Transcript Highlights:

• My vision is also to continue the outstanding progress that USF has made over the last few years, including
• They don't have the luxury of accepting only those high academic-achieving students.
• They don't have the luxury of accepting only those high academic-achieving students.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Higher Education heard two bills and then moved through a series of confirmations for university and college boards of trustees. Senate Bill 176, by Senator Polsky, would require public postsecondary institutions to have clear, publicly available safety policies and reporting procedures for threats to students, faculty, staff, and visitors. An amendment clarifying the bill’s scope was adopted without objection, there was no public testimony against it, and the committee reported the bill favorably. Members spoke in support, emphasizing campus safety and the need for clear reporting paths. The committee also heard Senate Bill 116, by Senator Bradley, which would establish the University of Florida Diabetes Institute in statute to advance research, prevention, care, education, collaboration, and outreach on diabetes. Testimony included support from AARP and others, and members praised the institute’s research role and the growing public health importance of diabetes. The bill was reported favorably. The remainder of the meeting focused on confirmations for trustees at FIU, UNF, UCF, USF, and Miami Dade College. Nominees and reappointees described their backgrounds and priorities, including student success, research growth, workforce development, engineering, health care, cybersecurity, and fiscal stewardship. Committee members asked several nominees about nursing NCLEX scores and university performance, and one public commenter raised concerns about campus climate and student safety. The committee then voted to report the confirmations favorably in a block and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Still cherished by the people of Imperial County, it stands as a testament to the progress we've made
• incredible program is shaping the future of Marin City by empowering young people with leadership, academic
• University, Ralph excelled academically and demonstrated strong leadership on and off the football field

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• consistently shows that early mathematics development is one of the strongest predictors of later academic
• this is just one piece of the puzzle that we as a state need to start implementing to improve the academic
• this is just one piece of the puzzle that we as a state need to start implementing to improve the academic
• outcomes and more specifically the math outcomes for all of our students the academic outcomes and more
• And we've seen great progress, both Madam Chair, in your region, as well as mine.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, I remember folks being really proud of the progress that we made when we voted to support that
• constitutional scholar Professor Lawrence Friedman, doing the law, who is widely considered the leading academic
• Massachusetts Law and Politics Project, an effort inspired by what we see as the urgent need to bring academic
• Professor Friedman, considered the leading academic expert on the Massachusetts Constitution.
• Massachusetts Law and Politics Project, an effort inspired by what we see as the urgent need to bring academic

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing opened with committee chairs explaining the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions’ role under Article 48 and outlining the process for initiative petition 25-14, H5-004, an act to improve access to public records. The first panel consisted of subject-matter experts. William Clark of the National Conference of State Legislatures gave an overview of public records laws across states, noting that all states have some form of open-records law but that exemptions for legislatures vary widely. He discussed common legislative exemptions, legislative privilege, and court cases showing that outcomes often turn on specific constitutional and statutory language. Rebecca Murray, General Counsel for the Secretary of the Commonwealth, described Massachusetts public records trends, saying state agency requests and appeals have risen sharply since the 2017 law update, with 2025 setting a record for appeals. She said the initiative would extend the public records law to the General Court and the Governor’s Office and add exemptions specific to those offices, while also noting resource concerns from the growing volume of requests and appeals.

Transcript Highlights:

• It requires review of certain gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships involving
• Well, it's not only partnerships, but it's gifts, contracts, academic partnerships, and research partnerships
• Members, this bill does... this is going to be a little work in progress past committee.
• universities, they have to have the ability to start moving on their own so they can keep up their academic
• universities, they have to have the ability to start moving on their own so they can keep up their academic

Bills: HR171, HCR49, HB632, HB1084, SB310, SB351, SB399

Keywords: HR171, House Resolution 171, M.J. Foster Promise Program, TOPS-Tech, TOPS Tech Award, Board of Regents, Louisiana Works, Louisiana Community and Technical College System, LCATCS, financial aid, scholarship, workforce development, career training, technical education, vocational education, postsecondary credential, associate degree, industry-based credential, high-demand jobs, high-wage occupations

Transcript Highlights:

• They represent the very best of Virginia through their excellence in athletics, academics, and character
• Suffolk Public Schools encourages students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally while discovering
• Beyond the National Junior Honor Society, these students balance rigorous academic schedules that include
• Many will go on to attend specialty centers and advanced academic programs at the high school level.
• language school in Newport News and awards annual scholarships to local high school seniors for their academic

Keywords: March 06, 2026 - Regular Session, 976, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• No educators should have to plan their pregnancy around the academic calendar.
• situation, these students are more likely to be chronically absent, less likely to be engaged academically
• Under current law, a birth parent is only guaranteed a leave of absence and a return in good academic
• She was successful academically, socially, and athletically.
• She was successful academically, socially, and athletically.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So that is in progress. And we just finished our five-year facilities master plan.
• below the 50, even with the 17 growth, New Mexico Military Institute stands as a cornerstone of academic
• MMI consistently ranks among the top institutions in academic rigor and college readiness.
• With 112 legislators and six years of academic study, the number could be as high as 672 scholarships
• The idea that you have someone there who may be struggling in the normal sense of academic school, etc

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Continued funding instability threatens not only scientific progress, but also our state's economic viability
• Continued funding instability threatens not only scientific progress, but also our state's economic viability
• I'm a trustee of UAW Local 4123, the union for academic student workers throughout the Cal State system
• I'm an academic staff member at UC Davis and a proud member of UAW Local 4811.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It is still a work in progress that you've been working on, very pleased with how you've included so
• charter in Senator Royce West's district recently, Uplift, that just has some incredible promise, progress
• TIA doesn't just reward teachers for their academic performance; it also encourages teachers to have
• Almost 26 years ago, I was standing in the rotunda as a state qualifier at the UIL academic contest.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee met to consider HB 2, the major school finance bill, with the chair explaining that the committee substitute would provide about $8 billion in new public education funding. The bill was described as including permanent teacher compensation increases, expanded teacher incentive allotment funding, support for early literacy and numeracy, teacher certification and residency pathways, special education funding, career and technical education, school safety dollars, and facilities support for charter schools. The committee adopted the committee substitute without objection after roll was called and a quorum was present. Members questioned the bill’s structure, especially the balance between across-the-board teacher pay and the teacher incentive allotment, the treatment of uncertified teachers, and differences in requirements between traditional public schools and charter schools. Senator Menendez and Senator West raised concerns about equity, charter-school parity, facilities funding, inflation, and whether the bill should include more support for fine arts and extracurricular programs. The chair responded that the bill was designed to direct most new money to traditional public schools while also preserving flexibility and that charter-school and public-school alignment would need further work. Invited witnesses Dr. Imelda De La Rosa and Val Acri testified in support of the bill, emphasizing that the Teacher Incentive Allotment helps recruit and retain teachers in rural districts and supports mentorship and certification pathways. Public witnesses also supported the bill but urged more funding for fine arts, local flexibility, and full restoration of House-proposed funding levels. Dr. Josh Jones supported year-long teacher residencies, Dr. Philip Morgan asked for more local control and restoration of fine arts funding, Rich Saina supported the bill but warned about hold-harmless reductions, and Dr. Greg Poole supported the bill while asking for flexibility for high-performing districts that already pay high salaries. After the invited testimony and some public testimony, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair so members could attend the Senate floor.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is not progress. This is erasure. This is injustice. And this is state-sanctioned misogyny.
• We should be laser-focused on academic excellence, not pushing radical social experiments onto children
• This negatively impacts their ability to thrive both personally and academically.
• It outlines how districts will use state funding to meet goals around academic achievement, school climate
• It outlines how districts will use state funding to meet goals around academic achievement, school climate

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee heard a full agenda of bills, first adopting a consent calendar of 11 measures without individual presentations. The committee then took up AB 1412, which would require California schools to implement or adopt a transferred special education student’s IEP within 30 days for out-of-state transfers and to coordinate more quickly on records. The author and military-family witnesses said the bill would reduce delays for highly mobile students, especially military children; a school administrators group opposed it. The bill received initial support from committee members and was moved on call. The committee also reconsidered AB 281, which would require notice to parents when outside consultants provide sex education instruction; the author accepted amendments removing a copy-right provision, but the bill remained on call after a split vote. The committee heard AB 1005, which would create a statewide drowning-prevention education and swim-lesson voucher framework for underserved communities. The author and supporters described drowning as a preventable public health and equity issue, while the bill was clarified as developing a plan rather than immediately launching a voucher program. It was voted out on a 3-0 roll with the measure placed on call. AB 908, as amended, would add compliance monitoring for existing requirements that schools use LGBTQ-inclusive instructional materials and curriculum under the FAIR Act. Supporters said the bill would improve implementation and student safety; opponents raised concerns about privacy, girls’ sports, and school burdens. The committee approved the bill 5-2 and sent it to Appropriations. The committee then heard AB 1401, which would affirm parents’ access to school records, including unofficial records unless exempt by law. The author argued that parents need clearer access to information held by schools and vendors, while school officials and teachers’ union representatives warned the bill was too vague and could sweep in personal notes, journals, and other sensitive material. The bill failed on a 2-3 vote and was placed on call. Finally, AB 727 would require student ID cards to include the Trevor Project hotline for LGBTQ youth; supporters framed it as a suicide-prevention measure, while opponents argued it conflicted with parental rights and religious beliefs. Committee discussion focused on whether 988 already provides similar access and whether the Trevor Project is an appropriate resource to print on IDs; the hearing continued with the bill still under consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we provided the City of San Diego, for example, with a progressive permit to clean channels so they
• Because I think what we're going to see, and we're lucky to have such great academic institutions—go
• Tritons, Jessica—academic institutions across California who are really taking their academic knowledge
• And so, yes, there's money in the climate bond, yes, there's this, but it's this blending of academic
• As it relates to Scripps as an academic institution that you want to share or raise.

Summary: The hearing of the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise and the California Economy focused on infrastructure, pollution, climate resilience, public health, access, and economic impacts of sea level rise in California, with an emphasis on San Diego and the Bay Area. Chair Tasha Boerner Horvath opened by describing the committee’s purpose, the state’s sea level rise action planning, and the need for better monitoring and early warning systems. She also referenced her prior bills AB 66 and AB 72, which supported Scripps research on coastal bluff collapse warning capabilities. Assembly Members David Alvarez and Jessica Caloza later joined and emphasized that sea level rise affects not only coastal communities but inland areas as well, and that the issue should inform future legislative and budget decisions. In the first panel, Dr. Mark Merrifield of Scripps Institution of Oceanography described observed sea level rise of roughly 0.8 to 0.9 feet since the early 1900s, with acceleration expected by mid-century and potentially much greater rise by 2100 depending on emissions. He highlighted flooding, groundwater rise, beach and cliff erosion, salinization, and risks to transportation, sewage, ports, and national security. Dave Gibson of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board discussed how sea level rise affects wastewater systems, stormwater, contaminated sites, wetlands, and coastal groundwater basins, and said the board is requiring climate adaptation planning, updating stormwater permits, and seeking more flexible state permitting and mitigation tools. Members and witnesses also discussed the need for better mapping, more monitoring, and more state funding, especially if federal support from NOAA and other agencies declines. The second panel addressed public health, equitable access, and local economies. Ramon Chiras of Un Mar de Colores described how sea level rise, pollution, and access barriers threaten the Tijuana River Valley and Imperial Beach, especially for underserved communities and youth programs that rely on safe, welcoming access to the ocean. He stressed the cultural and spiritual importance of coastal access and the need for water safety and environmental education. Jessica Fane of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission explained that the Bay Area faces major economic exposure from sea level rise, citing a regional estimate of $96 billion in adaptation costs versus $230 billion in potential losses from inaction, and said BCDC is working with local governments under SB 272 on shoreline adaptation planning, funding, and regulatory innovation. Members discussed the tension between environmental permitting and the need to move projects faster, including the possibility of planned retreat in some areas and the use of simultaneous permitting and longer-term state authority to streamline adaptation work. In the final panel, Philip Gibbons of the Port of San Diego described the port’s climate adaptation efforts and its vulnerability assessments under AB 691. He said the port manages state tidelands, supports maritime commerce and recreation, and is already seeing flooding at king tides and during El Niño events, including storm-drain backflow and damage to bikeways and parks. He explained that future sea level rise could inundate major port areas and disrupt operations, underscoring the need for continued planning, mitigation, and infrastructure investment. The hearing did not take formal votes, but it concluded with a clear call for more science, funding, coordination, and regulatory streamlining to prepare California’s coast and nearby communities for worsening sea level rise impacts.

Bills: SCR47, SCR21, SCR163, SCR169, SCR170, SCR50, SCR75, SCR149, HCR83, HCR111, HCR110, HCR122, HCR118, HCR61, HCR162, HCR36, HCR19, HCR106, HCR14, HCR178, SB3022, SB3102, SB3144

Keywords: sister-state, Hawaii, Okayama, Japan, cultural exchange, economic partnership, tourism, agriculture, international relations, healthcare, rural clinic, feasibility study, access to care, community health, Volcano community, Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, emergency services, health assessment, Pacific Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, Legislative Cooperation

Bills: SB44, SB546, SB1213, SB1256, SB1287, SB1443, SB1644, SB1653, SB1716, SB1209, SB1826, SB1919, SB1930, SB1976, SB2028, SB2067, SB2072, SB2117, SB710, SB1477, SB1405

Keywords: sales tax exemption, nonprofit organizations, contractors, charitable purposes, state law, SB1213, earned credits, inmate credits, good time, sentence reduction, Department of Corrections, DOC, prison reform, corrections policy, inmate classification, class levels, rehabilitation credits, achievement credits, vocational training, educational credits

Transcript Highlights:

• Early Childhood Education facility, and the second being Eastern New Mexico University's Student Academic
• the report's second case study, the new construction of Eastern New Mexico University's Student Academic
• a few pages we'll show you exactly where we're at with construction, but really making a lot of progress
• We also show you the progress with fieldwork on the top right, which, as you can see is nearly complete
• That's good progress. How much money do you have in the endowment at all for Mesa Lands? Mr.

Transcript Highlights:

• libertarian, um, and other non-recognized political parties, but there was never anything like progressive
• libertarian, um, and other non-recognized political parties, but there was never anything like progressive
• libertarian, um, and other non-recognized political parties, but there was never anything like progressive
• libertarian, um, and other non-recognized political parties, but there was never anything like progressive
• libertarian, um, and other non-recognized political parties, but there was never anything like progressive

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• development of our students in academic development of our students in reading<00:25:29.080> math
• I personally identify as a progressive DFLer, but I believe the work y'all do and the work we do as a
• I personally identify as a progressive DFLer, but I believe the work y'all do and the work we do as a
• Nutrition is one of the most important factors for student growth and academic success.
• behavioral and social their academic behavioral and social emotional<00:43:32.520> success<00

Bills: HF51, HF1161, HF2201, HF2786, HF1053

Keywords: HF51, Sibley County, State-Aid Highway 21, capital investment, bonding bill, general obligation bonds, transportation infrastructure, road improvements, sanitary sewer, water main, storm sewer, local infrastructure, county grant, Minnesota Department of Transportation, bond proceeds fund, public works, utility infrastructure, education finance, school district funding, tax base adjustment

Transcript Highlights:

• The committee held oversight hearings and informational hearings through the fall with academic experts
• Court officers will alert the members that a roll call is in progress. This is roll call number 53.
• Court officers will alert the members that a roll call is in progress.
• Court officers, some of the members indicate a roll call is in progress.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed students from the Frederick C. Murphy School in Weymouth, along with other guests introduced by members. The chamber then suspended Joint Rule 12 to allow several petitions to be referred, including proposals on alcohol labeling for beers consumed on premises, parity in funding for regional vocational and traditional public schools, and legal protections for victims of childhood sexual abuse. The main floor business was House No. 4187, An Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws, reported by Ways and Means as a substitute bill. Members speaking in support described it as a comprehensive overhaul of the Cannabis Control Commission and the state’s cannabis and hemp regulatory framework. The bill would reduce and restructure the CCC, expand options for cannabis businesses and social equity operators, raise license and ownership caps, remove the vertical integration requirement for medical marijuana, and create stronger rules for hemp and CBD products, including a ban on unregulated intoxicating hemp products and a new regulatory structure for allowable hemp beverages and CBD items. Several amendments were offered and adopted by roll call, including changes narrowing the hemp beverage ban from 11 ounces to 7.5 ounces, requiring out-of-state testing labs to be certified in good standing with the commission, and other technical revisions. After debate, the House passed H. 4187 to be engrossed by a roll call vote of 153-0. The chamber also passed to be engrossed two sick leave bank bills, for Andrew Satara and Dana Johnson, and ordered House No. 1590, establishing a sick leave bank for Eric J. Wenaka, to a third reading. The House then adopted an order to meet the next day at 11 a.m. and adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I want to promote freedom and maximize their opportunity, academic and otherwise.
• <00:30:58.840> and their opportunity academic and their opportunity academic and otherwise
• The school swimming pool is more than a place for academics.
• <00:51:34.120> So,<00:51:34.920> uh, academic support. So, uh, academic support.
• It is a than a place for academics.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• workers, organizers, and service members who have helped shape this nation ever since reminds us that progress
• For more than a century, Delta women have been woven into the fabric of progress in our communities and
• many of the gains they had lost during the Great Recession, including good raises, faster career progression
• It affirms the academic excellence and cultural leadership of tribal colleges, making clear that these
• TCUs bridge a gap by providing education that maintains academic rigor guided by Native culture and values

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and opened with a prayer, pledge, and several procedural motions. Members approved a motion to re-refer AB 2690 and AB 1863 to Appropriations by roll call vote, 41-17. The body then adopted HR 92, recognizing Cinco de Mayo Week and launching the 2026 Latino Spirit Awards, with broad support from multiple caucuses. The resolution passed on a voice vote after 60 coauthors were added. The chamber then recognized the 2026 Latino Spirit Award honorees, including leaders in higher education, philanthropy, immigrant advocacy, health and science, advocacy, business, environmental justice, human rights, journalism, culinary arts, and music. After the ceremony, members resumed floor business and passed a series of bills, including AB 1657 on domestic violence restraining order procedures (64-0), AB 2042 on civil process and default judgments (66-0), AB 1660 on probate enforcement for public guardians (45-10), AB 1917 on reinstating dismissed criminal charges by motion (43-15), AB 2148 clarifying public school employees are human beings (69-0), AB 1647 protecting juvenile transfer-hearing statements (63-0), AB 1555 expanding community college access in Siskiyou County (66-0), AB 1608 on high-speed rail inspector general transparency and confidentiality rules (45-18), AB 1803 adding anti-hate speech training to workplace harassment prevention training (50-9), and AB 2128 protecting tenants in subsidized housing from certain work requirements and time limits (44-16). Several items were passed and retained or continued without debate. The Assembly also adopted ACR 159, declaring the importance of indigent defense and public defenders, with 59 coauthors added before a voice vote. Later, ACR 179 designated May 1 as Wildland Urban Interface Preparedness and Resilience Day and passed with 65 coauthors, and ACR 183 proclaimed Black Health Equity Advocacy Week, with members speaking about racial health disparities and the need for investment and accountability. Throughout the day, members also introduced guests from their districts and organizations, including public defenders, union leaders, agricultural advocates, students, and civic groups.