Transcript Highlights:

• </c> an ongoing uh source of concern for us. an ongoing uh source of concern for us.
• </c> uh on the original source that we had. uh on the original source that we had.
• We're not going to start source is.
• Um, I don't think any major principle is at stake. I don't think any major precedent is at stake.
• I don't think any major at stake.

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, transportation is a major source of carbon pollution in Washington, causes heart and lung
• As you know, transportation is a major source of carbon pollution in Washington, causes heart and lung
• The majority of our heavier trucks, they are usually being used for work purposes.
• These non-arterial streets don't have other reliable funding sources.
• The vast majority of those, 43 of them, cap it at $20.

Bills: HB2588 , HB2722 , HB2727

Committee: House Transportation

Keywords: county ferry district, ferry district, passenger-only ferry, passenger ferry, Puget Sound, Vashon, Seattle, Southworth, county transportation, local taxing authority, property tax levy, general obligation bonds, municipal corporation, public transportation benefit area, WTSC, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, ferry terminal, wharf, shuttle service, marine transportation

Transcript Highlights:

• Every single-family home that's constructed, and possibly every item where there's a major remodel.
• I built many major projects for the city. And now I've been chair of the Pallas Tribe since 2008.
• And I'll tell you, the majority of the projects that undergo those studies still... ...study is needed
• The majority of my work is infill lots. These lots are 50 by 120 feet with houses on each side.
• Sponsors of Offline, real-world sources of potential discriminatory conduct.

Summary: The Senate Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee held public hearings on two bills. On SB 5609, concerning cultural resource reviews under SEPA, staff explained that the proposed substitute would require cultural resource review for certain categorical exemptions, including infill housing and some GMA-related projects, unless a local government has an approved data-sharing agreement, ordinance, or cultural resources management plan with tribal consultation. Senator Kauffman said the bill is intended to protect tribal cultural sites without stopping development. Supporters, including tribal representatives and some local officials, said early review and consultation can prevent irreversible damage and provide clarity; opponents from business, builders, and county planning groups argued it would add costs, delay housing and permitting, and shift too much authority to state-level review without clear timelines or standards. The committee took public testimony only and then closed the hearing on SB 5609. The committee then heard SB 6284 on high-risk artificial intelligence. Staff described requirements for deployers of high-risk AI systems to maintain risk management policies, conduct impact assessments, notify consumers when AI is used in consequential decisions, and report algorithmic discrimination to the Attorney General, along with disclosures for government agencies and an extension of the AI task force with a workplace subgroup. Senator Elias said the bill is intended to focus regulation on high-risk uses while preserving innovation. Testimony was mixed: consumer and student advocates supported the bill’s transparency and accountability measures, while industry, banking, insurance, hospital, and technology groups raised concerns about definitions, implementation, overlap with existing regulation, and possible effects on innovation or regulated sectors. The committee heard public testimony and then adjourned after closing the hearing on SB 6284.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> I just want to make a note that majority I just want to make a note that majority of<01:31:07.600
• There’s a major disconnect to one source of life, and a lack of understanding that there is a way as
• disconnect to one come there's a major disconnect to one Source<02:07:53.199><c> of</c><02:07:53.480
• ><c> of</c><02:07:54.719><c> Life</c><02:07:55.480><c> and</c> Source of Life to One Source of Life and
• You represent water, the source.

Committee: House Water & Land

Summary: The committee heard testimony on several bills. HB 114, concerning employment in the State Historic Preservation Program, drew support from DLNR, which said the measure would help retain qualified archaeologists, architects, and other professionals by preserving current pay levels for a limited number of positions. Members raised concerns about expanding exempt positions and the effect on union coverage, and DLNR said it was also working with DEHRD on longer-term reclassification issues. No vote was taken on the bill in the portion provided. HB 12, relating to tort liability, drew strong opposition from the Hawaii Association for Justice, which argued the bill would create overly broad immunity for landowners, conflict with Hawaii’s comparative fault framework, and undermine existing recreational liability law. Supporters said it would reduce liability concerns and encourage landowners to allow hiking, hunting, search-and-rescue training, and firearms-related uses on private land. The committee then moved on without any recorded vote in the excerpt. The committee also discussed HB 29 on counties, but no county representative was present, and members questioned whether the proposal should instead proceed through condemnation if it involved a forced sale. HB 175 on property maintenance received DLNR comments that the bill should be narrowed to noxious weeds and that fire-related provisions were more properly handled by county fire departments and the State Fire Marshal. HB 331 on permits drew support from several state agencies, but the Honolulu Board of Water Supply opposed it unless “repetitive construction” was defined more clearly; members and agencies discussed narrowing the bill to avoid unintended impacts on water and utility infrastructure. The committee also heard strong support for HB 3 on North Shore beach management, HB 309 on fish ponds, and HB 306 on water code penalties, though the Board of Water Supply raised concerns about increased fines and suggested an alternative governor’s bill and clearer administrative rules.

Transcript Highlights:

• New Mexico will not see major effects on the financial aid impacts that have been brought forward by
• So we need those English majors. We need those communications majors.
• We need those journalism majors.
• It's easier if there's just one process for both sources.
• We just subgrant all that money, you know, through direct source procurements.

Committee: House House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• So that's the major change, and that is also reflected in the next section that applies to statewide
• So that's the second of the major changes in this bill.
• The rest, the majority of the rest of this amendment is existing law.
• Line 17, page 28, ultimate and true source of funds.
• That's the part I don't really get is what do you mean the ultimate true source?

Bills: SB2156

Committee: House Government and Veterans Affairs

Summary: The subcommittee met to review HB 2156, which reorganizes North Dakota campaign finance disclosure law by repealing Chapter 16.1 and moving the provisions into a new Chapter 16.2 with mostly technical cross-reference updates. Legislative Council and the Secretary of State’s office walked through the bill section by section, explaining that most language is carried over from current law, with some cleanup to definitions, reporting requirements, public access rules, and filing procedures. The committee discussed how the new chapter would apply to candidates, candidate committees, political committees, political parties, ballot measure groups, and conduits. Several substantive issues were raised and adjusted during the discussion. Members questioned the open-records language for expenditures and contributions over $250, the use of “deposit” versus “receipt” as the reporting trigger, and whether the 48-hour supplemental reporting deadline should be changed to three calendar days; the group ultimately favored keeping 48 hours and using “deposit” consistently. They also clarified reporting dates, including changing one special-election deadline from 40 days to 39 days, and confirmed that balances of campaign funds would be reported but not made publicly available. The Secretary of State’s office also explained that the bill would make late fees public and that the chapter-wide penalty for willful violations remains a Class A misdemeanor. The main policy change debated at length was the late-filing fee schedule. Members expressed concern that the existing penalties were too low to deter intentional non-filers, and after discussion the committee agreed to increase the final late fee from $100 to $500 while keeping the new public posting of delinquent filers. The committee also reviewed an inflation-adjustment provision for reporting thresholds and the “ultimate true source of funds” language, which was described as existing law being carried into the new chapter. The meeting ended with the understanding that additional drafting changes would be made and that the bill would be ready for further committee action later in the week.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> of what people pay, the vast majority of what people pay, the vast majority and<00:22:58.840><c>
• Sometimes there is policy, sometimes major policy, that's brought to us by the tax department.
• </c><00:26:09.960><c> policy,</c> there is policy, sometimes major policy, there is policy, sometimes
• major policy, that's<00:26:11.320><c> brought</c><00:26:11.679><c> to</c><00:26:11.840><c> us</c><00
• So, I think it's sources going into it.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the total special education aid derived from these three sources as the state and the federal sources
• But that uh three primary sources.
• ,</c><00:43:26.720><c> and</c> revenues, three primary sources, and revenues, three primary sources,
• ><c> federal</c><00:43:45.280><c> sources</c><00:43:45.839><c> totals</c> state and the federal sources
• </c> disabilities or major language delays. disabilities or major language delays.

Summary: The commission meeting focused on reviewing and correcting draft minutes and then working through a draft report on the cost of special education. Members made mostly clerical corrections, including clarifying references to Spalding, fixing acronyms such as LETRS, and cleaning up membership titles and appointee roles to match SB 57. The minutes were approved as amended, with some members abstaining because they were not present at the prior meeting. The chair also noted the commission’s deadline to complete findings and recommendations by July 1 and said the final report must be delivered to legislative leaders, the governor, the state librarian, and others. The main substantive discussion centered on the report’s findings about special education funding. Members agreed the report should emphasize that the commission was created to study the cost of special education and reduce reliance on local property taxes. One draft section described FY24 special education funding as coming from three primary state and federal sources totaling about $152 million, or roughly 15% of annual costs, with the remaining 85% paid by local school districts through property tax revenue, estimated at about $825 million. Members discussed adding historical or longitudinal data to show trends over time, and some suggested attaching charts or tables showing funding over the last 20 to 30 years. A second major topic was demographic data. The draft noted that statewide K-12 enrollment has declined since 2003 while the number and share of students with IEPs has increased. Members questioned whether the data compared like with like, especially given the growth of Education Freedom Accounts and charter school enrollment, and whether the figures included or excluded those students. Several members asked for clearer sourcing from the Department of Education and suggested keeping a list of unresolved questions, including the impact of the shift from ADMA to ADMR and the effect of the EFA program. The discussion ended with agreement to continue refining the report and to gather additional attachments and clarifications before finalizing recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• It just takes away their ability to actually do a good, quality job, and I believe that this is a major
• Like, for example, we don't have a dedicated source of transportation right now of funding in Orange
• So it's just coming from a different source, so it's not going down.
• The majority of what makes up that brand are beaches.
• But as we know, for Florida, that is a major, historically a major visitor to our state that may be rethinking

Summary: The State Affairs Committee met with a quorum present and took up several measures. It first considered HJR 1215, an ad valorem tax exemption for farmers and agricultural lands. The committee adopted an amendment making technical changes and removing a requirement that implementing language be set by general law. Several agricultural and business groups supported the measure, and it was reported favorably by a vote of 22-4. The committee then heard CS for CS for HB 1169, a bill revising water management district planning, budgeting, reporting, and business practices, including restrictions on lobbyist expenditures and additional budget disclosures. An amendment removing the statutory section on management review teams was adopted after debate over whether those teams were still useful. The bill was reported favorably 19-8-7. Members then debated PCS for CS for HB 1221, which would redirect local option tourist development tax revenues toward property tax relief and give counties more control over certain local taxes. County, tourism, beach preservation, and hospitality groups opposed the bill, warning it would weaken tourism marketing, beach renourishment, and local services, while supporters argued it would provide property tax relief and accountability. The bill passed 14-12. Finally, the committee considered HB 4079, which would dissolve the town of White Springs. The sponsor and supporters described years of mismanagement, intimidation, and illegal conduct, while opponents argued dissolution was an extreme step and pointed to the ongoing election and other remedies. After extensive public testimony and debate, the bill was reported favorably 19-6. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• I better not be; that's longer than Norma Major lasted, so, um, in terms of age, um, let me see, was
• :21:21.000><c> that</c><00:21:21.520><c> list</c><00:21:22.520><c> um</c><00:21:23.200><c> so</c> source
• um be included in that list um so source um be included in that list um so that<00:21:23.679><c> was
• The vast majority of the sales happen in bars and taverns, and Kino that's sold in convenience stores
• of the sales locations the vast majority of the sales happen<00:28:55.200><c> in</c><00:28:55.320><c

Committee: Senate Ways and Means

Transcript Highlights:

• A major part of this process has been moving the state towards a more market-based system of compensation
• This industry is responsible for major medical technological advancements, from modern lab equipment
• Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces are the major hubs right now, and we're working to diversify that
• of them, the vast majority of them, most of them, are not in the state of New Mexico.
• Chair, that definitely varies, which is one of the reasons why it's the most volatile revenue source

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members, House Majority Ways and Means... for the purchaser or their heirs or any assignees
• Chairman, members, Connor Saqada, House Majority Ways and Means Research Intern.
• This turns the clock back, requiring JLBC and OSPB to come to terms with a major change.
• Chairman, members, Connor Sakata, House Majority Ways and Means Research Intern.
• for the cities, it was also a new source of revenue for the state.

Committee: House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2780, a technical cleanup measure related to Arizona’s judicial tax lien foreclosure process. The sponsor and a witness explained that it would clarify when a foreclosure should proceed as a public sale, standardize how excess proceeds are distributed, and resolve inconsistencies left from prior reforms. Members asked about the intent to protect lienholders while ensuring former property owners can receive excess funds; the bill was then returned with a due pass recommendation on a 9-0 vote. The committee then took up House Bill 4029, as amended, which would require the Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to evaluate the revenue impact of federal tax conformity changes earlier in the year, and would require the Department of Revenue to issue tax forms consistent with current statute. The amendment added reporting deadlines and a trigger for the governor to assess whether a special session is needed if the revenue impact is at least $100 million. Supporters argued the bill would force earlier action on conformity and prevent tax forms from being issued based on changes not yet enacted; opponents said it added bureaucracy and could delay the long-standing practice of preparing forms based on expected conformity. The committee adopted the amendment and then approved the bill as amended on a 5-4 vote. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 4030 and the related HCR 2052, which would impose a moratorium from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030 on local increases in municipal and county fees, transaction privilege tax rates, and utility rates. Supporters said the measure would protect taxpayers from higher costs of living and prevent local governments from using utility rates or fees to offset other revenue needs. Opponents from cities, counties, and advocacy groups warned it could limit funding for water, wastewater, roads, public safety, and other infrastructure, especially for fast-growing or rural communities that rely on rate studies, grants, and enterprise funds. After extensive testimony and debate over municipal revenue growth, utility financing, and local control, the committee moved the bill forward; the transcript ends during the roll call and does not clearly state the final vote on HB 4030 or HCR 2052.

Transcript Highlights:

• Chairman, members, House Majority Ways and Means... ...for the purchaser or their heirs or any assignees
• Chairman, members, Connor Saqada, House Majority Ways and Means Research Intern.
• This turns the clock back, requiring JLBC and OSPB to come to terms with a major change.
• Chairman, members, Connor Sakata, House Majority Ways and Means Research Intern.
• for the cities, it was also a new source of revenue for the state.

Bills: HB2780 , HB4029 , HB4030 , HCR2052

Committees: House Ways & Means , House House Ways & Means Committee of Reference

Keywords: judicial foreclosure, tax lien, redemption rights, excess proceeds, property auction, income tax, federal tax conformity, revenue analysis, legislative session, tax reporting, municipal fees, county fees, utility rates, moratorium, tax classification, local government, inflation, economic stability, tax increases, cost-of-living protection

Transcript Highlights:

• this topic, make for an environment that could be very conducive to future TOD, which of course has major
• This is a major concern because if you want to address the state's housing shortfall, we need to build
• But those places also suffer from some major issues related to housing affordability.
• This is not the definitive data source for that.
• Don't rely on this to be a definitive source, although we think it's pretty good.

Committee: Senate Housing

Summary: The committee heard a series of abbreviated presentations focused on housing supply, transit-oriented development, and redevelopment of underused commercial land. Urban Institute researcher Yona Fremark discussed Washington’s transit-oriented development efforts under HB 1491, saying the state has made progress but faces major feasibility challenges from rising construction costs, higher interest rates, and uneven market conditions. She recommended targeted infrastructure funding for lower-market transit areas, adjusting MFTE/affordability requirements to local conditions, expanding affordable housing resources in high-market areas, tightening density requirements near transit, allowing more joint development on transit agency land, and creating a stronger system to track housing, affordability, demographic change, and access outcomes over time. Senators asked about AMI calculations, labor and immigration effects on construction, and the role of developer input. Dave Anderson of the Department of Commerce outlined implementation of HB 1491, including local government responsibilities for station area designation, zoning, anti-displacement policies, and MFTE updates. He said Vancouver and Spokane are first to implement, with Puget Sound following later, and described Commerce’s timeline for updated MFTE guidance, station-area implementation guidance, a TOD model ordinance, and later rulemaking. He also demonstrated the new Washington Zoning Atlas, a live statewide mapping tool showing zoning, overlays, and station-area geographies, which Commerce said can support analysis by agencies and the public. The committee then heard from Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck and James Rolf on commercial-to-residential redevelopment, who argued that converting vacant or underused commercial sites could produce a large amount of housing, increase tax revenue, and support transit-oriented growth. They identified barriers such as zoning requirements, affordability mandates, infrastructure costs, building code complexity, private covenants, and slow implementation of new laws, and urged by-right residential use on commercial land and faster implementation of housing reforms. The State Building Code Council provided an update on its code cycle and legislative mandates, including minimum dwelling size, emergency shelters, single-exit stairs, and multiplex housing. Council staff said the single-exit and multiplex work is nearing completion and will produce prescriptive solutions, while members discussed whether future legislation might address smaller elevators or more performance-based code approaches. Finally, Dr. Stephen Barrosa of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research reviewed housing affordability trends, noting that higher mortgage rates have sharply reduced homeownership affordability, flattened prices in major cities, and lowered single-family permitting and completions, while apartment vacancy rates have returned to more normal levels. The last presentation came from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission on the Covenant Home Ownership Program, which reported strong first-year results: 547 homebuyers assisted by June 2025, more than $60 million loaned, homes in 22 counties, and nearly 1,000 families assisted by the time of the hearing. The commission also reviewed program eligibility, outreach, and recent legislative changes to income limits and loan forgiveness that were not yet reflected in the first-year report.

Transcript Highlights:

• Certainly, we have passed major CEQA legislation to expedite infill housing, a series of bills to improve
• That is the bill that essentially mandates upzoning around major transit stops.
• However, this is rarely a major source of construction delays, and again, this is where we work closely
• However, this is rarely a major source of construction delays, and again, this is where we work closely
• We have two types of amendments: major amendments or minor amendments.

Summary: The Assembly Select Committee on Regulatory Authority held its first hearing to examine how California’s regulatory framework affects housing production, affordability, and timelines. Chair Pacheco and Assemblymember Haney framed the discussion around the state’s housing shortage and the need to reduce costs while maintaining environmental, safety, and community protections. The first panel featured housing experts and industry representatives who argued that state regulations, code complexity, utility constraints, and agency review processes add substantial cost and delay to development. Bill Fulton described overlapping state and local land-use authorities and the tension among housing, coastal protection, climate, and wildfire goals. CBIA’s Chris Ochoa and California Apartment Association representative Bob Raymer said building codes, energy mandates, and agency processes have materially increased per-home costs, and they urged more centralized affordability analysis and greater scrutiny of regulatory impacts. The Bay Area Council’s Louis Marante called for a statewide cost target for housing and stronger timelines and accountability for state agency reviews. The second panel brought in state agencies to explain their roles. HCD said its housing element enforcement, streamlining laws, and technical assistance have helped increase production, shorten entitlement timelines, and improve compliance by local governments. CARB said SB 375 is a planning law that does not directly regulate land use, and argued that regional housing assumptions in sustainable communities strategies are not being fully implemented on the ground. The Coastal Commission said it works with local governments to balance coastal protection, sea-level-rise risk, and housing, and noted recent guidance and pilot efforts to streamline housing approvals in the coastal zone. The Energy Commission said its building energy standards are designed to be cost-effective and save consumers money over time, though they can add some design and documentation complexity. Fish and Wildlife and DTSC both emphasized early engagement and collaboration to reduce delays while protecting natural resources and public health; DTSC said it is refining vapor intrusion guidance and using brownfield grants to support redevelopment. The State Water Resources Control Board said it uses general orders and basin planning to provide predictable permitting while balancing water quality, water rights, and housing needs, and noted billions in grants and loans for water infrastructure and site remediation that can support housing affordability. In response to questions from Assemblymember Haney, several agencies described ongoing coordination across departments, including regular meetings among HCD, CARB, the Coastal Commission, and transportation agencies, as well as broader interagency efforts to reduce redundancies and identify pinch points in project delivery. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken during the hearing; the main outcome was informational testimony and discussion of possible future reforms to improve coordination, predictability, and affordability in state regulatory processes.

Transcript Highlights:

• The majority of projects were kept on schedule.
• So if you move to the next slide, which shows the ending fund balances for your major transportation
• That is a major part of the fuel forecasts going forward. Other questions?
• By the end of the '90s, the majority of states had a top speed limit of 70 or 75. Next slide.
• But the majority are public transportation benefit districts around the state.

Committee: Senate Transportation

Summary: The committee began with a transportation budget and revenue overview from Haley Gamble and Brian Moore. They reviewed the 2025-27 adopted transportation budget, noting $15.5 billion in expenditures, with the Department of Transportation making up the largest share. They said the 2025 session’s new revenues, including the fuel tax increase and other fee changes, allowed the committee to move from projected structural deficits to a balanced four-year plan, while preserving major programs such as culverts, ferry timing adjustments, highway preservation, and local maintenance funding. They also discussed updated revenue forecasts, including a modest downward revision in fuel consumption and uncertainty around some revenue sources, but said overall revenues remain stronger than previously projected. Committee members asked for more detail on dedicated funds, regional fuel tax patterns, and whether preservation needs could be supported through bonding. The committee then heard a remote presentation from Dr. Jessica Chichino of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on traffic safety trends and countermeasures. She described the group’s “30 by 30” goal to reduce traffic fatalities 30% by 2030, citing increases in deaths for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists, and comparing U.S. fatality rates unfavorably with other high-income countries. Her presentation emphasized speed management, impaired driving enforcement, safer roadway design, and pedestrian protections such as lower speed limits, speed cameras, traffic calming, roundabouts, better lighting, and pedestrian beacons. She also highlighted research showing that larger vehicles increase pedestrian risk and discussed Bellevue pilot projects using smart signal technology that reduced near misses. No action was taken on the presentation. In the final work session item, Barb Chamberlain of WSDOT and Justin Leighton of the Washington State Transit Association discussed potential transit and active transportation grant programs that had been proposed but not enacted in 2025. Chamberlain explained how new grant programs require runway time, staff capacity, and clear program design, and contrasted “projects first, funding after” with “funding first, projects after” approaches. She addressed the proposed Senior Transportation Emphasis Program and regional trails/cycle highways concepts, noting questions about eligibility, scoring, and how such projects would fit with existing active transportation and preservation work. Leighton reviewed the state’s transit grant portfolio and argued that a transit safety and security grant could help agencies fund operator barriers, lighting, shelters, behavioral health support, and non-uniformed security staff. He also raised concerns about sales tax treatment of security contracts, staffing shortages, federal uncertainty, CDL non-domicile issues, and long procurement timelines for buses. The committee asked questions about definitions, program purpose, and implementation challenges, but did not take any votes or formal action.

Transcript Highlights:

• I can tell you the vast majority of the businesses... were in the hospitality industry.
• The vast majority of those 15,000 were non-owner, non-employee businesses.
• And when you look at the landscape of capital sources...
• But it's always the one or two that make the majority of the money.
• We look for strong deal sourcing and evidence that they've been in this community.

Committee: House New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Our only funding source is you.
• Watts said there as far as the only funding source.
• In fact, our school raises the majority of the remaining funds through donations.
• In fact, our school raises the majority of the remaining funds through donations.
• This created a major enrollment challenge for our school, but we did not give up.

Committee: Senate Finance

Summary: The committee met for public testimony on the Finance budget, with the main discussion focused first on funding for disability services and then on the LA GATOR scholarship program. Several individuals testified in support of fully funding Families Helping Families and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), describing how advocacy, transition services, and direct support workers help people with disabilities access education, employment, and independent living. Witnesses urged the committee to preserve or increase state general funds to draw down federal matching dollars, and provider groups said current reimbursement rates and staffing shortages are leaving agencies in deficit, creating waitlists, overtime costs, and difficulty retaining workers. Committee members thanked the speakers and noted that the testimony would be used to compare the governor’s, House, and remaining budget requests. The committee then heard extensive testimony in support of increasing funding for the LA GATOR scholarship program. Supporters included policy groups, school leaders, parents, and students who argued that the program expands educational choice, helps low-income and special-needs students find schools that fit their needs, and should be fully funded at the level of demonstrated demand. Speakers from Catholic and Christian schools said GATOR funding had helped students thrive academically and spiritually, but that shortfalls left many eligible students without awards, hurt kindergarten enrollment, and forced schools to raise private donations to cover gaps. Several witnesses emphasized that the program is not a zero-sum attack on public schools, but a way to let education dollars follow students. A few committee questions focused on the fiscal impact and on whether choice programs improve outcomes without harming public schools. Testimony cited enrollment growth, parent demand, and data from other states to argue that school choice can improve student and parent outcomes and may also strengthen traditional public schools through competition. No votes or formal actions were taken during the public testimony portion of the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, I'm not negative on any energy sources.
• Now think of nuclear power as distributed energy sources.
• There are three major attributes that you associate with microreactors.
• The three major attributes you associate with microreactors are factory fabrication.
• Think of nuclear as an energy source along with other energy sources, whether it's renewable, geothermal

Committee: Joint Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• Radiation comes in from a source into the patient.
• And that's the primary source of our exposure.
• The radiation source, the beam, comes from what we call an image intensifier, and we stand to the left
• So, I’m stunned, especially knowing that there’s at least one major health care provider that has an
• It also has a major impact on our local economies as well as the state.

Summary: The committee heard and advanced six measures. SB 1118, as amended, appropriates $3 million to the Department of Health Services for a grant program to help rural hospitals install enhanced radiation protection systems in cardiac catheterization rooms; testimony from an interventional cardiologist emphasized worker safety, reduced radiation exposure, and recruitment/retention of physicians, and the bill passed 10-0. SB 1154 provides $500,000 to ADOT for a traffic and safety study on SR 64 between Williams and the Grand Canyon; local officials, law enforcement, and fire personnel described heavy tourism, rising crashes, and the need for broader roadway improvements, and it passed 6-4. SB 1063 appropriates $10.4 million for safety improvements on U.S. 70 in the San Carlos Apache area; tribal leaders and law enforcement cited high fatality and injury rates, dangerous design features, and limited federal funding, and it also passed 6-4. The committee then approved SB 1153, which creates a Grand Canyon National Park specialty license plate and fund; the Grand Canyon Conservancy supported the measure as a way to generate dedicated revenue for park programs, and it passed 10-0. SCM 1001, as amended, urges naming SR 260 the Donald J. Trump Highway through the State Board on Geographic and Historic Names rather than ADOT; the memorial drew sharply divided testimony and debate, but it passed 6-4. Finally, SB 1209 exempts homeless individuals and those using shelter addresses from non-operating ID fees and extends the validity period for those IDs to eight years; advocates said the change would help people obtain housing, jobs, and services, and it passed 9-0.