Transcript Highlights:

• He's a Rosa. I have a person here by the name of Silas Roy.
• Rafael Rovin Rosa. Good morning, Madam Chair, members of the committee.
• My name is Raphael Rovi Rosa.
• My name is Raphael Rovi Rosa.

Committee: Senate Senate Conservation

Summary: The committee heard several water-related bills and one memorial in a Saturday session near the end of the legislative term. House Bill 63, the annual NMFA Water Project Fund authorization bill, would authorize grants and loans for 113 eligible water projects across 28 counties. NMFA and municipal interests supported the bill, and members emphasized the need to move water infrastructure funding quickly. The committee voted unanimously do pass. House Bill 109 would temporarily remove the requirement for the legislature to separately authorize Water Trust Board-vetted projects through 2029, allowing the New Mexico Finance Authority and Water Trust Board to move projects forward more quickly. Sponsors and witnesses said the change would reduce a six- to 12-month delay, improve access for small and tribal systems, and allow more flexible application periods and technical assistance. Some members raised concerns about transparency, legislative authority, and equitable access, but the bill also received broad support from local governments, tribes, and advocacy groups. The committee voted unanimously do pass. House Bill 111 would modernize water enforcement penalties by increasing fines for illegal water use, including unlawful diversions, unlicensed well drilling, and failure to meter, while exempting valid water-right holders from monetary penalties for simple over-diversion and preserving existing adjudication orders. Support came from environmental groups, irrigation districts, the Interstate Stream Commission, the Pueblo of Laguna, and others, who said stronger penalties are needed to deter illegal use. Members questioned how the bill would affect farmers, acequias, service of notices, and existing water-right disputes, and sponsors said the bill had been revised to address prior concerns. The committee voted unanimously do pass. The committee also approved Senate Memorial 27, which urges state agencies to help publicize expanded federal RECA benefits for New Mexicans exposed to Trinity radiation fallout; supporters said the memorial would help eligible residents learn about and apply for compensation before the deadline.

Transcript Highlights:

• Hi, my name is Rosa Velasquez, President of the Alameda County Latina Chamber of Commerce in support
• As we speak, in fact they are holding a public hearing in Santa Rosa this afternoon, Tern believes that
• high level you know we have our legislative analysts participating in that CPUC hearing over in Santa Rosa
• For folks who don't know, I represent from Santa Rosa.

Committee: House Communications and Conveyance

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosa, would you please call the roll? Chair Maney: Present. Vice Chair Costa: Here.
• So we have it at Santa Rosa, we have it at Suwannee, we have it at Wakulla, we have it at Zephyr Hills
• Through the remodeling of the housing units for inpatient treatment, like I said, from Santa Rosa to
• You're too young to remember when Ray Helms was the clerk of the Santa Rosa Circuit Court and then became

Summary: The committee first heard an update from the Florida Department of Corrections on the proposed Lake Correctional Institution mental health project in Clermont. Tim Fitzgerald explained the project’s history, including the 2016 Disability Rights Florida litigation, the 2018 consent decree, and the original plan for a 550-bed inpatient mental health facility. He said inflation and design changes pushed the project above the bond amount, leading the department to shift to a “continuum of care” alternative with 572 beds total: 92 inpatient beds and 480 residential treatment beds in three special housing units. Fitzgerald said the project is currently paused pending House concurrence, while the Senate has already agreed to the alternate plan, and noted the bond balance, prior expenditures, and the need to spend down the tax-exempt bond by August 2026. Members questioned how the new plan differs from the original facility, whether it satisfies the consent decree, and what caused the cost increases. Fitzgerald said the department believes it has already met the consent decree through systemwide improvements to housing, staffing, programming, and out-of-cell time, though he said he would confirm the court documentation. He also said the original scope grew from 275,000 to 350,000 square feet as treatment, nursing, security, and programming needs were refined, and that inflation, fees, permitting, and contingencies contributed to the higher cost. Several members asked for follow-up information on Senate approval, consent decree documentation, and the project’s impact on crisis-stabilization capacity. The committee then received a joint court-system presentation from State Courts Administrator Eric McClure and Clerks Corporation Executive Director Jason Welty on caseload trends, case tracking, and staffing. McClure described statewide filing trends, the use of weighted caseload studies to certify judicial need, and recent Supreme Court rule changes aimed at active civil case management, including differentiated case tracks, stricter deadlines, and proportional discovery. He said the latest workload study led the Supreme Court to certify a need for 23 circuit judges and 25 county judges. Welty reviewed clerk workload trends, the statewide case maintenance and CCIS systems, and declining clerk FTE despite rising case volumes, and said clerks are seeking additional funding for injunctions, Baker Act/Marchman Act/sexually violent predator work, and juror management. In questions, members pressed both presenters on data quality, case-weight calculations, filing fees, and whether current resources are enough to reduce delays. McClure clarified that the workload weights are based on judge time studies and that a capital murder case averaged 3,177 minutes, while other examples such as auto negligence and dissolution cases were much lower. Welty said the Legislature could help by increasing funding or potentially revisiting filing fees, and noted that many clerk services are unfunded or underfunded, especially indigent and protective filings. The chair and members also raised concerns about backlog, inconsistent case reporting across circuits, and enforcement of judicial time standards; McClure said there is no direct sanction in the rules, and compliance is largely managed through chief judges and the Supreme Court. The meeting ended with no votes taken and adjournment by motion.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosa, please call the roll. Co-chair Lopez. Here. Co-chair Ovidor. Yes, ma'am.
• Thank you, Rosa. That is a quorum.
• Rosa, could you please? Rosa, could you please call us back in with a roll? Thank you.
• Thank you, Rosa. Members, we are now going to move on to our third presentation of the day.
• Escambia, Indian River, Lake, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk, Santa Rosa

Summary: The Select Committee on Property Taxes met for an educational session focused on how Florida funds public schools and how property taxes are assessed and levied. Dr. Jim Zengali of the Department of Revenue explained the FEFP school funding formula, noting that it is built on weighted student counts, a base student allocation, and programmatic add-ons such as transportation, exceptional student education, school safety, and mental health. He said school funding is roughly split between state general revenue and local property taxes through required local effort, with additional discretionary and capital outlay millages contributing to total school funding. He also described the Department of Revenue’s role in certifying property rolls at fair market value and reviewing them for substantial compliance, including the so-called “nuclear option” if a roll is not approved. Members asked about trends in millage rates, county-by-county funding differences, the effect of growth and enrollment changes, and how property appraisals are reviewed. Zengali said aggregate millage for school funding has declined over the last decade while revenues have still increased, and he agreed to provide additional data on county trends, parcel strata, student growth, and enrollment impacts. He also clarified that school funding is equalized so students receive similar resources regardless of county wealth, and that federal funding plays only a small role in the FEFP. Amy Baker of the Joint Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research then discussed existing homestead benefits. She said about half of Florida’s parcels are homestead properties, most fall in the $250,000 to $500,000 value range, and many seniors without mortgages pay property taxes in lump sums rather than through escrow. Baker explained that Florida’s homestead tax burden is middle-of-the-pack nationally and that the main benefits are Save Our Homes and portability on the differential side, plus the $25,000 homestead exemption and related exemptions on the exemption side. She said these benefits reduce taxable value substantially, with homestead properties receiving a large share of the reductions, and noted that the committee requested follow-up data on exemption usage, portability timing, senior exemptions, and county-level patterns. The final presentation, by Lizette Kelly of the Department of Revenue, covered millage rates and the TRIM process. She reviewed the history of truth-in-millage notices, required taxpayer mailings, public hearing notices, and later changes that tied local millage resets to rollback and majority-vote rates. Kelly explained the difference between proposed and adopted millage, the rollback rate, and the majority-vote rate, and described how taxing authorities include counties, cities, special districts, and MSTUs. She also outlined how county taxable value is calculated from just value through assessment differentials and exemptions, and how certain exemptions, such as the additional senior exemption, apply only to the taxing authority that adopted them. No votes were taken during the meeting, but members requested several follow-up data reports for later discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• With me today to testify on this bill is Chairman Leo Sisku of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi Yokuts
• Chairman Leo Sisku of the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokuts tribal government, and with him is also Vice
• I have the honor of serving as chairman for the Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi tribe.
• I'm the vice chairman of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, but I'm also the chairman of the Central Valley I'm
• the vice chairman of the Santa Rosa Rancheria, but I'm also the chairman of the Central Valley Yolkats

Summary: The Assembly Higher Education Committee met with a quorum and first approved a consent calendar containing AB 341, AB 1098, and AB 1316, sending those measures to the Human Services, Judiciary, and Appropriations Committees respectively. The committee then heard AB 977, which would require CSU to audit surplus land and work with California tribes to identify three regional burial sites for Native American remains that cannot yet be repatriated. Supporters, including tribal leaders and archaeology groups, said the bill is needed to honor ancestors and address the large number of remains still held by CSU; CSU said it is committed to repatriation but had no formal position. The bill passed to Appropriations on a 5-0 vote. Members also heard AB 1093, creating a California-Mexico higher education exchange program, and AB 1035, expanding the California College Promise to cover tuition for students pursuing community college bachelor’s degrees. AB 1093 drew support for strengthening cross-border educational and economic ties, but some members raised concerns about border-region sewage problems and the bill’s budget implications; it was held for later consideration. AB 1035 received strong support from community college leaders and faculty who said it would help low-income and first-generation students complete workforce-focused bachelor’s degrees, but several members questioned whether it would stretch Prop. 98 funding and whether the state should prioritize broader affordability concerns. AB 1035 passed to Appropriations on a 3-2 vote. The committee next approved AB 922, which would let the University of California keep access to federal criminal-history information for hiring background checks, avoiding delays and added costs if statutory authority is required. UC said the bill is needed to maintain safety and hiring operations, and it passed to Public Safety on a 5-0 vote. AB 1346, protecting military dependents from losing in-state residency status because of family travel, also passed unanimously to Military and Veterans Affairs. AB 1212, allowing UC to use low-income housing tax credits to build affordable housing for faculty and staff on UC land, drew support from UC and labor groups but opposition from members concerned about preferential access to public resources; it was held for later action. Finally, the committee approved AB 500 and AB 684, both aimed at increasing transparency around UC admissions policy changes and UC BOARS decision-making, sending AB 500 to Education and AB 684 to Governmental Organization, each on 5-0 votes. The hearing then moved on to AB 1122 on dual enrollment, with the author and witnesses presenting the bill as a way to expand college access for high school students.

Transcript Highlights:

• transparency, and you're not going to tailor bid requirements to select one bidder in a way that is sub rosa
• Victor was born in Santa Rosa.

Summary: The Assembly Committee on Agriculture met to hear one bill, SB 1223 by Senator Padilla, which would require district agricultural associations and fairs to follow competitive bidding standards under the Public Contract Code and prohibit sole-source contracting. Senator Padilla and his witness argued the bill was needed to close a loophole exposed by litigation and investigations involving fair contracts, citing alleged bid tailoring and favoritism in San Diego and Orange County fair contracting. They said the measure would promote transparency, accountability, and fair competition, while noting that existing exemptions and guidance should allow smaller fairs to continue routine procurement without difficulty. Committee members asked how the bill would affect small and rural fairs and what steps managers would need to take to comply. The author and witness responded that the bill was aimed at large contracts where abuse had occurred, and that fair managers generally already know how to write RFPs so more than one bidder can qualify. The vice chair indicated support after receiving clarification, and the chair and other members spoke in favor of the bill as a safeguard against corruption. No opposition was presented in committee or public comment. The committee then voted to send SB 1223 to the Appropriations Committee. The roll call showed the measure passing with eight aye votes. Before adjournment, the chair also recognized the committee’s chief consultant, Victor, and secretary, Nicole, for their long service and upcoming retirements, thanking them for their work with the Agriculture Committee.

Transcript Highlights:

• So now we will go to committee, and first on the list we have Representative De Rosa, and then Representative
• We have a motion for due pass made by Representative De Rosa, seconded by Representative Garcia.

Summary: The committee met with a quorum and took up its only bill, House Bill 132, which would create workers’ compensation presumptions for police officers for certain conditions, including noise-induced hearing loss/tinnitus, PTSD, and heart injury or stroke occurring within 24 hours of responding to or returning from a call or emergency. The sponsor described the bill as a bipartisan effort developed with input from workers’ compensation officials, PERA, and the Albuquerque Police Department, aimed at easing the burden on officers to prove causation while still allowing employers to rebut claims. An amendment was adopted first, refining definitions and adding language that preserves an officer’s ability to prove causation even when the presumption does not apply, and tying the heart/stroke presumption to the existence of a physical training program and medical screening requirements. Supporters included representatives of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the Workers’ Compensation Administration, New Mexico State Police, AFSCME/NMFL, and a workers’ compensation attorney. They argued the bill recognizes the cumulative physical and psychological toll of law enforcement, could improve treatment and retention, and would reduce disputes over causation while remaining balanced. One supporter asked the sponsor to consider changing the 20-year requirement tied to PTSD coverage so officers in smaller departments could access benefits earlier. Committee discussion focused on the amendment’s physical training and medical screening condition for the heart/stroke presumption, with questions about whether all departments have such programs and whether the language could limit coverage. Workers’ compensation staff testified that, from 2016 through 2025, there were 75 statewide claims potentially covered by the bill’s provisions before amendment, including about 20 hearing-loss claims, 11 heart-related claims, and about 44 mental-injury claims. A medical witness said research supports a correlation between law enforcement work and these conditions, though no New Mexico-specific study was available yet. After discussion, the committee voted to give House Bill 132, as amended, a do-pass recommendation, with no opposition recorded.

Transcript Highlights:

• that we do have positions in administration and in uniform areas, primarily in Santa Fe and Santa Rosa
• I mean, Santa Rosa to theirs, maybe an additional 60 or 80 miles, right?
• don't know if some of your employees drive up the hill from Bernalillo, where they come from Santa Rosa

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• that we do have positions in administration and in uniform areas, primarily in Santa Fe and Santa Rosa
• I mean, Santa Rosa to theirs, maybe an additional 60 or 80 miles, right?
• don't know if some of your employees drive up the hill from Bernalillo, where they come from Santa Rosa

Bills: HB63 , HB64 , HB184 , HB200 , HB47 , HB48 , HB2 , HB9

Committee: Senate House Appropriations & Finance

Summary: The committee heard testimony on the expected impacts of House Bill 9 on private detention facilities and the surrounding counties and municipalities, focusing on Cibola County/Milan, Torrance County/Estancia, and Otero County. Corrections Secretary Alicia Lucero explained that the Corrections Department does not oversee the immigration detention facilities directly, but said the department could help displaced workers through hiring fairs and expedited hiring into state positions, and suggested possible alternative uses for the buildings such as behavioral health treatment, training campuses, or transitional living centers. She also noted that a memorial would task several state agencies and affected counties with exploring alternate uses and economic options, and that Workforce Solutions had scheduled job fairs in February for the affected communities. Local officials described major fiscal and community impacts. Cibola County and Milan said the loss of the facility would reduce gross receipts tax revenue, force service cuts, and potentially shrink the county budget substantially; they also warned that the village uses the detention population to support federal grant applications and industrial park development. Torrance County and Estancia said the closure would eliminate jobs, reduce GRT revenue that funds public safety, and require transporting prisoners to other facilities at much higher bed rates, with estimated annual impacts around $3 million. Otero County reported 284 jobs and $20.8 million in payroll at risk, along with about $3 million in annual GRT and a $68 million facility that could be foreclosed if bonds defaulted. Committee members pressed for more precise numbers, including employee counts, transport costs, current bed costs, and the total fiscal impact after accounting for existing contract payments. Several members emphasized that each facility and community is different and asked for separate, detailed plans, including short-term cost replacement and long-term economic diversification. There was discussion of possible hold-harmless assistance, emergency bill drafting, and coordination with Workforce Solutions, Economic Development, and higher education partners. No formal vote was taken; the chair directed staff and agencies to meet the next morning to continue developing an emergency response and requested more detailed information from the counties and the department.

Transcript Highlights:

• Florida, 45,000, the largest population area and Santa Rosa County.
• What our boards would do would put Elaine on the official records of Santa Rosa County, meaning that
• I want to thank the people that came in public testimony to the Millers to everyone from Santa Rosa County

Transcript Highlights:

• So it isn't just that you're not necessarily the... what the patrolman would be to the police department
• ; an internist is not necessarily the patrolman to the medical community.

Bills: SB1888 , SB3003 , SB2417 , SB2459 , SB3055 , HB1393 , HB2884 , SB2943

Committee: Senate State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• transparency, and you're not going to tailor bid requirements to select one bidder in a way that is sub rosa
• So Victor was born in Santa Rosa.

Committee: House Agriculture

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosa, please call the roll. Rep. Duggan: Here. Rep. Fabricio: Here. Rep. Eskamani: Here. Rep.
• Of course, I want to thank our fantastic staff: Vince, Kymberlee, Rosa, Melissa, Amy, and Aura.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senator Don Gates, I represent Northwest Florida, Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, and Okalusa County
• I represent Northwest Florida, Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, and Okaloosa County.

Summary: The Joint Administrative Procedures Committee met for its first meeting of the year, with roll call and member introductions followed by an orientation on the committee’s role in reviewing agency rulemaking. Staff explained that JAPAC/JAPSI oversees whether agency rules stay within statutory authority, reviews proposed and existing rules under Chapter 120, and can recommend objections when rules enlarge, modify, or contravene enabling statutes. The committee also adopted its biennial rules of procedure by motion and roll-call vote. The main substantive item was staff’s recommended objections to 32 existing Agency for Health Care Administration rules. Staff said the common issue was a sunset provision added to rules, which they argued is not authorized by Chapter 120 because rules may be amended or repealed only through formal rulemaking, not allowed to expire automatically. Staff noted the sunset language could create confusion and affect interrelated rules, and recommended formal objections. The chair reported that he and the vice chair had met with the agency, which agreed to work on compliance and amend the language. No public testimony was offered. After brief committee discussion, including questions about timing, the chair said the agency would return with a compliance proposal at the next scheduled meeting, likely in February. The committee deferred further action on the 32 recommended objections until that meeting, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosa Taramina, Association of Professional Administrators...
• Rosa Taramina, Association of Professional Administrators at Salem State University.
• My name is Rosa DiRigilio Taormina, and I serve as president of the Association of Professional Administrators
• My name is Rosa DiRigilio Taormina, and I serve as president of the Association of Professional Administrators

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Public Service

Summary: The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony on a wide range of retirement, municipal workforce, and public employee labor bills. Early testimony focused on H. 2749, a Plymouth home rule petition to classify Plymouth harbormaster employees as Group 4 for retirement purposes. Supporters, including local officials and retirement board representatives, argued the employees perform law-enforcement and rescue duties comparable to police and fire personnel, that the change would be fair, and that it would have little or no fiscal impact on the town. A separate harbormaster-related bill, H. 2743, was also introduced later in the hearing. The committee also heard testimony on provisions of the Municipal Empowerment Act (H. 56), including a temporary critical-shortage exemption allowing retired state or municipal employees to return to work in hard-to-fill positions, and a renewed OPEB commission to study retiree health care costs. Administration and municipal officials said the measures were needed to address staffing shortages and rising benefit liabilities, while emphasizing the shortage exemption would be time-limited and require proof of recruitment efforts. Related retirement bills drew support and caution: advocates for higher COLA bases and enhanced COLA benefits urged relief for retirees, but some asked the committee to wait for recommendations from the special COLA commission before acting. A major portion of the hearing concerned labor rights at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Union representatives and employees backed bills to extend just-cause protections, promotional rights, and collective bargaining rights to MWRA and CPCS workers, arguing they currently lack protections available to most other public employees. Testimony described unfair discipline, delayed promotions, and high turnover, and committee members indicated prior favorable action on similar MWRA bills and expressed support for addressing CPCS labor rights. The committee also heard from representatives of the Massachusetts Municipal Association and public higher education employees in support of H. 2820, which would require timely funding of ratified state employee contracts, with witnesses describing long delays in receiving negotiated raises and back pay. No votes were taken during the hearing, and the chair repeatedly invited written testimony and closed each panel after questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rosa Peralta, appointed October 1, 2021, for the term ending September 30, 2026, as a member of the Seattle
• I move that Rosa Peralta, Senate gubernatorial appointment number 9018, be confirmed as a member of the
• Well, it is with great pride that I stand up to speak on behalf of Rosa Peralta's appointment.
• Senate Gubernatorial Appointment No. 9018, Rosa Peralta, is confirmed as a member of the Seattle College

Bills: SB5068 , SB5109 , SB5188 , SB5223 , SB5280 , SB5420 , SB5467 , SB5581 , SB5649 , SB5705

Summary: The Senate opened with ceremonial items, approved the previous day’s journal, and referred committee reports and new introductions. Members then adopted Senate Resolution 8669 recognizing National Blood Donor Month after remarks emphasizing the life-saving need for blood donations and the work of blood coalition partners. The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 8667 honoring Monica Alexander for her long public service with the Washington State Patrol and Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple senators praising her leadership, reforms, and mentorship. The chamber then took up a series of gubernatorial appointments to college boards of trustees, confirming Rosa Peralta to the Seattle College District, Stephen Zimmerman to Wenatchee Valley College, and Tara Lear to Walla Walla Community College, each by roll call vote. After caucus, the Senate returned to third reading and considered several bills, including SB 5068 on law enforcement, corrections, and prosecutors; SB 5252 on property tax exemptions for nonprofit public assembly halls and meeting places; SB 5280 on consumer protections for virtual currency kiosks; SB 5124 on patient access and skilled nursing facility discharge coordination; and SB 5436 on interference with access to places of religious worship. Most of these measures were amended and then passed, with SB 5068 and SB 5436 drawing debate over immigration status and protest activity, respectively. Later, the Senate passed SB 5705, narrowing traffic safety penalties to focus on distracted driving in school zones; ESSB 5594, delaying implementation of biosimilar drug access provisions; SB 5169, expanding out-of-court testimony options for child victims and witnesses; ESSB 5098, expanding weapons restrictions to additional public buildings and outdoor public spaces, despite opposition over firearm preemption and self-defense concerns; SB 5188, allowing rural broadband repair loans; SB 5109, making the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account permanent with a fee increase; SSB 5240, authorizing schools to use available anaphylaxis medication in emergencies; SB 5420, ensuring veterans and uniformed service members access to benefits and opportunities; SB 5467, simplifying surplus property sales by water-sewer districts; SSB 5331, strengthening insurance enforcement and restitution authority; and ESSB 5071, updating child endangerment law to include fentanyl and synthetic opioids, with an amendment adding a parenting-alternative approach for child defendants. The Senate also adopted an amendment to SB 5581 to include public transportation providers in safe-system transportation infrastructure planning and then advanced the bill toward final passage.

Transcript Highlights:

• and gentlemen, I have the honor to submit the following reappointment, subject to your confirmation: Rosa
• I move that Rosa Peralta, Senate Gubernatorial Appointment No. 9018, be confirmed as a member of the
• Well, it is with great pride that I stand up to speak on behalf of Rosa Peralta's appointment.
• Senate Gubernatorial Appointment No. 9018, Rosa Peralta, is confirmed as a member of the Seattle College

Bills: SB5068 , SB5109 , SB5188 , SB5223 , SB5280 , SB5420 , SB5467 , SB5581 , SB5649 , SB5705

Summary: The Senate opened with ceremonial business, including the roll call, colors, pledge, and prayer, then approved the previous day’s journal and referred committee reports and new introductions. Members also suspended rules to consider multiple resolutions and bills. Senate Resolution 8669, honoring National Blood Donor Month, was adopted after remarks emphasizing the life-saving importance of blood donation and recognizing the Northwest Blood Coalition, whose members were introduced in the gallery. The chamber then adopted Senate Resolution 8667 honoring Monica Alexander, executive director of the Criminal Justice Training Commission, with multiple senators praising her career in the State Patrol, her leadership on regional training academies, sexual assault kit reform, and public safety culture. The Senate also confirmed several gubernatorial appointments to college boards, including Rosa Peralta to the Seattle College District Board of Trustees, Stephen A. Zimmerman to Wenatchee Valley College, and Tara Lear to Walla Walla Community College, each by 49-0 roll call votes. The Senate spent much of the session on third-reading bills, often amending them before final passage. Measures passed included SB 5068 on agencies, firefighters, prosecutors, and limited authority; ESSB 5252 on property tax exemptions for nonprofit public assembly halls; SB 5280 on virtual currency kiosk consumer protections; ESSB 5124 on patient access and skilled nursing facility identification; ESSB 5436 on interference with access to places of worship; SB 5705 on traffic safety penalties in school zones; ESSB 5594 on biosimilar medicines; SSB 5169 on out-of-court testimony for child victims and witnesses; ESSB 5098 on weapons restrictions in certain public buildings and parks; SB 5188 on broadband infrastructure repair loans; SB 5109 on the mortgage lending fraud prosecution account; SSB 5240 on anaphylaxis medications in schools; SB 5420 on veterans’ benefits access; SB 5467 on water-sewer district surplus property sales; SSB 5331 on insurer accountability; ESSB 5071 on endangerment with controlled substances involving fentanyl or synthetic opioids; and ESSB 5581 on safe system/complete streets transportation strategies. Most of these bills passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew opposition over firearms restrictions, insurance penalties, or transportation costs. Several bills were amended on the floor before final passage, including changes to dates, scope, and technical language, and the session concluded with additional business beginning on SB 5649.

Transcript Highlights:

• They're located in Clayton, Grants, Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Roswell, Santa Fe, Santa Rosa, and Springer
• One of the examples is the Santa Rosa facility, which capacity is about 600, but we have about 300 people
• In Santa Rosa, we've got As I said, half the facilities are shut at the penitentiary in Santa Fe.
• As well as Santa Rosa. The rest of the facilities have much better percentages regarding vacancies.

Committee: House House Appropriations & Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• So Rosa is a dedicated mother and farm worker, where she works on a vegetable farm.
• One day, during the busy season last year, Rosa began to feel dizzy.
• Rosa returned to work that same week.
• Rosa returned to work that same week, despite advice from her doctor that she rest.
• There were about 14,000 farm workers just like Rosa and Jorge engaged in agricultural labor across the

Committee: Joint Joint Committee on Revenue

Summary: The hearing opened with remarks from the co-chairs explaining committee procedures, testimony limits, submission instructions, and the new deadlines for acting on House and Senate bills. The committee then heard testimony on several bills related to agriculture, land use, environment, housing, transportation, and taxation, with legislators often taken out of turn. No votes were taken during the hearing. The first major topic was H. 3206, a bill to allow fossil fuel-free 529 college savings plans to qualify for the state tax deduction if MEFA does not offer a comparable option. Representative Steve Owens said the bill would not force MEFA or Fidelity to change existing plans, but would create a definition for fossil fuel-free funds and extend the deduction to qualifying out-of-state plans. The committee also heard strong local testimony on a Belmont home-rule petition, H. 3970, to change tax treatment for the Belmont Country Club under Chapter 61B. Belmont residents and officials argued the private golf course receives an unfair tax break that shifts costs to other taxpayers, while Senator Brownsberger and Representative Rogers supported the measure as a way to help the town recover revenue. Committee members asked about town meeting support, the club’s lack of payment in lieu of taxes, and the size of the tax savings. The committee next heard testimony on a vehicle miles traveled tax proposal, S. 1925, from Senator Barrett and economists Gilbert Metcalf and Christopher Knittel. They argued that declining gas-tax revenue and rising fuel efficiency, especially with electric vehicles, require a more stable transportation funding source; they also said a VMT tax could be designed to be revenue-neutral and mildly progressive, though members raised concerns about administration, fairness, EV disincentives, and the possibility of annual tax shocks. The largest block of testimony focused on the Ahead Act, H. 3194/S. 1973, which would double the deed excise fee and dedicate the new revenue to affordable housing and climate adaptation. Supporters from MACDC, MAPC, FICC, Boston Climate Action Network, CLF, 350 Mass, CHAPA, and a tenant advocate said the bill could generate about $300 million annually for housing production, vouchers, weatherization, resilience, and environmental justice communities, and that it links two urgent crises with a stable funding stream. The committee also heard testimony on the Conservation Land Tax Credit bills, H. 3147/S. 2083, which would raise the annual cap on the credit from $2 million to $5 million for three years and then sunset back down. Conservation groups and a landowner said the program has conserved thousands of acres and that the higher cap would reduce delays and help meet state conservation goals. Finally, the committee took testimony on the Fairness for Farm Workers bills, S. 2011/H. 3107 and S. 2012, which would extend overtime, minimum wage, breaks, and paid time off protections to farm workers and include a refundable tax credit to help farmers offset overtime costs. Senator Gomez and advocates described the bills as overdue civil rights and public health measures, citing low wages, long hours, dangerous conditions, and the racial history behind farm labor exclusions. The hearing also included testimony on H. 3240, a bill to give municipalities a local option vacancy tax on chronically vacant shopping malls, with the sponsor arguing it would help towns address blight, encourage redevelopment, and potentially create housing and tax revenue.

Transcript Highlights:

• proud principal co-author in support of Assembly Bill 1699, brought forward by my colleague from Santa Rosa
• This bill recognizes what we have long ago. 1699 brought forward by my colleague from Santa Rosa.
• I appreciate the member from Santa Rosa for his leadership on this issue. Thank you.

Summary: The Assembly convened, initially lacked a quorum, then completed the roll call and prayer, adopted routine procedural motions, and moved through the daily file with many bills passed and retained or passed outright. Early measures included AB 2417 on community college faculty retirement information, AB 1579 expanding the Children’s Crisis Pilot Program, AB 2041 on emergency medical services reporting, AB 1547 on a UC medical school feasibility study in Kern County, and AB 1552 directing higher education segments to report on civic engagement and democracy education. The body also took up SB 73, an urgency elections-security bill, where supporters argued it would protect ballots, voting systems, and election workers from interference, while opponents said it could be unconstitutional, partisan, and overly restrictive of local and federal investigations. SB 73 passed with urgency and immediate transmittal to the Senate. The Assembly then approved a long series of policy bills, many with unanimous or near-unanimous votes, including AB 1554 on California Earthquake Authority transparency, AB 1584 on civil rights duties at the Air Resources Board, AB 1592 on the California Indian Cultural Center, AB 1629 on direct payment to dentists, AB 1645 on prison visitation physical-contact rules, AB 1688 on foster care notice and accountability, AB 1699 on prescribed and cultural burns, AB 1738 on virtual final inspections for single-family homes, AB 1741 on charging sexual battery during a residential break-in as a wobbler, AB 1802 on mitigation lands endowments, AB 1813 on community renewable energy program changes, AB 1899 creating a youth homelessness prevention office, AB 1904 on a credentialing apprenticeship program, AB 1941 on organized metal theft, AB 2043 on drone-attack prevention for mass gatherings and critical infrastructure, AB 2054 on paid family leave for military relatives, AB 2081 on home-based Medi-Cal care, AB 2116 on predatory lending, AB 2122 limiting bench warrants for vehicle-code infractions, AB 2176 on student housing coordination, AB 2187 on tribal public-contract exemptions, AB 2221 on charitable fundraising processing deadlines, AB 2232 on advance parole hearing reporting, AB 2235 on confidentiality of judges’ home addresses, AB 2250 on cannabis/hemp enforcement cleanup, and AB 2266 on electricity. Most measures were described as support or bipartisan bills and passed with little or no opposition. A few bills drew notable debate or recorded opposition, including AB 1813, AB 2122, and SB 73, though all ultimately passed. After finishing 35 items, the Assembly announced it would return the following week with a much larger file, noted upcoming floor amendment deadlines, and adjourned until Tuesday, May 26 at 1 p.m. A post-adjournment vote change was also recorded, changing Assembly Member Dixon’s vote on AB 2041 from aye to no.