Transcript Highlights:

• There's been a lot of talk this year about fraud, waste, and abuse.
• There's been a lot of talk this year about fraud, waste, fraud, and abuse.
• And so billions of dollars, again, in this budget, will be wasted.
• growth in recent years, those revenues alone have not insulated us from growing fiscal pressures and reductions
• It simply says take a $2.5 billion reduction, which is less than 20% of the subsidy you're giving to

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum after a roll call, observed a moment of silence for the fatal B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base, and proceeded with routine procedural business, including re-referrals of numerous Senate bills to different committees and several rule suspensions to allow bills to be heard or moved. Assembly Member DeMaio attempted to amend and then return AB 109 to the Senate to add health care premium reductions, but the motions were ruled out of order and his request to suspend the rules failed on a 13-45 vote. The main floor action was on AB 109, the 2026-27 state budget. Assembly Member Gabriel presented the budget as balancing fiscal responsibility with protections for health care, schools, housing, wildfire prevention, and the safety net, while opponents argued it raised costs, underfunded education and public safety, and relied on gimmicks. Supporters emphasized investments in hospitals, Medi-Cal, IHSS, child care, food banks, housing, and reserves, and repeatedly defended the budget’s approach to Proposition 36 funding and prison closures. After extensive debate, the Assembly voted to concur in the Senate amendments to AB 109, and the bill was immediately transmitted to the Governor. Later, the Assembly took up SCR 89 on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Members from several caucuses spoke in support, arguing DEI is central to equal opportunity, civil rights, and California’s identity, and warning against federal efforts to roll back such programs. Assembly Member DeMaio spoke in opposition, saying DEI treats people differently based on immutable characteristics. The transcript ends during that debate, with the resolution still under consideration.

Transcript Highlights:

• There's been a lot of talk this year about fraud, waste, and abuse.
• There's been a lot of talk this year about fraud, waste, fraud, and abuse.
• So billions of dollars in this budget will be wasted.
• growth in recent years, those revenues alone have not insulated us from growing fiscal pressures and reductions
• It simply says take a $2.5 billion reduction, which is less than 20% of the subsidy you're giving to

Summary: The Assembly convened, initially lacked a quorum, and then completed the roll call, prayer, and pledge. Members observed a moment of silence for the fatal B-52 crash at Edwards Air Force Base in Assemblymember Lackey’s district. The body then handled a series of procedural motions, including re-referrals of numerous Senate bills to different committees, suspending rules for committee notices, and taking up the budget bill, AB 109, without reference to file for concurrence in Senate amendments. Debate on AB 109, the 2026 budget act, centered on competing views of the state’s fiscal condition and policy priorities. Supporters said the budget balances the current and next year’s budget, reduces the structural deficit, builds reserves, protects health care, schools, housing, food assistance, and other safety-net programs, and responds to federal cuts under H.R. 1. Opponents argued the budget increases taxes and costs, shortchanges schools, underfunds Proposition 36, relies on gimmicks, and does not adequately address public safety, cost of living, or long-term sustainability. Several members also highlighted specific provisions such as hospital support, Medi-Cal and IHSS protections, child care, immigrant legal services, prison closure, and funding for courts and victim services. A motion by Assemblymember DeMaio to return AB 109 to the Senate failed on a roll call vote, 13 ayes to 45 noes. The Assembly then voted on concurrence in the Senate amendments to AB 109; the measure passed, and the Senate amendments were concurred in without objection, with immediate transmittal to the Governor. Afterward, the Assembly moved to the daily file and took up SCR 89, a resolution affirming diversity, equity, and inclusion. Supporters from several caucuses framed DEI as a core California value and a response to federal attacks, while opponents criticized DEI as divisive. The transcript ends during debate on SCR 89, before any final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Not only does it save money by eliminating the middleman, but the reduction in complexity helps make
• <00:05:32.240> in the middleman, but the reduction in the middleman, but the reduction in
• state and federal money, 14% reduction state and federal money, 14% reduction is<00:38:02.000>
• So if they have more wasted money or if they have anything else, we have to pay the costs.
• So if they have more wasted money or if they have anything else, we have to pay the costs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For my entire time in public service, I've worked on many bipartisan efforts to cut waste, fraud, and
• And third, let's be aggressive in modernizing our tools to reduce fraud, waste. and abuse.
• On the subject of waste, fraud, and abuse.
• So I am all about addressing waste, abuse, and fraud.
• You know, I am happy to work with Republicans to go after waste, fraud, and abuse.

Keywords: Michael Falkender, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, IRS, taxpayer privacy, nomination process, committee hearing

Summary: The committee convened to discuss critical issues surrounding the nomination of Michael Falkender for the position of Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. This meeting included a series of remarks from committee members who expressed divergent views on Falkender's qualifications and the implications of his appointment. Senator Wyden voiced strong opposition, arguing that Falkender represents harmful policies expected to be perpetuated under the current administration, especially concerning taxpayer privacy and IRS tactics. Meanwhile, other members defended Falkender, noting his extensive experience, including a commitment to transparency in government operations if confirmed.

Transcript Highlights:

• With this in mind, I want our subcommittee to have a discussion this afternoon on reduction issues as
• I want you to submit real reductions that can potentially be taken.
• These reductions can include vacancy cuts, reductions based on reversions, and reductions achieved through
• We will not only be looking at reductions this session.
• Thank you. and then dive into the budget reductions.

Summary: The subcommittee met to review agency vacancy reports and agency-requested budget reductions, with Chair Lopez framing the discussion around stewardship of taxpayer dollars, agency efficiency, and whether long-vacant positions should be cut or repurposed. Members were given vacancy summaries and asked to focus on how agencies are functioning with current staffing, which positions are mission critical, and whether some vacancies reflect market pay issues, re-engineering of work, or true excess capacity. The chair also noted that agency heads had been asked to provide follow-up information on current openings, average vacancy duration, mission-critical roles, and reasons for vacancies. The Department of Revenue was the first major agency reviewed because it had the largest number of vacancies. Its leadership said vacancies had improved from pandemic-era highs due to market pay adjustments, but that some areas—especially general tax and audit—still had long-term openings. The department explained that some positions are intentionally frozen while work is restructured, that it hires above minimum salary in some cases to stay competitive, and that it is using automation and process changes to reduce backlogs. Members raised concerns about vacancies outside Leon County, out-of-state auditor positions, salary compression, and whether the department should provide a list of frozen positions and the salaries actually needed to recruit. The Department of Financial Services said its long vacancies were concentrated in risk management, law enforcement, and the general counsel’s office, where salaries and competition from private employers and other agencies make hiring difficult. DFS said it was using outside vendors in some areas, had reduced vacancies in its general counsel office significantly, and was willing to identify positions that could be cut, including some from treasury and OAT. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation reported progress in lowering vacancies through statewide recruiting, centralized legal hiring, automation in service operations, and leadership changes in alcoholic beverages and tobacco; it said one recommended cut could be achieved by combining two half-time positions. The Florida Lottery reported a low vacancy rate, said all positions were critical, and explained its longer onboarding time due to extensive background checks; members discussed sales reps, incentives, and the agency’s field-office structure. The Office of Financial Regulation said many of its vacancies were already in the hiring pipeline, with recent vacancies tied to promotions, a death, and internal moves, and noted that it often serves as a training ground for federal agencies. The Office of Insurance Regulation, which had a high vacancy rate concentrated in Leon County, said it had been reducing vacancies from a much higher level and was still working through hiring and administrative constraints.

Transcript Highlights:

• And so that's an estimated 60% reduction in standards.
• And so that's an estimated 60% reduction in standards.
• 10.200> plan,<01:03:10.480> we our assessment reduction plan, we our assessment reduction
• > that's<02:28:14.560> been A significant reduction and that's been A significant reduction
• Write it out specifically. 65% reduction. 1,000 2,000 to 1,000, 65% reduction. 1,000 2,000 to 1,000,

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So we have shown, pardon my voice, we have shown, I think, a 79% reduction in homelessness in these people
• , 70% reduction in time spent in hospitals, 58% reduction in ER visits, and a 61% reduction in, 58% reduction
• We are here seeking review of the Pollution Control and Ecology Commission rules regarding solid waste

Summary: The committee first approved a motion, then heard a lengthy presentation on homelessness policy and behavioral health. Testimony focused on the view that Arkansas should shift toward more data-driven, outcomes-based responses to homelessness, including stronger treatment options for serious mental illness and substance use disorder, better data collection, provider accountability, and possible statewide use of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) model. Speakers from Fort Smith, Restore Hope, Our House, and Western Arkansas Counseling described local work, the need for better coordination across providers, and the role of crisis services, ACT teams, and employment support. Members asked about sex offender tracking, the difference between sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, how to scale successful programs statewide, and whether Arkansas could apply for a statewide Continuum of Care or CCBHC planning grant. The discussion also touched on camping bans, civil commitment, and federal funding changes, with several speakers urging the state to pursue the CCBHC planning grant and more transparent reporting systems. After the homelessness discussion, the committee moved through a series of Department of Energy and Board of Nursing rule reviews. DEQ proposed updating the post-closure cleanup threshold for solid waste matters from $50,000 to $2 million to match Act 791 of 2025, and members asked about financial assurance and oversight; the rule was reviewed without objection. The Board of Nursing then presented multiple rule changes tied to recent acts, including adding fees for dialysis patient care technician registration, expanding contact-information requirements, implementing APRN delegation authority to unlicensed workers, clarifying APRN authority for death certificates and durable medical equipment prescriptions, updating certified medication assistant training and insulin-injection authority, and conforming independent-practice rules for clinical nurse specialists. Each rule was reviewed without objection. Near the end of the meeting, Senator Irvin announced that UAMS had completed its NCI designation submission for the Winthrop Rockefeller Cancer Institute, calling it an important milestone for the state. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Finally, waste our community for the state, any governmental entities for primitive discrimination in
• House Bill 1217 bars governmental entities from adopting policies on greenhouse gases or carbon reduction
• This bill would remove the ability of local governments to implement greenhouse gas reduction policies
• This bill would take away from local governments the ability to create climate or emission-reduction
• Chair, Representative, what was the reasoning for the reduction of the quorum?

Transcript Highlights:

• Others will get there, but we'll take more years to get there at 10% and a reduction.
• So again, now impact to Florida on this section 7, 1, 1, 0, 6, payment reduction related to certain road
• that that but Florida's required to implement say, directed payment piece on the cuts that it is a reduction
• what plans have been formulated to to develop and depending on how how to approach the potential reductions
• And we end up wasting a lot of money and sometimes patients lives because they're starting off in the

Transcript Highlights:

• The difference between fraud versus waste and abuse is intent.
• I know for us, on an annualized basis, when we look. ...fraud, waste, and abuse.
• And so, on the third piece, waste is not illegal. ...maybe not unethical, just wasteful.
• As a committee, we're tasked with finding efficiencies, fraud, waste, and abuse.
• Reduction in NICU rates.

Bills: HB149, HB252, HB643, HB1442, HB1500, HB1672, HB1851, HB1893, HB2028, HB2768, HB2818, HB149, HB252

Keywords: artificial intelligence, regulation, biometric data, ethical AI, consumer protection, AI governance, employment compensation, state agencies, salary payments, general appropriations, government efficiency, public works, contractors, payment bonds, government contracts, construction law, transparency, open meetings, government accountability, public access

Transcript Highlights:

• H1 recommends $56 million for the executive office, which is a $9.7 million reduction below the FY25
• The reduction is driven by administrative and staffing reductions and reductions to grant programs, including
• I'm not going to waste, you know, $2,500 on a lawyer. I'm imagining that that's a big part of this.
• Replacing staff is time-consuming and productivity-wasting. So help us retain our great staff.
• Replacing staff is time consuming and productivity wasting. So help us retain our great staff.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was held in Clinton Town Hall as part of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ budget review, with local officials welcoming legislators and noting the long agenda of many panels. The main presentation was from Secretary Terrence Reedy of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, who outlined the Healey-Driscoll administration’s FY26 proposal for the secretariat, including a $1.7 billion budget and a 7% increase over FY25. He described investments in emergency preparedness, hate-crime prevention, reentry programming, technology modernization, internships, and public safety training, while also noting some reductions driven by resource constraints, including cuts to certain grant programs and administrative costs. Committee members also raised concerns about federal uncertainty and how it could affect state budgets and public safety planning. A major portion of the questioning focused on the Department of Correction. Secretary Reedy and Commissioner Sean Jenkins said the biggest challenges are staffing, officer wellness, facility safety, and contraband—especially K2. They described steps taken at MCI Souza and other facilities, including reducing population at the maximum-security unit, changing management, removing metal products and free weights, improving screening and roll calls, adding a rapid response team, and increasing investigative and technological efforts to combat K2. They also discussed the closure of MCI Concord, saying it was driven by high maintenance costs and staffing needs, and explained that savings are being used to improve staffing patterns and address deferred maintenance over time rather than producing immediate large budget reductions. Members also questioned the budget’s impact on police training and community policing. The administration defended the increase in police academy tuition from $3,200 to $6,000 as reflecting true training costs and said it would still be subsidized by the state, while acknowledging the burden on small municipalities. They said the MPTC is expanding regional training and considering proposals such as Greenfield Community College’s. On community policing, officials emphasized uniform statewide training, de-escalation, and communication skills. The State Police also announced an outside review of the academy by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and said the next class will be split into two smaller groups to improve oversight and allow quicker implementation of recommendations. Other topics included ICE and federal immigration enforcement, with Reedy saying state law prohibits Massachusetts law enforcement from acting in a civil immigration capacity and that no state dollars were used in the Tufts-related ICE operation mentioned by a member. Senators and representatives also raised the upcoming FIFA World Cup, warning that it will require significant public safety resources and likely federal funding. Additional discussion covered restorative justice and juvenile diversion, health care costs in DOC, electronic health records, and the need for more diverse and culturally competent public safety staffing. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• He said the Opportunity Housing Ordinance has been successful, especially in parking stall reduction
• That's one of the stall reduction. That's one of the things<00:12:10.639> here.
• ,<00:12:54.959> with<00:12:55.519> um doing with parking reductions, with um doing
• Today, you can do something about wasting fewer resources.
• <00:30:35.919> fewer can do something about wasting fewer can do something about wasting fewer

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There have to be waste hauler permits that are required to understand if this is a legitimate waste hauler
• You've got the waste hauler reports. You've got production reports. Criminal case.
• You've got the waste hauler reports. You've got production reports.
• They offer meaningful, durable emission reduction opportunities.
• It's not hydrogen as a fuel; you take in hydrogen to take waste oil, fat, or grease, and convert that

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Corporations have extracted wealth from our lands, left behind toxic wastes, and walked away, leaving
• So it's probably industrial waste primarily. Mr.
• That carbon capture and storage is an absolutely necessary strategy to meet emission reduction goals
• This is a waste of time.
• natural gas, and the processor will strip out Everything that they can sell, and what's left over is the waste

Transcript Highlights:

• And so basically, however this plays out, we're looking at reductions in our general fund budget from
• And so basically, however this plays out, we're looking at reductions in our general fund budget from
• And those red bars show the reductions in services that are going to have to occur.
• And we've been working with our solid waste authority.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As part of the 8% planned reduction, Elon Musk has taken a chainsaw to DOD's probationary workforce.
• The law makes very clear that the Secretary must make sure that reductions do not jeopardize our national
• civilian workforce quote unless the Secretary conducts an appropriate analysis of the impacts of such reductions
• the same risk-based surveys that the VA is already statutorily required to use to monitor fraud and waste

Keywords: NDAA, military recruitment, personnel readiness, testimony, military leaders

Summary: The committee meeting focused on pressing issues related to the U.S. military's recruitment and personnel strategies, especially in light of the upcoming NDAA for fiscal year 2026. Chairperson expressed appreciation for the service of witnesses including senior military leaders from different branches, emphasizing the importance of personnel as the backbone of national defense. Discussions revealed concerns regarding the recent lowering of recruitment standards across military branches, which could potentially affect the quality of service members and long-term military readiness. Witnesses were asked to address the implications of these changes on military health and efficiency.

Transcript Highlights:

• proposes a one-time $166 million total transfer from the Air Pollution Control Fund and Greenhouse Gas Reduction
• specifically $32 million for a clean energy program that then frees up $32 million in greenhouse gas reduction
• Second, this also relies on $81 million in the greenhouse gas reduction fund.
• here where things really get messed up if we don't come up with the funding. that just in terms of wasted

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• One is a reduction of general funds, $23 million in change, but that reduction is allowed to be across
• And currently there are six positions that were unfunded in this budget, and you'll see that reduction
• Our Program Integrity unit works with our MCOs to analyze claims for potential fraud, waste, and abuse
• or abuse over would refer to as waste or abuse over payments<01:51:41.719> and<01:51:42.280><
• <04:16:15.040> that doll back of the budget reduction that doll back of the budget reduction

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Summary: House Finance Division III convened a work session on the DHHS budget, with the chair noting there would be no votes and that the committee would spend the day hearing from the commissioner’s office. Nathan White, DHHS Chief Financial Officer, opened with the Division of Finance/Office of Business Operations, explaining that the unit supports the department through daily financial management, AP/AR, audit work, expense projections, transfers, and procurement functions such as contracts, amendments, RFPs/RFAs, and grants management. He also described the division’s revenue and reporting work, including federal draws, CMS-64 reporting, and the public assistance cost allocation plan, and said the department had centralized rate-setting work and a small team handling Medicaid rate analysis and nursing facility rebase work. Members asked about vacancies, turnover, and budget changes. White said the division had 18 positions unfunded in the governor’s budget, reducing personal services from about $10.8 million to $9.9 million, and estimated the division’s vacancy rate at about 11 percent, below the department average. He said turnover was relatively low, with one retirement at the manager level and higher turnover mainly at lower AP-level positions. He also explained that some budget lines reflected reallocations rather than new spending, including fringe benefits centralized elsewhere and an EBT card contract moved into this unit because the staff member overseeing it works in Finance. When asked about a rent/lease increase, he said it was due to higher copier leasing costs under a statewide DAS contract. White highlighted several management and technology improvements. He said a business intelligence tool procured in 2022, using Salesforce and Excel-based data, helped DHHS better track federal revenue and maintenance-of-effort spending, reducing FY24 General Fund lapse by about 70 percent and federal/other revenue lapse by 88 percent compared with FY23; he warned that the tool is not funded in the current budget. He also described Lean Six Sigma efforts in the contracts team, training for vendors and nonprofits on procurement and indirect cost rules, and a Finance Academy to standardize policies and procedures. On the contracts side, he said the department uses Smartsheet for project management and DocuSign for electronic signatures, which cut contract execution time dramatically, but noted DocuSign is also not funded in the governor’s budget. The session ended as the committee prepared to move on to the Employee Assistance Program presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• We discussed risk reduction and security, which I think is very important.
• In regards to the IV&V process, I am a strong believer that it's a waste of time and a waste of money
• It's a waste of money.
• Overwhelmingly, we are wasting money on software that doesn't do things that people need.
• for and with the people using your products, you are designing for imaginary people, and that is a waste

Transcript Highlights:

• comply with all applicable state and federal commercial motor vehicle requirements, including the CHB's waste
• Have you seen a reduction in any of the data of incidents involving emergency vehicles since the passage
• And that is a lot of man-hours wasted.
• Have you seen an actual reduction?
• Testing more extensively in other states, have you seen an actual reduction in the data similar to what

Keywords: 988, house, all

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee heard testimony on the DMV’s finalized autonomous vehicle regulations, with a focus on how the rules update California’s oversight of testing, deployment, reporting, and enforcement. DMV and CHP officials said the new framework expands data collection beyond crashes to include immobilizations, hard-braking events, system failures, and notices of noncompliance, while also creating clearer requirements for first responder interaction, remote operations, and heavy-duty AV testing and deployment. Members raised concerns about safety, emergency response delays, freeway and work-zone operations, and whether the state has enough data to compare AVs with human drivers. Witnesses from consumer and labor-related groups emphasized transparency and accountability, arguing that the prior rules were outdated and that public access to the collected data is important for regulators, researchers, and injured parties. Industry representatives said California now has the nation’s most comprehensive AV permitting and reporting system, with phased permits, mileage thresholds, and broad DMV authority to restrict or suspend operations. They supported the regulations as a path to safer, more transparent deployment, while noting that the rules stay within state operational authority and do not replace federal standards for vehicle design and performance. A second panel focused on first responder interactions and remote operations. The San Francisco Fire Department described AVs blocking emergency scenes and generating “sleeper calls” when passengers fall asleep, consuming significant fire and EMS resources. Waymo said it maintains 24/7 emergency contacts, first responder plans, geofencing protocols, and remote support that can help move vehicles or allow first responders to override them. Members asked about license requirements for remote personnel, redundancy during communication outages, and how companies handle sleeping passengers before calling 911. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational.