracts for smaller highway safety projects, noting they are used for spot improvements and are nearing full utilization. The Kentucky Historical Society said its contract funded a temporary exhibit tied to 250th anniversary programming, and the Board of Medical Licensure discussed an amended audit contract, explaining that annual audits were adopted after an auditor’s recommendation and that the board is funded by state allocation plus fees and fines. The Department for Natural Resources/Abandoned Mine Lands gave the most extensive presentation, describing a $5 million engineering services contract as part of a much larger workload increase driven by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, with projects prioritized by citizen complaints and safety impacts; the agency said the contract supports design and oversight for community-scale mine reclamation projects that exceed in-house capacity.

Transcript Highlights:

• A court cost surcharge for a law library has been authorized by statute for all counties since 1945.
• Louis County and Jackson County, which already have a $20 surcharge.
• Louis County is authorized to go up to $20, but they have other sources of funding.
• Those are grassroots folks who are nominated by their counties. They're county presidents.
• Calaway County, $12,000.

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> authority to review those petitions. authority to review those petitions.
• </c><00:27:45.679><c> away</c> pulled that delegation authority away pulled that delegation authority
• I'm Sher Davis from Crook County.
• I'm Sher Davis from Crook County. I'm simply a citizen. Ms. Davis from Crook County.
• </c> &gt;&gt; Jerry Davis from Crook County. &gt;&gt; Jerry Davis from Crook County.

Bills: HB0108 , HB0039 , HB0091 , HB0070

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: audit, transparency, government reporting, accountability, public access, firearm rights, restoration of rights, criminal justice, felony convictions, Wyoming law, artificial intelligence, social scoring, biometric data, privacy rights, government regulation, foreign censorship, digital innovation, constitutional rights, Wyoming GRANITE Act, extraterritorial laws

Transcript Highlights:

• It's also important to note that the OPMA does authorize executive sessions for governing bodies.
• To qualify, data centers must be located in counties with populations over 800,000.
• That preference is applicable to data centers located in rural counties.
• To qualify, data centers must be located in counties with populations over 800,000.
• That preference is applicable to data centers located in rural counties.

Committee: Joint Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences

Summary: The Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of Tax Preferences met on May 7, 2025, with quorum present. The commission approved the October 22, 2024 meeting minutes and then received its annual open government refresher from the Attorney General’s office, which reviewed key requirements under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act, including record retention, response deadlines, exemptions, and meeting notice rules. Staff then provided a 2025 legislative session update, noting that the legislature passed 23 tax-preference-related bills, with several signed by the governor and others pending. Highlights included bills that extended or repealed certain preferences, added reporting requirements for newspaper and digital content exemptions, authorized JLARC to adjust its work plan when data is unavailable, and created a new exemption for zero-emission buses. The commission approved updates to the 2026 tax preference review schedule, which includes eight preferences in seven reviews, and approved unchanged testimony questions for 2025. The commission also received the 2025 expedited preference review report covering 52 tax preferences, presented as an interactive table drawing on prior JLARC reviews and Department of Revenue studies. Staff then outlined the process for developing the next 10-year review schedule for 2027-2036, including surveying the legislature, incorporating new and repealed preferences, and considering a possible rolling 10-year schedule. No public comment was registered. The meeting ended with acknowledgments of Ron Buing’s long service on the commission and an announcement that the next meeting would be held August 6, 2025.

Transcript Highlights:

• Lord God, you are the author of true liberty, and we thank you for your word, which declares freedom,
• Raise up leaders in Idaho cities, counties, and the state who love doing what's right more than being
• I believe Jacqueline Taylor, who is the CEO of Power County Hospital, is in the gallery if she'd stand
• I believe Jacqueline Taylor, who is the CEO of Power County Hospital, is in the gallery if she'd stand
• President, I ask unanimous consent that all petitions and resolutions be read by number, author, and

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And how the county is carrying the burden.
• five or seven counties, depends on what you want to use as a metro county.
• The county is carrying the burden.
• five or seven counties, depends on what you want to use as a metro county.
• five or seven counties, depends on what you want to use as a metro county.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• LET'S START WITH SB 20 ON RELIEF OF JM MINER BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BY SENATOR BURGESS.
• THE CLAIMS IS $400,000 FOR JM MINOR BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ON JUNE 7th, 2020.
• HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RECEIVE NOTICE ABOUT THE UNEVEN SIDEWALKS IN THAT AREA PRIOR TO THIS INJURY.
• HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND GUARDIANS HAVE AGREED TO SETTLE THE CASE FOR $600,000.
• I AM A PUBLIC EDUCATOR FROM OSCEOLA COUNTY AND I AM IN OPPOSITION OF THIS BILL 248.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's also more work to do on the ESPA, the Mountain Home aquifer, Elmore County.
• We're certainly aware of data centers coming in South Ada County.
• Some of the work that needs to be done in Elmore County is going to cost a lot of money.
• Some of the work that needs to be done in Elmore County is going to cost a lot of money.
• And I don't believe we need any spending authority presently to continue that process. Thank you.

Summary: The committee first heard a budget presentation for the Department of Water Resources. Analysts explained the agency’s structure, continuously appropriated funds, and the large budget increases tied to ARPA State Fiscal Recovery Funds and the ongoing $30 million infrastructure appropriation. Director Matthew Weaver and Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould described the department’s role in managing water rights, aquifer recharge, stream gauges, groundwater monitoring, and major projects in the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA), the Palouse area, Mountain Home, and the Bear River basin. Members asked about aquifer stabilization, the impact of budget holdbacks on field work and monitoring, water quality concerns, project delays caused by easements and federal coordination, and the effect of data centers on water use. Weaver said reductions are being managed through cuts to travel, training, maintenance, and some stream gauge funding, and that the department is working toward a long-term goal of stabilizing the ESPA through reduced pumping, increased recharge, and expanded management areas. Chairman Raybould and Director Weaver also discussed the use of the prior $30 million appropriation, saying it has been fully obligated for recharge, conversion from groundwater to surface water irrigation, telemetry, and related projects. They said the next $30 million would likely support additional ESPA work, a Bear River study, and other emerging needs, but that major projects can take years because of engineering, landowner, state, and federal coordination. Questions also covered recharge capacity, the current average recharge level, and whether the state could reach a 350,000 acre-foot annual recharge goal; the witnesses said current infrastructure could handle well over 500,000 acre-feet in a good year, but more capacity is needed. The committee also discussed private and local matching funds for aging irrigation infrastructure and the role of groundwater quality monitoring, with Weaver noting that contamination issues are referred to the Department of Environmental Quality. The committee then moved to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission budget. Analysts said the agency’s budget is driven largely by one-time water quality appropriations in recent years and a small ongoing base, with a supplemental and enhancement request tied to CREP funding. Weaver, serving as interim administrator, and two commissioners explained that the commission supports local conservation districts and that a stakeholder process led by the Langdon Group recommended merging the commission with the Department of Water Resources. Weaver said the merger would preserve the commission’s non-regulatory, locally led mission while creating administrative efficiencies, and that related legislation and a concurrent resolution are moving through the Legislature. Members asked about CREP data, acreage, and water savings; Weaver said the program is a voluntary federal-state partnership, mainly in southern Idaho and parts of the eastern Snake Plain, with about 11,000 acres enrolled out of a 50,000-acre cap. He said a fully utilized CREP program could significantly reduce groundwater diversions, and the committee adjourned after discussing the historical shift from soil conservation toward water conservation priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our commissioners cannot waive the tax by statute; they don't have that authority.
• We earn them through either processing city and county, certain city and County taxes, we get a percentage
• There's a statutory requirement with at least one in every single county.
• I think the turn PPI authority and the tax mission also had some of those scams.
• We're the 19th largest county or state geographically.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, a bill chief authored by Senator Mchuan.
• Uh a bill chief authored by 3101. Uh a bill chief authored by Senator<00:01:20.840><c> Mchuan.
• </c> the chief author the chief author or<00:36:56.560><c> Senator</c><00:36:56.880><c> Fate.
• The city and county development.
• </c><01:35:40.080><c> This</c> signing on as the co-author. This signing on as the co-author.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Ramsey County election bureau has administered our 2023 election, and the cost was $28,600.
• Minneapolis is different from Ramsey County, and Ramsey County is different from Mounds View.
• Minneapolis is different from Ramsey County, and Ramsey County is different from Mounds View.
• Minneapolis is different from Ramsey County, and Ramsey County is different from Mounds View.
• Representative Acomb, thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to the bill author.

Bills: HF72 , HF66 , HF69 , HF73

Committee: House Elections Finance and Government Operations

Keywords: campaign finance, state funding, political activity, nonprofits, government transparency, HF66, Minnesota second-degree murder, unintentional murder, protective order, order for protection, harassment restraining order, domestic violence, victim protection, cross-jurisdictional orders, out-of-state restraining order, tribal court order, Canadian protective order, public safety, criminal law, homicide

Transcript Highlights:

• They've already had that authority.
• know that we reduced them to an advisory committee does that still that still fall within their authority
• had and this only change is that it provides an additional guardrail today they already have the authority
• to do this they already have the authority to sell it it already goes with the backstop of ClO it then
• Instead of forcing the county or the city to accept responsibility or take over the property, we're just

Bills: SB248 , SB985 , SB1307 , SB1319 , SB1405 , SB1530 , SB1919

Committee: House A&B Natural Resources Subcommittee

Keywords: tourism, revolving fund, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, real property, fund management, Oklahoma Local Food for Schools, school meals, local food procurement, farm to school, school districts, Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, local producers, meat processors, reimbursement program, agriculture, nutrition, farmers, ranchers, local sourcing

Transcript Highlights:

• Counties don't have large commercial tax bases.
• The effect on county finances is immediate.
• surrounding counties that we have.
• So also, it would impact our county budget in Rio Arriba County.
• I helped with the copper rules back when I was a county commissioner.

Summary: The committee first took up the proposed 2026 tax package, Senate Bill 151, and adopted a committee substitute after discussion of the package’s funding capacity and included measures. The substitute bundled five bills: a physician tax credit, a quantum facility infrastructure tax credit, a construction materials gross receipts deduction for affordable multifamily housing, a local journalist employment tax credit, and a health equipment gross receipts deduction. Members discussed amendments that raised the physician credit from $4,000 to $10,000, narrowed the housing deduction to project-based certification, and reduced the journalist credit threshold from four stories to three. Concerns were raised about the fiscal impact on municipalities, especially Albuquerque, and about the funding mechanism, but the committee voted 6-4 to give the substitute a do pass recommendation. Senator Sanchez explained his vote, saying he wished more could have been included in the package. The committee then heard Senate Bill 18, the Clear Horizons Act, which would codify statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets and direct the Environment Department and Environmental Improvement Board to develop plans and rules for emissions reductions. The sponsors said the bill builds on the governor’s 2019 executive order, includes a 10,000-metric-ton threshold for covered emitters, allows certified offsets, and is intended to protect public health, reduce climate-related costs, and provide regulatory certainty. Supporters argued the bill would help communities facing wildfire, drought, health harms, and rising insurance and utility costs, and that it would encourage clean-energy investment and long-term economic stability. Opposition testimony came from mining, oil and gas, rural electric cooperatives, construction, agriculture, auto dealers, chambers of commerce, banks, water recycling companies, and realtors. They argued the bill functions like a carbon tax or broad regulatory mandate, would raise energy and compliance costs, could reduce investment and jobs, and would disproportionately affect rural, tribal, agricultural, and low-income communities. Several witnesses warned of higher electricity and fuel bills, revenue losses for local governments, and uncertainty from delegating major policy decisions to rulemaking. Supporters included public health advocates, educators, local officials, clean-energy businesses, tribal and environmental advocates, and residents affected by wildfire and drought, who said the bill is necessary to address climate harms and protect public health and the economy. No final committee vote on SB 18 was reached in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Message from the King County Council, the clerk will read.
• Justice Yu also served as a deputy in the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
• Counties with the highest number of people at risk of losing this critical lifeline include our most
• populous counties like the one I live in, Pierce, but also Yakima, Benton, Cowlitz, and Spokane counties
• One year after swapping local levy authority for state tax authority, which represented a modest tax

Summary: The House convened for the opening day of the 2026 regular session of the 69th Legislature, with 96 members present. The session included the Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, a prayer, and a tribal welcome and blessing from Squaxin Island Tribe members, followed by the swearing-in of several representatives by retired Justice Mary Yu. The Speaker also recognized the deaths of Senator Bill Ramos, Speaker Emeritus Frank Chopp, and Trooper Tara Marissa Gooding with a moment of silence. In opening remarks, the Speaker emphasized the impacts of federal actions on Washington, including tariffs, H.R. 1, health care costs, Medicaid and food assistance losses, climate and clean energy funding threats, immigration and civil rights concerns, and the need to protect food, health, shelter, and affordability. Representative Stokesbary responded for House Republicans, focusing on Washington’s high cost of living, opposing an income tax, and urging action on affordability, housing, and crime. Both sides framed the session as a difficult but important period for budget and policy decisions. The House adopted House Resolution 4665 to notify the governor that it was organized and ready for business, and adopted House Concurrent Resolutions 4406 and 4407 to receive the governor’s address and establish the session’s cutoff dates. The chamber also adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 8407, adopted permanent House rules, and approved several committee reassignments and appointments. A House delegation then reported back from a visit with Governor Ferguson, and the House adjourned until the next day, when it was scheduled to meet in pro forma session before the joint session for the governor’s State of the State address.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's a lot that goes with Israel for 38.6 authority. We have to set up a friend's.
• for lack of a prior authorization.
• for plans that implemented a prior authorization requirements.
• Those claims that they were denied Salaita for not having a prior authorization in place.
• How long it for the prior authorization for the not to now the claims.

Transcript Highlights:

• Item four for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
• I'm a resident of Solano County. I'm here in support of the SAF incentive.
• I live in Hercules, California, which is in Contra Costa County.
• My name is Amy Henry, and I live in Fairfield, which is part of Solano County.
• My name is Amy Henry, and I live in Fairfield, which is part of Salonel County.

Keywords: 988, house, all