Video & Transcript Research : 'quality indicators'
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OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Rethinking Paying Subminimal Wage to Persons with Disabilities Task Force REVISED- Agenda Added Jun 25th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Another challenge is having consistent, quality job coaches.
- So the commissioned study found that about half of Oklahomans indicated that half of employers would
- Another challenge is having consistent quality job coaches.
- indicate that half of employers would hire people with IDD, but they need to understand what is expected
- Perhaps the guardian has indicated they're not allowed to have a personal phone, but they were not able
Summary:
The meeting focused on integrated employment and related services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with testimony from several provider agencies and state officials. Robin Arder and Belinda Stevens of ThinkAbility described how their organization supports people through residential services and self-created businesses because community employers often are not ready to hire people with disabilities. They said rigid service rules, difficulty fitting individuals into existing job definitions, and reimbursement requirements can prevent person-centered employment supports. They also reported that, in their experience, employees had not lost benefits when work was coordinated carefully with Social Security and benefits management.
Tina Hannah of South Central Industries described a broad business model that includes manufacturing, janitorial and highway contracts, state-use products, a food truck, and an entertainment trailer, along with an adult day program and residential services. She said the organization uses a temp-service style model to make employers more comfortable and noted barriers such as employer concerns about productivity, lack of awareness of tax credits and accessibility resources, and the need for consistent job coaches. Miranda Figueroa of A New Leaf said her agency is moving toward a more person-centered model, including a Transition Academy for young adults that combines independent living instruction, community college classes, internships, and follow-along support; she said the program has an 85% placement rate but is expensive and not eligible for traditional student aid because it is not accredited. She also cited barriers including dual diagnoses, workforce readiness, and low reimbursement rates.
Angela Decker and Deborah Copeland of DRTC described their long-running enclave contracts and a new Community Skills and Connection program that uses interest-based cohorts, community exploration, and volunteer experiences to build skills and networks tied to employment. They said the agency is phasing out its 14(c) subminimum wage certificate by the end of the year and is trying to expand community-based opportunities. DRTC and other providers emphasized the need to blend DDS and DRS services more effectively, reduce restrictive rules such as line-of-sight requirements, and better support people in congregate living settings. DRS representatives said the agency does provide school-based transition services, employer accommodations, and job carving support, and noted federal reporting requirements tied to wage outcomes.
Members also discussed safety concerns, employer education, data collection, ABLE accounts, and the role of schools in preparing students for work and community life. The co-chairs proposed organizing the task force into three working groups: in-school/transition services, program support and service blending, and community integration/employer engagement. No votes were taken, and the meeting ended with plans for further working-group discussion and follow-up on data and policy ideas.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Transportation, Highways and Public Works Jun 22nd, 2026
Transportation, Highways & Public Works
Transcript Highlights:
- And then these are various internal key performance indicators within the department to make sure that
- We have key performance indicators, KPI, that dashboard will go live for us to track our performance.
- And so when, no matter which Quality construction program in each and every district.
- And that will be a main key performance indicator as we look at the dashboard to make sure that we're
- And that will be a main key performance indicator as we look at the dashboard to make sure that we're
Summary:
The House Transportation Committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or formal actions. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black outlined the department’s transformation efforts, emphasizing faster project delivery, improved transparency, and use of technology. They reported major reductions in contractor payment processing time, from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, and change-order approvals from about 40–45 days to around five days. They also described new tools such as inspection tablets, a project delivery dashboard, e-ticketing, a customer service portal, and a pilot using sensor technology on department vehicles to identify potholes and damaged assets. The department said it is reorganizing district staffing, replacing the old area engineer model with district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, without increasing total staff.
Members focused heavily on local maintenance concerns, including potholes, drainage, culverts, mowing, overgrown ditches, and utility-related delays. Several legislators asked how to get quicker responses on routine maintenance and how to distinguish state responsibility from local jurisdiction. DOTD said it would meet with district administrators to address specific problems and clarify jurisdiction, and that the new customer service portal should help track complaints electronically. Members also asked about contractor accountability, utility relocations, and public communication on long-running projects; DOTD said it is improving internal KPIs, coordinating more closely with district staff and public information officers, and considering broader public updates beyond the website.
The department also reviewed highway planning and funding. Officials said the Highway Priority Program is being reworked into a more fiscally constrained, staged process that starts earlier in concept development and gives legislators and constituents more feedback before the annual road show. They said the department is using new IDIQ contracting authority to bring in outside help for bridge maintenance and other work, and that bridge maintenance backlogs remain significant. DOTD reported that LTIF 1.0 and 2.0 together cover 91 projects statewide totaling more than $534 million, with over 40 complete, and that LTIF 3.0 adds 39 projects and about $165 million. Combined with other funding sources, the department said its upcoming construction program will include 385 projects worth about $1.73 billion.
Legislators generally praised the department’s progress but raised concerns about lingering local problems and the need for clearer communication. Questions were also asked about a barge strike on the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge, with DOTD saying divers and staff were inspecting the damage and that emergency repairs would likely be needed. After the DOTD update, the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, led by Archie Chesson, gave its own update on its first year, describing a small staff, heavy use of consultant and contractor pools, emergency procurement authority, and rapid delivery of rural bridge and roadway projects.
AZ
Transcript Highlights:
- And if we want something other than what the current statutes indicate is the tax code, then we need
- , the reality is we have to follow federal, we have to follow state regulations in terms of water quality
- So we pride ourselves on having quality services.
- I feel that we have very strong indication that we were told to come, and I mean that's why we felt it
- We deserve to have a quality of life here.
Keywords:
judicial foreclosure, tax lien, redemption rights, excess proceeds, property auction, income tax, federal tax conformity, revenue analysis, legislative session, tax reporting, municipal fees, county fees, utility rates, moratorium, tax classification, local government, inflation, economic stability, tax increases, cost-of-living protection
Summary:
The committee first heard House Bill 2780, a technical cleanup measure related to Arizona’s judicial tax lien foreclosure and excess proceeds process. The sponsor and a witness said the bill clarifies when a court should order a public sale, standardizes distribution of sale proceeds, and corrects inconsistencies left from prior reforms. No opposition was raised, and the committee approved HB 2780 unanimously on a 9-0 do pass vote.
The committee then took up House Bill 4029, which would require the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to evaluate the revenue impact of federal tax conformity changes earlier in the process, and would require the Department of Revenue to issue tax forms consistent with statute. An amendment was adopted to have OSPB and JLBC each make the evaluation and to require a governor’s report if the impact is $100 million or more, along with new reporting deadlines for DOR. Supporters argued the bill would force earlier action on conformity and prevent tax forms from diverging from statute; opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay filing. The committee approved HB 4029 as amended by a 5-4 vote.
The committee also heard House Bill 4030 and the related HCR 2052, both aimed at limiting local tax and fee increases. HB 4030 would bar municipalities and counties from adopting, imposing, or collecting increased fees, transaction privilege taxes, and utility rates from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030. The sponsor said the measure was intended to protect taxpayers from inflation and rising local costs. Cities, counties, and utility representatives opposed the bills, warning they would hinder infrastructure financing, water and wastewater projects, road improvements, and public safety services, and could force general fund subsidies or delayed maintenance. Supporters argued local governments have seen substantial revenue growth and should be restrained from further increases. The committee did not reach a final vote on HB 4030 or HCR 2052 in the portion provided.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The goal is going to be market value and the quality of the data coming in when we're going to analyze
- The shortfall would have a devastating impact on the quality of education Castleberry ISD can provide
- Is that going to retain quality teachers? Eliminating athletic and fine arts programs?
- Do you have any indication that they're not following the laws?
- I have no indication and just sort of, you know... Chronology sometimes tells the story.
Keywords:
appraisal, property value, residential real estate, tax code, appraisal review board, property owners, property tax, homeowners, property owner rights, property appraisal, taxation, Texas Tax Code, real estate, ad valorem tax, homestead exemption, market value, condemnation, tax appraisal, open-space land, land use
NH
Transcript Highlights:
- <00:05:10.160>
and the community college has indicated and the community college has indicated - instruction and high-quality courses being taught in all of our public schools.
- instruction and high-quality courses being taught in all of our public schools.
- uh adjunct faculty um as was indicated uh adjunct faculty um as was indicated um<00:21:36.000>
- instruction and high-quality courses being taught in all of our public schools.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- If nursing hours are shifted onto the waiver, Nash loses services that are vital to his quality of life
- <00:10:13.360>
vital <00:10:13.680>to <00:10:13.839>his <00:10:14.079>quality - services that are vital to his quality services that are vital to his quality of<00:10:14.560>
- Um, when you consulted with the regulators, did they give you any indication that these policies have
- that these policies have been indication that these policies have been rated<00:24:33.200>
in
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Environment Committee Meeting - 2026-04-09
Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- healthy animals and provide a quality healthy animals and provide a quality nutritious<00:11:36.600
- subsequent generations for water quality subsequent generations for water quality and<00:31:54.000
- First, water use and water quality.
- Large-scale water use and water quality.
- So, with the Quality Board.
Keywords:
financial assurance, feedlot permits, manure storage, environmental compliance, agriculture regulation, abandoned infrastructure, pollution control, environmental impact, animal feedlot, livestock, regulations, Minnesota Rules
Summary:
The committee approved the March 26, 2026 minutes and then heard House File 4740, authored by Rep. Hansen, which would require feedlots with at least 1,000 animal units to provide financial assurance for closure costs. Hansen argued the bill would shift cleanup responsibility from taxpayers to owners, citing abandoned feedlots, changing ownership structures, and the 2024 Pure Prairie Poultry bankruptcy as examples of why public funds should not be used for closures and cleanup. He also said the bill would apply to new or renewed permits and suggested a statutory definition of abandoned feedlot storage units may be needed.
Farm and livestock groups testified in opposition. Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Minnesota Pork Producers Association, and Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation said existing MPCA and county permit rules already require closure planning and reporting, and that the bill would add unnecessary costs and barriers for family farms, beginning farmers, and expansion. They warned the financial assurance requirement could function like an animal-unit cap, encourage fragmentation or out-of-state relocation, and impose annual costs that would not improve environmental outcomes. Several testified that true abandonment is rare and that current permitting and closure processes already address it.
MPCA staff said the agency has concerns with the bill, noted there is currently no formal fiscal note, and said the agency would need to ensure any appropriations cover ongoing staffing needs. MPCA officials explained that permitted feedlots already must notify the agency before closure, follow a checklist of closure requirements, and undergo follow-up inspection; they said abandonment notifications are uncommon and they are not aware of any currently permitted facilities in abandonment process. Members questioned whether the bill was needed, what form financial assurance would take, how other states handle similar requirements, and whether the proposal would unfairly burden smaller or family operations. No vote on HF 4740 was taken in the portion of the meeting provided.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Higher Education Institutions Committee Apr 9th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- My hope is that we're going to have a discussion on quality, access, and funding.
- So quality and rigor has kind of come up. Is this just the same thing as a high school course?
- The study findings indicated that...
- I think it's good for students if it's done right, if the quality is there.
- If we can assure the quality and rigors there, this is a phenomenal tool in our toolbox.
Summary:
The Higher Education Institutions Committee met on the Minot State University campus for presentations on campus operations, enrollment, and new academic initiatives. President Shirley reviewed recent audits, noting mostly clean results with only minor technical findings, and highlighted MSU’s broad academic offerings, specialized accreditations, athletics, and partnerships with Minot Air Force Base and the MSU Development Foundation. Members asked about declining interest in teacher education, tuition waivers for athletes, dual credit incentives, and how MSU decides when to launch new programs and avoid duplication within the university system.
Shirley also discussed several workforce-focused initiatives supported by the Legislature’s Workforce Education Innovation Funds, including the purchase of the Trinity Health Center West building for a downtown health sciences hub, a new daycare/preschool partnership near campus, the Aspire program to recruit rural students into teaching, and a paraprofessional-to-special-education degree pathway. Enrollment data showed overall headcount was flat at just under 2,750, but full-time equivalent enrollment rose slightly and new student numbers increased, including the largest freshman class in 15 years. The committee also discussed Minot State’s in-state tuition rate for all students, its dual credit “Emerging Scholars” scholarship, and concerns about the share of high school graduates who do not immediately pursue postsecondary education.
Faculty then presented two new programs funded in part by WEAF: an Innovation Engineering degree and a master’s program in counseling with an integrated addiction studies focus. The engineering program was described as industry-driven, designed with broad early coursework, hands-on learning, and local employer input to prepare students for western North Dakota workforce needs; officials said it had already drawn more applicants than expected and would use renovated library space and donated or grant-funded equipment. The counseling program will be mostly face-to-face with hybrid options, aims to address shortages in mental health and substance use providers, and is structured to help students meet licensure requirements. Committee members asked about startup costs, licensure supervision hours, and whether the programs would be on campus rather than online, and presenters said both programs had recently received required approvals and were moving forward.
NM
New Mexico 2026 Regular Session
House - Taxation and Revenue Feb 6th, 2026 at 08:37 am
House Taxation & Revenue
Transcript Highlights:
- be mentioned, however, that funding requests, the ones that we receive, don't always identify or indicate
- Five hundred twenty-seven requests totaling $1.3 billion in this very year indicated that planning and
- design had been done, with 244 of these projects requesting $336 million indicating they had secured
- be mentioned, however, that funding requests, the ones that we receive don't always identify or indicate
- that planning and design had been done with 244 of these projects requesting $336 million, indicated
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Investments and Pensions Oversight Jul 18th, 2025
Investments & Pensions Oversight Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- We do hear many great things as far as some of the indications that these GLP-1s can help with.
- But we are seeing other indications of this coming.
- This really does give us an indication of when these pools started, as well as what the returns have
- We can definitely see from 2006 as an early indication where we were only at 3.62%.
- We can restructure some of these slides and provide a better indication of what we're focusing on.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance Mar 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- That's why I indicated that we'd like to work on this.
- It's expected to be 0.7%, indicating a slight increase.
- So the charts that are attached give you some indication of where we're at as a state.
- And so, moving to solvency trends, as I indicated, Mr.
- Kapan indicated.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
December 10, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- THIRD, INVEST IN HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SO EDUCATORS ARE PREPARED TO USE AI EFFECTIVELY
- IT'S TIME SAVINGS AND IMPACT ON SERVICE QUALITY FOR SCHOOLS.
- THAT QUALITY MATTERS AND THAT TRAINING IS IMPORTANT SO FACULTY CAN USE IT BUT ALSO CAN IMPLEMENT IT WITH
- I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR, WHAT IS YOUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR?
- I AM GETTING EVALUATED AND I KNOW THEY ARE WATCHING IT'S OKAY IT'S THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR AND
CA
Transcript Highlights:
- And then the chapter also talks about the fact that you have to evaluate the quality and suitability
- In terms of standard of care, it really is about providing the highest quality of care.
- In terms of standard of care, it really is about providing the highest quality of care to Californians
- They do indicate that they’re going to continue to look at ways to make permanent different provisions
- It's not quality, it's not safe.
Summary:
The joint Assembly and Senate business committees held a sunset review hearing on the California State Board of Pharmacy, with board leadership describing the board’s consumer-protection role and its priorities around access, enforcement, and updating pharmacy law. The board emphasized a proposed shift toward a standard-of-care model for pharmacists, arguing it would reduce rigid protocol requirements and improve access to services such as HIV PrEP/PEP, contraception, and naloxone. Board representatives also discussed pharmacy deserts, possible fee waivers for pharmacies in underserved areas, concerns about payer practices contributing to closures, continuing education audits, and a request to restore more flexibility in licensure decisions and probationary monitoring for applicants with certain criminal histories.
A major focus of the hearing was the board’s ongoing compounding regulations, especially the treatment of sterile versus nonsterile compounding and substances such as glutathione and methylcobalamin. The board said the proposal was not a ban on those substances and described the rulemaking as grounded in federal law, USP standards, and public comment, noting the process had gone through multiple modified texts and hearings. Testimony from stakeholders was sharply divided: pharmacists, veterinarians, firefighters, naturopathic doctors, and patient advocates warned the rules were restricting access to compounded medications and harming patients and first responders, while the California Medical Association, psychiatric physicians, and PhRMA raised concerns that the board’s proposals could expand pharmacist authority beyond training, affect physician practice, or create safety risks. Other public comments addressed pharmacy technician ratios, remote processing, flavoring medications, hospital-specific regulation, budget and enforcement transparency, and whether the board should add members with community compounding or pharmacy technician expertise.
Committee members also asked about the board’s oversight priorities and the rationale for its standard-of-care proposal. Board staff explained that consumer protection includes education, licensing, policy, and enforcement, with the highest-priority enforcement cases being those posing imminent public harm. After public testimony concluded, the chairs thanked participants and adjourned the sunset review hearing, announcing an immediate transition to the joint informational hearing on the Department of Cannabis Control.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Committee, First Extraordinary Session Jan 22nd, 2025
Budget
Transcript Highlights:
- I also want to echo calls for environmental and health considerations for water quality. and soil quality
- and water quality.
- So yes, we have issues like air quality.
- And the reporting that's done will indicate how much has been allocated for each activity as it's being
- We need to monitor speculative activity, flagging trends that indicate price manipulation.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
March 19, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- And I'm talking quality Medicaid waiver support coordinators as well as quality direct support personnel
- med waiver support coordinators as well as quality direct support personnel.
- My question to you: last week, you indicated that it would cost you approximately $1.2 million to clear
- My question to you, last week, you indicated that it would cost you approximately $1.2 million to clear
- not part of the medical loss ratio calculation, with the exception of what can be referred to as quality
Summary:
The Health Care Budget Subcommittee took up two bills and then continued oversight discussions with APD and AHCA. CS/HB 27, the Social Work Licensure Interstate Compact, was presented as a way to let Florida social workers practice in other compact states and vice versa; AARP, the Florida Chamber, and NASW Florida supported it, and the bill passed favorably. HB 1127, a child welfare bill, would create a treatment foster care pilot for children with high behavioral needs, improve DCF data collection on commercially sexually exploited children, and expand recruitment for protective investigators and case managers; the bill also passed favorably after brief supportive testimony.
The committee then questioned APD at length about the iBudget waiver waitlist, enrollment pace, spending projections, and provider capacity. APD said it had sent more than 1,100 interest letters in categories 3, 4, and 5, enrolled 1,124 people so far this year, and expects to spend about 96.4% of its waiver appropriation, leaving roughly $82 million unspent. Members pressed APD on why prior discussions suggested more reserve was needed, how long the SANS process takes, whether category 6 could be expanded, and whether the agency has enough waiver support coordinators and direct support providers. APD said it has about 1,061 waiver support coordinators statewide, adequate capacity for current enrollees, but would need further analysis if the legislature directed a much larger enrollment increase. Members also asked about outreach, annual maintenance of the waitlist, portability for military families, and whether communication efforts should be privatized.
Finally, AHCA walked the committee through the 2023 Achieved Savings Rebate (ASR) report for Aetna and explained how the report is used for financial monitoring, rebate calculations, and transparency. AHCA said the ASR is separate from the medical loss ratio (MLR) calculation, though both are reviewed, and that Florida uses the ASR mechanism rather than an MLR remittance requirement to recover funds from plans. Members asked about related-party disclosures, CVS/Caremark relationships, expanded benefits, encounter data, network adequacy penalties, denials and appeals reporting, interest earned on capitation payments, and whether rate increases were reaching providers. AHCA and the outside auditors said they review the plans’ reported data, reconcile it to underlying records, and can assess liquidated damages for network adequacy violations; several members requested follow-up data on rebates, interest, provider capacity, and related-party reporting.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Agriculture & Natural Resources Dec 5th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- And food insecurity can show up as people eating lower quality foods, less variety, cutting portions,
- It's an indicator of how well we are doing at helping people to get the things that they need.
- So it indicates that there are more folks who are teetering at this threshold who may need to turn to
- And there's even some, you know, we can't, I don't have definitive evidence, but indications that maybe
- How does every Washington in the state of Washington get access to high quality and affordable I don't
Summary:
The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee held a work session on food systems and food security, with no public testimony. The first panel focused on household food security and data. Marie Spiker of the University of Washington explained what food insecurity means, its health impacts, and the importance of reliable measurement, warning that the federal Census food security data is being terminated and that there is no true replacement. She described Washington’s WaFOOD surveys as a useful complement, not a substitute, and noted that they show food insecurity affects households at a range of income levels. Katie Raines of WSDA described the state’s food systems work, the need for shared data and dashboards, and the role of agriculture in both food production and the hunger safety net. Committee members asked about the $2.2 million state food assistance allocation, the scale of the SNAP gap, and how household size, housing costs, and other factors intersect with food insecurity.
The committee then heard from Tracy Roof of the University of Richmond on the history of SNAP and its relationship to agriculture. She traced the program from Depression-era commodity distribution through the modern farm bill, emphasizing that food assistance has long functioned both as anti-hunger policy and as an agricultural and economic stabilizer. She highlighted how SNAP expands during recessions, supports retailers and farmers, and has become more important since the Great Recession because participation stayed high even as the economy recovered. Roof also noted that Washington has relatively high SNAP participation and low payment error rates, but that recent federal changes could reduce eligibility and shift more costs to states. Members asked how Washington compares to other states and why the program is structured as it is.
A later panel featured the Washington State Food Policy Forum and a joint systems presentation from the Washington Farm Bureau, Washington Retail Association, and Washington Food Industry Association. The Food Policy Forum described its consensus-based recommendations on food insecurity, climate and water, regional food infrastructure, farmland protection, and farm viability, including more support for producer purchasing, water planning, and farmland conservation. The industry groups presented a systems map showing how agriculture, processing, retail, and transportation are interconnected, and argued that rising costs, regulations, labor and fuel expenses, retail theft, and thin margins make it harder to keep farms and stores viable. They said food security depends on store viability and local agricultural profitability, and promised to provide a more detailed list of policy recommendations.
The final panel included state agency staff from DSHS, DOH, and WSDA. Bryce Montgomery said the Basic Food program serves about 920,000 Washingtonians monthly and warned that H.R. 1 could require Washington to pay up to 15% of SNAP benefits, broaden work requirements, and restrict immigrant eligibility. Karen Mullen described DOH nutrition programs, including WIC, farmers market nutrition benefits, fruit and vegetable incentives, and a fruit-and-vegetable prescription program, while noting funding instability and the end of SNAP-Ed. WSDA’s Katie Raines began describing ongoing food assistance and farmer support challenges, including farmer mental health and the need to address food insecurity across both producers and consumers.
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Education Finance Feb 18th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Certainly, the headlines indicate the governor's budget is balanced, but it is unclear what we will see
- But what's happening under this deferral plan is that the state is indicating to the universities that
- An affordable, high-quality Cal State degree is a price to pay.
- Going forward, those decrease the quality and scope of our services, and that's what we have to be looking
- going into engineering and biotechnology, and I'd really hate to see future classes not get that quality
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- These are related to pollution levels and air quality.
- Hiring quality police officers and firefighters...
- We want quality.
- But we also put a priority on quality of life.
- But I also like the quality of life.
Bills:
SB9
Keywords:
property tax, ad valorem tax, voter-approval tax rate, no-new-revenue tax rate, tax rate calculation, Tax Code, local government finance, municipality, county, special taxing unit, sales and use tax, property tax cap, tax rollback, tax levy, maintenance and operations, debt rate, disaster relief rate, Texas Legislature, local taxing unit
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Local Government met to hear Senate Bill 9, which would lower the voter-approval tax rate for certain local taxing units from 3.5% to 2.5%. Sen. Bettencourt, the bill author, argued the change would continue the state’s property tax reforms begun in 2019, slow local levy growth, and give voters more say over larger tax increases. He and supporters cited data showing property tax levies have grown faster than population plus inflation, and said the bill would help protect taxpayers while preserving the state’s broader investments in school tax relief, water, rural law enforcement, and ambulance funding.
Supporters included the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the Texas Association of Business, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and the Texas Association of Manufacturers. They said the bill would improve transparency, encourage more disciplined budgeting, and create certainty for homeowners and businesses. They argued that lower tax-rate growth would help attract and retain employers and investment, and that voters would still be able to approve higher rates when needed.
Local officials and other opponents said the bill would constrain cities and counties facing rapid growth, inflation, infrastructure needs, and public safety costs. Testimony from county judges, city finance officials, firefighters, and urban county representatives emphasized pressures from jail operations, roads, water, EMS, police and fire staffing, and unfunded mandates. Several witnesses asked for carve-outs or exemptions for public safety and disaster-related costs, warning that a one-size-fits-all cap could force service cuts or shift costs elsewhere. The committee heard extensive questioning but no final vote or disposition on the bill was taken in the portion provided.
NH
New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session
Senate Energy and Natural Resources (03/10/2026)
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- I would certainly look at it as a situation of the quality of data even if it is less reliable.
- The rating agencies rate the bonds based on the quality of the bond.
- The rating agencies rate the bonds based on the quality of the bond.
- The rating agencies rate the bonds based on the quality of the bond.
- The rating agencies rate the bonds based on the quality of the bond.
MN
Transcript Highlights:
- We are delighted to provide such a high level of quality service to that community.
- We have 12 regional library system directors that are so dedicated and committed to providing quality
- Library services for their quality Library services for their communities<00:09:10.800>
um <00 - program have access to high quality program have access to high quality resources<01:12:37.800><
- These databases provide credible, high-quality sources that I wouldn't have access to otherwise.