Transcript Highlights:

• Simmons shared, we struggled with fitting our whole master schedule.
• I couldn't find a master schedule where every class had a teacher every day.
• We didn't have the availability in that schedule.
• This year he's currently taking four classes above his full-time schedule through IDLA to continue to
• Scheduling conflicts are often our students in urban areas, where there's two classes I want to take.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: Representative Doug Pickett introduced RS 33030 C2, describing it as legislation developed from a study and prior oversight work on virtual education, especially Idaho Home Learning Academy. He said the proposal would add clarity, transparency, and accountability for virtual programs by requiring board approval of contracts, Idaho residency for students, state-standard curriculum, written disclosure of services and costs, conflict-of-interest procedures, certified teachers, and limits on how supplemental learning funds may be used. The committee moved to introduce the RS and approved it without objection. The bulk of the meeting was a presentation and questioning of Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) Superintendent Jeff Simmons, followed by Cambridge School District Superintendent Anthony Butler. Simmons explained that IDLA is a statewide supplemental online program created to provide access and choice, funded mainly by a per-enrollment state allocation and course fees, with most courses taught asynchronously by Idaho-certified teachers. He emphasized IDLA’s transparency, annual independent audits, open content catalog, parent app, AI policies, and programs such as dual credit, credit recovery, CTE pathways, and the Launchpad literacy intervention. Butler described how a small rural district uses IDLA for electives, dual credit, credit recovery, and required courses, saying it helps students stay on track and, in some cases, graduate. Members pressed Simmons on IDLA’s original purpose, whether it still primarily serves rural schools, how equity should be defined, and whether the program’s budget growth and teacher pay were justified. Other questions focused on the governor’s proposed $10 million cut, audit practices, how homeschool and private school students are served and funded, whether students can take IDLA during the school day, and whether the program creates “double dipping” by generating funding for both IDLA and local districts. Simmons said a large cut would reduce services and staffing, that most teachers are part-time and paid per enrollment, and that IDLA’s model remains efficient compared with alternatives. Several members also discussed the Launchpad literacy program and dual credit savings, and the chair asked for follow-up information on in-person versus online instruction and on how daytime IDLA participation interacts with attendance funding.

Transcript Highlights:

• With the new lake regulation schedule, increasing the height and duration of water levels, improving
• It had a prior schedule of 2034, and it’s like, no, we’re impatient here in Florida.
• It comes out with the integrated delivery schedule.
• Always count on the Corps to bring an integrated delivery schedule. Thank you, sir.
• Always count on the Corps to bring an integrated delivery schedule. Thank you, sir.

Summary: The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources met to hear presentations on Lake Okeechobee from the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. FWC described the lake as a major recreation, water supply, and habitat resource, and outlined its habitat management plan, including control of invasive plants, prescribed fire, and restoration of native vegetation. The agency said low water levels have helped submerged aquatic vegetation recover, with gains in 2025 exceeding 24,000 acres and meeting its target, while torpedo grass and floating invasive plants remain active management priorities. Senators asked about bass fishing trends and blue-green algae; FWC said water levels are the main driver of fishery health and that it was not seeing current water-quality impacts on bass, though algal blooms can affect habitat and wildlife. The South Florida Water Management District focused on nutrient pollution, lake ecology, and restoration projects across the watershed. Director Drew Bartlett said the district’s work is aimed at reducing harmful discharges, improving water quality, and moving more water south to the Everglades through storage and treatment projects, including the EAA Reservoir, C-43 and C-44 reservoirs, aquifer storage and recovery, and wetland treatment areas. He said the state and federal governments have invested about $9 billion in restoration, roughly split 50-50, and that the EAA Reservoir is now targeted for completion in 2029. He also said Lake Okeechobee BMAP participation is around 92% and that recent data show phosphorus and nitrogen loading declines, though the lake remains impaired and eutrophic. An industry witness from Associated Industries of Florida said the BMAP and agricultural best management practices are producing measurable improvements and urged continued funding for water storage and treatment. The Army Corps of Engineers then explained LOSOM and Lake Recovery operations, saying the new operating approach balances flood control, water supply, navigation, ecology, and estuary protection. Colonel Brandon Bowman said Lake Recovery was implemented in late 2024 to bring the lake below 12 feet long enough to help submerged vegetation rebound, and reported that the lake met both recovery metrics, with water levels low enough to support a major increase in SAV from about 4,000 acres to 28,000 acres in 2025. He also noted benefits such as improved water clarity and more Okeechobee gourd plants, but acknowledged drawbacks including reduced navigation and some impacts to wading birds and snail kites. Senators pressed the Corps on the C-44 reservoir’s sloughing issue; Bowman said repairs are underway, the problem is geological rather than a safety failure, and the Corps expects to award a contract by 2027 and complete work by 2030. The committee did not take any substantive vote on the presentations and adjourned after Senator Smith moved to do so.

Transcript Highlights:

• Schedule B oversight requires pits to have impenetrable lining of pits and financial bonding bonding.
• Nonetheless, if pollution does occur, Schedule B bonding and financial assurance make sure that landowners
• You've got Schedule A and Schedule B.
• It shows you that they're currently under Schedule A, as you can see there's very little safeguards in
• This bill would effectively move these reserve waste pits to Schedule B, which means they would have

Transcript Highlights:

• Schedule B oversight requires pits to have impenetrable... impenetrable lining of pits, and financial
• Schedule A and Schedule B. It shows you that they're currently under Schedule A.
• This bill would effectively move these reserve waste pits to Schedule B, which means they would have
• for the purpose of oil and gas activities, which are... separate from the commercial pits under Schedule
• it to effectively being a permitted pit would have a requirement that is within that section and schedule

Bills: HB3619, HB3652, HB4572, HB4891, HB4941, HB5103, HB5105, HB5106, HB5224, HB5600

Keywords: surface estate, well plugging, Railroad Commission, landowner rights, liability, strategic reserve, gas supply, petroleum products, disaster response, Railroad Commission of Texas, energy security, emergency planning, oil and gas waste, environmental regulation, waste management, mining pits, groundwater monitoring, regulation, commercial disposal facilities, environmental standards

Transcript Highlights:

• Preventative maintenance is when you replace things on a schedule ahead of the end of their useful lives
• It's that they've reached the end of their sort of scheduled or expected life.
• to emergency schedules.
• We have a December meeting scheduled, correct? We have a November meeting scheduled, right?
• Meeting scheduled, correct? We have a November meeting scheduled, right?

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Special Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration met on October 17 with members attending in person and virtually. The commission approved the September 15 minutes and then heard a detailed presentation from DCAM Commissioner Adam Bakey on the correctional facilities portfolio, including the age and condition of DOC and sheriff facilities, deferred maintenance, ADA compliance, decarbonization mandates, and how capital funding is allocated. Bakey said the correctional portfolio includes 36 facilities, with average ages over 50 years, and described how older, rapidly built facilities from the tough-on-crime era now face significant maintenance and replacement needs. He also explained the distinction between catch-up deferred maintenance and ongoing keep-up needs, and noted that construction costs and code thresholds have made projects more expensive. Commissioners and sheriffs asked about ADA requirements, aging and overcrowded facilities, hazardous materials, parts availability for obsolete systems, plumbing and health risks, and whether a newer, more modern correctional facility should be considered. Bakey said many projects trigger broader code upgrades, that some dormant facilities remain in the portfolio, and that health-care and correctional construction are among the most expensive building types. He outlined current funding, including annual deferred maintenance allocations for DOC and formula-based five-year commitments for sheriffs, plus a new competitive capital program for larger sheriff projects. He also explained the Designer Selection Board and “house doctor” process used to procure architects and engineers. The commission then shifted to planning its next steps, focusing on public input. Members agreed the next meeting should likely be a public hearing or include public testimony, with possible input from people with lived experience and consideration of facility tours, especially of women’s facilities such as Framingham. Members emphasized the need to define the commission’s scope clearly so testimony stays focused on structural and consolidation issues rather than all correctional policy topics. The meeting ended with plans for the co-chairs to coordinate the public process and a motion to adjourn, which passed without opposition.

Transcript Highlights:

• The most expensive fee that you can pay... ...opposed updated schedule the most expensive fee that you
• They recommend Option B, which is pulling out the biotoxin fee or fine schedule.
• The fee schedule for full cost recovery. It’s simply the only option that’s available to us.
• So it sounds like with the new fee schedule in 2027, you're going to be paying 8% of your revenue just
• So it sounds like with the new fee schedule in 2027, you're going to be paying 8% of your revenue just

Summary: The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee heard several Senate bills and a joint memorial, with the chair moving items around to accommodate prime sponsors and public testimony. SB 5838 would add two tribal representatives to the Board of Natural Resources, one from each side of the Cascades, and broaden the nomination pool to include tribes with treaty-ceded lands in Washington. The sponsor and tribal and agency witnesses said the bill would add tribal knowledge and stewardship expertise without changing government-to-government consultation. County and industry witnesses raised concerns about fiduciary duties to trust beneficiaries, the lack of stakeholder consultation, and the effect of expanding the board from one to two tribal seats. Public testimony was mixed, and the committee recorded strong support and opposition on the bill. SB 5816 would add juice grapes to the state Agricultural Marketing and Fair Practices Act, allowing juice grape producers to use the same marketing and negotiation framework already available to pears, sweet corn, and potatoes. The sponsor said the bill would help juice grape growers facing unfair pricing pressure from processors. The committee took limited public testimony and recorded support and opposition before closing the hearing. SJM 8015 urged Congress to ensure federal wildfire response entities remain capable of protecting communities, infrastructure, watersheds, and firefighter health and safety during federal consolidation of wildfire programs. Testimony from environmental groups, forest industry, and union representatives broadly supported the memorial and emphasized rising wildfire risk, smoke impacts, and the need for strong interagency response capacity. The committee also heard HB 2737, which would cap certain shellfish regulatory fees, exempt the shellfish program from full fee recovery, and apply the caps retroactively. The sponsor and shellfish growers said the Department of Health’s fee increases would be unsustainable for small family farms and processors, while DOH explained it was following a full cost-recovery model unless the Legislature provides general fund support. Witnesses described large projected fee increases and potential business closures, and DOH said it had reopened rulemaking to consider smaller operators. Because the bill was heard after cutoff, the chair noted it could not advance, but the committee still took testimony and discussed possible amendments and follow-up information before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is a permanent out-of-network minimum rate schedule.
• On the temporary in-network rate schedule, the insurance department will develop a form that must be
• There is a permanent out-of-network minimum rate schedule.
• On the temporary in-network rate schedule, the insurance department will develop a form that must be
• . um any willing minimum rate schedule. um any willing ambulance<00:12:06.000><c> provider,</c><00:12

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair, we have not scheduled the makeup yet.
• ><c> presentations</c><00:36:56.960><c> of</c> we had scheduled um presentations of we had scheduled
• So have you scheduled represent Frasier.
• Chair, we have not scheduled the &gt;&gt; Mr.
• Chair, we have not scheduled the makeup<00:37:23.359><c> yet.

Bills: HF3298, SF3832, HF3528, HF3516, HF3972, HF4118

Keywords: underground storage tanks, petroleum, reimbursement program, environmental regulation, pollution control, dairy assistance, investment relief, agriculture support, food production, economic relief, barbering, licensing, examinations, barber schools, public safety, certifications, Barber Examiners Board, dentistry, licensure, registration

Transcript Highlights:

• This joint hearing was scheduled prior to that proposal.
• We also have the extension grants scheduled to begin in 2027 and will conclude in 2032.
• They make decisions on schedules.
• But we're trying to fit them into this archaic eight-to-three schedule.
• In order to schedule students into that class, I would have scheduled them for only two classes at Lincoln

Summary: The joint informational and oversight hearing focused on community schools in California, with members emphasizing that the purpose was to examine effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability rather than the Governor’s budget proposal. The California Department of Education described the California Community Schools Partnership Program, created in 2021 and funded with more than $4 billion, including planning, implementation, extension, and county coordination grants. Officials said nearly 2,500 schools are participating and highlighted the statewide technical assistance structure, including the State Transformational Assistance Center, eight regional centers, county offices, and CDE support. Researchers from the Learning Policy Institute and UCLA presented early findings and implementation data. LPI reported reductions in chronic absenteeism and suspensions, along with gains in math and English language arts, with especially large benefits for Black students and other historically underserved groups. UCLA described the Annual Progress Report as a statewide improvement tool showing growth in capacity-building, shared decision-making, whole-child supports, and continuous improvement. Members asked about how the reports measure outcomes, how to interpret outliers, and how to distinguish community schools effects from other concurrent initiatives; presenters said matched comparison methods and deeper case-study work are being used, with additional statewide findings expected in June. Panelists from Oakland Unified, LAUSD/UTLA, San Diego Unified, and advocacy organizations described key elements of success: integrated student supports, strong family and student engagement, collaborative leadership, community partnerships, and school-site decision-making. They gave examples such as wellness centers, dual enrollment, student senates, parent leadership, and community campaigns that built trust and increased participation. Members also raised concerns about sustainability, implementation fidelity, and whether community schools improve participation in LCAP processes. Presenters said major barriers include unclear early guidance, the need for a mindset shift away from top-down models, and uncertainty about long-term funding for coordinators and other staff. The panel’s recommendations centered on stable ongoing funding, stronger technical assistance, shared governance, and embedding community schools practices into district and county systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> as long as there was no scheduling as long as there was no scheduling conflict<00:32:17.600><c>
• You're saying the 27th, so just to be clear, when I say scheduled, that means it's actually scheduled
• </c> that there is a house session scheduled that there is a house session scheduled for<05:22:04.280
• when I say scheduled that means it's<05:22:58.440><c> actually</c><05:22:59.120><c> scheduled</c><05
• What is scheduled?

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're two minutes ahead of schedule.
• We have live races scheduled similar to the years before.
• All right, there's a lot of things to think about there, but we'll schedule, re-schedule, hopefully hear
• All right, there's a lot of things to think about that, but we'll schedule, re-schedule, hopefully heard
• That'll be, it hasn't been scheduled yet, but it'll be June or July.

Summary: The Judiciary Interim Committee met to continue its study of charitable gaming, especially the ownership of alcoholic beverage establishments by licensed charitable gaming organizations and the relationship between charities, site owners, and gaming manufacturers/distributors. Legislative Council reviewed the background memo and Attorney General’s Gaming Division explained the legal framework, including site authorizations, rent limits, allowable expenses, and restrictions on distributors and manufacturers. Members focused heavily on electronic pull tabs, asking about the large gap between gross proceeds and adjusted proceeds, how much is paid out in winnings, how much is retained for expenses, and whether the 60% allowable-expense cap is being used as intended. The AG’s office said e-tabs account for most gaming volume, that winnings make up much of the difference, and that some organizations do not use the full 60% while others may exceed it, though only the capped amount counts as gaming expense. The committee also discussed the number of gaming organizations that appear to own or be affiliated with bars, the ways those ownership structures are formed, and whether some arrangements may create conflicts or site-selection pressure. The League of Cities and the Association of Counties described the local site-authorization process and recent model policies adopted after the 2025 session. Cities said they can require signed agreements, limit games and machines, set qualifications, and charge up to $100 for site authorization, but cannot require charities to donate net proceeds or force a specific charity or site. They said the new policies are meant to add transparency and local control, though the more controversial parts involve requiring a local nexus or community connection. County representatives said the issue is mostly a city matter and that counties generally take a lighter-touch approach. Committee members raised concerns about whether local rules could unfairly exclude larger regional charities or create inconsistent standards across cities. The North Dakota Gaming Alliance said it supports the study and provided information on charities that own or are affiliated with bars, emphasizing that most gaming organizations do not own alcoholic beverage establishments. Its representative said some charities may pursue bar ownership for site stability and diversification, while others decide against it because operating a bar is difficult. He also said a ban on charity-owned bars could raise federal tax-law issues depending on how it is written, and agreed to provide more detail. The committee asked Legislative Council and the Gaming Alliance for additional information on ownership structures and federal-law questions before the next meeting. Later, the Racing Commission gave a separate update on live racing, pari-mutuel wagering, and related charitable partnerships, and the State Hospital superintendent reported on the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s support services, staffing, and wait lists; no votes were taken on these presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• Schedule xylazine as a Schedule 3 controlled substance.
• Scheduling in this bill fixes that problem.
• Federal and state scheduling have to work in parallel, so there's no way around Missouri scheduling this
• So I'm just kind of trying to understand the scheduling, because I'm saying why not schedule two or even
• Schedule 3 only makes sense because if it were Schedule 2, it would be more difficult to make this drug

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the career ladder is not a salary schedule, but is calculated based on averages.
• So the career ladder is not a salary schedule, but is calculated based on averages.
• The final big piece of information is this is not a salary schedule.
• Again, it's not a salary schedule.
• Some districts and charters use this as their schedule, but that's their choice.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The Senate Education Committee heard two bills. House Bill 815, presented by Rep. Sonia Galavis, would correct the transportation block-grant calculation for Answer Charter School so its funding is based on when it began full transportation service rather than an earlier, small pilot grant from 2008. Testimony from Answer Charter School staff and a parent said the current formula leaves the school with significantly less transportation funding than similarly sized schools, despite operating buses and serving many low-income students. The committee asked whether any other schools would be affected, and Rep. Galavis said the language had been checked with the Department of Education and Legislative Services to ensure it applied only to Answer. The committee voted unanimously to send HB 815 to the floor with a do pass recommendation. The committee then heard House Bill 849, introduced by Sen. Dave Lent and explained by Rep. Galavis, which would change career ladder rules for career technical education instructors and pupil service staff such as counselors, psychologists, nurses, and therapists. The bill would allow CTE teachers to move up the career ladder sooner if they receive proficient evaluations, and would also let pupil service staff count relevant prior professional experience for both placement and movement on the ladder. Legislative Services staff reviewed how the career ladder works and said the bill addresses a gap where experienced professionals can be placed appropriately but then remain stuck for four years before advancing. Testimony from a school district special services director and Rep. Sean Digert supported the bill, citing recruitment and retention problems and the high cost of contracting out services. The committee voted unanimously to send HB 849 to the floor with a do pass recommendation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, what Senate Bill 1257 does is classify THC as a Schedule One drug, which is the same classification
• on December 18, 2025, where there's an effort from this administration to move marijuana from a Schedule
• One to a Schedule Three?
• I am aware of the executive order, but at present, under federal law, marijuana is still a Schedule One
• So you have two administrations seeking to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule One to Schedule Three

Bills: HJR1032, SB1314, SB1257, SB1326, SB1365, SB1932, SB169, SB1991, SB1992, SB1204, SB1339, SB182, SB1847, SB1360, SB1346

Keywords: HJR1032, House Joint Resolution 1032, Service Oklahoma, administrative rules, rule repeal, joint resolution, Oklahoma Administrative Code, OAC 670:15-1-10, OAC 670:15-1-14, agency regulation, legislative oversight, Secretary of State, Oklahoma Register, rulemaking, permanent rules, administrative code, groundwater, indemnity fund, well drilling, pollution prevention

Transcript Highlights:

• dates of, I'm gonna ask if we can do like LFC and LESC since we have an extra 5 days, if we can schedule
• Um, like I said, we, we're trying to stay right on, on schedule.
• Then House Bill 55, uh, it would require the healthcare authority to set a minimum fee schedule for the
• Is that scheduled to, to have a report from the task force about the gaps, gaps in domestic violence
• We, we are ahead of schedule. Don't get used to it. It's, uh, it's not how it happens.

Transcript Highlights:

• The federal district court has not yet published a scheduling order for that, so we're not quite sure
• I'm curious about the UAL suspension, and it was scheduled to go down.
• It's been scheduled UAL is reducing itself, right? That's the long-term... Correct.
• I mean, you're scheduling a report in September, right?
• And, as Melinda asked earlier, they're pretty light scheduled in some, but maybe filling up quicker than

Summary: The Select Committee on Pension Policy executive committee met to approve the November minutes, which were adopted by voice vote. The committee then received an update from the Attorney General’s Office on two ongoing cases, Fowler and Joel Lynn, with briefing and oral argument timelines still pending. Michael Harbour of the Office of the State Actuary provided an actuarial update focused on ESSB 5357, explaining that the bill raised the assumed investment return from 7% to 7.25%, suspended UAL contribution rates for four years, and changed amortization for past benefit improvements; members asked for clarification on how those changes would affect long-term funding and contribution rates, especially for Plan 1 systems. A substantial portion of the meeting was devoted to committee discussion of interim priorities and the need for more analysis of recent pension legislation. Members emphasized the importance of understanding the fiscal impacts of ESSB 5357 and related pension changes before the September economic experience study, and several asked staff to provide a more preliminary walkthrough of the bill’s effects. The committee also discussed the LEOFF 1 study and broader questions about overfunding, including when a plan should be considered overfunded and whether overfunding should be addressed through merger or closure proposals. One member suggested reviewing the operating budget’s excess compensation proviso during the interim as well. Staff reviewed the draft 2025 interim work plan, proposing June topics including election of officers, a presentation on SB 5357 and its actuarial implications, and an initial LEOFF 1 study kickoff based on SB 5085 and HB 2034. The committee also placed excess compensation and demographic experience study items in a parking lot for possible later scheduling. The June agenda was adopted by roll call vote, with three ayes and three members absent or excused, and the meeting adjourned after no further business.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have an update that is scheduled to come from high-speed rail. I think.
• And that will extend the schedule.
• It impacts schedule and costs.
• It impacts schedule and costs.
• Second, although the authority has not yet updated its segment schedule, our past analysis of that schedule

Summary: The hearing opened with budget framing from the chair and the LAO, who said the May Revision addresses roughly a $14 billion budget problem and that the environment and transportation subcommittee’s proposals account for about $1.9 billion of the solution. The LAO urged members to focus on solutions that do not worsen out-year deficits, to preserve reserves, and to defer major policy changes that are not necessary to pass the budget, including the newly introduced water-related trailer bills. Members also raised concern about a late-dropped Olympic-related trailer bill, which the LAO likewise suggested should be deferred for fuller review. The first major item was the Delta Conveyance Project and related water quality control plan trailer bills. The administration argued the proposals would streamline permitting, water rights proceedings, judicial review, and land acquisition, and would clarify DWR’s bond authority for the project. DWR said the project is needed to protect water supply reliability against drought, earthquakes, sea level rise, and other climate-related disruptions, and that the tunnel would help move water when conditions are wet and safer for the environment. Committee members from both parties questioned the timing, the use of budget trailer bills for major policy changes, the scope of the CEQA and water-rights changes, the lack of a bond cap, cost growth, and eminent domain protections. The LAO recommended deferring both water trailer bills without prejudice. Public comment was sharply divided, with labor, water agencies, and some business groups supporting the project as climate adaptation and reliability infrastructure, while environmental, tribal, fishing, county, and community groups opposed it as an attempt to bypass public process and weaken protections. The committee then briefly heard the DMV’s Digital Experience Platform fee trailer bill, which would reinstate a $1 system improvement fee to help fund the vehicle-registration phase of the project. DMV said the fee would raise about $7 million annually and offset roughly $59 million to $60 million of project costs, while the LAO noted it would help but would not solve the Motor Vehicle Account’s broader structural gap. The hearing then moved to California High-Speed Rail, where the new CEO presented an updated plan and said the project remains a major climate and infrastructure investment. He reported a revised Merced-to-Bakersfield cost range of $34.9 billion to $38.5 billion, said the agency is trying to reduce risk through direct procurement of materials, and argued that stable annual funding is needed to avoid higher costs from delays.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have, you know, like Schedule I drugs, Schedule II—wouldn't it be more forward-thinking to just, instead
• So in terms of designer drugs, there is another bill to update the Schedule I state schedule, so those
• designer drugs will be added to Schedule I.
• </c><00:36:42.160><c> one</c> have you know we have like schedule one have you know we have like schedule
• </c><00:37:20.599><c> so</c><00:37:21.119><c> those</c> schedule one State schedule one so those schedule

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard several election-related bills first. SB 51, a comprehensive public financing bill for candidates, drew strong support in testimony but also concerns from the Campaign Spending Commission that the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund has only about $2.2 million, far short of what would be needed, and that the program could not realistically start in 2026 because of staffing and system changes; the commission asked for a start date no earlier than 2028. SB 118, which would create a full-time investigator position at the Campaign Spending Commission, was supported by the commission, which said it has lacked staff growth since 1995 and that an investigator is needed to handle investigations instead of having the commission’s attorney do that work. SB 255, a housekeeping bill on excess cash campaign contributions, was supported by the commission and several county officials and would require excess cash contributions over the limit to be returned within 30 days or turned over to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. SB 345, which would expand the current partial public financing program, was supported by the commission but drew questions because it would still allow private fundraising; the commission said that under its assumptions the bill would provide more total public funds than SB 51, with a maximum of a little over $20 million versus a little over $15 million for SB 51. Testimony counts were reported as 125 support/48 oppose for SB 51, 26 support/0 oppose for SB 118, 30 support/49 oppose for SB 255, and 30 support/49 oppose for SB 345. The committee then discussed SB 176 on recount thresholds. The Office of Elections said it would stand on written testimony, and the East Hawaii Republican Party was listed but not present. The Office of Elections explained in response to questions that the bill’s recount trigger would be based on the final election-day count, not the early 6 a.m. tabulation, because the initial count is not complete until later in the day and cured ballots are counted later; the office said it does not want to begin recounts before all election-day ballots are counted. The reported testimony count was 4 support, 50 oppose, and 2 comments. Finally, the committee heard SB 260, the Judiciary’s biennial budget bill. Judiciary staff requested about $6.17 million in FY 2026 and $6.25 million in FY 2027 for operations, 17 permanent positions and one temporary position, plus $11.9 million for capital improvements. The Judiciary said the request would support specialty courts such as Women’s Court, Truancy Court, and DWI Court, a new Wahiawa District Court unit, an additional district court judge in Kona, cybersecurity, the Criminal Justice Research Institute, and facility projects including South Kohala design work and a Kauai chiller replacement. Civil legal services providers, including Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii, Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, the Legal Clinic, Kuikahi Mediation Center, the Domestic Violence Action Center, the Hawaii State Bar Association, and the Hawaii Access to Justice Commission, all supported the bill but asked for an additional $1 million for the civil legal services line item, saying demand is high and the funding is spread across more providers than before. The Judiciary clarified that some of its requested positions would support Wahiawa and Women’s Court, and that the civil legal services funding goes to organizations serving low-income residents on issues such as immigration, domestic violence, evictions, and foreclosures. The committee also briefly took up SB 279 on fentanyl possession thresholds, where the prosecuting attorney’s office supported the bill and said fentanyl is already driving overdose deaths and that the proposed thresholds target distribution-level quantities rather than personal use.

Transcript Highlights:

• A clear intent for employees to coordinate with employers on paid leave intermittent leave schedules.
• Because it is the people who are doing the work themselves, who are also setting their own schedules
• </c><00:48:01.400><c> cancelling</c> other employees schedules cancelling other employees schedules cancelling
• </c><00:48:17.160><c> and</c> as it affects the work schedules and as it affects the work schedules and
• for those and make sure that to schedule for those and make sure that we<01:09:56.560><c> can</c><01

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• The Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling reports recommending that the matter be scheduled for
• The Committee on Steering and Scheduling reports recommending that the matter be scheduled for consideration

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The House convened with a Pledge of Allegiance led by a fourth grade class from Sacred Heart School in Weymouth, who were welcomed as guests of Representative James Murphy. Later, the House also recognized the 2024 Duxbury Coed Division cheerleading state champions as guests of Representative Sweezy. The main legislative action was consideration of House No. 4100, a fiscal year 2025 supplemental appropriations bill. The Committee on Ways and Means reported the bill ought to pass with a fiscal note of $240 million, and the Committee on Steering, Policy and Scheduling recommended it for House consideration. The House suspended the rules, gave the bill second reading, ordered it to a third reading, suspended the rules again after release from the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading, and then passed the bill to be engrossed. The House also adopted an order to adjourn and reconvene on Thursday at 11 a.m. in an informal session. Members were additionally notified that a joint session would be held on Wednesday at 12 noon in the House chamber.