Transcript Highlights:

• every dollar of federal food stamp money that is spent, something to the tune of $1.50 in economic activity
• new taxes and surcharges that directly affect grocery operations, including impacts on wholesale activity
• galvanize hate by the wealthy private interests, the same interests that are spending millions on lobbying
• At the same time, other states are actively recruiting Washington employers and employees with aggressive

Bills: HB2334 , HB2140 , HB2326 , HB2100

Committee: House Finance

Keywords: cash transactions, pennies, currency adjustment, economic impact, consumer protection, tax exemption, governmental transfer, agriculture, land use, property tax, emergency medical services, levies, healthcare funding, local government, taxation, excise tax, large companies, payroll expenses, minimum wage, Well Washington fund

Transcript Highlights:

• designating an industrial land bank of no more than two master-planned locations for major industrial activity
• outside of urban growth areas. ...more than two master-planned locations for major industrial activity
• My name is Lily Storbeck, and I am a lobby fellow with the Nature Conservancy in Washington, here in
• I'm an active member of Quaker Voice on Washington Public Policy, and we are opposed to this bill.

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several local government bills. HB 2006 would extend the deadline for certain rural counties that collect a sales and use tax for economic development to designate industrial land banks under the Growth Management Act. Supporters, including the sponsor and Kittitas County representatives, said the bill would help counties identify industrial land for job growth and economic development; Futurewise opposed it, citing concerns about large industrial land banks and impacts to agricultural lands. HB 2244 would let a city that forms a fire protection district after July 1, 2026, keep its levy rate without reducing it by the district’s levy, and would also allow online notice and interlocal contracting for fire services. City and fire officials supported it as a practical tool to fund fire service, while one witness opposed the broader trend of appointed taxing authorities. The committee also heard extensive testimony on HB 2316, which would limit shrub-step vegetation inside urban growth areas from being treated as wildlife habitat, critical area, or conservation area, and would bar related mitigation or replacement requirements. Tri-Cities officials, builders, housing advocates, and the sponsor argued the bill would reduce delays and costs for housing and development on already designated urban land, while conservation groups, tribal representatives, and some individuals opposed it as a broad rollback of habitat protections and a harmful precedent for ecosystems and wildlife. No vote was taken on the bills during the hearing. HB 2103 would expand public utility contracting authority so cities, utilities, and joint operating agencies could enter “capability” contracts for renewable or non-emitting generation projects, including nuclear, renewable hydrogen, and fusion, and repeal certain price-limit restrictions. Supporters said it would align older contracting law with the Clean Energy Transformation Act and help utilities plan for future power needs; opponents warned it would shift risk to ratepayers and revive concerns tied to the WPPSS nuclear debacle. The committee also heard HB 2388, which would classify pivot-corner solar and agrovoltaic facilities on agricultural land as distributed energy resources and accessory uses; the sponsor and supporters said it would help meet energy needs without harming productive farmland, while Futurewise asked for clarification to avoid unintended loss of agricultural land. The hearing then returned to HB 2103 for additional testimony, with the same basic split between utility and clean-energy supporters and ratepayer or anti-nuclear opponents.

Transcript Highlights:

• Our board members, we tried to reach out with them, not by lobbying, but by invitation and having critical
• Do you look at electives, after-school programs, activities, and.
• Participation in school activities is one of the essential needs, critical needs that have been presented
• Some of these things you may have already seen in the weekly activity report that we send out, but I

Transcript Highlights:

• nothing at all like again, word were non-partisan, evidence-based, objective, nothing in terms of lobbying
• Doctor Barber, our local school district superintendent and the district have worked so hard to actively
• that fdc news there are serving students, but then our southwest Florida community and have been active
• And one focused on educating good, well informed and civically active citizens of this state and of the

Transcript Highlights:

• It is in that category due to the risk to the public from the seismic activity.
• Our current courthouse is the hub of civic activity throughout the county.
• It hosts civic activities such as protests, speeches, and educational forums.
• And they participated in other civic activities, all on a volunteer basis.
• And they participated in other civic activities all on a volunteer basis.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety, Judiciary, Labor, and Transportation held a hearing focused first on courthouse facility funding and then on the Governor’s proposed court facilities budget. Legislative Analyst’s Office staff outlined the state’s court-facilities funding structure, including the 2002 shift of trial court facility responsibility from counties to the state, the main funding accounts, the insolvency of the construction fund, the move to General Fund support, the backlog of deferred maintenance, and the large estimated cost of needed new construction and repairs. Judicial Council representatives and judges from Los Angeles and Mendocino described severe seismic, safety, ADA, security, and maintenance problems, with examples of floods, elevator failures, asbestos-related closures, and long-delayed or underfunded projects. They argued that chronic underinvestment is making facilities less safe and more expensive to maintain, and that courthouse conditions directly affect access to justice and public confidence. Committee members pressed witnesses on how projects are prioritized, whether population and filing volume are adequately reflected, why reassessments have not been updated since 2019, how long acquisitions and construction take, and what level of funding would actually close the gap. Members also questioned the fixed county contribution, the use of General Fund backfills, and whether the state should set a clearer long-term funding target for the judicial branch. LAO staff emphasized that any new General Fund commitment would require tradeoffs with other budget priorities and said the Legislature must decide its appetite for funding. Judicial Council staff said the current prioritization was based on the 2019 reassessment and trailer bill language, that a new reassessment would cost about $14 million, and that acquisition delays are often driven by willing-seller issues and CEQA requirements. The chair asked for written testimony and indicated the committee would consider a future field hearing. In the second panel, Judicial Council and Department of Finance representatives reviewed the Governor’s budget proposals for court facilities. They said the proposal includes continued backfill for the State Court Facilities Construction Fund, several new construction and reappropriation items, relocation of Los Angeles courtrooms from the Spring Federal Building, and completion of a fire/life-safety project in Orange County. A court executive from Ventura testified that courthouse conditions affect public trust, employee morale, and the quality of service, citing roof leaks, elevator breakdowns, and HVAC failures as examples of why sustained facilities funding is needed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Community Schools Framework, which rests on four evidence-based pillars: integrated student supports, active
• The CDE plays an active role.
• The CDE plays an active role.
• From the California Department of Education, the CDE plays an active role in this technical assistance
• That was their community school's activity.

Summary: The joint informational and oversight hearing focused on community schools in California, with members emphasizing that the purpose was to examine effectiveness, implementation, and sustainability rather than the Governor’s budget proposal. The California Department of Education described the California Community Schools Partnership Program, created in 2021 and funded with more than $4 billion, including planning, implementation, extension, and county coordination grants. Officials said nearly 2,500 schools are participating and highlighted the statewide technical assistance structure, including the State Transformational Assistance Center, eight regional centers, county offices, and CDE support. Researchers from the Learning Policy Institute and UCLA presented early findings and implementation data. LPI reported reductions in chronic absenteeism and suspensions, along with gains in math and English language arts, with especially large benefits for Black students and other historically underserved groups. UCLA described the Annual Progress Report as a statewide improvement tool showing growth in capacity-building, shared decision-making, whole-child supports, and continuous improvement. Members asked about how the reports measure outcomes, how to interpret outliers, and how to distinguish community schools effects from other concurrent initiatives; presenters said matched comparison methods and deeper case-study work are being used, with additional statewide findings expected in June. Panelists from Oakland Unified, LAUSD/UTLA, San Diego Unified, and advocacy organizations described key elements of success: integrated student supports, strong family and student engagement, collaborative leadership, community partnerships, and school-site decision-making. They gave examples such as wellness centers, dual enrollment, student senates, parent leadership, and community campaigns that built trust and increased participation. Members also raised concerns about sustainability, implementation fidelity, and whether community schools improve participation in LCAP processes. Presenters said major barriers include unclear early guidance, the need for a mindset shift away from top-down models, and uncertainty about long-term funding for coordinators and other staff. The panel’s recommendations centered on stable ongoing funding, stronger technical assistance, shared governance, and embedding community schools practices into district and county systems.

Transcript Highlights:

• And let me tell you, the lobby was big mad about that.
• And let me tell you, the<00:47:11.760><c> lobby</c><00:47:12.200><c> was</c><00:47:12.359><c> big</c>
• Lobby won't have to deal with me in this capacity after this legislative session.

Summary: The Senate met with a quorum, approved the journal, and then proceeded out of order to consider Senate Joint Resolution 20, recognizing April 9, 2026, as Home Education Day in Colorado. Senator Pelton spoke in strong support of home education, describing it as a parent-led choice that benefits students and families. The resolution was adopted on a 30-0 vote, and the current roll was added as co-sponsors. The chamber then took up the consent calendar and passed House Bill 1229, House Bill 1244, and Senate Bill 153. HB 1229, which concerns the human-animal bond as a social determinant of health, drew three no votes from Senators Pelton, Zamora Wilson, and Baeza; the other two measures passed unanimously. The Senate also laid over third reading of bills until Friday, April 10. In Committee of the Whole, senators considered Senate Bill 72, which increases criminal penalties for assaultive conduct involving a motor vehicle and adds causing death with a motor vehicle to criminally negligent homicide. The committee adopted the report and advanced the bill on second reading. Later, the chamber laid over Senate Bill 134 and House Bill 1084 until April 10, and then took up Senate Bill 140, which would exempt certain rare disease and plasma therapies from review by the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board. Sponsors and supporters argued the bill protects access for patients with rare diseases and prevents harm to treatment development, while opponents said it would weaken the PDAB’s affordability work and was too broad. Senators Weisman and Gonzales spoke against the bill, with Weisman citing concerns about the federal definition used and Gonzales defending the PDAB’s role in lowering drug costs; the debate continued in the transcript without a final vote shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the Foreign Principal Lobbying Oversight Act.

Summary: The Civil Judiciary Committee met with a quorum and took up a long series of Senate bills, adopting a committee substitute for SB 1716 as a working draft before hearing the bill. SB 1716 clarified data privacy language as it applies to utility companies, and it passed on a recorded vote with one nay. The committee then heard and advanced SB 1303, transferring property and records from the Advisory Council on Workers’ Compensation to the Workers’ Compensation Commission, and SB 2180, the Foreign Principal Lobbying Oversight Act, which requires agents of foreign principals to register with the Secretary of State subject to stated exceptions. Both measures passed without opposition. Members also approved SB 504 setting the minimum marriage age at 18, SB 1209 changing eviction timing to exempt only Sundays and holidays, SB 1448 as a Consumer Protection Act cleanup bill, and SB 1597, a mirror CASA bill clarifying that it does not affect receipt of national funds. SB 1679, described as preserving Oklahoma values and protecting against foreign law overriding Oklahoma contracts, also passed after questions about constitutional and interstate issues. SB 2182, creating a Uniform Civil Remedies Act for unauthorized disclosure of intimate images, was adopted after a committee substitute was filed. Later, the committee adopted an amendment to SB 2112 and advanced it as an open-pastures bill for certain county roads in western Oklahoma, then passed SB 2170 requiring supervised visitation for individuals with substantiated DHS findings of sexual abuse. Additional measures approved included SB 2084 limiting settlements in wrongful termination suits involving higher education faculty to two years’ salary, SB 1496 updating OSBI authority and information-sharing rules, SB 1595 restricting state agencies and contractors from steering commercial driver training school choices, SB 1655 expanding post-adoption services through the Children’s Specialty Plan Program, SB 1876 modernizing service of process for foreign insurance companies, SB 1621 allowing county district attorneys to defend county law libraries, SB 1944 clarifying agricultural payroll and independent contractor thresholds, SB 1266 on notary accountability, SB 2072 expanding title-theft investigations and fee waivers, SB 2104 cleaning up the Uniform Trust Code, SB 1769 allowing short-term rental owners to require photo ID from renters and guests age 18 or older, and SB 1827 removing certain University Hospital Trust physician faculty and staff from the Government Tort Claims Act. Most bills passed unanimously or near-unanimously, and the committee adjourned after completing its agenda.

Transcript Highlights:

• office, in conjunction with the legislature, we passed House Bill 398, codifying a bunch of different lobbying

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• During our freshman tour, I spoke in a small group down in the lobby of one of the hotels about the abuse

Summary: The House convened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, then approved the House Journal for January 21, 2026 by roll call vote, 138 ayes with 6 present. Members then introduced several special guests and interns, including the Tipton High School football team, which was recognized for winning its first Class 1 state championship, along with multiple student interns and a birthday acknowledgment for a member. The clerk read first readings of House Bill 69, House Bill 3070, and House Bill 3071. The main substantive business was House Complaint No. 1, the Ethics Committee report concerning Representative Jeremy Dean. The committee chair explained that the nonpartisan Ethics Committee had unanimously recommended reprimand and sanctions, including removal from committee assignments for the rest of the General Assembly, mandatory sexual harassment training, no contact and physical separation from the complainant, and reassignment of seating and parking. A member from Jefferson County gave an extended statement describing the impact of the conduct on her personally and on her family, saying the messages were harmful, retraumatizing, and not adequately addressed by the apology offered. She said she would vote yes but believed expulsion would have been the appropriate penalty and urged stronger rules for future accountability. The House invoked the previous question by a vote of 138 to 8, then adopted House Complaint No. 1 by a vote of 138 to 10, making the Ethics Committee sanctions immediately effective. The House then moved to announcements and adjourned until 4 p.m. Monday, January 26, 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• standards for lobbyist disclosures, the goal of transparency is, Similar to the House's high standards for lobby

Summary: The Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting held its first meeting, established a quorum, and opened with remarks from the chair outlining the committee’s purpose and scope. The chair said the committee will focus only on congressional redistricting, will not take public comment at this introductory meeting, and may consider whether to propose a new congressional map ahead of the 2026 session. He emphasized that the work would rely on the 2020 census data, the current congressional map, and the House’s map-drawing software, and he stressed transparency, record retention, and compliance with constitutional prohibitions on drawing districts to favor or disfavor a party or incumbent. House outside counsel Andy Bartos then gave an educational presentation on redistricting basics and legal standards. He distinguished reapportionment from redistricting, explained that Florida was apportioned 28 congressional seats after the 2020 census, and reviewed the one-person, one-vote rule, noting that congressional districts must be drawn with near-exact population equality. He also described census geography and how counties, tracts, block groups, and blocks are used to build districts, and explained that congressional redistricting follows the ordinary legislative process rather than the special process used for state legislative districts. Bartos also covered contiguity, explaining that districts must be one connected piece and that mere point-touching is not enough, while bodies of water within a district do not necessarily break contiguity. No questions were asked after the presentation, no votes were taken, and no public testimony was heard. The meeting ended after the chair thanked attendees and said the committee would meet again the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, I think most of you all have probably heard from the lobbies about Senate Bill 11.

Bills: HB52 , HB89 , HB141 , HB52 , HB89 , HB141

Committee: Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund

Keywords: income tax, CHOOSE Act, education funding, ABLE account, tax credits, poverty threshold, legislative funding, HB89, Medicaid, pregnant women, pregnancy, prenatal care, ambulatory prenatal care, presumptive eligibility, temporary Medicaid coverage, Alabama Medicaid Agency, maternal health, low-income women, health coverage, eligibility determination

Transcript Highlights:

• To see what active Congress has filed on that.
• TRS Active Care.
• What are your cost drivers in Active and TRS Care?
• or have the appearance of lobbying.
• Of the increased appropriation for active care to keep the cost of healthcare down for our active employees

Bills: SB1 , SB 1

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:23:33.760><c> fire</c> firefighter is into an active fire firefighter is into an active fire
• We we've we've lobbied this million.
• </c> particular activity. particular activity.
• schools, curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
• schools, curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.

Transcript Highlights:

• Those activities are in three large buckets.
• They funded advertising, child care, incentives, food, and other essential event activities.
• Thank you to all of my colleagues for being here and actively participating.
• Thank you to all of my colleagues for being here and actively participate.
• Thank you to all of my colleagues for being here and actively participating.

Summary: The committee held a work session on the state of Washington’s community and technical college system with State Board executive director Nate Humphrey and Tacoma Community College president Ivan Harrell. They described the system’s open-access mission, 34 colleges serving more than 307,000 students, relatively low tuition, enrollment growth over 12 consecutive quarters, and strong outcomes such as more than 46,000 credentials awarded last year. They also highlighted system initiatives including guided pathways, I-BEST, dual enrollment, tribal partnerships, a new program search tool, and six colleges named Aspen Prize finalists. At the same time, they emphasized major challenges: high rates of student food, housing, and homelessness insecurity; sharply rising emergency aid requests; and federal funding disruptions affecting TANF, BFET, adult basic education, Carl Perkins, NOAA-related tribal work, and several federal grants. Members asked about SNAP impacts, declining high school graduates, and how BFET and TANF interact with other aid programs. The presenters also discussed system priorities such as AI, Workforce Pell, capital planning, nursing accreditation alignment, and the Washington College Grant. The committee then heard testimony from AFT Washington and the Washington Association of Higher Education on faculty and staff conditions in the community and technical college system. Jackie Kane and Suzanne Sutherland argued that classified staff, professional staff, and contingent faculty are essential to student success but face low pay, instability, and weak retention, and they urged lawmakers to protect existing funding and avoid further cuts. They said working conditions for faculty and staff are student learning conditions, and that underfunding leads to reduced services, shortened advising, and program instability. Marina Parr of the Workforce Board presented on federal H.R. 1’s new Workforce Pell provisions and the updated Career Bridge website. She explained that Workforce Pell would allow federal aid for short-term training programs of 8 to 15 weeks, with high completion, employment, and earnings thresholds and a requirement that credentials be stackable and portable. She said Washington is well positioned to implement the program because of its existing eligible training provider evaluation system and Career Bridge, which now has a redesigned public portal, digital portfolios, multilingual access, and performance data on programs. Members asked about rulemaking, possible gaps in state services, and how the wage and completion standards would be applied. The Washington Student Achievement Council then briefed the committee on the new Washington Completes FAFSA campaign created by executive order. Staff described an advisory board with statewide representation, a pilot that used microgrants and other supports at 25 priority schools, and a new goal of 46,000 FAFSA or WASFA completions this year. They reported that completion rates were tracking slightly ahead of last year, with 24% of high school seniors having completed a FAFSA by the end of November, and they showcased a public dashboard with subgroup data and a WIAA-based leaderboard. Members asked about outreach to rural and homeschool students, legislative communications, Pierce County representation, and barriers to FAFSA completion, and staff said they would provide toolkits and continue expanding outreach. The committee then began hearing from student presenters about affordability, access, equity, and student experience.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm not here to lobby against gun violence. It's illegal anyways.
• request a change to this requirement to a maximum of six months, which is more than adequate for any active
• The whole intent of this bill is to prevent any sort of activity.
• Prevent any sort of activities that impede the ability of other people to vote, right?
• It is the activity of the person who would be ordering, bringing, or keeping a troop or armed person.

Bills: SB38 , SB17 , SB41 , SB264

Committee: House House Judiciary

Summary: The committee first heard Senate Bill 38, which would make permanent the New Mexico affordable spay-neuter program funded by fees on registered pet food. The sponsor and supporters said the program helps reduce companion animal overpopulation, shelter intake, and euthanasia, while opponents argued the charge is an unlawful tax, is tied to ongoing litigation, and that required annual reporting has not been done. After public testimony, the committee adopted a due pass motion on SB 38 by a 10-1 vote. The committee then took up Senate Bill 17, a gun-safety measure that would impose new requirements on firearms dealers and prohibit future sale of certain assault-style and high-capacity weapons. Supporters, including sponsors, gun-violence survivors, public safety advocates, and some local officials, argued the bill would address straw purchasing, trafficking, dealer accountability, and mass-casualty weapons. Opponents, including firearms retailers, ranchers, law enforcement, and gun owners, said the bill would burden lawful businesses, raise constitutional concerns, and do little to stop crime. After extensive testimony and questions about the bill’s legal basis, definitions, and dealer regulations, the committee did not vote and instead rolled the bill for further work on amendments. Later, the committee heard Senate Bill 41, as amended, which would eliminate the statute of limitations for second-degree criminal sexual contact of a minor. Support came from the Chamber of Commerce and sexual assault advocacy groups, who said delayed disclosure is common and justice should not expire before survivors are ready to come forward. Committee members asked detailed questions about the bill’s scope, including why certain offenses remained covered and how the criminal statutes are categorized. The committee adopted an amendment to correct drafting issues and then passed SB 41 as amended on a 10-0 vote. Finally, the committee began hearing Senate Bill 264, an elections safety bill that would strengthen penalties for election interference, create emergency polling-place protocols, and clarify when law enforcement may be present at polling places at the request of election officials. Supporters said it was needed to protect voters from intimidation, while an opponent argued it could put law enforcement at risk and restrict their ability to vote. The sponsor and Secretary of State explained that the bill was aimed at preventing ordered deployment of armed personnel to polling places, not barring officers or service members from voting. The discussion was still underway when the transcript ended.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, the Commission did a study in 2017 successfully lobbying for CAD-to-CAD interoperability to be included
• Uh Commission did a study in 2017 Uh Commission did a study in 2017 successfully<00:16:22.120><c> lobbying
• </c><00:16:22.520><c> for</c><00:16:22.680><c> CAD-to-CAD</c> successfully lobbying for CAD-to-CAD successfully
• lobbying for CAD-to-CAD interoperability<00:16:24.720><c> to</c><00:16:24.839><c> be</c><00:16:24.920

Bills: HF4810 , HF4597 , HF1082 , HF3230

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Keywords: public safety, radio communications, infrastructure funding, county funding, interoperability, ARMER network, local jurisdictions, HF4597, Minnesota public safety, emergency dispatch, emergency communications, public safety appropriation, Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, PSAP, dispatch interoperability, real-time coordination, emergency response coordination, cross-jurisdictional response, 911 center awareness platform, general fund grant

Transcript Highlights:

• understanding being that if it's successful, you're going to have a whole lot of people coming in here, lobbying
• <00:52:12.319><c> coming</c><00:52:12.480><c> in</c><00:52:12.640><c> here,</c><00:52:12.880><c> lobbying
• </c> lot of people coming in here, lobbying lot of people coming in here, lobbying to<00:52:13.599><c

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• very early and she would do her hair, and if you caught her in the hallway, that was a great time to lobby
• </c><00:54:28.400><c> great</c><00:54:28.559><c> time</c><00:54:28.720><c> to</c><00:54:28.880><c> lobby
• </c> hallway, that was a great time to lobby hallway, that was a great time to lobby her<00:54:29.440

Transcript Highlights:

• ongoing thing, and right now I know some of the American College of Physicians is doing a lot of lobbying
• is doing<00:17:56.640><c> a</c><00:17:56.720><c> lot</c><00:17:56.840><c> of</c><00:17:57.000><c> lobbying
• </c><00:17:57.480><c> to</c><00:17:57.840><c> maintain</c> doing a lot of lobbying to maintain doing
• a lot of lobbying to maintain coverage<00:17:59.120><c> and</c><00:17:59.200><c> some</c><00:17:59.360

Committee: House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs