Transcript Highlights:

• Gherkin, his central coordinators and the team, um, getting this information uh ready for council so
• will be sending out to New Mexico school districts along with a simplified flyer that we post on our website
• We also lost a dedicated central coordinator member due to a longtime illness.
• We had also 4 internal, um, promotions, including the senior project manager, 2 central coordinators.
• Uh, exhibit A is the actual PSFA strategic plan, uh, overview, which is to be posted on our website.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill also requires HHSC to develop informational materials and publish them on their website.
• Alliance for Life and also the Board President of Radiance Women's Center. a pregnancy center in Central
• We heard a lot of stories about transferring individuals to a central location and family members having
• bring their own fans and concerns about their family members. actually being transferred to that central
• Due process is the bedrock of our Constitution, and the Central Registry has got to be the only system

Bills: SB397, SB481, SB596, SB760, SB855, SB1195, SB1196, SB1233, SB1257, SB1318, SB1368, SB1388, SB1398, SB1524, SB1558, SB1589, SB1677, SB1792, SB2034

Keywords: SB 397, telemedicine, telehealth, teledentistry, remote care, virtual care, consent documentation, patient consent, data collection, data sharing, audio-only telehealth, in-person examination, irreversible medical procedure, health professional regulation, Occupations Code, Texas Health and Human Services, medical records, provider compliance, data privacy, consumer rights

Transcript Highlights:

• To there's online tools um with you know, that, that are on the website right now and after, as you know
• So the definition of a digital service is a website, an application, a program, or software that collects
• Uh, it was stringent enough for websites to stop servicing Texas, uh, Texans, I should say.
• Uh, we saw one of the major websites leave our state after that bill was passed, uh, Pornhub.
• One in Central Texas, over and over and over again, the industry is changing and you do not have to be

Transcript Highlights:

• There are online tools that are available on the website right now.
• I should say we saw one of the major websites leave our... ...state after that bill was passed.
• will impact what a known minor is going to encounter on social media and on these platforms and websites
• I can only imagine that this is minimal compared to the money that is made by these websites and these
• In Central Texas, over and over again, the industry is changing, and you do not have to be a member of

Bills: SB1361, SB2105, SB2690, SB2713, SCR38, SB2637, SB2881

Keywords: SB 1361, Texas disaster recovery loan, small business loan, micro-business loan, community development financial institution, CDFI, economic disaster assistance, post-disaster financing, business recovery fund, Texas Economic Development Bank, zero-interest loan, working capital, payroll support, health benefits, job retention, declared disaster, small business relief, microenterprise, franchise exclusion, private equity-backed business

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm Senator Rosalind Osgood and that proudly represent Senate district. 32 with 2 central Broward County
• And and the Senate Bills, 30 64, you can be searched on our legislative website.
• So you can find that on our website.
• So right now Medicaid has like a list of approved trainings on their website.
• And we also do have on our quality and our agency's website.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• issued an executive order to integrate the Department of Commerce fraud bureau agents into the centralized
• Commerce fraud Bureau agents<00:05:10.800> into<00:05:11.039> the<00:05:11.160> centralized
• <00:05:11.880> Financial agents into the centralized Financial agents into the centralized
• of meeting minutes of school websites of meeting minutes of school websites and<00:24:14.520>
• Now, I can’t speak to a centralized place where that’s going to be posted, but what we are trying to

Bills: HF1470, HF1310, HF1837

Keywords: opioids, substance use, addiction recovery, mental health, state cabinet, HF1310, Office of Cannabis Management, cannabis, marijuana, tribal consultation, government-to-government relationship, Minnesota tribes, Tribal governments, state government, consultation, rulemaking, Indian affairs, cannabis regulation, tribal sovereignty, state-tribal relations

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, this signage is on the website.
• Um, this signage is on the website.
• Um, this signage is on the website.
• Um, this signage is on the website.
• <04:36:04.799> called scrolling through this website called scrolling through this website

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on House Bill 1281, which would establish standards and voluntary certification for agency-owned “facility comfort dogs” used by police and other public safety agencies. Representative Morton, the prime sponsor, said the bill is intended to create a consistent statewide framework because different departments currently use different policies. He emphasized that the bill is meant to distinguish comfort dogs from service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, and noted that a small amendment may be needed to make that distinction clearer. He also said the bill is timely under the ADA because comfort dogs fall outside service-animal protections, but still need training standards for public safety and consistency. Committee members questioned whether the bill was too detailed and whether the legislature should be setting rules on matters like training methods, diet, and breeding. Laura Barker of Hero Pups, who helped train New Hampshire’s first police comfort dog, supported the idea of a minimum standard but said the bill should be less prescriptive and should not interfere with therapy dogs or private handlers. She explained that comfort dogs vary in temperament and deployment needs, that raw diets raise zoonotic disease concerns, and that the program should remain voluntary and not cost the state money. Detective Michelle Jones of Portsmouth Police opposed the bill as written, saying the term “facility comfort dog” is confusing, the bill is overly restrictive, and some provisions go beyond what should be mandated by statute; she suggested a more flexible, guideline-based approach and noted that departments already have their own SOPs and can enforce them internally. Justin Brassen of the Manchester Police Department also testified, describing the history of comfort dog programs in New Hampshire and the work of a prior subcommittee formed through the governor’s commission on PTSD among first responders. He said there are currently no statewide standards and that the earlier study involved police, fire, EMS, dispatch, corrections, and NAMI New Hampshire, with the goal of creating a thoughtful work product. He agreed the bill needs work and answered questions about how departments handle training and public access. By the end of the hearing, members and witnesses discussed possible amendments, and one committee member suggested the bill may be better handled through interim study because of the amount of work still needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• we are accepting written testimony through the position letter advocacy portal on the committee's website
• Mayra Baena with the Mesa Verde Group on behalf of the Central American Resource Center, in support.
• SB 378 addresses this urgent problem by establishing strict liability for online platforms and websites
• If a website profits from or promotes the sale of illicit intoxicants, whether derived from hemp or cannabis
• SB 378 addresses this urgent problem by establishing strict liability for online platforms and websites

Summary: The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee heard several bills focused on AI, immigration-related health care protections, digital financial assets, and online cannabis/hemp sales. SB 69 by Senator McNerney would create an AI-focused team within the Department of Justice to build enforcement expertise on civil rights, public safety, and legal issues tied to AI. SB 81 by Senator Arreguín would codify hospital and health facility policies limiting disclosure of patient immigration status and restricting immigration enforcement access without a judicial warrant. SB 97 by Senator Grayson would update and clarify California’s digital financial assets licensing law. SB 243 by Senator Padilla would impose guardrails on AI companion chatbots, including disclosures, anti-addictive design limits, self-harm protocols, and a private right of action. SB 378 by Senator Wiener would allow civil penalties against online marketplaces that advertise illicit intoxicating hemp and unlicensed cannabis products. Testimony on SB 69 emphasized that California needs in-house AI enforcement expertise at the DOJ; supporters said AG offices generally lack tech-policy specialists, while members asked about the Attorney General’s role and noted the office was neutral. SB 81 drew broad support from nurses, immigrant advocates, hospitals, labor, and community groups, who argued that hospitals should remain safe places for care regardless of immigration status; there was no opposition. SB 97 was described as a technical cleanup bill with stakeholder consensus, and the main public comment focused on ensuring blockchain-based nonfinancial products are not unintentionally swept into the law. SB 243 generated the most debate. Supporters, including the mother of a Florida teen who died by suicide after interacting with a chatbot, urged stronger protections for minors and vulnerable users. Opponents argued the bill’s definitions were too broad and could capture general-purpose AI systems, and raised concerns about privacy, cost, and a private right of action. Committee members largely supported the bill’s intent and discussed the need for guardrails without stifling innovation. SB 378 was supported by cannabis workers, retailers, and local government representatives who said online sales of untested intoxicating hemp and illegal cannabis are harming public health and the legal market; opponents from hemp and tech groups argued the bill could sweep in lawful hemp businesses and that definitions need refinement. The committee ultimately passed SB 69, SB 81, SB 97, SB 243, and SB 378, with SB 81 and SB 243 amended, and all five bills were sent onward to their next committees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hines did with his website in the Hines v. Perdue case.
• It's kind of in the central area of our county. It's a beautiful area of land.
• IRTBVME to put on its public-facing website that database so the public can find out information about
• I just want to start by saying please allow all disciplinary actions to be posted to the board website
• Part of the information was not on the TBVM website to enable me to make an informed decision.

Bills: SB34, SB119, SB261, SB532, SB1035, SB1245, SB1247, SB1267, SB1442, SB1930, SB1948, SB2078, SB2112, SB2143, SB2155

Keywords: wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• It's the East Central Corridor and the Monsanto High School area of Albuquerque.
• It got posted on their website, but it really just stayed there. People didn't know about it.
• Linares Eduardo join Us today from South Central New Mexico from the valley I represent.
• That's the Legacy Fund website.
• There's considerable information on the website nmgreenamendment.org.

Transcript Highlights:

• During this last election cycle, Senator Holt spent a lot of time in Dallas County, Central Count.
• With RCV, any election that spans multiple jurisdictions requires centralized tabulation.
• I have some I can kind of speak to that a little bit. being central count judge in in Bell County and
• So I suggest my website, SenatorBobHall.com, it's the first thing that comes up. up.
• Central, you're recognized. You said you had 31 locations. You had 31 locations.

Bills: SB16, SB76, SB310, SB311, SB396, SB505, SB827, SB964, SB1209, SB1210, SB1386, SB1470, SB2035, SJR37, SB 16

Keywords: voter registration, proof of citizenship, Election Code, criminal offenses, limited federal ballot, transportation, infrastructure, funding, public safety, state regulation, election, polling places, voter access, state oversight, electronic voting, voting, polling place, elections, countywide program, election integrity

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, this bill preserves what works in Kentucky's stalking laws, but it centralizes where they are
• <00:13:28.240> It but it centralizes where they are.
• It but it centralizes where they are.
• <00:31:14.000> and publish information on its website and publish information on its website
• to reach parents on how to best websites to reach parents on how to best recognize<00:31:18.399>

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House convened with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established a quorum with 96 members present. The chamber excused absent members, suspended rules to allow bill and resolution co-sponsorship and vote modifications, approved the previous day’s journal, and received Senate messages announcing passage of Senate Bills 101, 129, 162, and 170. The clerk then reported second-reading bills and favorable committee reports, which were ordered to first reading and placed on the calendar. The House then took up several bills on third reading. House Bill 521, relating to stalking, was presented as a modernization of Kentucky’s stalking laws and passed 95-0 after debate; a motion to reconsider was tabled. House Bill 220, relating to pension spiking in the Kentucky Public Pensions Authority systems, was amended by House floor amendment 1 to move the effective date back to July 1, 2021 to capture additional employees, then passed 95-0 and the clincher was applied. House Bill 510, relating to organ donation safety, passed 97-0 after explanation that it would require a pause and restart if anyone in the process believed there were indications of life. House Bill 467, relating to real property, passed 96-0 after adoption of a committee substitute; it creates a process for local governments to identify abandoned or underutilized state-owned property and sets procedures for review, notice, and disposal. House Bill 190, relating to licensed child care centers, passed 96-0 after a committee substitute that adjusts square-footage calculations for certain school-aged child care areas and excludes infants and toddlers. House Bill 141, relating to type 1 diabetes, passed 96-0 after a committee substitute removed an annual distribution requirement and instead made informational materials available in school offices; members spoke in support, including one describing a family experience with the disease. House Bill 518, relating to collection of local business taxes and fees, passed 91-3 after a committee substitute that allows electronic filing while preserving local control, creates an advisory committee, and phases in implementation through July 2029. House Bill 497, relating to post-secondary tuition waivers, was explained as addressing waiver costs to universities and was amended with House floor amendment 3 to expand and clarify eligibility, including up to 128 hours for eligible students and additional provisions for certain groups; discussion was underway when the transcript ended. The meeting also included committee reports on bills covering wildlife depredation, light pollution, limited commercial driver’s licenses, prison educational programs, civil rights, respiratory care, dietitians, temporary structures, controlled substances prescribing authority, the Athletic Trainer Compact, children of military families, local boards of education, youth health services, and class sizes for exceptional children and youth.

Transcript Highlights:

• It can be something as easy as a website or putting more books in libraries, like more children's books
• It can be something as easy as a website or putting more books in libraries, like more.
• It can be something as easy as a website or putting more books in libraries like more children's books
• And somewhere in Central Texas it's not happening, but I will bet you that the Central Texas folks have
• Central Texas folks have no idea that their school is underperforming. True.

Summary: The committee continued hearing testimony on Senate Bill 2252, which would expand early literacy and numeracy screening, parent notification, intervention supports, and teacher training, including math academies and early childhood supports. Supporters from Texas 2036, Good Reason Houston, Texas Business Leadership Council, and several parents argued that early identification of skill gaps, clearer data for families, and stronger teacher preparation would improve student outcomes, workforce readiness, and long-term earnings. They cited low math proficiency statewide, the importance of early intervention, and examples of districts using screeners and data dashboards to guide instruction and resource allocation. One witness also highlighted home visiting as a family-support model, while another urged more funding for pre-K partnerships and stronger support for parents with reading materials and guidance. A district special education administrator testified neutrally, saying the bill reflects practices already used in her district but expressing concern that it could reduce local control and teacher discretion by standardizing screening and tying it to funding. A Texas Classroom Teachers Association representative supported the intent but warned that mandatory math academies and intervention academies could burden teachers if implemented like prior reading academies, and a substitute teacher/teacher-of-the-year witness asked for clearer protections around special education information and pay for alternative certification candidates. After public testimony closed, SB 2252 was left pending. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2253, as substituted, which would phase out routine hiring of uncertified teachers over time, require parent notification when a teacher is uncertified, and expand high-quality preparation pathways such as university programs, residencies, improved alternative certification, and grow-your-own programs. Senator Creighton said the bill responds to the rise in uncertified teachers and aims to strengthen the teacher pipeline with more structured preparation, mentorship, and oversight by SBEC. Invited testimony strongly supported the measure: a Texas Tech researcher said uncertified teachers and fast-track programs are associated with significant learning losses, while year-long residencies and mentored pathways produce stronger outcomes and higher earnings for students. Leaders from Dallas College and Sam Houston State University described successful residency and grow-your-own models, high completion and retention rates, and the need for paid residencies and stipends so candidates can afford to enter the profession. Committee members asked about the difference between mentorship and residency, the cost-effectiveness of paid residencies, retention incentives, and how to scale the model statewide. The committee also adopted the substitute for SB 2253 and later paused to vote out several other bills, including SB 1191, SB 1786, SB 226, SB 326, SB 570, SB 870, SB 991, SB 60, SB 365, SB 1401, and SB 1067, all of which were reported favorably, many with unanimous votes and some placed on the local and uncontested calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's what it says on the website. Yeah, it's what it says. You know, it's funny.
• yeah it's what it says you the website yeah it's what it says you know<00:16:01.880> it's<00:
• <00:16:11.800> piece<00:16:12.079> if<00:16:12.199> you accurate in the website
• piece if you accurate in the website piece if you could<00:16:12.639> help<00:16:12.800> us
• need for this like in North Central need for this like in North Central Minnesota<00:20:07.240><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• crops from the food that we so much, so much... goes on, Senator Kolkhorst, in your community in Central
• Jim Wells County is in central south Texas, so it's It's one of the main hubs between Corpus Christi,
• some ways, it is more accountable. accountable because it has that decentralized nature versus a centralized
• I would argue, and... put forth that because of central intervention and manipulation of the supply.
• the information required to be posted by the Texas Water Development Board on the board's internet website

Bills: SJR34, SB10, SB18, SB19, SB21, SB72, SB140, SB262, SB370, SB480, SB495, SB627, SB703, SB767, SB790

Keywords: parental rights, parents, children, custody, care and control, upbringing, family law, constitutional amendment, Texas Constitution, child welfare, education policy, medical decisions, parental authority, primary decision makers, family autonomy, education, Ten Commandments, public schools, religious display, First Amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• All of the information about this bill has been compiled on a website, appropriately named Indianeasements.com
• So I encourage you to view the website.
• All of the information about this bill has been compiled on a website, appropriately named Indianeasements.com
• So I encourage you to view the website.
• the Sound Museum in Brighton, 119 Braintree Street in Allston, Charlestown Rehearsal Studios, and Central

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development held a hearing on October 21, opening with a moment of silence for former committee chair Senator Edward Kennedy. Chairs Senator Paul Mark and Representative Sean Garballey then heard testimony on several bills related to tourism funding, arts infrastructure, public art, Native heritage, and a choreographer laureate. A major focus was legislation to require earlier distribution of regional tourism council grants from the Tourism Trust Fund, with testimony from regional tourism leaders from North of Boston, Metro West, Cape Cod, and Senator Joan Lovely. Witnesses said delayed grant allocations make it difficult to plan fall, winter, and shoulder-season marketing, and they argued that an October 1 or September 1 deadline would help preserve tourism’s economic impact without increasing appropriations. They cited tourism’s role in jobs, tax revenue, and regional economic development, especially for smaller and less prominent tourism regions. The committee also heard strong support for the Creative Space Act and the PLACE Act, which would help municipalities preserve affordable creative workspace and create a public art funding mechanism tied to state construction projects. Testimony from MassCreative, MAPC, arts organizations, muralists, and local arts leaders emphasized loss of workspace, displacement of artists, and the economic and community benefits of public art. Additional testimony supported bills to protect Native American heritage by preventing the sale of funerary and sacred objects in public or nonprofit collections, and a bill to establish a first-in-the-nation choreographer laureate of the Commonwealth. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after public testimony concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, you know, I know enough to go on the Pinellas County property Appraiser's website because it didn't
• always and for lack of better word for defrauded, they can always check the property Appraiser's website
• That's the Central Hudson test in Florida. We carefully study the constitutional law.
• So the bar has information available readily available on its website.
• There's a whole there's a up all part of the website that has a English section Spanish section and we're

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It can be searched on our legislative website.
• So you can find that on our website.
• This is our website.
• This is our website.
• Again, we have a number of the quality metrics posted on our website.

Summary: The Senate Health Policy Committee met to discuss maternal and infant health, beginning with a presentation from New Jersey’s Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority (MiHA). Pamela Taylor described New Jersey’s statewide effort to reduce maternal mortality and racial disparities through the Nurture New Jersey campaign, a strategic plan with more than 80 recommendations, universal home visiting, Medicaid-covered doula care, hospital report cards, limits on non-medically indicated early elective C-sections, and a new maternal and infant health innovation center. Senators asked about doula certification, funding, home visiting, and how New Jersey coordinates across agencies; Taylor said the authority uses quarterly stakeholder meetings, annual summits, and a tracker for recommendations, and that community input helped shape its programs. Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Deputy Secretary Brian Meyer then outlined Florida Medicaid’s maternal coverage and managed care structure. He reviewed eligibility and services for pregnant women, labor and delivery, postpartum coverage, newborn coverage, and family planning, noting 12 months of postpartum coverage, expanded benefits in managed care plans, and new contracts launching February 1 with more maternal-health-focused benefits, quality measures, and a new quality withhold incentive structure. Senators questioned doula certification and duplication with Healthy Start, provider access and network adequacy, kick payments, quality reporting, and whether Florida should consider broader eligibility standards; Meyer said many details are still plan-driven, that quality metrics are public, and that the agency is working on maternal-health work groups and incentives. Department of Health Division Director Shea Holloway followed with an overview of Florida’s maternal and child health programs and data. She cited Florida CHARTS data showing pregnancy-related deaths, severe maternal morbidity, and infant mortality trends, and described the Title V block grant, the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative, the electronic prenatal risk screen, Healthy Babies, BH Impact for perinatal mental health, Healthy Start, WIC, family planning, telehealth maternity care, and the Pregnancy Care Network. Senators asked about delays in mortality review reporting, preterm birth, substance use disorder in pregnancy, WIC participation, cesarean rates, and the impact of the abortion ban; Holloway said the department is continuing to monitor outcomes, expand screening and telehealth, and use data and hospital partnerships to improve care. The committee then adjourned without further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• > meeting That's a centralized district meeting That's a centralized district meeting with<00:
• written on, nor is it worth the websites written on, nor is it worth the websites published<00:18
• Um, and so we kept that central to the conversation throughout the entire time.
• Um, and so we kept that central to the conversation throughout the entire time.
• It is every September in Lexington at the Central Bank Center.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00:12 Attendance Roll Call: 00:00:33 Kentucky’s New Assessment and Accountability Model Update: 00:03:50 Federal Education Policy and Its Impact on States: 01:00:55 Educational Leadership Training Opportunities in Kentucky: 01:26:44 Consideration of Referred Administrative Regulations: 02:10:38 Adjournment: 02:13:57, 958, all

Summary: The Interim Joint Committee on Education met for its first interim meeting and established a quorum before taking up its first topic, Kentucky’s new assessment and accountability model. Commissioner Robbie Fletcher, joined by KDE staff and superintendents, described a multi-year effort involving the Kentucky “Now We Learn” Council, more than 50 educators and stakeholders, at least 18 pilot districts, surveys, focus groups, town halls, and four prototype frameworks. He emphasized three priorities for the new model: vibrant learning experiences, innovation in assessment, and collaboration with communities. Fletcher said the state accountability portion would continue to meet federal requirements and identify CSI/TSI/ATSI schools, while shifting toward more emphasis on individual student growth, grade-level equivalency in reading and math, career and technical education, graduation rate, and English language proficiency. He also said science would remain a required assessment but be reported separately rather than counted in the CSI/TSI calculation. He stressed that the model should focus on growth, local flexibility, and meaningful measures that reflect community expectations, while still preserving a statewide framework. The committee also heard from Bullitt County superintendent Jesse Bacon, who described his district’s local accountability work. He said Bullitt County formed a community coalition with broad representation from across the district, business leaders, and community members, met six times during the school year, and worked toward a public-facing dashboard that would show community expectations, evidence of accountability, and areas for improvement. Bacon said the district identified six community-defined pillars, beginning with student learning and foundational academic knowledge, as part of a system intended to communicate strengths and improvement areas to the public.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, on the state website, I don't know if it exists or not, but is there any way like this?
• >> Yes, it comes from the state website and all states have similar reports.
• It's published on the<01:54:38.719> website.<01:54:39.119> Yep.
• Um and you can break the website. Yep.
• <01:55:30.400> called<01:55:31.119> edunomicslab.org website called edunomicslab.org website

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first approved corrected minutes from October 6 after members noted and fixed several transcription and spelling errors, including a clarification that a comment about SAU numbers came from former Senator Jim Rubin. The vote to approve the corrected minutes was moved, seconded, and adopted with one abstention. The main presentation came from Chuck Bates of the New Hampshire Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), who described the organization, its certification program, and the role of school business administrators. He explained that ASBO members handle accounting and financial management, facilities, food service, HR, information systems, transportation, and risk management. He also outlined the certification program, which includes 21 courses, most online, plus four in-person workshops unique to New Hampshire, and noted that many members are not certified because the state licensure requirement was removed. Bates then addressed the committee’s interest in SAU consolidation and county-wide restructuring. He said business administrators often manage multiple budgets, attend school board meetings, and serve as a visible point of contact for the community. He argued that consolidation would create operational and financial challenges, including staff and facility relocation, differing accounting systems, lack of a standardized chart of accounts, and uncertain return on investment. He said the biggest obstacle would be local control, especially in small towns that do not want outside decisions affecting school closures, class sizes, or student transportation. Committee members questioned him about the distinction between administrative and academic control, the size of district offices in larger cities, and what might reduce administrative costs; Bates responded that many administrative costs stem from legislation and that consolidation would be difficult to implement without local support.