Transcript Highlights:

• This could be a learning experience to educate the state's environment and history. Thank you.
• <00:10:46.000> experience Um this could be a learning experience Um this could be a learning
• I just love these enriching<00:16:08.160> learning<00:16:08.480> experiences,<00:16:09.959
• > and<00:16:10.520> um enriching learning experiences, and um enriching learning experiences
• people into uh learn this process. people into uh learn this process.

Keywords: Meeting Start: 00:00 Roll Call: 00:26 SB 343 Discussion: 01:00 SB 343 Voting: 02:25 SB 19 Discussion: 03:25 SB 19 Voting: 20:10, 958, all

Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor met with a roll call showing members present, then first took up Senate Bill 343, which would extend the Workers' Compensation Funding Commission and preserve the independent funding mechanism for the Kentucky Department of Workers' Claims. The chair explained that the bill would keep the current assessment structure in place beyond its scheduled 2029 expiration and support the department’s independence and budgeting flexibility. The committee voted 11-0 to report the bill favorably. The committee then heard a presentation on Senate Bill 19, relating to a state mushroom. Senator Scott Madon and Representative Mitch Whitaker introduced students and a biology teacher from Letcher County Central High School, who presented research supporting the indigo milk cap (Lactarius indigo) as Kentucky’s state mushroom. The students described the mushroom’s blue color, ecological role, edible qualities, and possible educational and scientific value, and tied the proposal to Kentucky’s identity as the Bluegrass State. Senators praised the students’ presentation and the effort to involve young people in the legislative process, and one senator asked how to identify edible mushrooms, prompting advice that experience is important and that local mushroom groups can help. The committee then voted 11-0 to report Senate Bill 19 favorably. Before adjourning, members briefly discussed the presentation and the educational value of involving students, with comments noting the strong participation of young women in science. Senate Bill 324 was on the agenda but was passed over and held for one week. The meeting then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• The bill aims to support the school campus climate and prioritize student learning.
• It’s going to be a great learning experience, and it's beautiful there.
• I'm committed to learning, growing, and contributing to my community.
• I wanted to learn... Important independent living skills. College taught me so much.
• So looking at those different options and putting them in multiple internships helps them learn what

Bills: SB750, SB2995, SB1716, SB2430, SB203, SB1679, SB2683, SB1414

Keywords: tuition exemption, paramedics, higher education, public institutions, laboratory fees, education code, financial aid, education, student support, scholarships, nontraditional education, student enrollment, financial assistance, Texas students, foreign adversaries, trade secrets, research integrity, security measures, international agreements, student privacy

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, we could better target our English language learning population by having a standalone factor
• Modern CTE is a critical evolution in education, potentially bridging the gap between classroom learning
• Chair, Representative Cohen, this is a really interesting question that I learned the answer to while
• Our Higher Learning Commission reaccreditation focus is going to be on data governance.
• more about educational issues and connect our learning to recommendations.

Transcript Highlights:

• However, my mother couldn't teach me how to navigate the complex higher learning landscape.
• to learn the direct admissions program to learn how<00:52:54.880> to<00:52:55.000> best
• By working and learning how to work in interprofessional teams early in their...
• Learning to serve many different people and learning how to work with them to make the best individualized
• Learning to serve many different people and learning how to work with them to make the best individualized

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And that was also noted in a lot of the learning loss analysis that we did around that time.
• And so that would suggest that they're not learning the material at grade level."
• loss, and what the pandemic did across the country learning loss.
• It is just a learning disability.
• I'm still learning names.

Keywords: 908, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sometimes it was kind of tough, but they were learning experiences.
• So I would just like to see that there are folks that learn from, you know, you learn from mistakes of
• Sometimes it was kind of tough, but they were learning experiences.
• So I would just like to see that there are folks that learn from, you know, you learn from mistakes of
• Appreciate again the comments and the learnings from all of us through this process.

Keywords: 1204, all

Summary: The committee met to review education audit reports, beginning with approval of the minutes and then hearing several school districts with findings. Camden Fairview School District addressed two findings: use of operating funds for an end-of-year employee banquet and unauthorized credit card charges that resulted in a small loss. District officials said they had changed credit cards, increased monthly review and reconciliation, stopped using operating funds for off-campus celebrations, and would limit future meals and events to district business. Members questioned whether the prior administration was still involved, whether the charges were from an outside hacker, and how the district would continue teacher appreciation without violating state law. Forest City School District then discussed a $33,000 off-campus staff celebration funded through what the district described as long-standing Pepsi-related funds. The district said it believed the money was discretionary private donation revenue, but audit staff said the funds were treated as operating funds because they were in a general fund account and subject to constitutional limits. The district said it would stop using the fund that way, provide staff and board training, and ensure future expenditures comply with the law. Members also asked about the lack of a formal board vote, the amount remaining in the account, and whether the event was meant to recognize staff growth and service. The committee next reviewed additional findings: Conway School District’s former maintenance employees allegedly misused district funds and resources, with a separate investigative report still pending; Magnolia School District had undeposited activity funds totaling more than $21,000; Westside School District had about $9,500 in credit card charges that could not be substantiated, along with weak internal controls and some personal charges; and Boonville School District paid a board member’s son more than $5,000 for groundskeeping without the required exemption, which DESE later denied. The committee filed the reports as reviewed, including eight other findings not referred for prosecution and 89 audits with no findings, and then adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• NF can lead to tumors throughout the nervous system, chronic pain, hearing and vision loss, learning
• NF can lead to tumors throughout the nervous system, chronic pain, hearing, and vision loss, learning
• the MMTC facilities from being located within 500 feet of a park, child care facility, or early learning
• really to improve how Florida's public education system supports these individuals with specific learning
• Senate Bill 1340 would support students with specific learning disabilities.

Bills: S0042, S0196, S0878, S0902, S0914, S1092, S1168, S1340, S1404, S1414, S1684, S1686

Keywords: child protection, medical records, investigation, abuse, neglect, healthcare, Child Protection Team, diagnosis, uterine fibroids, health database, medical research, personal data protection, women's health, clinical laboratory, licensure, healthcare personnel, technologist, technician, medical marijuana, low-THC cannabis

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services met to hear and vote on a series of health, human services, and education-related bills, along with a presentation of the committee’s proposed HHS budget. The budget was described as increasing by more than $2.1 billion over the current base, with major funding highlighted for Medicaid and KidCare, rural health, provider rate increases, child welfare, mental health and substance use, opioid treatment, Alzheimer’s initiatives, cancer research, ADAP, veterans’ services, and IT modernization. Public testimony on the budget focused heavily on AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding and concerns about Department of Health changes affecting access, premium assistance, notice, and continuity of care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Among the bills reported favorably were measures on podiatric medicine and tissue-based products (SB 1092), background screening and clearinghouse procedures (SB 1168), child protective investigations involving specific medical diagnoses and second opinions (SB 42), clinical laboratory personnel licensure standards (SB 878), uterine fibroid data tracking and research (SB 196), medical marijuana treatment center oversight and related health provisions (SB 902), dyslexia and dyscalculia screening and intervention in schools (SB 1340), memory care licensure for assisted living facilities (SB 1404), congenital CMV education materials (SB 1414), Parkinson’s disease registry and related public records exemption bills (SB 1684 and SB 1686), and occupational therapy dry needling licensure standards (SB 914). Several bills were amended before passage, including SB 1092, SB 42, SB 902, SB 1684, and SB 1404. Testimony generally came from professional associations, advocacy groups, and affected stakeholders, with support voiced for most measures. The committee adopted amendments on the floor, heard no opposition during debate on the bills described, and then voted to report each measure favorably. At the end of the meeting, senators requested to be recorded in the affirmative on selected bills, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Do they have the right to learn in a distraction-free environment?
• of a classroom; you're learning them in applied terms.
• You would learn principles of flight applied.
• As opposed to just learning physics, you will learn principles of flight applied when you're grabbing
• And your consideration, as opposed to just learning physics, you will learn principles of flight applied

Bills: HB1937, HB2153, HB3674, HB2978, HB3885, HB3671, HB3261, HB3021, HB3029, HB4274, HB3701, HB3076

Keywords: HB1937, Oklahoma schools, student communications, electronic communication, digital communication, parent notification, legal guardian, school personnel, teachers, coaches, administrators, charter schools, public schools, administrative leave, corroborated report, investigation, employee file, discipline, termination, school board

Summary: The Senate Education Committee first considered a series of executive nominations, including Brian Bobeck to the State Board of Education, Jonathan Daniels to the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools, Cody Swanee to OETA, Randy Squires to the Western Oklahoma State College Board of Regents, Dwight Spencer to the Carl Albert State College Board of Regents, V. Lee to the Oklahoma Arts Council, Adisha Chapman to the Murray State College Board of Regents, Trevor Pemberton to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Jennifer Carlson and Melissa Yvonne to the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, Kevin Gross to the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents, and Barbara Myers to the Oklahoma Arts Council. Most nominees briefly described their backgrounds and reasons for serving, and the committee approved each nomination, with votes ranging from 8-1 to 10-0, sending them on to the full Senate or floor as applicable. The committee then took up several education bills. House Bill 1937, dealing with the Communications with Students Act, was amended to require corroborated evidence before immediate suspension and to narrow the definition of student; it passed 9-0. House Bill 2153, which would subject OSSAA meetings and hearings to the Open Meetings Act and repeal the statutory one-year sit-out rule for transfers, drew questions about recruitment and FERPA but passed 7-3. House Bill 3674, requiring school resource officer training on sexual assault and violence, annual continuing education, mandatory reporting, and closure of contractor loopholes, passed 9-0. House Bill 3885, setting a graduated discipline framework for third through fifth graders, prompted debate over classroom safety and student rights and passed 9-1. House Bill 3671, allowing a receiving district to accept a transferring teacher’s career status, passed 10-0. House Bill 3261, assigning employee numbers to school support staff such as coaches and bus drivers for tracking across districts, passed 10-0. Several other bills generated more extensive discussion. House Bill 2978, which would impose annual library audits, public online catalogs, a formal challenge process, and funding penalties for noncompliance, faced repeated questions about how it differed from existing policy and who could challenge materials; it failed 4-5. House Bill 3021, revising graduation requirements and preserving flexibility for applied math/science and local course approval while removing some language requirements, passed 8-2. House Bill 3029, requiring the Department of Education to develop a four-year plan, passed 9-1. House Bill 4274, expanding school choice options for military-dependent students living on base, passed 10-0. The committee also began consideration of House Bill 3076, which would clarify alternative teacher certification provider definitions and OEQA oversight, but the transcript cuts off before a final vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And this advances and amplifies our living-learning community strategy.
• Today, we have about a third of our students in an academic living-learning community.
• Today, we have about a third of our students in an academic living-learning community.
• our living learning community strategy. our living learning community strategy.
• students in an academic living learning students in an academic living learning community.<00:21

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The House Budget Review Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education met without a quorum, so no minutes were approved. The committee then heard a presentation from Western Kentucky University President Timothy Kabone, who highlighted WKU’s recent gains in graduation rate, retention, degree production, graduate enrollment, research activity, and financial stability. He said WKU’s FY 2026 budget is structurally balanced without one-time reserves, and he tied the university’s growth to its strategic plan and to Senate Bill 77, which created a pathway for WKU’s first PhD program. WKU’s initial PhD offering is planned in data sciences for fall 2027, and Kabone said the university continues to pursue R2 research status. Kabone also outlined WKU’s budget requests, including a 4.5% base appropriation increase for each year of the biennium, a $30 million increase in the performance funding pool, a $30 million trust fund for tuition waiver reimbursement, and $2 million per year for the Gatton Academy. He also requested continued funding for the Kentucky Mesonet, 8.9% of proposed asset preservation funding, and support for a $280 million new Potter College facility. He emphasized inflationary pressures, rising fixed costs, and the burden of mandated tuition waivers, and said the university supports performance funding but wants the model adjusted to better reward student success rather than enrollment growth. Members asked about WKU’s student housing situation and the transition away from the former student life foundation model. Kabone said the foundation structure had run its course, that the university had lacked adequate oversight under the old arrangement, and that WKU is moving to a public-private partnership with Gilbane and the College Housing Foundation. He said the new model would not increase the university’s debt load and would replace older residence halls with a roughly 1,000-bed complex, eliminate community-style bathrooms over time, and expand living-learning communities. Representatives McCool and Tipton praised WKU’s graduation and retention results and asked questions about the housing project and its timeline. The committee then heard from CareerVXR and KCTCS about a proposed career exploration pilot. Company representatives said the platform uses web-based and virtual reality experiences to show students real jobs and workplaces, with the goal of addressing an “awareness gap” in workforce participation. They proposed a $1.8 million, two-year pilot to reach 50,000 to 60,000 students in three regions, including Hazard Community and Technical College, Southeast Community and Technical College, and western Kentucky. Members asked about cost, funding source, and locations, and were told the request would come through the KCTCS budget. The meeting ended with notice that the next meeting was scheduled for Thursday, February 26.

Transcript Highlights:

• If you recall, in September, I presented to you all a little bit about the work of LEARNS and what we've
• In September, we talked a little bit about LEARNS and ACCESS and really the work of those two things
• increase in our enrollment in these programs, and we know that a big piece of that is due to the LEARNS
• Act. in our enrollment in these programs, and we know that a big piece of that is due to the Learns
• There's a learning curve. Sure.

Summary: The committee approved the November 3 minutes and then received an extensive presentation from Arkansas education and workforce officials on how the LEARNS and ACCESS Acts are affecting career and technical education, concurrent enrollment, and postsecondary readiness. Officials said the state’s goal is for students to leave high school employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment from about 161,000 to 171,000 students and concurrent CTE enrollment from about 12,000 to 16,000. They also described the new success-ready pathways, merit and distinction designations, and how those measures tie into school accountability and graduation outcomes. The discussion then turned to scholarships and grants. Officials explained that ACCESS expanded concurrent credit support, increased funding per credit hour, and broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar programs by adding diploma-of-merit and diploma-of-distinction pathways. They said the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself did not change, but the non-distinguished Governor’s Scholar award now includes diploma of distinction as an additional eligibility route. Members raised concerns about how these requirements apply to private school and homeschool students, and officials said the intent is to ensure those students can qualify if they meet the same standards, though some implementation details are still being worked out. Questions also focused on whether students who explore multiple pathways could be penalized in school letter grades; officials said the system allows multiple ways to earn credit, including AP, IB, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships. Officials also reviewed workforce scholarships and short-term training funding. They said the state is developing policy for the Workforce Challenge and related professional skills training to set an 80-hour minimum and tiered funding, and they discussed the new federal Workforce Pell rules, which they said are very narrow and will likely apply to only a small number of Arkansas programs unless providers repackage training into stackable, credit-bearing pathways. Members asked for lists of eliminated programs, apprenticeships, and data on scholarship recipients, and staff said they could provide those. The committee also heard from Cody Waites on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, which Arkansas will administer nationally. He said the grant will support advanced manufacturing apprenticeships, use a pay-for-performance model, and be distributed to sponsors after apprentices are employed for 90 days, with applications opening January 28 and the state expecting to keep administrative costs under 8-9%.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as you know, and I started in 1997, and what we've learned from then till now, leap years, right,
• we keep learning year over year.
• So that commitment to ongoing learning...
• For the record, I'm Nicole Rose, Assistant Secretary of Early Learning at DCYF.
• And so in early learning, it's always been an uphill battle.

Summary: The committee began with a work session on juvenile rehabilitation institution capacity, services, and staffing. DCYF Assistant Secretary Jennifer Redmond described overcrowding at Green Hill School and Echo Glen, driven by longer adult-style sentences extending past age 25, limited community placements, and small facility sizes. She said Green Hill remains above safe operating capacity, but staffing, injuries, large-scale aggression, and use-of-force incidents have improved over the past year. She also discussed Harbor Heights, a new 46-bed flex facility that had opened with 22 youth and would expand once a medical trailer arrives, as well as community transition services, vocational programming, behavior management reforms, and a request for more resources for mental health-focused facilities and staffing. Members asked about success metrics, developmental disability screening and supports, college access at Echo Glen, Mission Creek planning, and gender-responsive programming; Redmond said JR uses assessments, family involvement, and specialized living units, and that some requested funding had already been secured for returning a girls’ program at Echo Glen. The committee then heard from Team Child and the Youth Action Coalition. Greta Schultz said youth perspectives should guide system reforms and identified key concerns: overuse of sentence extensions, underuse of community transition services, continued criminal referrals from Green Hill to Lewis County, limited family contact, inadequate mental health access, and unequal education opportunities, especially for young women at Echo Glen. Justella Gonzalez, a former system-involved youth, said her time in county and state facilities was harmful, with staff mistreatment, poor education, limited therapy access, and humiliating restraint practices; she also said girls at Echo Glen lacked the same college opportunities as boys at Green Hill. Committee members asked for follow-up on county versus state experiences and on telehealth mental health services. The next presentation covered county-level services for youth involved or at risk of involvement with the justice system, led by juvenile court administrators Christine Simon-Smeyer and Judge Rachel Anderson. They outlined the juvenile court continuum from prevention and truancy work through diversion, detention alternatives, community supervision, and disposition alternatives, emphasizing evidence-based, trauma-informed, and restorative practices. Clark County was used as an example of a court that partners closely with schools and community providers, uses risk assessments and wraparound behavioral health probation, and offers detention alternatives without electronic home monitoring. They said most courts do not use detention for status offenses, but instead use court involvement to connect youth to services. They also described funding, noting that courts rely on a mix of state block grant and local dollars, and that recent cuts to early intervention funding reduced programming and staff hours. Members asked about detention for truancy, developmental disability identification, restorative justice practices, and the juvenile block grant. Finally, DCYF Assistant Secretary Nicole Rose and Katie Warren of the Washington State Association of Head Start and ECAP discussed child care and early learning impacts from recent policy and budget changes. Rose said Fair Start for Kids investments had increased child care access, provider participation, and kindergarten readiness, with more than 60,000 children in Working Connections care and rising ECAP enrollment and provider capacity. She said recent reductions will raise most family copays in 2026, delay eligibility expansions, eliminate some expanded eligibility categories, reduce ECAP slots by about 3,000, delay entitlement timelines, and cut provider supports such as rate increases for centers, complex-needs grants, trauma-informed and dual-language incentives, and infant/early childhood mental health consultation. Warren emphasized ECAP’s role in family stability, workforce participation, and reducing poverty, and noted its two-generation approach to supporting both children and parents.

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that if we do not learn our history, we are apt to repeat it, including some of the darkest moments
• We know that if we do not learn our history, we are apt to repeat it, including some of the darkest moments
• We know that if we do not learn our history, we are apt to repeat it, including some of the darkest moments
• We know that if we do not learn our history, we are apt to repeat it, including some of the darkest moments
• We know that if we do not learn our history, we are apt to repeat it, including some of the darkest moments

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: Lawmakers and advocates from the POCI Caucus held a news conference focused on protecting recent DFL-enacted policies in a newly divided Legislature. They highlighted accomplishments from the last biennium, including earned sick and safe time, ethnic studies, unemployment insurance changes, environmental protections, and MinnesotaCare coverage for undocumented immigrants, and argued these measures should not be rolled back in budget negotiations. Speakers said Republicans were pushing cuts or carveouts that would disproportionately harm Black, brown, immigrant, women, and low-income communities, and they urged the House and Governor Walz to reject those changes. A major theme was opposition to proposed carveouts to earned sick and safe time. Amanda Otero of TakeAction Minnesota said the proposed changes would remove benefits from more than 100,000 workers based on employer size, and lawmakers said sick leave should be universal. Another major topic was MinnesotaCare for undocumented immigrants. Representative María Isa Pérez Vega, Council Member Jason Chavez, and others argued the program is affordable, reduces uncompensated emergency care, and improves public health by expanding preventive care. Chavez and Emilia Gonzalez Avalos shared personal stories about family members who benefited from health coverage and said cutting access would worsen disparities and hurt families and communities. The event also included remarks on ethnic studies and historical memory. Representative Samantha Sencer-Mura connected the Ethnic Studies for All Act to her family’s experience with Japanese American incarceration during World War II, and Sally Sudo described her family’s removal and imprisonment under Executive Order 9066. Speakers framed these stories as warnings against scapegoating and exclusion. In the question-and-answer portion, lawmakers said they were still in negotiations but emphasized that certain protections were non-negotiable and that any compromises should be distributed equitably rather than targeting specific groups.

Transcript Highlights:

• Learn math, do other things.
• I think that was part of the vision originally with extended learning time.
• the child's learning, we're going to, to Senator Trujillo's comment, Mr.
• Because if we had them in school, they'd have a chance to learn.
• Chair, to figure out how these kids learn today?

Transcript Highlights:

• We learned from CPRIT, this is gonna be a model.
• Actually, I learned that from the Seabird people, they came to my office.
• I have been teaching for 35 years neurobiology of learning and memory.
• And what we've learned, and you heard from my academic counterpart, Dr.
• Sorry, just learning how to use these things. No, thank you for bringing this.

Bills: HB5, HJR3, HB155, HB513, HB5, HB155

Keywords: dementia, research, health care, Texas Institute, grants, medical breakthroughs, oversight, prevention, funding, healthcare, Texas, autopsy, confidentiality, public records, medical examiner, law enforcement, HB 513, surgical smoke, surgical plume, smoke evacuation

Transcript Highlights:

• I think it's just, again, more and more information and younger people learning.
• It's been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.
• It's been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.
• I totally realize I have more to learn.
• There's no end to what we can learn about water in California.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Rules met to consider several gubernatorial appointments and a reference of bills to committee. The committee first approved or advanced a series of appointments not required to appear, including Paulette Brown Hines to the California Transportation Commission, Christopher Clark and Laura Capps to the Board of State and Community Corrections, Maggie Hallahan to the Boating and Waterways Commission, Kent Sasaki to the Building Standards Commission, and Danielle N. Munoz to the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. The committee also approved the reference of bills to committees. The committee then heard from Tanya Pacheco Warner, PhD, for reappointment to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Board. She described her public health background, her family’s experience with asthma, and her work on agricultural burning phaseouts, mobile-source emissions strategies, AB 617 community programs, and climate and air-quality education. Members questioned her about the economic impacts of air rules on agriculture, the district’s approach to mobile-source reductions amid federal uncertainty, AB 617 community outcomes, and how she communicates climate and air-quality issues. The appointment was approved and moved to the full Senate. The committee next considered three California Horse Racing Board reappointments: Dennis Alfieri, Damascus Castellanos, and Thomas Hudnut, J.D. The nominees and committee members discussed horse and rider safety improvements, the sharp decline in equine fatalities, the impact of Golden Gate Fields’ closure on Northern California racing, declining interest in the sport, and possible revenue options such as racing-on-demand machines and other gambling-related changes. Public witnesses from the racing industry spoke in support. All three appointments were approved and sent to the full Senate. Finally, the committee heard from Julie Lee and Ann Patterson, J.D., for the Delta Stewardship Council. Both emphasized the Delta’s importance to statewide water supply, ecosystem protection, science-based decision-making, climate adaptation, and community engagement. Senators asked about the council’s co-equal goals, the role of science and social science, public trust, and whether the council’s mission should continue after specific projects are resolved. A public witness from the Association of California Water Agencies supported both nominees. Both appointments were approved and moved to the full Senate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I learned that at an early age.
• Um, I learned that at an early age.
• Um, I learned that at an early age.
• Um, I learned that at an early age.
• Um, I think we've learned our lesson.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The meeting focused on proposed Minnesota legislation to ban surveillance pricing and restrict AI-powered electronic shelf labels in grocery stores. Speakers from UFCW 1189 and UFCW Local 663, along with Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, argued that these technologies could enable real-time price increases based on consumer data, undermine budgeting and privacy, and worsen affordability for families. They also said the technology could reduce hours or eliminate jobs for grocery workers who currently handle pricing and store knowledge, with UFCW Local 663 estimating about 500 affected jobs among its members alone. Testimony emphasized examples such as baby formula, diapers, bananas, and milk to illustrate how fluctuating prices could hurt families, seniors on fixed incomes, and people in food deserts. Speakers also argued that grocery workers provide essential customer service and that automation should be introduced responsibly, not at the expense of workers or consumers. Murphy and Sencer-Mura framed the bill as a response to corporate greed and big tech surveillance, saying Minnesota should act proactively before the practices become widespread. During questions, lawmakers and advocates discussed whether the issue was proactive or reactive, whether disclosure requirements like those used in New York would be sufficient, and how surveillance pricing differs from loyalty programs or coupons. Speakers said disclosure alone would not prevent tracking or price manipulation and that the goal was to stop the practice altogether. The transcript ended with the advocates saying they would continue meeting with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; no vote or final committee action was recorded in the excerpt, though one question referenced a related bill stalling in committee earlier that morning.

Transcript Highlights:

• We just think that it is a profound opportunity to make sure our students show up ready to learn.
• Having kindergarten also allows us to face many of the... ...to learn.
• , I learned in kindergarten.'
• People learn how to share. They learn not to hit others, and they learn to play fair.
• Through all these roles, I have learned that county office-district partnerships are key to successful

Summary: The Assembly Education Committee met without a quorum at first and began as a subcommittee, with the chair outlining hearing procedures and several bills on consent. The committee heard and advanced AB 1581, which would improve collection of tribal affiliation data for California students so Native students are more accurately counted and better served; supporters said current systems undercount Native students and erase their needs. AB 1586 also passed, requiring school resource officers who volunteer to carry naloxone to receive opioid overdose response training every two years; supporters emphasized student safety and the need for rapid response to overdoses on campus, while one school employees’ group raised concerns about retaliation protections for non-volunteers. Both bills were moved do pass as amended to Appropriations, with roll calls held open for absent votes. The committee then approved AB 1943, which updates school notices about secure firearm storage by making the information clearer, more visible, and more likely to reach families at key moments such as counseling or discipline interventions. Supporters from gun violence prevention groups, educators, and parents argued that many school shooters obtain guns from home and that plain-language, digital, and timely notices could help prevent child deaths and suicides; the author shared a personal story about a child accessing a gun at home. AB 1792 also advanced, directing the Instructional Quality Commission to consider updating health education to address digital safety issues such as deepfakes, extortion, grooming, and AI-generated exploitation; supporters said students need instruction that reflects modern online risks, while an opponent objected to language referencing LGBTQIA+ and gender-diverse students. AB 1653 passed as well, adding heat-illness guidance to the health framework after a young Girl Scout described students suffering during extreme heat and not recognizing symptoms. Later, the committee approved AB 1861, which would require the California Department of Education to create a public database of special education investigation reports with personal information redacted; supporters said families need better access to complaint outcomes and accountability, while an opposition witness warned of unintended consequences, misuse of incomplete information, and added burdens on districts. AB 1721 also moved forward, creating a stakeholder work group to review and streamline school safety plan requirements so plans remain practical and focused on emergency preparedness. AB 1631, which would make kindergarten mandatory, received mixed testimony: supporters argued it would help close achievement gaps and improve readiness, while opponents framed it as an intrusion on parental choice; the bill was held on call after a split vote. Finally, AB 1809, extending job order contracting authority for school and community college districts, was also held on call after opposition from contractors who argued project labor agreement requirements raise costs and reduce competition. The committee then began hearing AB 1659, aimed at improving transitions for court school students back to their home districts, with testimony describing re-enrollment barriers and the need for a designated district contact.

Transcript Highlights:

• You know, I’d learned a lot from him. I appreciate him very much.
• And you start learning from how people do things around you.
• And so I learned that from Mike. There’s other things, too, that you’ll see.
• I’ve learned that along the way from Mike.
• One of the ways that I learned that was we served on Finance together.

Keywords: 994, senate, all

Summary: The Senate first handled several House amendments to Senate bills and passed them, including SB 194 updating the definition of disabled veteran taxpayer, SB 499 requiring toxicology tests in auto accidents, SB 672 on Real Estate Commission licensing discipline, SB 724 on home confinement officers and the EMS retirement system, SB 897 on alcohol and drug counselor licensure, and SB 982 creating the Neighborhood Access Road Program. In each case, the chamber agreed to the House changes and then passed the bill, with some measures also given effective dates, including SB 724 effective July 1, 2026 and SB 648 effective from passage. The Senate also concurred in amendments to SB 197, doubling penalties for sex crimes against minors, and SB 648, which removed restrictions on foreign entities in the Strategic and Critical Resources Act. The chamber then took up a series of additional bills and conference actions. It appointed a conference committee on HB 4588 after refusing to recede from its amendment. The Senate passed HB 4009, the Portable Benefit Account Act, after adopting a Banking and Insurance committee strike-and-insert amendment that moved the program to the Division of Labor, expanded portable benefit definitions, and made technical changes. Later, the Senate also passed SB 182 on annexation by minor boundary adjustment after amending the House changes to allow one annexation per year instead of one every two years, and it passed HB 5101 increasing strangulation penalties, HB 4364 on juvenile offender bail and counsel language, HB 4412 on age verification for certain websites, HB 5564 on deputy sheriff vacation carryover, HB 4138 on sex offender registration fees, HB 4951 after receding from its earlier amendment on continuing education, SB 4 after receding from its amendment, SB 389 after refusing to concur in a House amendment that would have stripped the bill, SB 927 on beekeeping and municipal regulation, and HB 5214 on drug testing for parents before reunification. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to Senate Resolution 67 honoring Senator Michael Andrew Woelfel and Senate Resolution 68 honoring Senator Charles Houston Clements. Numerous senators gave extended remarks praising Woelfel’s legal skill, candor, mentorship, and service, and Clements’s long service, institutional knowledge, steadiness, and friendship. Both resolutions were adopted by roll call votes, with SR 67 passing 34-0 and SR 68 passing 33-1. After the resolutions, the Senate recessed briefly to present the outgoing senators with resolutions and flags flown over the Capitol.

Transcript Highlights:

• million for out-of-school learning, and out-of-school learning can be a lot of different things.
• Who comes up with what is going to be the learning pilot program?
• I represent the Early Care and Learning Association, which is comprised of 307 providers.
• New Mexico has fallen behind in learning how to expand and dedicate a new revenue stream.
• Those little brains are learning and making neural connections, and it's good education.

Bills: SB204, SB241, HB34

Keywords: higher education, research funding, federal funding, New Mexico, appropriation, University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, child care, child care assistance, child care subsidy, early childhood education, early childhood care, daycare, preschool, pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, Children's Code, early childhood education and care department

Transcript Highlights:

• One of the great things about it is I learned nothing about it in school.
• African American courses have been denied as an opportunity for children to learn.
• African American courses have been denied as an opportunity for children to learn.
• Students don't just learn it, they see it in action.
• You know, I've learned a lot in this process. I believe this is the right thing for Florida.

Summary: The Committee on Rules met and first approved several open-government sunset repeal bills and related measures. SB 7024 and SB 7026, both sponsored by Senator Mayfield, were explained as consolidating and extending public records/public meetings exemptions for cybersecurity information and trade secrets held by agencies; both were reported favorably. SB 7020, sponsored by Senator Trumbull, reenacted an aquaculture records exemption for records held by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and was also reported favorably. Later, the committee approved SB 14 and SB 24, claims bills for relief involving Miami-Dade County, and SB 16, a claims bill for Heriberto Sanchez Mayan against the City of St. Petersburg; all were reported favorably without opposition. The committee also approved CS for SB 806, a consumer right-to-repair bill creating portable wireless device and agricultural equipment repair acts, despite opposition from several industry groups, and reported it favorably.