Transcript Highlights:

• opportunity to utilize paid family leave as a tool and a benefit to recruit and retain employees and fill vacancies
• retain those employees who um<01:10:13.880> to<01:10:14.080> fill<01:10:14.360> vacancies
• /c><01:10:14.920> honestly<01:10:15.719> I'm<01:10:15.920> happy um to fill vacancies
• honestly I'm happy um to fill vacancies honestly I'm happy to<01:10:16.199> answer<01:10:16.400

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We do have a vacancy: the former Republican legislative position that was held by former Senator Dave
• we<00:10:39.040> do<00:10:39.360> have<00:10:39.720> a<00:10:39.920> vacancy
• <00:10:40.639> the<00:10:40.800> former hearing we do have a vacancy the former hearing
• we do have a vacancy the former Republican<00:10:41.680> legislative<00:10:42.320> position

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we actually have done a really good job in the last two years of trying to address our vacancies,
• So we actually have done a really good job in the last two years of trying to address our vacancies,
• So we actually have done a really good job in the last two years of trying to address our vacancies,
• So we actually have done a really good job in the last two years of trying to address our vacancies,
• have about 2,300 permanent employees and about 86 temp, and uh right now we're carrying around a 650 vacancy

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:58:48.359> being made and number of job vacancies being made and number of job vacancies
• According to New Hampshire Housing, a 5% vacancy rate is considered a balanced rental market for the
• However, you can see in the graph that the state's vacancy rate has consistently fallen below that 5%
• <04:32:06.119> rate<04:32:06.399> has graph that the state's vacancy rate has graph
• that the state's vacancy rate has consistently<04:32:07.319> Fallen<04:32:07.760> below

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• According to the 2024 Massachusetts Health Care Workforce Survey by CHIA, there is a 20% vacancy rate
• These vacancies, combined with our growing population of older adults, recent federal immigration policies

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Higher Education held its fourth public hearing, opening with remarks about the importance of protecting and expanding access to higher education amid federal disinvestment. The chairs also announced future informational hearings on the impact of federal cuts and on ASAP models. The hearing then focused on several bills, beginning with S. 951/H. 1462, An Act to Support College Students in Recovery, which would require recovery-focused housing on public campuses and expand naloxone access and overdose training. Senator Rausch, medical professionals, students, and advocates testified in support, emphasizing the prevalence of overdose risk among college students, the value of recovery housing, and the need for campus naloxone; committee members asked about implementation details and the existing state pilot program. Deb Schmill and Rep. Tarski gave especially personal testimony in favor of the bill, and the committee discussed broadening the naloxone language to opioid reversal agents. The committee also heard testimony on H. 1461, which would expand MassReconnect scholarships to practical nursing students at vocational and technical schools to help address the long-term care workforce shortage. Rep. Stanley argued that vocational schools graduate more practical nursing students than community colleges and serve many low-income students in areas without nearby community college programs. The committee then took up H. 1433, which would require public higher education institutions to accept IEPs and 504 plans as sufficient documentation for disability accommodations. Advocates from the National Center for Learning Disabilities described the high cost and burden of repeat testing, the lifelong nature of disabilities, and the need for more uniform access across campuses; committee members raised questions about documentation freshness, campus autonomy, and how to preserve the integrity of accommodations. Later, the committee heard S. 919/H. 1454 on modernizing the Community College Endowment Match Program so community colleges could receive state matching funds for current-use donations as well as endowments and capital gifts. Community college foundation leaders said the change would help fund immediate student needs such as food pantries, child care, emergency aid, and equipment. The hearing then moved to faculty-related bills: S. 933 on UMass faculty rights and tenure transparency, S. 930/H. 3948 on contingent faculty rights and career advancement, and S. 940/H. 1429 on an Adjunct Bill of Rights. Testimony from faculty and union representatives focused on low pay, lack of benefits, job insecurity, and the need for clearer pathways to full-time positions and fairer treatment for adjuncts who teach large shares of courses. No votes were taken during the hearing; the committee primarily received testimony and asked clarifying questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• When talking with staff, we do know that they have more than 170 vacancies.
• Of those 170 vacancies, 100 of them are in child welfare.

Bills: SB83, SB135, SB143, SB155, SB157, SB202, SB237, SB261, SB276, SB295, SB450, SB465, SB506, HB1070

Keywords: human trafficking, trafficking prevention, school safety, public schools, elementary and secondary education, charter schools, mandatory reporting, victim identification, victim services, child trafficking, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, commercial sexual activity, DCFS, Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana State Police, governor's office of human trafficking prevention, counselor training, mental health professional, administrator training

Transcript Highlights:

• Does your board or commission have any vacancies? So that's a board of 11.
• They currently have one vacancy, and that is the citizen at large.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee first approved the June 18 meeting amendments, then heard an update from Representative Emily Callaway on the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. She reported no major budget or regulatory concerns, but noted hiring challenges, especially for investigators, and said the board is pursuing a scholarship program using cash reserves and penalty payments. She also said the board has about 20,000 licenses, handled 134 cases in 2024, and had an open-investigation count that stayed roughly flat. The board said initial licenses take about 5 to 7 business days and endorsements about 10 business days, with one citizen-at-large vacancy on the 11-member board. Callaway and board staff also discussed emerging issues such as AI, digital plan submissions, and the use of drones and LiDAR in surveying education. They said Kentucky’s surveying exam pass rates are well above national averages and that universities such as East Tennessee State, Cincinnati State, Bellarmine, Spalding, and Eastern Kentucky are helping train students for the field. The committee then took up Callaway’s occupational licensing bill aimed at removing barriers for people with criminal records. The proposal would let applicants seek an upfront determination of whether a record would disqualify them, require boards to consider specified materials and give written reasons if they deny eligibility, and bind the board’s decision absent new or undisclosed offenses. Supporters said the goal is to help roughly 30,000 people reenter the workforce and avoid wasted time and money on training that could later be disqualified. The committee next heard from Representatives Fleming and Willner on a psychology licensing bill, a reintroduction of prior legislation. They said the measure is intended to address mental health workforce shortages by adding two members to the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology, setting a more predictable timeline for licensure examinations, and requiring annual reporting on processing times for licenses and complaints. They said the bill is meant to speed entry into the profession as new psychology programs expand in Kentucky. No objections were raised. Finally, the Alcoholic Beverage Control commissioner and general counsel presented two administrative amendments tied to SB 202 to allow direct-shipping forms for cannabis-infused beverages, and the committee approved both regulations by voice vote. The committee then held a broader discussion about whether ABC should be expanded by statute to regulate additional intoxicating substances and emerging products. ABC officials said the agency already handles alcohol, tobacco, vape licensing, and some related enforcement, but any broader authority would require legislative action and likely more officers and funding. Members discussed the need to stay ahead of new products, possibly through an emerging-industries framework, while also protecting businesses and consumers.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, and there are a lot of vacancies across agencies and so we can see that too, and that is a concern
• That is not just showing the workforce vacancies and how much you're being paid and who's getting benefits

Transcript Highlights:

• to increase the ability for teachers who are in those professions to stay, and you help decrease vacancies
• to increase the ability for teachers who are in those professions to stay, and you help decrease vacancies

Keywords: 909, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our org chart, if you look, has a lot of vacancies.
• makes it a moral injury to state workers at a time when agencies are already struggling to fill vacancies

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 heard updates from the Secretary of State, EDD, the State Controller’s Office, CalHR, and DGS on a range of budget proposals and federal policy impacts. Secretary of State Shirley Weber opened with remarks about California’s election system, emphasizing its safety, transparency, high voter registration and vote-by-mail participation, and the office’s response to bomb threats and other election threats. Her staff then presented funding requests for the Cal-Access Replacement System (CARS) and Help America Vote Act/VoteCal activities, describing them as needed to modernize campaign finance and lobbying disclosure systems and maintain election security and voter services. A major portion of the hearing focused on federal election policy, especially the potential effects of a presidential executive order and the SAVE Act. Secretary of State staff said California would face significant, potentially unquantifiable costs if forced to comply, including new burdens on county recorders, county election offices, and the Secretary of State’s office, and warned of voter disenfranchisement, especially for students, seniors, disabled voters, military and overseas voters, rural residents, and people with limited transportation. Members and public commenters strongly opposed the federal proposals and argued California’s current system is functioning well. The committee also heard that federal HAVA funds were not expected to be at risk because the state draws them down into an interest-bearing account. EDD reported on paid family leave, explaining that recent delays were tied to a system transition and increased claim volume, and said it was simplifying applications and adding staff and automation. Public testimony supported expanding paid family leave to chosen family. EDD also said it is prepared for possible unemployment spikes, citing a recession plan, a command center, and recent hiring. The State Controller’s Office requested funding to continue the Fiscal migration project, which would move the state’s accounting book of record to the new system by July 1, 2026; Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee expressed support for the project’s progress. CalHR presented a proposal for a statewide recruitment, outreach, and education paid media campaign under AB 1511, saying its current advertising budget is too small to reach diverse communities effectively. The final item addressed Governor Newsom’s executive order requiring a return to office on a four-day schedule. CalHR and DGS said they were working department-by-department to assess space, parking, transit, and other logistics, but had not completed a statewide cost analysis. Members and many public commenters criticized the order, arguing it was rushed, costly, harmful to telework benefits, and potentially disruptive to workers, especially those with disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or long commutes. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Codango employs well over 800 quality teachers, and we have 400, and we have had 466 vacancies between
• Since 2023, we've had 143 associate teacher vacancies, and on average, it takes 86 days to start a new

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Human Services heard a long agenda of bills focused largely on child welfare, foster care, child care, CalWORKs, mandated reporting, and public benefits. Early items included AB 890, which would ease county transfer rules for nonminor dependents in extended foster care; AB 461, which would replace punitive truancy-related penalties with supportive services for families; and AB 753, which would create an interim associate teacher pathway to help address the child care workforce shortage. Testimony on these bills emphasized barriers faced by foster youth, low-income families, and child care providers, and members expressed support for the general policy direction. The committee also heard AB 926 on foster care visitation, AB 563 on early childhood planning and reporting, AB 601 on standardized mandated reporter training, AB 1074 on CalWORKs reunification aid, AB 822 extending the Commission on the State of Hate, AB 970 creating a Los Angeles County mandated reporter pilot, AB 1161 protecting public benefits during disasters, AB 1172 allowing trained staff to administer emergency seizure medication in community care settings, and AB 363 expanding CalWORKs student supports and work-study. Witnesses generally supported these measures as ways to reduce trauma, improve reunification, modernize reporting and training, and expand access to services. County welfare and child welfare groups, advocacy organizations, and providers largely testified in support, while some bills drew concerns from county representatives about implementation or needed amendments. Several bills were voted out of committee, often unanimously and sometimes as amended, including AB 926, AB 563, AB 601, AB 1074, AB 822, AB 970, AB 1161, and AB 1172; AB 1172 was reported on call. The committee also took up consent items and later voted on subcommittee-held bills AB 461, AB 753, and AB 890, leaving them on call. At the end of the hearing, the committee heard AB 1211, which would protect CalFresh benefits from federal cuts and require a feasibility study on increasing benefits and eligibility; testimony stressed rising food insecurity and the economic importance of food assistance, but the transcript ends before a final vote on that bill.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I sought out vacancies in K 12 or higher education.
• I found there were many vacancies at Uws and subsequently completed my application for appointment in

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• While I'm able to restore some hours, I still have vacancies similar to San Bernardino's.
• So for example, savings from judicial salaries because of vacancies or money that are not needed to backfill

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• professionally, and then there's 10% who are under-qualified, which is concerning, and then there vacancies
• professionally, and then there's 10% who are under-qualified, which is concerning, and then there vacancies
• ,<00:15:00.600> and<00:15:00.720> then<00:15:00.839> there<00:15:00.959> vacancies
• concerning, and then there vacancies. concerning, and then there vacancies.

Bills: HF3119

Keywords: teacher compensation, educational staff, unlicensed staff, minimum wage, inflation adjustment, education finance, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Our most recent housing study shows a vacancy rate of just 0.3%.
• Low vacancy rates are raising rental costs and are making it harder for families to save for a home.
• Low<00:42:32.560> vacancy<00:42:33.040> rates<00:42:33.359> are<00:42:33.599>
• raising<00:42:33.920> rental Low vacancy rates are raising rental Low vacancy rates are raising

Bills: HF3902, HF3895

Keywords: housing tax credit, Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, qualified projects, taxpayer contributions, greater Minnesota, zoning, housing, local government, multifamily development, affordable housing, land use, urban development, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Using the most up-to-date job vacancy data at the Department of Employment and Economic Development,
• Over 16,000 of those vacancies are in health care alone.
• 01:17:54.560> those dual training over 16,000 of those dual training over 16,000 of those vacancies
• 55.440> healthcare<01:17:55.840> alone<01:17:56.800> and<01:17:56.880> I vacancies
• are in healthcare alone and I vacancies are in healthcare alone and I know<01:17:57.159> that

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Currently we have two vacancies, but one of them, a legislative director position, should be... office
• currently we authorized in the last bium currently we have<01:33:16.239> two<01:33:16.480> vacancies
• 17.800> one<01:33:17.960> of<01:33:18.119> them<01:33:18.480> a have two vacancies
• uh but one of them a have two vacancies uh but one of them a legislative<01:33:19.400> director
• Currently we have two vacancies, but one of them, a legislative director position, should be...

Bills: HF1867, HF1240

Keywords: lottery, retailer contracts, Minnesota Statutes, contract qualifications, public integrity, criminal background, legislative auditor, public funds, state government, compliance, transparency, 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• :09:30.679> patrol<01:09:31.040> has<01:09:31.199> current<01:09:31.560> vacancies
• the state patrol has current vacancies the state patrol has current vacancies and<01:09:32.400><
• in<01:09:34.199> order<01:09:34.480> to She said the State Patrol has current vacancies
• and upcoming retirements, and in order to ensure that they can fill these known vacancies, she believes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We have two vacancies.
• position that needs to be filled by a former Republican legislator is vacant, and also we have a vacancy
• party<00:04:00.959> we<00:04:01.120> have<00:04:01.319> two<00:04:01.560> vacancies
• <00:04:02.560> uh<00:04:02.720> the party we have two vacancies uh the party we have
• two vacancies uh the position<00:04:03.640> that<00:04:03.840> needs<00:04:04.120>

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The committee heard testimony from Jeff Sigerson, executive director of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, who outlined the board’s mission and core programs: campaign finance disclosure, economic interest statements, and lobbying registration/reporting. He described the board as an independent agency with six members, noted current vacancies and confirmation requirements, and said the board’s budget request was essentially flat, with a base budget of about $1.793 million and most costs tied to salaries, office space, and other fixed expenses. He also reviewed the board’s enforcement structure, emphasizing civil-only penalties, a complaint-driven process, and the availability of reports, enforcement actions, and advisory opinions on the board’s website. Sigerson highlighted several recent and upcoming changes. Local ballot question committees for city, school district, levy, and bond issues now must register with the board if they exceed $750 in activity, and the board is preparing outreach and online registration tools to help local committees comply. He also discussed the public subsidy and political contribution refund programs, saying the board paid out about $2.12 million to 230 House candidates in 2024, that 93% of candidates signed the subsidy agreement, and that 2023 PCR refunds totaled about $447,000 for candidates and $1.616 million for party donors. He noted that the PCR maximum refund was recently increased from $50 to $75 per donation, and that payments could drop significantly in 2026 if the one-time supplement is not renewed. A major focus of the presentation was the board’s lobbying report and related legislative recommendations. Sigerson said the board is moving from tracking marginal expenses to tracking the subjects and entities being lobbied, and that lobbying will be expanded from certain metro-area governmental units to all cities, counties, school districts, townships, and other political subdivisions, potentially adding thousands of lobbyists. He said the board held two public hearings and received 23 written comments on proposed changes. The board’s main recommendations were to broaden the expert-testimony exception so that certain paid experts at local hearings would not need to register as lobbyists, while still requiring disclosure of who testified, before whom, and on what subject, and to adjust the current lobbying definition for local government employees and officials who spend more than 50 hours a month on intergovernmental lobbying work.

Transcript Highlights:

• startling impacts, including significant declines in student scores, increased teacher burnout, and vacancies