Video & Transcript : 'Budget Committee' :

Page 58 of 500
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • committee.
  • Committee members, thank you. Thank you. I was also just handed the budget change order.
  • This is a budget committee. Why is this being proposed here and now and not through policy?
  • And I would argue that we should do it through policy and not in this budget committee right now when
  • of our department's budget.
Summary: The subcommittee heard an informational update on the state’s generative AI implementation and related oversight. Administration officials said several proof-of-concept projects have moved into minimum viable product phases, including work at CDTFA and Caltrans, and that CDPH has a May Revision request for up to $8 million to scale up its healthcare facilities inspections project. The Legislative Analyst’s Office urged the administration to publish a report on lessons learned from each POC and recommended limiting the new generative AI approval process to a pilot through the first two rounds of projects, with continued monthly meetings and stronger legislative oversight. Members pressed for more transparency and questioned why the CDPH request was not included in January; the administration said the cost estimate was not available then and that only one project is seeking additional resources beyond existing departmental budgets. The committee then reviewed a proposed $400 million loan from the Labor and Workforce Development Fund to the General Fund. Finance and the Labor Agency said the fund has grown because civil penalty revenues have risen sharply, and the loan would be repaid in 2029-30 with provisional language allowing earlier repayment if needed. The LAO agreed the fund could support the loan but warned that recent PAGA reforms may reduce future revenues. Public commenters, including labor and community groups, argued the money should instead support labor-law enforcement and outreach programs such as CWOP, and urged rejection of the loan. Members also heard a Department of Industrial Relations request for $19.1 million for phase two of Public Works Information Technology System Enhancements, which officials said will support labor-law enforcement and apprenticeship registration. The department said the project was delayed because a prior procurement did not result in a contract award and that completion is now expected in October 2026. The committee then took up an EDD Next reappropriation technical adjustment to extend UI fund spending authority through June 30, 2026; the LAO said the request was fine but again raised concerns about oversight of the larger modernization effort, which EDD said now totals more than $660 million and is expected to continue through 2029. Finally, the committee discussed DGS’s request for new parking facilities near the May Lee Building and a trailer bill shifting statewide telework policy language from DGS to CalHR while also expanding NDI eligibility for certain CEA employees. The LAO said the telework trailer bill should likely go through the policy committee process instead of budget, and union and employee witnesses strongly opposed it, arguing it would undermine bargaining rights and could be used to narrow telework. In a separate item on the governor’s return-to-office order, administration officials said departments are being directed to move to a four-day in-office expectation starting July 1, 2025, but they had no statewide cost estimate yet because departments are still assessing vacancies, exemptions, and space needs. Members criticized the lack of analysis and said the state should have clearer numbers before moving forward.
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

2026 Legislative Session - Day Forty - Tuesday, March 24

Missouri House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • of the House Budget Committee.
  • This year, the request that's coming out of the budget committee will be for $60 million.
  • This year, the request that's coming out of the budget committee will be for $60 million.
  • But we kind of had this discussion in committee, but just so if you're not on the budget committee, again
  • I'd like to inquire of the Budget Committee Chairman. Just real quick, does the Budget Chair yield?
Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the previous day’s journal by a 126-0 vote, and suspended business for the Speaker to sign several bills and substitutes. Members then spent much of the day introducing guests, including county assessors, students, civic groups, and visitors from local schools and universities. The chamber then took up House Bill 2002, the elementary and secondary education budget. Members adopted several amendments, including technical fixes to allow board-operated schools to use personal service funds for career ladder payments, clarifications to child care subsidy language, and changes to Parents as Teachers rules so that enrollment remains voluntary and virtual visits are not reimbursable. An amendment to shift $1 million from one child care facilities line to Child Care Works passed, as did an amendment to fund a new Success-Ready Student Assessment with $2 million to help replace the MAP test. A proposal to pay child care subsidies for foster children based on enrollment rather than attendance failed 53-93, and an amendment to divert $10 million in Title I funds into a competitive grant program also failed. A later amendment to send budget reports to the ranking minority member passed, while an attempt to remove child care subsidy language from the bill failed. The House then moved to higher education and workforce development appropriations. Members approved an amendment broadening a pre-apprenticeship program statewide and supported funding for Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries through a transfer from dual credit scholarship funds. The most extensive debate centered on House Bill 2003’s higher education funding model, where the chair defended an FTE-based approach as more transparent than the long-standing status quo, while opponents warned it would sharply cut funding for institutions such as Harris-Stowe, Lincoln, Truman State, and some community colleges, and would ignore factors like graduation rates, research, and workforce needs. A compromise amendment to soften the transition was withdrawn, and a separate amendment to restore the governor’s recommendation was also debated at length, with members arguing over the fairness and consequences of the proposed model.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Mar 5th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Otherwise, the budget is before the committee. Is there any questions for the analysts or motions?
  • Chairman Tanner, members of the committee, the next item on the agenda is found on Legislative Budget
  • Otherwise, the budget is before the committee. Thank you.
  • The budget is before the committee. Are there any questions or motions? Representative Mitchell.
  • Chairman, I would stand for any questions, and the budget is before the committee.
Summary: The Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committee considered several FY 2027 budget items, beginning with the Idaho Judicial Branch. The committee approved an additional $3.9007 million from dedicated funds for court operations, including $800,700 from the Senior Magistrate Judge Fund, $700,000 from the Drug Court/Mental Health Court/Family Court Services Fund, $400,000 from the Substance Abuse Treatment Fund, and $2 million ongoing from the Court Technology Fund. Members noted the technology fund had grown enough to sustain the ongoing transfer, while Senator Wintrow remarked that funding for a treatment-court peer support program had not been restored. The motion passed with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then approved a Guardian Ad Litem Division budget increase of $165,300 in general funds, including $77,900 ongoing for the Second Judicial District CASA program and $87,400 to restore a one-time FY 2027 rescission. Supporters described the CASA request as funding a trainer-recruiter position and related office costs, and several members spoke favorably about the role of guardian ad litems. The motion passed, also with a do-pass recommendation. Members next took up the Millennium Income Fund. They approved $9,872,200 from the fund for recommendations including the Idaho Children’s Trust Fund, Youth Assessment Centers, children’s advocacy centers through the Idaho Domestic Violence Council, an additional recovery center in Kamiah, and a statewide drug awareness media campaign. A substitute motion added $30,000 one time to restore funding for statewide training and coordination of school resource officers, which passed after discussion about whether the Millennium Fund committee had been consulted. The committee then adopted maintenance and new language for the Millennium Fund items, including reporting and oversight provisions, and later adopted language for reappropriating unspent state archives move funds for the Idaho State Historical Society. Finally, the committee approved the Idaho State Historical Society budget, adding $486,300 from dedicated funds for archival moving and OITS hardware. Members explained the move would be handled in phases and funded through dedicated sources rather than general funds. The committee also adopted statewide appropriations language making conditions, limitations, and restrictions in budget bills binding law, and adjourned after announcing the next day’s agenda.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • The very first budget committee hearing we had, Chair Gabriel made a point of saying how the challenges
  • From a budget perspective.
  • the effort on or presented, but was this proposal presented to the budget, appropriate budget committee
  • The budget appropriate budget committee in last year's process.
  • Chair, and the committee.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • So, as the committee is aware, we were tasked in the 2024–25 trailer bill, right, budget trailer bill
  • Now, in September of 2025, Senate Budget Committee staff requested the quarterly reports by the Strong
  • Do you remember this request coming in from Budget Committee staff?
  • committee staff.
  • for next year's budget.
LA

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

Appropriations Mar 2nd, 2026

Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:
  • As a committee and as a legislature to not only maintain that standstill budget but to find additional
  • I like the budget.
  • It was in other parts of the budget. It wasn't in our budget.
  • So we're not increasing the overall budget. It was in other parts of the budget.
  • It wasn't in our budget.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • budgeting.
  • joint committees.
  • budget review sub committees<00:40:58.119><c> um</c><00:40:58.520><c> you</c><00:40:58.640><c> know<
  • I was on the conference committee for the budget.
  • Thank you. the conference committee for the budget the conference committee for the budget so<00:47:12.319
Summary: The House State Government Committee met with a quorum and first considered House Bill 491 by Representative Steve Riley. The committee adopted a proposed committee substitute, then heard that the bill would raise the threshold for certain capital project and equipment purchases from $200,000 to $500,000, remove a requirement for a special board meeting when replacing a board of regents member, allow certain employees or contractors to perform capital construction work up to $500,000, remove limits on retired police officers working at postsecondary institutions, and speed release of pension information to employers. Members asked about reporting and oversight of the higher threshold, and the witness said the records are maintained by institutions and available upon request. HB 491 passed on a 19-0 roll call vote. The committee then heard House Bill 738 by Representative Griffey, relating to state personnel and the constitutional officers. The bill would give independently elected constitutional officers more flexibility to hire unclassified employees and set salaries for classified employees up to the midpoint without Personnel Cabinet approval, while leaving pay scales, appropriations, and funding limits unchanged. Representative Griffey and witnesses from the auditor’s office said the measure was intended to reduce red tape, address salary compression, improve pay equity, and help recruit and retain staff; they also said it would allow offices to fill policy roles needed for audits and other work. Members questioned the fiscal note, salary caps, and whether the bill would affect future budget requests. The bill passed 18-1, with one pass, and the chair noted it would move favorably to the House floor. After those bills, the committee briefly welcomed Taiwan’s consul general, Elliot Wang, and Representative Adam Bowling spoke about Kentucky’s relationship with Taiwan, including trade, investment, and prior assistance during disasters. Wang described Taiwan’s economic ties with the United States, ongoing trade and investment developments, defense and education cooperation, and people-to-people exchange programs, noting Kentucky was the first state to sign an education cooperation MOU with Taiwan in 2021.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House DFL Press Conference 5/19/25

Transcript Highlights:
  • It took a lot of work and a lot of compromise, but we have a higher education budget conference committee
  • </c> chair of our higher education committee. chair of our higher education committee.
  • </c><00:09:09.839><c> conference</c><00:09:10.320><c> committee</c> education budget conference committee
  • education budget conference committee report<00:09:11.279><c> that</c><00:09:11.600><c> every</c><00
  • ,</c> committee and the the jobs committee, committee and the the jobs committee, they<00:20:08.559><
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

Appropriations Apr 2nd, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • details of their budget areas.
  • of the biggest differences in our budget and the House budget, the Senate budget takes approximately
  • I'll now like to ask each committee chair to summarize the key funding decisions included in their budget
  • the current-based budget.
  • the current-based budget.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee met for Budget Day and heard presentations on the Senate’s proposed 2025-2026 budget, SPB 25-200, totaling $117.4 billion. Chair Hooper said the plan reduces overall spending from the prior year, keeps strong reserves, includes a 4% pay raise for state employees, maintains employee health care contributions, and makes major investments in water quality, transportation, and education infrastructure. Committee chairs then summarized their budget silos, including K-12 education, higher education, health and human services, criminal and civil justice, transportation/tourism/economic development, and agriculture/environment/general government. Members asked questions mainly about school funding, AP and dual enrollment support, voucher and scholarship impacts, and the My Safe Florida Home program. The committee adopted a large consent package of amendments and then approved three late-file amendments: funding virtual college tours for high school students, funding the FSU Sunshine Genetics program, and providing money for the Port of Fernandina customs facility. The committee then voted to report SPB 2500, the General Appropriations Bill, as a committee bill. It also favorably reported SPB 2502 (implementing bill), SPB 2504 (state employees placeholder), SB 7022 (Florida Retirement System contribution rates and DROP changes), CS/SB 1320 (recreating the Resilient Florida Trust Fund), SPB 2506 (gaming compact revenue distributions, including water projects and rural lands), SPB 2508 (29 new judgeships), SB 7014 (ending the court mediation and arbitration trust fund), SPB 2510 (K-12 conforming bill), SPB 2512 (higher education conforming bill), and SPB 2514 (health and human services conforming bill). The committee also took up several policy bills. It approved SB 7028 on cancer research, creating grant parameters, reporting requirements, a five-year pediatric cancer research incubator, and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute VisionGen Initiative. It approved CS/CS/SB 170 on nursing home quality, adding resident satisfaction surveys, medical director standards, safety culture reviews, electronic health record requirements, financial reporting penalties, and a study of best practices. It approved CS/CS/SB 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, which expands mental health diversion options, adds Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, expands grant uses, and creates a behavioral health data repository. It also approved SB 114 creating the Florida Center for Excellence in Insurance and Risk Management at FSU and moving the public hurricane loss model there. The committee then began considering SB 180 on emergency preparedness and response, including a late-file amendment, but the transcript cuts off before final action on that bill.
CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Budget Committee Sep 11th, 2025

Budget

Transcript Highlights:
  • Welcome to this informational hearing of the Assembly Budget Committee.
  • The budget in today's hearing is informational only; the bills are not in the possession of the committee
  • Kristine Miaschuro, Assembly Budget Committee: Yes, that's correct.
  • First, I want to thank the Budget Sub-5 Committee that's worked with us step by step on this.
  • I want to definitely start by thanking the chair of the Budget Committee.
Committee: House Budget
MO

Missouri 2026 Regular Session

2026 Legislative Session - Day Forty - Tuesday, March 24

Missouri House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • of the House Budget Committee.
  • of the House Budget Committee.
  • This year, the request that's coming out of the budget committee will be for $60 million.
  • This year, the request that's coming out of the budget committee will be for $60 million.
  • I'd like to inquire of the Budget Committee chairman. Just real quick, does the Budget chair yield?
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Appropriations Mar 5th, 2026

Transcript Highlights:
  • Chair, members of the committee. For the record, Andy Toulon, staff to the committee.
  • and legislative enacted budgets.
  • the budget.
  • Chair, members of the committee. For the record, Megan Morris, staff to the committee.
  • The committee is at ease. Please. The committee is at ease.
Summary: The Appropriations Committee held public hearings on several bills and took executive action on House Bill 2747. HB 2747 would change how Washington estimates future revenue in its four-year balanced budget outlooks by using the official revenue forecast instead of the current 4.5% growth assumption for the next two biennia. Staff described the bill as a technical change with indeterminate fiscal effects, and supporters said it would make budgeting more realistic and sustainable. The committee adopted a technical amendment and then reported the bill out of committee with a do pass recommendation by a vote of 26 ayes, 3 nays, and 2 excused. The committee also heard Second Substitute Senate Bill 6182, which would create an abortion savings program funded by a new annual assessment on health carriers offering exchange plans. Staff said the bill would generate about $10 million in fiscal year 2027 and about $2.1 million annually thereafter, with most funds going to grants for abortion care providers and some administrative costs for the Office of the Insurance Commissioner and the Department of Health. Supporters said it would stabilize access to abortion care and help low-income patients, while opponents argued it would force taxpayers and insurers to subsidize abortion and raised concerns about oversight, morality, and premium impacts. Substitute Senate Bill 6355, which would create a Washington Electric Transmission Authority to support new transmission projects and related tribal clean energy work, drew testimony from utilities, labor, clean energy advocates, counties, and landowners. Supporters said the state needs faster transmission buildout to improve reliability, support clean energy, and reduce congestion costs; opponents and county representatives raised concerns about eminent domain, loss of local tax revenue, board accountability, and the need for stronger landowner and county involvement. Staff estimated the bill would have a several-million-dollar general fund impact and noted possible indeterminate local revenue effects. The committee also received a briefing on engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6260, which would reduce funding or eligibility for several K-12 programs, including bus depreciation, Running Start, and transition to kindergarten; public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed, with school officials, educators, community college representatives, students, and rural districts warning of reduced opportunities and harm to small and low-income districts.
MA

Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Session Jun 21st, 2026 at 11:00 am

Massachusetts Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • It made me think of a quote that I love about budgets.
  • It made me think of a quote that I love about budgets.
  • It has been said perfectly by the vice chair of this committee and by the chair of this committee and
  • This budget represents a victory for all.
  • This budget does just that.
Summary: The Senate took up debate on the FY2026 general appropriations bill, with several members speaking in support of the Ways and Means budget. Senators Comerford, O’Connor, Feeney, and DiDomenico emphasized the budget as a values-driven response to federal uncertainty, highlighting investments in MassHealth, education, housing, food security, local aid, libraries, transit, mental and behavioral health, and support for vulnerable residents. They also praised the budget’s lack of new taxes and its focus on spending within available revenues, while noting major cost pressures from health care and federal policy instability. Specific programs and items repeatedly cited included universal free community college, expanded financial aid, rural and minimum school aid, TAFDC/EAEDC increases, the Healthy Incentives Program, universal school meals, housing supports, Home and Healthy for Good, and funding for Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital. Speakers framed these investments as both fiscally responsible and morally necessary, and several noted that amendments would be considered during the debate. No votes on the budget itself were taken in the excerpt. After the budget remarks, Senator Miranda spoke in recognition of Haitian Flag Day and the history of Haiti, including foreign interference and the importance of protecting Haitian immigrants in Massachusetts. Another senator then honored Malcolm X on the 100th anniversary of his birth, connecting his legacy to the budget process and calling for investments in equity, education, housing, and health care. The Senate then adopted an order to meet the next day at 10 a.m. with the general appropriations bill as the only item on the calendar, and adjourned.
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm here today to urge this committee Prison closure, decarceration, and budget oversight are all choices
  • The very first budget committee hearing we had, Chair Gabriel made a point of saying how the challenges
  • General Fund budget.
  • led the effort on or presented, but was this proposal presented to the budget, appropriate budget committee
  • The budget appropriate budget committee in last year's process.
Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget, with a focus on prison population trends, spending, facility closures, and efforts to find savings. The Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) presented data showing the prison and parole populations have fallen sharply over the past 20 years while CDCR spending has remained high, driven largely by security, health care, litigation-related requirements, and aging infrastructure. The LAO also said the state is likely to have several thousand empty beds by 2030 and recommended closing another prison, identifying the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad as the strongest candidate, while also urging more transparency around facility deactivations and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) efficiency contract. CDCR Secretary Jeff McCumber said the department faces structural budget pressures from retirement payouts, workers’ compensation, overtime, medical transport, aging facilities, and violence in prisons, but emphasized declining recidivism, expanding reentry beds, and the need for more single-celling and rehabilitation. Department of Finance representative Anthony Franzoa said the administration is not proposing another prison closure at this time, opposed new reporting requirements on deactivations, and said the BCG contract is intended to produce long-term savings even if near-term estimates are being revised downward. Amber Rose Howard of California United for Responsible Budget argued the state should close more prisons, redirect funds to community services, and stop spending on excess prison capacity. Members questioned why CDCR still relies on vacancy savings, why rehabilitation is only a small share of the budget, and whether the department should be more transparent about capacity reductions and legal liabilities. Several members criticized the $20 million BCG contract and the lack of competitive bidding, while others pressed CDCR on staffing levels, single-celling, suicide prevention, and health care costs for older incarcerated people. The hearing did not take a formal vote, but it ended with clear committee concern about CDCR’s budget transparency, the pace of prison closures, and the need to align spending more closely with the declining prison population and the department’s stated rehabilitation mission.
NM

New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

Senate - Finance Jan 23rd, 2025

Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Budget committee, so we have to look at things that could really impact our revenue.
  • the budget shop, but it's really important for helping the committee develop it.
  • A 6% budget is a nice budget.
  • Budget Division.
  • For the agency operating budget is a little bit higher than the LFC budget.
ID

Idaho 2026 Regular Session

Jan 28th, 2026

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • This committee is probably the one least affected by all of the budget process as far as a committee,
  • Bybee show you where we are on the budget and where the revenues are for the budget and the trend line
  • The governor did budget for conformity, and that's that hundred and... ...budget in that governor's rec
  • Our budgets are growing too fast.
  • Any questions from the committee?
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Senate in Session Apr 9th, 2025

Florida Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • budget, how much are vouchers or scholarships gaining in the budget?”
  • Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 184, a bill to
  • Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for None
  • Committee substitute for committee substitute for committee substitute for committee substitute for Opposed
  • Read the bill a third time: Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for Committee Substitute for
Summary: The Senate opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several gallery introductions before taking up Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 168, the Tristan Murphy Act, on mental health. Senator Bradley explained that the bill is intended to divert clinically appropriate defendants with mental illness from jail to treatment, create pretrial mental health diversion programs, expand grant uses for mental health and substance abuse reinvestment, require evaluations and treatment follow-up in certain probation and prison settings, add Hillsborough County to a forensic hospital diversion pilot, and establish a Florida Behavioral Health Data Repository. Senators from both parties spoke in support, emphasizing treatment over incarceration, public safety, and the Murphy family’s role in the bill. The Senate passed the bill 37-0 and then recorded 37 co-sponsors. The chamber then moved into presentations on SB 2500, the 2025-26 General Appropriations Act. Chair Hooper said the Senate budget totals $117.4 billion, reduces overall spending from the prior year, maintains reserves, keeps employee health contributions level, and includes major investments in water quality, transportation, education infrastructure, and nearly $1 billion in education capital outlay. Committee chairs outlined their portions of the budget, including increased funding for K-12 schools and scholarships, higher education workforce programs, Medicaid and health services, corrections and courts, transportation and housing, and environmental restoration such as Everglades and water quality projects. Members then asked extensive questions, especially about education funding, school choice, AP/IB and accelerated programs, the Family Empowerment Scholarship, and the FEFP calculations. Senator Burgess repeatedly explained that scholarship funding is being moved “below the line” to improve tracking and that the Senate position is to preserve funding while giving districts more flexibility. Senators also questioned the APD wait list for disability services, opioid settlement spending, arts funding, the My Safe Florida Home condo pilot, and proposed IT and agency restructuring. Several chairs said some issues would be resolved in conference, and no final vote on the budget was taken in the portion provided.
NH
Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> into the budget bill. into the budget bill.
  • </c> committee now um to finish up our work. committee now um to finish up our work.
  • </c> particular piece of the budget bill." particular piece of the budget bill."
  • the committee, as opposed to if it is just in the budget, it would be all finance people.
  • the committee, as opposed to if it is just in the budget, it would be all finance people.
Summary: The House Environment and Agriculture Committee met in executive session on SB 302, a bill requiring background checks for solid waste facility owners. The chair announced a staffing change, noting Representative Comtois was no longer vice chair and Representative Barber would serve in that role. The chair then explained that the committee had before it an amendment incorporating Senator Pearl’s updated language and additional technical changes requested by DEES Director Whimsat for FBI background-check requirements, and a separate amendment offered by Representative Patenza that would add language from the budget bill relating to a site evaluation committee, moratorium provisions, and harms-and-benefits language. Representative Patenza argued that the governor’s solid waste and site evaluation language had been developed over years with the committee, the governor’s office, and DEES, and should be moved into a standalone bill so it would not be lost if the budget failed. She said she had been told by Senator Roseford that the budget language would be placed into a separate House bill, and several members supported having a standalone vehicle as a backup. Representative Bixby, Haskins, Gruber, and others said they favored keeping the work alive in a separate bill, while Representative Scully said he disliked non-germane amendments and would vote only for the base bill and the chair’s amendment. Representative Barber asked for clarification on why the amendment was considered non-germane, and the chair and Representative Patenza explained that the budget-related policy had not had a separate public hearing. Members discussed legislative procedure, including whether the committee should recess to allow a hearing on the non-germane amendment and then return to act on SB 302. After discussion, the committee took a show of hands and overwhelmingly favored recessing the executive session to Tuesday, May 13 at 10:00 a.m. in LOB room 301-303, so a separate hearing could be held on Representative Patenza’s amendment before further action on SB 302.
WA

Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Floor Session Feb 27th, 2026 at 09:00 am

Washington Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • The budget is actually too huge to do zero-based budgeting on the entire budget.
  • Now, in committee, Senator Dhingra had an amendment to this budget that I think was a good one and a
  • This budget is the best total education budget this year.
  • Not a biennial budget, but yes, this is a supplemental budget.
  • The budget is an all-state budget.
Summary: The Senate met on February 23, 2026, opened with the usual roll call, pledge, prayer, and approval of the previous journal. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8698 recognizing piano teachers, with several senators sharing personal remarks about their own teachers and the role of music education in families and communities. Guests from the Washington State Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers were recognized in the gallery. The chamber then moved into budget debate, considering a series of amendments to the operating budget. Several proposals focused on housing costs, local planning, utility rates, and state spending restraint. Amendment 0772, which would have created a housing-related task force and increased funding, was rejected after debate over housing affordability and regulatory costs. Amendment 0785, restoring growth management planning funding for local governments, was also rejected. Amendment 0791, directing the Department of Commerce to study the effects of climate and clean energy laws on utility costs, and Amendment 0769, related to grid capacity and clean energy investments, were both adopted. Other amendments drew sharper partisan debate. Amendment 0798, which would have reduced the Supreme Court from nine justices to five and redirected savings to public defense, failed. Amendments 0794 and 0795, seeking funding for ballot measure costs tied to initiatives, also failed. Amendment 0799, intended to redirect Pacific Tower lease savings to developmental disability services, was rejected after discussion of the building’s current public uses. Amendment 0773, capping state spending growth and tying it to median wage growth, failed on a roll call vote, while Amendment 0777, addressing concurrent use of paid family and medical leave and sick leave by state employees, also failed after extended debate. Later, Amendment 0776 on tort liability reporting was adopted, as were Amendment 0758 creating a DSHS work group on community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and Amendment 0786 was introduced to reduce cash and food assistance work-related funding, with debate beginning before the transcript ends.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

House Ways and Means Committee 2/24/25

Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:
  • </c> committee as we Assemble our budget committee as we Assemble our budget proposal<00:20:31.480><c
  • I'm Anna Mingi, State Budget Director at Minnesota Management and Budget. Mr.
  • The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
  • The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
  • The governor's budget ends with a... The governor's budget doesn't address the set-aside...
Bills: HF3