Transcript Highlights:

• Right now, all of this money is being used for salaries, for MSOC, and for insurance.
• It just says that we're going to limit to a reasonable salary, $250,000 in these contracts.
• And every school district in our state that has a levy... ...pay for basic education into salaries.
• But it's... ...of the union to advocate for their members, whether it's benefits or salaries, but it's
• Before we were managing it at the proper rate of 83% going to salary of the money that was coming in,

Bills: HB2720 , HB2073 , SB5816 , SB5919 , SB5831 , SB6244 , SB6044 , SB5109 , SB5877 , SB6258

Summary: The House first took up Substitute Senate Bill 6225, a transportation bond measure. Supporters said it was needed to fund preservation and maintenance of Washington’s transportation system, including road upkeep and emergency repairs, while opponents argued the state had already addressed current needs through a recent unanimous budget and existing bond authority. The bill passed final passage 59-38, meeting the required three-fifths vote. The House then considered Gross Substitute Senate Bill 6260, an education budget-related bill with many floor amendments focused on transition to kindergarten, alternative learning experience (ALE) funding, local effort assistance (LEA), educational service district reserves, superintendent pay, MSOC funding, and collective bargaining limits. Most proposed amendments were rejected, though Amendment 2654 on TK priorities was adopted. After the committee amendment as amended was adopted, the bill advanced to third reading and then passed 50-47. Supporters described it as a necessary budget reduction and risk-management measure; opponents argued it cut K-12 funding too deeply, especially in rural and property-poor districts, and would worsen inequities and invite litigation. The House also concurred in Senate amendments and passed several other bills. House Bill 1796, about school construction financing and capital levy use, passed 95-2. Second Substitute House Bill 2105, dealing with immigrant worker protections, passed 58-38. Engrossed House Bill 2211, on food sourcing for a health-related program, passed unanimously. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2225, regulating companion chatbots and child safety, passed 74-21. Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2247, related to animal care, passed unanimously. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2418, streamlining permitting timelines to support housing affordability, also passed unanimously. The House then moved on to additional Senate-concurred bills, beginning with Second Substitute House Bill 1906.

Transcript Highlights:

• Madam Chair and members, Senate Bill 1415 deems a salaried employee of an insurer or a managing general
• Madam Chair and members, Senate Bill 1415 deems a salaried employee of an insurer or a managing general
• examination, requires that a person who is a licensed salaried employee adjuster adjust for an insurer
• other than as a salaried employee.
• of an insurer or an insurer in a capacity other than as a salaried employer.

Bills: SB1021 , SB1144 , SB1164 , SB1178 , SB1181 , SB1241 , SB1247 , SB1286 , SB1415 , SCR1011

Committee: Senate Regulatory Affairs and Government Efficiency

Keywords: health profession, regulatory boards, criminal activity, notification, auditor general, investigations, veterinary technicians, certification, education alternative, Arizona Revised Statutes, veterinary education, ALTCS, providers, ownership change, healthcare, Arizona Long Term Care System, naturopathic physician, naturopathic medicine, naturopathic doctor, naturopathic physicians medical board

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> salaries is only a part of the problem. salaries is only a part of the problem.
• The commission staff salaries are not determined by the commission on salaries like some of the other
• Okay, this one adjusts<01:29:48.400><c> the</c><01:29:48.639><c> salaries</c><01:29:49.120><c> of</c>
• </c><01:30:19.520><c> that's</c> the the disparity in salaries that's the the disparity in salaries that's
• </c><01:30:26.159><c> the</c> commission on salaries like some of the commission on salaries like some

Committee: House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Summary: The committee heard House Bill 1525, which would appropriate funds to counties to open more voter service centers for in-person voting, provide money to the Office of Elections to print and mail the voter information guide to all registered voters, and support a public outreach campaign to increase voter participation. The Office of Elections supported the bill and estimated costs of a little over $2 million to print and mail the guide and about $178,000 for outreach, noting it spent about $441,000 on election advertising in 2024. Testimony from advocacy groups including Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Common Cause Hawaii, and Indivisible Hawaii strongly supported the measure, emphasizing access for neighbor island voters, people with disabilities, new voters, and voters who need ballot assistance. County election officials from Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai provided comments or testimony that were more cautious. They said additional funding would be welcome, but staffing and logistics remain major constraints, especially for election-day service centers. Honolulu’s city clerk said funding alone would not necessarily solve long lines, while Maui’s county clerk explained that voter service centers require trained seasonal employees, extensive training, and the ability to handle many ballot styles. Maui also described its current pop-up sites, including Hana, as expensive but necessary for remote communities, and said the county is already running at bare minimum staffing. Members asked questions about who decides how many service centers are opened, how staffing is handled, and whether there is a middle-ground model between the old precinct polling places and the current voter service center system. Honolulu explained that county clerks make those decisions under current law and that the county has tried pop-up sites in addition to its main centers. The discussion also noted that in 2024 most voters used vote by mail, while a smaller number used early in-person voting or final-day service centers. No vote on the bill was taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So in order to pay our bills and catch up on our salaries, we took that money and we just paid bills
• and salaries.
• and salaries.
• But we also caught up on our other bills and our salaries.
• And I assume that all the elected officials are also paid a salary. Is that correct?

Committee: All LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, so compensation plans for most people are just salary, right?
• There's a base salary, which is usually about 20% at the highest level.
• About was executive salaries.
• For PG&E, the salary, or the total compensation, was $19.8 million.
• For PG&E, the salary, or the total compensation, was $19.8 million.

Committee: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications

Transcript Highlights:

• About 48% of the total budget is for personnel services, which consists of salaries, other compensation
• And this is the stat that I'm most proud of: last year, the jobs LED announced had an average salary
• numbered, but it's on the page—the result, the $91,000 per year, I'm sorry, $91,000 average annual salary
• terms, we know that anytime you double, double—now, I want to be clear on that—the average state salary
• As you likely know, the fund has based on their experience rating and their employee salaries.

Committee: House Appropriations

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator, back on, I guess, the main amendment, this amendment is adding salary supplements and teacher
• salary increase plan implementation outside of collective bargaining if we added it to the list of what
• salary increase plan implementation outside of collective bargaining if we added it to the list of what
• We talked about the salary supplements and the teacher's salary increase implementation plan.
• And what it'll also allow is it allow those teachers to get their salary supplements quicker.

Summary: The committee first confirmed six appointees on a single roll-call vote, then took up a series of bills, many of them on land use, housing, public safety, child welfare, education, and professional licensing. Early debate centered on CS/SB 208, which would require development fees to better reflect review costs and impose objective compatibility findings for residential projects. An amendment folded in additional housing-related provisions, including manufactured housing and a study of urban development boundaries, prompting extended discussion about Miami-Dade’s Everglades protection area and local control. A late-filed rural-boundary amendment was withdrawn. The bill was reported favorably after support from business, housing, and advocacy groups, with some senators voicing district-specific concerns. The committee then approved CS/CS/SB 686 on agricultural enclaves after amendments added conservation easement, wildlife corridor, and critical state concern protections, plus a further Everglades-related amendment. Members discussed balancing smart growth, infrastructure costs, and protecting environmentally sensitive areas. Other land-use and growth bills also advanced, including CS/SB 1434 on infill redevelopment, CS/SB 1138 on qualified contractor pre-application review, and SB 218 limiting the reach of prior hurricane recovery zoning protections in counties not affected by the 2024 storms. SB 1474 on biosolids management was amended to reduce the distance threshold for land application restrictions and delay the effective date, and SB 1708 on veterinary licensure by endorsement removed a three-year recent-practice requirement to address shortages. Several public safety, health, and family-related measures also passed. CS/CS/SB 436 expanded felony battery enhancement to include resisting an officer with violence and certain law-enforcement battery offenses. SB 830 extended public-records protections to county and city administrators and related family information. CS/CS/CS/SB 600 revised bail bond rules, and an amendment preserved the current treatment of charitable bail funds and nonprofits; the committee heard testimony from The Bail Project and others on both sides. CS/SB 914 expanded dry-needling supervision options for occupational therapists, CS/SB 1092 clarified podiatric use of certain cellular/tissue products, and SB 1504 and SB 1718 updated insurance licensing and educator certification pathways. On the education side, CS/CS/SB 7038 made broad postsecondary changes, including tuition waivers, residency clarification, and licensure rules, while CS/SB 186 required seizure-response training and action plans in schools. The committee also advanced multiple child welfare and health bills. CS/CS/CS/SB 560 streamlined psychotropic medication procedures for children in state custody and added youth-voice and insurance-review provisions. CS/CS/CS/SB 902 combined several Department of Health changes, including medical marijuana distance rules, autism microcredential eligibility, a neurofibromatosis grant program, and NICU nutrition information. SB 1002 expanded child welfare definitions to address parental drug abuse and neglect, and SB 1708 eased endorsement licensure for out-of-state veterinarians. Most bills were reported favorably on roll-call votes, with several amendments adopted along the way and limited opposition or abstentions noted on some measures.

Transcript Highlights:

• The chair of this committee and others finally increased salaries for judges.
• salaries are and attract a broader pool.
• You know, federal prosecutors applying to be judges because now there's a salary where they're saying
• We worked really hard to get judicial salaries up because we had to be able to compete to bring people
• We worked really hard to get judicial salaries up because we had to be able to compete to bring people

Committees: Senate Senate Judiciary , Senate House Judiciary

Transcript Highlights:

• of $20,000 doesn't get them to a living wage yet, and it doesn't get them to what an entry-level salary
• of $50,000. $50,000 is the average in the state entry-level teaching salary for someone with a BA and
• And we can't compete for salaries because we're base-funded.
• So when we look at LCFF, going from... compete for salaries because we don't, we're base funded.
• We know that while teacher salaries remain low, the cost of a college degree has increased.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance heard an extended discussion on state efforts to recruit, prepare, and retain teachers, with a focus on whether current programs are sustainable and well targeted. Testimony from the Learning Policy Institute, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the Department of Education, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office described persistent shortages, especially in special education, math, science, bilingual education, and high-need schools. Speakers emphasized that residency programs, Golden State Teacher Grants, National Board incentives, classified employee pathways, and undergraduate teacher pipelines have helped increase preparation and retention, but many of these efforts rely on one-time funding and lack long-term certainty. Committee members repeatedly raised concerns about the “leaky pipeline,” working conditions, the burden of student debt, and whether the state should simplify and institutionalize support for aspiring teachers rather than rely on a patchwork of grants. The agencies presented data showing continuing shortages and uneven distribution of fully credentialed teachers. CTC reported projected hiring needs of roughly 20,000 to 25,000 teachers annually, with the highest needs in self-contained classrooms, special education, and certain regions of the state. It also noted that emergency permits, waivers, and intern credentials remain high, and that teachers entering through those routes have higher turnover. LPI cited research showing residency-prepared teachers are more effective and more likely to stay, and argued that Golden State Teacher Grants attract candidates who might not otherwise enter teaching and help them complete preparation. CDE stressed that most new demand comes from attrition and urged support for multiple entry points, tuition assistance, and campus-based coursework. Several members also discussed the role of community college pathways, dual credentialing, and support for school leaders as part of retention. The LAO recommended rejecting the educator pipeline proposals under discussion, citing limited evidence of effectiveness and suggesting that any new spending should be more narrowly targeted to the highest-need schools and long-standing shortage subjects. The LAO also said that if the Legislature funds new programs this year, Proposition 98 would be preferable given the state’s fiscal condition. Committee members pushed back on the idea that declining enrollment or layoffs would solve shortages, noting that shortages and layoffs can coexist in different subject areas and regions. The discussion ended with agreement that staff would continue working with agencies on how to make teacher pipeline investments more consistent, coherent, and easier for candidates to navigate. The committee then turned to the Golden State Teacher Grant Program. Finance proposed $50 million in one-time General Fund support to extend the program for one additional year, while the LAO recommended rejecting the proposal because the first CSAC evaluation is not due until later in the year and because the funding would be non-Proposition 98. CSAC supported the extension, saying demand has been strong, over 20,000 aspiring educators have been served since 2021, and the agency had to pause applications after receiving more than 9,200 this year; it also said more than 2,500 candidates had already expressed interest for next year. Members asked how many students the new funding would serve, and CSAC estimated just under 5,000 awards at $10,000 each. The discussion also covered whether the grant could be moved into Proposition 98 and how the one-time nature of the funding affects confidence among prospective teachers.

Transcript Highlights:

• presentation for the judiciary, the requested increase includes funding for the following: $6,690,756 for salary
• following: $5 million for FINS, $6.5 million for staff pay plan adjustments, and $6.8 million for salary
• Salaries or extra staff?
• No, no, it was just additional expenses, ordinary operating expenses, but not salaries.

Committee: House Appropriations

Summary: The House Appropriations Committee met on April 13, 2026, and considered the main budget bills for fiscal year 2026-27. Members heard a broad overview of House Bill 1, the general appropriations bill, including the governor’s proposed budget, major funding items for education, workforce, corrections, health, and economic development, and a plan to use surplus funds to pay down LASERS’ unfunded liability. The committee discussed a 29-page amendment set that shifted savings from retirement and other areas into one-time expenditures, including FEMA Katrina debt, LSU, firefighter pay raises, crime victim reparations, rehabilitation services, and additional school choice support. Questions focused on the MFP per-pupil adjustment, the crime victim reparations shortfall, LSU funding, waiver slots, and whether the bill remained at a standstill overall. The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 1 favorably as amended, making it Special Order No. 1 for April 16. The committee then took up House Bill 312, the supplemental appropriations bill, which also redirected the full $144.3 million surplus payment to LASERS and used savings from MFP, Medicaid forecast changes, and other reductions to fund statewide initiatives. Those included LED, corrections, DOTD road projects, public safety, IT modernization, school safety, firefighting equipment, community and technical college workforce programs, and DCFS shortfalls. Members raised questions about mental health funding and the retirement payment strategy; the amendments were adopted and HB 312 was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 4. House Bill 313, the funds bill, was amended to make additional deposits into the State Emergency and Response Fund, Voting Technology Fund, oil and gas regulatory funds, geological storage, reading enrichment, Imagination Library, and conservation accounts; it was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 5. House Bill 314, the revenue sharing distribution bill, received amendments inserting fiscal year 2027 distribution numbers and was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 7. The committee also advanced House Bill 383, the ancillary expenses bill, which covers self-generated, dedicated, and federal funds for agencies such as Group Benefits, Risk Management, Prison Enterprises, and Technology Services; a technical amendment updated accounting-standard references, and the bill was reported favorably as amended and set as Special Order No. 6. House Bill 983, the judiciary budget, was amended with a technical date correction and reported favorably as amended; members discussed funding for judges, staff pay, FINS, and whether pending legislation affecting Orleans Parish judges would later change the budget. House Bill 1126, the legislative branch budget, was reported favorably without amendment after brief questions about the Law Institute increase, and HCR 3, the hospital stabilization formula resolution tied to Medicaid hospital reimbursements, was reported favorably and set as Special Order No. 8. The committee also made HB 983 Special Order No. 9 and HB 1126 Special Order No. 10 for April 16, authorized technical corrections on adopted amendments, and adjourned after the chair thanked members and staff for their work.

Transcript Highlights:

• presentation for the judiciary, the requested increase includes funding for the following: $6,690,756 for salary
• following: $5 million for fines, $6.5 million for staff pay plan adjustments, and $6.8 million for salary
• Salaries or extra staff?
• No, no, it was just additional expenses, ordinary operating expenses, but not salaries.

Bills: HB1 , HB312 , HB313 , HB314 , HB383 , HB983 , HB1126 , HCR3

Committee: House Appropriations

Keywords: revenue sharing, fund distribution, homestead exemption, state funding, local government

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet their salaries continue to grow year after year.
• Yet their salaries continue to grow year after year regardless of any contingency in the state budget
• was agreed to and ratified by Teamsters and its membership, included clear provisions tying certain salary
• of providing that new, unallocated, ongoing funding, and this then triggered the mutually agreed salary

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement heard several labor and retirement bills. AB 1582 by Assembly Member Ortega would make it an unfair labor practice for a higher education employer to disregard or delay arbitration decisions involving contracting out, with make-whole relief including attorney fees and costs. Supporters from AFSCME and other labor groups said UC has repeatedly ignored arbitration outcomes on outsourcing disputes, while UC opposed the bill as an overbroad change that could create systemwide operational and financial risk. The committee passed the bill on a do-pass basis to Appropriations. AB 1818 by Assembly Member Ortega would repeal an outdated HEERA provision that CSU has used to reopen bargaining when it claims state funding is insufficient. Teamsters and other labor supporters argued CSU has used the provision to avoid honoring negotiated raises, while CSU said the bill would limit its ability to manage compensation responsibly when state funding is uncertain. The committee also passed AB 1818 to Appropriations. AB 1564 by Assembly Member Arreguín would make communications between an employee and union representative confidential in public employment matters. Labor supporters said the measure would protect trust in the representational relationship and codify existing PERB case law, while school, local government, county, city, and business groups warned it could hinder workplace investigations, including those involving student safety and harassment. The bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. AB 1844 by Assembly Member Pacheco, placed on the consent calendar, would update Judges’ Retirement System 2 to allow non-spouse beneficiaries for survivor benefits and to extend access to survivor options for vested judges; it was approved unanimously, 7-0. After all items were taken up, the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Yet their salaries continue to grow year after year regardless of any contingency in the state budget
• was agreed to and ratified by Teamsters and its membership, included clear provisions tying certain salary
• was agreed to and ratified by Teamsters and its membership, included clear provisions tying certain salary
• short of providing that new, unallocated ongoing funding, and this then triggered the mutually agreed salary

Committee: House Public Employment and Retirement

Transcript Highlights:

• practically every DA that they're struggling to keep people employed in their offices because the salaries
• split on insurance, what does that amount to in terms of, if we do dollar for dollar, what kind of salary
• What kind of salary increases that? If we look at those numbers. I'm sorry for that.
• Thank you. ...numbers to make sure that we were consistent and confident in the increases for salaries

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• It is not about salaries or paying for services; it is about typical grant funding. public works folks
• it's<00:10:50.399><c> it's</c><00:10:50.640><c> not</c><00:10:50.880><c> about</c><00:10:51.360><c> salaries
• </c><00:10:51.920><c> It's</c><00:10:52.079><c> not</c> it's it's not about salaries.
• It's not it's it's not about salaries.

Committee: House County and Municipal Government

Transcript Highlights:

• We took the language from the AG's salaries and expenses memo that was provided to us on that.
• <00:04:01.760><c> from</c> the language from the AG's uh from the language from the AG's uh from salaries
• ><c> expenses</c><00:04:03.599><c> from</c><00:04:03.840><c> their</c><00:04:04.000><c> memo</c> salaries
• and expenses from their memo salaries and expenses from their memo that<00:04:04.480><c> was</c><00:

Transcript Highlights:

• On page two, first change reduces funding for salary and benefit increases.
• Number four adds funding for salary equity increases.
• That's for those salary equity increases that were provided several biennia back as well as some operating
• funding per full-time equivalent FTE was calculated to an estimate of $125,000 per year, which includes salary

Bills: SB2012

Committee: Senate Appropriations - Government Operations Division

Summary: The Government Operations Division met to continue work on budget and bill amendments. The committee first took up the Attorney General’s budget and reviewed a detailed amendment package that adjusted FTE levels, salary equity funding, funding sources, and several one-time appropriations. Changes included removing some House-added items, adding contingent funding tied to other bills, restoring certain funding sources, increasing the electronic smoking device manufacturer fee, and adding a provision on 24/7 sobriety program fees. Senator Dwyer then offered a further amendment to make the electronic smoking device fee a $2,000 application fee with a $500 annual renewal fee, which passed. The committee then voted 4-1 to adopt the budget as amended and give it a do pass recommendation as amended. The committee next considered House Bill 1143, relating to Great Plains Food Bank funding. After testimony from Amy Cleary on behalf of Great Plains Food Bank, members discussed the organization’s statewide role and the project’s financing, including a planned $30 million facility and existing fundraising. Senator Burkhard moved to restore the appropriation from $5 million to $10 million, and the motion passed 4-1. The committee then voted 4-1 to give the bill a do pass recommendation as amended, with Senator Burkhard designated as carrier. Finally, the committee discussed House Bill 1524, which would fund regional planning councils and authorize 16 FTEs. Members expressed sympathy for the councils’ work but concerns about approving new state-funded positions. No action was taken, and the chair asked to hold the bill over for further review. The committee then recessed, noting remaining budget work and upcoming hearings.

Transcript Highlights:

• Salaries and benefits is about 70% of your expenses.
• Salaries and benefits is about 70% of your expenses.
• </c><01:18:52.120><c> and</c> mentioning that almost 70% is salary and mentioning that almost 70% is
• salary and benefits<01:18:52.960><c> that's</c><01:18:53.280><c> that's</c><01:18:53.600><c> embedded
• </c><01:42:40.440><c> to</c><01:42:40.599><c> make</c> 8.75% of the employees salary to make 8.75% of

Committee: House Higher Education Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is salaries.
• So the clerk felt it was time to increase the salaries for the staff that support the legislators.
• But again, the major increase from the last 30-day session is the salaries for our staff.

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is salaries.
• seen increases in cost of living, housing, and food, so the clerk felt it was time to increase the salaries
• But again, the major increase from the last 30-day session is the salaries for our staff.