Transcript Highlights:

• But MassGrowth definitely is engaged with getting funding out to the CDFIs and specialized and worker
• I currently work at LEAF, a nonprofit community loan fund in Allston.
• as part of this and to increase your goal is to continue to increase in a revolving fund.
• The state's already reached its spending threshold, and money's going into the stabilization fund, so
• By contrast, worker cooperatives average a ratio of four to one, some of them much lower than that.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

Summary: The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held its first public hearing of the session, chaired by Rep. Carole Fiola with Sen. Barry Finegold. After housekeeping on livestreaming, virtual testimony, and written testimony deadlines, the committee heard testimony on several bills, with the main focus on S. 303/H. 503/S. 305 and H. 491, all related to worker ownership and business succession. Testimony generally supported expanding employee ownership, right of first refusal for workers, and incentives for owners to sell to employee groups. Speakers from worker co-ops, technical assistance organizations, lenders, and business owners said these measures could preserve local businesses, protect jobs, build worker wealth, and help communities retain valued services and storefronts. On S. 303, Vincent Lawrence Dixon described a proposal to create tools such as a special community trustee, right of first refusal, and community institution landmarks to help communities preserve important local properties and uses when owners cease operations. On H. 491 and the employee-ownership bills, witnesses including Matthew Page Lieberman, Caleb from Circus Cooperative Cafe, Sarah Acefa of Dorchester Food Co-op, Halsey Platt, Kevin O'Brien, John Abrams, Virginia Berman, Stacey Cordero, Adrian Roman, Alex Popali, Adam Trott, and Ethan Tupelo emphasized that worker-owned businesses can be more resilient, support democratic participation, and help with business transitions as owners retire or close. Committee members asked questions about the tax incentive threshold, the timing and mechanics of the right of first refusal, and whether the bills would affect sale prices or business succession. Rep. Kristen Kassner also testified on H. 490, which would create a special commission to inventory the Commonwealth’s built environment, infrastructure, permitting, and land-use barriers to help Massachusetts adapt vacant or underused spaces for the next economy. She said the commission would help identify opportunities for housing, climate and energy tech, advanced manufacturing, and other uses, and members discussed commission composition and data sources. At the end of the hearing, the chair read a series of additional bills into the record, noted an upcoming Economic Development Expo, and the committee adjourned after a motion and second.

Transcript Highlights:

• is funded by the general fund.
• There is enough in the fund to fund two payouts currently. many years that this fund has existed many
• </c> by the general fund. by the general fund.
• ratio if that ratio membership if that ratio if that ratio was<01:04:40.440><c> the</c><01:04:40.560>
• </c> able to fund raise. able to fund raise.

Transcript Highlights:

• I ask for an I vote. to fund businesses across the state over to fund businesses across the state over
• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises
• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises
• fund our own courts, when we can't fund our own corrections, when we can't fund all of the promises
• </c> are going to fund his competition? are going to fund his competition?

Transcript Highlights:

• um keep everything at an even keel and um just do what was right for the people of Minnesota and funding
• So, I appreciate you mentioning it. this funding across the state? this funding across the state?
• Two of those supervisors were hired with funding that the legislature provided last year.
• </c> supervisors were uh hired with funding supervisors were uh hired with funding that<01:03:04.400>
• And as we build out and have more and more volunteers, that ratio will need additional supervisors.

Bills: HF2825

Committee: House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law

Keywords: expungement, criminal justice, background check, security industry, private detective

Transcript Highlights:

• And on the back end, bank transfers, crypto, and payment apps transfer funds from consumers to scammers
• The numbers he shared from the FTC include some of the funds lost to charity scams, but they can't come
• Do we have any bar as to where it's adequate to be funding their operations versus it's not adequate?
• A different question: Are funds donated by a Washingtonian to a charity that's located in Texas, and
• A percentage goes to the general fund, but the majority... ...goes to the Secretary of State to run its

Committee: House Consumer Protection & Business

Transcript Highlights:

• The mission of the computer in every car is to maintain an air-fuel ratio of 14.7 to 1 at all times.
• So, we're not 100% sure if the air-fuel ratio is correct." So this is an environmental issue.
• </c> sure if the air fuel ratio is correct." sure if the air fuel ratio is correct."
• There is the guarantee fund, which serves as that backstop to ensure that claims are still able to be
• as that the guarantee fund which serves as that backs<02:10:15.599><c> stop</c><02:10:15.840><c> to<

Committee: Senate Commerce

Transcript Highlights:

• 57 seeks to address historic and systemic inequities in home ownership by reserving a portion of funding
• By specifically allocating funds to descendants of formerly enslaved individuals, AB 57 acknowledges
• Although it sets aside 10% of funds based on lineage and ancestry, specifically descendants of formerly
• injury from housing discrimination: make the category not based on lineage and ancestry, state that funds
• But when a submeter cannot be installed, the law did acknowledge ratio utility billing systems.

Committee: House Judiciary

Summary: The committee heard several bills focused on public safety, labor protections, family stability, and legal process. AB 57 would reserve 10% of California Home Purchase Assistance Program funds for descendants of formerly enslaved people. Supporters, including the NAACP and reparations advocates, said it would address historic housing discrimination and build generational wealth. Opponents argued the bill is an unconstitutional race proxy. After quorum was established, the committee voted to pass AB 57 as amended to Appropriations, with some members voting no or not voting, and the bill was placed on call. AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, would expand and clarify caregiving tools for children whose parents face immigration-related separation, including broader use of caregiver authorization affidavits, recognition of non-relative extended family caregivers, and a short-term guardianship option that preserves parental rights. Supporters said the bill would reduce trauma and help families plan for emergencies; one member raised concerns about safeguards for non-family caregivers. The bill passed to Human Services on a do-pass motion and was placed on call. AB 392 would regulate non-consensual sexually explicit online content by requiring age and consent verification before upload, mandating removal after complaint, and creating civil remedies. A survivor of the iCloud hack testified in support, and members discussed implementation details and possible amendments. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations and was placed on call. AB 692 would ban employer debt agreements that require workers to repay training or related costs if they leave or are fired; labor groups supported it as a response to “stay-or-pay” traps, while business and industry groups warned it could affect bonuses and voluntary training programs. The bill passed as amended to Appropriations and was placed on call. The committee also heard AB 1234 on wage theft enforcement, AB 1522 on expedited licensing for certain former federal attorneys and protection for reproductive-health legal work, and AB 394 on stronger protections for transit workers facing assault and harassment. AB 1234 would let the Labor Commissioner enter judgment when employers fail to participate in wage-claim proceedings; supporters emphasized long delays and unpaid wages, while opponents objected to the 30% administrative fee. AB 1522 and AB 394 both drew support and were advanced on do-pass motions, with AB 1522 and AB 1234 placed on call after roll-call votes. The committee also approved a consent calendar of multiple bills and took up additional procedural motions before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nico Molina, on behalf of the NRDC Action Fund, in support. Thank you.
• The rising costs, and as you can imagine, inflation, have created a growing funding gap.
• Our three farm worker centers are funded by an innovative model using a combination of public funds,
• It protects a model of public-private partnership funding farm worker housing that can and should be
• a model for all agricultural communities in California. ...model of public-private partnership funding

Committee: House Housing and Community Development

Transcript Highlights:

• tying them to inflation, and reinvesting the penalty revenue into the state Public Works Enforcement Fund
• toward this critical work. ...help continuously reinvest funds toward this critical work.
• now is a growing gap between what the law requires and what is actually taking place on taxpayer-funded
• It was subsequently amended in 2018 and 2019 because the ratios were difficult to comply with.
• And my suspicion is that in short order, you will see more legislation asking to relax those ratios.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• It also causes no increase or decrease to the state funds.
• these instances to tell them that they can hold on visitations without being worried about loss of 4E funding
• I don't see this as a scare tactic or even to engage in a debate on the risk-benefit ratio of a particular
• And with that risk-benefit ratio being different for each child, that one always exists.
• And with that risk-benefit ratio being different for each child or person and family and each vaccine

Committee: House Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• It was established in 1933 as a ratio between state highways and local highways.
• Ratio between state highways and road highway, local highways.

Summary: The conference committee on House Bill 1053 met to resolve Senate changes concerning a statutory cap on state highway mileage. Members discussed the history of the mileage limit, which was set in 1933, and whether keeping the cap in Century Code still served a useful purpose. House members were split between viewing the cap as an accountability and educational tool for future legislators and seeing it as unnecessary clutter because DOT already reports highway mileage and is separately limited by the 50-mile-per-year rule. DOT Director Ron Hanky testified that the department already tracks and reports mileage for budget and federal purposes, that the 7,700-mile cap is not especially useful to DOT, and that the department would prefer the cap be removed. He also explained how mileage is measured and noted several potential road additions that could be affected by the cap. The committee ultimately could not reach agreement. Representative Dressler moved that the House reject the Senate amendment, and the motion was seconded, but the roll call failed with a split vote: Dressler, Johnston, and Freilich voted yes; Hogan, Rommel, and Corey voted no. With no further motion, the committee adjourned and planned to reschedule another meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• KY is one of the top 10 states in the country in the funding ratios of our medical pension plans, right
• </c><00:05:09.600><c> pension</c> funding ratios of our medical pension funding ratios of our medical
• those funds.
• ><00:45:27.440><c> road</c><00:45:27.680><c> fund</c> keep or the general fund and road fund keep or
• the general fund and road fund don't<00:45:28.079><c> have.

Summary: The committee met to hear a presentation from Dr. Hicks on the governor’s recommended budget for the next biennium. He reviewed the revenue outlook, noting modest general fund growth, a large rainy day fund balance, and the impact of recent income tax reductions. He said the budget was built around recurring reductions, lower debt service and retirement contribution rates, and the use of excess restricted funds, while protecting K-12 education, Medicaid, postsecondary education, public safety, and pension obligations. Dr. Hicks outlined several major spending and reserve proposals, including $350 million from the Department of Insurance’s excess restricted funds to support Medicaid in the first year, $150 million for the affordable housing trust fund, $125 million for rural hospitals, $100 million to offset lost federal ACA premium tax credits, $75 million for utility assistance, and $50 million for food assistance. In education, the proposal included a phased pre-K for all plan funded by sports wagering tax revenue, a 3% annual salary increase for full-time school personnel, continued full funding of teacher pensions, a 2.5% annual increase in SEEK base funding, and additional support for career and technical education and school facilities. He also discussed Medicaid cost pressures, including higher managed care, pharmacy, behavioral health, and nursing facility costs, and explained the expected effects of federal HR1 changes on Kentucky’s Medicaid program. Those changes include work and community engagement requirements and more frequent eligibility redeterminations for expansion members, which the administration estimated would reduce enrollment by about 4,300 in the first year and 28,000 in the second year. No votes or formal committee actions were taken during the meeting, which was limited to the budget presentation and member questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Nico Molina, on behalf of the NRDC Action Fund, in support.
• The rising costs, and as you can imagine, inflation, have created a growing funding gap.
• Our three farm worker centers are funded by an innovative model using a combination of public funds,
• It protects a model of public-private partnership funding farm worker housing that can and should be
• and they've adopted that, as opposed to the per-unit-based density calculation or using floor area ratio

Summary: The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee heard a full agenda of housing-related bills, with most measures receiving broad support and advancing on unanimous or near-unanimous votes. Early in the hearing, AB 2035 by Assembly Member Dixon was presented as a narrowly tailored fix for a large senior HOA in Laguna Woods Village, allowing a lower vote threshold to amend outdated CC&Rs after repeated failed elections; members raised questions about broader impacts, but the bill passed 12-0 to Judiciary. AB 1684 by Assembly Member Ward would bar HOAs from restricting homeowners’ ability to install or replace cooling systems; supporters cited heat-related health risks and a constituent’s experience, while HOA representatives sought amendments to preserve reasonable rules on drainage, electrical capacity, and common-area protection. The committee discussed those concerns and advanced the bill 8-0 to Judiciary. AB 1710 by Assembly Member Carrillo would extend SB 330-style vesting protections to state and regional permitting agencies so housing projects are not subjected to shifting post-entitlement standards, with supporters arguing it would improve predictability and speed housing production. Special districts and utilities opposed unless amended, warning about conflicts with changing state and regional rules, but the bill passed 9-0 to Local Government. AB 1738 by Assembly Member Crewe would require remote virtual inspections for certain simple home renovations; supporters from SPUR and Placer County described faster, lower-cost inspections already in use, while labor groups raised concerns and sought amendments. Members emphasized keeping inspections jurisdiction-based and not replacing safety oversight, and the bill passed 8-0 to Local Government. The committee also approved AB 1890 by Assembly Member Curry, which increases state matching support for Napa County farmworker housing centers from $250,000 to $500,000 annually through 2036; supporters described the centers as a successful public-private model providing housing and services for farmworkers, and the bill passed 8-0 to Appropriations. AB 2433 by Assembly Member Alvarez would modernize the density bonus law by improving notice, clarifying eligibility and ministerial approval, and adding incentives for for-sale affordable housing; it drew strong support from housing and business groups and passed 10-0 to Local Government. AB 1567 by Assembly Member Ta would allow assisted living communities to be counted in housing element reporting and RHNA-related planning, and it passed 10-0 to Local Government. The consent calendar, including AB 1573 and AB 2162, was also approved unanimously, and the committee adjourned after taking roll-call votes on the remaining items.

Transcript Highlights:

• We believe in the long-term investments of our funding formula, as well as the stability and the funding
• That model of necessary small schools, which is not a district funding model but a school's funding model
• The state fully funded the LCFF in 2018-19 and has annually... ...fully funded the LCFF in 2018-19 and
• grant funding.
• with federal ESSA funding and have been continued with these LREBG funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• , to provide funding to CASA advocates, to fund Prop. 36, and to fund programs that help victims of human
• , special funds from the state funds.
• , special funds from the state funds.
• , special funds from the state funds.
• the federal match funding.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Committee met to consider the final three-party agreement for the 2026-27 state budget and 19 implementing bills, including two budget bill juniors and 17 trailer bills. Committee leadership and administration officials described the budget as a balanced plan that reduces out-year structural deficits, maintains large reserves, and makes major investments in health care, education, housing, child care, public safety, and other core services while also responding to expected federal cuts and fiscal uncertainty. The Department of Finance outlined the package’s major components, including Medi-Cal adjustments, education funding increases, higher education changes, child care and human services updates, housing and homelessness funding, energy and transportation provisions, and tax and general government changes. Members asked questions about several provisions, including CSU enrollment targets and turnaround plans, the Prop. 98 settle-up mechanism, the plastics market development payment program, housing accountability measures, NextGen 9-1-1 implementation, and veteran services. Staff and administration witnesses explained that the higher education language is intended to improve campus-by-campus reporting and oversight, that Prop. 98 settle-up would be finalized later through the statutory certification process, and that NextGen 9-1-1 now includes one-time funding, quarterly reporting, an independent technical review, and a state audit. Members also discussed the HAP homelessness funding increase to $900 million and the balance between accountability and timely distribution of funds. The most extended exchange centered on comparisons between funding for veterans and Medi-Cal/immigrant health coverage. Republican members argued the budget spends far more on undocumented immigrant services than on veterans, while Democratic members and Finance staff responded that the comparison was misleading because many veterans’ services are federally funded and the state budget also includes dedicated veteran support. The chair and other members emphasized that the budget reflects difficult tradeoffs and that the package protects vulnerable populations, preserves health care access, and advances affordability. No final vote was described in the excerpt, but members indicated support for the overall package and said they would support it on the floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• , where FY27 the Land-Grant Permanent Fund may distribute $1.7 billion to the general fund, a $164.6
• So when we first started the program, it was funded using our ESSER funding and federal funding.
• The full at-risk funding gap of $12.8 million in emergency funding this year, two-thirds of that amount
• Three-year hold harmless funding for schools with at-risk funding decreases is necessary to honor New
• Funding this provision is not just a... Protecting the three-year hold harmless funding.

Summary: The committee first heard a presentation on strategic resource management in public education. LESC staff and PED officials argued that New Mexico has increased school funding, but local budgeting and planning remain fragmented and overly compliance-driven. They described long-term pressures including declining enrollment, rising special education costs, falling cash balances, changes in federal funding, and leadership turnover, and said schools need more intentional multi-year planning tied to student outcomes. They also outlined the many disconnected planning requirements schools must complete, compared New Mexico’s current approach with Ohio’s three-year budget forecasting model, and recommended continuing multi-year appropriations, adding $2.5 million for state grants in the unified application, and directing LESC, LFC, and PED to develop a long-term financial planning proposal. PED said it is working to reduce administrative burden through school accreditation, a unified application for federal and state funds, and internal alignment of guidance and coaching, with pilot schools reporting time savings and better alignment. Members raised concerns about four-day school weeks, the burden on small districts, the need for outcomes and return on investment, and whether the state should move toward a two-year or three-year planning cycle; staff clarified that the proposal was to streamline or eliminate redundant requirements, not add another layer. The committee then received an update on the Educator Fellows program. PED described it as a Grow Your Own pipeline that employs candidates as supplemental educational assistants while they work toward licensure, providing salary, benefits, paid leave, mentoring, and coursework support. Officials said the program helps address teacher shortages, improves student-to-teacher ratios, increases workforce diversity, and supports the Martinez-Yazzie action plan. They reported 370 current fellows across 86 LEAs and about 180 schools, with many fellows being people of color, first-generation college students, or second-career educators; roughly 85 are expected to become certified this year. A local HR director from Belen testified that the program has been especially valuable in small communities, where fellows are already rooted in the community and several have moved into teaching roles. Members asked about high school recruitment, tuition, retirement and benefits, the relationship to the Higher Education Department’s Grow Your Own scholarship, and the role of university partners. PED said fellows choose among accredited higher education partners, the program is separate from the scholarship but complementary, and the state is also building an apprenticeship model and seeking to expand the program to more LEAs, though some districts are on a waiting list because of funding and local match requirements.

Transcript Highlights:

• to fund every viable proposal.
• of them if the funding was there.
• So the flow of the funding kind of... ...general fund, so right, the flow of the funding kind of restricts
• that aren't General Fund.
• So what is the goal of the funding of this funding? How many teachers total?

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance heard an extended discussion on state efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers, with a focus on whether current programs are sustainable and well targeted. Testimony from the Learning Policy Institute, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Department of Education, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office described persistent shortages, especially in special education, math, science, bilingual education, and high-need schools. Speakers emphasized that residency programs, Golden State Teacher Grants, National Board incentives, classified employee pathways, and undergraduate teacher pipelines have helped increase preparation and retention, but many of these efforts rely on one-time funding and lack long-term certainty. Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about the “leaky pipeline,” working conditions, the burden of student debt, and whether the state should simplify and institutionalize support for aspiring teachers rather than rely on a patchwork of grants. The agencies presented data showing continuing shortages and uneven distribution of fully credentialed teachers. CTC reported projected hiring needs of roughly 20,000 to 25,000 teachers annually, with the highest needs in self-contained classrooms, special education, and certain regions of the state. It also noted that emergency permits, waivers, and intern credentials remain high, and that teachers entering through those routes have higher turnover. LPI cited research showing residency-prepared teachers are more effective and more likely to stay, and argued that Golden State Teacher Grants attract candidates who might not otherwise enter teaching and help them complete preparation. CDE stressed that most new demand comes from attrition and urged support for multiple entry points, tuition assistance, and campus-based coursework. Several members also discussed the role of community college pathways, dual credentialing, and support for school leaders as part of retention. The LAO recommended rejecting the educator pipeline proposals under discussion, citing limited evidence of effectiveness and suggesting that any new spending should be more narrowly targeted to the highest-need schools and long-standing shortage subjects. The LAO also said that if the Legislature funds new programs this year, Proposition 98 would be preferable given the state’s fiscal condition. Committee members pushed back on the idea that declining enrollment or layoffs would solve shortages, noting that shortages and layoffs can coexist in different subject areas and regions. The discussion ended with agreement that staff would continue working with agencies on how to make teacher pipeline investments more consistent, coherent, and easier for candidates to navigate. The committee then turned to the Golden State Teacher Grant Program. Finance proposed $50 million in one-time General Fund support to extend the program for one additional year, while the LAO recommended rejecting the proposal because the first CSAC evaluation is not due until later in the year and because the funding would be non-Proposition 98. CSAC supported the extension, saying demand has been strong, over 20,000 aspiring educators have been served since 2021, and the agency had to pause applications after receiving more than 9,200 this year; it also said more than 2,500 candidates had already expressed interest for next year. Members asked how many students the new funding would serve, and CSAC estimated just under 5,000 awards at $10,000 each. The discussion also covered whether the grant could be moved into Proposition 98 and how the one-time nature of the funding affects confidence among prospective teachers.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have one called the Daniels Fund, the Bill Daniels Fund, and that funds the Daniels Leadership Center
• that fund.
• fund.
• , street funds.
• A road fund, a permanent road fund, and permanent state parks then?

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, maybe you have a smaller class ratio, student ratio.
• Uh, maybe you have a smaller class ratio, student ratio.
• So there has to be additional funding, and that all comes from parents.
• Um so the additional funding is Um so the additional funding is supplemented<00:41:59.839><c> by</c><
• We don't have any funding schools do.

Summary: The Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education met with a quorum, approved the August 20, 2025 minutes, and then heard a discussion tied to Constitution Day and Kentucky’s constitutional duty to provide an efficient system of common schools. Chairman James Tipton reviewed the history of Kentucky’s model laboratory schools, postsecondary academy programs such as Gatton and Craft, magnet schools, virtual learning, and computer science opportunities, arguing that Kentucky has long expanded educational opportunity through different school models. He described model schools and academy programs as hybrid or innovative approaches that serve specialized student needs and noted that some of these programs receive state appropriations and, in some cases, tuition. Senator Steve West then gave a retrospective on school choice in Kentucky, beginning with the 2017 charter school law and explaining that Kentucky’s charter framework was designed as public-only to comply with the state constitution. He said charter schools have remained largely dormant in Kentucky and used that as context for Senate Bill 207, the School Innovation Act, which he said was modeled on a South Carolina approach. Under SB 207, a local school board can contract with a third-party entity to manage an existing school, receive SEEK funding, and seek waivers from certain state regulations in order to innovate, while retaining limits on items such as school safety and attendance rules. Members asked about how the new model differs from charter schools, whether schools could cherry-pick students, and whether teachers would remain district employees. West and Tipton said the bill is intended to keep the school within the public system, with the local district initiating the process and maintaining accountability through a time-limited contract that can be ended if the school fails to perform. They emphasized that the school would serve the existing student population rather than select students, and that teachers would remain district employees with their pensions and related contributions unchanged. Representative Brown raised concerns that exceptions and charters could leave lower-income children behind, while West responded that the bill is meant to expand choice for families who otherwise lack access and cited examples from other states where outside management and parental involvement helped turn around low-performing schools. No additional votes or formal actions were taken beyond approving the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• That means it's going fund side as well. That means it's going fund side as well.
• Uh, this updates funding opportunities to better serve funding opportunities to better serve funding
• Roughly 20% of these funds remains with the state of these funds remains with the state of these funds
• The cost recovery fund recovery fund. The cost recovery fund recovery fund.
• can be how those funds can be how those funds can be utilized.

Bills: HB 10 , HB 12 , HB 147 , HB 1522 , HB 422 , HB 675 , HB 204 , HB 748 , HB 912