Transcript Highlights:

• House Bill 4996 seeks to deter this abuse of public servants by increasing the penalty for refusal to
• House Bill 4996 amends the Penal Code to increase the penalty for refusal to execute the release of a
• Members, House Bill 2282 is the arrest warrant fee increase.
• They will also get additional Tier 2 funding because of the increase in funding to CTE.
• early literacy and numeracy, and because the basic allotment is increased.

Summary: The Senate first adopted a motion to suspend Rule 5.14 and move the intent calendar deadline to 6 p.m. that day. It then took up and passed several bills, often by suspending the regular order of business and the constitutional three-day rule. HB 1866 gave limited Texas peace officer authority to National Park Service law enforcement officers within the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park; HB 4996 increased the penalty for refusing to release a fraudulent lien when the victim is a public servant; and HB 5033 created a trigger mechanism for ending vehicle emissions inspections if federal law changes. HB 1533 made a range of appraisal and property tax procedure changes, HB 2282 raised the arrest warrant reimbursement fee from $50 to $75, HB 3421 updated probate and estates procedures, and HB 4263 revised Texas Juvenile Justice Department grievance procedures. Each of these measures advanced through second reading, third reading, and final passage, with recorded votes generally showing strong support and some opposition on a few bills. The chamber also considered major policy bills. HB 2, the large public education and school finance package, drew extensive floor discussion and multiple amendments. Senators emphasized its $8.5 billion investment, including teacher and staff pay, school safety funding, special education, charter and traditional school funding changes, and other allotment adjustments. Several senators praised the bill as historic and collaborative, while also noting the need to monitor implementation and future effects. After adopting amendments and hearing supportive remarks from multiple members, the Senate passed HB 2 on final vote, 31-0. Other debated measures included HB 143, which codified cooperation between the Railroad Commission and the Public Utility Commission to address electrical safety hazards at well sites and related facilities, and CS SB 3074/3070, which allowed limited written communications from the governor, lieutenant governor, and legislators to TCEQ commissioners about permit applications, with disclosure and response requirements. Senator Johnson raised concerns that the TCEQ bill could politicize an apolitical permitting process and potentially affect federal delegation, but the bill was amended and passed 28-3. The Senate also passed HB 4426 on Railroad Commission permits for commercial surface disposal facilities, HB 3161 giving TMRS cities more flexibility on employee contribution rates, and HB 2712 allowing future test years for certain water and sewer utility rate-making, with an amendment to protect ratepayers if projections overcharge them. At the end of the session, the Senate handled several procedural motions, including re-referring HB 1904 from Criminal Justice to State Affairs and suspending posting rules so committees could meet later that day. The chamber then recessed until 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 25, 2025, for a local and uncontested calendar, and planned to adjourn until 5:00 p.m. that same day after that calendar concluded.

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, let's be clear: this is an increasing tool.
• Thank you for allowing me to share some background on AB 428 to allow water utilities like mine to join
• Insurance costs are increasing everywhere.
• Yes, thank you, Madam Chair, for allowing me to present AB 943.
• Thank you, Madam Chair, for allowing me to present AB 943.

Summary: The Assembly Insurance Committee met as a subcommittee and heard several bills focused on insurance transparency, wildfire mitigation, market access, and workforce issues. AB 75 would require insurers to give homeowners 30 days’ notice before collecting aerial images of their property and allow homeowners to review those images; supporters said it would improve privacy and prevent inaccurate non-renewals, while consumer and industry groups both sought amendments. AB 234 would add the Assembly Speaker and Senate President pro Tem, or designees, as non-voting members on the California FAIR Plan governing committee; the Department of Insurance supported it as an oversight measure, while Consumer Federation of California said it was only a small first step toward broader transparency reforms. AB 428 would let water corporations join joint powers authorities for pooled insurance, with supporters citing rising insurance costs for small water systems and no remaining opposition after amendments. AB 943 would streamline producer pre-licensing education by removing the 20-hour per-line requirement while keeping ethics training; industry sponsors said it would reduce barriers to entry, while consumer advocates warned it could lower professional standards. AB 1209 would create a pathway for cannabis employers to secure workers’ compensation coverage and related services through a state-coordinated network; supporters said it would help bring the industry into compliance, while one member raised concerns about creating a special carveout for a federally restricted industry. AB 1 would require periodic review of the state’s Safer from Wildfire regulations every five years, and it drew broad support from the department, insurers, local governments, and industry groups as a way to keep wildfire mitigation incentives current. The committee also took up a consent calendar including AB 69, AB 487, and AB 570, all of which were sent to Appropriations. The committee approved AB 75 to Privacy and Consumer Protection, AB 234 to the Assembly Floor, AB 428 to Local Government, AB 943 to Appropriations, AB 1209 to Business and Professions, and AB 1 to Appropriations. Most measures passed on strong or unanimous votes after members added coauthor requests and expressed support for the bills’ consumer protection, transparency, or wildfire-related goals.

Transcript Highlights:

• 00:12:42.480> a<00:12:42.639> disabil allows a member with a disabil allows a member with
• :53.919> to<00:30:54.159> safely bill will allow optometrists to safely bill will allow
• eye procedures allowed in S64. eye procedures allowed in S64.
• Um, will this increase the number?
• going to be allowed to do it.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House began with several announcements and recognitions, including a lengthy tribute to Representative Carolyn Brangan of Georgia on her retirement and years of service, followed by remarks from Brangan explaining that she is leaving to care for her husband during cancer treatment. Additional members offered brief reflections, including one on the end of the session and another welcoming students from Founders Memorial School to the gallery, and a member from Brattleboro highlighted a collaborative mural in the card room titled “These Green Hills, Vermont State Symbols and Personal Reflections.” The body then took up its calendar. It adopted Joint House Resolution 12, authorizing limited remote voting in joint committees through the remainder of the calendar year, with an ADA-related accommodation for members physically present but unable to access a meeting room. The House also suspended rules to take up and concur in the Senate amendment to House Bill 935 on emergency management. The committee report described grant programs for emergency response and technical rescue, new definitions and shelter-planning language centered on “whole community,” a wildland fire response task force, and an emergency rulemaking provision requested by the Agency of Natural Resources; the committee approved the Senate proposal on an 8-3 straw poll, and the House concurred. The House next adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 952, the capital construction and state bonding budget adjustment bill. The report explained changes made in conference, including shifting funds to cover a higher-than-expected bid for the St. Johnsbury facility, restoring some funding for maintenance at the women’s correctional facility in Chittenden County, and setting aside $750,000 toward planning for Wi-Fi installation in correctional facilities. It also noted a lease-related language change for a Vermont Huts project at Little River State Park, with notification to the institutions committee chairs. The House then took up Senate Bill 64 on optometrists’ scope of practice; the committee presentation supported allowing specially credentialed optometrists to perform certain minor surgical, laser, and injection procedures, citing improved access, safety, cost, and workforce development, and the bill was read for second reading with committee recommendations for concurrence.

Transcript Highlights:

• What does it allow utilities to do?
• I mean, it's going to allow the ratio between equity and debt, and it's going to allow them to increase
• So that would be allowed? That would be allowed if it's a clear grammatical or scrivener's error.
• Do we allow for, I don't want to say rest of the property, do you allow...?
• In the bill, so we're only increasing fees? Only increasing fees. Oh, boy.

Bills: HB75, HB188, HB199, HB4029, HB330, HB507, HB524, HB1517, HB 1065, HB1375, HB1630, HB1398, HB 1227, HB689, HB1814, HB2160, HB2140, HB4897, HB5600, HB5489, HB4188, HB2881, HB2048, HB3900, HB4074, HB5568, HB5528, HB3811, HB3726, HB3382, HB4507, HB4775, HB3626, HB3569, HB5212, HB5248, HB5178, HB3453, HB3231, HB3941, HB1571, HB1969, HB1865, HB2879, HB2643, HB4799, HB4891, HB5567, HB5549, HB5187, HB5118, HB3191, HB1730, HB1687, HB2192, HB4511, HB4805, HB1863, HB3195, HB3199, HB5562, HB5551, HB5169, HB3290, HB3712, HB3996, HB5098, HB5097, HB5089, HB3897, HB3868, HB3829, HB4840, HB3753, HB4368, HB4142, HB2841, HB3457, HB3784, HCR46, HCR109, HCR10, SB1844, SB1833, SB2284, SB2052, SB1666, SB1265, SB1146, SB1921, SB480, SB1734, SB296, SB2039, SB462, SB1646, SB2173, SB2925, SB682, SB1173, HB4535, HB4520, HB3824, HB3066, HB2442, HB3863, HB4773, HB4327, HB5115, HB5515, HB3372, HB5659, HB 127, HB386, HB 115, HB2868, HB 1249, HB4766, HB3720, HB4879, HB5383, HB4621, HB5431, HB5678, HB5534, HB4212, HB3954, HB3966, HB3918, HB1422, HB4765, HB4732, HB4742, HB4518, HB5084, HB3986, HB4144, HB3976, HB4473, HB3425, HB3641, HB3642, HB3475, HB3424, HB4744, HB4539, HB3159, HB5228, HB5370, HB4359, HB4443, HB4466, HB3849, HB4240, HB5141, HB5686, HB3629, HB3554, HB3567, HB2015, HB3575, HB5381, HB4398, HB3514, HB4614, HB4546, HB5681, HB5663, HB4271, HB4350, HB4035, HB3812, HB3540, HB3715, HB3664, HB4233, HB3333, HB3510, HB4222, HB2070, HB2854, HB2347, HB 113, HJR218, HB5623, HB4921, HB5673, HB5520, HB 105, HB4685, HB5354, HB4683, HB75, HB983, HB4847, HB1449, HB3833, HB5151, HB265, HB1845, HB782, HB 108, HB1960, HB158, HB1954, HB1955, HB2512, HB605, HB2581, HB2803, HB627, HB2667, HB1738, HB636, HB3679, HB2638, HB2655, HB871, HB2438, HB 1107, HB1765, HB1822, HB2153, HB4099, HB3732, HB3171, HB3178, HB3182, HB3749, HB2814, HB3977, HB4204, HB4207, HB4449, HB1820, HB1876, HB1939, HB1347, HB2593, HB2136, HB2132, HB2658, HB2413, HB2757, HB2080, HB3154, HB3063, HB3009, HB3448, HB3006, HB2844, HB3241, HB3680, HB3169, HB2078, HB2507, HB4559, HB3946, HB3460, HB3405, HB475, HB3463, HB3441, HB3441, HB3520, HB2060, HB4731, HB4991, HB1991, HB5596, HB2014, HB2142, HB2673, HB2731, HB2417, HB2399, HB2301, HB2301, HB3335, HB3234, HB3320, HB5573, HB5573, HB4848, HB4848, HB4748, HB4769, HB4795, HB2086, HB2086, HB2234, HB2234, HB2203, HB4916, HB5624, HB4505, HB139, HB5093, HB5302, HB5402, HB5606, HB2333, HB4630, HB4701, HB2583, HB2983, HB4924, HB3339, HB3339, HB3793, HB3631, HB4882, HB5509, HB5499, HB5430, HB5561, HB5561, HB5611, HB5043, HB5064, HB5064, HB3733, HB3733, HB3781, HB3219, HB32, HB4515, HB5348, HB3902, HB4420, HB3269, HB469, HB336, HB316, HB5396, HB993, HB1342, HB1342, HB5216, HB2046, HB2046, HB2188, HB2188, HB2450, HB2813, HB2857, HB4075, HB4075, HB2911, HB4682, HB4682, HB3117, HB3253, HB3442, HB4820, HB4336, HB5356, HB3669, HB3428, HB5465, HB3662, HB2590, HB2288, HB2288, HB1886, HB3458, HB3458, HB5603, HB5620, HB1489, HB1489, HB4101, HB4990, HB5685, HB5685, HB4950, HB4950, HB4980, HB5684, HB3507, HB3507, HB3566, HB4487, HB4487, HB4462, HB4462, HB4876, HB4915, HB4663, HB5570, HB2929, HB5261, HB2920, HB4642, HB4746, HB1609, HB5403, HB5453, HB3844, HB2336, HB1572, HB 1226, HB 1226, HB2806, HB2806, HB2617, HB2617, HB2827, HB3948, HB3948, HB3945, HB4266, HB4542, HB3319, HB1772, HB2496, HB1970, HB3434, HB5545, HB5545, HB5577, HB5577, HB31, HB31, HB279, HB370, HB370, HB4768, HB513, HB875, HB982, HB 1085, HB 1085, HB2677, HB2874, HB5478, HB4880, HB4798, HB4514, HB4958, HB4958, HB4508, HB4508, HB3758, HB3830, HB3744, HB3622, HB741, HB741, HB2204, HB2204, HB2860, HB4659, HB4578, HB813, HB712, HB712, HB1551, HB2790, HB2698, HB3365, HB3504, HB3118, HB3118, HB2959, HB1862, HB1862, HB 1026, HB4401, HB4401, HB4164, HB4164, HB3920, HB4737, HB4966, HB4966, HB4967, HB1958, HB4979, HB4979, HB5459, HB3862, HB1823, HB1823, HB4415, HB4893, HB2343, HB 1228, HB4337, HB188, HB199, HB4029, HB330, HB507, HB524, HB1517, HB 1065, HB1375, HB1630, HB1398, HB 1227, HB689, HB689, HB1814, HB2160, HB2140, HB4897, HB5600, HB5489, HB4188, HB2881, HB2048, HB3900, HB4074, HB5568, HB5528, HB3811, HB3726, HB3382, HB3382, HB4507, HB4775, HB3626, HB3569, HB5212, HB5248, HB5178, HB3453, HB3231, HB3941, HB1571, HB1969, HB1865, HB2879, HB2879, HB2643, HB4799, HB4891, HB5567, HB5549, HB5187, HB5118, HB3191, HB1730, HB1687, HB1687, HB2192, HB4511, HB4805, HB4805, HB1863, HB3195, HB3199, HB5562, HB5562, HB5551, HB5169, HB3290, HB3712, HB3996, HB5098, HB5098, HB5097, HB5089, HB5089, HB3897, HB3868, HB3829, HB4840, HB3753, HB4368, HB4142, HB2841, HB3457, HB3784, HCR76, HCR76, HCR127, HCR9, HCR40, HCR118, HR559, HCR59, HCR59, HCR135, HCR141, HCR46, HCR46, HCR109, HCR10

Keywords: magistrate, criminal procedure, probable cause, written findings, law enforcement, Texas STRONG defense fund, severance tax revenue, oil and gas revenue, constitutional transfers, rainy day fund, economic stabilization fund, state highway fund, oil and gas production, qualifying county, county grants, water infrastructure, first responders, public safety, DPS staffing, commercial motor vehicle safety

Transcript Highlights:

• Is that something that we allowed to happen by statute, or did we allow it, or is it just something that
• It increases the funding. ABC programs have not had a significant increase in funding since 2008.
• This is not a blanket increase. The cap only increases when DHS determines...
• This is not a blanket increase.
• What it does not allow for is the language we've put in here that says the, that allows them to determine

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee first handled agenda management for items referred over from Joint Budget, suspending the rules to add Senate Bill 77 and later correcting an error so Senate Bill 4 could be considered instead of the initially misidentified House Bill. Members were given time to review the referred bills before votes were taken. Several other items were passed over or delayed to allow review, and the chair repeatedly noted that some measures would be taken up later in the agenda. The committee then heard a series of special language amendments and agency-related items. Representative Dalby explained a clarification to Senate Bill 31 to ensure district court installment payment plans are capped at $7.50 rather than being combined with prior $10 fees. Representative Bentley presented an amendment to Senate Bill 36 requiring the Department of Agriculture to notify local officials before certain land-purchase grants, but the amendment failed after concerns that it created a new process and could affect transactions. Bentley also proposed an amendment to Senate Bill 20 to remove Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s exemption from a hospital fee settlement; members questioned the fiscal effects on other hospitals, and the motion failed for lack of a second. Representative Pilkington’s amendments on pharmacy refills using artificial intelligence and on quarry permit notice to mayors were both not adopted, the first for lack of a second and the second for lack of a motion. The committee adopted several other amendments and heard agency testimony on fiscal effects. Senator Tucker’s amendment to Senate Bill 575, which moved certain justice-system fee revenues from special revenue to general revenue while holding agency funding harmless, was adopted after questions about revenue stability. Representative Beatty’s amendment to House Bill 1022, clarifying ADFA positions and reporting, was also adopted. Senator Johnson’s amendment to protect SNAP eligibility for participants in faith-based treatment and recovery programs was adopted, while his proposal to withhold pay from city directors absent more than 90 days was rejected. His cleanup amendment to apply majority-vote requirements to all municipal forms of government was adopted. Later, Representative Wardlaw’s amendment to allow municipalities to participate in cooperative purchasing agreements was adopted after discussion about local vendor access. The final major item discussed was Representative Mayberry and Senator Crowell’s amendment to House Bill 1007, which would increase funding for Arkansas’s ABC early childhood programs, open additional slots, and raise reimbursement rates. Supporters said the measure would help reduce waiting lists and improve kindergarten readiness; opponents argued it would divert dollars from public education funding. After debate, the amendment failed. The committee then began hearing Senator Irvin’s amendment to House Bill 107 concerning funding and operational rules for newly formed isolated school districts, with Department of Education staff explaining the proposed 90% foundation funding approach and discussing whether existing districts had sufficient funds to absorb the changes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had a payroll tax increase. We're seeing property tax increases.
• We had a payroll tax increase. We're seeing property tax increases.
• We had a payroll tax increase. We're seeing property tax increases.
• We had a payroll tax increase. We're seeing property tax increases.
• We had a payroll tax increase. We're seeing property tax increases.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 3279, the “Our Future Starts at Home” constitutional amendment, which would ask voters to approve a 3/8 of 1% statewide sales tax increase to create a dedicated housing revenue stream. Chair Howard said the proposal is intended to address Minnesota’s housing shortage through predictable, long-term funding, estimated at about $400 million annually for 25 years, and would be administered through a council that would fund housing vouchers, rental and supportive housing, and affordable homeownership. Supportive testimony came from coalition and nonprofit advocates, including Nelima Sitati Munene, Ben Helvick Anderson, Dakota Morgan, and Chris Berggren. They argued that Minnesota’s housing crisis requires permanent, sustained investment rather than one-time grants, and said the amendment could produce thousands of vouchers, supportive housing units, rental units, and starter homes over time. Testifiers also emphasized the need for community voice and lived-experience representation in how funds are distributed, and described the bill as a way to prevent homelessness and stabilize families statewide. Several members raised concerns that the proposal would add another regressive tax burden on residents already struggling with affordability. Representatives Johnson, Nash, Dotseth, and Myers argued that sales taxes hit lower-income Minnesotans hardest and said the state should focus more on zoning, regulatory reform, and other cost reductions instead of new taxes. Chair Howard responded that housing costs themselves are already highly regressive and that both policy reform and public investment are needed. The bill was laid over and no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's not an increase in any spending.
• It would allow for the acceptance of these federal funds that would come It would allow for the acceptance
• Just in terms of the increases, it's not only because of increased participation rate, which has been
• Overall, the increase is not just because participation rates are increasing; it's for a variety of factors
• Then I have a future consideration of allowing that fund to increase 3.5 percent annually to match increases

Summary: The Budget Section met to approve prior minutes and receive a series of budget, revenue, and program updates from OMB, the Tax Department, DOT, DMR, and DPI. OMB reported that general fund revenues through May were about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls, though the biennium is still projected to end with a positive balance. OMB also reviewed oil price and production assumptions, the budget stabilization fund transfer above its cap, Legacy Fund performance, federal grant applications, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting that most of the settlement funds had been deposited but a small amount of accrued interest would require a future deficiency request. The committee then considered Emergency Commission requests. It approved requests for Public Service Commission abandoned mine lands federal authority, an Attorney General FTE and related funding for criminal investigator work tied to the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. After discussion, the committee also approved DPI’s request for a $500,000 transfer for the food vendor program, despite questions about the program’s savings and cash-flow structure. Later, the Tax Commissioner presented the primary residence credit program, reporting that current biennium costs are expected to exceed the appropriation by about $22 million and explaining how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran credits and the 3% property tax levy cap. The Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board reported strong returns for both funds, and DOT sought and received approval for two flexible fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. DOT also updated members on Highway 85 construction and said remaining flex fund dollars were essentially fully allocated. DMR reported on the abandoned well plugging and site reclamation fund, noting North Dakota’s relatively small orphan well inventory, current and projected fund balances, rising remediation costs, and a possible need to adjust the fund cap in future sessions. Finally, DPI outlined the new integrated formula gap funding program, explaining that it compensates school districts that cannot reach the assumed 60-mill local contribution because of the 3% levy cap; the first year’s gap funding totaled about $1.8 million, with future costs expected to grow.

Transcript Highlights:

• of that allowable cost.
• or 100% of what Medicare allows. or 100% of what Medicare allows.
• Um, as patient volume increases, increases, increases, then<01:09:20.839> increases<01:09:21.359
• That increases to us.
• increases tuition. increases tuition.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• sick so strategy number one increasing sick so strategy number one increasing communication<00:10
• expanding ing the scope of allowable expanding ing the scope of allowable uses<01:26:26.199>
• manner the use of expanded funds allow manner the use of expanded funds allow us<01:26:50.040>
• <01:45:50.199> $171 Learners is going to increase $171 Learners is going to increase $171
• education students is going to increase education students is going to increase $820<01:45:55.639

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Education Finance Committee met on January 28, 2025, to receive updates on chronic absenteeism work funded in the 2024 education finance bill. The chair introduced presentations from districts in the student attendance pilot program—Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Chisago, and Rochester—and noted that the committee would also hear the student attendance and truancy legislative study group report and later a bill from Senator Weber. The chair also thanked educational assistants and paraprofessionals for their work in schools. Minneapolis Public Schools described common attendance challenges across pilot districts, including inconsistent attendance coding, weak family communication, difficulty identifying interventions, and uneven responses to absences. The district said pilot districts want statewide definitions for absences, tardies, and exempt codes, as well as better internal dashboards and clearer procedures. Minneapolis also highlighted strategies such as attendance teams at each school, quarterly postcards to families after five or more absences, Promise Fellows, home visits, multilingual communication through TalkingPoints, and a morning nurse line to help parents decide whether a child should stay home. The district said its main attendance goal is to raise consistent attendance from 68 percent to 80 percent by 2026. In response to committee questions, Minneapolis said its main post-COVID absenteeism reason has been illness or medical issues, followed by transportation problems, and that it does not penalize students for transportation-related absences. The district said it counts secondary absences when students miss more than three periods in a day, with truancy beginning after seven such absences, while elementary students are counted absent for the full day. Members also asked about whether reduced truancy referrals reflected more attendance or diversionary supports; the district said its approach is to focus on understanding root causes and providing support rather than quickly referring students to truancy processes. The district reported improved communication, greater parent awareness, and fewer truancy referrals so far, and said the attendance team model should be sustainable because it uses existing staff with clearer direction.

Transcript Highlights:

• and nonallowable ratios, allowable and nonallowable costs.
• My question is, if the legislature had the appetite to increase allowable reimbursement at a higher rate
• I think we have limits, though, on how far Medicaid can be increased.
• But if costs are increasing, we're just always going to be chasing that.
• But it allows them to know where they've been at in these different systems.

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 2024-25 statewide increases.
• Then item two highlights the base increase of $9.2 million to address anticipated increases in workers
• statewide salary increases.
• And the final piece is an increase of $2.9 million for board-approved increases based on actual claims
• statewide salary increases.

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The committee began with Article I budget items for the Secretary of State. LBB staff outlined recommendations that would reduce the agency’s appropriation by about $40.3 million, including changes to HAVA funding, removal of one-time business system replacement money, and a rider directing the agency to use Fund 5095 first. Secretary Jane Nelson and staff then defended several exceptional items, especially additional staffing for elections and business filings, a new website, digitization of records, cybersecurity tools, and renovation of the James Earl Rudder Building. Members focused heavily on election administration, cross-checking voter rolls, Harris County complaints, call-center response times, and whether online voter registration should be expanded. No votes were taken; the discussion was informational and budget-focused. The committee then heard the Office of the Governor and trustee programs. LBB presented a recommended $2.4 million decrease for the governor’s office proper and a much larger decrease in trustee programs driven by one-time funding and unexpended balances, while still preserving major border security funding and victim assistance funding. Governor’s staff emphasized Texas’ economic growth, the importance of border security, and efforts to seek federal reimbursement for the roughly $11 billion Texas has spent on border operations. Members discussed whether shifting National Guard deployment to federal control could reduce state costs, and they also reviewed the music incubator program, the Governor’s University Research Initiative, and the semiconductor innovation consortium. Staff highlighted a $5 million late-added request for grants to protect nonprofits from violence and terrorism. Again, the exchange was largely explanatory, with no formal action. Finally, the committee took up the Texas Facilities Commission and lease payments for revenue bonds. LBB recommended major reductions overall, including removal of border wall construction funding and capital complex bond funding, but added money for higher utility costs, renovation of the Rudder Building, and additional facilities staff. George Purcell also noted stable maintenance-and-renewal funding and new riders related to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission building, tenant communications, and space utilization. For lease payments, LBB recommended a smaller appropriation tied to revenue-bond costs allocated across agencies. The discussion was informational, with members asking about the Rudder Building renovation, border wall progress, and capital complex construction timelines; no votes were recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• So this allows them an opportunity to go somewhere else.
• I'm sorry, I'm losing terminology, but it allows them to go inspect dairies.
• Cannot vote yes mainly on the fee increase. Debate on Senate Bill 2071.
• That allows you. Are you taking care of the advertising next week?
• The value increase would be that we brought our forester on last year.

Bills: SB2122, SB330, SB2071, SB2169, SB2069, SB2095, SB2157

Keywords: poultry, agriculture, out-of-state processing, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, regulation, food safety, elk population, wildlife management, Oklahoma State University, veterinary medicine, ecosystem health, habitat assessment, milk, dairy, dairy farm, milk products, Grade A milk, pasteurization, raw milk, milk inspection

Transcript Highlights:

• I think when you look at just the base increases, we're asking for a four and a half percent increase
• We increased the premium. We increased the payout to 80/20 across. the board.
• And our other request includes an increase to pay the GSD rate increase as indicated in our slide.
• Our district is currently asking for a $224,900 increase to cover increases in cost.
• I think we're at 2.5% this last increase in inflationary values and 30% increase in food.

Transcript Highlights:

• Increase in things other than hurricanes.
• This in-housing allows us to do that. It allows us to have full control over our own data.
• One is increasing energy efficiency, allowing them to spend less to receive the heating.
• standards, and then also the ability to increase staffing as a result of that increased workload.
• In the 2025 fiscal year, our recurring budget has increased, allowing us to scale up this program significantly

Transcript Highlights:

• But it allowed me and others to showcase ourselves.
• It allows us to excel and to achieve.
• We're increasing the total funds per FTE by 1.64%.
• We're increasing the total funds per FTE by 1.64%.
• But our intention here in increasing this is actually to allow flexibility to the local districts.

Bills: S1062, S1718, S7038

Keywords: speech education, debate, high school, Florida Debate Initiative, civics, competitive teams, student participation, educational advancement, educator preparation, certification, professional development, temporary certificate, military service, collaboration, teaching effectiveness, education, Florida College System, tuition waivers, vocational rehabilitation, state universities

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education met to consider several education bills and the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 Department of Education budget. The committee first took up CS/SB 1062 on speech and debate, which would formalize Florida’s Speech and Debate Week, strengthen the partnership between the Department of Education and the Florida Debate Initiative, require annual public reporting, and support statewide speech and debate programming. The bill drew extensive supportive testimony from students, alumni, and advocates who said debate improved civic engagement, literacy, confidence, and school performance, while also noting the need for equitable access and funding for travel and competition. The committee adopted a delete-everything amendment and then reported the bill favorably as amended by a unanimous vote of members present. The committee then heard SB 1718 on educator preparation and certification, which expands access to educator preparation coursework, broadens eligibility for temporary certification for some formerly certified professionals, and allows prior subject-area exam results to satisfy requirements. Public testimony largely supported easing barriers for experienced educators while emphasizing that certification changes are only a partial solution to teacher shortages and should be paired with better pay, retention, and professional respect. The bill was reported favorably. Next, the committee considered SB 7038 on education, which included a wide range of higher education and workforce-related changes, including a tuition waiver for Florida State Guard members, residency clarifications, oversight changes for blind services and vocational rehabilitation providers, licensure updates for private colleges, dual enrollment and assessment revisions, scholarship and funding changes, and reserve-fund requirements. An amendment restored the Classical Learning Test as a qualifying option for a grandparent tuition waiver, adjusted a Pell Grant performance metric, changed accreditation timing, and made other technical revisions. A dental education stakeholder raised concerns that one provision could disrupt long-standing exemptions for dental assisting programs, and the Florida Dental Association said it was working with the sponsor to avoid unintended impacts. The committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill favorably as amended. The final major item was a high-level review of the proposed pre-K-12 budget, totaling $34.9 billion with local funds. Highlights included $30 billion for public schools and K-12 scholarships, a $50 increase in the base student allocation, a 1.64% increase in total funds per FTE, $4.5 billion for family empowerment scholarships as a separate FEFP categorical, $25 million for districts facing future enrollment declines, $65.3 million to help districts with current-year enrollment losses, $432.8 million for VPK, and $30.4 million for regional education consortia. Senators asked about reductions or flat funding in some allocations, teacher pay, declining enrollment support, Schools of Hope funding, and support for non-teaching school staff. Public testimony on the budget focused heavily on concerns about charter and voucher funding, especially the $6 million for Schools of Hope, with speakers urging more investment in traditional public schools, teacher compensation, and school infrastructure. The committee concluded the meeting by adjournment after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• First of all, I want to just say thank you for allowing us to testify.
• This bill allows pharmacists to do this.
• Thank you so much for allowing me to speak today about this bill.
• I want to emphasize this trust fund would allow the Commonwealth to increase the amount of naloxone being
• hospital stays, increasing cost and patient risk instead of sending patients home.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Health held a hearing focused on children’s health, disease prevention, screening, treatment, and pharmacy-related bills. The chair explained that the session was for public testimony only, with no votes or decisions taken that day, and outlined the three-minute limit for individual testimony. The committee then heard testimony on a range of bills, including H. 2413 on adding electromagnetic sensitivity to the state’s MAVEN registry, S. 1508 and H. 2433 on creating an amputation prevention task force, H. 2535 and S. 1551 on establishing a naloxone purchase trust fund, S. 1635 on authorizing pharmacists to provide opioid use disorder treatment, H. 2385 on creating a special commission on avian influenza, and S. 1497 on patient safety and non-FDA-approved compounded drugs. Testimony on H. 2413 came largely from advocates and individuals who described electromagnetic sensitivity as a real health condition and argued that adding it to the registry would improve data collection, provider education, and public awareness. Testimony on the amputation prevention task force bills came from the American Diabetes Association and podiatry groups, who said diabetes-related amputations are often preventable, disproportionately affect people of color, and could be reduced through earlier screening, better care coordination, and improved insurance coverage for preventive foot care. On the naloxone trust fund bills, a representative, emergency physician, and nurse testified that hospitals often cannot reliably send overdose patients home with naloxone because of billing and reimbursement barriers, and that a bulk-purchase fund would expand access at no added cost to payers or providers. The committee also heard strong support for S. 1635 from pharmacists and public health researchers, who said community pharmacists could safely initiate and maintain buprenorphine treatment and help close gaps in opioid use disorder care. On H. 2385, a local board of health chair supported a special commission on avian influenza, citing gaps in emergency preparedness and the need for clearer coordination across agencies. On S. 1497, a pharmacy representative opposed restrictions on compounded drugs from outsourcing facilities, warning that changes could reduce access to life-saving medications and harm patient safety. No votes or formal actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• It hasn't increased at all.
• How much increase?
• Um, you could potentially increase the, the, the band of, of, of difference that that is allowed from
• It is holding them at a maximum. increase, or an average increase of 10 percent.
• Project development dollars per FTE have also increased. has also increased to 36% adjusted for inflation

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:14:06.519> and unclear where weights were allowed and unclear where weights were allowed
• limitations on the number of allowable limitations on the number of allowable modules<00:30:32.039
• $57.25, so the increase was $23.25.
• <00:57:19.559> their Security Administration increased their Security Administration increased
• everything like we increasing everything like we increasing dramatically<00:57:41.640> so

Keywords: 0:01– Meeting start/roll call 0:34 – Approval of minutes 0:48 – Welcome of new committee members 1:34 – Council on Postsecondary Education 25:17 – Teachers’ Retirement System 27:00 – Kentucky Public Pension Authority 29:04 – Board of Veterinary Examiners 31:40 – Board of Nursing 34:01 – Board of Emergency Medical Services 36:15 – Fish & Wildlife Resources 40:34 – Department of Corrections 56:00 – Department of State Police 58:05 – Department of Criminal Justice Training 59:22 – Transportation Cabinet 1:00:18 – Department of Education 1:01:23 – Department of Employment Services 1:04:17 – Department of Workplace Standards 1:05:25 – Department of Housing, Buildings & Construction 1:06:59 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Sanitation) 1:13:50 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Trauma System) 1:17:46 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Public Health (Radon) 1:18:30 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. for Medicaid Services 1:19:15 – Cabinet for Health & Family Services, Dept. of Aging Services 1:20:36 – Other Business/Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The subcommittee met with a quorum, approved the minutes, and welcomed new members before taking up Council on Postsecondary Education regulations 13 KAR 2:120 and 13 KAR 2:130. The regulations, as amended by staff and agency amendments, update public university and KCTCS performance funding models to conform to 2024 Senate Bill 191 and the performance funding work group’s recommendations. Changes discussed included replacing the underrepresented minority metric with an underrepresented students metric defined as first-generation students, adding an adult learner metric, increasing the low-income degree premium, adjusting small-school and nonresident credit-hour weights, revising data aging and progression metrics, and adding STEM+H criteria in 13 KAR 2:120. Travis Pal of the Council on Postsecondary Education explained that the changes reflect the work group’s three-year review process and that the work group ultimately voted to define underrepresented students as first-generation students and to apply half-weighting between research and comprehensive universities for the new metric. Michael Frasier of the Kentucky Student Rights Coalition and Eastern Kentucky University student government opposed 13 KAR 2:120, arguing that the regulation improperly applies weights where the statute does not clearly authorize them and that the funding changes disadvantage comprehensive universities and vulnerable students. He asked the committee to find the regulation deficient or, alternatively, recommend legislative clarification and a revised fiscal analysis. Pal responded that weighting has been part of the model since 2017, that CPE was following the statute and work group recommendations, and that the model could be changed by future legislation. Members asked about the timing of the broader performance funding review, and Pal said the full model is reviewed every three years, with the next work group cycle beginning in 2026. No motion to find the regulation deficient was made, and the committee allowed the regulations to proceed to the committee of jurisdiction. The committee then approved a staff amendment to Teachers’ Retirement System regulations 102 KAR 1:195 and 102 KAR 1:340, which require annual reporting of accumulated sick leave, leave policies, and salary schedules to TRS and make technical changes to the final average salary calculation and related definitions.

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, those are not increasing already.
• , health insurance premium increases, Department of Information Technology, increases for state employees
• DFA a 5% increase.'
• I think Colorado only allows a 3% increase on their budgets every year.
• That was a big increase.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They can allow cups and a bubbler.
• motans in terms of increased premiums. motans in terms of increased premiums.
• reports that we get and that allows reports that we get and that allows members<00:49:25.760>
• insurance policies, we uh allowed people insurance policies, we uh allowed people with<00:56:21.119><
• It would lower barriers to entry, allow for more opportunity for folks, allow for more efficiencies,

Keywords: 1187, senate, all