Transcript Highlights:

• CS FOR SB 48 ALTERNATIVE JUDICIAL PROCEDURES BY SENATOR GARCIA.
• ON THE AMENDMENT ARE STANDARDIZING PROCEDURES FOR JUDICIAL SALES AND INCREASING TRANSPARENCY FOR ALTERNATIVE
• OF OPTING FOR WHAT THEY CALLED ALTERNATIVE JUDICIAL SALES PROCEEDING.
• THE QUESTION I HAVE IS IT SEEMS VERY UNUSUAL TO ME THAT THEY HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEEDING AND I BELIEVED
• BUT THE QUESTION IS WHY ARE WE ALLOWING AN ALTERNATIVE PROCEEDING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The speaker explained that with the committee substitute, there is a regular process and an alternate
• Okay, so the fiscal court would, through a resolution, choose the alternate. Correct.
• So all they need to do is adopt a resolution to decide to go down that alternate path. Okay. Great.
• There's a regular and the alternative.
• Uh, is it difficult, or what are the processes of changing from a regular to an alternate?

Committee: Senate State & Local Government

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:03 Attendance Roll Call: 00:08 SB 27 Discussion 01:36 SB 27 Vote 07:06 SB 40 Discussion 08:11 SB 40 Vote 12:38 Adjournment: 13:31, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And then we'll talk a lot about traditional pathways and alternative pathways.
• Alternative pathways typically include routes in which a candidate is often teaching in the classroom
• We'll start with university-based alternative programs, followed by non-university-based alternative
• Next, we'll move into alternative programs, or alternative pathways to licensure.
• She said she had seen the traditional list, but was interested in the alternative IHE-based and alternative

Summary: The committee first approved the May 18 meeting minutes and then received a Legislative Audit presentation summarizing Arkansas Department of Education grant distributions for fiscal year 2025. Auditors said the department distributed about $4.6 billion in grants overall, including $3.2 billion from the Public School Fund, $1.1 billion in federal funds, and $268 million from other state and miscellaneous sources, across 56 Public School Fund programs, 14 other state programs, and 29 federal programs. Members asked about specific recipients and programs, including ClassWallet, master principal bonuses, Economics Arkansas, and CDC surveillance funding; audit staff and Department of Education representatives explained that the report was only a distribution summary and not a recipient-level audit. Members also questioned why many districts showed lower funding, and staff said the decline was largely due to reduced federal and one-time COVID-related funds. Senators and representatives also discussed whether some incentive programs, such as master principal and national board bonuses, were tied to student outcomes, and whether Economics Arkansas was the sole entity named in special language for financial literacy funding; department staff said they would follow up on several details. The committee then heard a Bureau of Legislative Research presentation on consumer price index projections from Moody’s Analytics and S&P Global, with discussion of CPI-U and core CPI estimates for future fiscal years. Dr. Carlos Silva explained that the forecasts generally trend toward about 2 percent over time and that recent projections may have understated actual inflation because of recent shocks. Members asked about the accuracy of past projections, and he said he would provide more detail later if needed. The bulk of the meeting focused on the final adequacy report on teacher recruitment, retention, and salaries. BLR staff reported that Arkansas had about 32,800 teachers and 473,000 students in 2025, with a statewide student-to-teacher ratio of about 14 to 1, average teaching experience of 11.9 years, and a slight increase in National Board Certified teachers. The report found that districts with higher poverty and minority concentrations generally had less experienced teachers, and that teacher shortages remained widespread, especially in special education, math, science, and foreign language. Members asked about licensure exceptions, alternative preparation pathways, incentives for ESL and special education endorsements, and the cost and return on investment of traditional versus alternative routes. Staff said some licensure exceptions are being phased out under Act 304 of 2025 and that they would follow up on several requested details. The report also found that teacher retention averaged 87 percent statewide in 2025, with districts retaining teachers at higher rates than charters, and that 30 percent of surveyed teachers were considering leaving the profession. Principals and teachers identified school leadership as the strongest positive factor in recruitment and retention, while workload and salary were the strongest negative factors. On salaries, BLR reported a statewide average teacher salary of $60,254 in 2025, with districts averaging $60,458 and charters $55,724. Arkansas ranked 45th nationally on average teacher salary in 2025, though its cost-adjusted ranking improved to 36th; among SREB states it ranked 12th, and among neighboring states it ranked fourth. Members asked about starting salaries, salary compression, district step increases, and whether the report should be shared more broadly with educators and school leaders. Staff said they would provide follow-up information on several questions, and the committee took no formal action beyond receiving the presentations and asking for additional data.

Transcript Highlights:

• The use of PFAS, when there are a plethora of safer alternatives, is unjustified.
• I have great alternatives. I use cast iron mostly. I have great alternatives.
• I use cast iron mostly, but there are also other alternatives, non-stick alternatives.
• And there are safe alternatives that are available.
• We've now limited the bill to those products where there are good alternatives.

Summary: The committee heard SB 404 on metal shredding facilities, SB 601 on water quality protections after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, SB 682 on phasing out PFOS in certain consumer products, and later SB 646 on prenatal vitamins and toxic metal contamination. SB 561 had been pulled from the hearing. In each of the measures, the authors and supporters emphasized environmental and public health protections, while opponents raised concerns about overregulation, implementation, and unintended economic impacts. The committee also spent time on the policy details of each bill, including how smaller operators would be treated under SB 404, how “nexus waters” would be defined under SB 601, and whether alternatives and testing standards were adequate under SB 682 and SB 646. For SB 404, Senator Caballero said the bill would create a permitting and enforcement framework for metal shredding facilities, with operational standards for fire prevention, stormwater, and releases of shredder residue, while supporters argued it would bring needed certainty to a critical recycling industry. Opponents, including small recyclers and community/environmental advocates, said the bill was either too broad or not strong enough, with some warning it would burden smaller facilities and others arguing it would fail to protect overburdened communities. The committee approved SB 404 on a due-pass-as-amended motion to Appropriations, with recorded support from the chair and some members and opposition from others. SB 601 sought to restore state-level protections for waters that lost federal Clean Water Act coverage after Sackett, using a “nexus waters” framework and revised enforcement provisions after amendments removed the private right of action. Supporters said California needed to preserve protections for seasonal streams and wetlands and avoid backsliding, while opponents from business, agriculture, water districts, and local governments argued the definition remained too broad and could create uncertainty, costs, and unintended consequences. The committee also approved SB 601 on a due-pass motion to Appropriations, again with split votes. SB 682, which the committee also advanced, would phase out intentionally added PFOS in six product categories, including cleaning products, cookware, dental floss, ski wax, food packaging, and juvenile products, with an amendment delaying cookware implementation until 2030. Supporters framed it as a source-control measure to reduce PFAS contamination and lower long-term water treatment costs, while manufacturers and cookware interests argued the bill was overbroad, lacked workable testing standards, and could push consumers and businesses toward uncertain alternatives. The committee chair recommended an aye vote, and the measure passed to Appropriations. SB 646 was then introduced on prenatal vitamins, with supporters saying it would require testing and disclosure of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, while the opposition said disclosure must be handled carefully so as not to confuse consumers or undermine confidence in prenatal supplements.

Transcript Highlights:

• The presiding judge to assign his or her alternate to the parking lot, restricting the alternate judge's
• So I do like the idea of allowing the alternate judges, Mr.
• And again, I go back to when I worked as an early voting alternate judge.
• The signature on the dotted line is the presiding judge, is not the alternate judge.
• I've worked many elections as an alternate or presiding judge in Dallas County elections.

Committee: House Elections

Transcript Highlights:

• Assembly's rate reform transition plan for the period between July 1 and the implementation. of the Alternative
• Interim Funding Rate Increases to establish the floor for new rates, established pursuant to the Alternative
• that we will ensure that Number one, meeting the deadline in which we need to begin to present the alternative
• speak to the feedback piece; I think I'll just reiterate that we're currently doing that on the alternative
• And second, we want to share our growing concern with the delay in Implementing alternative methodology

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In 2023, the state established several incentives for alternative jet fuel, including a preferential
• tax credit for the use of alternative jet fuel.
• tax credit for the use of alternative jet fuel.
• fuel, and a B&O and public utility tax credit for the use of alternative jet fuel.
• Substitute House Bill 2322 makes several changes to the alternative fuel program.

Bills: HB1983 , HB1974 , HB2334 , HB2367 , HB2650 , HB2655

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: timberland, real estate, excise tax, governmental entities, property taxation, land bank, land banking authority, affordable housing, housing crisis, housing supply, public corporation, public housing authority, nonprofit housing, tax-foreclosed property, blight remediation, redevelopment, anti-displacement, equity, redlining, racial segregation

Transcript Highlights:

• First, a little background on alternative jet fuel participation in the Clean Fuels Program.
• Recent Clean Fuels Program updates modify the carbon intensity pathway for alternative jet fuel when
• They are on track to produce alternative jet fuel, and they just need certainty that would be allowed
• They're also on track for their first flight using alternative jet fuel.
• We have some comments on how we think it'll better support startup alternative jet fuel producers.

Bills: SB6172 , SB6246 , SB5932

Committee: Senate Environment, Energy & Technology

Keywords: Washington climate policy, greenhouse gas, GHG emissions, cap-and-invest, carbon market, emissions trading, allowances, covered entity, coal-fired power plant, coal plant, electric utility, electric generating facility, fossil fuels, natural gas, imported electricity, emissions leakage, air pollution, renewable energy transition, industrial emissions, railroad emissions

Transcript Highlights:

• First, a little background on alternative jet fuels participation in the Clean Fuels Program.
• Recent Clean Fuels Program updates modify the carbon intensity pathway for alternative jet fuel when
• They are on track to produce alternative jet fuel, and they just need certainty that would be allowed
• They're also on track for their first flight using alternative jet fuel.
• We have some comments on how we think it'll better support startup alternative jet fuel producers.

Summary: The Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee heard three bills. SB 6246 would direct Ecology to develop recommendations for how no-cost allowances for emissions-intensive trade-exposed facilities (EITEs) should work from 2035 to 2050, and would require EITEs to submit facility-specific emissions data and periodic decarbonization plans as a condition of receiving allowances. Supporters said the bill preserves the Climate Commitment Act’s goals while giving the Legislature and Ecology better information to prevent emissions and job leakage and to plan for industrial decarbonization. Opponents argued the bill adds costly reporting and planning burdens, could threaten competitiveness, and in some cases could lead to allowance withholding; Ecology said it generally supports the approach but wants some streamlining and noted implementation costs are not in the governor’s budget. SB 5932 would provide certainty for sustainable aviation fuel development by changing how Ecology applies electricity carbon intensity in the Clean Fuels Program and by setting an earlier trigger for aviation fuel tax incentives. The sponsor and 12, a Moses Lake SAF developer, said the bill would give investors and producers needed certainty for expansion and help Washington remain competitive. Ecology and Climate Solutions opposed parts of the bill, saying it would weaken incentives for new renewable electricity generation, limit Ecology’s technical discretion, and reduce the Clean Fuels Program’s effectiveness, though Ecology said it supports decarbonizing aviation and is willing to work on the issue through rulemaking. Some testimony also supported the tax certainty portion while objecting to the Clean Fuels Program changes, and one witness asked for clarification on local participation in the incentive. SB 6172 would end remaining state tax and regulatory exemptions for the coal-fired TransAlta plant after its scheduled closure date. The sponsor said Washington should remove special treatment now that the state has phased out coal, while supporters said the bill reinforces the state’s clean energy transition and protects public health and climate goals. A few witnesses raised concerns about possible costs to utilities and ratepayers if the plant were ever required to run in an emergency, and asked for language to protect against that. The hearing concluded with the committee closing public testimony on all three bills; no votes were taken in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• And then the next one is the alternative payment admin rate.
• And then the next one is the alternative payment admin rate.
• The next one is the Alternative Payment Program Administration.
• stating that... ...alternative methodology design.
• of the alternative methodology survey with federal requirements.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services held a hearing on the Governor’s May Revision, with no votes taken. The first major topic was child care and early education, where the Department of Social Services and Department of Finance outlined proposed changes to absorb federal Child Care and Development Fund and Proposition 64 revenue reductions, shift some funding between child care programs, end funding for prospective pay implementation now that the federal requirement has been rescinded, adjust the alternative payment administration structure, and fund child care infrastructure grants and a Low-Income Investment Fund contract closeout. The Legislative Analyst’s Office said the budget makes progress on the structural deficit but recommended maintaining the administration’s solution level, making reserve deposits, and avoiding new ongoing commitments; it also raised concerns about shifting reductions to the California Alternative Payment Program and about the proposed administrative-rate change. Committee members strongly criticized the proposed loss of child care slots and said they would oppose eliminating those slots, while also expressing support for child care as essential infrastructure. The committee then reviewed California State Preschool Program proposals. Finance and CDE described reductions to the preschool COLA from 2.41% to 2.01%, removal of prospective pay funding, and increases for the QRIS block grant, audit support, and rate reform implementation. Trailer bill language would codify age-based rate categories, inclusion-rate documentation, family fee collection rules, portability, and excused absences. CDE supported the QRIS increase and some attendance and family-fee changes, but warned that aligning three- and four-year-old rates could reduce support for three-year-olds and that the budget does not fully cover enrollment growth. Members also questioned whether the preschool and child care slot reductions should be reallocated rather than terminated, and the administration said the reductions were intended to reflect current utilization and avoid harm to currently enrolled families. The hearing then moved to CalFresh and nutrition programs. CDSS said the May Revision includes a one-time CalFood augmentation, funding to cover federal SNAP administrative cost-share pressures, and additional staffing and technical assistance to implement HR 1 changes, including the able-bodied adults without dependents time limit and new non-citizen eligibility rules. The department estimated HR 1 could cut CalFresh funding by $2.3 billion to $3.7 billion annually and affect about 500,000 people, with roughly 806,000 adults potentially subject to the time limit and about 34,000 non-citizens expected to lose eligibility once fully implemented. Members pressed for stronger harm mitigation, including a $98 million backfill to protect families from losing food benefits, and raised concerns about county workload and the “chilling effect” on immigrant participation. The final portion of the transcript began the IHSS presentation, noting a revised budget of $33.7 billion total funds and $12.8 billion General Fund, with proposed reductions tied to Medi-Cal asset-limit changes and other federal conformity items.

Transcript Highlights:

• It specifies that the requirement to demonstrate adequate alternative shelter space does not apply.
• The requirement to demonstrate adequate alternative shelter space does not apply where specific conduct
• The requirement to demonstrate adequate alternative shelter space does not apply where specific conduct
• It would modify the definition of adequate alternative shelter space such that, in order to meet that
• That shelter wouldn't be able to qualify as adequate alternative shelter for the purposes of the bill

Bills: HB2266 , HB2489

Committee: House Housing

Keywords: housing, supportive housing, transitional housing, emergency shelters, homelessness prevention, public space, local governance, life-sustaining activities, statewide standards, regulation, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This legislation is an alternative administrator bill.
• Charter schools have had a similar alternative pathway for administrators since 2019.
• Alternative authorization pathways weaken professional standards. They...”
• “Alternative authorization pathways weaken professional standards.
• Please protect the integrity of Idaho schools by rejecting alternative authorization programs.

Committee: Senate Education

Summary: The committee first approved minutes from March 9, 10, and 11, 2026. It then took up Senate Bill 1336, a proposal to codify civics and American founding content in Idaho social studies standards. Sponsor Senator Anthon said the bill was a work in progress and asked that it be sent to the 14th order for amendment, citing concerns about flexibility, local control, and implementation. Testimony from school groups was generally supportive of the goal but raised concerns about codifying standards in statute, the Western civilization requirement, staffing and scheduling impacts, and funding for curriculum changes. The committee voted to send SB 1336 to the 14th order. Next, the committee heard Senate Bill 1412, a school hiring and reporting bill combining earlier proposals on educator misconduct disclosure, mandatory reporting, employer verification, Professional Standards Commission reporting, and whistleblower protections for private school employees. Senator Nichols said the bill was intended to create uniform statewide protections and transparency. Testimony strongly supported the bill from several educators and advocates who described failures to report abuse, retaliation against whistleblowers, and cases where alleged offenders remained employed. The committee voted to send SB 1412 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 832, which would change career technical education hiring rules by replacing a fixed 6,000-hour industry experience requirement with standards set by the State Board of Career Technical Education. The bill was presented as a way to improve recruitment and retention of industry professionals, and it passed with a due pass recommendation. The committee also heard House Bill 711, creating alternative authorization pathways for school principals and superintendents through either a grow-your-own route or an executive leadership route. Supporters argued it would help districts, especially rural ones, recruit leaders and that it was optional; opponents said it lowered standards, did not solve retention problems, and could weaken preparation in school law, finance, and instructional leadership. Despite objections, the committee voted to send HB 711 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. Finally, the committee revisited House Bill 516, which would restrict classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and had an amendment clarifying that incidental references in certain subjects would not be prohibited. Testimony was sharply divided, with supporters framing it as a parent-rights and transparency measure and opponents warning it would chill instruction and invite litigation; discussion focused on the meaning of “incidental reference” and the bill’s private right of action, but no final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• The alternative compositions of the board must include one person who is licensed to practice law in
• Alternative trucking waste to a landfill in rural Adams County is not a viable economic alternative.
• Neither is it an environmental justice-oriented alternative.
• I was just wondering, I know you had an alternative, and I was curious. Thank you.
• This bill allows the option for an alternate board to decide permit appeals.

Bills: HB2426 , HB2373 , HB2416

Committee: House Environment & Energy

Keywords: pollution control, efficiency, appeals process, environmental regulation, hearing board, electric utility, energy assistance, low-income households, monthly bill assistance, energy equity, waste management, energy, climate action, environmental regulations, fair treatment, renewable energy, sustainability, 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• First, the bill doesn't affect existing alternatives to neonicotinoids.
• So there are alternatives that are more humane. Thank you. Thank you. So there are alternatives.
• There are safer alternatives. There are alternatives that don't bio-accumulate.
• But what we've heard all day today is that there are alternatives, and that some of the alternatives
• There's ample effective alternatives.

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hybrid hearing on a large slate of bills focused on pesticides, pollinators, rodenticides, mosquito control, invasive species, and local authority over pesticide regulation. Chair Becca Rausch set strict two-minute testimony limits due to the very large number of speakers. Early testimony from Senator Moore and Representative Hawkins strongly supported a bill to restrict second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, citing harms to wildlife, pets, and public health, and noting that California has already adopted a similar model. Testimony also supported a Lowell home rule petition to allow the city to prohibit or restrict these rodenticides, with local officials describing documented raptor poisonings and municipal efforts to phase out use on city property. A major portion of the hearing focused on pollinator protection and neonicotinoid-treated seeds. Witnesses from environmental groups, conservation organizations, academics, and beekeepers argued that neonics harm bees and other beneficial insects, contaminate soil and water, and provide little or no economic benefit in most corn and soybean fields. Several speakers pointed to New York, Vermont, and Quebec as models for restricting treated seeds, and one panel cited research showing only a small percentage of fields benefit economically from the treatments. Support was also voiced for a bill establishing an ecologically based mosquito management program, with advocates criticizing aerial and truck spraying and urging non-chemical, locally tailored approaches. Other testimony supported bills to reform the pesticide board and pesticide regulation process, to give vulnerable municipalities more local control over pesticide use, to protect schoolchildren from pesticides on school grounds, and to respond to invasive species through a centralized state office, coordinator, strategic plan, and trust fund. Many speakers, including representatives from Mass Audubon, MSPCA, the Xerces Society, the Sierra Club, watershed groups, and local wildlife rehabilitators, described impacts on hawks, owls, pets, fish, and broader ecosystems. No votes were taken during the hearing, and committee members generally asked few questions, with the hearing remaining in testimony mode throughout.

Transcript Highlights:

• We had the drug testing lab for our purposes and we started looking at other purposes like marijuana
• We had the drug testing lab for our purposes and we started looking at other purposes like marijuana
• We had the drug testing lab for our purposes, and we started looking at other purposes like marijuana

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Luck said, I am the principal over both alternative schools here in Roswell.
• alternative schools.
• Um, but University High School is like almost every alternative high school in the state.
• But the best thing for alternative schools because alternative schools have a purpose in New Mexico.
• Um, every single school in there is an alternative high school except for 1.

Transcript Highlights:

• For the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, we had two alternatives: a no-build alternative and a
• modified locally preferred alternative.
• That modified locally preferred alternative was considered or analyzed against a no-build alternative
• That modified locally preferred alternative was considered or analyzed against a no-build alternative
• And we know that there's not a lot of alternatives.

Committee: Joint Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that has not been alternative.
• I don't see any evidence of alternative.
• So are less restrictive alternatives.
• So again, isn't there an alternative, an easy alternative?
• </c> you know there may be alternatives. you know there may be alternatives.

Committee: Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We had alternates.
• So this they have alternates.
• </c> alternates, they're they're alternates. alternates, they're they're alternates.
• Is that the alternates attend?
• :59.360><c> on</c><00:30:59.600><c> multiple</c> alternate be an alternate on multiple alternate be an

Committee: House Municipal and County Government

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows for alternatives to participate in meetings.
• Should that not be the case, the ability to appoint a non-elected alternate?
• I think the likelihood that non-elected alternates be appointed is slim.
• The likelihood that non-elected alternates be appointed is slim.
• go, or would, in an emergency situation, perhaps the non-elected alternate go?

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: 987, senate, all