Transcript Highlights:

• our high graduation rates that you heard about tonight, we know only half of our kids can read at grade
• level.
• we know only half of our kids can read we know only half of our kids can read at<00:02:29.760> grade
• <00:02:30.000> level.
• at grade level. at grade level.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Republican legislative leaders reacted critically to Governor Walz’s speech, saying it was divisive and focused too heavily on Democratic priorities rather than unity or bipartisan work. Speaker Daudt and Majority Leader Liska argued the governor ignored the state’s affordability problems, including high property taxes, rising business costs, and what they described as mandates imposed under full Democratic control. They also said the speech downplayed poor educational outcomes and failed to offer a unifying vision for the final weeks of session. A major theme was fraud and accountability. Leaders said the governor waited too long to address the state’s large fraud scandal and then deflected blame to other states. They said Minnesotans want accountability and affordability, and they pointed to the House Fraud Committee and the Senate’s OIG bill as examples of anti-fraud work Republicans say Democrats have blocked. They also criticized the governor’s tax proposals as a “bait and switch,” arguing that promised tax cuts would be offset by new taxes on services and banking fees. The discussion also touched on school safety, gun policy, child care credits, and the HCMC bailout. Republicans said they were willing to work on bipartisan school safety measures, including mental health supports and funding for public, private, and charter schools, but believed gun-control proposals lacked the votes. On the child care credit, leaders said they would keep evaluating it but were concerned about future deficits and the need for a pay-for. In response to questions, they said they were not surprised HCMC was not mentioned and said conversations were continuing. One leader also objected to the governor’s comments about voting access for people of color, calling them disrespectful.

Transcript Highlights:

• But on a national level, schools.
• James, Minnesota, where I'm an eighth and 10th grade health education teacher.
• , changes they need at their level, changes they need at their level, whether<00:59:58.960> that
• <01:05:52.240> to working it from the statute level to working it from the statute level to
• Virginia all track at the agency level Virginia all track at the agency level the<01:47:57.520><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We've looked at lots of different uniforms out there but our level of getting to that level is just not
• Based on our need, we have the acute level and we have the low level with case management. but we don't
• They're now coming in seven grades behind.
• Um, and, and really have a different level of need, but one of the main levels of need that we're seeing
• and at the state level.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• , and preschool to 12th grade school superintendent license.
• school principal license and grade school principal license and prechool<00:03:57.680> to<00:
• 03:57.879> 12th<00:03:58.239> grade<00:03:58.480> school prechool to 12th grade
• school prechool to 12th grade school superintendent<00:03:59.439> license superintendent license
• <00:19:22.360> and needs to be required in the level and needs to be required in the level

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The statewide IEP— ...special ed has lacked a permanent cabinet-level structure.
• One is for the administration at the state level, and then there's other that they call state-level activities
• For our diagnosticians at the school level, their diagnoses are educational diagnoses.
• I have served as a substitute teacher in a third-grade classroom and kindergarten. ...me.
• And even though we call OMB, even though we call the team together at the district level...

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That is historic levels in this state. That means hundreds of thousands of students are now...
• That is historic levels in this state.
• "That's a decision to be made at the district level.
• In the last seven years, our third poverty level or below, and it has moved the needle.
• I was curious about your kindergarten readiness or your third-grade reading.

Summary: The Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met to hear the governor’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget recommendations for education from the Office of Policy and Budget and the Department of Education. Shelby Salmons and Commissioner Stasi Kamoutsis outlined the governor’s proposed $117.4 billion state budget, including about $32.5 billion for education, with major emphasis on public schools and early learning. The presentation highlighted a $30.6 billion K-12 budget, a $486 million VPK program, continued funding for VPK Summer Bridge, TEACH, HIPPY, and Help Me Grow, as well as increases for teacher pay, base student allocation, mental health, school safety, civics education, and school hardening initiatives. The commissioner also cited a 92.2% statewide graduation rate and Florida’s national rankings in education and education freedom. Senators used the question period to raise concerns about counselor staffing, mental health services, school closures, school choice oversight, the Guardian Program, data reporting, and school capacity. Senator Jones asked about counselor ratios, school closures in historically Black communities, and whether school choice schools are properly monitored for safety and instructional quality. Senator Osgood argued that mental health funding should support more clinical services on campuses, not just academic counselors, and Senator Bradley asked whether the centralized data repository includes scholarship students. Senator Gates praised the civics and debate funding and asked for more detail on the Guardian Program’s performance; the commissioner said 53 of 67 districts participate and described it as a successful safety option with sheriffs approving training. Senators Simon and Osgood also pressed for better use of the FISH report and more accurate space data to understand school capacity and right-sizing. During public testimony, Pinellas County School Board member Laura Hine said her district is an A-rated district with no D or F schools, but spends far more on safety and mental health than it receives in state categorical funding. She said Florida’s mental health staffing ratio is about one counselor per 2,203 students, compared with a recommended one per 1,106, and urged the committee to consider funding full-day VPK statewide, estimating it would cost about $375 million. Committee members followed up on her comments about local flexibility and whether districts can shift funds to meet needs. The meeting ended after members thanked DOE and executive branch staff for the presentation, and the committee adjourned without taking any substantive vote on legislation.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're only through the 10th grade or only through the 11th grade.
• They're going... but when they finish, whether 11th or 12th grade, and get enough credits, they can report
• So, the way it worked in Georgia was that the money used at the high school level, let's just say $7,000
• from the foundation program for the high school level, would pay for their junior college when they

Bills: SB278, HB459, HB61

Keywords: University of South Alabama, board of trustees, education governance, state appointments, governance reforms, membership changes, home school, career and technical education, public schools, K-12 education, enrollment policy, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Congress and Flood is working on reducing regulation mandates on a federal level.
• So that is very first-grade coded for not accepted.
• There are four fourth-grade students from St. Wenceslaus and from Dodge, Nebraska.
• There are four fourth grade students from St. Wenceslaus and from Dodge, Nebraska.
• The purest form of democracy left at the state level. Keep outside the glass outside.

Bills: LR509, LR510, LR511

Keywords: congratulations, Nebraska Sandhills Cowboy Hall of Fame, Deloris Marshall Adamson, recognition, achievement, service, retirement, Nebraska Legislature, public service, legislature, Nebraska, 956, all

Transcript Highlights:

• levels.
• The infrastructure just is that at CDE or at the site level?
• How is the service level determined?
• So there’s kind of two pieces to that current service level adjustment.
• So there's kind of two pieces to that current service level adjustment.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The committee began with public comment and then heard an informational update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the California Education Interagency Council. State agencies described efforts to better align workforce, higher education, and TK-12 systems through data sharing, dual enrollment, e-transcripts, career passports, and regional partnerships. Members asked about the council’s timeline, strategic plan, reporting requirements, and whether it would have authority to act; administration staff said the council is being stood up, its first meeting is due by the end of June, and a strategic plan is due by the end of November. Members also raised broader questions about the relationship of this work to the Master Plan for Higher Education and common course numbering. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants. Finance said the proposal would extend grants for middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add eligibility for regional occupational centers, provide extra support for justice-involved youth, prioritize high-need LEAs, and allow funds for teacher professional development. The proposal would also reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to better align schedules and remove barriers. The LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing that dual enrollment is already growing and that the proposal does not address major fiscal barriers. The Chancellor’s Office and CDE supported the investment, emphasizing access, equity, and technical assistance, especially for rural and small districts. Members questioned instructional-minute changes, reporting on outcomes, adult learner access, and whether the funds would support ongoing or one-time costs. Next, the committee considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by using a seven-year definition for LTELs and a six-year definition for students at risk of becoming LTELs, matching the dashboard and research on the typical time needed to reach English proficiency. Some members expressed concern that the proposal could delay intervention for students who have been English learners for four or five years and questioned why the issue was being handled through budget trailer bill language rather than policy legislation. After discussion, the committee voted on a motion to reject the proposal and refer it to the policy committee; the motion received two aye votes and the item was held open. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices Project by one year, from June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Finance said the extension would continue the existing project, while CDE raised concerns about the project’s contract structure, fiscal management, and scalability. A Marysville Joint Unified School District representative testified that SIP had helped the district bring preschool services back into district schools, expand inclusive practices, and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the project was best positioned to support statewide preschool inclusion goals, with CDE suggesting that existing infrastructure may already be better suited for that work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Reading scores in every single grade level but one have gone up. ...but one have gone up.
• And one of those great teachers is here with us today, Monica Brewington, a fifth-grade teacher from
• When I took office, only 35% of Arkansas kids could read at grade level. It was a crisis.
• By third grade, a child must be able to read in order to learn.

Summary: The meeting was the opening of the Arkansas General Assembly’s 2026 fiscal session, beginning with quorum calls, prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of guests, including law enforcement officers, a doctor of the day, nurse of the day, constitutional officers, Supreme Court justices, and family and friends of legislators. The House adopted House Resolution 1001 to convene a joint session for Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s address, appointed committees to notify the Senate and the Governor, and later received the Senate into the chamber before recessing for the joint session. In the joint session, members observed a moment of silence for former Representative Stan Berry, then heard Governor Sanders’s fiscal session address. Her remarks focused heavily on the proposed budget and her administration’s priorities: fully funding education and the LEARNS Act, supporting teachers and literacy efforts, funding public safety and corrections, expanding the 1033 initiative to move people from crisis to career, and holding down government growth while pursuing further income tax cuts. She also highlighted economic development, low cost of living, and support for veterans, while emphasizing conservative policy themes and thanking several Arkansans whose stories illustrated the administration’s agenda. No substantive legislation was debated or voted on beyond the adoption of House Resolution 1001 and the procedural motions to adjourn the joint session and then adjourn the House until the next day. The House announced that Joint Budget would meet later that afternoon and again the following morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's because in Congress, at a federal level...
• Yeah, I think, or at the institutional level. someone would need to.
• Someone either sort of at the state level or the institutional level would start to have to track that
• Though he has lived in Texas since the fourth grade.
• And that's at the community college level.

Bills: HB232

Keywords: disaster recovery, natural disaster, weather disaster, emergency relief, flood relief, hurricane relief, storm damage, wildfire, tornado, hail, windstorm, extreme heat, ice storm, snowstorm, property damage, personal injury, temporary housing, relocation assistance, lost wages, state emergency management

Transcript Highlights:

• So an individual closure... could still happen at the county level of an individual business, but if
• The current landscape for tax collection at the municipal and county levels is very costly and burden
• Department of Homeland Security at the federal level, correct? That is correct. And we have a U.S.
• At the state level than we do as a state senate.
• Vaccine Protection Act, yet it is not enforced at the state level.

Keywords: legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 40, Senate Bill 871, constitutional amendment, emergency powers, governor authority, legislative oversight

Summary: The meeting focused on several crucial pieces of legislation, notably Senate Joint Resolution 40, which proposed a constitutional amendment to clarify the powers of the governor, the legislature, and the Supreme Court during emergencies. Senator Birdwell presented the resolution, emphasizing the need for legislative involvement during prolonged crises. It garnered broad support, passing with 29 votes in favor and only 1 against. Following this, Senate Bill 871, considered the enabling legislation, was also moved for discussion, with the aim of reinforcing the legislature's authority during emergencies while establishing clear guidelines for the governor's powers.

Transcript Highlights:

• level and catch up with his peers.
• task of young people through grade task of young people through grade school<01:10:14.800> through
• are remedied to a satisfactory level are remedied to a satisfactory level these<01:37:09.119>
• reading uh chapter books in second grade reading uh chapter books in second grade and<02:11:36.960
• at budget cuts at the state state level at budget cuts at the state state level and<03:22:17.600

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 115-FN, which would remove the income cap from New Hampshire’s Education Freedom Account eligibility rules. Representative Valerie McDonnell, the bill’s sponsor, said the measure is intended to fund students rather than systems and to expand educational choice regardless of income or zip code. She described the change as a small statutory edit but argued it would have significant benefits, including helping families afford alternative education settings and testing costs such as AP exams. She also cited testimony from families who said EFAs helped children with special needs or difficult circumstances, and she argued the program is popular and cost-effective. Committee members questioned McDonnell about the bill’s fiscal impact and administration. One member asked whether removing the income cap would extend vouchers to families above the statewide median income and whether the change could cost more than $100 million annually; McDonnell said she did not agree with that estimate and pointed to Arizona as a comparison. Representative Wendy Thomas asked whether the bill should require stronger data-sharing from the Children’s Scholarship Fund, which administers the program, so the Department of Education and taxpayers could better track spending; McDonnell said the program already uses ClassWallet and regulated expenditures, and that the question was better directed to the administrator. Several members testified in opposition. Representative Wendy Thomas said the bill would increase costs for public schools, raise local property taxes, and worsen oversight problems. Representative Heath Howard argued the proposal would function as a subsidy for wealthy families already paying private tuition and said public education and special education should be funded first. Representative Megan Murray also opposed the bill, emphasizing the lack of a legal reporting requirement for EFA spending and the need for transparency, accountability, and attention to special education needs. Representative Sam Farrington supported expansion, sharing a constituent story about a student who left public school after harassment and benefited from private school placement. No vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• From the sixth grade to when I graduated from Lancaster High School, Ms.
• Okay, but do you track, I mean, Of all the students that start at whatever grade level, what percentage
• Many of them have dropped out in eighth grade, they never even made it to high school.
• This bill really adds in that 75% level so right now as I mentioned we would go from 100% funding to
• level and the 25% level, and it eliminates the 10% funding level.

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• That's Basically, it for the high level. Not many key differences.
• But there's also, I think, a big consideration around the country right now over which grade levels should
• Or should PED have some level of oversight, some level of accountability and approval over those full-time
• Losses across the school or across the grade level.
• So you'll start to see some of those, including by subgroup, grade level, and name. Great.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That's basically it for the high level.
• But there's also, I think, a big consideration around the country right now over which grade levels should
• Or Should PED have some level of oversight, some level of accountability and approval over those full-time
• They're not uniform losses across the school or across the grade level.
• So you'll start to see some of those, including by subgroup, grade level, and name. Great!

Transcript Highlights:

• He was a shoemaker who never had more than a first or second-grade education, yet came to this country
• She has a 98.6 grade point average, scored a 1420 on the SATs, and a score of 405 on all of her AP exams
• RUSSIA A 98.6 GRADE POINT AVERAGE, SCORED A 1420 ON THE SATs.
• I remember Ron in fourth grade and, as an adult running for office, and he's incredible.
• So therefore, this is the kind of thing that we at the state level need to address.

Keywords: 993, senate, all

Summary: The Senate opened with routine proceedings, approved the prior day’s journal, and then took up a budget extender. Senator Serrano’s appropriation bill was recalled from the Assembly, reconsidered, amended, and sent through Rules to the floor. During debate, senators discussed the ongoing delay in finalizing the state budget, the 13th extender, school aid payments, the Yonkers school district payment, and unresolved issues such as Tier 6 retirement changes and other budget policy items. The extender was passed 57-2 after debate, with senators pressing for more transparency about the budget negotiations and the majority responding that those issues were not germane to the extender. The chamber then recognized several resolutions and guests. Senators spoke in support of Resolution 1948 honoring New York State 4-H and its Capital Days participants, Resolution 2054 commemorating Italian American Day, and Resolution 1620 mourning Denis Michael Troy of Rockland County. The Italian American Day resolution drew extensive remarks from many senators about family histories, immigration, cultural contributions, scholarships, and community traditions, and the Senate welcomed honored guests from the Italian American community. The Rosalyn Yalow Charter School fencing team was also introduced, along with the family of Denis Troy. The Senate then moved through a long calendar of bills, passing measures on public service, city administrative code, municipal law, correction law, criminal procedure, real property tax, education, social services, public health, executive law, parks, judiciary, and alcoholic beverage control, among others. Several members explained votes on bills related to ratepayer protection, hip-hop lyrics in criminal cases, sovereign nations and gaming compacts, and the Traveling with Dignity Act requiring adult changing stations in public facilities. Most bills passed with broad support, though some drew notable negative votes. The Senate completed the calendar and adjourned until Tuesday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• school year, she was He was teaching at the time at a Title I school in Cypher ISD, teaching sixth grade
• the the charge to the Commission it says to reduce paperwork It relates to administrative staffing levels
• health and takes that on. job very seriously and he pointed out to me that the health teaks in 5th grade
• Grades 11 and 12 evaluate strategies for building and maintaining positive relationships and their role
• Depends on the conversation with the child, the level of development. what's developmentally appropriate

Bills: HB367, HB497, HB549, HB983, HB 1188, HB 1290, HB1368, HB2243, HB2310, HB2849, HB3099, HB3546, HB3629, HB3627

Keywords: education, absences, severe illness, life-threatening, school policy, verification, healthcare, insurance, affordability, coverage, patient rights, school health, respiratory distress, airway clearance devices, medication training, public health, HB 983, Texas Education Agency, TEA, educator privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• Committee which is at the national level Committee which is at the national level to<00:12:40.440
• And so I the bottom of those grades.
• Um at kind of a at a GIS level,<01:17:58.280> um level, um level, um uh<01:17:59.640> yeah,
• Um at the local level, we meaning.
• And our grade is—well, I can't remember the overall grade.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Fong to ask some questions, given his deep level of work in the space, and also just to call roll, to
• levels.
• The preschool versus—so we're like there's two programs that are happening at that level.
• How is the service level determined?
• So there's kind of two pieces to that current service level adjustment.

Summary: The committee heard an update on the administration’s Career Education Master Plan and the new California Education Interagency Council. Administration and agency staff described efforts to better connect K-12, higher education, workforce, and data systems, including the California Cradle to Career Data System, e-Transcript California, and a proposed career passport. They emphasized regional coordination with workforce boards and community colleges, and said the new council’s immediate tasks are to hold its first meeting by the end of June, enter into a data-sharing MOU, and complete a strategic plan by the end of November. Members asked about the council’s authority, reporting requirements, and how it would relate to the broader Master Plan for Higher Education; staff said the council will make recommendations but does not have implementation authority. The committee then took up the Governor’s proposed $100 million one-time expansion of dual enrollment grants and related changes to instructional minute requirements. Finance and the Department of Education said the proposal would support middle college, early college, and CCAP programs, add technical assistance, prioritize high-need LEAs, and reduce the minimum instructional day for certain dual enrollment students from 240 to 180 minutes to ease scheduling barriers. The Chancellor’s Office strongly supported the investment, citing access, acceleration, and equity benefits, while the LAO recommended rejecting the funding, arguing the state already provides ongoing support and that the proposal does not address major barriers. Members raised questions about adult learners, A-G alignment, reporting on outcomes and expenditures, rural access, transportation, staffing, and whether the funding would create lasting program capacity. The item was left open after discussion. The committee also considered trailer bill language to align the definition of long-term English learners across data systems. Finance and CDE said the change would simplify identification by defining LTELs as students who have not attained English proficiency within seven years and RTELs as students not proficient within six years, matching the dashboard and research-based timelines. CDE said the current mismatch between dashboard and assessment definitions creates confusion and delays, while some members and advocates worried the change could reduce earlier intervention or should be handled through policy committees rather than the budget process. The committee voted to reject the proposal and refer it to policy, though the administration said it still supports the budget language. Finally, the committee heard a proposal to extend the Supporting Inclusive Practices project by one year, through June 30, 2027. CDE said the project is promising but raised concerns about the contract structure and fiscal management, while Marysville Joint Unified School District testified that SIP had helped expand inclusive preschool and district-wide practices and reduce reliance on more restrictive placements. Members questioned why funds had not been fully encumbered and whether the remaining money should be redirected to areas with greater implementation need. The item was discussed but no final action was described in the excerpt.