Transcript Highlights:

• The mission of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico is to help members access quality affordable care
• New Mexicans cannot afford government mandates stacked on top of rising healthcare costs.
• Bill does not improve affordability in New Mexico.
• I want to thank the senator and sponsor for bringing this bill forward for the prospect of affordable
• And when you finally find one you can afford, you have to hope it's in the right zone.

Bills: SB20, SB53, SB86, SB96, SB129

Keywords: prior authorization, pharmacy benefits manager, PBM, health insurer, prescription drugs, step therapy, formulary, auto-adjudication, electronic portal, appeals, medical necessity, serious mental illness, mental health, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, substance use disorder, addiction treatment, cancer, autoimmune disorder

Transcript Highlights:

• So why is it that because of the car that I haven't gotten a new car, you know, to afford a new car,
• The housing is where we live, and it's housing they can afford, right?
• And the cost of gas is one of the biggest affordability issues facing our constituents.
• Our constituents are struggling with affordability.
• We also want to use this opportunity to urge the legislature to consider affordability.

Summary: The Assembly Transportation Committee first took up three highway naming resolutions on its consent calendar: ACR 109, SCR 78, and SCR 90. The committee approved the consent calendar with 11 aye votes and no no votes, then adjourned the bill-hearing portion. Members also recognized committee science fellow AJ Mendeola for his service, noting his contributions to bill analysis and staff support. The committee then held an informational hearing on alternatives to the gas tax, focused on the projected decline in fuel-tax revenue and the need for a more sustainable transportation funding model. The chair and invited experts described how inflation, improved fuel efficiency, and growth in electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles are eroding gas-tax revenues. Presenters from the National Conference of State Legislatures and the University of California discussed state options such as higher or indexed gas taxes, EV registration fees, road usage charges, delivery fees, public EV charging fees, transportation network company fees, and managed lanes, emphasizing tradeoffs among revenue adequacy, fairness, administrative cost, and public acceptance. Committee members raised concerns that mileage-based fees or EV fees could function as new taxes on commuters and lower-income drivers, especially if the gas tax is not repealed. Presenters responded that road usage charges are generally intended as replacements for the gas tax, not additions, and argued that mileage-based systems better preserve the user-pays principle while being less tied to vehicle fuel efficiency. They also noted that flat EV registration fees are easy to administer but can be less equitable because they are not linked to actual road use. Officials from Hawaii, Utah, and Oregon described their state programs and policy choices. Hawaii said its new road usage charge began July 1, 2025, for EVs, offers a choice between a per-mile charge and a flat annual fee through 2028, and will transition to mandatory EV participation before expanding to all light-duty vehicles by 2033. Utah described its voluntary EV road usage charge program, quarterly reporting, privacy protections, and legislative scenarios for removing the cap or making participation mandatory. Oregon outlined its constitutional cost-responsibility framework and broader transportation funding challenges, including reliance on user fees and limited use of general-fund support.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I would tell you, we have two issues in our community right now: insurance and housing affordability
• I've got people leaving because they can't afford it anymore. And this is one of the main drivers.
• I've got people leaving because they can't afford it anymore. And this is one of the main drivers.
• people that I represent, and a lot of people that I am now selling their homes because they can't afford
• to fix it, they can't afford the deductible, they can't afford what has happened.

Summary: The subcommittee held its first meeting on homeowners property insurance, with members from both parties introducing themselves and repeatedly noting that insurance affordability, roof condition, claims handling, and storm recovery are top concerns for their districts. Chair Yeager said the meeting was intended as an educational discussion rather than a legislative debate, and introduced a panel that included Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski, consumer Chad Carr, agent Mary Catherine Lawler, insurer executive Melissa Burt DeVries, and policyholder attorney Chip Merlin. The panel and members discussed major cost drivers in Florida homeowners insurance, including inflation, home age, roof age, mitigation features, claims history, litigation costs, reinsurance, and the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund. Commissioner Yaworski said underwriting has become more sophisticated and that litigation costs, reinsurance, and replacement-cost inflation all affect premiums; he also said litigation is down about 30% and average requested rate increases have fallen from about 22.1% in 2022 to 0.8% today. DeVries said age of home, replacement cost, roof age, and coverage choices can materially change premiums, and explained that reinsurance is a major expense passed through to consumers. Merlin emphasized transparency concerns, argued that insurers are increasingly individualizing risk, and said consumers often struggle with coverage limits, deductibles, and claim denials. Members asked about flood coverage, hurricane deductibles, managed repair programs, mitigation credits, new insurer capitalization, and whether savings from reforms are reaching consumers. Yaworski explained that flood is generally excluded from homeowners policies and covered separately, that hurricane deductibles are mandatory in Florida and usually around 5%, and that the office tracks savings from reforms through rate filings and insurer discussions. He said the state is updating mitigation discounts and monitoring new entrants closely for solvency and market conduct. Several members and panelists said recent reforms have helped reduce some abuses and litigation, but many consumers are still seeing higher premiums because replacement costs and reinsurance remain elevated. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Additionally, removing joint and several liability in order for these providers to receive affordable
• <01:03:22.800> coverage<01:03:24.000> could to receive affordable coverage could to
• uh this bill requires um any affordable uh this bill requires um any affordable rental<01:10:34.480
• <05:24:25.840> housing started mandating affordable housing started mandating affordable housing
• <05:26:14.920> more then they would be able to afford more then they would be able to afford

Keywords: 910, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That would require an income of $13,900 to be considered affordable.
• $13,900 $85 to be considered affordable $13,900 $85 to be considered affordable that's<01:39:34.199
• <01:41:03.040> the or less of people who can afford the or less of people who can afford the
• it's litech or some other affordable it's litech or some other affordable housing<02:59:42.120><
• relates to invest NH or the affordable relates to invest NH or the affordable housing<03:00:06.080

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The meeting was a Ways and Means briefing opened by the vice chair, who introduced Jason Wong of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to discuss the national and regional economy. Wong focused on inflation, asking why it had fallen from about 9% in 2022 to the 2%–3% range, and what that meant for monetary policy and the risk of an economic downturn. He said the Fed’s target is 2%, noted that recent PCE inflation was about 2.4% and core PCE about 2.7%, and described the ongoing debate over whether interest rates should stay tight or be lowered further to protect the labor market. Wong explained that the improvement in inflation has been driven largely by goods prices, especially durable goods such as cars, appliances, and furniture, as well as non-durable goods like food. He said supply-chain disruptions during the pandemic caused major price spikes in 2022, but those pressures have eased and many goods prices are now at or below the Fed’s target. He also referenced the New York Fed’s Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, saying it showed extreme pandemic-era disruptions that have since receded. The main remaining inflation problem, he said, is in services, especially housing. Wong broke services into rent of shelter and all other services, explaining that shelter is a large share of household budgets and that housing inflation has a lag because rent measures often reflect older lease terms rather than current market rents. He said monthly Zillow data suggest market rents have cooled and may eventually feed through to official inflation measures. Members asked several questions about the chart’s time scale, the treatment of real estate, property taxes, and utilities, and Wong clarified that housing costs are counted in services and that the slides would be shared digitally. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• The affordability issue is a challenge, no doubt, but the return to failure is not doubt, but the return
• These benefits were meant to help families afford their basic needs during the lockdown.
• And too many Americans live in fear of losing their job and being unable to afford their family's basic
• <02:45:27.680> their job and being unable to afford their job and being unable to afford their
• These organizations were created under the Affordable Care Act to improve health care quality and to

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, June 29, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• cap have an affordability problem that's cap the<00:30:12.799> price.
• That flexibility often helps fans find affordable options.
• In fact, nearly 90% affordable options.
• House File 4250 would not make tickets more affordable.
• Instead, it will reduce safe affordable.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh first up on ability to afford bail.
• So, and as um Miss Johnson stated, this bail has to be affordable.
• So, and as Miss Johnson stated, this bail has to be affordable.
• It can't be bail has to be affordable.
• <00:54:39.280> Uh ability to afford bail. Uh ability to afford bail.

Bills: SB2040, SB2248, SB2530, SB2732, SB2871, SB2919, SB3076, SB3300, SB3301

Keywords: freedom of speech, elections, campaign finance, non-natural persons, regulated participation, constitutional amendment, financial disclosures, government transparency, public confidence, Senate confirmation, conflicts of interest, state ethics commission, campaign contributions, state contracts, transparency, conflict of interest, government ethics, pretrial release, bail reform, financial ability

Summary: The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on several bills. SB 2248 would expand financial disclosure requirements to certain gubernatorial nominees subject to Senate confirmation. The State Ethics Commission supported the measure, saying disclosures should be filed before confirmation so the public and interested parties can review them in advance. Testimony was overwhelmingly in support, with 22 supporters, no opposition, and one comment. SB 2530 would broaden Hawaii’s campaign contribution ban for state and county contractors to include officers and immediate family members, and would extend the ban to certain grantees and their officers and family members, with specified contract thresholds. The Campaign Spending Commission said the bill is its own proposal and would align the thresholds with procurement guidelines. Testimony was entirely favorable, with 30 in support, no opposition, and two comments. Members asked about conforming amendments and how the existing prohibition on soliciting contributions applies; CSC said the calendar-day language clarifies current practice and that the solicitation ban already applies to contractors, with the bill extending the same standard to officers and immediate family members. SB 2732 would require courts to consider a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, including excluding public benefits from income calculations and clarifying the 40-hour affordability benchmark for those above 150% of the federal poverty level. The Office of the Public Defender, the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, and the ACLU of Hawaii supported the bill, arguing that unaffordable bail creates wealth-based disparities, contributes to jail overcrowding, and can cause severe collateral consequences for people not yet convicted. There was one opposition testimony and 18 supporters. Committee discussion focused on when the 40-hour period should begin, how income would be verified, and whether misrepresentation could affect bail; the Public Defender said the measure should be read to start from initial appearance and that judges could address false statements through existing remedies. SB 2871 would prohibit discrimination based on perceived characteristics, association with someone who has or is perceived to have protected characteristics, and intersectional combinations of characteristics. The Department of Education supported the intent but asked for clear definitions, while the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission said the bill does not add new protected classes and simply codifies the Lamb v. University of Hawaii decision on intersectional discrimination. LGBTQ+, civil rights, ACLU, and other advocacy groups testified in support, with one opposition testimony and a total of 27 in support, two opposed, and one comment. The committee then heard SB 2919, which appropriates funds for one full-time public deputy public defender position. The Public Defender’s Office said the position would provide statewide legal support and a centralized resource on constitutional, appellate, and immigration-related issues; several advocacy groups supported the measure, and committee questions focused on how the new position would complement existing training and keep staff updated on changing law.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:06:57.759> just<00:06:58.080> as can't afford medical treatment just as can't afford
• <00:11:08.880> for prescription drug cost affordability for prescription drug cost affordability
• <00:12:42.399> to income to how they can afford to income to how they can afford to maintain
• housing and child care trying to afford housing and child care and<04:22:05.439> afford<04:22
• affordable childare and early education. affordable childare and early education.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• medical<00:11:47.839> treatment So, they can't afford medical treatment So, they can't afford
• Um we little bit more affordable.
• <00:39:36.960> full card holders who could not afford full card holders who could not afford
• Non-ambulatory patients, designated caregivers, people not affording to be able to afford their products
• <00:47:48.079> their their their be able to afford their their their be able to afford their

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Nearly 70,000 in my district rely on the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.
• health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
• <00:54:52.160> The of affordable health care. The of affordable health care.
• to highquality, affordable Access to highquality, affordable healthcare<01:06:51.839> is<01:06
• Each visit afforded a Mike Huckabe.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Friday, September 19, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• needed from rising costs, affordability. needed from rising costs, affordability.
• And people can't afford this.
• all goods and make America affordable all goods and make America affordable again.<02:53:46.399>
• > increasing affordability challenges, the increasing affordability challenges, the increasing
• far more affordable. far more affordable.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• nation on earth cannot afford The gentlewoman reserves.
• nation on earth cannot afford They want a fair shot.
• families in America can't even afford families in America can't even afford the<04:05:55.680>
• <04:11:30.399> crisis affordability crisis affordability crisis in<04:11:32.239> the<04
• That's what we're doing. economy more affordable, economy more affordable, but<04:13:15.840> actually

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, June 12, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Small Claims Court was designed to provide a fast and affordable way to resolve routine disputes.
• GLP treatments backed by science made easy, affordable, effective, and delivered to your door.
• We talk about affordability.
• We talk about affordability.
• This applies only to 100% affordable housing developments.

Summary: The Assembly convened, established a quorum, and proceeded through a large House of Origin floor file, with the Speaker repeatedly urging members to be at their desks and keep support bills brief. Early actions included dispensing with the journal, re-referring AB 2285 to the Banking and Finance Committee, and then taking up dozens of third-reading items, with many bills passed by voice or recorded vote and others passed temporarily or retained on file. The floor debated and passed a wide range of measures on land use, housing, labor, public safety, health care, utilities, taxation, and consumer protection. Among the bills approved were measures on land surveyor review (AB 1933), nurse midwife access for pregnant and postpartum patients (AB 1696), historic-district transit zoning flexibility (AB 2415), EV charging infrastructure fees and timelines (AB 1820), foreclosure bidding protections (AB 1957), tribal cannabis commerce (AB 2506), outdoor advertising permitting (AB 2024), commercial building permit timelines and third-party plan checkers (AB 2418), DUI penalties (AB 1685 and AB 1687), utility rate transparency (AB 1715), CalWORKs work-penalty changes (AB 1755), dynamic electricity rates (AB 1787), interior designer licensure (AB 1796), compost labeling and contamination rules (AB 1812), modular housing standardization (AB 1815), small claims limits for businesses (AB 1827), Native American Day as a paid state holiday (AB 1841), hospital staffing and maternity access bills (AB 1868 and AB 1882), protective orders tied to release dates (AB 1889), and a series of public health, missing persons, and teacher credentialing measures later in the file. Several high-profile bills drew extended debate. AB 2624, expanding Safe at Home privacy protections to immigrant service providers, prompted sharp disagreement over free speech and alleged limits on online posting, but supporters said it protected workers facing threats and doxing; it ultimately passed 49-19. AB 2023, creating a framework for regulating AI chatbots used by children, was framed as a child-safety measure after testimony about chatbot-related harms and suicide risks, and passed 58-8. Other notable votes included AB 2208 on Medi-Cal protections against federal cuts, AB 2299 on CalFresh/SNAP losses, AB 2115 apologizing to California Native peoples for historic state harms, and AB 2311 on public hospital physician employment; the transcript ends as the Assembly continues working through the remaining file.

Transcript Highlights:

• This interconnect provides a safeguard that Richfield cannot afford to be without.
• that interconnect provides a safeguard that Richfield<00:41:42.560> cannot<00:41:42.800> afford
• Richfield cannot afford to be without. Richfield cannot afford to be without.
• , safe, accessible, and modern affordable, safe, accessible, and modern facilities<00:56:02.240> that
• And clear, look, we cannot afford to build a $40 million facility in our community and put that burden

Bills: HF3700, HF3982, HF3927, HF3933, HF3949, HF4238, HF4275, HF4476, HF4504

Keywords: Duluth, Lake Superior Zoo, capital improvements, funding, bonds, appropriations, capital investment, port development, grant caps, state assistance, navigation facilities, Dakota County, state bonds, park improvements, infrastructure, transportation, safety, congestion, water infrastructure, bond issuance

Transcript Highlights:

• I mean, this is serious business, and it's our That they can afford to pay to do that.
• In recent years, the legislature has focused on addressing the issue of affordability, and it's often
• That means something to their sense of control, their privacy, and to their affordability.
• With that, Something to their sense of control, their privacy, and to their affordability.
• Second, affordability.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• That shouldn't be a privilege that only some can afford.
• That shouldn't be a privilege that only some can afford.
• That shouldn't be a privilege that only some can afford.
• that can afford...
• We can't afford to get to full regionalization.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Education opened a hybrid public hearing on a large slate of bills related to school buildings, school finance, technology, data privacy, safety, and related education issues. Chairs Jason Lewis and Ken Gordon outlined procedures for the hearing, including two-minute testimony limits and the plan to group similar bills together. Several bills drew no testimony and were closed without further discussion, while others drew extensive testimony from legislators, school officials, parents, advocates, and educators. A major theme was school safety and student well-being. Lori Al-Hadeth testified in support of bills on alert systems in public schools, describing the loss of her daughter in the Parkland shooting and urging adoption of Alyssa’s Law-style panic alert technology. Representative Gallagher and disability advocates also supported a bill authorizing, but not requiring, airway clearance devices in schools, arguing they could save lives in choking emergencies and provide an option for people who cannot use the Heimlich maneuver. Another bill on reducing cafeteria waste drew support from a legislator and a Lexington sustainability official, who said installing dishwashers during construction would reduce waste and long-term costs. Much of the hearing focused on Chapter 70 school funding and the inflation cap. Senator Pavel Payano, Senator Sal DiDomenico, Representative Senna, and multiple local officials and school committee members from Bridgewater, Chelsea, Groton-Dunstable, and other districts argued that the 4.5% cap on inflation adjustments has left schools underfunded during years of high inflation, forcing layoffs, larger class sizes, and cuts to programs and student supports. They urged bills to eliminate the cap, restore lost funding, increase the Commonwealth’s share of the foundation budget, or create commissions to study reforms. Testimony also highlighted the impact on special education, English learners, and low-income students, with Chelsea witnesses saying the cap has cost their district about $7 million annually. School construction and MSBA reform were the other major topic. AIA Massachusetts, Boston Public Schools, Lynn officials, and AFT Massachusetts described aging facilities, overcrowding, deferred maintenance, and the difficulty of financing new schools under current reimbursement rules. Boston officials said the district has many pre-World War II buildings and has only built a handful of new schools in decades, while Lynn leaders said reimbursement rates have fallen well below the statutory 80% because of caps and ineligible costs. Witnesses urged modernization of the MSBA program, higher reimbursement rates, and more resources for school construction. The committee also heard support for a bill to study the adequacy and equity of the school building program, and chairs indicated some bills would be closed after no one signed up to testify.

Transcript Highlights:

• Where I left off was the lack of available affordable housing.
• And that's at affordable to them with the Social Security only.
• Well, let's talk about the housing affordability one, the bar graph on each city.
• Second, affordability: are families... ...for families choosing to use child care services?
• Second, affordability: are families able to afford child care for their children?

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It was an affordability way of thinking about how we get students to go at lowest price.
• It was an affordability way of thinking about how we get students to go at lowest price.
• It was an affordability way of thinking about how we get students to go at lowest price.
• Uh, and that's why we say state funding is so important for maintaining affordability and access for
• ><00:16:05.920> been<00:16:06.720> a maintaining affordability has been a maintaining affordability

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The committee met for its fifth and final Interim Joint Budget Review Subcommittee on Education meeting, but did not initially have a quorum and approved the minutes later when enough members were present. The Council on Postsecondary Education, represented by President Aaron Thompson and Vice President Bill Payne, opened with condolences for the UPS crash victims and then presented higher education budget recommendations for the 2026-2028 biennium. Thompson emphasized the return on investment from state support for higher education, citing gains in retention, enrollment, persistence, graduation, reduced time to degree, lower student debt, and expanded dual credit participation, while noting that affordability and access remain priorities. Payne outlined CPE’s operating funds request, including $43.3 million in the first year and $86.6 million in the second year for inflation adjustments, plus $30 million and $45 million for performance funding. He said the inflation request would apply across the board to institutions to offset rising costs, and that the KSU land grant match would not need additional funding because the state has already met the matching requirement. He also explained that state support for educating students has not kept pace with inflation over time, creating pressure on institutional budgets and tuition, though tuition increases have been held to historic lows in recent years. A major portion of the discussion focused on the performance funding model and how it affects smaller institutions. CPE proposed two approaches to address institutions that have received little or no performance funding, especially Kentucky State University and Morehead State University. The first approach would create a $20 million minimum distribution pool, providing $1.95 million to each university and $4.4 million to KCTCS, with the goal of giving smaller and rural institutions a base level of support. The second approach would provide direct appropriations totaling a little over $5.6 million to Kentucky State, Morehead State, and five community colleges that have not been receiving performance funding. Members, especially Representative Tipton and Senator West, questioned how the model had treated small schools over time, and CPE officials explained that the original small school adjustment was not large enough to prevent KSU and Morehead from effectively being left out of the distribution. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we cannot afford not to do anything.
• One in every five Californians right now can't afford their utility bills.
• One in every five Californian right now can't afford their utility bills.
• And the people are telling us loud and clear they cannot afford more broken promises.
• We have very severe affordability problems. We have insurance problems.

Summary: The Assembly met after a quorum call, recess, prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance, then moved into a highly procedural and contentious floor session centered on redistricting measures. Members debated a point of order raised by Assembly Member DeMaio challenging the constitutionality of SB 280, ACA 8, and AB 604; the Speaker ruled the point not well taken, and the Assembly sustained that ruling on appeal. The body also took up consent-calendar and procedural motions, including suspending rules to adopt late amendments on ACA 8 and to bring the measure up without reference to file. Several motions to re-refer or suspend rules on related measures failed, while the motion to adopt the late amendments on ACA 8 carried. The main substantive item was ACA 8, the Assembly Constitutional Amendment related to redistricting, presented by Assembly Member Berman as a response to mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states, especially Texas. Supporters argued the measure was a temporary, voter-driven response to protect democracy, counter partisan gerrymandering, and address broader threats tied to the Trump administration, including immigration enforcement and health care cuts. Opponents argued ACA 8 would undermine California’s independent citizens redistricting commission, violate the state Constitution, and amount to partisan gerrymandering or a power grab. Members on both sides framed the issue as a defense of democracy, but disagreed sharply over whether the Legislature should act or leave redistricting to voters and the existing commission. No final vote on ACA 8 is shown in the transcript excerpt, but the Assembly did vote on several procedural matters: the appeal of the Speaker’s ruling was sustained 58-18; the motion to adopt late amendments on ACA 8 passed 58-19; a motion to re-refer ACA 8 and SB 280 to Judiciary failed 19-58; and a motion to take up A.J.R. 21 without reference to file failed 19-58. The session remained focused on ACA 8 and related redistricting questions, with extensive floor speeches from both supporters and opponents.