Transcript Highlights:

• However, a lot of folks who are autistic have very different functional and support needs than those
• You're functionally a criminal.
• <04:26:34.159> I lifetime of reduced sexual function I lifetime of reduced sexual function
• Even more importantly, the foreskin serves an important function in male sexuality.
• Even more importantly, the foreskin serves an important function in male sexuality.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• we're... ...three, but some of this that we're trying to discuss is related to getting to actual functional
• And so, that's where I think some of these tie together as tying salaries to a functional rate versus
• And so, that's where I think some of these tie together as tying salaries to a functional rate versus
• And so, that's where I think some of these tie together as tying salaries to a functional rate versus
• And so, functionally, when you have...

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of the census, not a function of my opinion.
• of the census, not a function of my opinion.
• of the census, not a function of my opinion.
• That is not how a representative democracy is meant to function. Thank you.
• That is not how a representative democracy is meant to function.

Summary: The Senate convened in special session and took up Senate Bill 8D, later substituted with House Bill 1D, both establishing Florida’s congressional districts. The sponsor, Senator Gates, explained that the Governor had transmitted a proposed redistricting plan on short notice and argued that mid-decade congressional redistricting is legally permissible, citing population growth and the Governor’s view that race-based provisions in the Fair Districts Amendment are unconstitutional. He repeatedly said the Legislature was not being asked to prove the Governor’s legal theory, only to consider the proposal, and noted that no amendments were offered. A lengthy question-and-answer period followed, with senators raising concerns about the rushed process, lack of statewide public hearings, and the map’s effects on minority communities, compactness, communities of interest, and partisan fairness. Senators questioned whether the map cracked Latino and Black communities, whether partisan data was used, whether the Governor’s office had outside consultants, and whether the plan complied with the Florida Constitution, the Fair Districts Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act. Gates generally deferred on legal conclusions, said the Governor’s representatives had testified the map was race-neutral and used political data only as one factor, and emphasized that any constitutional challenge would be for the courts. After a motion to temporarily postpone failed by a recorded vote of 12 yeas to 23 nays, the Senate continued debate. Senators Rouson, Bernard, and others spoke in opposition, arguing the proposal was rushed, partisan, and harmful to communities of interest and minority voting power. Gates maintained that the Governor had a constitutional prerogative to propose the map and that the Legislature could accept, reject, or amend it. The House companion bill was then substituted for the Senate bill, read a third time, and the chamber moved into final debate on the congressional redistricting plan.

Transcript Highlights:

• He talked about the quadratic equation, about how challenging it is to address all of the functions that
• Um, and uh we should treat housing similar as a function so vital to our state's future and strength,
• new dedicated source like this and asking Minnesotans if they support it um is critical to this function
• is critical to this function. is critical to this function.
• Right now, rent functions like a tax on the most vulnerable Minnesotans.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee heard House File 3279, the “Our Future Starts at Home” constitutional amendment, which would ask voters to approve a 3/8 of 1% statewide sales tax increase to create a dedicated housing revenue stream. Chair Howard said the proposal is intended to address Minnesota’s housing shortage through predictable, long-term funding, estimated at about $400 million annually for 25 years, and would be administered through a council that would fund housing vouchers, rental and supportive housing, and affordable homeownership. Supportive testimony came from coalition and nonprofit advocates, including Nelima Sitati Munene, Ben Helvick Anderson, Dakota Morgan, and Chris Berggren. They argued that Minnesota’s housing crisis requires permanent, sustained investment rather than one-time grants, and said the amendment could produce thousands of vouchers, supportive housing units, rental units, and starter homes over time. Testifiers also emphasized the need for community voice and lived-experience representation in how funds are distributed, and described the bill as a way to prevent homelessness and stabilize families statewide. Several members raised concerns that the proposal would add another regressive tax burden on residents already struggling with affordability. Representatives Johnson, Nash, Dotseth, and Myers argued that sales taxes hit lower-income Minnesotans hardest and said the state should focus more on zoning, regulatory reform, and other cost reductions instead of new taxes. Chair Howard responded that housing costs themselves are already highly regressive and that both policy reform and public investment are needed. The bill was laid over and no vote was taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• A core function of the county office structure in California is to coach districts on equity, especially
• Of the adults in the room, we would really structure, we would create that function in a way that will
• Second, SB 48 duplicates functions that already exist within several state departments and their existing
• Human relations, as one of their functions within Government Operations, there are trained professionals
• Patel that, you know, one of the biggest functions of the United States Department of Education, Office

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee held an informational hearing on AB 715, followed by discussion of SB 48. AB 715 was presented by Assembly Members Zbur and Addis as a response to rising anti-Semitism in California schools. They described incidents involving harassment, swastikas, biased classroom materials, and students feeling unsafe, and said the bill would create an Office of Civil Rights with coordinators to address anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination, provide prevention resources, and support school districts. Witnesses in support, including a rabbi and a student who described personal experiences with anti-Semitic harassment, urged immediate action to protect Jewish students. Opposition testimony came from the California Teachers Association, county superintendents, school board groups, labor organizations, civil liberties advocates, ethnic studies educators, and many community members. Their main concerns were that the bill was rushed, had not been fully vetted in the Assembly Education Committee, and could chill classroom speech or create constitutional problems, especially around language requiring instruction and materials to be “factually accurate” and not based on advocacy, bias, or partisanship. Several opponents argued that anti-Semitism should be addressed through education, training, and restorative practices rather than new statutory restrictions. Some witnesses also raised concerns about the bill’s impact on ethnic studies and free speech. Committee members then debated the bill’s process and substance at length. The authors said the bill had been narrowed through negotiations with education stakeholders and the Senate, that some disputed provisions would be revisited in cleanup language, and that the urgency of anti-Semitic incidents required action now. Several members expressed support for the bill’s goal but criticized the late release of the final language and the lack of consultation with the Assembly committee. Others emphasized the need to protect Jewish students immediately and argued the bill was a necessary response to a real crisis. The transcript does not show a final vote on AB 715 in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• , even if they drop below 50.1 percent, because they continue to function in that way.
• as they were prescribed to function.
• to function, and they would be without any type of coalition with another minority group, right?
• That is not how a democracy is supposed to function.
• Is the function of government to squash the life out of its citizens?

Summary: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first regional hearing, focused on South and Central Texas, including Bexar County, Travis County, and the Rio Grande Valley. After establishing a quorum, the committee adopted its rules on a 6-3 roll-call vote, with Senators Alvarado and Miles voting no. Chair Phil King explained the regional-hearing format, the use of 2020 census data, the online testimony process, and the availability of written comments and future hearings. Several members then gave opening remarks, with Republicans emphasizing public input and Democrats arguing the special session and mid-decade redistricting were unnecessary and aimed at minority districts. A major procedural issue arose over whether the committee should invite or subpoena the DOJ attorney who authored the July 7 letter that prompted the redistricting discussion. Senator Miles moved to subpoena the attorney; the motion was seconded but then set aside after the chair said the committee could not take formal action on a non-procedural matter during a regional hearing under the adopted rules. The chair said he would consult legal counsel about issuing an invitation, and members discussed the August 7 deadline referenced in the DOJ letter. The committee then moved on to public testimony. Witnesses, including Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, law professor Ellen Katz, and Texas NAACP president Gary Bledsoe, argued that the DOJ letter misread the law and that the targeted districts were lawful opportunity or coalition districts. They said the Fifth Circuit’s Pettway decision was limited to Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and did not declare coalition districts unconstitutional, and they cited Bartlett v. Strickland as warning against intentionally dismantling effective minority districts. Garcia and Bledsoe said the hearing was politically motivated and would harm Black and Latino representation; Katz said Texas would act illegally if it followed the DOJ letter’s instructions. Members asked questions about the legal status of coalition districts, the 2021 map-drawing process, and the difference between opportunity, coalition, and crossover districts. The hearing continued with additional public witnesses, including labor representative Emily Amps, who said workers and communities of color were being harmed by the proposed redistricting effort.

Transcript Highlights:

• Homelessness has been declared as near functional zero.
• He cannot function. Cannot function.
• He cannot function without that nerve ablation. Members, that is painful.
• Accreditation is that functional legal mechanism to do that.
• Last year they became functional. They became certified.

Transcript Highlights:

• So subdivision 4, starting on line 2.9, fulfills all of those functions and provides the response to
• So subdivision 4, starting on line 2.9, fulfills all of those functions and provides the response to
• So subdivision 4, starting on line 2.9, fulfills all of those functions and provides the response to
• I want to thank Senators P. and Marty for bringing this bill forward and in... functions and provides
• the response to functions and provides the response to the<00:14:26.880> the<00:14:26.959>

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• its face, this seems rather innocuous, it impacts our ability to serve our constituents every day: functions
• its face, this seems rather innocuous, it impacts our ability to serve our constituents every day: functions
• ...a responsibility to our constituents and to the state of Florida to have three robust, well-functioning

Summary: The Florida House convened in Special Session 2025B after a quorum was established and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. The Speaker announced that regular committee meetings were canceled for the week so the chamber could focus on special session work, including three select committees on illegal immigration that would hear HB 1B, along with a Rules and Ethics Committee meeting later that evening. Members were also told the bill filing deadline had been extended to Wednesday at 5 p.m. The main floor business involved the House’s effort to reinstate vetoed legislative operating funds from HB 5001, the 2024 appropriations act. After the clerk read the governor’s veto message, Representative Kennedy moved to reinstate specific appropriation 2802 and its related proviso on page 412, described as legislative services support funding. Supporters said the veto had cut essential legislative functions such as IT, economic forecasting, auditing, and accountability work, and argued the reduction was likely an oversight or improper interference with legislative independence. The motion passed 111-0. Kennedy then moved to reinstate specific appropriation 2803 and its related proviso, the second legislative support services line item. The House again approved the motion unanimously, 111-0. With no other messages, reports, or bills on the desk, the House adopted a motion to adjourn and reconvene on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 10 a.m. or upon the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• <01:10:11.360> as focused on the override function as focused on the override function as
• So, I'm just curious how this technology functions to avoid that kind of situation.
• <01:20:58.440> to curious how this technology functions to curious how this technology functions
• Judicial oversight functions as an essential check on government power.
• 19.560> an Judicial oversight functions as an Judicial oversight functions as an essential<01:

Bills: HF2354, HF3621, HF3429, HF3483

Keywords: medical assistance, fraud prevention, subpoena authority, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud, payment withholding, withheld payments, program integrity, public funds, state agency, program participant, credible allegation of fraud, administrative reconsideration, contested case, chapter 14, data practices, confidential data, protected nonpublic data, anti-fraud

Summary: The committee approved the minutes from March 5 by voice vote and welcomed new member Representative Van Binsbergen. It then took up House File 2354, which Chair Liebling moved to re-refer to the Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee. Representative Norris presented the bill as an updated version of the Medical Assistance Protection Act, aimed at strengthening the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, closing loopholes, equalizing fraud penalties, and increasing penalties for large-scale Medicaid fraud. Attorney General Ellison said the bill would add 18 specialized staff to the unit, moving it from 32 to 50 positions, and argued the federal-state matching structure makes the Attorney General’s office the proper home for the funding because the unit is dedicated to Medicaid fraud work. Nick Wonka, director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, explained the bill’s provisions affecting committee jurisdiction: expanded subpoena authority to obtain financial account contents in provider-fraud investigations, conforming legal representation language to preserve the unit’s authority, venue changes to allow charging in counties where parts of the offense occurred, and a restitution change to let courts order restitution for related conduct in the same scheme. He said the subpoena change would speed investigations and align the Attorney General’s authority with other agencies, and that the restitution change would help recover more fraudulently obtained Medicaid funds. No public testimony was offered. Members questioned why the funding should go to the Attorney General’s office rather than the BCA, whether the new records authority was federally required, how the venue language would work across state lines, and whether the added FTEs indicated the fraud problem was larger than expected. Ellison and Wonka responded that the federal grant requires the work to stay within the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, that the unit’s investigators are specialized and work with, but separate from, law enforcement, and that the venue provision applies only within Minnesota while out-of-state matters would be referred to the appropriate authorities. The amendment that had been posted was withdrawn and not offered.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think this will make this program much more functional.
• As we look at government, what are the critical functions of government?
• As we look at government, what are the critical functions of government?
• return to full function and get back on the paramedic truck.
• but had a sudden rare functional but had a sudden rare functional neurologic<01:43:18.040> disorder

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They've been functioning for about five years.
• 23.800> about<01:22:24.080> five been in functioning for about five been in functioning
• and has about a decade her lung function and has about a decade to<01:34:46.160> live.
• per year in an lung function per year in an unrecoverable<02:50:58.560> way.
• function now sits around 50 to 55%. function now sits around 50 to 55%.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• criminal justice data provides lawmakers with a snapshot of how the state's criminal justice system is functioning
• 18.520> is how state's criminal justice system is how state's criminal justice system is functioning
• 19.760> to<00:09:19.839> help<00:09:20.080> them<00:09:20.280> make functioning
• to help them make functioning to help them make evidence-based<00:09:21.160> decisions<00:09:

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• but I'm definitely open to have deeper discussion about it so I can see how it, how the bill would function
• authorizes the board to amend the portion of the proposed budget related to the clerk's non-court functions
• These provisions are already... ...functions and requires the board to provide written notice of those
• Having explained his bill, functions and requires the board to provide a written notice of those changes

Summary: The Intergovernmental Affairs Subcommittee heard and voted on several local and statewide bills. HB 69, by Rep. Andrade, preempted local zoning and land-use authority to the state for presidential libraries; after an amendment clarifying the scope of preemption, it passed 13-2. HB 63, by Reps. Gerwig and Cassel, created a public-records exemption for city and county administrators and their deputies, citing threats and harassment against local administrators; it included a 10-year sunset and passed 15-0. HB 4045, by Rep. Alvarez, updated the City of Tampa firefighters’ and police officers’ pension plan, including extending the DROP period by three years; it passed 14-0 with a committee substitute. HB 4023, by Rep. Hunschofsky, tightened conflict-of-interest rules for officers and employees of the North Springs Improvement District after prior audit concerns; it passed 16-0. HB 4017, by Rep. Oliver, codified the Bermont Drainage District’s charter and corrected a statutory cross-reference via amendment; it passed 16-0 with committee substitute. HB 4009, by Rep. Kendall, renamed the St. Johns County regional airport to the St. Augustine Airport and passed 16-0. The committee also considered PCB IAS 25-01, by Vice Chair Griffiths, which would standardize county constitutional officers’ budget procedures and create an appeal process for clerks of court and supervisors of elections similar to that used by sheriffs; after testimony from the clerks and supervisors’ associations, it passed 16-0.

Transcript Highlights:

• So I really see this as one of the committees that's going to function really well.
• <00:09:20.360> to of the Committees that's going to of the Committees that's going to function
• <00:09:20.959> really function really function really well<00:09:23.560> is<00:09:23.680

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: Representative Kristin Robbins, chair of the new House Fraud and State Agency Oversight Committee, said the committee’s first public hearing was canceled and used the meeting to outline its planned work. She said the committee had invited DHS Commissioner Jodi Harpstead to discuss fraud during her tenure, but Harpstead declined, and the committee instead planned to hear from Bill Glan of the Center of the American Experiment about his fraud and waste tracker. Robbins framed the committee’s mission as oversight of state government fraud, citing the Feeding Our Future case and other ongoing investigations, and said the work was not partisan. Robbins said the committee would also hold hearings on specific areas such as CCAP and medical transportation, along with other issues raised by whistleblowers. She said she had heard from at least two dozen whistleblowers in the prior week, including people from multiple state agencies and private-sector grant administrators, and described efforts to protect their confidentiality. She also said she is authoring a bill to expand whistleblower protections and that the committee is setting up a whistleblower portal. In response to questions, Robbins said she had a private meeting scheduled with Harpstead before her departure from office and said the committee could schedule another hearing if the House is able to meet with a quorum. She said she hoped for bipartisan participation, emphasized that neither party wants taxpayer money wasted, and said the committee would continue meeting and organizing hearings as soon as possible.

Transcript Highlights:

• It has the access and functionality things we need."
• It has the access<00:17:30.160> and<00:17:30.280> functionality<00:17:30.920> things
• <00:17:31.280> we access and functionality things we access and functionality things we need
• It's a format that you can put your information on, especially access and functional needs.
• It didn't have the necessary access and functional needs that our vulnerable population really needs

Bills: SCR180

Keywords: wildfire, fire hazard, Lahaina, West Maui, Maui wildfire, vegetation management, fuel reduction, defensible space, fuel breaks, invasive grasses, emergency access, evacuation route, fire lane, state lands, public safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal, community risk reduction, hazard mitigation, brush clearance, wildland-urban interface

Summary: The committee opened by noting it was likely its last hearing of the 2026 session, then took up several resolutions. SCR 54, on appointing a hydrogen fire safety expert and training on hydrogen-related protocols, and SCR 59, on allowing certain health care professionals to practice without a license during a state of emergency, drew no testimony. Members discussed SCR 59 as a response to past emergencies and the need for pre-approved, updated registries of professionals who could be deployed quickly in emergencies. SCR 62 SD1, which asks the 911 Board to form a working group with the disability community to address access issues in emergency and 911 responses, received testimony from disability advocates and the 911 Board. Testifiers said the measure should ensure an integrated system with EMS infrastructure, real-time access for dispatchers and field personnel, and public education about the system; they also noted that Smart911 is no longer being used on Oahu and Maui and that a statewide, integrated approach is needed. Members agreed to work the suggested language into the resolution. SCR 179, urging Maui County to enforce fire code provisions on brush clearance, fuel breaks, roadside vegetation clearing, and emergency access, was noted as having no testimony but continuing to raise important issues. SCR 74, calling for an audit of no-bid contracts issued under emergency proclamations from 2020 through 2025, drew strong support from a late testifier who tied the measure to emergency procurement concerns after the Lahaina wildfire and COVID-era contracting. The witness argued that procurement rules should not be waived in ways that compromise safety, and described concerns about unlicensed contractors and construction problems in a state housing project. Members asked about the scope of the audit and whether it would interfere with criminal investigations; the witness said the audit should cover a broad range of contracts, including nonprofit contracts, and should not be limited to the wildfire period. The committee also heard SCR 28 SD1 on creating a Hawaii Vietnam Veterans Medal, with support from the Department of Defense and veterans advocates, who said the resolution is intended to do the groundwork for a future appropriation and to determine eligibility and distribution procedures. Finally, SCR 60 SD1, requesting updates on the “Breaking Cycles” rehabilitation and restorative justice study, received support from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Correctional System Oversight Commission, and reform advocates. The department asked that reporting be annual rather than quarterly because of the complexity of the OCCC project, and supporters said the measure would promote transparency and help ensure the study’s recommendations are implemented. No votes were taken in the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• ADA coordinator would not only improve compliance, it would coordinate these programs to actually function
• It means that people with disabilities experience one state government that functions consistently.
• <00:37:25.120> individually that are each functioning individually that are each functioning
• actually function as a system. actually function as a system.
• functions consistently. functions consistently.

Keywords: 926, house, all

Summary: The House opened with a devotional and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved through first readings and referrals of several bills. House Bill 950, the pay act for certain state employees, was read and referred to Appropriations, and House Bill 951, the government appropriations bill, was read and referred to Ways and Means. Senate bills referred included S. 138 on commercial property assessed clean energy projects, S. 181 on eliminating a pre-sentence investigation requirement for deferred sentences, S. 206 on licensure of early childhood educators, S. 219 on an energy navigator program report, S. 239 on the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Working Group, and S. 291 on travel disclosures for legislators and certain executive officers, each sent to the appropriate committee. The chamber also read several House concurrent resolutions adopted on the consent calendar. These included resolutions congratulating Rice Memorial High School’s Division Two girls soccer team and Division One field hockey team, designating March 2026 as Athletic Trainers Month in Vermont, and remembering the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters in Japan. The Japan remembrance resolution included a message from the Japanese consul general expressing gratitude for Vermont’s solidarity and friendship after the disaster. Later, members offered announcements recognizing guests in the gallery, including Rice Memorial athletes and coaches, representatives of the Vermont Association of Athletic Trainers, and students and teachers from Pondbrook and Sterling College. The House also heard a detailed floor speech in support of House Bill 861, which would establish a statewide Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. The sponsor described accessibility barriers faced by disabled Vermonters, argued that ADA responsibilities are currently uneven across state government, and said a coordinator would improve coordination, compliance, and access across agencies. The House then announced the order of upcoming bills, starting with H. 861 and H. 931, but no final vote on H. 861 was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• These trainings support districts in prevention, de-escalation, function-based behavior support, and
• development of functional behavior assessment and behavior intervention plans This summer, educators'
• nurturing positive behaviors, and developing interventions when appropriate, and developing strong functional
• jurisdiction over allocating additional funding for education initiatives, or is that a legislative function
• Yes, that's a legislative function, but we are... we? do welcome this partnership.

Transcript Highlights:

• in the land, um, we're going to do our best to make sure that we've got a health care system that functions
• 00:04:52.080> care<00:04:52.240> system<00:04:52.600> that<00:04:52.800> functions
• a health care system that functions. a health care system that functions.
• modernization, which is a necessary tool to make sure that both the counties and the state are functioning

Keywords: 918, senate, all

Summary: Senate leaders said they were in the final weeks of session, moving long days of floor and finance work focused on priorities they described as affecting Minnesotans’ cost of living, safety, and security. They said next week would bring major packages to the floor, including public safety, health and human services, Metro Surge, and a gun violence package, while negotiations continued with House leaders and the administration. They also highlighted a human services bill from Sen. John Hoffman as the final item completed that day. A major topic was the Senate’s response to H.R. 1, which leaders said would require about $1 billion in state budget adjustments to avoid federal penalties and Medicaid losses. They said the proposal would address federal compliance issues, support hospitals such as HCMC and other distressed providers through uncompensated care funding, and include food support for SNAP-related needs, food shelves, food grants, and prepared food. They also emphasized system modernization, especially IT upgrades, as both an implementation and anti-fraud measure. Leaders said several items appeared to have bipartisan support, including HCMC relief, the Office of the Inspector General, bonding, and IT modernization. They said they were arranging a meeting with House and Senate leaders and the governor to work through bonding differences, but noted that IT modernization and HCMC were unlikely to be financed through general obligation bonds this year. They also said the Senate would take up a bill on prediction markets after Sen. Klein’s recent platform suspension, describing the issue as a violation of platform rules and saying the chamber may need updated rules or statutes. In response to a question about an elections bill provision, they said the measure reaffirmed that a president should serve only two terms and that the language had moved through the normal committee process.

Transcript Highlights:

• perceiving fees as the method for funding the broader governmental services and the broader government functions
• shouldn't be viewed as something that is should or could be tapped for the broader governmental functions
• , and unfortunately... ...should or could be tapped for the broader governmental functions.
• All SGOs that are qualified to take it must function on a 90/10 basis; they must award 90% of each contribution
• So instead of expanding opportunities for those who truly need it, this program increasingly functions

Bills: SB1142, SCR1028

Keywords: scholarships, tax credit, education funding, nonprofit organizations, Arizona Revised Statutes, constitutional amendment, state revenue, tax policy, legislative approval, two-thirds vote, 1182, all

Summary: The House Ways and Means Committee heard Senate Concurrent Resolution 1028, which would send to voters a constitutional change narrowing an existing exception to Arizona’s two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases. The resolution would require legislative approval for increases in state revenue through fees and assessments that are authorized by statute before January 1, 2027, and set by a state officer or agency without a prescribed formula, amount, or limit. The sponsor argued the measure would close a loophole that has allowed agencies to raise fees without direct legislative accountability, while opponents said it would make it harder for agencies to adjust fees for inflation, operations, and regulatory costs and could shift costs to taxpayers or slow services. After testimony and debate, the committee voted 5-3 with one absent to return SCR 1028 with a due pass recommendation. The committee then took up Senate Bill 1142, which would have Arizona opt into a federal tax credit program for donations to scholarship-granting organizations. Supporters said the measure would bring new private scholarship funding into Arizona at no cost to the state, expand school choice, and help students with tutoring, special needs services, transportation, and other educational expenses. Opponents argued the federal program was not yet fully written, lacked clear guardrails, and could further strain public schools by diverting resources away from the majority of students who remain in the public system. Committee members debated whether the program would benefit Arizona students without affecting state funds, and whether more transparency and rules were needed before adoption. After discussion, the committee voted 5-3 with one absent to return SB 1142 with a do pass recommendation. Several members explained their votes on both measures, with supporters emphasizing voter choice, accountability, and limiting fee increases, and opponents emphasizing the need for revenue, public school funding, and caution about the unresolved federal scholarship rules.