Transcript Highlights:

• I spent most of the time in my bunk asleep.
• </c> became very weak and lethargic I spent became very weak and lethargic I spent most<00:30:16.799>
• And yet we have spent their taxpayer money discussing an issue and a bill that seeks to target a very
• There are no tax dollars being spent on surgery.
• There are no tax dollars being spent on surgery.

Summary: The House Judiciary Committee first took up Senate Bill 169, which would expand the Attorney General’s and Kentucky State Police’s authority to use administrative subpoenas in child exploitation investigations. Senator Danny Carroll and Attorney General’s office staff said the bill updates existing law to reflect modern online platforms, adding social networking companies, mobile payment services, and cloud storage services so investigators can obtain limited account-holder information tied to online child exploitation cases. Members raised no opposition, and the committee approved SB 169 17-0 with favorable expression. The committee then heard Senate Bill 2, which would prohibit the use of public funds for certain cosmetic or elective procedures in correctional facilities, including gender-affirming surgeries, and would also affect some hormone-related treatment. Senator Mike Wilson and supporters said the bill was intended to stop such procedures from being authorized by memo rather than regulation and to ensure taxpayer money is not used for elective care. Several members asked whether any such surgeries had occurred in Kentucky; Wilson said none had been approved, and he emphasized the bill was about public funding, not general medical care. Supporters argued the state should not pay for elective procedures, while opponents said the bill targeted a tiny population and could create constitutional problems. Opponents included incarcerated and advocacy voices, a psychologist, and legal advocates, who said gender-affirming care is medically necessary for some patients, that withholding it can cause serious mental health harm, and that similar restrictions have faced court challenges. One speaker described personal harm from being denied hormone therapy while incarcerated. Another warned the bill could violate the Eighth Amendment and lead to costly litigation. After debate, the committee moved to vote on SB 2, with members giving explanations both for and against, but the transcript cuts off before the final roll call result is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• We therefore spent $112,000 inoperative.
• We spent just north of 1.9 billion on that.
• </c><00:47:54.079><c> We</c><00:47:54.319><c> spent</c> alternative community care.
• We spent alternative community care.
• </c> is spent in that setting on services. is spent in that setting on services.

Summary: The Health and Family Services committee heard an informational presentation on Kentucky personal care homes from representatives of the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities, Management Systems of Kentucky, and Elder Care Partners. Witnesses described personal care homes as a lower-cost, 24/7 residential option for adults, often with serious mental illness, who do not meet nursing home criteria but need structured supervision, medication assistance, meals, and daily support. They said the homes are regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, are not Medicaid-funded, and are supported largely through state supplementation payments and residents’ SSI income. The presenters argued that the current reimbursement rate of about $50.70 per day is no longer sufficient to cover staffing, food, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and other costs, and said the sector has shrunk significantly over time. They cited figures showing a decline from 64 to 34 homes serving the seriously mentally ill since 2002, with 30 closures over 23 years, and said the loss of beds contributes to homelessness, hospital overcrowding, and longer psychiatric stays. They also gave examples of residents who had spent many months in hospitals before being successfully placed in personal care homes, which they said can prevent more costly institutional care. Committee members asked about staffing credentials, fraud controls, referral processes, and how reimbursement works in other states. The presenters said Kentucky does not require licensed or certified staff in these facilities, though some homes use certified medication technicians or an LPN, and they described a county case-manager-based assessment process used to set individualized rates in other states such as Minnesota. Members expressed support for the work but emphasized the need for documentation of savings and budget offsets. The presenters said they are seeking an incremental reimbursement increase over two years, roughly 25% to 50% in the first year and another 50% after that, and urged the committee to support the homes to prevent further closures.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:13:01.040><c> most</c> chamber probably know, I've spent most chamber probably know, I've spent
• You know, since 2010, you back it up a little bit further, we spent 5.9 billion on Medicaid.
• </c><00:24:42.960><c> 5.9</c> a little bit further, we spent 5.9 a little bit further, we spent 5.9 billion
• We spent $22 billion on this program and are getting some of the worst results in the world.
• are not being spent on hospitals, are not being spent on pharmaceuticals, are not being spent on preventative

Transcript Highlights:

• But you talk about the time and the effort and the money that's spent.
• There are men we have executed that have spent a lot of time in ADSEG leading up.
• My name is Clifton Davis and I spent 26 years inside the Missouri Department of Corrections.
• And my dad, too, spent time. He spent—I can't even count how many years he spent in Potosi.
• And my dad, too, spent time. He spent, who, I can't even count how many years he spent in Potosi.

Committee: House Corrections and Public Institutions

Summary: The Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions met with a quorum and heard testimony on three bills, with no executive session. House Bill 2153, by Rep. Jim Murphy, would repeal the death penalty in Missouri. Murphy argued the death penalty is costly, not a deterrent, irreversible when mistakes are made, and harmful to victims’ families through repeated appeals. Supporters included Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, Baptist minister Brian Kaler, Public Defender Director Matthew Crowell, Dr. Heidi Moore of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty, former inmate Clifton Davis, Empower Missouri’s Gwen Smith Moore, the Innocence Project, Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation, and former Rep. Tony Lobotto. Testimony focused on moral objections, wrongful convictions, racial arbitrariness, the burden on victims’ families, and significant state and defense costs. Several members asked about costs, retroactivity, and the effect on current death-row inmates; Murphy said the bill would apply prospectively only. No vote was taken. House Bill 3154, by Rep. Bennie Cook, would update Missouri Gaming Commission fingerprint/background-check requirements to explicitly include sports wagering and fantasy sports applicants, suppliers, and key persons. Cook said the bill is intended to ensure proper criminal background checks through the Highway Patrol and to align the statute with newer gaming activities. Missouri Gaming Commission Executive Director Mike Lira testified in support, explaining that fingerprints are needed to identify out-of-state criminal histories and that federal guidance requires specific statutory language for sports wagering background checks. The committee asked a few clarifying questions, and there was no opposition. House Bill 3535, also by Rep. Bennie Cook, would add fireworks-related authority and clarify that state fire marshals, who are already post-certified peace officers, may act in exigent circumstances and assist other officers during investigations or emergencies. State Fire Marshal Tim Bean supported the bill, saying it would give fire marshals another tool and help with illegal fireworks investigations. One witness opposed the bill, objecting to the phrase “exigent circumstances” as too subjective and potentially harmful to Fourth Amendment protections. The hearing concluded without a vote, and the chair then dismissed the committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, Representative Petzke, that $30 million was directed to be spent in Water Board districts 3
• A significant amount of that money was spent on aquifer recharge.
• And so two follow-ups on that: Is all the money for fiscal year 26 spent at this point, or is it all
• Chairman, Representative Petzke, that $30 million is all obligated, and, in fact, much of it is spent
• There's potentially going to be some of that money spent doing a study on the Bear River system.

Summary: The committee first reviewed the Department of Water Resources budget. Analysts and Director Matthew Weaver explained the agency’s staffing, continuously appropriated funds, and the effect of ARPA and other one-time infrastructure dollars on the budget. Members asked about efforts to stabilize the Snake River Plain aquifer, the impact of budget holdbacks, groundwater monitoring, and the status of major recharge and conversion projects. Weaver and Water Resource Board Chairman Jeff Raybould said the state is working to reduce groundwater pumping, expand recharge, and build infrastructure to reach a long-term managed recharge goal of 350,000 acre-feet annually, with current recharge averaging about 251,000 acre-feet and capacity potentially exceeding 500,000 acre-feet in good water years. They also discussed project delays caused by permitting, federal land access, and coordination with multiple landowners, and said the $30 million infrastructure appropriation was fully obligated and largely spent. The committee also discussed water projects in other basins, including the Palouse Basin, Mountain Home, Elmore County, and the Bear River. Raybould said the board is considering a Bear River study to identify storage, recharge, and irrigation opportunities under the Bear River compact, and estimated that some future projects, such as a Moscow-area pump station and pipeline, could be very expensive. Members raised concerns about data centers, water quality in the Snake River Plain aquifer, and the role of private and local matching funds in water infrastructure. Weaver said data center water use is a public-interest issue that depends on scale and location, and that groundwater contamination issues are generally handled by the Department of Environmental Quality. The committee then heard the Soil and Water Conservation Commission presentation, which focused on the proposed merger/affiliation with the Department of Water Resources and on funding for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). Weaver, serving as interim administrator, said a stakeholder review recommended moving the commission’s affiliation from Agriculture to Water Resources while preserving its current duties, nonregulatory mission, and resources. He said related legislation and a concurrent resolution would support that transition and allow time for further code review and a combined budget in 2027. Analysts also explained a supplemental and FY 2027 enhancement for CREP funding, noting that rising land values increased the state match needed for enrolled acres. Weaver said CREP can help reduce groundwater pumping, that about 11,000 of the 50,000-acre statewide cap are currently enrolled, and that full enrollment could significantly aid aquifer conservation. The committee adjourned after thanking the agencies and noting the next day’s agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• In the meantime, until their case is adjudicated, monies are being spent.
• Right now, that committee can't even account for where they spent that money.
• And I spent a lot of summers teaching summer school, and that also got cut back a lot.
• The second thing I hear is the money could be better spent.”
• “The second thing I hear is the money could be better spent. Really?

Bills: SB1152 , SB1156 , SB1157 , SB1213 , SB1232 , SB1268

Committee: Senate Military Affairs and Border Security

Keywords: immigration, public benefits, asylum, verification, Arizona Revised Statutes, appropriation, public safety, detention, unauthorized aliens, local government funding, border security, fencing, appropriations, southern border, local government, immigration enforcement, probation, law enforcement, court notification, civil rights

Transcript Highlights:

• for telecom equipment bought by telecom companies to provide telecom services, the $275 million we spent
• for telecom equipment bought by telecom companies to provide telecom services, the $275 million we spent
• for telecom equipment bought by telecom companies to provide telecom services, the $275 million we spent
• The $275 million we spent on the dividends received deduction, which I still don't entirely understand
• million were spent in legislative races<00:14:38.040><c> on</c><00:14:38.160><c> the</c><00:14:38.279

Transcript Highlights:

• Every hour spent on paperwork is an hour not spent on growing their business.
• paperwork is an hour not hour spent on paperwork is an hour not spent<00:47:58.720><c> on</c><00:47:58.960
• That's spent on growing their business.
• </c><02:07:25.760><c> nearly</c> to serving in Congress, I spent nearly to serving in Congress, I spent
• :21.840><c> on</c><05:04:22.080><c> luxury</c> of what was spent on luxury of what was spent on luxury

Transcript Highlights:

• My early career was mostly spent working in state government.
• I spent six years working for Governor, former Governor Kempthorne as a policy advisor.
• For former Governor Kempthorne as a policy advisor, mostly in economic development, spent quite a bit
• I then spent 11 years working for former Governor Butch Otter, with my last role being as the director
• I then spent 11 years working for former Governor Butch Otter, with my last role being as the director

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• But has any of it been spent? None of it's been spent. Or a little bit?
• A little bit has been spent for some engineering expenses.
• A little bit has been spent for some engineering expenses.
• So that's going to get spent through the biennium at some point, the dollars we appropriate.
• Sindu anticipates easily over half of it will be spent.

Bills: SB2004 , HB1600

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Education and Environment Division

Summary: The committee reconvened to continue work on water-related appropriations and related bills, with the chair emphasizing the need to move the water bill to conference committee soon because of differences with the House. Members reviewed project funding levels and carryover balances across several water projects, including NAWS, Southwest, Valley City, Cirrus River flood control, Hart River, Redder water supply, municipal and rural water, general water, and discretionary funding. The discussion focused on reduced revenue forecasts, the use of a $150 million line of credit as a working assumption, and concerns about large carryover amounts and piling up cash. No final changes were made to the water funding numbers, but the chair said the committee would revisit the bill after further cleanup of the draft language. The committee then took up House Bill 1600, which would create an immigration law clinic at the University of North Dakota law school. Members agreed the program should be treated as a one-time pilot rather than ongoing general fund spending, so they adopted an amendment changing the $400,000 appropriation to one-time funding from the strategic investment fund. The amended bill passed unanimously, and Senator Meyer was assigned to carry it. House Bill 1417, dealing with parole and probation-related policy, was also amended. The committee removed Section 8, which eliminated the bill’s appropriations language, based on testimony that the referenced funding was already included elsewhere in the budget. The amended bill then passed unanimously. The committee also discussed possible future amendments to water study language, including earlier reporting deadlines and a proposal to require larger new water project requests to go through the Water Topics Overview Committee before being introduced, but no final action was taken on those concepts. Several other bills, including the AI-related House Bill 1448 and law enforcement bonus bill 1193, were left for later consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• audits or held public hearings on how the $4.4 billion a year dedicated to charter schools is being spent
• Related party real estate transactions—how much public money is being spent on these?
• So, for instance, IDEA Public Schools spent nearly $10 million last year and $35 million in the past
• On this chart here, you have the percentage spent on central admin expenses and I mean there's quite
• I want to know where our money is going to be spent.

Bills: HB1540 , HB3837 , HB5571 , SB370 , SB2425

Committee: House Delivery of Government Efficiency

Keywords: government review, Texas Sunset Act, regulatory oversight, agencies, sunset provisions, autonomous vehicles, regulation, safety, criminal offense, Autonomous Vehicle Commission, registration, regulations, Level 4 automation, Level 5 automation, self-driving technology, traffic laws, permit system, collision reporting, safety standards, Automated Vehicle Commission

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the funds are spent by September 30th of next year.
• Our goal is that every single dollar and cent is spent on rural communities.
• We want to know how much is being spent on workforce development and how much is being spent on technological
• And then they have to report every quarter to CMS on how the money is being spent.
• We are now working to get money obligated and spent on a very short timeline.

Summary: The Rural Health Transformation Committee met with a quorum and approved the April 22 minutes. The main presentation came from Kate Sapra of CMS, who outlined the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, a $50 billion, five-year cooperative agreement for all 50 states. She emphasized CMS oversight, annual rescoring based first on implementation progress and later on outcomes, strict deadlines for obligating and spending funds, and the possibility of clawbacks if funds are not used on time or for approved purposes. She also described CMS’s Idaho site visit and the broader federal-state collaboration, including reporting requirements and technical assistance. Director Juliet Sharon of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare then reviewed the state’s first round of planned sub-awards and solicitations. She explained the distinction between full RFPs, cooperative agreements, and smaller sub-grants, and said the first year will focus on building program structure, hiring support staff, data analysis, third-party administration, needs assessments, and initial service and infrastructure investments such as EMS, maternal and child health, behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, transportation, and technology. Committee members asked for more detail on KPIs, scoring metrics, and access to the actual RFP documents, and Sharon said those materials could be shared through SharePoint with confidentiality protections. Members also raised questions about reimbursement versus upfront funding, especially for tribes and other rural providers that may not have capital to start projects. CMS said upfront funding is allowable if consistent with state procurement rules and that RHTP funds cannot supplant existing funds or pay for projects already underway without a strong new-project rationale. Questions were also raised about multi-year construction or renovation projects, minor renovation definitions, and whether funds could be shifted between categories; CMS said budget revisions are possible but time-consuming, and year one changes would be difficult. The committee agreed to submit feedback on the first batch of opportunities by May 29 and scheduled the next meeting for July 15.

Transcript Highlights:

• And, again, whatever money is spent going forward, make sure that money is being spent wisely.
• It's sort of the notion of how is this money being spent, what should it be spent on, and is it being
• spent effectively?
• What should it be spent on, and is it being spent effectively?
• The Los Angeles Times spent nine months studying how Edison spent its money on wildfire mitigation and

Summary: The hearing focused on the SB 254 Natural Catastrophe Resiliency Study and its recommendations for addressing California’s wildfire risk, utility liability, and the financing of catastrophic losses. Committee members and presenters discussed the history of the wildfire fund created after the 2018 fire crisis and PG&E bankruptcy, the role of the California Earthquake Authority as fund administrator, and the report’s three broad policy pathways: continuing mitigation investments, more equitably allocating catastrophe costs, and considering expanded state involvement in catastrophe financing. Presenters emphasized that the report was intended as a neutral, stakeholder-informed analysis rather than an advocacy document, and that the status quo is not working well for survivors, ratepayers, insurers, or utilities. CEA, CPUC, and the Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety each described their contributions and recommendations. CEA outlined options such as risk-tolerance standards for utilities, preserving safety certificate accountability, tying executive compensation more directly to safety, confidential near-miss reporting, liability reforms, and a fast-pay facility for survivors. CPUC stressed that wildfire mitigation and liability costs are a major driver of electricity affordability problems, and said the state should broaden how wildfire recovery and mitigation are funded beyond ratepayers alone. Energy Safety highlighted its wildfire mitigation plan oversight and recommended stronger safety reporting and stronger safety weighting in utility executive compensation. The modeling portion of the report estimated that a more durable wildfire fund could require about $36 billion in capitalization, with lower initial capital needs if risk transfer or liability reforms are used, but potentially higher ongoing premium or assessment costs. The report also examined state-backed insurer or backstop models, post-event funding mechanisms, and targeted community wildfire mitigation, which could reduce overall funding needs. Members raised concerns about the cost burden on ratepayers, the financial stability of utilities, the fairness of asking communities outside high-risk areas to pay, the role of local governments and home hardening, and whether broader climate-related liability or insurance reforms should be considered. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational and ended with plans for further committee hearings and stakeholder discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• 30 years on my planner board I spent 30 years on my planner board I spent<00:13:38.600><c> 15</c><00
• 15 years on my zba six years a spent 15 years on my zba six years a member<00:13:41.839><c> of</c><00
• Then I spent about 25 years at the T, down in Boston, where my emphasis was a lot on the two-way radio
• </c><00:18:42.480><c> 30</c> recently uh before this gig I spent 30 recently uh before this gig I spent
• </c><00:25:47.200><c> 10</c> a little bit of background I spent 10 a little bit of background I spent

Summary: The Public Works and Highways Committee held an orientation meeting focused on introducing members, outlining committee norms, and hearing an overview from the Department of Transportation. Chair David Mills emphasized the committee’s long-standing bipartisan working style, asked members to share contact information for short-notice scheduling, and noted that the committee would need to complete as much work as possible before the building is vacated later in the year. Members introduced themselves and described backgrounds in engineering, construction, planning, local government, military service, education, and business. Several members highlighted prior service on planning boards, school boards, zoning boards, or in transportation-related fields as relevant to the committee’s work. Members repeatedly described the committee as collegial and nonpartisan, with most bills going to the consent calendar. The chair also noted that the committee’s work centers on state infrastructure, including roads, bridges, highways, and buildings. Representative Cluder, the ranking member, and others echoed that the committee is effective because it talks issues through and resolves disagreements collaboratively. One member mentioned a recent trip that reinforced the importance of infrastructure resilience after storms and rebuilding efforts in other states. Department of Transportation officials, led by Assistant Commissioner and Chief Engineer David Rodrig, gave a detailed organizational and operational overview. They described DOT’s structure, mission of “transportation excellence,” and major responsibilities across highways, bridges, rail, transit, aeronautics, maintenance, and administration. Rodrig reported 1,651 permanent positions and 404 vacancies, 2,160 state bridges with 115 on the Red List, 4,600 centerline miles of roadway, 25 public airports, 11 transit systems, and 194 active state-owned rail lines. He also outlined FY 2024 spending, project development activity, highway maintenance operations, fleet and fuel systems, and the distinction between the highway fund and DOT’s budget, including the role of federal funds and the turnpike enterprise fund. No votes were taken and no bills were acted on during this orientation meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:18:33.600><c> districtwide</c> money is being spent districtwide money is being spent districtwide
• I spent one final day with him before he passed on November 14th.
• We don't need to, at this table, be mandating how every single dollar is spent.
• We don't need to, at this table, be mandating how every single dollar is spent.
• We don't need to, at this table, be mandating how every single dollar is spent.

Bills: HF957 , HF877

Committee: House Education Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• sitting in a fund non-spent until it's spent.
• So— And non-spent until it's spent.
• She spent it because it's already in an executive— And just write a check.
• She spent it because it's already in an executive order.
• So it'd be interesting to have an accounting of that to see how it was spent.

Bills: SB152 , SB145 , SB190 , HB247 , SB152 , SB145 , HB2 , SB190 , HB247

Committees: Senate Senate Finance , Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Keywords: telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion, rural internet, broadband infrastructure, eligible telecommunications carrier, ETC, tribal consent

Transcript Highlights:

• I spent five terms on Public Works and Highways, working on the capital budget and that sort of thing
• I spent five terms on Public Works and Highways, working on the capital budget and that sort of thing
• I'm headed into my seventh term I spent I'm headed into my seventh term I spent five<00:04:02.840><c>
• This is my fourth term in the House, all of which have been spent on Finance, given my background.
• This is my fourth term in the House, all of which have been spent on Finance, given my background.

Summary: The Finance Committee met for an organizational opening session in which the chair, Ken Weyler, called the committee to order and members introduced themselves. The introductions established the committee’s leadership and membership, including Vice Chair Dan McGuire, ranking member Mary Jane Wallner, deputy ranking member Karen Eil, clerk Jerry Griffin, and other members from both parties. Many members briefly described prior legislative service and professional backgrounds, with several noting prior experience on Finance or related budget committees. Chair Weyler then outlined committee procedures and expectations. He emphasized that Finance handles spending bills and fiscal notes, that bills will generally be heard by the full committee and then referred to the appropriate division, and that executive sessions may be used to save time when positions are clear. He reviewed rules on attendance, dress, phones, paperwork handling, committee replacements, conflict of interest and recusal, and the process for testimony, including that members should listen without debating witnesses and that sponsors of bills must recuse themselves from questioning witnesses on their own bills. He also described the committee’s structure and workload, noting three divisions and the role of legislative budget staff. Weyler said the committee would likely see bills from many policy committees that have fiscal impacts, and he encouraged policy committees to find offsets within their own areas rather than assume new spending will be added. No bills were heard and no votes were taken during this portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've spent my entire 33-year career serving the people of California through tax administration.
• Not to say that a lot of money is being spent inappropriately, and we've worked very hard with those
• We are requiring compliance audits at the back end to make sure that the grant dollars that were spent
• during the service period were spent on appropriate and allowable expenses.
• during the service period were spent on appropriate and allowable expenses.

Committee: Senate Rules

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules convened with quorum and first approved several governor’s appointments not required to appear, including Deborah Garns, Davis Rabbit, Cindy Silva, Vincent Wells, and Lee Herrick as California Poet Laureate, all by 5-0 votes. The committee also approved reference of bills to committees and floor acknowledgments, each by unanimous 5-0 votes. The committee then heard testimony on the appointment of Trista Gonzalez as Director of the Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Gonzalez described her 33-year career in tax administration, emphasized taxpayer service, efficient collection, and support for small businesses, and answered questions about lithium extraction tax registration, online sales tax enforcement under Wayfair and AB 147, and CDTFA’s work with illicit cigarette, tobacco, and cannabis activity. Members praised her responsiveness to legislators and constituents, and public commenters from Ryan LLC and the California Society of Enrolled Agents supported her confirmation. The committee voted 5-0 to send her nomination to the full Senate. The committee also heard from Aaron McGuire, executive director of the Board of State and Community Corrections, on his confirmation. He discussed the board’s expanded responsibilities, including annual detention facility inspections, grant administration, and the new in-custody death review division. Members questioned him about grant oversight, audits, implementation of SB 519, access to local agency records, standards for detention facilities, and conditions in Los Angeles County juvenile facilities. McGuire said the board is using inspections, technical assistance, and public reporting to improve compliance and transparency, and that additional trailer bill language clarified access to records. Public support came from nonprofit reentry providers and Giffords. The committee approved his nomination 5-0, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I've spent my entire 33-year career serving the people of California through tax administration.
• I've spent my entire 33-year career serving the people of California through tax administration.
• Not to say that a lot of money is being spent inappropriately, and we've worked very hard with those
• Spent inappropriately, and we've worked very hard with those groups to give them technical assistance
• during the service period were spent on appropriate and allowable expenses.

Committee: Senate Rules

Transcript Highlights:

• The six largest corporations in Washington State spent $2.1 million lobbying the state legislature earlier
• The six largest corporations in Washington State spent $2.1 million lobbying the state legislature earlier
• The six largest corporations in Washington State spent $2.1 million lobbying the state legislature earlier
• The six largest corporations in Washington State spent $2.1 million lobbying the state legislature earlier
• They've spent millions of dollars lobbying against any changes that would hurt their bottom line.

Summary: State Rep. Shaun Scott and supporters held a press event promoting the proposed Well Washington Fund, a new dedicated account intended to raise about $3 billion annually through a corporate payroll tax on wages above $125,000. Scott said the fund would help Washington respond to federal austerity policies and protect programs at risk from H.R. 1 and related Trump administration cuts, especially in housing, health care, higher education, cash assistance, and wildfire response. He also referenced related revenue ideas, including restoring wildfire mitigation funding by ending a bank tax break and allowing counties to raise corporate taxes. Several speakers testified in support of the proposal. Michelle Thomas of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance warned that federal housing policy changes could put more than 5,000 people at risk of losing housing and said the state needs progressive revenue to address evictions and homelessness. Christina Savitsky, a disabled veteran, described how Medicaid, food assistance, and housing cuts would affect her family and said recertification and work requirements would be difficult to meet. University of Washington faculty representatives said federal cuts are threatening teaching, research, nursing and public health workforce training, and hospital funding. Fatima Boxwala of Tech for Taxes and Mikey Stramskis of the Washington Federation of State Employees argued that large corporations and wealthy residents should pay more to support public services. In a question-and-answer session, Scott said the bill’s urgency could justify an emergency clause and argued that voters had already endorsed taxing the wealthy in the 2024 capital gains referendum. He rejected concerns that the tax would drive jobs away, saying corporations already shed jobs and invest in automation, while public services and affordability are what attract residents and businesses. He said he had held encouraging conversations with some lawmakers and a credit union lobbyist, but not with major corporate interests, and urged passage of the bill in the 2026 session.