Transcript Highlights:

• ><c> pursuant</c><02:24:17.520><c> to</c> Amendments on block offered pursuant to Amendments on block
• </c><04:53:05.680><c> Grant</c> Child Care Development Block Grant Child Care Development Block Grant
• child care and block de childare and<05:15:53.680><c> development</c><05:15:54.080><c> block</c><05:
• Instead, they blocked it. Their record on fraud speaks for itself.
• Instead, they blocked it. But amendment. Instead, they blocked it.

Bills: HCR84 , HR518 , HCR86 , HB7726 , HB2860 , HB8872 , HR1333 , SB254 , HB7618

Keywords: War Powers Resolution, Lebanon, troop withdrawal, U.S. Armed Forces, military deployment, foreign policy, congressional war powers, executive authority, Middle East, troop removal, concurrent resolution, defense policy, overseas deployment, Ukraine, support, foreign affairs, military aid, international relations, War Powers, military action

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're blocking those and not allowing those to happen. We've gone from about $6 million.
• No, these are just reports of how the expenditures we pull down from the block grant and how we spend
• The CCDF block grant is 100% federal program.
• The CCDF block grant is 100% federal program. Now, on the state program, if you could, program.
• So we always know how much is left in that block grant.

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING

Summary: The Legislative Joint Auditing Committee met on June 5 and first adopted prior minutes and several committee reports. The executive committee report noted adoption of its minutes, staff updates on scheduled audits, approval of an annual financial audit for the City of Horseshoe Bend, and an update on the intern program. The Counties and Municipalities report covered delinquent private water and sewer audits, compliance follow-up with towns including Denning, Gum Springs, Omer, Fargo, Jericho, and Haynes, and review of current and deferred reports; the committee filed most current reports but deferred several and referred some matters to prosecutors and the Attorney General. The Educational Institutions report said 103 education audits were reviewed, most with no findings, while several school districts had findings and one Booneville School District finding was referred to law enforcement. The State Agencies report included findings at the Department of Finance and Administration and a deferred Department of Health report, and the committee filed 13 reports. The committee then received lengthy presentations on the State of Arkansas annual comprehensive financial report and the state single audit for fiscal year ended June 30, 2025. Legislative Audit issued unmodified opinions on the state financial statements, but identified two material weaknesses: insufficient internal controls at the Office of State Technology to monitor threats and unauthorized access, and improper methodology changes and documentation issues at the Division of Workforce Services affecting year-end estimates for unemployment-related accounts. The single audit covered $12.4 billion in federal awards across 469 programs, with 16 major programs reviewed. Auditors reported 33 findings overall, including 31 federal findings, $12.9 million in outstanding questioned costs, and qualified opinions for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, and the Child Care Development Fund cluster. Committee members questioned DHS, the broadband office, OST, DFA, Education, and Workforce Services about the findings, corrective actions, cyber protections, federal drawdowns, child care reporting, and accounting methodology changes. Several agencies described corrective steps. DHS said it had changed how it draws Summer EBT funds, addressed provider revalidation and incarceration-related Medicaid issues, and updated internal processes and staffing. The broadband office said the questioned costs reflected invoice documentation disputes rather than missing payments and expected Treasury review to resolve the issue. OST said it was expanding logging, endpoint detection, and enterprise monitoring, and described broader cybersecurity investments, training, and a roadmap. DFA and Workforce Services addressed the workers’ compensation and unemployment accounting issues, with Workforce Services saying it had updated its policy and submitted the methodology to DFA. After discussion, the committee voted to hold the two statewide audit reports over until the August meeting, with members asked to submit specific questions in advance so only needed agencies would return. The final item was a special report on the Hot Spring County Solid Waste Authority for January 1, 2023 through June 30, 2025. The audit reviewed compliance with laws, board procedures, bidding, payroll, permits, inspections, and cash handling. It noted prior private audit findings on segregation of duties, that recent private audit reports had not been obtained for 2023 through 2025, and that the current administrator said prior office staff and bookkeeping contractors resigned when he was hired. The authority’s operations and revenue sources were described, and the report was presented for committee review.

Transcript Highlights:

• Speaker, Members of the House, since Senate Bills 835 and 836 are out of the block.
• The last bill in this block, at the top of page four, is Senate Bill 753.
• They are out of the block. The remainder of those bills are in the block.
• Those are out of the block.
• Everything else on the pages before mentioned is in the block, which is now before you.

Transcript Highlights:

• With a truck blocking him? Well, it depends on the circumstances.
• But sometimes when we're entering new locations, you don't know if there's a vehicle blocking a sign.
• There's a vehicle blocking a sign, and I've seen school buses positioned in these busy school times.
• There's a lot of school buses around, and they are very, very large, and they block the view of street
• You're not going to just have that one sign that, you know, it was blocked, and you weren't able to see

Bills: S0382 , S0628 , S0654 , S0696 , S0880

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Representative Block. I will tell you, I will take this down.
• Representative Block, we do have a school liaison officer.
• Senator Block. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I handed Ms.
• Senator, I mean, Senator Block, I've already stated that. Mr.
• Chair, and I'm Senator Block as a chair of another committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I would like to suspend the rules and take up items 2 through 9 in block.
• . block. block.
• Senate, would &gt;&gt; 2 through nine in block.
• Senate Resolution Number 10, &gt;&gt; We'll first suspend the rules and block.
• &gt;&gt; We'll first suspend the rules and block.

Transcript Highlights:

• Call those up in block, please. Four through 14 are all House resolutions.
• I see no objection to taking them up in block. Gentlemen, items 4 through 14. Okay.
• :35.360><c> in</c> I see no objection to taking them up in I see no objection to taking them up in block
• .<00:12:35.839><c> Gentlemen,</c> block.
• Gentlemen, block.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chair and Senator Block, again, that's certainly looking at this.
• Senator Block votes yes. Senator Brantley is excused. Senator Gallegos votes no.
• Madam Chair, Senator Block, it's Rio Arriba, Taos, and Santa Fe County.
• Is that Senator Lopez followed by Senator Block? Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
• Senator Block. Thank you, Madam Chair. Man, I love hearing about less bureaucracy.

Bills: SB238 , HJR1 , SM21 , SM22

Committee: Senate House Rules & Order Of Business

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 238, which would rename the governor’s residence advisory commission as a governor’s residence management committee and clarify its duties, membership, and authority over furnishings, maintenance, inventories, and hospitality functions at the governor’s residence. Senator Worth and Secretary Designate Anna Silva said the change was needed to remove ambiguity during the transition to a new administration and to improve transparency around the residence, the General Services Department fund, and the separate Mansion Foundation fundraising role. Several senators questioned whether the bill concentrated too much authority in the governor and whether it could enable a large renovation project without sufficient legislative oversight; supporters said major renovations would still require legislative appropriations. The committee ultimately advanced the Senate Rules Committee substitute for SB 238 on a 5-2 vote. The committee then approved House Joint Resolution 1, which would create bipartisan nominating commissions to vet and recommend university and special school regents to the governor, rather than leaving appointments entirely to the governor’s discretion. Senator Steinborn said the resolution would improve qualifications and reduce conflicts of interest, including by changing the student regent selection process. After brief discussion about party-affiliation restrictions, the resolution received a due pass with no objection. Two memorials followed. Senate Memorial 21, presented by Senator Stephanics for Senator Bergman, calls for a Department of Health study of overdose prevention tools, including overdose prevention centers and other harm-reduction strategies, in response to New Mexico’s high and rising overdose death rates. Supporters cited rural access challenges and the need to explore all available tools; one senator asked for more accurate county and demographic data in the memorial’s background. The committee gave SM 21 a due pass. Senate Memorial 22, presented by Senator Charlie and the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, asks the Legislative Finance Committee to convene a working group to map how domestic-violence funding flows through CYFD and related agencies, with an emphasis on transparency, accountability, and provider input. Witnesses said funding streams are fragmented and sometimes unclear, and senators discussed whether the work should remain within CYFD or be overseen elsewhere. The committee also gave SM 22 a due pass. The chair then announced that the committee would hear SB 264 and SB 261 at its next meeting and recessed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Block. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, Senator, for bringing this forward.
• Sure about that, Senator Block? It was halfway. You have a unanimous due pass, Senator. Thank you.
• Senator Townsend, then Senator Block. Thank you for bringing this forward, Madam Chair.
• Senator Block? No, explain my vote. And Senator Stefanics, I'll enter yes.
• Senator Block to explain his vote and then Senator Stefanics.

Bills: SR1 , SM1 , SM6 , SR1 , SM1 , SM6

Committees: Senate Senate Rules , Senate House Rules & Order Of Business

Keywords: alcohol consumption, Senate rules, legislative conduct, ethics, New Mexico Senate, redistricting, gerrymandering, election integrity, Congress, voter rights, political polarization, Nancy Lopez, Roswell bypass, US Highway 285, U.S. Highway 285, Highway 285 bypass, road naming, highway naming, memorial, transportation department

Transcript Highlights:

• And this was initiated outside the university, and it is not intended to be a part of the block grant
• </c> that it's not part of their block grant. that it's not part of their block grant.
• </c><00:03:35.880><c> block</c><00:03:36.560><c> block</c> be a part of the block block block be a part
• of the block block block grant.<00:03:37.080><c> It's</c><00:03:37.240><c> a</c><00:03:37.320><c> separate
• Uh, and they've used their block grant in somewhat different ways.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Each block contains data and is linked in a permanent way.
• Each block contains data and is linked in a permanent way.
• Last time we're talking about fingerprints, now we're talking about blocks.
• </c> And that forms a chain from each block And that forms a chain from each block keeps<00:17:53.200
• </c><00:19:10.600><c> I</c> about blocks. I about blocks.

Summary: The Senate opened with an invocation by Father Mark Bilek of Westminster, introduced by the Senator from the 42nd District and praised by members for his community service and Lenten message of reconciliation. The prayer was journalized. The chamber then recognized several guests, including interns, family members, a shadowing student, and the doctor of the day, Dr. Ann Benfield, before moving to floor business. A scheduling note indicated a light floor agenda, with committee work later in the day and a longer floor session expected the next day. The Senate considered several second-reading committee reports and moved multiple bills to third reading, generally without objection. These included House Bill 229, increasing Maryland Transportation Authority bond capacity from $4 billion to $5 billion; House Bill 266, allowing resource-sharing revenues to support state communications infrastructure, with an amendment conforming it to Senate Bill 85; House Bill 472, extending and adjusting the theatrical production tax credit; House Bill 607, setting constitutional officers’ salaries; House Bill 810, creating a study on blockchain-based lease recordation verification with an amendment adding the Maryland Blockchain Association; House Bill 1095, granting a Calvert County property tax credit for former tobacco barns; House Bill 1142, creating a task force on county and municipal revenue structures; and House Bill 1165, addressing apprenticeship program accountability and completion. The Senate also advanced Senate Bill 956, authorizing the Maryland Transportation Authority to waive portions of video tolls or civil penalties on delinquent accounts, with a sponsor amendment. Members briefly joked about April Fools’ Day during the proceedings, but the chamber continued to adopt reports and amendments without recorded opposition. At the end of the session, leaders announced committee schedules for the afternoon and the next day, including Finance, Triple E, Budget and Taxation, and Judicial Proceedings meetings. The Senate then held a quorum call, confirmed 45 members present, and adjourned until Thursday, April 2 at 10:00 a.m.

Transcript Highlights:

• Three federal judges in three different states have blocked this order, including two judges appointed
• Judge John Cunar, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, was the first judge to block the order
• Now the president and his political allies are welcome to disagree with judicial decisions that block
• Last month, a federal judge blocked the administration's plan to slash NIH funding for medical research
• Federal judges blocked the administration's funding freeze that jeopardized everything from community

Committee: Senate Senate Judiciary

Keywords: universal injunctions, legislative reforms, judicial authority, executive power, balance of power, judicial overreach

Summary: During this meeting, the committee focused on the implications of universal injunctions, which have become a significant concern in recent years. The discussion centered around various legislative proposals aimed at addressing the perceived overreach of district judges who issue nationwide injunctions that affect policies across the entire country. Several members expressed the belief that such injunctions undermine judicial authority and disrupt the balance of power between the judiciary and executive branches. Expert witnesses testified about the historical context of universal injunctions and the necessity for reforms that would limit the power of courts to grant remedies benefitting non-parties.

Transcript Highlights:

• With a truck blocking him? Well, it depends on the circumstances. I can't say for every...
• But sometimes when we're entering new locations, you don't know if there's a vehicle blocking a sign.
• There's a vehicle blocking a sign, and I've seen school buses positioned in these busy school times.
• There's a lot of school buses around, and they are very, very large, and they block the view of street
• So if that situation was to occur, that a big box truck or a bus was blocking one of the signs, there's

Bills: S0382 , S0628 , S0654 , S0696 , S0880

Committee: Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development met with a quorum and considered five bills, all of which were reported favorably. First, SB 628 designated a portion of South Navy Boulevard in Pensacola as “Warrior Sacrifice Way” to honor Ensign Joshua Watson, Petty Officer Muhammad Hatham, and Cameron Walters, who were killed in the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola attack. Senators spoke in support, emphasizing remembrance and support for the families. The committee then heard CS/SB 382 on electric bicycles and scooters. The bill would require riders on shared pathways to yield to pedestrians, sound an audible signal before passing, and limit speed near pedestrians, while creating an e-bike safety task force and reporting requirements. Law enforcement, local officials, and school board representatives supported the bill and described safety concerns and data gaps, while several senators raised questions about enforcement and asked that e-scooters be addressed more explicitly. The bill was reported favorably. Members also approved SB 880, creating a Miami Northwestern Alumni Association specialty license plate to fund scholarships and school programs, and SB 696, which allows online trademark registration applications and updates Florida’s trademark classification and verification procedures. Finally, the committee took up CS/CS/SB 654 on traffic infraction enforcement cameras for red light, school zone speeding, and school bus violations. The bill and an amendment added guardrails on data use, hearings, reporting, signage, and contract limits; senators raised concerns about privacy, surveillance, and school zone enforcement, and a Hillsborough County sheriff’s representative testified that all-day school zone enforcement has improved safety. All measures were reported favorably, and the committee adjourned after recording additional affirmative votes on SB 628 from Senators Martin and Smith.

Transcript Highlights:

• minerals or cathode materials in their elemental, compound, or intermediate form, such as refined metals, salts
• really at the end you'll have what would kind of look like the old Popeye dumbbell: two big giant blocks

Transcript Highlights:

• The next closest comparable facilities that have 24/7 care are in Milwaukee or Salt Lake City.
• That 24-hour, 7-day-a-week campus with thousands of people moving through its eight-block footprint every

Bills: HF4841 , HF4234 , HF3697

Committee: House Taxes

Keywords: Hennepin County, sales tax, health care facilities, ballpark improvements, tax revenue, HF4234, Minnesota private activity bonds, tax-exempt bonds, bond cap, aggregate bond limitation, residential rental projects, multifamily housing, affordable housing finance, housing bonds, public finance, bond allocation, private activity bond cap, Minnesota Statutes 474A.02, tax committee, tax refund

Transcript Highlights:

• What is the motion before the body to take up which items in block? moment to look. moment to look.
• take up which items in block? take up which items in block?
• The motion is to take all in block. All in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, no.
• Ask that we go to items 211, 212, 213, and 214 and take those up in block.
• Okay, one moment, those up in block.

Transcript Highlights:

• Next is the ICC Block Grant.
• Was that a block grant, or what are we talking about?
• Chairman, that's the Child Care Development Block Grant.
• And so it is a block grant, as was noted by Morgan.
• Development Block Grant.

Summary: The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard budget presentations from Legislative Services analyst Morgan Poloni and Department of Health and Welfare Director Juliet Sharon on the Division of Early Learning and Development, the Division of Public Health Services, and Family and Community Partnerships. Major topics included the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP), the Idaho Home Visiting Program, the Idaho Immunization Assessment Fund, HIV and hepatitis prevention, ARPA-funded public health projects, kinship navigation services, and proposed agency reorganizations and transfer authority changes. Poloni explained that several divisions were recently reorganized, making year-to-year comparisons difficult, and outlined the governor’s and agency’s FY 2027 requests, including additional federal and dedicated funds for child care capacity, public health programs, and prevention services.

Transcript Highlights:

• Block, District 12.
• Chair and Senator Block.
• So hopefully you can do that, and Senator Block, great minds think alike.
• In the Navajo Nation, is there something blocking us from doing that? So, Mr.
• Senator Block, thank you, Mr. Chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Seeing none, we'll take them up as a block.
• And with that, is there a motion to confirm as a block vote?
• I'd like to pull Thomas Zachary Smith out of the block. Thank you.
• We will pull trustee Thomas Zachary Smith from the block.
• Please call the roll on the block minus one individual.

Summary: The committee on Higher Education Appropriations heard and favorably reported two bills: SB 1570, which revives the former Project Leo program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices, and CS/SB 1376, which creates a grant program to support genetic counseling education in response to a statewide shortage of genetic counselors. Both bills drew supportive comments, with the genetic counseling bill also receiving public support from a university representative. The committee then took up a large slate of confirmations. It first approved a block of reappointments to various university and college boards of trustees, including institutions such as UWF, Broward College, Chipola College, FIU, Pasco-Hernando, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, Valencia, FAMU, FAU, UCF, FSU, New College, UNF, USF, and Broward College. It then heard from numerous new appointees and some requested reappointments, many of whom emphasized workforce training, nursing, military and veteran support, dual enrollment, and local economic development as priorities for their institutions. Several nominees highlighted their personal ties to the schools and communities they would serve, including appointees to Pensacola State, Polk State, St. Petersburg College, UNF, UWF, FIU, the College of the Florida Keys, Valencia College, and Chipola College. Committee members repeatedly asked about nursing NCLEX pass rates, workforce alignment, and institutional growth. One reappointment, Thomas Zachary Smith to the UWF board, was pulled from the block for separate questioning about his past public comments and his role in Project 2025; he said he would serve in his personal capacity and treat all students equally. The committee also separately heard from a Florida Poly reappointment, I. Shapiro, who was questioned about prior remarks regarding race and Supreme Court nominations, and from a New College reappointment, Mark Bowerlaine, who described campus improvements and enrollment growth. The meeting ended amid ongoing confirmation processing and separate votes on the remaining nominees.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those are both block grant programs.
• We have a really rigorous performance management system baked into that block grant, and I've... sure
• Those are both block grant programs.
• management system is baked into that block grant, and I was just taking a few notes as I was sitting
• So that's one thing we've done at a high level to support applicants to the block grant program.

Summary: The subcommittee heard a series of Department of Food and Agriculture budget proposals, beginning with ongoing funding and trailer bill language for the Farm to School program and related climate-smart agriculture work. CDFA described the program’s goals of linking California producers with schools, expanding access to local and nutritious food, and supporting underserved farmers through technical assistance and outreach. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposal as presented because of the state’s budget condition and suggested that some activities might instead be supported through Proposition 98. Members questioned whether the program is reaching the schools and communities with the greatest need, how grants are scored, and whether the proposal’s goals are measurable enough to justify ongoing funding. The item was held open. The committee also discussed CDFA’s climate bond expenditure plan, which would allocate remaining Proposition 4 funds to existing programs such as SWEEP, Healthy Soils, urban agriculture, fairground emergency response upgrades, and invasive species work, as well as new or developing programs including year-round certified farmers markets, mobile farmers markets, regional farm equipment sharing, and tribal food sovereignty. CDFA said the funds would be released in stages based on program readiness, with audits and performance metrics tied to each program. The LAO found the plan reasonable and consistent with bond requirements. Members asked about audit responsibility, performance tracking, and whether the bond programs should be front-loaded or spread over a longer period. A third CDFA item addressed the elimination of vacant positions under prior budget reductions. CDFA and the Department of Finance explained that the positions were selected because they had been vacant for long periods or were hard to fill, and that departments identified the positions based on their own operational knowledge. The LAO supported retaining the special-fund positions and suggested the General Fund positions be weighed on their merits. Members raised concerns about the impact on core functions such as audits, investigations, milk marketing, and grape pricing reports, and asked for follow-up on how the department determined which positions could be removed. The committee then heard a CDFA IT proposal to add funding and four positions for information technology operations; the LAO had no concerns, and members discussed cybersecurity, legacy systems, and future risks such as AI and quantum threats. The committee took public comment and then voted to approve items 9 through 13, which included CDFA dog importation certificates, livestock carcass disposal, Gambling Control Commission IT support and tribal grant funding, and an ABC district office relocation. The hearing then moved to the Department of Cannabis Control, which presented a request to strengthen enforcement against the illicit cannabis market by adding a North State field office in Redding and three non-sworn support positions. DCC said the illicit market remains far larger than the legal market, with a large backlog of cases and significant public safety and environmental concerns. Finance supported the targeted expansion, the LAO had no comment, and members asked about regional coverage, officer safety, and whether a larger, more transformational enforcement effort might be warranted in the future.