Transcript Highlights:

• My name is Hannah Palmer, and I'm the government affairs manager with the Metropolitan Council.
• with the Metropolitan affairs manager with the Metropolitan Council.
• Council. Council. Thank<00:02:24.319> you.
• the councils.
• . councils. councils.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:02:18.239> the as well as treatments to manage the as well as treatments to manage the
• of Minnesota to create this council. of Minnesota to create this council.
• The advisory council would be it.
• , looking at the makeup of this council, looking at the makeup of this council, um,<00:35:30.240>
• In this case, the managers or PBMs.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I would also like to tell the Chairman and the Council.
• Questions from the Council. Mr.
• We lost one regional project manager, and we've hired a new planning and design manager, a critical position
• Regional project manager, we've hired a new planning and design manager, a critical position at the PSFA
• resources handbook so that our managers have current policies and procedures that we can use to manage

Transcript Highlights:

• Council. I am Kaki Lyons.
• Council does meet quarterly and at the call of the chairman.
• Now state statute directs the council to work with its partner agencies, but because the council has
• The council website also includes.
• My name is Matt Abel with the Texas Economic Development Council.

Bills: HB406

Keywords: local economic development, notification, workforce development, municipal agreements, county contracts, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Actually, some land grants have used the money to hire part-time managers to help them manage not just
• We would also include on staff a natural resource manager who could help land grants manage their natural
• But I want to commend Arturo and the entire land grant council. grant council.
• We're helping with the Council.
• Risk management and insurance.

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh but we also vegetation management.
• besides the International Code Council besides the International Code Council that<00:37:00.000>
• But the way this code council.
• Brian Mai for International Code Council Brian Mai for International Code Council in<00:37:53.920
• Thank you. building code council levels before building code council levels before considering<00:38:

Keywords: 912, senate, all

Summary: The joint committees heard three resolutions first. STR 32/SR 18 asked the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to work with the Department of Transportation to use inmate work furlough programs for state roadway and highway maintenance. Testimony was generally supportive of the intent, but the Correctional System Oversight Commission raised concerns about using work furlough for maintenance and emphasized that participants should be paid at least minimum wage, be able to meet restitution and support obligations, and not have their release timing affected. The measures were later recommended and adopted by both committees with no amendments in the joint portion. STR 199/SR 179 concerned increased caution regarding foreign infrastructure. There was no public testimony. In decision-making, the committees split the measures: STR 199 was deferred because of a similar measure, while SR 179 was passed with amendments. The amendments were described as clarifying Hawaii’s goals of self-sufficiency, local self-reliance, and self-determination, and encouraging scrutiny by departments and agencies to reduce dependence on imports. STR 231/SR 207, which would direct DOT to install electronic equipment at state airports and harbors to scan for illegal fireworks, drew mixed testimony, including support from the Oahu Filipino Community Council and comments from Matson Navigation. DOT said it supported the intent. The committees adopted amendments to address Matson’s concerns by moving inspections to a place outside the immediate loading and unloading area, and both committees passed the measures as amended. The Public Safety and Military Affairs committee then took up additional resolutions. STR 113/SR 94, designating Hawaii as a Purple Heart state on August 7, 2025, received no testimony and was not discussed further. STR 204/SR 164, asking the Department of Law Enforcement for information on disposal, detonation, and destruction of explosive fireworks and similar hazardous materials, also drew no testimony in the excerpt. STR 107/SR 88, urging military branches in Hawaii to provide hurricane-resistant shelters for active and retired personnel and families, likewise received no testimony. STR 148/SR 119, supporting construction of a floating dry dock at Pearl Harbor, drew broad support from industry, military, and state economic development representatives. STR 149/SR 120, creating a vegetation management working group to address wildfire risk, received extensive testimony in support and comments, with speakers from DCCA, PUC, Hawaiian Electric, IBW 1260, Hawaiʻi Telecom, and Kamehameha Schools discussing wildfire hazards, responsibility for vegetation near utility infrastructure, and the need to include workers and landowners in the process. STR 126/SR 105, calling for an incremental reduction in the number of inmates housed in private out-of-state facilities, prompted a lengthy discussion with DCR. The director said Hawaii’s out-of-state incarceration is driven by overcrowding and security needs, not a quota, described the per-person-per-day cost of CoreCivic housing, noted that Hawaii pays about $96 per inmate per day out of state versus about $37 in-state, and said the department is working on a master plan and future facility needs. The committee also discussed the need for a new prison and possibly a new jail. The excerpt ends with the committee still in discussion, without showing a final vote on STR 126/SR 105.

Transcript Highlights:

• and the council and get something put together for that.
• To date, there are 23 credential topics that DPI manages.
• The Chief Justice manages overall case management through quarterly reports submitted by the presiding
• They have to employ a project manager.
• They can help us with that change management piece.

Summary: The task force reviewed survey results from state agencies on potential statutory revisions, with Levi reporting 70 proposals from 20 agencies and noting that about 33 might become agency pre-file bills. Members discussed the need to share the survey more broadly within higher education and to better coordinate issues involving IT and other cross-agency functions. The task force then heard from the Office of Management and Budget on three topics: concessions, architect/engineering pre-qualification, and legal notices. OMB said the concessions law is outdated and inconsistent with current practice, and suggested a collaborative rewrite to allow best-value evaluation, raise the threshold, and standardize solicitation templates. On architect/engineering pre-qualification, OMB proposed expanding authority beyond current state-agency limits and creating uniform templates. On legal notices, OMB proposed modernizing publication requirements, exploring online and abbreviated notices, and working with newspapers and other stakeholders on technology and accessibility improvements. Members asked about where concession revenues go, whether political subdivisions must follow the same rules, and how to move from discussion to action. The task force agreed to have OMB work with Legislative Council and affected stakeholders to develop bill drafts, and the motion passed unanimously. The University of North Dakota then presented a series of proposed revisions focused on public buildings and procurement. UND asked to rework the definition of construction so routine maintenance and one-for-one replacements over $250,000 would not automatically trigger public-improvement requirements, suggested raising the threshold to $500,000, and asked for more flexibility based on project complexity and risk. UND also proposed changes to public bid advertisements to reflect electronic bidding, revisions to construction manager-at-risk selection criteria, changes to architect/engineer procurement rules, an increase in the direct-hire design threshold, and a higher legislative-consent threshold for privately funded projects. The task force supported having UND work with counsel and OMB to develop bill drafts, and that motion also passed. The Department of Public Instruction concluded with proposed cleanup to credentialing and education statutes. DPI recommended reviewing its credential categories for relevance, possibly transferring credentialing authority to the Education Standards and Practices Board, removing outdated school safety patrol language, clarifying waiver provisions, and updating dyslexia screening reporting requirements so the statute reflects current practice. Members focused mainly on whether the dyslexia reporting requirement should remain, and DPI said the screening itself would continue even if reporting language were revised. No votes were taken on DPI’s suggestions, and the task force recessed after the presentation.

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the organizing manager with the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County.
• My name is Alex Kojikin, city manager for San Mateo.
• There are four dedicated staff that we are proposing for the council.
• There are four dedicated staff that we are proposing for the council.
• So the four staff will be solely dedicated to this council.

Summary: The hearing began with a vote-only agenda and then focused first on San Mateo County’s request to restore in-lieu vehicle license fee (VLF) funding. County officials, city leaders, labor representatives, nonprofits, and public safety advocates argued that the loss of roughly $157 million would force major cuts to homelessness services, housing assistance, mental health programs, libraries, parks, fire and police staffing, and other local services. They described the current formula as outdated and unfair, tied to school funding and basic-aid dynamics that no longer work for San Mateo County, and urged both an immediate budget restoration and a permanent legislative fix. The Department of Finance said the payments are discretionary, not statutorily required, and noted the administration does not view the expenditure as sustainable in the current fiscal climate. Committee members expressed sympathy, questioned the formula, and said they would keep the issue under consideration; the committee later voted to move the two vote-only items on the agenda. The committee then received an update from the Department of General Services on state property redevelopment, including the Hillcrest DMV site in San Diego, the Fell Street DMV site in San Francisco, and other state-owned properties. DGS explained that Hillcrest is not currently an active project, while the Fell Street project shifted from an integrated DMV-housing plan to a more feasible relocation of the DMV into leased commercial space, with a budget change proposal pending. Members pressed DGS on the slow pace of redevelopment, the potential for housing on state sites, and the costs and feasibility of adaptive reuse. DGS said many state buildings are aging and that adaptive reuse depends heavily on building design, floorplate depth, light, and risk from unknown conditions behind walls. The Government Operations portion then turned to the California Education Learning Lab, which supports intersegmental higher education innovation grants. The Lab asked for permanent restoration of $4 million in ongoing funding and a move of its home agency from the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation to GovOps, along with technical trailer bill changes. Supporters said the program has funded more than 120 projects reaching thousands of faculty and hundreds of thousands of students, including work on generative AI in higher education. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recommended rejecting the restoration and continuing the wind-down, citing the state’s projected deficit and suggesting the California Education Interagency Council could pursue non-state-funded grant opportunities instead. The committee held the item open. Finally, GovOps presented the new California Education Interagency Council staffing request, seeking four ongoing positions to support the council, with funding already included in last year’s budget. The department said the governor has appointed Debbie Cochran as executive officer and that the remaining positions are being recruited. Finance and LAO had no objections, and the committee began questions about how the council will be staffed and organized.

Transcript Highlights:

• Presently, the Governor and Council only appoints the board of managers who ...
• This bill would require that the board of managers recommend a commander and to the Governor and Council
• the board of managers. the board of managers.
• Currently, nine of the 12 managers are appointed by the governor and council.
• Currently, nine of the 12 managers are appointed by the governor and council.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I will tell you that, managing everything.
• I managed the virtual resource.
• Managing everything. But it was fun.
• And that is the advisory council.
• Council input has visible impact on the commission's decisions.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Massachusetts Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities held its quarterly virtual meeting and approved the September minutes. Chair Denise Garlick opened with updates on the commission’s first “Meeting the Moment” community forum in Needham, reporting strong attendance, a large resource fair, and mostly positive survey feedback. Commissioners said the event was valuable for connecting advocates, providers, and people with disabilities, while also noting lessons learned about accessibility, timing, and the need for more networking time and advance materials. The chair said the commission is planning future forums in other regions, including possible sites in Lowell, Northampton, and the South Shore. A major item was the new advisory council. Oz Osmondahar and Eman described the outreach and screening process, which drew roughly 60 nominations and emphasized lived experience, sector expertise, geographic diversity, and connections to broader networks. The council will serve as strategic advisors and thought partners, meet twice a year, and hold its first in-person orientation on January 30 at the State House Members Lounge. Commissioners were encouraged to stay engaged with the council and use it to strengthen commission and subcommittee work. Subcommittee reports covered employment, workforce supports, and long-term services and supports/health equity. The Disability Employment Subcommittee reported collaboration with SEED, a presentation at the Employment Matters Conference, a discussion with a disability employee resource group, and upcoming work with CED and veterans advocates. The Workforce Supports Subcommittee heard from the MassHealth Policy Commission’s Behavioral Health Workforce Center about workforce data gaps and an upcoming needs assessment, and plans to host ADDP on 2025 workforce metrics. The long-term services and supports committee discussed the Housing Navigator program, barriers to accessible housing, and concerns about how federal cuts could affect disability services and health equity. The commission also heard from DDS Deputy General Counsel Erin Brown and Associate Commissioner Chris Klaskin on a new law expanding access to records from former state institutions, including new notification and privacy procedures and a forthcoming regulatory process with public input. Commissioners welcomed the law as a step toward transparency and dignity. Amen gave an executive director update on the annual report, recent collaboration with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Office of the Veteran Advocate, a national state-employer practice group, and the IDD/Autism Alliance working group. The meeting also included a moment of reflection for disability activist Alice Wong, a commissioner announcement about Work Without Limits’ virtual career fair, and adjournment after a motion and second were approved unanimously.

Transcript Highlights:

• School Capitol Outlay Council to order.
• School Capitol Outlay Council to order.
• Chair, members of the Council.
• Chair, members of the Council.
• More as a council with the.

Transcript Highlights:

• Then we have the Public School Capital Outlay Council, a nine-member committee that really manages the
• housing, we have 5 currently being managed.
• The council did approve that plan.
• Been finalized and approved by the council.
• Chair, Senator, the council has capped how much the council will pay, and then the district picked up

Transcript Highlights:

• Building Code Council, to update us on the latest happenings.
• I'm the Chair of the Washington State Building Code Council.
• And with us is our managing director, Dustin... ...Council, and with us is our managing director, Dustin
• He's a long-range planning manager there.
• In other words, city council approval or town council approval is required at some stage of the process

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• strategies for managing this resource. strategies for managing this resource.
• other groundwater management areas. other groundwater management areas.
• I'm Sam Pasy, assistant general manager for water planning services at the Metropolitan Council, and
• Council.
• the Metropolitan Council. the Metropolitan Council.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm the administrator for the Minnesota Clean Water Council.
• <01:03:21.440> and improve storm water management and improve storm water management and reduce
• agencies priorities from the council agencies priorities from the council through<01:09:01.400><
• available um and so the the uh Council available um and so the the uh Council has<01:09:20.799><
• they should be for financial management they should be for financial management and<01:18:17.440

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• . councils. councils.
• There's two in the water related to water issues, a waste management council, and an air resources council
• water issues, a waste management water issues, a waste management council,<00:19:25.960> and<
• council, and an air resources council. council, and an air resources council.
• straight to the councils. straight to the councils.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Council. Council. Council. Uh Uh Uh I'm<00:43:10.120> sorry.
• Senator Pappas and Council<01:10:09.040> President. Council President. Council President.
• I don't Maybe Council could tell us Is that how this bill works? Council.
• Council. Council. Council.
• council members at that point. council members at that point.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• process and technical management.
• We case manage them into some type of career.
• The Workforce Council? Yeah, Mr.
• We need a full-time person to do that, to manage the social media, to manage getting documents out to
• that be an interesting coordination, where Legislative Management is directing Legislative Council,

Keywords: 908, all

Summary: The Leadership Division of the Budget Section approved the prior meeting minutes and then received an update from Senator Jonathan Sickler on the Cash Management Board’s interim work under House Bill 1278. He said the board has reviewed state cash, investments, and liquidity across agencies and concluded the state’s overall mix of long-term and short-term assets is appropriate, with about $35 billion in total liquid assets and investments and roughly 89% in longer-term investments. He highlighted process improvements already underway, including replacing more than 500 six-month CDs with a special-rate savings account to reduce administrative work, and said the board sees opportunities to improve forecasting, automation, and statewide coordination. Members asked about whether the CD change would increase returns, how the Legacy Fund transfer for the homestead tax relief bill affected earnings, and whether more state cash could be consolidated or better managed through BND; Sickler and BND staff said those issues are being studied and may lead to legislation for the 2027 session. Representative Nathan Toman then updated the committee on the Task Force on Government Efficiency. He said the group has focused less on cutting dollars and more on defining metrics and asking how the legislature knows whether programs are working. The task force is pushing a standard set of questions for new or expanding programs—who is affected, expected outcomes, alternatives, how success will be measured, and full funding—and OMB has agreed to require those answers in future budget requests. Members discussed possible use of dashboards, program evaluators, AI tools, and possible rule or statutory changes to require performance measurement. Toman said the task force will continue meeting with agencies such as the courts, university system, auditor, HHS, Commerce, and ITD to identify workflow bottlenecks and potential efficiencies. Phil Davis of Job Service North Dakota gave a workforce update, reporting that North Dakota’s unemployment rate is 2.5% and labor force participation is about 68.7%, both well above national performance. He described Job Service’s 15 workforce programs, including H-2A housing inspections for foreign agricultural workers, the job placement partnership program with DOCR, WOTC, and other federal and state workforce efforts. Davis said the agency served more than 11,000 individuals in 2025, operates nine workforce centers, and tracks outcomes through quarterly and annual reporting. In response to questions, he said job openings data reflect only positions in the system and may understate actual hiring needs, that child care and other assistance programs could be better tied to employment outcomes, and that the DOCR partnership has shown strong results with lower recidivism and higher earnings. He also said the H-2A inspection workload is growing quickly and additional staffing or less frequent federal inspection requirements could help. Allen Knutson then presented S&P Global’s updated revenue forecast. He said oil prices have risen sharply since the prior month’s outlook, improving the state’s near-term revenue picture, though the economy remains volatile and agriculture is facing weaker commodity prices. Based on the updated forecast, total major tax revenues for the current biennium are projected to be about $89 million above the legislative forecast, and the next biennium could be about $500 million higher, though that estimate is preliminary and may change. He also walked through an alternate oil-price scenario showing significantly higher oil and gas collections and a larger Strategic Investment Fund balance if prices remain elevated. Members asked whether another forecast should be requested once oil markets stabilize and about tribal allocation changes in the alternative scenario; Knutson said additional updates are possible through OMB and future forecast cycles.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hawaii Cattlemen's Council.
• Hawaii Cattlemen's Council.
• I'm the managing director of the Hawaiʻi Cattlemen's Council.
• director of the hoi I'm the managing director of the hoi catman's<00:38:42.119> Council<00:38
• um that is an independent Council um that is an independent Council co-chaired<01:00:33.720>

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm a San Jose City Council.
• So it was also a frustration that I dealt with and my council colleagues dealt with on city council.
• It's ultimately about trying to better manage and collectively manage certain types of rebuilding.
• And then when I got on city council, I remember having a conversation with my city manager because we
• Okay, because I do remember my city manager, when I first got on city council, explaining to me exactly

Summary: The committee first heard SB 753, which would modernize California’s shopping cart recovery rules by allowing cities and counties to return abandoned carts directly to retailers, recover documented retrieval costs, and avoid the current impound-and-wait process. The author and supporters, including San Jose officials and the League of California Cities, said the bill would help clear streets, sidewalks, and waterways and reduce local costs. Grocers and retailers opposed the measure unless amended, arguing it would turn cart retrieval into a new cost burden and could create incentives for cities to charge too much for stolen property. After extensive discussion about notice periods, cost caps, and local ordinances, the committee adopted amendments and passed the bill 6-0 as amended. The committee then took up SB 445, which would speed up permitting and approvals needed for high-speed rail by requiring early engagement, setting rules for third-party coordination, and creating a dispute-resolution process. The author said the bill was narrowed from an earlier, broader transit proposal and was intended to reduce delays caused by utilities, local governments, and other entities. Supporters said permitting bottlenecks add major costs and delays to infrastructure projects, while opponents from utilities, cities, counties, telecoms, and special districts raised concerns about safety, reliability, affordability, and the need to review the pending amendments. The bill passed 8-1 to the Utilities and Energy Committee. The committee also heard SB 9, a narrower housing bill focused on accessory dwelling units. The author explained that it would require local ADU ordinances to be submitted to HCD for review and would make state standards control if a local agency fails to submit a compliant ordinance or respond to HCD findings. Supporters from housing and YIMBY groups said the bill would improve enforcement of state ADU law and prevent local barriers from slowing housing production. There was no opposition, and the bill passed 6-0. The committee then began hearing SB 79, which would allow more housing near major transit stops; the author and supporters framed it as a response to the housing shortage and transit underuse, and the hearing continued with extensive support testimony as the transcript ended.