Video & Transcript : 'Lake Benton' :
Page 83 of 272
NH
New Hampshire 2025 Regular Session
Senate Energy and Natural Resources (03/18/2025)
Energy and Natural Resources
Transcript Highlights:
- Let's say, don't people go hiking in the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters tract, maybe with dogs, so they
- property is more than 100 it is Lakes property is more than 100 it is very<00:57:12.359><c> very</c>
- I’m also a steward in the Lakes Region.
- I’m also a steward in the Lakes Region.
- I’m also a steward in the Lakes Region.
Committee:
Senate Energy and Natural Resources
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee 2/10/25 - Part 1
Transportation Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair Aaron Kagel said he represents 39A, which is Fridley, Hilltop, Columbia Heights, and Spring Lake
- Roger Skraba said he represents all of Cook County, most of Lake County, part of Itasca County, and part
- Anderson, 33A, said she represents Willernie, Mahtomedi, Dellwood, Grant, Hugo, and most of Forest Lake
- </c><00:02:39.360><c> County</c><00:02:40.000><c> part</c><00:02:40.120><c> of</c> County most of Lake
- County part of County most of Lake County part of itaska<00:02:40.879><c> County</c><00:02:41.159><c
Bills:
HF5
Committee:
House Transportation Finance and Policy
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Expanding exceptions to gift-giving ban 2/23/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- In addition to the wellness day, we organized a peer support angling event on Max Lake, something we
- angling event organized a peer support angling event on<00:03:24.239><c> Max</c><00:03:24.720><c> Lake
- </c> on Max Lake, something we commonly do. on Max Lake, something we commonly do.
- Most recently, a Force Lake officer died of a heart attack.
- Most recently, a Force Lake officer died of a heart attack.
NM
New Mexico 2025 Regular Session
IC - Water and Natural Resources Jul 1st, 2025
Water & Natural Resources Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- I would like to start with Power Lake Dam.
- Power Lake Dam, owned and operated by the City of Santa Rosa, Rosa.
- On slide 29, we have Morphy Lake Dam. The legislature funded the rehab work for that dam.
- At this point, slide number 31 lists Lake Maloya Dam.
- For instance, Conchas Lake, the dam belongs to the Army Corps of Engineers.
Committee:
House Water & Natural Resources Committee
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- But they've also been found along railroads and inland locations, and lakes around Dallas and Austin.
- volunteers have found more than 2 million of these pellets along Texas beaches and around the state's lakes
- Just this weekend, I went to Mountain Creek Lake in Dallas to see the problem for myself.
- My family and I, who love to spend time on Texas beaches and lakes matter.
- This small change will help prevent pollution in Texas beaches and lakes.
Committee:
House Environmental Regulation
Keywords:
hydrogen sulfide, public health, environmental regulation, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, ground level concentrations, emissions limit, emissions limits, ground-level concentrations, air quality, PFAS, agriculture, environmental protection, health risks, criminal offense, chemical regulation, preproduction plastic, water quality, pollution control, industrial waste, emissions
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy, and Transportation Feb 26th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- In the Lake County project, it's a non-profit group, North Coast Opportunities, and so part of the pilot
- North Coast Opportunities in Lake County was the local sponsor that the County of Lake wanted us to use
- It's important to note that in Lake County, we actually had a wildfire, though not a significantly severe
- However, it burned right up to the edge of the community that we have begun to harden in Lake County.
- Relocating the helitack base to the City of Lower Lake will provide a more strategic location, enhancing
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services May 28th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Jeff Neal, representing the counties of San Diego, Contra Costa, Yolo, Lake, and Imperial.
- negotiating with the other parties the different positions that different counties are in, from tiny Lake
- with the other parties, the different positions that different counties are in from, you know, tiny Lake
Summary:
The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Human Services held its final hearing on the budget, with the chair framing the Senate’s plan as a counterproposal that rejected major cuts and preserved revenues. Public comment was overwhelmingly supportive of the subcommittee’s actions, especially on Medi-Cal, IHSS, PACE, behavioral health, child care, CalFresh outreach, immigrant legal services, and long-term care. Testimony from disability, aging, county, health plan, provider, labor, and advocacy groups urged the committee to keep rejecting asset tests, immigrant coverage reductions, IHSS cost shifts, PACE rate cuts, and behavioral health reductions, while supporting mobile crisis, 988, Title IV-E workforce funding, and the “Be Home Soon California” proposal to expand home- and community-based care.
Several speakers also pressed for additional or related funding and policy changes, including county alternatives for people losing Medi-Cal under federal HR1-related changes, more support for public hospitals and indigent care, CalFresh and Cal Food investments, child care slots and COLAs, dental rate cut delays, and expanded immigration legal and food assistance. Others thanked the committee for restoring or preserving funding for behavioral health innovation and advocacy grants, public health IT and disease investigation, diaper banks, hearing aids for children, and distressed hospital loans. The committee also heard concerns about fee-for-service shifts, outpatient dialysis coverage, and other implementation details, with some groups asking for trailer bill language or guardrails.
After public comment, the subcommittee took three votes on large blocks of budget items. The first block of consent items passed 3-0, the second block passed 2-1, and the final block passed 2-0, with the chair announcing that the items were approved and out of committee. The hearing then adjourned.
LA
Louisiana 2026 Regular Session
Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Mar 26th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- Bruning's and Fitzgerald's with my family for lunch and then enjoying the park and the views of the lake
- House Bill 122 by Representative Newell provides relative to the Spring Lake Subdivision Improvement
- It is to create a district for the Spring Lake subdivision.
Summary:
The Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs met on March 26 at 9:07 a.m., approved the prior session minutes, and then heard a series of local government and district-creation bills. Members and witnesses repeatedly emphasized regional cooperation, economic revitalization, and neighborhood security. The committee also welcomed several new members and staff before moving into the agenda.
HB 892 by Rep. Hilferty would create the West End Economic Development District spanning Orleans and Jefferson Parishes to support redevelopment of the former Fitzgerald’s/Bruning’s site; the bill was backed by local officials, and members noted a survey-related legal description would be added later. HB 681 would raise the Lakeview Crime Prevention District’s maximum fee authority from $150 to $250, subject to district approval. HB 99 (Fair Day Downtown Entertainment District) was amended to revise board appointments, add sheriff’s patrol/arrest authority, and adjust board terms, then advanced favorably. HB 138/139 created or updated crime prevention districts in East Baton Rouge Parish, including Parkwood Terrace, Victoria Farms, and Parkview Oaks, with changes to fee-setting authority, boundary descriptions, and board composition; these bills were also moved forward.
The committee also advanced HB 213, a cleanup bill for the Baton Rouge Downtown Development District that restructures the board to include property owners and lessees and adds powers and duties; members praised the district’s work downtown. HB 247 would create the Allen Parish Economic Development District and abolish the Allen Parish Tourist Commission, but an amendment preserved tourism-related functions, and the bill was supported by the Louisiana Travel Association. HB 122 created the Spring Lake Subdivision Improvement District with an election-based fee increase up to $325, and HB 462 changed the board composition of the Capital Area Road and Bridge District to add legislative members for oversight. Several other bills were deferred, including HB 788, HB 200, HB 12, and HB 239.
MO
Missouri 2026 Regular Session
Special Committee on Tourism Mar 11th, 2026
Special Committee on Tourism
Transcript Highlights:
- They can talk to people about things to see and do in Hannibal or the lake or in southeast Missouri,
- Louis, Branson, Kansas City, Springfield, and the lake are tops.
- Louis Branson, Kansas City, Springfield, and the lake are tops.
Committee:
House Special Committee on Tourism
Summary:
The Special Committee on Tourism met in executive session and approved three House bills: HB 2307, designating Missouri Military Academy as the official military academy of Missouri, passed 10-0; HB 3264, designating Kansas City as the barbecue capital of Missouri, passed 10-0; HB 1960, naming the smooth chanterelle the official state mushroom, passed 9-1; and HB 3074, establishing William Lacey Clay Senior Day in Missouri, passed 10-0. After the executive session, the committee opened a public hearing on HCR 36, which would designate June 3 as Josephine Baker Day in Missouri. The sponsor and a witness described Baker’s St. Louis roots, international entertainment career, service in the French Resistance, civil rights work, and her significance to Missouri heritage and tourism. Committee members voiced strong support and asked questions about her legacy, including her adopted children and her role as a model for Black women and civil rights advocacy.
The committee then heard a presentation from Stephen Fouts, director of the Missouri Division of Tourism, on the state’s tourism marketing efforts and economic impact. He said tourism generated more than $21 billion in economic impact, over $18 billion in direct spending, and supported more than 307,000 jobs, with more than 43 million visitors in the last fiscal year. He outlined the division’s marketing strategy, including the Mo character campaign, cooperative marketing grants for local DMOs, the Meet in Missouri Fund, film incentives, and major event promotion tied to the World Cup, Route 66 Centennial, and America 250. He also reported strong returns on marketing investment and discussed sports tourism, youth sports, and the importance of the cooperative marketing program to local communities.
A major topic of discussion was the possibility of significant budget cuts to tourism. The chair and several members argued that tourism is a major economic driver and said they would oppose deep reductions, with multiple members offering to sign a committee letter or otherwise advocate against cuts. Members asked how reductions would affect marketing, sports tourism, and the cooperative marketing program; Fouts said large cuts would likely reduce co-op funding proportionally and could harm local partners. No final action was taken on HCR 36 during the hearing, and the meeting adjourned after testimony and discussion.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm also a resident of the Star Lake neighborhood that recently got a light rail station that opened
- I'm also a resident of the Star Lake neighborhood that recently got a light rail station that opened
- Transit will finish the final piece of the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot measure when we open the Cross Lake
Bills:
SB6148
Committee:
House Transportation
Keywords:
regional transit authority, RTA, transit bonds, general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, bond maturity, debt limit, 25-year cap, regional mobility grant program, public transit financing, transportation funding, Washington RCW, bond issuance, municipal finance, infrastructure finance, 904, all
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- You can go to Bear Lake on, you know, August 25th, but you can't go on May 25th.
- I kind of agree with you that, you know, it's too cold in May to go out on Bear Lake, and it's too cold
- Chairman, Representative Veely, District 35, Bear Lake, Caribou, Teton, a little bit of Bonneville, a
Committee:
House Education
Summary:
The committee first approved the minutes from February 9th without objection. It then introduced RS 32974, which would set a uniform school start date of the Tuesday after Labor Day. Supporters said it would create consistency for families and help tourism, while members raised concerns about impacts on rural districts, harvest schedules, fairs, and finishing the school year before Christmas break. The committee also introduced RS 33138C1, an apprenticeship-style option for filling principal and superintendent vacancies in rural areas, and RS 33325, which would create a voluntary high school civics seal and related district endorsement for students meeting civics and volunteerism requirements.
The committee then heard House Bill 608, a clarification bill for the public school facilities cooperative fund. Sponsors explained that the bill would clean up eligibility rules, repayment terms, and priority criteria for districts seeking grant money for school facilities, especially where safety needs exist or a bond has failed. Testimony from Camas County and Middleton School District supported the changes, saying the current law can force districts to run repeated bonds even when grant amounts are smaller than prior bond requests, creating confusion and eroding public trust. Members discussed how the bill differs from other school facilities funding laws and how it is intended to help districts with urgent needs and limited bonding capacity. HB 608 was moved to the floor with a do-pass recommendation and approved.
Finally, the committee considered House Bill 636, which would allow school districts to use remaining school district facilities fund dollars for lease-purchase agreements and related long-term facility investments after required bond and levy obligations are met. The sponsor and a West Ada superintendent said the bill would give districts more flexibility to address growth, aging buildings, and debt repayment without increasing property taxes, while still preserving local control. Members asked about the size and funding source of the facilities fund and noted concerns about disparities between rural and urban districts. HB 636 was also sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation, and the committee adjourned after announcing its next meeting location.
ID
Transcript Highlights:
- You can go to Bear Lake on, you know, August 25th, but you can't go on May 25th.
- I kind of agree with you that, you know, it's too cold in May to go out on Bear Lake, and it's too cold
- Chairman, Representative Veile, District 35, Bear Lake, Caribou, Teton, a little bit of Bonneville, a
Committee:
House Education
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 02/05/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Calendar 178, Senate Print 4075A, Senator Scarcella-Spanton, an act to amend the relation Silver Lake
- >> CALENDAR 178, 4075A SENATOR SCARCELLA-SPANTON, AN ACT TO AMEND THE RELATION SILVER LAKE Calendar
- 178, Senate Print 4075A, Senator Scarcella-Spanton, an act to amend the relation Silver Lake Foundation
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation by Imam Tahir Kukaj of the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, who offered remarks about gratitude, diversity, and support for Kosovo’s independence. The Journal was approved, and the chamber then took up several previously adopted resolutions, including Resolution 1516 commemorating the 18th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence and Resolution 1317 honoring the Stillwater Girls Varsity Soccer Team and Head Coach Christine Ihnatolya for winning the NYSPHSAA Class C state championship. Both resolutions were adopted, and the sponsors were authorized to seek additional co-sponsors.
The Senate then moved through the calendar and passed a series of bills, including measures on environmental conservation, education, public health, civil service, penal law, public service, labor, and a retroactive real property tax exemption for the Silver Lake Foundation. Most bills passed with broad support, though several drew recorded no votes from a small group of senators. Senator Fahy explained her vote on a bill renaming an OASAS scholarship in honor of Father Peter Young, emphasizing his work on addiction, incarceration, and homelessness.
Two items drew extended debate. On Calendar 141, Senator Walczyk appealed the chair’s ruling that an amendment to a public service bill was nongermane; the Senate voted 21 to overrule the chair, so the ruling stood, and the bill then passed 52-6. On Calendar 213, Senators Kavanagh and Borrello debated a food-safety bill concerning disclosure of certain food ingredients and chemicals; supporters said it would improve transparency and protect children’s health, while opponents argued federal action was already underway and a national standard would be preferable. After the bill was restored to the non-controversial calendar, it passed 56-2. The Senate then adjourned until Monday, February 9 at 3:00 p.m., with intervening days as legislative days.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Floor Session - part 2 May 17th, 2025
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- not perfect I had a couple of issues in this bill that didn't make it through for veterans at Fall Lake
- It's disappointing because the folks that do come up to Veterans on the Lake are a lot of PTSD, and I
- They do a great job on Veterans on the Lake.
FL
Florida 2025 Regular Session
April 7, 2025 - 01:00 PM
Transcript Highlights:
- the canal is owned by the South Florida Water Management District and the other side is owned by the Lake
- services, and those counties would be located along pretty much the northern edge of Florida and around Lake
- Lake Worth drainage districts, for example, in Palm Beach County, has 511 miles of canals that intersect
Summary:
The Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee met and first took up CS/HB 973, a broad special districts bill focused heavily on soil and water conservation districts. The bill would dissolve 35 soil and water districts effective December 31, 2025, based on an OPAGA review that found widespread problems such as lack of revenue, inactive boards, poor notice practices, public records issues, and late financial reporting. It also would let special districts use state contracts, authorize FDLE background checks for district employees, preserve fire district taxing/service authority after annexation, extend liability protections for outdoor recreation on certain district lands, tighten eligibility for soil and water supervisors, and shift complaint review to the Commission on Ethics. Supporters argued the districts are often inactive, duplicative, and costly to review, while opponents said many districts provide local conservation, water quality, outreach, and volunteer services and should be given more time to remediate.
Public testimony on HB 973 was mixed. Several soil and water district chairs and related advocates opposed the bill, saying their districts provide local conservation, flood, invasive species, education, and coordination services at little or no taxpayer cost, and that abolishing them would remove local representation and collaboration. The bill’s proponent, the Florida Association of Special Districts, supported the measure as a limited-government and accountability reform, arguing that districts with no revenue or contracts should not continue. Members debated whether the bill was relying on the OPAGA report while also eliminating future performance reviews, whether the Department of Agriculture could absorb the added responsibilities, and whether the districts should have been given more time to correct deficiencies. The committee ultimately voted the bill favorably, with one no vote from Representative Hinson.
The committee then considered CS/HB 995, which applies to Monroe County and the Florida Keys. The bill would exempt Habitat for Humanity in the Keys from construction performance bond requirements for affordable housing, extend the Florida Keys land acquisition/set-aside authority in Florida Forever for 10 more years, and extend the hurricane evacuation time frame from 24 hours to 24.5 hours to allow up to 825 additional residential permit allocations, phased in over 10 years and directed largely toward vacant buildable lots and workforce housing. An amendment was adopted to codify the 825-unit allocation and the distribution framework. With no opposition offered on the bill, the committee reported HB 995 favorably by unanimous vote.
ND
North Dakota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Appropriations - Human Resources Division Apr 2nd, 2025 at 02:00 pm
Appropriations - Human Resources Division
Transcript Highlights:
- people in the northeast part of the state, and I think that would include Turtle Mountain and Spirit Lake
- And Spirit Lake Tribe to get care from Grand Forks. That's better for the families.
- And in North Dakota, we were awarded specifically for the Devil's Lake and Bismarck regions.
Summary:
The HR division continued work on the behavioral health budget, with members revisiting several funding items and generally agreeing to hold provider inflation increases until the full division picture is clearer. They tentatively supported additional funding for Community Connect and Free Through Recovery, as well as increases for the drug court program and peer support, while clarifying that some items were already in the House version and others were one-time or grant-related expenditures.
The committee spent considerable time on a proposed $2 million behavioral health services program for nursing homes and basic care facilities. Senator Mathern brought revised language to describe a capitated payment model for training, consultation, and direct patient care for residents with medically based behavioral disorders and disruptive behaviors. Some members remained skeptical and wanted to see the amendment before deciding, but the discussion centered on whether the funding would help nursing homes accept patients who otherwise end up in state hospitals or acute care settings.
Members also discussed several one-time funding items, including electronic health record and legacy system upgrades, network redundancy for the state hospital, partial hospitalization/intensive day treatment expansion, and a bathroom remodel at the Southeast Human Service Center. The committee restored the bathroom project to the original $972,000 estimate after concerns that the House reduction would not cover the needed ADA and plumbing work. They also debated a $12.96 million behavioral health facility grant for Altru in Grand Forks, with some members opposing it and others supporting it as a regional service expansion, but ultimately set it aside for later consideration.
The meeting ended with staff flagging other sections of the bill, including the opioid settlement advisory language, the state hospital steering committee, behavioral health education grants, and the system of care grant. The chair announced that medical services would be taken up the next day, and members agreed to adjourn after planning to revisit unresolved behavioral health items and vote on the held bill later.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Budget Section Regulatory Division Mar 18th, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Transcript Highlights:
- There are homes currently under construction in Devil's Lake, which are nearing completion and are likely
- The two projects that typically don't get as much attention are the two that you see north of Lake Sakakawea
- And so in all of these projects, whether you're looking at the projects north of the lake, the projects
- Chairman, Representative, so the two projects north of Lake Sakakawea, they are only tied into North
- natural gas processing in McKenzie County, as well as the North Bakken Project, which traverses across Lake
Summary:
The committee met as the Regulatory Division of the budget section and received updates on several Industrial Commission-related agencies and programs. Legislative Council first reviewed base budget materials, then the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency reported on its current appropriation and staffing, noting that its new FTEs were being filled gradually and that it remained largely funded through special and federal funds. Agency leaders described homeownership lending, loan servicing, and housing incentive fund activity, including below-market mortgage rates, down payment assistance, and a growing servicing portfolio that has increased workload but not yet required additional FTEs.
Housing Finance also detailed use of the Housing Incentive Fund and homeless grant dollars. Officials said the multifamily HIF round drew more than $73 million in requests and awarded $25 million, while the single-family program supported rural development and community land trusts. Homeless grant funding was split between emergency shelter, prevention, and rapid rehousing, with performance-based scoring used to renew or reallocate awards. Members discussed housing affordability, aging households, rental assistance, and the need to coordinate housing and site-preparation messaging with Commerce. The agency asked that HIF, single-family, and homeless funding be maintained or increased in the next session.
The Department of Mineral Resources then presented its budget and operations update. Staff said the agency was on track financially, had filled most of its new reclamation FTEs, and was not expecting major litigation costs beyond normal late-biennium invoices. The director reviewed agency initiatives including Project North Star IT modernization, organizational restructuring, succession planning, rulemaking, and implementation of the development incentive well tax program and critical minerals rules. He also discussed oil and gas activity, explaining that longer laterals, especially three- and four-mile wells and the first five-mile spacing case, are helping keep production relatively flat even as rig counts ease. Members asked about gas capture, hedging, break-even prices, and the effects of Iran and Venezuela on oil markets.
The committee also heard about enhanced oil recovery grants and the Pipeline Authority. The EOR program’s $25 million appropriation was fully allocated to six projects, with total awards reaching about $45.1 million when other fund balances were included, subject to a possible 5% reduction if federal DOE money does not materialize. Officials said the projects are public, reimbursement-based, and will produce results over the next several years. Finally, the Pipeline Authority outlined natural gas transmission projects, including the imminent Bakken Express line and the proposed Bakken East project, which WBI was selected to advance after an Industrial Commission RFI process. The project is moving through open season, survey permission, and regulatory work, with in-service dates projected for 2029 and 2030.
WA
Transcript Highlights:
- I live in the Lake City neighborhood, about half a mile away from that former Fred Meyer, and I shopped
- The Lake City neighborhood is a predominantly working-class neighborhood, a very diverse neighborhood
- prevent it and how we can encourage grocery stores to come back into underserved communities like Lake
- My name is Nilo Jenks, and I live in Lake City in North Seattle.
- My name is Keon Jenks, and I also live in Lake City in North Seattle.
Committee:
House Finance
Keywords:
HB2038, Washington, B&O tax, business and occupation tax, social media tax, platform tax, youth behavioral health, mental health, adolescent mental health, children's mental health, telebehavioral health, behavioral health account, state treasury, digital services tax, internet platform, social media companies, youth services, depression, anxiety, public health funding
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Jan 29th, 2026
Transcript Highlights:
- My name is Yuri Tanaka Manzado, and I am a current senior at Lake Washington High School.
- I live in Kirkland, Washington, and I'm a senior at Lake Washington High School.
- Jumping forward to my upperclassman years, Lake Washington High School implemented a new phone policy
- I'm a current high school senior at Lake Washington High School, and I'm speaking on my own behalf.
- As a student at Lake Washington, I've experienced some of the proposed recommendations described in Senate
Summary:
The committee heard Senate Bill 6192, which would expand structured literacy and numeracy requirements, add a third-grade math intervention process similar to the existing reading “gate,” create annual STAR teacher bonuses for selected math and ELA teachers, and require updated teacher endorsement standards. The sponsor, Sen. Braun, said the bill is meant to refocus districts on core academics and use research-based instruction while still allowing local flexibility, especially in math. OSPI said it supports the bill’s goals but raised concerns about the teacher award structure and access to student-level data. ESD representatives also flagged implementation issues with the award program. Testimony was split: some parents, students, and reading advocates opposed the bill as too prescriptive or too reliant on phonics and standardized testing, while others supported stronger academic intervention and accountability. No vote was taken.
The committee then heard Senate Bill 6206, a pilot program to incentivize child care providers to serve children of first responders through grants administered by the Department of Commerce, with local matching funds and a report on recruitment and retention outcomes. Sen. Dhingra said the bill addresses a major barrier for police, firefighters, EMTs, and crisis workers, especially women leaving the field because of child care challenges. Testimony from law enforcement officers, union representatives, and a national law enforcement child care foundation strongly supported the bill, describing unpredictable schedules, last-minute overtime, and the need for nontraditional and sick-child care. Senator Wilson asked about existing non-standard-hours child care bonuses and whether the proposal should instead be housed at DCYF; staff explained the current subsidy program and that this bill would create a separate Commerce pilot. No vote was taken.
Finally, the committee heard Senate Bill 5346 on student mobile device use in public schools. The bill would add mobile devices to digital citizenship instruction, direct OSPI to compile research and best practices, and require reports on school policies limiting phone use during instructional hours, with final recommendations due in 2028. Sen. Leas argued that phones are distracting, harm learning and mental health, and should be restricted in schools while still teaching responsible use. Testimony was largely supportive from students, parents, educators, and researchers who described improved engagement, fewer disruptions, and better school climate under phone restrictions; several urged a stronger bell-to-bell statewide policy. Opponents raised concerns about emergency communication, student safety, and local control. The hearing on the bill was closed without a vote.
WA
Washington 2025-2026 Regular Session
House State Government & Tribal Relations Jan 13th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
State Government & Tribal Relations
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm from Bonney Lake in Pierce County.
- I'm from Bonnie Lake. and pierce. Thank you. Thank you. My name is Sharon Hannock.
- I'm from Bonnie Lake in Pierce County.
- I'm from Bonney Lake, and I also am a treasurer to many campaigns and committees.
- I'm from Bonney Lake, and I am from Pierce County.
Committee:
House State Government & Tribal Relations
Keywords:
local representation, fair elections, government accountability, voter rights, transparency, foreign nationals, elections, Washington state, voter participation, government oversight, voting rights, uniform standards, overseas voting, civilian voting, state legislation, tribal relations, government, state policy, sovereignty, federalism