Transcript Highlights:

• many days a position has been vacant, including the date it became vacant, as well as the minimum salary
• And that is one that's a really low salary price point, hard to recruit folks to fill that particular
• It would seem that as you look at, say, even the senior attorney that you have listed here at a salary
• So am I able to give up the positions and then ask for additional cash to raise the salaries of other
• Those seem to be the hardest to find because of salaries, period.

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee met for two workshops. The first focused on vacant positions in the Division of Early Learning and the Department of Education. Committee members reviewed vacancy reports, including long-vacant positions and positions that had received discretionary pay adjustments. Division and department officials said many vacancies were being filled, advertised, or under review, but acknowledged persistent recruitment and retention problems, especially for engineering, legal, finance, IT, and other specialized roles. Members questioned whether some long-vacant positions were still necessary, whether overtime and workload were being affected, and whether outside contracting, cross-training, combining positions, or eliminating some vacancies could help. Officials said they were considering those options and noted that hiring has become slower and more difficult since the pandemic, with lower applicant volume and more competition from other agencies and private employers. The second workshop addressed draft legislation related to school choice scholarships and the FEFP. The chair said the committee’s prior hearings raised concerns about student identification numbers, cross-checking between districts and scholarship organizations, duplicated FTE reporting, delayed district payments, scholarship payment timing, and inconsistent data sources. She said the proposed language is intended to standardize scholarship processing and improve accuracy and efficiency while preserving the long-standing FEFP principle that funds follow the student. She also said funding scholarship students below the line would not solve the identified problems and could create disparities. The draft would align processing for the Family Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit Scholarship programs and would reduce add-on weights by 50% while keeping the current policy structure. No votes were taken. The chair invited further comments and said the draft budget and legislation would continue to be refined before rollout. The meeting adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• as to the max salary a person. >> Oh, the [laughter] you lost [clears throat] track then.
• as to the max salary a person. >> Oh, the [laughter] you lost [clears throat] track then.
• the max salary a person. >> Oh, the [laughter] you lost [clears throat] track then.
• </c><02:32:43.439><c> Um</c><02:32:43.760><c> but</c> whatever um salary they have.
• Um but whatever um salary they have.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• These are just irregular salary payments, so they don’t fit the normal structure of our salary payments
• These are just irregular salary payments, so they don’t fit the normal structure of our salary payments
• there are a few other ones where they’re retroactive pay adjustments, where maybe somebody got a salary
• And for additional general fund spending authority of about $240,500, split between their salary line
• And for additional general fund spending authority of about $240,500, split between their salary line

Committee: Joint Budget Section

Summary: The Budget Section met to approve prior minutes and receive a series of budget, revenue, and program updates from OMB, the Tax Department, DOT, DMR, and DPI. OMB reported that general fund revenues through May were about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls, though the biennium is still projected to end with a positive balance. OMB also reviewed oil price and production assumptions, the budget stabilization fund transfer above its cap, Legacy Fund performance, federal grant applications, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting that most of the settlement funds had been deposited but a small amount of accrued interest would require a future deficiency request. The committee then considered Emergency Commission requests. It approved requests for Public Service Commission abandoned mine lands federal authority, an Attorney General FTE and related funding for criminal investigator work tied to the Office of Guardianship and Conservatorship, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. After discussion, the committee also approved DPI’s request for a $500,000 transfer for the food vendor program, despite questions about the program’s savings and cash-flow structure. Later, the Tax Commissioner presented the primary residence credit program, reporting that current biennium costs are expected to exceed the appropriation by about $22 million and explaining how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran credits and the 3% property tax levy cap. The Legacy and Budget Stabilization Fund Advisory Board reported strong returns for both funds, and DOT sought and received approval for two flexible fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. DOT also updated members on Highway 85 construction and said remaining flex fund dollars were essentially fully allocated. DMR reported on the abandoned well plugging and site reclamation fund, noting North Dakota’s relatively small orphan well inventory, current and projected fund balances, rising remediation costs, and a possible need to adjust the fund cap in future sessions. Finally, DPI outlined the new integrated formula gap funding program, explaining that it compensates school districts that cannot reach the assumed 60-mill local contribution because of the 3% levy cap; the first year’s gap funding totaled about $1.8 million, with future costs expected to grow.

Transcript Highlights:

• These are just irregular salary payments, so they don’t fit the normal structure of our salary payments
• These are just irregular salary payments, so they don’t fit the normal structure of our salary payments
• There are a few other ones where they’re retroactive pay adjustments, where maybe somebody got a salary
• And for additional general fund spending authority of about $240,500, split between their salary line
• And for additional general fund spending authority of about $240,500, split between their salary line

Summary: The Budget Section approved the March 18 minutes and received an OMB update showing the general fund is still ahead of the budgeted starting point, but revenues through May are now about $76 million below the legislative forecast, driven mainly by individual income tax and sales tax shortfalls. OMB also reported the budget stabilization fund is above its cap, meaning a transfer to the general fund is expected, and reviewed oil price/production assumptions, noting continued volatility. Members asked about the income tax netting process, the sales tax decline, oil price discounts/premiums, natural gas taxation, and when the executive branch would present its revenue forecast. The committee then acted on several Emergency Commission requests. It approved, as a group, requests for federal mine reclamation funds for the Public Service Commission, an additional criminal investigator FTE and funding for the Attorney General’s office, and a DPI transfer for bridge software costs. It separately approved DPI request 2164 for $500,000 to support the food vendor program after debate over whether the program’s savings were known and whether the money was simply a pass-through. OMB also reported on federal grants, fiscal irregularities, tobacco settlement proceeds, budget guidelines for agencies, FTE pool usage, vacancy savings, and the DAPL settlement, noting the settlement funds had been deposited and that a deficiency appropriation may be needed later to cover remaining accrued interest. Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus presented on the primary residence credit program, saying participation has grown sharply and that the current biennium will likely need about $431 million, roughly $22 million above the appropriation. He explained how the credit interacts with homestead and disabled veteran benefits, how the 3% property tax cap works, and why county valuations and mill rates vary. The committee also received a Legacy Fund/Budget Stabilization Fund report showing strong returns, and DOT Director Ron Henke received approval for two Flex Fund highway projects on ND 49 and ND 31. Henke also explained remaining Highway 85 funding and said the department is exploring uses for leftover state dollars. Finally, the Department of Mineral Resources reported on abandoned well plugging and site restoration, noting North Dakota remains in relatively strong shape compared with other states, and DPI began a presentation on gap funding tied to the 3% levy cap, reporting 24 districts received $1.8 million in the first year and projecting higher future needs.

Transcript Highlights:

• There is also a salary component. I review a lot of physician contracts.
• Salary is a huge, huge issue right now.
• I'm interested in knowing, because salary comes up over and over again, what are the salary ranges for
• They can't provide the salaries on a national basis.
• And when I go around the state, I've been doing a salary survey for over 25 years.

Committee: House Legislative Health & Human Services Committee

Transcript Highlights:

• They don't have the ability to go and negotiate their own salary, their own benefits, their own working
• Many other bills continue to go up while our salaries... ...can't keep up with inflation.
• With the assistance of the teacher salary increase allocation, Gaston has increased salaries by over
• We will continue to fight for salary increases for all of our teachers, as well as the best learning
• But the teacher salary allocation is only a part of any contract.

Bills: S0042 , S0688 , S0762 , S1168 , S1296 , S1298 , S1300 , S1318 , S1332 , S1376 , S1548 , S1570 , S1574 , S1632 , S1634 , S1750

Committee: Senate Fiscal Policy

Keywords: child protection, medical records, investigation, abuse, neglect, healthcare, Child Protection Team, diagnosis, criminal defense, legal representation, death penalty, indigent defense, regional counsel, conflict of interest, background screening, athletic coaches, youth sports, criminal history, expungement, Florida statutes

Summary: The committee first took up CS for SB 42 on specific medical diagnosis and child protective investigations. A late-file strike-all amendment was adopted that made only stylistic changes to align with the House version. Supporters said the bill would help DCF and child protective teams better identify rare medical conditions and give parents a chance to defend against mistaken abuse findings. The bill was then reported favorably. The committee also approved SB 1570, which restores a prior program to help locate missing persons with special needs through voluntary tracking devices and coordination with sheriff’s offices and CARD centers, with nonrecurring funding included. Members then advanced several education, disability, and public services measures. CS for CSSB 182 created a teacher training and mentoring program for high-performing current and retired teachers to mentor teachers in D- and F-rated schools, and CS for CSSB 794 required background screening for employees in residential and day training programs for people with developmental disabilities while directing APD to study support coordination quality, workforce issues, and service gaps. Testimony on SB 794 strongly supported better training, lower caseloads, and more consistent support coordination. The committee also favorably reported CS for CS SB 1168 on background screenings, CS for CS SB 214 to allow rural special districts to pay verified invoices directly, CS for SB 1376 to create grants for genetic counseling education, and SB 1574 (Maddie’s Law) to add newborn screening for biliary atresia; the latter drew emotional support and testimony that early screening could save lives and reduce transplant costs. The committee heard and passed a number of other policy bills, including CS for CS for SB 1510, the DEP agency package, after environmental groups warned that one provision could delay basin management protections and allow more septic systems in impaired watersheds; the bill still passed favorably. Members also approved CS for CS for SB 598 on funeral and cemetery regulation, SB 688 to license naturopathic doctors, SB 1318 on scholarship account reversion rules, CS for CS for SB 682 on domestic violence injunctions and penalties, SB 130 on workforce training for current and former inmates, and SB 1548, the latest Live Local affordable housing update. Several bills were briefly postponed or taken up later in the meeting. In the latter portion of the meeting, the committee approved CS for C.S. for SB 536 on criminal gang membership criteria, CS for C.S. SB 762 on assigning conflict capital cases across regional counsel offices, SB 1332 on career offender registration requirements, CS for CS for SB 1742 creating a new offense for indecent exposure of sexual organs to a child, and CS for SB 1750 increasing penalties for serious sex offenses and child sexual abuse material crimes. The committee also debated CS for SB 1226 on Public Employee Relations Commission procedures and union certification rules, including a late-file amendment setting a 60% threshold and 25% quorum for recertification; the discussion focused heavily on constitutional concerns, union rights, and differences between first responders and other public employees. The transcript ends while that bill’s debate is still underway, with the committee having already taken numerous favorable votes throughout the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• The distinction is more significant when focusing on uniform positions which drive the largest salary
• And as the CHP mentioned, salary is a large expenditure in this fund.
• Salary is a large expenditure in this fund, and so by not taking on that salary growth that we anticipated
• And so the salary savings from that. And then more cars purchased...
• So the salary savings from that, and then more cars purchased, which meant more fees paid through DMV

Summary: The committee first heard a DMV budget presentation on the state-to-state verification system required for Real ID compliance and the Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization project. DMV officials said the state-to-state system is a pointer-based exchange used when a person applies for a license in another state, with only limited identifying data shared initially and the full driver history sent only after a qualified request. Members raised concerns about privacy, possible misuse by other states or federal actors, notification to Californians, hacking, and whether California could detect or stop abusive access. DMV said it can monitor requests, see patterns of access, work with AAMVA and legal counsel, and seek to block or challenge misuse; LAO said California is in a difficult position and should consider guardrails rather than opt out. On DXP, DMV said the project is on its revised schedule and budget, occupational licensing is complete, vehicle registration is expected by the end of calendar year 2026, and the full system should be finished by fiscal year 2028-29, with phased rollout and reappropriated funding to keep costs controlled. The committee then heard from the California High-Speed Rail Office of Inspector General on a trailer bill and AB 1608. The Inspector General said current law does not clearly authorize public reports or establish a framework for retaining and disclosing work papers, and the proposed trailer bill would create that framework while also adding authority to hire needed classifications and purchase goods and services. He also said the office needs a clearer statutory definition of “proposed agreements” and notice when the High-Speed Rail Authority is reviewing them, so the office can review contracts and related agreements effectively. LAO raised no concerns with the trailer bill language, and Finance said any amendments would come in the May revision. Members debated the scope of confidentiality in the Inspector General proposal, especially whether reports could be held confidential when they identify weaknesses in fraud controls, security, or other vulnerabilities. The Inspector General said confidentiality would be temporary, tied to articulating the risk, reassessing it every 120 days, and releasing the report once the risk is no longer substantial; he also said the office had already published reports at its discretion and had found at least one procurement violation involving an amendment that added services not in the original contract. Several members pressed for stronger transparency and suggested time limits or broader disclosure, while others argued the bill would improve oversight and make the Inspector General’s authority clearer. No votes were taken during the discussion, and the item was left for further work on the trailer bill and AB 1608 language.

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it allowed to use personnel salaries for...
• Is it allowed to use personnel salaries for the use of general department operations? Yes.
• Salaries are in that. It is allowable to use salary savings for other things...
• The department salaries are in that.
• It is allowable to use salary savings for other things that fit within that type of cost.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Is it allowed to use personnel salaries for...
• Is it allowed to use personnel salaries for the use of general department operations?
• Salaries are in that; it is allowable to use salary savings for other things.
• The department salaries are in that.
• It is allowable to use salary savings for other things that fit within that type of cost.

Summary: The subcommittee met to discuss budget issues related to vacant positions across several natural resources and environmental departments, with no votes taken and all items held open for a future hearing. The Legislative Analyst’s Office and the Department of Finance explained the administration’s proposal to eliminate about 6,000 vacant positions statewide, including roughly 293 positions in the departments before the committee, as a way to capture salary savings and reduce flexible funding tied up in vacancies. The LAO recommended retaining special-funded positions, while noting that eliminating General Fund positions would reduce savings. Finance argued that vacancy levels have remained steady statewide, that departments need flexibility to manage operations and hard-to-fill jobs, and that some vacant positions can be reclassified to higher-priority work. Members raised concerns that many of the proposed eliminations would affect core public-safety, permitting, and environmental-protection functions. The Department of Fish and Wildlife said the cuts would affect permitting, environmental protection, and law enforcement, while State Parks said its proposed ranger reductions were chosen from historically vacant, hard-to-fill positions and would still leave many vacancies to fill through the academy. The Coastal Commission said its positions supported sea-level rise planning under SB 272. The Department of Pesticide Regulation and DTSC said the reductions would affect multiple program areas, though Finance said the special funds involved were not in structural deficit and the cuts could help avoid future fee increases. The State Water Resources Control Board said its proposed reductions were spread across programs, with public-health functions protected as much as possible. The committee then heard an overview from the State Water Resources Control Board on its responsibilities for water quality, water rights, drinking water, and funding for water infrastructure. Chair Joaquin Esquivel described ongoing work on the Bay-Delta Plan update, the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes voluntary agreements, and the need to actively administer water rights. Members also discussed the board’s response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, which narrowed federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction. The board requested $2.6 million and 12 permanent positions to address resulting permitting and enforcement gaps; the LAO said the request met its high bar for new proposals and was supported by the board’s data and reporting.

Transcript Highlights:

• How many of us have ever had our salary reduced?
• How many of us have ever had our salary reduced?
• How many of us have ever had our salary reduced?
• How many of us have ever had our salary reduced?
• </c> had our salary had our salary reduced<01:51:40.520><c> and</c><01:51:40.679><c> does</c><01:51:40.880

Committee: Senate Education Policy

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It's supported by salary savings.
• There are 33 agencies that request $15.9 million in increased spending authority for regular salaries
• They'll use existing salary savings to pay for these. Okay.
• It is a part-time, limited funding, limited salary reimbursement for their services. Thank you.
• Limited salary reimbursements for their services.

Committee: All JBC-PEER REVIEW

Summary: The PEER Review Subcommittee met to consider a large agenda of appropriation, transfer, contract, and other review items. Members approved temporary appropriation requests in Sections B through F, including funding for prosecuting attorneys, education-related adjustments, school operating needs, labor licensing divisions, ARPA fund returns from Workforce Services, IIJA grants for state police CDL implementation and a forestry-related county grant, reserve fund transfers for teacher scholarships, school facilities, and economic development, and a Commerce reallocation tied to organizational realignment. Cash fund requests in Section G and budget classification transfers in Section H were also reviewed, along with pay plan requests in Section I, overtime requests in Section J, and multiple methods of finance in Section K. The committee also reviewed discretionary grants in Section L, including agriculture promotion board grants and DHS aging/adult behavioral health grants, plus RFQs, construction contracts, intergovernmental contracts, and out-of-state contracts in Sections M1 through M5. Several items drew questions from members. Workforce Services explained that $225,000 in TANF-related funds would be returned to the federal government because the two-year hold period for uncashed or moved checks had expired. Commerce officials described the $25 million site infrastructure grant program, saying it supports site development, due diligence, and infrastructure build-out at eligible sites of 30 acres or more, including rural communities, with grant agreements and matching requirements providing accountability. DHS and Education officials answered questions about the Care Solace mental health referral contract, saying it is a statewide concierge/referral service that helps schools connect students to Arkansas providers and follow up so students do not fall through the cracks; members asked for more information on provider selection, school-day scheduling, and Arkansas vendor participation. The committee held one item over: the DHS discretionary grant item for the RSVP retired senior volunteer program in L2, after concerns were raised about whether state general revenue was being used effectively and how much administrative overhead the providers retain. Members also questioned several contracts, including a DHS sole-source contract with EMSLink for document management software and a DHS bridge contract with Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care for Medicaid inspections of care reviews; in both cases, agency staff explained the need to avoid service disruption and said follow-up information would be provided. A Department of Corrections reentry center contract was discussed for its recidivism results, and ARDOT retirement-system investment contracts were briefly explained. The meeting ended after a lengthy discussion of the Medicaid Trust Fund balance, with DFA and DHS officials saying the state is expected to finish the fiscal year without exhausting the fund, that a restricted reserve of $100 million is available as a backstop, and that the larger question is what minimum balance should be maintained going forward.

Transcript Highlights:

• making $100,000 a year on salary and not hourly, if this bill passes and you go to 32 hours, are you
• going to accept a lower salary because you only work one day less?
• So as salary employees, we're not affected by this. Thank you, Ranking Member Schmidt.
• I think that there's more than just the salary or the hourly wage that we're looking at here, right?
• It used to be something where you became a salaried worker.

Summary: The Labor and Workplace Standards Committee held public hearings on three bills. HB 2524 would create a State Security Guards Industry Standards Board within L&I to set minimum standards for security guard pay, leave, benefits, and training, funded in part by a $25 transfer from security licensing fees. The bill’s sponsor and labor supporters said it would professionalize the industry, improve safety, and address high turnover and inadequate training. Security workers described unsafe conditions, retaliation, and being expected to handle crises without enough support. Opponents from business and security companies argued the bill duplicates existing licensing and training rules, would raise costs, and gives too much authority to an unelected board; L&I said it had administrative concerns about timing and fee handling. The hearing on HB 2524 was then closed. HB 2513 would change plumbing license suspension rules by keeping the current three-infractions-in-three-years standard for residential work, while creating a five-infractions-in-five-years standard for non-residential plumbing violations. The sponsor and supporters from mechanical contractors and labor said repeat violators undermine safety and fair competition, and that the bill gives L&I a stronger enforcement tool against bad actors in commercial work. Several plumbing contractor groups opposed the bill as written, focusing on a new subsection they said was vague and could create an undefined corrective process or overly broad discretion for L&I; they asked that the subsection be removed or the bill be delayed for more stakeholder work. L&I requested an effective date of January 1, 2027 to allow time for rulemaking. HB 2611 would reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours starting January 1, 2028, and would also change paid sick leave accrual from one hour per 40 hours worked to one hour per 32 hours worked. The sponsor and labor supporters said a shorter workweek would improve work-life balance, reduce burnout and turnover, and could increase productivity, citing examples from San Juan County and other places. Business, hospitality, grocery, construction, agriculture, and janitorial representatives opposed the bill, saying it would raise labor costs, reduce hours and flexibility, complicate scheduling, and hurt industries with thin margins or seasonal demands. The committee heard no votes or final action on HB 2611 before closing the hearing and ending business for the day.

Transcript Highlights:

• And in the state of Florida, a non non competitive salary is reported.
• But what's a non non competitive salary is reported.
• So it's not really easy to to increase the salaries of those instructors, those teachers, because we're
• The salaries are big deal because I'm going to the cities make a higher wage that might cost a bit more
• So and one of the biggest challenges that I have seen, my experiences, salary disparities between the

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• expected funding that they received... ...in regards to dependency case management and some of the salary
• So these are your operational, your admin cost, your rent, your insurance, as well as then your salaries
• Now, we do collect C-suite salaries and things of that nature and do that analysis to ensure that it
• With me today, so maybe ask them whether or not those C-suite salaries are included in Tier 1A, which
• So your funding is what it is for Tier 1, for those admin and salary and operational costs.

Committee: Senate Children, Families, and Elder Affairs

Summary: The committee heard a presentation from Dr. Kelly O’Dare on first responder behavioral health access, peer support, and suicide prevention. She described UCF Restores, the Second Alarm Project, and related partnerships that provide culturally competent treatment, peer training, clinician education, disaster response support, and behavioral health navigation. She cited survey and state data showing significant rates of sleep problems, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicide among Florida first responders, and said evidence-based treatment has helped many patients recover, including a reported 76% who no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria after treatment. Senators asked about measuring outcomes, peer support standards, and whether the state should create more consistent statewide requirements; O’Dare said peer support training must be specialized, linked to higher levels of care, and supported by sustainable funding and statewide coordination. The committee also heard from a public commenter who supported the work and emphasized the need for adequate resources and peer support infrastructure. The committee then received a Department of Children and Families presentation from Casey Penn on the proposed funding methodology for community-based care lead agencies under HB 7089. Penn explained that the new model is intended to be actuarially based, reimbursement-oriented, and more transparent than prior funding approaches, using historical expenditures, standardized reporting, and two main tiers: Tier 1 for largely fixed administrative and operational costs, and Tier 2 for direct child-serving costs based on per-child-per-month blended rates. He said the model includes a 2% risk corridor for Tier 2, hold-harmless funding in the first year, and optional Tier 3 performance incentives, with an estimated additional state appropriation need after offsets. Senators raised concerns about prevention, historical inequities, reasonableness of costs, administrative overhead, blended state and federal funds, adoption subsidies, high-acuity placements, and disaster-related disruptions. Penn said some of those issues could be addressed in future iterations as the child welfare information system is modernized, and he agreed to provide written responses to committee questions. Representatives of the Florida Coalition for Children and CBCs responded that the model is a major improvement but urged additional safeguards, including an administrative cap, clearer separation of direct and indirect costs, and better treatment of federal and pass-through funds. They argued that the system already has oversight and that deficits reflect insufficient appropriations rather than excess spending, while also noting that higher-acuity children and regional differences can drive costs. No votes were taken on either topic, and the meeting ended with committee staff introductions and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• Thank you, Madam Chair. salary um to replace what schools use as salary um to replace what schools use
• Uh teachers salaries do not keep true.
• Uh teachers salaries do not keep up<00:29:16.640><c> with</c><00:29:16.720><c> the</c><00:29:16.960><
• </c><00:37:56.079><c> for</c> talk about raising salaries for talk about raising salaries for teachers
• </c> salaries of teachers across our state. salaries of teachers across our state.

Committee: Senate Taxes

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Section 58 at line 17 provides that the statutorily required salary survey of law enforcement officers
• Section 58 at line 17 provides that the statutorily required salary survey of law enforcement officers
• Section 58 at line 17 provides that the statutorily required salary survey of law enforcement officers
• <00:43:19.920><c> survey</c><00:43:20.680><c> salary</c><00:43:21.160><c> survey</c><00:43:21.840><c>
• changes</c><00:43:22.520><c> in</c> salary survey salary survey changes in salary survey salary survey

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We pay for their salaries. We currently have, I think it's 500, where do I have that number?
• been educated in New Mexico, they're finding that Financially, there's a huge difference in the salaries
• And so our response is that And it would be great if we also increased their salaries so that they're
• Around $400 million of the new money, which would make for nice salary increases and other things.
• and something we were at 24th in total teacher salaries or median teacher salaries, so we We are doing

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the salaries, the salaries were court ordered.
• I’m not sure how the court determined those salary levels, but they were ordered.
• That totals $8.2 million for the receiver's team and includes salaries.
• They fined us double the monthly salary.
• They don't really—the salary is not as much.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee heard presentations from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS), the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program, and the Coleman mental health receivership. The hearing focused on correctional health care, reentry, aging incarcerated populations, and the state’s progress toward compliance in the Plata and Coleman receiverships. Members also discussed the OIG’s intake complaint workload and medical inspection findings, as well as broader questions about staffing, vacancies, and the cost of court oversight. The OIG requested $275,000 General Fund for two permanent positions in its intake processing unit, citing a sharp rise in complaints from 3,200 in 2022 to 7,860 in 2025. OIG officials said complaints are categorized by issue and prison, prioritized by urgency, and generally responded to within 30 days, but they do not track complaint “validity” rates. The medical inspection unit reported that in cycle seven, case review performance was generally adequate while policy compliance was often inadequate; the lowest-scoring areas included emergency services, medication management, and health care environment. Members asked for more detailed reporting on complaint types, priority levels, and systemic issues. CCHCS described rising health care costs driven by an aging prison population, staffing vacancies, and contract medical expenses. Officials said more than 80% of the budget is personal services, and they are using hiring events, social media outreach, and expanded classifications to reduce vacancies. CalAIM officials reported early implementation success in pre-release and reentry services, including 89% Medi-Cal activation at release, 87% assigned managed care plans, 88% reentry care plans, and 59% warm handoffs, with about 169,000 claims submitted and $14.7 million reimbursed. The LAO noted that the Plata medical receivership has increased per-person costs and that the state should continue oversight while seeking ways to reduce vacancies and expand federal reimbursement opportunities. For the Coleman mental health receivership, the receiver’s office requested $33.9 million from the Mental Health Special Deposit Fund, including $8.2 million for receiver office staffing and $25.3 million to make court-ordered bonus payments permanent. The LAO supported continued oversight but recommended additional steps to address vacancies, including greater out-of-state recruitment, expanded telemental health, and possible consolidation of mental health services. The LAO also recommended reducing the telemental health staffing request and monitoring its effects. Members questioned the long-term cost of receiverships, the pace of compliance, and whether more detailed benchmarks and staffing data should be provided. No formal votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• As far as the salaries, the salaries were court ordered.
• I’m not sure how the court determined those salary levels, but they were ordered.
• That totals $8.2 million for the receiver's team and includes salaries.
• And they fined us double the monthly salary.
• The salary is not as much.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We're wasting judicial spots and we're wasting salary.
• The $7 million is incorrect because it's including the salaries for judges and staff.
• It's used to pay salaries. It's used to pay benefits. It's used to pay salaries.
• You pay for all the judges' salaries. It's not line itemed out.
• You pay for all the judges' salaries. It's not line item out.

Bills: HB141 , HB178 , HB179 , HB187 , HB188 , HB527 , HB782 , HB911 , HB916

Committee: House Judiciary

Keywords: court proceedings, transcription, criminal law, recording, judicial discretion, court reporters, record retention, criminal cases, civil cases, legal proceedings, judicial administration, Louisiana Supreme Court, court reporting services, digital reporting, remote proceedings, virtual courts, court reporter fees, judicial district, statewide revision, costs