Transcript Highlights:

• process?
• budget cuts. ...of austerity or budget cuts, which hopefully we won't be in again.
• And we went through this interim process. And then I saw the budget, and it was flat.
• And we went through this interim process. And then I saw the budget. And it was flat.
• But it's to sort of go through the process. We have to adopt a budget quite soon.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• When we started our budget process in August, we had a public portal where we asked Minnesotans what
• they'd like to see in the budget.
• 00:01:47.280> thought appreciated the process, the thought appreciated the process, the thought
• <00:03:13.920> process<00:03:14.319> in when we started our budget process in when
• we started our budget process in August<00:03:14.800> we<00:03:14.959> had<00:03:15.040

Bills: HF2446

Keywords: agriculture finance, broadband development, Department of Agriculture, Board of Animal Health, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, Office of Broadband Development, food safety, food handler license, cottage food, home processed food, livestock dealer, meat packing company, milk marketer, milk marketing license, grain buyer, grain storage, beginning farmer, emerging farmer, farm down payment assistance, livestock investment grant

Transcript Highlights:

• Revenue would come up with a process for Revenue would come up with a process for that.<00:12:00.000>
• process ended in 2023.
• process ended in 2023.
• district budgets. district budgets.
• district budget. I would love a way to district budget.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• of Technology project approval lifecycle process.
• So it was a transitional process of our, a very manual process for our employees, which is now.
• I'm the Chief of Budgets and Accounting.
• And maybe a clarification on the relocation. processes, which specific relocation processes was this
• Irresponsible doesn't allow for departments to go through the budget process to allocate funds or alert

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Some of those will be future budget asks, not for this hearing or for this budget cycle.
• So, that is an ongoing process.
• This year's budget process, I'm hoping a lot of that is rescued because I do believe that those anchor
• That's what our budget should be used for. We support the governor's budget. Thank you. Thank you.
• CA RISE is more than a budget line.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And could you tell us what the current budget of this board is? What's your base budget?
• Is there any appeals process?
• That's about 72% of our budget.
• That's about 72% of our budget.
• That's about 72% of our budget.

Keywords: 1183, house

Summary: The Judiciary and Civil Law Committee met to hear an informational presentation from the Board of Judicial Standards. After brief member and staff introductions and a review of committee rules, the board’s executive secretary, Sarah Bas, and Mary Pat Maher explained the board’s history, mission, and operations. They described the board as an independent state agency that handles complaints about judicial misconduct and disability, issues advisory opinions, and educates judges on ethics. The presentation covered the board’s composition, complaint intake and screening process, and the levels of discipline available, ranging from summary dismissal and letters of caution to private admonitions, deferred disposition agreements, public reprimands, and formal complaints that can lead to Supreme Court review. Members asked about the board’s budget, public access to discipline records, confidentiality of complaints, and how the board balances accountability with protecting public confidence in the judiciary. The board said public discipline is posted on its website, while private admonitions, deferred dispositions, dismissals, and letters of caution remain confidential. It also said judges generally are told who complained so they can respond, though the board can withhold the source for good cause. Questions also focused on whether attorneys are underreporting misconduct, how many complaints are nuisance complaints, and whether the online complaint system changed the types of complaints received; the board said nuisance complaints make up more than half, the complaint types have not changed much, and it does not have data comparing complaint sources to outcomes. No votes or formal committee actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Assembly Budget Subcommittee 2 on Human Services.
• With regards to the federal budget next year, we have not seen any official budget proposals for our
• budget of 2026 will have on our programs.
• As you know, by the time the federal government finishes their budget process, California will be done
• with this budget process, which means that hopefully we will have time to spend more time with our families

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Human Services heard an overview of efforts to streamline access to safety net programs and move toward more automatic, person-centered enrollment. CDSS, DHCS, and CalHHS described current cross-enrollment between Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs, including data showing high overlap among programs and a text-message outreach pilot that increased CalWORKs applications and enrollments but reached only a small share of potentially eligible people. Witnesses emphasized barriers such as differing federal eligibility rules, data-sharing limits, privacy concerns, and the need for better technology, consent management, and stakeholder engagement. Members pressed the administration on how to institutionalize these efforts across administrations and asked for concrete budgetary and regulatory steps to support “no wrong door” enrollment and automatic referrals. The committee also reviewed several chair priorities. On the proposed foster care multi-agency office, CDSS said existing coordination structures already address much of the intended work and asked to verify prior fiscal scoring. On the Employment First Office, CalHHS explained that the office’s $1 million budget was eliminated in the 2024-25 budget as part of deficit reductions, while noting that employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remains an administration priority through existing departmental coordination. For the food insecurity proposal, CDSS said it could provide technical assistance but would need new data-sharing agreements, could not separately calculate a CFAP participation rate with current data, and would likely need until July 1, 2027, plus ongoing staffing, to complete the requested report. The mandated reporter proposal drew support for reform, with CDSS estimating low-millions in one-time training costs and ongoing costs in the hundreds of thousands. The subcommittee also discussed a guaranteed income proposal. CalHHS suggested drafting new statutory language and considering a county-administered model rather than a state-run competitive grant process to reduce administrative burden, while members and public commenters urged support for AB 661 and a study of a permanent statewide guaranteed income program. Public testimony also supported automatic enrollment, community-supporting mandated reporting reforms, and cash assistance for fire recovery. In the final items, CSD described how local nonprofit partners helped during the Los Angeles fires with food, housing vouchers, transportation, and emergency energy assistance, and explained that LIHEAP and CSBG remain important but limited tools for disaster response. CSD also said recent federal staffing cuts and possible future federal budget threats could affect LIHEAP and CSBG administration, though no immediate service disruptions had occurred and additional LIHEAP funds were expected to be released soon.

Transcript Highlights:

• Budget.
• And so you'll have that available during session as you go through the budgeting process at that time
• So some of that budget process does rely on the agencies to do that as well.
• So some of that budget process does rely on the agencies to do that as well.
• So some of that budget process does rely on the agencies to do that as well.

Summary: The Government Finance Committee met with new leadership, approved the December 11 minutes, and received a series of informational updates on the state’s finances and related policy issues. The Office of Management and Budget reported the general fund is tracking very close to forecast, with revenues about $2 million above forecast and an estimated ending balance of about $397 million, higher than previously expected. OMB also reviewed balances in major funds, including the budget stabilization fund, legacy fund, foundation aid stabilization fund, social services fund, and strategic investment and improvements fund, and answered questions about oil tax revenues and fund management. The Tax Department provided updates on taxable sales and purchases by county and industry, noting Cass County as the largest county by taxable sales and that retail trade remains the largest industry sector. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus also discussed the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its estimated effects on North Dakota income tax collections, explaining that the projected revenue impacts are measured against a 2025 baseline and that some provisions are temporary while others are permanent. He also reported that primary residence tax credit applications were running ahead of last year, with more than 154,000 received so far and an expectation of roughly 160,000-plus applications. The committee also heard fee-study presentations from the Department of Transportation and the Information Technology Department. DOT explained that driver’s license fees cover only about half of program costs and that the shortfall is subsidized by the highway fund, while also noting recent changes such as the blackout plate and motor vehicle excise tax distribution changes. NDIT described its internal service fund model, current billing structure, and possible future changes to simplify invoices and billing frequency. Legislative staff also updated the committee on office space needs in Bismarck-Mandan and on legislative branch space planning, and subcommittees reported progress on fixed-route transit funding and regional jail capacity, including a visit to the Burleigh-Morton detention facility and discussion of future prison bed needs. No formal votes or legislative actions beyond approving the minutes were taken, and the committee adjourned with its next meeting set for June 25.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services.
• Process so that we can get as close as we can.
• Regarding the federal budget next year, we have not seen any official budget proposals for our programs
• As you know, by the time the federal government finishes its budget process, California will have completed
• its budget process, which means that hopefully we will have time to spend more time with our families

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We'll start with the Legislative Budget Board presentation on the budget. Article 5.
• We'll start with the Legislative Budget Board presentation on the budget for the Department of Public
• It's helped us in the fact that Border Patrol is no longer in processing centers processing.
• Corey Sharp with the Legislative Budget Board.
• Um, yeah, I actually pulled up UTMB's budget, and their budget for '24 was $2.7 billion, of which $1.9

Bills: SB 1

Keywords: campground safety, youth camp regulations, flood safety, emergency evacuation, health and safety standards

Summary: The Senate Finance Committee heard a presentation from the Legislative Budget Board on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Article 5 budget. LBB recommended $3.7 billion in all funds for 2026-27, a 5.2 percent decrease from the base, while FTEs would rise by 856.7. Major items included funding for driver license services, DPS facilities, troopers and recruit schools, crime labs, vehicle and aircraft operations, border security, and rider changes. The committee also reviewed DPS exceptional items not included in the recommendation, including additional staffing, technology, and facility requests. Members focused heavily on driver license operations, criticizing long wait times, call abandonment, and repeated staffing increases without clear process improvements. LBB said the agency’s call-answer rate was about 9 percent in fiscal 2024, with average hold times around 34 minutes, later reduced to roughly 22-25 minutes. Senators questioned whether more FTEs alone would solve the problem and urged a broader efficiency study and better use of technology. DPS officials said they were pursuing process changes, including appointment-system upgrades, online pre-population of forms, and remote issuance options, while noting that Real ID requirements and population growth continue to drive demand. DPS leadership then outlined the agency’s priorities: completion of the Williamson County training academy, recruitment and retention of troopers, capital needs for vehicles and aircraft, and expanded responsibilities at the Capitol complex and the Alamo. Officials said the new trooper funding would help address staffing shortages, public safety, and border operations, and that overtime and deployment patterns had been adjusted to reduce burnout and improve flexibility. They also discussed Operation Lone Star, saying DPS spending is largely overtime, travel, and fuel, and that the agency continues to coordinate with federal partners while awaiting clarity on possible federal reimbursement for border security costs. Senators also raised concerns about oilfield theft, cartel activity, high-speed pursuits, bilingual pay, and the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, and DPS said it would follow up on some of those issues.

Transcript Highlights:

• of Technology project approval lifecycle process.
• So it was a transitional process of our very manual process for our employees, which is now electronic
• So it was a transitional process of our very manual process for our employees, which is now electronic
• I'm the chief of budgets and accounting.
• It doesn't allow for departments to go through the budget process to allocate funds or alert anyone to

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 heard updates from the Secretary of State, EDD, the State Controller’s Office, CalHR, and DGS on a range of budget proposals and federal policy impacts. Secretary of State Shirley Weber opened with remarks about California’s election system, emphasizing its safety, transparency, high voter registration and vote-by-mail participation, and the office’s response to bomb threats and other election threats. Her staff then presented funding requests for the Cal-Access Replacement System (CARS) and Help America Vote Act/VoteCal activities, describing them as needed to modernize campaign finance and lobbying disclosure systems and maintain election security and voter services. A major portion of the hearing focused on federal election policy, especially the potential effects of a presidential executive order and the SAVE Act. Secretary of State staff said California would face significant, potentially unquantifiable costs if forced to comply, including new burdens on county recorders, county election offices, and the Secretary of State’s office, and warned of voter disenfranchisement, especially for students, seniors, disabled voters, military and overseas voters, rural residents, and people with limited transportation. Members and public commenters strongly opposed the federal proposals and argued California’s current system is functioning well. The committee also heard that federal HAVA funds were not expected to be at risk because the state draws them down into an interest-bearing account. EDD reported on paid family leave, explaining that recent delays were tied to a system transition and increased claim volume, and said it was simplifying applications and adding staff and automation. Public testimony supported expanding paid family leave to chosen family. EDD also said it is prepared for possible unemployment spikes, citing a recession plan, a command center, and recent hiring. The State Controller’s Office requested funding to continue the Fiscal migration project, which would move the state’s accounting book of record to the new system by July 1, 2026; Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee expressed support for the project’s progress. CalHR presented a proposal for a statewide recruitment, outreach, and education paid media campaign under AB 1511, saying its current advertising budget is too small to reach diverse communities effectively. The final item addressed Governor Newsom’s executive order requiring a return to office on a four-day schedule. CalHR and DGS said they were working department-by-department to assess space, parking, transit, and other logistics, but had not completed a statewide cost analysis. Members and many public commenters criticized the order, arguing it was rushed, costly, harmful to telework benefits, and potentially disruptive to workers, especially those with disabilities, caregiving responsibilities, or long commutes. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• The difference in this budget bill is it has more planning to it. ...a budget bill.
• Now I think the proposed budget is $6.7 billion. So it was 5% of that budget back then.
• This next proposed budget is 4% of the budget, not up there at 5%.
• This is a non-budget bill resolution, but this is 100% a budget bill.
• On a $6.7 billion budget, I can tell you from experience, we were under a $4 billion budget, and even

Summary: The committee first considered House Resolution 1016, presented by Rep. Marcus Richmond, which sought permission to file a bill aimed at consumer protection in certain housing arrangements where buyers purchase an interest in an entity rather than the property itself. Richmond said the measure was intended to improve transparency, prevent deceptive real estate practices, and ensure disputes would be handled in Arkansas or federal courts rather than private tribunals. Members raised concerns about overlap with existing law, possible effects on homeowners associations, arbitration clauses, hunting clubs, religious organizations, and the bill’s 25-acre exemption. After discussion, the committee voted down the resolution. House Resolution 1006, by Rep. Bart Schultz, proposed increasing the homestead tax credit by $75, from $600 to $675, using a fund created for property tax relief. Schultz argued the increase was supported by the annual report on the fund and was timely because of higher costs for gas and groceries. Members asked about using special language instead, whether the increase could be made retroactive later, and whether the governor had included it on the call. The committee approved the resolution. The committee then heard House Resolution 1007, presented by Sen. Brian King and Rep. James Eaton, which would have changed how turnback sales tax revenue is distributed to counties, with the first $150 million of sales tax revenue going into a fund for county infrastructure and each county receiving an equal share. Supporters said it would help counties with roads, jails, water, sewer, and other critical needs, while opponents questioned whether taking revenue off the top would harm other state services and whether the issue was urgent enough for a fiscal session. The resolution failed. House Resolution 1008, by Rep. Jim Wooten and Sen. King, sought changes to the LEARNS Act and school choice funding, including performance-based eligibility and reporting requirements. Wooten argued the program was financially unsustainable and that accountability was needed; members questioned whether the proposal would create a larger emergency and whether it should instead be handled through budget language. The resolution failed after a point of order interrupted the closing remarks. Finally, House Resolution 1009, presented by Rep. Ron McNair and Sen. King, aimed to restore local control over crypto mines and data centers, citing concerns about water use, electricity demand, Chinese ownership, and litigation tied to prior legislation. Members questioned whether the issue was truly emergent and whether the resolution was the right vehicle. The resolution failed. House Resolution 1015, by Rep. Howard Beatty, proposed amending the prior IDA bill to address concerns raised by constituents, including board accountability and removing eminent domain authority. Supporters said it would improve the bill before next session, but the resolution also failed. The committee then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• immediately be related to the budget.
• Speaker, the Budget Chair, the Budget Sub-Chairs, and so many members for their hard work involved in
• But certainly, I think our budget chair and speaker have done a tremendous job in having a process that
• I also want to talk about how amazing the process was. It was a long process.
• that process process and realizing the Herculean effort to be able to put down a down payment.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• session anyway and particularly a budget session anyway and particularly a budget session<00:08:
• state budget.
• budget budget request<00:13:34.040> here<00:13:34.360> again<00:13:35.240> is<00
• Shorba about the judicial process.
• Shorba about the judicial process.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're not going to do the budget.
• So we'll start with budget presentations.
• So we'll start with budget presentations.
• And then we begin our process, but it takes us—there's a little delay time while we go through the process
• So same operating budget process.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• process.
• process.
• a new biennial budget.
• a new biennial budget.
• I'm a lead budget analyst with the Legislative Budget Office.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Our office oversees the budgets for both higher education and TK-12.
• Okay, does the department want to comment on that process?
• Part of our audit process is to ensure that the LCFF...
• consolidated application process rather than through separate application processes.
• see budget deficits in upcoming years.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Everybody knows this is a budget hearing.
• And I realized that about 68% of your budget Currently, 68% of your budget relies on federal funding.
• When we have a budget, that budget had about 179 million in And at four Title 19.
• They had budgeted 179.
• It wasn't in budget. Is it in budget, right?

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• that may grow over time, Cal Fire's budget, being specific operations budgets that may grow over time
• So I'm trying to find the reasoning why putting it in the budget proposal, especially a budget that talks
• For the budget reasons, it's supposed to be related to the budget.
• She also said she is deeply concerned about the continued use of the budget process to make fundamental
• They also said they are deeply concerned about the continued use of the budget process to make fundamental

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing focused on the governor’s May Revision, especially the proposed extension of the cap-and-trade program to 2045 as “cap-and-invest,” the related greenhouse gas reduction fund (GGRF) spending framework, and several trailer bill proposals. Department of Finance staff outlined budget solutions including a $1.5 billion annual General Fund-to-GGRF shift for Cal Fire that would grow to $1.9 billion by 2029-30, continued support for high-speed rail, climate bond implementation, and various environmental and water-related statutory changes. The administration also described proposals affecting the Delta Conveyance Project, water quality planning, groundwater bulletin timing, Exide cleanup funding, and other agency-specific items, though the chair repeatedly asked staff to keep the presentation high-level and save details for the next hearing. Members from both parties raised strong concerns about the cap-and-invest proposal, arguing that it could reduce or displace funding for transit, affordable housing, active transportation, wildfire prevention, zero-emission vehicles, and other previously committed programs. Several members questioned whether the administration was effectively shifting essential ongoing services like Cal Fire onto a temporary carbon market fund, how the General Fund backstop would work if auction revenues fall short, and whether the proposal would leave enough money for continuous appropriations and future awards. Members also criticized the inclusion of cap-and-invest reauthorization in the budget process and asked for clearer information on the impact to high-speed rail, transit, and other GGRF priorities. The Delta Conveyance Project and related trailer bill language drew significant opposition from members and public commenters, who argued the proposal would fast-track the project, weaken CEQA-related review, and authorize revenue bond financing without sufficient legislative oversight. Public testimony also included support for maintaining or expanding funding for transit, affordable housing, AB 617 community air protection, offshore wind infrastructure, and ignition interlock programs, while environmental and community groups opposed cuts to wildfire prevention, housing, and school climate-related programs. No votes were taken; the hearing was informational, and the chair said the committee would continue the discussion and receive more detailed responses at the follow-up hearing on Tuesday.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is what the process is for.
• before the next budget cycle.
• I'll start with the broader budget context.
• And we've recommended that the Legislature enact a budget with at least the amount of ongoing budget
• And we've recommended that the Legislature enact a budget with at least the amount of ongoing budget

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The subcommittee heard several May Revision proposals, primarily from the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Government Operations Agency, the Department of Technology, and the Franchise Tax Board. CDFA presented funding for the animal care program under Proposition 12, a transition away from the state hemp program to USDA oversight by January 1, 2028, ongoing support for agricultural statistics reporting after USDA reorganization, and trailer bill changes to the department’s indirect cost cap. The LAO generally supported the animal care, hemp transition, and statistics proposals, while also urging future review of the Prop 12 funding once litigation is resolved. The indirect-cost-cap language was described as technical and not increasing charges to programs, and it was held open with no objections from the LAO or Finance. The committee also discussed the new federal Workforce Pell program and related Cradle to Career funding and trailer bill language. Finance said the state is still reviewing federal rules and is focusing on basic implementation steps, with the trailer bill assigning eligibility determinations to the California Student Aid Commission, requiring data sharing through Cradle to Career, and prioritizing public institutions first. The LAO urged caution because the federal rules were just finalized and said the Legislature should better define the process and costs before appropriating the $1.3 million requested for Cradle to Career. Members raised policy concerns about limiting the program to certain institutions and about aligning the proposal with pending legislation and broader workforce policy. The Department of Technology presented a $1 million request for Poppy, the state’s digital assistant, to expand a secure GenAI platform for state employees. Members asked detailed questions about data security, model training, bias controls, and whether the system could eventually support local governments; CDT said the system uses state-controlled cloud infrastructure, does not use user data for training, and quarantines new models for review. CDT also sought provisional authority for the Middle Mile Broadband Initiative to cover possible operating shortfalls while the network is still being built; the LAO remained concerned about broad spending authority, and several members questioned the revenue assumptions and oversight. FTB then proposed retaining a smaller set of CalFile resources after the federal Direct File program was discontinued, with the LAO saying the reduced staffing level was broadly reasonable but still worth legislative scrutiny. The committee also began hearing the administration’s revenue proposals, including a permanent limitation on business tax credits and a tax on electronically delivered prewritten software, with the LAO generally supporting the goal of raising ongoing revenue but recommending changes to the software proposal’s exemptions and business-use treatment.