Transcript Highlights:

• And our timeline, it almost coincided exactly with when we were planning to launch.
• Yeah, the photos were taken in conjunction with preparing for our public launch.
• The photos were taken in conjunction with preparing for our public launch of the first campaign in sort
• No, I mean, I share your dismay and our inability to launch the program because of the timing and the
• In order to launch the program, it has to be funded.

Summary: The committee held a follow-up informational hearing on the State Library’s oversight of the statewide Imagination Library program, focusing on how state funds were used by the Strong Reader Partnership (SRP) and whether the program complied with statutory requirements. Chair and Senator Grove repeatedly questioned State Librarian Greg Lucas about delayed document production, the State Library’s decision to allow SRP to continue spending $4.8 million after the 2024 budget changes, and the lack of clear accounting for how many books were actually delivered to children. Lucas said the State Library had sent one demand letter, relied on counsel’s advice, and ultimately received bank statements, invoices, and narrative reports that he said were satisfactory, though he acknowledged the committee should have been given the documents sooner. A major issue was whether SRP and its vendors used state funds for lobbying or influence efforts related to AB 157/SB 157, despite contract language prohibiting lobbying. The committee highlighted invoices and emails involving ChangeCraft and SAGE Strategies that appeared to coincide with legislative activity, while SRP representatives said their work was communications, stakeholder outreach, and board-directed advocacy, not lobbying. Members of SRP also defended their vendor selections and invoicing practices, explaining that the organization was in startup and transition mode, had multiple financial vendors for checks and balances, and was working to build infrastructure, local partnerships, and multilingual outreach capacity rather than directly buying books. The hearing also scrutinized specific expenditures, including roughly $581,000 to Shipyard for marketing and web/digital work, $110,000 to Lotus Financial Solutions, and a $5,000 grant to United Way of the California Capital Region. Senators argued the invoices were vague and the deliverables were not evident, pointing to a simple website, limited social media presence, and no clear evidence that some advertised campaigns ever went live. SRP witnesses said the work was part of a phased plan to establish a statewide foundation and that some assets and documentation had not yet been provided to the committee. No votes were taken, and the hearing ended with the chair emphasizing the need for tighter oversight, clearer documentation, and better accountability for taxpayer funds.

Transcript Highlights:

• Under her leadership and under her presidency from 2007 to 2010, she launched the Senate paperless initiative
• Under her leadership and under her presidency from 2007 to 2010, she launched the Senate paperless initiative
• have to go up to midnight to do all our final readings, and it was under her leadership together we launched
• 05.080><c> leadership</c><00:30:05.680><c> together</c><00:30:06.520><c> we</c><00:30:06.720><c> launched
• </c><00:30:07.200><c> that</c> her leadership together we launched that her leadership together we launched

Bills: HB20 , HB276 , HB644 , HB812 , HB816 , HB916 , HB1131 , HB1247 , HB1518 , HB1525 , HB1537 , HB1541 , HB1546 , HB1553 , HB1562 , HB1565 , HB1566 , HB1576 , HB1577 , HB1591 , HB1605 , HB1612 , HB1613 , HB1614 , HB1618 , HB1620 , HB1650 , HB1656 , HB1658 , HB1661 , HB1664 , HB1668 , HB1676 , HB1707 , HB1711 , HB1713 , HB1715 , HB1718 , HB1727 , HB1749 , HB1756 , HB1774 , HB1776 , HB1801 , HB1802 , HB1805 , HB1813 , HB1815 , HB1831 , HB1838 , HB1853 , HB1854 , HB1859 , HB1863 , HB1871 , HB1872 , HB1918 , HB1920 , HB1952 , HB1965 , HB1966 , HB1967 , HB1969 , HB1972 , HB1973 , HB1974 , HB1975 , HB1980 , HB1985 , HB2005 , HB2023 , HB2031 , HB2033 , HB2062 , HB2113 , HB2114 , HB2116 , HB2138 , HB2139 , HB2156 , HB2158 , HB2159 , HB2171 , HB2208 , HB2268 , HB2270 , HB2272 , HB2273 , HB2276 , HB2289 , HB2310 , HB2315 , HB2335 , HB2338 , HB2339 , HB2340 , HB2343 , HB2361 , HB2384 , HB2387 , SB2338 , SB2431 , SB2438 , SB2593 , SB2907 , SB2671 , SB2321 , SB3084 , SB2401 , SB3033 , SB2972 , SB3032 , SB2806 , SB3014 , SB2108 , SB2981 , SB2973 , SB2423 , SB2078 , SB2322 , SB2397 , SB2896 , SB2088 , SB2347 , SB2408 , SB2970 , SB2851 , SB2713 , SB2697 , SB2312 , SB2192 , SB2363 , SB2530 , SB3028 , SB2024 , SB3007 , SB2599 , SB2596 , SB2662 , SB2930 , SB3334 , SB2378 , SB3019 , SB3231 , SB2240 , SB2372 , SB2175 , SB2046 , SB2298 , SB2922 , SB2835 , SB3263 , SB2174 , SB2128 , SB2006 , SB2489 , SB3134 , SB2982 , SB2425 , SB2849 , SB2797 , SB2795 , SB2575 , SB2521 , SB2765 , SB2386 , SB2852 , SB2022 , SB2117 , SB2277 , SB2387 , SB2688 , SB2885 , SB3132 , SB3219 , SB2169 , SB2591 , SB2090 , SB2983 , SB888 , SB3249 , SB2611 , SB2429 , SB2463 , SB3154 , SB3131 , SB3152 , SB3315 , SB2448 , SB2054 , SB2140 , SB2520 , SB2377 , SB2986 , SB2010 , SB2189 , SB2026 , SB3010 , SB2818 , SB2002

Transcript Highlights:

• We launched the Sun Bucks program to provide summer food benefits to eligible children statewide.
• We launched the Sunbeck Bucks holidays.
• We launched the Sunbeck Bucks program<00:23:09.360><c> to</c><00:23:09.600><c> provide</c><00:23:10.000
• We launched the healthcare education loan repayment program, HELP.
• We launched the help initiative to bring doctors and nurses back to our communities so our people can

Transcript Highlights:

• But At the health care authority, we just got support and funding to launch the Sun Bucks program.
• From the educational point of view, we have launched the first Bachelor of Science in AI in the state
• We have launched a professional development program for K-12 teachers that has served already over 80
• Some were brand new projects that were just launched. Brand new. Okay, very good.
• We launched a program we actually started before the Institute.

Committee: House House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• This launched a national market that has grown into a $28 billion industry.
• Minnesota launched a nation-leading regulatory framework and empowered many Minnesota businesses to pioneer

Transcript Highlights:

• Idaho offers to help students and families make post-secondary education affordable, such as Idaho Launch
• , Advanced Opportunities, Idaho Launch, and the Opportunity Scholarship, as well as other scholarships

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding from the 2024 Mass Leads Act helped launch the Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources Environment
• The 2024 authorization also allowed us to partner with Red Hat, IBM, and the recently launched Open Accelerator
• In fiscal year 26, a portion of the robotics capital funding helped launch MassTech's digital twin initiative
• This capital authorization will help us work across the ecosystem to stand up launching paths to host
• As you've heard from other advocates and likely read in the news, hackers can use AI to launch major

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Summary: The House Bonding Committee met to hear testimony on H. 5527, the Mass Wins Act, with Secretary of Economic Development Eric Paley opening by describing the bill as a follow-on to Mass Leads. He said the proposal includes $305 million in bond authorizations, with $180 million for new programs and $125 million to expand existing ones, plus $140 million in deauthorizations of unused or redundant authorizations. He highlighted investments in applied AI and quantum, robotics, business expansion capital, defense innovation, global business attraction, ag tech and food science, downtowns, and the creative economy, and said the bill is intended to support geographic equity and small business growth across the Commonwealth. Committee members questioned the administration on several policy sections, including the MassCEC climate-tech certification language, housing-related provisions tied to 40B compliance and site plan review, the removal of the LCSW exam, AI transparency and federal preemption concerns, and the effect of lower LLC filing fees. Paley generally said some contested sections were added by the Economic Development Committee rather than the administration, defended the MassCEC discretion language as necessary for climate certification, and said the administration would follow up on committee-added provisions. He also said the bill’s housing provisions were meant to help address the state’s need for more homes and that the deauthorizations were housekeeping measures that did not affect current capital plan projects. Public testimony covered a wide range of topics. AARP and local advocates urged a statewide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs, arguing they are heavily used in scams, impose high fees, and drain money from seniors and local economies. Housing groups supported codifying site plan review and adding parking reform and YIGBY-style housing on faith-owned land. Building trades asked to include off-site fabrication in prevailing wage law. The Massachusetts Public Banking Campaign backed the bill and urged inclusion of a public bank concept. Several witnesses supported Section 106, the Transparency and Frontier AI Act, as a way to require safety plans, audits, incident reporting, and whistleblower protections for the largest AI companies, while an AI startup group argued the section would overregulate smaller firms and should be separated from the bond bill. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Funding from the 2024 Mass Leads Act helped launch the Artificial Intelligence Compute Resources Environment
• The 2024 authorization also allowed us to partner with Red Hat, IBM, and the recently launched Open Accelerator
• In fiscal year 26, a portion of the robotics capital funding helped launch MassTech's digital twin initiative
• This capital authorization will help us work across the ecosystem to stand up launching paths to host
• As you've heard from other advocates and likely read in the news, hackers can use AI to launch major

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets

Transcript Highlights:

• We've launched our juvenile detention alternative initiative back in 2004 in Pierce County.
• And you see as the initiative, as we got more serious about launching the initiative in 2004 and adapting
• Together to say we got to do better here, and then last summer we launched our juvenile justice task
• huge benefits of the work that we're doing at Harbor Heights is we have an opportunity this year to launch
• huge benefits of the work that we're doing at Harbor Heights is we have an opportunity this year to launch

Bills: SB6062

Committee: Senate Human Services

Keywords: juvenile justice, criminal offense, minors, rehabilitation, legal provisions

Transcript Highlights:

• committee and staff a little bit later in our meeting, but I want to first begin this morning by launching
• committee and staff a little bit later in our meeting, but I want to first begin this morning by launching
• surgery center, and then tell you a little bit about a fair pricing initiative that we are just launching
• surgery center, and then tell you a little bit about a fair pricing initiative that we are just launching
• So with that, we're going to launch into our very first public hearing of the year.

Summary: The Senate Health and Long-Term Care Committee opened its 2026 session with a work session focused on the committee’s priorities of access, quality, and affordability. Health Care Authority staff Michelle Needham and Ross Florey reviewed the Health Care Cost Transparency Board’s work, noting Washington’s uninsured rate has fallen from 15% in 2010 to 5%, but health care spending growth remains above the benchmark. They said 2023 spending grew 6.2% versus a 3.2% target, with prescription drugs, hospital outpatient care, professional services, and non-claims spending driving growth. They highlighted ongoing work on market transparency, hospital spending, primary care, and federal policy changes that could reduce coverage and increase uncompensated care. Dr. Drew Oliva of the Washington Health Alliance added quality and safety data, saying many measures remain below top national performance, primary care attachment is weak, hospital pricing varies widely, and behavioral health data are limited. He urged stronger primary care investment, more transparency, and better patient safety oversight. Committee members then introduced themselves and staff before moving to public hearings. The committee first heard Senate Bill 5877, a technical fix expanding the physician health program surcharge to certified anesthesiologist assistants so they can participate in the Washington Physicians Health Program and related educational resources. The bill sponsor and witnesses from the Washington Medical Commission, the Washington Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants, and the Washington Physicians Health Program all supported the measure, describing it as a consistency and access fix for a newly licensed profession. The bill drew 12 pro, 2 con, and 0 other sign-ins. The committee then heard Senate Bill 5967, which would preserve access to preventive services by allowing the Department of Health to issue immunization recommendations based on multiple expert sources and by freezing state insurance coverage protections for preventive services and vaccines as of mid-2025, with OIC rulemaking authority to keep coverage at least as favorable. The sponsor, Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer, Secretary of Health Dennis Worsham, and Governor’s office staff said the bill is intended to protect existing coverage, not create new vaccine mandates, and to keep recommendations grounded in science amid federal uncertainty. Supporters included Dr. Helen Chu, Dr. Beth Harvey, Dr. Maria Huang, Dr. J. Miller, and Dr. Matt LaGalbo, who emphasized vaccine safety, rising vaccine-preventable diseases, and the importance of no-cost preventive care. Opponents, including Bob Runnels and Natalie Chavez, argued the bill politicizes vaccines, reduces transparency, and expands state authority without adequate fiscal detail. The hearing continued with additional testimony after the excerpt ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• On the next slide, we can talk about the second campaign that we launched for 1-800-QUIT-NOW, more specifically
• In June, we had Nicotine Free New Mexico's website launch, and I want to caveat that real quick.
• So currently, the website is going to be launching now in July.
• In FY26, we have developed two new vape cessation campaigns that will launch.
• These media campaigns will complement our in-person outreach, and we're looking to launch them closer

Committee: House Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This third metric of the three is what I call the launch component.
• I'd like to challenge it to do even more by launching kids into life and what the next chapter of life
• </c> call the launch component. call the launch component.
• kids into life and what the by launching kids into life and what the next<00:38:04.440><c> chapter</
• So that third component being launch, and again, the three of those together would have a cumulative

Committee: Senate Education

Transcript Highlights:

• And we have been working closely with DOE, and last year we launched this summer research institute.
• Last year, we had a number of meetings with the Department of Education to more collaboratively launch
• </c><01:16:07.600><c> these</c> uh, to more collaboratively launch these uh, to more collaboratively
• launch these opportunities<01:16:09.040><c> so</c><01:16:09.280><c> that,</c><01:16:09.920><c> uh,</c
• </c><01:17:17.880><c> the</c> enough, but we still launched the enough, but we still launched the program

Bills: SB2706 , SB2320

Committee: Senate Agriculture and Environment

Summary: The committees first heard SB 2371, which would prioritize lease offers on agrivoltaics parcels for beginning farmers, require annual compliance reports to DAB, authorize penalties for noncompliance, and allow solar facilities on certain agricultural lands. DAB, the State Energy Office, PUC, and Hawaii Farm Bureau generally supported the intent, while OPPSD recommended amendments to preserve agricultural lease affordability and strengthen food-production language. Members questioned whether the bill would meaningfully encourage solar on ag lands, whether beginning farmers would have enough information to use such parcels, and how the bill would interact with Land Use Commission review. The Farm Bureau said agrivoltaics remains challenging and largely in pilot form, and noted the Mililani project as a promising example of dual use. The committees voted to pass SB 2371 with amendments, with one member expressing a preference that it be opened to all farmers rather than only beginning farmers. The next measure, SB 2800, appropriates funds to DAB, DLNR, and ADC for acquisition, repair, and maintenance of irrigation systems. All testifying agencies and the Farm Bureau supported the bill, and members pressed them for estimates of needed funding and the condition of existing systems. DAB cited major repair needs, including Waimea, Molokai, Kahuku, and Kawailoa, and said its backlog could total roughly $65 million; ADC estimated about $35 million for several systems; and DLNR said its current needs for three systems were about $35 million, with the largest cost tied to piping in Kekaha. The committees amended the bill to defer its effective date to July 1, 2050 and to blank out the appropriation amounts in the bill text, with the agencies’ requested amounts to be included in the committee report for consideration. SB 2800 then passed in AEN, Water and Land, and EIG. The final measure discussed was SB 2718, a food hub pilot program beginning in 2028 that would require state departments and UH to source 30% of certain food purchases from local agricultural products, create a nutrition- and ʻāina-based school program, and have DAT partner with a regional aggregator for Native Hawaiian staple crops. DAT, DOH, the Farm Bureau, Food Plus Policy Group, HAPA, and others supported the bill’s intent, while the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation opposed it, saying it is already struggling to meet the current local procurement percentage and faces procurement and quantity barriers, especially for staple items used daily. The testimony focused on whether agencies could realistically meet the higher local purchasing target and whether smaller farms could supply the needed volumes.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the past three years, those proxies have launched more than 30,000 rockets, missiles, drones, and
• In the past three years, those proxies have launched more than 30,000 rockets, missiles, and drones,

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not rocket science.
• This is not rocket science.

Transcript Highlights:

• That is why we have HIMARS high mobility artillery rocket systems.
• That is why we have HIMARS high mobility artillery rocket systems.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Sports betting has been launched for about six months now.
• Sports betting has been launched for about six months now.

Committee: House Crime and Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• We launched Farmers Night on Wednesday. It was just terrific.
• We launched Farmers Night on Wednesday. It was just terrific.

Transcript Highlights:

• It's not rocket science. They then force that down to the consumers in all of our districts.
• </c><03:53:20.560><c> It's</c><03:53:20.800><c> not</c><03:53:20.960><c> rocket</c> Guess who pays that
• It's not rocket Guess who pays that?
• It's not rocket science.<03:53:21.920><c> They</c><03:53:22.239><c> then</c><03:53:22.880><c> force</

Transcript Highlights:

• Latinos in his district, but there are a number of Latinos in other areas that are excited as we launch
• are<00:04:40.400><c> excited</c><00:04:41.400><c> as</c><00:04:41.600><c> we</c><00:04:42.360><c> launch
• </c><00:04:43.240><c> So</c> are excited as we launch this today.
• So are excited as we launch this today.

Summary: House Republicans announced the formation of the Minnesota Latino Caucus as a sub-caucus of the House Republican Caucus. Chair John Koznick said the group is intended to give Latino conservatives a voice, promote “common sense” and right-of-center policies, and reach Latino communities across Minnesota, especially around affordability, lower taxes, less regulation, and government accountability. Representatives Bedell Duran and Erica Schwartz joined Koznick as founding members and described the caucus as a response to the diversity of Latino communities and the need for representation beyond a single political viewpoint. The members emphasized personal backgrounds and constituent outreach. Koznick discussed his adoption from Colombia and his long involvement with Latino advocacy groups, while Duran and Schwartz spoke about their districts, family histories, and experiences that shaped their politics. They said Latino Minnesotans live throughout the state, work in many fields, and should not be viewed as a monolithic voting bloc. They also highlighted issues such as education, postsecondary achievement, entrepreneurship, public safety, and the economic impact of immigrants and Latinos. In response to questions, the lawmakers said the caucus was not created solely because of recent Latino voting patterns, but they acknowledged Republican gains among Latino voters and said they want to continue competing for Latino support. They also said immigration policy should be clearer and more transparent, while supporting secure borders and reform. Koznick said he has bipartisan relationships with Latino legislators and pointed to support for a Hispanic or Latino art museum in St. Paul as an example of possible cross-party cooperation. No formal votes were taken; the event was a caucus launch and press availability, and the members said they would hold a celebratory kickoff later that evening.