Transcript Highlights:

• This tax credit would be similar to the tax credit enacted on a bipartisan basis in Oregon and New York
• The tax credit offered under my bill helps farm workers by creating a dollar-for-dollar credit on the
• And to be clear, this is not a tax credit for farm workers.
• It simply allows a tax credit for the farmers, the growers, that pay... ...It simply allows a tax credit
• that they supported, adamantly support the film tax credit.

Committee: Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> education in our commonwealth. education in our commonwealth.
• Um, I hold degrees in elementary education and special education, a master's degree in elementary education
• cut on that in education.
• cut on that in education.
• </c> superior to a human educator? superior to a human educator?

Committee: Joint Education

Transcript Highlights:

• On the federal side, the checkoff can only be invested in promotion, education, and research.
• On the federal side, the checkoff can only be invested in promotion, education, and research.
• There's Jared Brackett from Southwest Idaho in the top right corner there, doing a good job of educating
• We have continued to gain traction with a... ...CEU credit option.
• We gave out 150 CEU in-person credits over a couple days.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• And one-time federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funds for individualized education program
• The LPA or completed an updated educator prep program.
• the Department of Education utilizing these funds.
• The County Office of Education and nonprofit. Which County Office of Education?
• in consultation with the State Board of Education.

Summary: The committee heard the May Revision presentation for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance, with public comment focused heavily on K-12 priorities such as universal school meals, kitchen infrastructure, food service and custodial support, youth leadership grants, Special Olympics funding, English learner support, universal pre-K, literacy investments, and concerns about community college funding shifts. Speakers also urged support for expanded learning, teacher recruitment and training, and maintaining or increasing funding for community colleges and student support programs. Finance and the LAO then reviewed the Proposition 98 outlook. Finance said the May Revision lowers the 2025-26 Prop. 98 guarantee to $114.6 billion, about $4.3 billion below January, due mainly to lower revenue estimates, with smaller effects from attendance and property tax changes. The administration also described rebenching for universal transitional kindergarten and a one-time rebench tied to Los Angeles fire-related property tax losses, along with changes to the Public School System Stabilization Account, deferrals, and updated COLA assumptions. The LAO said the budget relies too much on deferrals and one-time funds, creates a structural shortfall, and should instead align ongoing spending with the guarantee and preserve a reserve buffer. Members questioned the TK rebench and the shift of funding from community colleges to K-12, asking why it was being applied retroactively and how colleges would be held harmless. Finance said the changes align funding with where TK costs are being incurred and that reappropriation funding and other adjustments would offset impacts on community colleges. The LAO argued the historical split formula is outdated and should be abandoned in favor of budgeting around current priorities rather than fixed percentages. Members also raised concerns about draining the rainy day reserve and using deferrals, while the LAO said preserving reserves would better protect against future volatility. The committee then moved to specific K-12 and education proposals. Finance outlined May Revision changes including state operations adjustments for the Department of Education, technical trailer bill changes, a $100 million student teacher stipend program administered by Kern County, and updates to the charter school facility grant program. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed increases for expanded learning, literacy coaches, and the student teacher stipend as currently structured, while supporting the minimum grant increase for expanded learning. Members expressed support for teacher recruitment efforts but questioned whether one-time funding can sustain ongoing programs and whether the student teacher stipend should be targeted to shortage areas or low-income communities.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a career educator.
• </c> education uh let's see my um educational education uh let's see my um educational background<00:
• </c> credits there's the insurance tax credit credits there's the insurance tax credit which<03:16:30.720
• Education tax credits, career and technical training tax credits, and CDFA—Community Development Finance
• </c><03:36:55.319><c> and</c> education tax credits um Career and education tax credits um Career and

Summary: The meeting was an introductory Ways and Means Committee orientation led by Chair John Janigian. Members went around the room introducing themselves, with several returning legislators and several freshmen describing their backgrounds in business, education, public service, finance, transportation, journalism, military service, and nonprofit work. Janigian explained his own legislative history and professional background, and other members, including Bill Bolton, Fred Doucette, Mary Ford, Jim Tierney, Scott Brier, Thomas Oppel, Mary Murphy, Representative Spar, Susan Elberger, Dennis Malloy, Jordan Ulery, and Julius Soti, briefly described their prior experience and reasons for serving on the committee. The chair then outlined the committee’s role. He said Ways and Means is responsible for revenue estimates that Finance will use to determine how much the state can spend over the next biennium, and that the committee would spend the next five to six weeks developing its best revenue estimate, due around February 15. He also explained that the committee hears from state agencies and departments about how taxes are created, collected, and performing against expectations, and that it reviews bills affecting state revenue, including tax increases, tax decreases, tax removals, and fee-related measures. Janigian noted that the committee had five bills at the time of the meeting and expected more to be referred. He explained that most would be first-committee bills, though some second-committee bills could come over if they involved taxes or fees after passing policy committees. He used marijuana-related legislation as an example of a bill that might first go to another committee and later reach Ways and Means if it had fiscal implications. No votes were taken; the meeting was informational, and members were told how to participate in hearings and follow-up questions during regular committee work.

Transcript Highlights:

• This RS signals Idaho's willingness to participate in the federal education freedom tax credit that was
• , to donate for education tax credits.
• The credit would be a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,700 per year. $1,700 per year.
• This is a federal tax credit, and so the credit would come at the federal level.
• somehow to create a state general fund tax credit or whatever for this.

Committee: House Revenue and Taxation

Transcript Highlights:

• So I've done two of those, and also two are credit unions.
• So the one that I just approved is a credit union as well.
• And then there are specific protections on things like credit score, for example.
• So state-chartered credit unions, the competitiveness of the credit union space is very important to
• So state chartered credit unions, the competitiveness of the credit union space is very important to

Committee: Senate Banks

Summary: The Senate Banking Committee met for its first meeting of the session, with Chair James Sanders Jr. and Ranking Member George Borrello opening the hearing and noting a collaborative approach to committee work. The committee first considered and advanced several bills: S.114, which would prohibit state-chartered banks from investing in or financing private prisons; S.2040, which would require money transmitters to provide a consumer warning; S.5473, which would require disclosures in advertisements involving virtual tokens; and S.8406, Sanders’ bill to amend the community bank deposit program. Each bill was moved and approved by committee, with S.8406 passing unanimously. The committee then heard from Caitlin Azar, Acting Superintendent of the Department of Financial Services (DFS), who outlined her background and DFS priorities. She emphasized affordability, consumer protection, stability, and innovation, and discussed DFS-led initiatives in the governor’s budget, including Banking Development Districts, non-bank mortgage CRA regulations, CDFI investment guidance, and consumer restitution. She also said DFS plans to issue buy-now-pay-later regulations in February, expand student lending protections and borrower education, and continue work on insurance affordability, including auto and homeowners insurance reforms, anti-fraud efforts, and discounts tied to telematics, dash cameras, and safe-driving courses. Members questioned Azar about the balance between regulation and access, especially in crypto, buy-now-pay-later, and insurance markets. She said DFS aims to preserve competition while preventing discriminatory or excessive practices, and described existing oversight of virtual currency, including coordination with federal regulators. Another member asked about AI in auto insurance underwriting and pricing; Azar said DFS requires transparency, bias review, governance controls, and consumer recourse, and that credit scores cannot be used to deny or increase rates. The chair also raised concerns about foreclosure in Southeast Queens, improving BDD paperwork and data collection, and increasing the number of state-chartered credit unions. Azar said DFS is working on process improvements, community input, and maintaining open communication with the committee, but no additional votes or formal actions were taken during the DFS hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Another is the repeal of the K through 12 education credit assignment.
• The K through 12 education credit is not changed; the only part in here is that there is an assignment
• So that part only is being taken out from the K through 12 education credit. jobs and produce about 193
• child tax credit working Family Credit child tax credit uh<00:31:22.720><c> banking</c><00:31:23.240
• </c><00:40:23.839><c> uh</c> credit and the working Family Credit uh credit and the working Family Credit

Committee: Senate Taxes

Transcript Highlights:

• California does not offer those credits. Yes.
• California does not offer those credits.
• to meet the educational needs of our students.
• , to our classrooms to educate our students.
• Educate our students.

Summary: The joint informational hearing focused on California’s taxation of foreign subsidiaries of U.S. corporations, especially the state’s water’s-edge election versus worldwide combined reporting. Committee members and witnesses discussed how unitary taxation and sales-factor apportionment work, why multinational corporations are a small share of filers but a large share of tax liability, and how foreign income, profit shifting, and double taxation concerns affect policy choices. The Franchise Tax Board explained current filing rules, the seven-year water’s-edge election, and recent filing statistics showing about 21,562 water’s-edge returns in 2023, roughly 6% of C corporation filers but about half of corporate tax liability. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and FTB staff emphasized that revenue effects from eliminating water’s edge are uncertain because foreign affiliate income is not directly observable, and they noted possible revenue volatility and administrative complexity. Several committee members asked about foreign government pushback, the burden on FTB, whether certain industries are more likely to shift profits, and whether companies would leave California; witnesses generally said there was no strong evidence that firms would exit the state because tax liability is driven mainly by California sales. They also discussed how California already administers both methods, how the election can be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on a firm’s facts, and how federal reforms like GILTI/NCTI, CAMT, and OECD Pillar Two may affect the issue. The second panel presented sharply contrasting views. One professor and a tax policy advocate argued that water’s edge creates unfairness, encourages profit shifting, and leaves California with billions in lost revenue, while a Tax Foundation witness argued that mandatory worldwide reporting would tax the wrong income, create double taxation and litigation risk, and impose heavy compliance burdens, especially for foreign-based multinationals. A later panel from the California Budget and Policy Center supported closing the “water’s-edge loophole,” saying it would raise needed revenue for public services and level the playing field between large multinationals and smaller domestic businesses. No vote or formal action was taken; the hearing was informational only.

Transcript Highlights:

• When you structure the credit like that, the credit recipient, the taxpayer, really has no incentive
• When you structure the credit like that, the credit recipient, the taxpayer, really has no incentive
• When you structure the credit like that, the credit recipient, the taxpayer, really has no incentive
• When you structure the credit like that, the credit recipient, the taxpayer, really has no incentive
• When you structure the credit like that, the credit recipient, the taxpayer, really has no incentive

Committee: House Economic Development & Technology

Summary: The Committee on Economic Development and Technology met on February 5, 2025, and heard testimony on several bills related to economic development, broadband, tax policy, and family support. HB 455 drew support for a startup-business loan program, with DBEDT, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Hmua Collective among those in favor; Tax Foundation Hawaii questioned the need for a special fund. HB 437, concerning Hawaii trade/investment offices, received support from DBEDT and Hawaii Friends for Civil Rights, and members asked DBEDT about how to measure return on investment from the overseas offices. HB 650, dealing with broadband-related administration, was supported by DBEDT, the Department of Agriculture, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, and others, while committee discussion focused on the role of the state’s trade and investment offices and broadband administration. HB 935, on digital navigator support, received testimony in favor from DBEDT, the Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the University of Hawaii system, and others, but also drew comments about consumer representation and the need for service on neighbor islands. The committee also heard strong testimony on tax and family-related measures. HB 572, which would remove the grocery tax, received overwhelming support from groups including the Hawaii Food Industry Association, AARP Hawaii, and others, with testimony emphasizing food insecurity and cost-of-living relief; Tax Foundation Hawaii offered technical comments. HB 701, a caregiver tax credit bill, was supported by AARP Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, and others, with AARP stressing the burden on family caregivers and Tax Foundation Hawaii suggesting the credit percentage be reduced to preserve price-shopping incentives. HB 753, another child and dependent care tax credit measure, drew support from AARP Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Children’s Action Network Speaks, and others; Tax Foundation Hawaii again raised technical concerns, this time about the complexity of the formula. After testimony, the committee took up decision-making. HB 455 was passed with amendments, including transferring administrative responsibility from the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to the Community-Based Economic Development Program, blanking out the appropriation, adding one business loan officer FTE, and noting a $95,000 cost. HB 437, HB 650, HB 934, HB 442, and HB 572 were all advanced with amendments, generally involving blanking out appropriations, moving amounts into committee notes, technical cleanup, and setting effective dates to July 1, 3000. HB 935 was deferred because of overlap with public library programs and uncertainty about federal funding for digital navigator positions. The chair also indicated HB 7 would be amended to add a nonrefundable family caregiver tax credit and related technical changes, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:10:39.520><c> bureaus,</c><00:10:39.880><c> specialty</c><00:10:40.320><c> credit</c> credit bureaus
• , specialty credit credit bureaus, specialty credit bureaus,<00:10:40.920><c> background</c><00:10:41.400
• Credit Credit Reporting<00:29:00.159><c> Act,</c><00:29:00.360><c> you</c><00:29:00.480><c> have</c>
• </c> I have moved it through education I have moved it through education finance.<01:12:16.680><c> I<
• </c> you free credits like crazy. you free credits like crazy.

Bills: HF4456 , HF4544 , HF3698

Committee: House Commerce Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• And the kickbacks tied to credit financing. And what are we doing here? Credit financing.
• </c> So, tax credit the Government So, tax credit the Government Accountability<01:07:55.920><c> Office
• The Auraria Higher Education Center is a The Auraria Higher Education Center is a unique<01:35:54.080
• </c><01:39:44.280><c> in</c> education campus or higher education in education campus or higher education
• Seeing none, Education Committee Report?

Transcript Highlights:

• However, I'm disappointed with the governor's educational budget proposal.
• He proposes another $50 million cut to the existing $250 million special education cut that's already
• And another option that's on the table is the governor could opt into the federal tax credit, which would
• Instead, he proposes more cuts to special education.
• </c> special education. special education.

Transcript Highlights:

• SB 1169: appropriations, graduate medical education program.
• SB 1210: private post-secondary education non-domiciliary institutions. Education.
• SB 1142: federal tax credits authorization scholarships.
• SB 1142: federal tax credits authorization scholarships.
• SB 1144: veterinary technicians education alternative.

Summary: The Senate opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then established attendance, approved the prior journal, and welcomed several guests, including the Doctor of the Day, a student shadowing a senator, representatives from Republic Services, and visitors from Copper Valley Energy. Senators also announced administrative deadlines, including extensions for opening Senate folders and for Senate bill introduction preparation, with the bill introduction deadline set for February 2. The main floor business was the reading and reference of a large number of Senate bills and resolutions across many subject areas, including education, government, appropriations, natural resources, health and human services, finance, judiciary and elections, and military affairs and border security. The calendar also included second-reading placement for another large group of bills covering topics such as firearms, behavioral health, family courts, insurance, water, taxation, public safety, and elections. No substantive debate or votes on the merits of the measures occurred during this portion beyond the procedural reading and referral of the bills. Standing committee reports were accepted without being read, and committee announcements were made for upcoming meetings of Government, Health and Human Services, Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency, Education, Judiciary and Elections, and Public Safety. The Senate then adjourned on motion until Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 1:15 p.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• These updates address staffing shortages and make sure that the education requirements are on par with
• These updates address staffing shortages and make sure that the education requirements are on par with
• And this basically just says a state cannot compel a bank to use social credit scores.
• Seeing none, we'll move on to the Committee on Education.
• Is there any facet of business they are not involved in other than education?

Summary: The meeting covered a long series of House bills across health, commerce, education, elections, government, and veterans issues, with many measures described as consent-calendar items. In health and human services, members discussed updates to radiology technology standards, a tribal Medicaid waiver bill, an emergency medicine study committee, fetal death certificate and remains-transfer requirements, a physician assistant licensure compact, dementia care telemonitoring funding, and SNAP error-rate reduction and eligibility oversight. Sponsors generally framed these bills as technical updates, workforce or access improvements, cost savings, or support for families and vulnerable populations, while some bills drew brief questions about implementation or opposition. In commerce and finance, the committee heard bills on mobile food vendor licensing, earned wage access services, CPA certification, cash acceptance by retail businesses, unmanned aircraft regulation, timeshare salesperson licensing, social credit score restrictions for lending, and a ban on state assistance to the International Criminal Court. Sponsors emphasized reduced regulation, consumer protections, transparency, and state sovereignty. The committee also considered tax and retirement-related measures, including conformity with the Internal Revenue Code, ASRS technical changes, and a 529 plan update that also addressed Roth IRA rollovers. Education and school governance bills focused heavily on school district oversight and transparency. Members discussed patriotic youth group presentations in schools, school board term limits and mandatory training, bond-advisor requirements, restrictions on school districts buying operating charter or private schools to affect funding formulas, conflicts of interest on the School Facilities Oversight Board, public meeting and travel disclosure rules, limits on long-term school property leases, job-order contracting caps, and a computer science proficiency seal. Sponsors repeatedly argued these bills would improve accountability, prevent misuse of public funds, and increase public access to school board decisions. The meeting also included elections, veterans, government, and other administrative measures. These included changes to sample-ballot mailing deadlines, a requirement that courts ask about veteran status at first appearance, a veterans awareness study, broader military leave protections, SAVE database verification for voter registration and licensing, U.S.-sourced election equipment requirements, Electoral College affirmation, justice court due-process protections, library trustee reporting deadlines, adult protective services reporting cleanup, and procurement transparency. No final floor votes were taken in the excerpt, and most items were presented for questions or moved through consent with brief sponsor explanations and occasional opposition noted in committee testimony.

Transcript Highlights:

• The orange slice will represent education for you.
• Similarly, again, education in orange here.
• My goal in our community is to promote education. I think education is a great equalizer.
• ways to use existing credits and see how those credits can transfer.
• I was raised by educators.

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education received a presentation from the Governor’s Office and the Commissioner of Education on the proposed higher education budget. The presentation highlighted a $117.4 billion overall state budget, with education at $32.5 billion and higher education receiving a modest overall increase. Key items included no tuition or fee increases for Florida residents, major financial aid funding such as Bright Futures, Benacquisto, EASE, Open Door, and first responder scholarships, as well as workforce investments including apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, nursing pipeline funding, and performance-based funding for colleges and universities. Committee members asked questions about the proposed expansion of the Guardian program at state colleges and the $100 million university recruitment and retention fund. Officials said the Guardian funding would give colleges flexibility to use trained personnel for campus safety, sometimes alongside or in place of campus police or private security. The Chancellor explained that the recruitment and retention money would be distributed to universities with no specific directives beyond using it for faculty recruitment and retention, emphasizing Florida’s favorable demographics and the opportunity to attract faculty from states facing enrollment declines. The committee then heard testimony from multiple appointees and reappointees to boards of trustees at state colleges and universities, including Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota, Miami Dade College, Northwest Florida State College, and St. Johns River State College. Each described their backgrounds and stressed themes of affordability, workforce alignment, nursing and technical programs, dual enrollment, and local community needs. Several cited strong nursing licensure pass rates and college outcomes. After hearing all appointees, the committee voted unanimously to confirm the full block of nominees, and the confirmations were reported favorably before the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do you stand there with special education teachers that are working overtime?
• I mentioned special education. Now let's talk about our educators. I'm proud to submit a budget.
• Back to the issue of education.
• That happened, and that's happening in California's public educational system.
• We've created the young child tax credit, the foster youth tax credit, new programs we created together

Summary: The Assembly met, initially lacking a quorum, and the Clerk called the roll until a quorum was established. The chamber then proceeded through routine opening business, including prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, recognition of Native lands, approval of procedural motions, and several unanimous-consent actions to re-refer bills and allow committees to notice bills pending re-referral. The Assembly also recessed regular session to convene a joint convention for the Governor’s State of the State address. In the joint convention, Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his final State of the State speech, focusing on California’s economic performance, education investments, housing reforms, public safety, homelessness, climate policy, insurance issues, and the state’s response to federal actions. He highlighted budget plans, including a proposed $248.3 billion general fund, increased reserves, major education funding, child care and after-school investments, housing and affordability measures, mental health and homelessness funding, infrastructure projects, clean energy goals, and wildfire recovery efforts. He also praised legislative collaboration on AI regulation, tax credits, and other policy areas while criticizing federal policies and calling for continued state action. After the address, the Governor’s speech was ordered printed in the journal, the joint convention adjourned sine die, and the Assembly returned to regular session. The Speaker announced the desk would remain open for introduction of the budget bill, noted the next floor session would be Monday, January 12 at 1 p.m., and the House adjourned on motion of the Majority Leader.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is a tax credit.
• So what this does is create two refundable tax credits, the local news printer income tax credit and
• So this is a very narrowly structured refundable tax credit bill.
• So again, I think it's like any other tax credits.
• So again, I think it's like any other tax credits.

Bills: SB251 , SB150 , SB154 , SB73 , SB111 , SB172 , SB76 , SB181 , SB235

Committee: Senate Senate Tax, Business & Transportation

Keywords: horse racing, program training, program owning, state licensing, racehorses, regulation, local news, newspaper printing, journalism, media tax credit, print media, digital news, news publisher, newsprint, press operator, printing industry, local journalism, tax credit, income tax, corporate income tax

Transcript Highlights:

• Earned income tax credit. Holding committee. AB 461, errands.
• AB 363 Bryan CalWORKs recipients education program. Holding committee.
• AB 1304, Schultz, Paint Program Education Outreach, hold in committee.
• AB 1433 Sharpe Collins non credit centers and colleges hold in committee.
• AB 1053 Zuber, educational technologies, hold in committee.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• particular activities, and when those credits would be applied.
• particular activities, and when those credits would be applied.
• particular activities, and when those credits would be applied.
• </c><00:40:46.160><c> there's</c> earned incentive relief credit there's earned incentive relief credit
• </c> justice a master's degree in education justice a master's degree in education and<01:04:13.520><

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy