Transcript Highlights:

• But here in California, we helped turn these highways into something more, somewhere out of the shadows
• But here in California, we helped turn these highways into something more, somewhere out of the shadows
• And this is a bill that also, in many ways, complements the housing bond that we've all voted to put
• And because I didn't have an opportunity to speak on the bond, I just want to thank all of those that
• The state of California is stepping up with this bond.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There is authorization for $3 billion in lease revenue bond authority related to funding for courthouse
• We have interchanges, we have roadways, we have dangerous highways out there that this $225 million can
• And also appreciate the anticipation of a housing bond.
• And also appreciate the anticipation of a housing bond.
• And also appreciate the anticipation of a housing bond.

Committee: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, going back for us, for example, to KETS, Kentucky Information Highway, it no longer exists for us
• Also, a few things in Department of Highways, a right-of-way system that is in need of modernization.
• Also, a few things in Department of Highways, a right-of-way system that is in need of modernization.
• system that of Highways, a right-of-way system that is<00:37:09.000><c> in</c><00:37:09.120><c> need
• </c> uh well, heck, by the time these bonds uh well, heck, by the time these bonds are<01:12:54.280><

Keywords: Meeting Start 00:00:00 Commonwealth Office of Technology 00:01:00 Department of Education 00:21:00 Transportation Cabinet 00:35:30 Secretary of State 00:45:15 Cabinet for Health and Family Services 00:56:11 Discussion of the Kentucky Communications Network Authority and Related legislation 01:09:11, 958, all

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and then focused first on the Commonwealth Office of Technology’s legacy systems and two specific projects. COT officials said many agencies have made progress moving off legacy applications, with remaining mainframe systems slated to be retired through RFPs or other work orders. They also described a legacy funding pool of $10 million per biennium used to help agencies transition. The two projects discussed were the Kentucky aerial photography and elevation data program, which provides statewide aerial imagery and lidar data for GIS, E911, environmental, transportation, and other uses, and a citizen identity and access management system intended to give residents a single login for state services. Officials said the GIS program costs about $1.2 million annually to host and maintain, with data acquisition costing several million more per year, and that the citizen identity system would cost about $2.5 million per year after an initial three-year COT investment. Members asked about duplication of funding, licensing, local government use, and whether multi-factor authentication would be required; COT said the GIS data is being acquired as statewide unlicensed data and that MFA would be available but not yet mandated statewide. Committee members pressed COT on costs, overlap with cabinet-level IT spending, and the practical benefits of the GIS and identity projects. COT explained that GIS hosting is generally covered through enterprise assessments billed quarterly to agencies, while the new aerial data is intended to benefit the whole state and local partners. On the identity project, officials said it would centralize authentication for citizens who use state systems, improve compliance with zero-trust and NIST-related security expectations, and reduce help desk and maintenance burdens through self-service account tools. Members also discussed whether the system would extend to local governments; COT said it would be a Kentucky.gov-style state login for users inside the state identity infrastructure, not a local-government system. The Department of Education then testified that it does not operate mainframes or major legacy systems, having moved long ago to cloud-based, off-the-shelf products and vendor-supported services. KDE officials described a strong emphasis on staff cybersecurity awareness, standardized statewide systems, vendor risk-sharing, and reducing sensitive data exposure, including efforts to move away from student Social Security numbers. They also highlighted a transition from Microsoft Active Directory to Identity Automation, which they said will improve identity management and make multi-factor authentication universal across K-12. In response to questions about Kentucky Wired and internet service, KDE said all 171 school districts and KDE agencies have been moved to a new next-generation internet service through ENA by Zayo, with strong satisfaction, e-rate savings, and better reliability. Officials warned that any internet disruption would immediately affect attendance, grades, student records, payroll, security systems, and communications across the K-12 system.

Transcript Highlights:

• Obviously, public requests of the governor how we could utilize our own reserves as well as our bonding
• So if you look at the next slide, one of the key projects that we're talking about is the border highway
• But you have a border highway connector that will reduce that time from over 20 to approximately eight
• Moreover, the improvement of the road at the junction of Escasas Grandes Highway to the international
• We want to strengthen the bond of this region where more than 2.5 million people live.

Transcript Highlights:

• They ask the state's attorney for a recommendation for bail or bond for the release, and then the defendant
• If you wanted to take a highway patrol, we're ready with a couple of others. Are you sure you're?
• No, let's give everybody a little time here to collect their thoughts, and we'll do Highway Patrol on
• If you wanted to take a highway patrol, we're ready with a couple of others. Are you sure you're?
• No, let's give everybody a little time here to collect their thoughts, and we'll do Highway Patrol on

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 2271, which would formally place adult residential facilities in code and rebase their Medicaid reimbursement rates. Sponsor Chairman Ruby and HHS staff explained that these facilities, often serving people with dementia or acquired brain injury, are reimbursed at a much lower rate than skilled nursing care and help reduce bottlenecks in higher-level facilities. Members questioned how the program differs from basic care and nursing facility memory care, and the bill was referred to the HR section for deeper review before possible action on Monday. The committee then took up Senate Bill 2396, as amended, which would authorize an independent third-party performance audit of the Department of Commerce and the North Dakota Development Fund, with findings shared with the state auditor. Sponsors said the proposal was prompted by concerns raised in testimony and that a private audit could begin faster than a state audit. The committee adopted an amendment adding an emergency clause and directing the report to the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, then passed the bill 20-0 with 3 absent. Next, Representative Clemine presented Senate Bills 2226, 2036, and 2037. SB 2226 would presume an incarcerated person indigent at initial appearance so counsel can be provided at that critical stage; the commission said the appropriation would fund contract attorney hours, and the bill was sent to HR for further review. SB 2036 would create procedures for determining juvenile fitness to proceed in delinquency cases, with a $500,000 appropriation for mental health evaluations, and SB 2037 would begin a juvenile criminal code framework and include a $300,000 appropriation for fitness-to-proceed evaluations; both were also referred to HR, with some concern raised about staffing and overlapping functions. After a short break, the committee heard education-related appropriations bills. SB 2234 would replace expired ESSER funding for Choice Ready grants, but members noted the program was not included in the K-12 budget and sent it to E&E for comparison with existing appropriations. SB 2286, a University of North Dakota request for a new nursing school facility, drew extensive discussion about the age and condition of the current building and the size and scope of the project; the committee ultimately adopted a do-not-pass motion 22-0. SB 2213, the “science of mathematics” bill modeled on the science of reading initiative, would fund math professional development and implementation; it was also referred to E&E for further review. The committee then briefly passed the Racing Commission budget, SB 2023, and began discussion of the Trust Lands budget, SB 2013, including a proposed retention increase for investment-related positions.

Transcript Highlights:

• of calculating an interest and sinking tax rate to include only the minimum amount required by the bond
• I was fixing to say it looks like some highway engineers. Right.
• I was fixing to say it looks like some highway engineers.
• But again, I'm not even sure who would petition from State Highway 130. ...petition requirements, but
• again I'm not even sure who would petition from State Highway 130 except Senator Gutierrez's Havilinas

Bills: SB32 , SB464 , SB996 , SB1163 , SB1173 , SB1277 , SB1452 , SB1453 , SB1548 , SB1882 , SB1883 , SB2016

Committee: Senate Local Government

Keywords: ad valorem taxation, tax exemption, franchise tax credit, income production, personal property, SB 464, school buffer zone, tobacco retailer, vape shop, e-cigarette, vaping, nicotine, tobacco products, retail permit, comptroller, Class A misdemeanor, school proximity, youth access, public school, private school

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee heard several bills by Senator Bettencourt focused on property tax and local government accountability. SB 32 would provide about $700 million in business tax relief by raising the business personal property exemption from $2,500 to $25,000 and continuing a 20% franchise tax credit for inventory taxes paid. Witnesses from NFIB, the Texas Retailers Association, and Texas Realtors supported the bill, saying business personal property and inventory taxes are burdensome and especially hard on small businesses. After no opposition testimony, SB 32 was left pending. The committee also heard SB 1453, which would change how interest and sinking tax rates are calculated by using only the minimum debt service required under bond schedules, while still allowing a higher rate with a 60% governing body vote and a public explanation. A witness from the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association supported the bill as a way to keep debt rates from rising as property values increase and to preserve tax relief. The bill was left pending after testimony. SB 1883 would tighten rules on local impact fees by requiring 60 days of public availability for capital improvement plans and land use assumptions, raising the approval threshold for adopting impact fees from a simple majority to two-thirds, limiting how often fees can be increased, and expanding notice requirements. Builders and developers testified in support, arguing that impact fees are often poorly reviewed, lack accountability, and are passed on to homebuyers, worsening housing affordability. Committee members discussed adding audit provisions and questioned the lack of city testimony. The bill was left pending with subcommittee action. SB 1452 would require a voter election to decide whether a municipal management district continues to exist, with dissolution if voters reject it; supporters said it would add accountability, while others noted some districts provide essential services and infrastructure. The committee heard testimony from district representatives and builders, then left SB 1452 pending before recessing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is March 3, 2026, and this is a meeting of the Senate and House Committees on Transportation, Highways
• And they produce a bond to you.
• So if they have any errors in a public bid, then the government could seek their bond to recover.
• They are licensed contractors and they produce a surety bond to ensure the workmanship of the project

Summary: The joint Senate and House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works committees met on March 3, 2026, and first considered several requests for approval to use the construction manager at risk (CMAR) method for local projects. The first item, Caddo Parish’s proposed $9.6 million pickleball park, drew extended questioning about whether the project was truly complex, whether CMAR would save money versus public bid, the project’s location and accessibility, and whether it fit the statute’s timing and risk criteria. The House initially voted to deny the request, while the Senate had moved to approve; after discussion about the statute and CMAR policy, the House motion was reconsidered and the Caddo project was ultimately approved. The committee then approved CMAR requests for an Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office indoor shooting range, a Calcasieu drainage district pump station rehabilitation/replacement project, St. Tammany Parish Hospital District No. 2’s Slidell Memorial emergency department expansion, St. Charles Parish Hospital’s entry registration/PACU renovation, and the Port of Vinton dock project in Calcasieu Parish. Testimony on the approved projects emphasized complexity, operational continuity, and schedule concerns. The Ascension Parish shooting range was described as involving bullet protection, ventilation and lead-control systems, and multiple training configurations; the drainage district project was presented as critical infrastructure serving much of Lake Charles and requiring staged construction to maintain flood protection; the hospital projects were justified by work inside operating facilities and the need to avoid disrupting patient care; and the Port of Vinton project was tied to an LED-related deadline and the need to keep port operations running during construction. Members generally supported these projects, with motions to approve made on both sides and no objections recorded. The meeting also featured a broader policy discussion about CMAR use. Several members, especially Representative Fontenot, questioned whether the committee had been too permissive in approving CMARs for projects that did not appear especially complex, and raised concerns about public bidding, taxpayer savings, and impacts on minority contractors. Senator Price said future legislation may tighten CMAR requirements, while Senator McMath and Senator Carter noted that the statute’s listed factors are not exhaustive and cautioned against abruptly changing practice for pending projects. The committee recessed after completing the CMAR agenda and planned to hear a DOTD presentation afterward.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today is March 3rd, ’26, and this is a meeting of the Senate and House Committees on Transportation, Highways
• And they produce a bond to you.
• So if they have any errors in a public bid, then the government could seek their bond to recover.
• They are licensed contractors, and they produce a surety bond to ensure the workmanship of the project

Keywords: 965, house, all

Summary: The joint Senate and House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works committees met on March 3, 2026, to consider several construction manager at risk (CMAR/Seymour) requests before hearing a DOTD presentation. The first item, Caddo Parish’s proposed $9.6 million pickleball park in Southeast Shreveport, drew the most debate. Members questioned whether a pickleball complex was sufficiently complex or time-sensitive to justify CMAR, whether the location was accessible to residents without cars, and whether the process could disadvantage public bidding and minority contractors. The House initially voted to deny the request, but later reconsidered and approved it after discussion about the statute and the committee’s past practice. The committee also heard a brief procedural discussion about whether the statutory factors for CMAR are exhaustive and whether future reforms may be considered in the next session. The committee then approved several other CMAR projects with little or no opposition. Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office received approval for an indoor shooting range, with testimony emphasizing specialized ventilation, lead control, bullet protection, and other technical requirements. Calcasieu Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2 received approval for a pump station rehab/replacement project serving a large portion of Lake Charles and critical public facilities, with members citing the need to maintain drainage operations during weather events. St. Tammany Parish Hospital District No. 2’s Slidell Memorial Hospital emergency department expansion was approved based on the complexity of adding beds and renovating an operating ED, and St. Charles Parish Hospital’s entry registration/PACU renovation was also approved, with members noting the hospital exception to the CMAR threshold. The Port of Vinton dock project in Calcasieu Parish was approved as well, with testimony stressing a tight delivery schedule tied to an LED project and the need to keep port operations running during construction. After the Caddo Parish item was reconsidered, the committee recessed briefly and then adjourned the CMAR portion of the meeting to move on to the DOTD presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• Up next, we'll hear **HB 271** by Representative Valdez, foreign and alien bail bond insurance.
• Thank you for hearing my **House Bill 271**, foreign and alien bail bond insurers.
• Insurers, Florida domestic insurers must report at least 6.5% of the Bond amount as premium, even though
• Barack Obama Highway. Our presidents are a reflection of us.

Committee: House Commerce Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• What is a municipal bond?
• Municipal bonds are a particular type of bond, and they are bonds issued by states, counties, municipalities
• maturity of the bonds.
• There are other types of bonds, such as private activity bonds, which are a very special kind of bond
• The NMFA does issue some affordable housing bonds. Bank qualified bonds are another.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• This proposal spends a net of almost $911 million in total funding, of which $400 million is from bonds
• The proposal relies on a total of $404.4 million in available bonds, which is composed of $355.6 million
• session and $48.9 million... ...almost $911 million in total funding, of which $400 million is from bonds
• The proposal relies on a total of $404.4 million in available bonds, which is composed of $355.6 million
• initiatives that put student health and safety first, regardless of a community's ability to pass bonds

Summary: The Capital Budget Committee held a hearing on Proposed Substitute House Bill 2295, the supplemental capital budget. Staff said the proposal totals nearly $911 million, including about $400 million in bonds and $511 million from other state and federal sources, with much of the increase over the governor’s proposal coming from Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding. Major spending areas include housing and homelessness, K-12 construction, human services facilities, and CCA-funded clean energy, decarbonization, and habitat restoration projects. The chair said the committee would not take amendments at the hearing and planned to vote out the budget on Thursday, with a technical fix striker expected. Testimony was largely supportive of the House proposal, with many witnesses asking the committee to preserve or increase specific items in final negotiations. Housing advocates urged support for the Housing Trust Fund, manufactured housing preservation, and projects such as Alliance Place, Cloverdale Cottages, Cherry Street Village, Somos, and the Thrive Center. Education and public facility witnesses backed investments in school seismic safety, small district modernization, Healthy Kids Healthy Schools, community college and university maintenance, and projects at Cascadia College, WSU, CWU, and UW. Health and human services testimony supported behavioral health, Tubman Center, HealthPoint, pregnant parenting treatment, and the Yakima Behavioral Health Hub. Natural resources, climate, and infrastructure witnesses praised funding for Flood Plains by Design, community forests, trust land transfer, salmon recovery, the Skokomish land purchase, and the Lower Columbia River dredging project. Several local governments and organizations requested additional support or Senate-level funding for specific projects, while Climate Solutions cautioned against using CCA dollars to backfill existing obligations. The committee heard no votes during the hearing, and the chair closed by saying the budget would be executed on Thursday.

Transcript Highlights:

• Many of the bond programs are continuing that were funded with previous bonds or General Fund, and it's
• Did the Legislature have things in mind when it put the bond together?
• So there is funding through the climate bond... control board.
• So there is funding through the climate bond.
• recreational vehicles at nine state off-highway vehicle parks.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy convened for its first hearing and heard an overview from the Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Natural Resources Agency. The LAO emphasized California’s strong current revenues but warned of a structural budget problem, projected out-year deficits, and the need for a high bar on new spending. It generally supported the administration’s Proposition 4 spending plan as reasonable and consistent with bond requirements, while urging legislative oversight and caution about using special funds and adding ongoing commitments. Secretary Wade Crowfoot responded with an overview of climate, wildfire, water, coastal, and conservation challenges and highlighted progress under the Newsom administration, including clean energy growth, wildfire resilience investments, land conservation, tribal co-management, and outdoor access initiatives. He also discussed federal staffing cuts affecting California’s response capacity and said the state has had to fill gaps in flood forecasting, land management, and park access. Members then questioned the secretary about the Delta conveyance tunnel and broader water reliability issues. Crowfoot said the project remains important, is being pursued as a beneficiary-pays project, and is moving through the State Water Resources Control Board’s permitting process, while also stressing that it is only one part of a broader water strategy that includes levee strengthening, subsidence, groundwater storage, recycling, and conservation. Senators also raised concerns about permitting delays, invasive species, and the impact of position cuts on agency capacity; Crowfoot said streamlining is needed but that staffing remains essential. The committee then moved to the Department of Parks and Recreation, where Director Armando Quintero described the state park system, tribal agreements, wildfire and deferred maintenance work, and outdoor access programs such as the State Library Park Pass and Adventure Pass. The LAO recommended rejecting the proposed ongoing $6.75 million General Fund transfer for the library park pass, arguing it did not meet the high bar for new ongoing spending, but several senators strongly supported the program as a low-cost way to expand access. Members also pressed Parks on reservation system problems and campsite no-shows. Department staff said they are updating website guidance, working with the reservation vendor, and implementing new no-show and reservation-modification rules effective July 1, including penalties for repeated no-shows and immediate reopening of vacant sites. The committee then heard a low-cost accommodations proposal, which Parks said would fund planning and construction at several sites using Proposition 68, reimbursements, and donations; the LAO said it had no concerns. Finally, the new director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Megan Hurdle, introduced herself and outlined the department’s mission, staffing, service-based budgeting, and Proposition 4 requests, including funding for salmon genetic tagging, hatchery repairs, and public access improvements. She said the department is focused on biodiversity, permitting streamlining, law enforcement, and human-wildlife conflict prevention, and noted that the agency is still updating its service-based budgeting analysis to identify gaps and priorities.

Transcript Highlights:

• It would require a licensee who is a lawsuit financer to maintain a surety bond.
• AB 782 removes burdensome and costly double bonding requirements imposed by some local governments on
• Public improvement projects are required to be bonded by local government.
• However, private improvements are typically bonded through the California Department of Real Estate.
• Maintaining the parent-child bond during incarceration benefits both child and parent.

Summary: The Assembly met on May 23, 2025, established a quorum after a roll call, and proceeded through a long House of Origin floor session with prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and routine parliamentary actions. Early in the day, a motion by Assembly Member Gallagher to suspend the rules and take up AB 12 immediately failed on a 18-39 vote. The chamber then moved through the daily file, with many measures passing by wide margins, often with bipartisan support and little or no opposition. Among the notable bills discussed were measures on law enforcement oversight and records access (AB 847), CalFresh data-sharing exemptions (AB 593), campus-area housing for students and staff (AB 893), insurance and wildfire hardening updates (AB 1), missing middle housing code changes (AB 6), tribal peace officer status in a pilot program (AB 31), utility bill analysis before new mandates (AB 61), fairgrounds funding (AB 258), Diwali as a state holiday (AB 268), labor and worker organizing rights (AB 288), algorithmic price-fixing and antitrust enforcement (AB 325), elections and jail voter information (AB 331), protections for judges and court personnel (AB 343 and AB 352), school construction procurement (AB 361), school-zone speed limits (AB 382), transit worker protections (AB 394), blue carbon coastal mitigation (AB 399), K-9 standards for law enforcement (AB 400), livestock carcass composting (AB 411), translation of housing materials (AB 413), immigrant educational rights notices (AB 419), gun violence restraining order implementation (AB 451), special education and child care measures (AB 560 and AB 563), cannabis tax relief (AB 564), and disability access protections for businesses (AB 649). Several bills addressed housing, energy, public health, and public safety, and many authors emphasized affordability, transparency, and administrative efficiency. The session also included several ceremonial or recognition items, including ACR 73 declaring Italian American Heritage Month, which was adopted by voice vote after 65 coauthors were added. Most measures were approved overwhelmingly, though a few drew some dissent, including AB 421? no—AB 399 passed 42-30, AB 450 passed 49-6, AB 461 passed 49-8, and AB 621 passed 58-0. The transcript ends partway through AB 772, which was introduced as an educational equity bill addressing cyberbullying after school hours, but the remainder of that item is not included in the provided text.

Transcript Highlights:

• As I took 18 different notes on different things that could be improved with the highway and the traffic
• safety up there,... ...notes on different things that could be improved with the highway and the traffic
• So 1140 and 44 last year put in place provisions that highway improvements to existing or new bicycle
• pay a tax at the gas station, and that goes into servicing the highways as well?
• ...taxed at the gas station, and that goes into servicing the highways as well. Am I wrong on that?

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 989, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Specific to this issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study on drinking
• over again in February by Rosenberg police who suspected he was out of compliance with court-ordered bond
• instrumental tool that Representative Leo Wilson is proposing to strengthen state laws, including, um, Bond
• Bond because bond is generally, in most counties, if there is an alcohol-type offense, there is an interlocked
• Uh, Once he was released from bonded from jail, he picked up another DWI.

Committee: House Corrections

Transcript Highlights:

• Strengthen the bonds of respect and community.
• HB 3726 by Perez of Harris relates to the offense of passing certain vehicles on the highway for the
• HB 3812 by Bond relates to the health benefit plan pre-authorization requirements for certain healthcare
• HB 3835 by Curry relates to the vote required to approve the issuance of general obligation bonds by
• proposes a constitutional amendment increasing the threshold of voter approval for a school district bond

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• discuss further when presenting the conforming bill, the Legislature has approved $50 million in bonding
• In bonding to build a 600-bed prison hospital.
• The budget for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides $7.1 million for the replacement
• of pursuit vehicles and the Highway Patrol.
• the fixed capital A and have a recurring fund for bonding a new 600-bed hospital and $56 million of

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And lastly, we passed a bond. proposition for 20 million dollars This bond is known as prop a it's to
• 39 and barricades the highway.
• And he went up 1132 Highway 39.
• But that bond passed like by 66%.
• Unpassable highway into in and out of our county all of our major highways were underwater and bridges

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Terry McHale with the California Association of Highway Patrol in support.
• David Bond with Everytown for Gun Safety, here in support.
• David Bond with Everytown for Gun Safety, here in support.
• David Bond with Everytown for Gun Safety here in support.
• David Bond with Everytown for Gun Safety here in support.

Committee: House Public Safety

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the 1950s, we had people that believed that we just didn't need interstate highways and freeways.
• Verizon initiated plans to erect another tower along Highway 49 in a commercial district.
• And if it's not sycophantic and if it doesn't emotionally bond to you, well, how is it interesting if
• And if it's not sycophantic and if it doesn't emotionally bond to you, well, how is it interesting if
• And if it's not sycophantic and if it doesn't emotionally bond to you, well, how is it interesting if

Committee: Joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee

Keywords: 908, all