Transcript Highlights:

• is obviously get that salary closer to where some of the federal salaries are and attract a broader pool
• Number one, which, if you increase the talent pool and the application, you're going to improve the quality
• and the courts find them to be so, the real victim is New Mexico businesses and law-abiding gun purchasers

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• committee, I realize just now when she mentioned the State Investment Council, local government investment pool
• Casillas—$7 million for the local government investment pool.
• So when we have things that we need to purchase for students that we can't use our regular funds for,

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair, is there a pool? Is there a reserve?
• Not a pool, but there's an amount for capital outlay projects within the Navajo Nation General Funds.
• We recently purchased a building on our reservation that will house our fully staffed historic preservation

Transcript Highlights:

• Tom Sawyer pool repairs are completed. The recreation building upgrades are pending due to weather.
• Tom Sawyer pool repairs are completed. The recreation building upgrades are pending due to weather.
• Several park lodges and community pools were constructed in the 60s and 70s.
• several Park lodges and community pools several Park lodges and community pools<00:43:15.040> were
• A consultant has been selected for pool projects and presented with a prioritized list of park pools

Keywords: Reuploaded to restore full meeting 00:13 Call to Order and Roll Call 01:14 Approval of Minutes 01:40 Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet 27:44 Department of Parks 59:23 Adjournment, 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its second Budget Review on Economic Development, Public Protection, Tourism, and Energy and first approved the minutes from the prior meeting. Members then heard a presentation from the Tourism, Arts, and Heritage Cabinet and the Kentucky Department of Tourism on the 1% tourism marketing fund. Witnesses explained that the fund supports statewide tourism promotion, advertising, research, regional marketing, and matching grants to local tourism commissions, and that it cannot be used for capital construction. They reported that the General Assembly and governor increased appropriations in the 2024 session, adding $3 million in FY25 and $7 million in FY26, and set aside funding for the Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority, the National Quilt Museum, and the Southern Kentucky Tourism Initiative. Tourism officials emphasized that Kentucky tourism is a major economic driver, citing 2023 figures of $13.8 billion in economic impact, 79.3 million visitors, $9.7 billion in direct spending, more than 95,000 jobs supported, and nearly $1 billion in state and local tax revenue. They said the department now uses targeted digital and over-the-top advertising in selected domestic and international markets, with 62% of media placements digital and 80% of the budget spent out of state. Members asked about market selection, how the department measures return on investment, and what attracts visitors from places such as Dallas, Orlando, Toronto, and Washington, D.C.; officials said research shows a mix of family visits, outdoor recreation, and varied Kentucky offerings, and that 81% of overnight visitors are repeat visitors. They also discussed the potential impact of tariffs and trade tensions on bourbon-related tourism and international visitation, especially from Canada, and officials said they were monitoring the situation with U.S. Travel Association and Brand USA. The committee then heard from Kentucky State Parks officials on capital projects funded through HJR 76, HJR 56, and House Bill 6. They said they are providing quarterly project reports and have been meeting regularly with the Finance Cabinet’s engineering and contract staff. The presentation focused on campground utilities, broadband, and structural upgrades, including $40 million for campground improvements across the park system, with completed bathhouse renovations at Barren River and Nolin Lake and additional projects underway or in planning. Officials said the work is based on camper survey feedback, such as requests for better Wi-Fi, sewer and electric upgrades, frost-free spigots, and improved site layouts, and noted that the My Old Kentucky Home campground project is under construction and expected to be completed by spring 2026.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have a therapy pool.
• after they're out of the pool.
• if we look at the zero-gravity pool.
• Oh, it's a walk-in pool, so the wheelchairs don't require a lift to get into the pool.
• <01:29:33.320> does into the zero level gradual pool does into the zero level gradual pool

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• If you ever wanted a free pool...
• I get, maybe I will get the pool, but maybe I don't want the pool.
• I just get the pool because that's what's offered, right?
• pool.
• Just get the pool because that's what's offered, right?

Summary: The Committee on Community Affairs met with a quorum present and took up SB 122, which would repeal Chapter 205 on local business taxes while allowing municipalities to continue imposing a gross-receipts-based business tax on merchants. Senator Trumbull presented the bill for the sponsor, and committee members questioned what services local governments fund with local business tax revenue and whether the bill should be considered alongside broader property tax changes. County and city representatives opposed the bill, arguing that local business taxes are capped home-rule revenues used for general fund services such as public safety, zoning and licensure checks, economic development, and business support, and warning that repeal would shift costs to residential taxpayers and reduce local flexibility. Senator Shreve said he would vote no because of ongoing property tax discussions, while Senator Pizzo said he would support the bill but wanted clearer accounting of how the revenue is spent. The committee voted 5-1 to report SB 122 favorably. The committee then held a housing panel discussion focused on Florida’s housing shortage, affordability, and supply constraints. Dr. Samuel Staley said Florida is in a housing crisis driven largely by insufficient supply, arguing that the state needs roughly 100,000 additional units per year just to keep up with in-migration and that local planning systems often do not prioritize housing enough. He urged more emphasis on measurable impacts, streamlined permitting, accessory dwelling units, smaller lot sizes, and other market-responsive tools. Ann Ray of the Shimberg Center said Florida is seeing more single-family and multifamily construction but that production is concentrated in a handful of counties, while condo construction remains limited; she also noted that rents and home prices spiked sharply in the early 2020s and remain above pre-2020 levels, with nearly 905,000 low-income renters cost-burdened. Leslie Deutsch of John Burns Research said the national housing market is slow, Florida has a severe affordability problem, and builders are lowering prices and offering incentives but still face high land, labor, materials, and insurance costs. In committee discussion, senators focused on whether Florida should encourage more density, including townhomes, build-to-rent products, modular housing, and redevelopment of existing sites rather than relying on large new subdivisions. Members also discussed the role of local zoning, impact fees, density bonuses, and state incentives tied to housing targets. Several senators said Florida’s growth and affordability challenges require updating land development codes and planning for where future residents will live without overbuilding rural or environmentally sensitive areas. The chair closed by emphasizing that density can support affordability and that Florida should use existing footprints more efficiently.

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was the original purpose of the SAUs, to be able to have purchases more advantageous purchases
• SAUs, to be able to have purchases SAUs, to be able to have purchases more<00:50:03.240> um
• c> more um more um advantageous<00:50:05.040> purchases advantageous purchases advantageous purchases
• power both when it comes to purchasing power both when it comes to purchasing things.<00:50:27.000
• your regular um food um purchasing your regular um food um purchasing during<01:13:30.200> during

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For KET, we authorized two maintenance pool projects totaling $2.5 million.
• of $80 million by general fund pool of $80 million by combining<00:33:55.800> appropriations<
• pool projects totaling $2.5 million. pool projects totaling $2.5 million.
• We also authorize asset preservation pools for postsecondary institutions totaling $190 million.
• for asset preservation pools for asset preservation pools for postsecondary<00:42:49.800> institutions

Keywords: 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This firm is part of the university's consultant pool, with negotiated contracts.
• Departments then go to that pool and negotiate specific scopes of work.
• <00:42:41.920> uh firm is part of our consultant pool uh firm is part of our consultant pool
• and that he could not answer that question specifically for the pool.
• specifically because the pool covers many different topics.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Government Contracts Committee first approved the minutes from its July 8 meeting and then moved through a large agenda of contracts and deferred items. The committee deferred a Kentucky Education Television contract because the vendor was still not registered with the Secretary of State, and also deferred a University of Louisville contract to the September meeting at the university’s request. Both motions passed by roll call. The committee then took up a contract with the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for Seven Counties Services. Committee members questioned why the state continues funding the provider despite its ongoing bankruptcy tied to unpaid retirement contributions, how the funding split is determined, whether the state had explored other providers or direct state delivery, and whether all services in the contract are truly required by statute. Agency officials said Seven Counties is the statutorily designated community mental health center for the region, serves about 24,500 people, and provides core safety-net services that would be difficult to replace; they also said the bankruptcy dispute is still ongoing and the contested amount is about $20 million. The committee ultimately deferred the contract to the next meeting and requested additional information on the scope of services and potential offsets or recovery of unfunded liabilities. The final deferred item was a Department for Community Based Services contract with Youth Villages for the Intercept program. DCBS explained that the program is used because it is an approved evidence-based service under the Family First Prevention Services Act, that Youth Villages has Kentucky staff and offices even though it is headquartered in Tennessee, and that the contract is intended to support intensive in-home services, foster care stabilization, and family reunification. Members asked why the services could not be provided in-house, whether Medicaid should cover more of the cost, and whether the state requires the provider to bill Medicaid as a payer of last resort. DCBS said it would verify billing and funding details and provide them back to the committee. The committee then voted to defer the contract to the next meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're just going to tell you you can only get so much from this pool."
• /c><00:27:30.320> much<00:27:30.480> from<00:27:30.720> this<00:27:30.960> pool
• can only get so much from this pool." can only get so much from this pool."
• of Democrats, Republicans, and undeclareds, the qualification system, the process of narrowing the pool
• from 60 down to nine, narrowing the pool from 60 down to nine, the<02:01:40.400> transparency

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• non-substantive correction to the fee listed for each separate inspection of the bonding for a swimming pool
• non-substantive correction to the fee listed for each separate inspection of the bonding for a swimming pool
• non-substantive correction to the fee listed for each separate inspection of the bonding for a swimming pool
• non-substantive correction to the fee listed for each separate inspection of the bonding for a swimming pool
• non-substantive correction to the fee listed for each separate inspection of the bonding for a swimming pool

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• For instances when a third party purchases medical debt from a licensed health care facility, the amendment
• provides that, except for actions specifically authorized under the bill, the purchaser is prohibited
• For instances when a third party purchases medical debt from a licensed health care facility, the amendment
• provides that, except for actions specifically authorized under the bill, the purchaser is prohibited
• Bill 952 is a simple bill that repeals Florida Statute 870.04, which automatically prohibits the purchase

Summary: The Rules Committee took up a large agenda of bills, with many measures reported favorably after brief explanations, amendments, and testimony. Early bills included CS/SB 658 on lien waivers and releases, which was amended to preserve enforceability despite form differences and then passed; CS/CS/SB 736 on brownfields redevelopment, which drew support from business and redevelopment interests and passed; and CS/SB 1002 on utility service restrictions, which was amended to bar certain building or fire code provisions affecting fuel-source choices and then passed despite opposition from environmental advocates. The committee also advanced CS/CS/SB 1132 on right-to-repair for certain equipment, where manufacturers, dealer representatives, and industry groups warned the bill could undermine dealer networks and existing repair programs, while supporters argued it would improve consumer access and help farmers and equipment owners. The bill still passed. Other measures reported favorably included CS/SB 1378 on restitution for leaving the scene of property-damage crashes, CS/CS/SB 768 on foreign-country controlling interests in health care licensing, CS/SB 772 on school access to glucagon for diabetes emergencies, CS/SB 1400 on removal of nonconsensual altered sexual depictions, and CS/SB 1696 on transportation network company impersonation and transit funding. A major portion of the meeting focused on affordable housing. CS/SB 1730, a follow-up to the Live Local Act, made several changes to zoning, height, density, parking, moratorium, and enforcement provisions, with members raising concerns about parking reductions, attorney’s fees, local control, and impacts in the Keys and other sensitive areas. Supporters said the bill closes loopholes and improves workforce housing implementation, while some witnesses urged additional exemptions for areas of critical state concern. The bill was reported favorably after amendment. Later, the committee considered several bills from Senator Leak, including CS/SB 576 on service of process, CS/SB 606 on public lodging and food service establishments, and CS/SB 1164 on electronic delivery of landlord-tenant notices. CS/SB 606 drew substantial debate over whether hotels and extended-stay properties should be able to remove nonpaying guests without treating them like residential tenants; the sponsor said the bill clarifies transient occupancy and removes mandatory arrest provisions, and it passed. CS/SB 1164, which allows email notice delivery by agreement, passed despite concerns from tenant advocates that the bill should include clearer consent and safeguards. The committee also approved CS/SB 1374 on school district reporting of educator arrests and misconduct, CS/SB 940 on third-party restaurant reservation sales, and began hearing CS/SB 1690 on surrendered infants, which would authorize infant safety devices or “baby boxes” as a legal surrender option, with supportive testimony from proponents describing crisis situations and the need for anonymous surrender options.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're very concerned about the jury pools already difficult to find qualified good jurors to serve.
• If we were charged, we all want to have a wide jury pool to pick our peers to judge us in a case.
• If we were charged, we all want to have a wide jury pool to pick a peers to judge us in a case.
• They each have the same number, and that's meant to create this fair jury trial pool.
• And I guess I'm concerned that as we remove people from the pool, that process will not work as it is

Summary: The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard three bills. AB 250 by Majority Leader Aguiar-Curry would extend a limited window for survivors of sexual assault to seek civil recourse against perpetrators and entities that allegedly covered up abuse. The author and supporters, including survivor Maya Alexander and Equal Rights Advocates, said many survivors need years before they can come forward and that the bill would improve accountability and public safety. One member raised concerns about the bill’s application to private employers and the exclusion of public employees, but the bill was advanced on a motion to Appropriations and later placed on call until additional votes were added. AB 373 by Assemblymember Rubio would require appointed counsel for non-minor dependents in extended foster care to represent the young adult’s expressed wishes rather than substitute the attorney’s judgment. Supporters from California Youth Connection and the Children’s Law Center said 18- to 21-year-olds in foster care are legal adults and should have their voices fully respected in court. Members discussed how the bill would work in practice and whether it applied only to appointed counsel; the bill was moved to Human Services and later cleared after additional votes were added. AB 387 by Assemblymember Alanis, as amended, would exempt probation officers from criminal jury service. The author and supporters argued probation officers are deeply involved in the criminal justice process, often get dismissed anyway, and should be focused on supervision and court-related duties rather than jury duty. The Judicial Council opposed the bill, warning that categorical exemptions shrink the jury pool and set a bad precedent. After debate over fairness, precedent, and the role of probation officers, the committee voted the bill out on a do pass motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, we have a high-cost drug risk pool that is established to help cover some of the costs that
• Right now, we have a high-cost drug risk pool that is established to help cover some of the costs that
• Are you having any issues with hiring, with talent pool issues, finding enough?
• Are you having any issues with hiring, with talent pool issues, finding enough?
• The nursing pool certainly is still an issue.

Summary: The committee held a panel discussion focused on how Florida health care organizations are working to improve access, quality, and affordability. Panelists from Florida Community Care/Independent Living Systems, Sunshine Health, AdventHealth, UF Health, and Nemours described their approaches, including Medicaid managed care, value-based contracting, community partnerships, mobile screening units, smart-room technology, telehealth, and specialized programs for maternal health, children, and complex chronic conditions. Several speakers emphasized that managed care and coordinated care can improve outcomes while reducing unnecessary utilization and costs. Members asked about the impact of Medicare’s V28 changes, mobile cancer screening, urgent care versus emergency room billing, pediatric specialty access, complaint resolution, Black maternal mortality, provider shortages, network adequacy, and the use of AI in prior authorization. Witnesses said V28 has affected providers and revenue, UF Health’s mobile screening program is expanding beyond a few cancer types, and its urgent care model bills patients at the appropriate level rather than both urgent care and ER rates. Nemours said it reduced specialty wait times through scheduling changes, telemedicine, and registry tools, while AdventHealth described postpartum coordination and maternal heart programs to reduce maternal complications and mortality. On complaints and access problems, panelists said their organizations use patient/member advocates, care managers, call centers, and escalation processes to resolve issues, and Sunshine Health specifically discussed a transportation complaint that was addressed with its vendor and the family. Sunshine Health also said it is not using AI for prior authorization, though it is exploring responsible uses elsewhere, and Florida Community Care said it is not using AI in utilization management. In closing, panelists identified workforce shortages, provider burnout, and high-cost drugs as the biggest ongoing challenges. The meeting ended with thanks to the panel and adjournment after Representative Brackett moved to rise, without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• We need to band together, pool our resources, and avoid being siloed.
• A government is infamous for only purchasing materials for current projects and their emergencies.
• We are able to purchase some equipment under the management costs associated with some of these grants
• from our FEMA grants, and so we have purchased things like mobile command units. units that we can go
• You can have the fire-only policy or you can elect To purchase extended coverage.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're also allowing, or providing, the ability to limit the applicant pool depending upon how many
• They're also allowing, or providing, the ability to limit the applicant pool depending upon how many
• They're also allowing, or providing, the ability to limit the applicant pool depending upon how many
• We do have one small amendment request, to just expand the eligibility pool.
• We do have one small amendment request, to just expand the eligibility pool.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• to be signed up, and then ballots can be assigned electronically for them by having a large voter pool
• to be signed up, and then ballots can be assigned electronically for them by having a large voter pool
• 02:53:03.359> voter for them um by having a large voter for them um by having a large voter pool
• . the people that are highly pool. the people that are highly unlikely<02:53:06.560> to<02:53:
• or imports of new rate to purchases or imports of new motor<03:29:43.760> vehicles<03:29:44.160

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs recessed briefly for a joint hearing, then reconvened and took up House Bill 2494, which would limit warrantless arrests for petty misdemeanors and violations, require officers to document arrest justification, expand citation-in-lieu-of-arrest use, and direct the Judiciary to create a standardized citation form. The chair also outlined hearing procedures and testimony time limits. Committee members later received an overview from the Policing Project about national trends in expanding citation use. Testimony was divided. Supporters, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, the Office of the Public Defender, the ACLU of Hawaii, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and the Policing Project, argued the bill would reduce unnecessary arrests and pretrial detention, lessen jail overcrowding, save law enforcement time, and reduce harms such as job loss, housing instability, family disruption, and recidivism. They also said the bill preserves officer discretion through public-safety and flight-risk exceptions, and several supporters urged the committee to adopt a standardized citation form despite the Judiciary’s request for a delayed implementation date. Opposition came from the Department of the Attorney General, the Judiciary, county prosecutors, Honolulu Police Department, and other individuals. They argued the bill would unduly restrict law enforcement discretion, create administrative and data-processing problems, and make it harder to identify repeat or habitual offenders because of changes to citation information and fingerprinting. The Judiciary requested implementation no earlier than January 1, 2028 and said the citation form would need major changes. Opponents also warned the bill could increase litigation, suppress evidence, and not meaningfully reduce overcrowding because most jail populations are held on felony matters. The chair reported 14 testimonies in support, 21 in opposition, and one with comments; no vote or final action was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Or if a downturn happens and we have to tap reserves, it's sitting in the General Fund investment pool
• You can see that line in black, especially the liquidity pool, which is usually overnight.
• Moving on to page 16, a closer look at the State General Fund investment pool, you can see here that
• You can see the state investment pool earnings actually go back into the General Fund.
• It's going to be overtaking all of our investment revenue, so that the job investment pool.

Transcript Highlights:

• But according to them, they believe that they were writing for an accessible pool.
• And having it for a non-accessible pool changes a lot of the things that they want to do.
• Trying to keep the risk pools informed of what's going on so that they'll know.
• There's a pool of money that's put together by current insurance companies in case there's a failure
• and to put it in a create this pool and to put it in a period<00:34:41.600> of<00:34:41.720><

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Greg Poole. You're here; would you please come up?
• Poole. Dr. Poole. Thank you. My name is Greg Poole. I'm the superintendent at Barber Sill.
• Poole, thank you for being here with us.
• Poole. The Committee on Education K through 16, is that our number? Sorry.
• Poole. The Committee on Education K through 16, is that our number? Sorry.

Bills: HB2

Keywords: disaster preparedness, emergency management, flooding, mass fatality, mass casualty, fatality tracking, body recovery, autopsy, justice of the peace, medical examiner, county judge, sheriff, mayor, emergency coordinator, emergency manager license, volunteer management system, volunteer registration, criminal history check, background check, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Summary: The Senate Education K-16 Committee met to consider HB 2, the major school finance bill, with the chair explaining that the committee substitute would provide about $8 billion in new public education funding. The bill was described as including permanent teacher compensation increases, expanded teacher incentive allotment funding, support for early literacy and numeracy, teacher certification and residency pathways, special education funding, career and technical education, school safety dollars, and facilities support for charter schools. The committee adopted the committee substitute without objection after roll was called and a quorum was present. Members questioned the bill’s structure, especially the balance between across-the-board teacher pay and the teacher incentive allotment, the treatment of uncertified teachers, and differences in requirements between traditional public schools and charter schools. Senator Menendez and Senator West raised concerns about equity, charter-school parity, facilities funding, inflation, and whether the bill should include more support for fine arts and extracurricular programs. The chair responded that the bill was designed to direct most new money to traditional public schools while also preserving flexibility and that charter-school and public-school alignment would need further work. Invited witnesses Dr. Imelda De La Rosa and Val Acri testified in support of the bill, emphasizing that the Teacher Incentive Allotment helps recruit and retain teachers in rural districts and supports mentorship and certification pathways. Public witnesses also supported the bill but urged more funding for fine arts, local flexibility, and full restoration of House-proposed funding levels. Dr. Josh Jones supported year-long teacher residencies, Dr. Philip Morgan asked for more local control and restoration of fine arts funding, Rich Saina supported the bill but warned about hold-harmless reductions, and Dr. Greg Poole supported the bill while asking for flexibility for high-performing districts that already pay high salaries. After the invited testimony and some public testimony, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair so members could attend the Senate floor.