Transcript Highlights:

• So we’ve got two priorities out of two so far.
• You've heard it's a priority.
• And what about a priority on prioritizing this?
• But they do request a tier two priority.
• But they do request a tier two priority.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I'm wondering if you think that the policy priorities of Minneapolis and the policy priorities of
• And I'm wondering if you think that the policy priorities of Minneapolis and the policy priorities of
• And I'm wondering if you think that the policy priorities of Minneapolis and the policy priorities of
• And I'm wondering if you think that the policy priorities of Minneapolis and the policy priorities of
• of Minneapolis and the policy priorities of Minneapolis and the policy<00:43:07.920><c> priorities</

Committee: House Public Safety Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• The first is the highway priority program. And prioritization.
• You also mentioned the Highway Priority Program with the new tour starting. Yes.
• We are still going to deliver an extra year’s worth of our highway priority program.
• And I get the priority issue. I get it.
• This is separate to go over the highway priority program. And so as Mr.

Summary: The committee met for an information-only hearing with no votes or other action items. DOTD Secretary Glenn LaD and Deputy Secretary Beau Black gave an update on the department’s transformation efforts, focusing on faster project delivery, improved construction administration, and new technology. They said monthly contractor payment approvals have been reduced from roughly 35 days to 15 days or less, change orders from about 40-45 days to around five days, and that DOTD delivered 86% of its advertised projects in the last fiscal year. They also described new tools such as Headlight for field inspections, Smart PM for schedule tracking, Hall Hub for e-ticketing and work-zone mapping, and a pilot using advanced sensors on district vehicles to identify potholes, guardrail damage, and other asset issues. The department also outlined a district reorganization that replaces the area engineer model with dedicated district points of contact for construction, maintenance, and operations, with no increase in total staff. Members raised concerns about local maintenance issues, especially mowing, drainage, culverts, potholes, and communication with district offices. Several members asked for clearer coordination on jurisdictional questions, more frequent meetings with district administrators, and better public updates on long-running projects. LaD said DOTD would schedule follow-up meetings, use the coming customer service portal to track complaints, and improve public communication through project information officers, social media, and other outreach. Questions also covered contractor accountability, utility relocations, road transfer maps on the DOTD website, and whether maintenance work adjacent to capital projects should be handled by district crews or through new IDIQ contracts. The secretary also reviewed the Highway Priority Program process, saying DOTD will work between June and September to review projects not included in the prior program, explain why, and refine a five-year fiscally constrained plan before the fall road show. He said the department is using IDIQ authority to award bridge maintenance and other task-order work, and that this should help address a two-year bridge repair backlog. Members discussed whether current funding levels are enough to reduce the statewide backlog, and DOTD said the current program likely maintains rather than eliminates it absent new revenue. The hearing ended with a project-specific update that a barge struck the Black Bayou Pontoon Bridge that morning, causing significant damage; DOTD said divers and staff would inspect it and determine emergency repairs. After DOTD’s presentation, Archie Chesson of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction gave a brief update on that office’s first year, describing its use of consultant pools, master service agreements, a public GIS map, and a data tool to prioritize rural road and bridge projects, with several early projects already completed or under construction.

Transcript Highlights:

• priorities.
• proposal against its other General Fund priorities.
• So still priority for the women's definitely.
• This has remained a priority of this committee, so do we have any, you know, This has remained a priority
• priorities.

Summary: Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 6 heard the Governor’s May Revision proposals for the judicial branch, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Justice, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Legislative Analyst’s Office opened with a warning that the state budget remains structurally imbalanced and urged the Legislature to avoid new ongoing spending unless offset by reductions elsewhere. In the judicial branch discussion, the Judicial Council highlighted language access funding, appellate court security, a backfill for the state court facilities construction fund, and an extension of the lactation room mandate; Finance supported most items but suggested reporting language on interpreter costs and reducing the General Fund backfill. Members raised concerns about judicial vacancies, long-term salary freezes, remote hearings, and the lack of progress on court staffing in some counties. For the Board of State and Community Corrections, the administration proposed $10 million one-time each for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People grant program and a human trafficking vertical prosecution grant program. The LAO said both should be weighed against other priorities and suggested the Legislature consider whether the Tribal Nations Grant Fund could support MMIP work, while Finance said it preferred General Fund support and wanted more review before any fund swap. Members strongly supported MMIP funding and asked whether ongoing support would be considered. On the human trafficking grant, Finance said BSC was a good fit because of its grant administration experience and prior vertical prosecution work, while legislators asked why the program was not placed with the Office of Emergency Services as originally contemplated in prior legislation. The Department of Justice presented antitrust litigation funding, Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse staffing, completion of organized retail criminal enterprise cases, and trailer bill language for a continuous appropriation from the Victims of Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The LAO supported the antitrust account use but questioned the Unfair Competition Law Fund’s ability to cover the full request without General Fund repayment, and recommended against a continuous appropriation for the restitution fund in favor of a more limited mechanism with legislative oversight. Finance said the fund would remain solvent and defended the continuous appropriation as necessary to pay victims promptly. In the CDCR portion, the largest discussion centered on the Boston Consulting Group efficiency review and sharply reduced savings estimates; LAO said the department had not fully explained the proposed position eliminations or future $100 million savings target, while Finance said the work reflected deeper analysis and ongoing efforts to find savings. Members repeatedly pressed CDCR and Finance on the gap between earlier promised savings and the revised figures. CDCR also outlined population projections showing continued declines in prison and parole populations, while LAO again urged the state to close an additional prison to save ongoing costs. The department then walked through several May Revision items, including workers’ compensation funding, a Corcoran honor housing dorm, incarcerated firefighter pay implementation, an incarcerated menopause program, mental health receiver staffing, mental health resource teams and crisis intervention teams, medical classification staffing changes, and AI note-taking for the electronic health record. LAO generally recommended limiting-term funding and more reporting for many of these proposals, while Finance defended them as necessary ongoing investments or court-ordered obligations. Members questioned the cost of workers’ compensation, the need for more prison closures, the lack of funding for women’s facility violence prevention, and the timing and transparency of the BCG savings process. No votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> think it should be a priority for us. think it should be a priority for us.
• All right, we've got two high-priority priorities. Anybody else? Senator Waters.
• So, it's pretty much a priority for me as well. Okay. I've got three high priorities. Okay.
• I've got three high priorities.
• </c> This one is a high priority for me. This one is a high priority for me.

Committee: Senate Finance

Transcript Highlights:

• Their priority is to service the basic and potential impacts of the federal freezes potential impacts
• Our priority is to service the basic and Thank you for that.
• Our priority is to service the basic and We're going through that now.
• Our people are trained, they're committed, and so we are making it a priority to fill positions.
• Our people are trained, they're committed, and so we are making it a priority to fill positions.

Committee: Senate Health and Human Services

Summary: The Health and Human Services committee heard several gubernatorial nominations and appointments, beginning with Sunshine Cho and Barbara Tom for the Language Access Advisory Council. Both nominees said they stood on their written testimony and expressed interest in continuing to serve, and multiple organizations testified in strong support. No opposition or questions were raised on either nomination, and the committee moved on after hearing the testimony. The bulk of the meeting focused on GM 642, the nomination of Ryan Yamane to be Director of the Department of Human Services. Yamane gave an extensive opening statement describing his social work background, long public service career, and philosophy of compassionate, balanced leadership. He emphasized DHS’s role in helping people from keiki to kūpuna with dignity and support, and shared personal stories from disaster response and family-service work to illustrate his approach. Support testimony came from a wide range of state officials, agency directors, community organizations, health systems, advocacy groups, and former colleagues, who praised his leadership, problem-solving, communication skills, and empathy. One witness, Moani Kiala Katherine Tu Alun, testified in opposition, raising concerns about retaliation and safety issues affecting foster youth and alleging harmful treatment within Child Welfare Services. Another witness, Angela Melody Young, supported the nomination and said Yamane could help overcome barriers for vulnerable communities and improve DHS programs such as financial assistance, SNAP, and disability services. The committee also heard from DHS staff and related officials about the uncertainty surrounding possible federal funding and staffing cuts; Yamane said the department is gathering information, coordinating with Budget and Finance and federal partners, and preparing to prioritize services and adjust if federal changes affect programs. No votes were taken in the portion of the meeting provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• So, as a reminder, our first priority was to try to protect...
• Our priorities really were very similar to the Senate priorities, making sure that we're stopping the
• High priority.
• If I'm the prime sponsor of a bill, it's often a priority of mine.
• But it takes time to socialize that as a priority to the rest of my caucus.

Summary: Senate and House Democratic leaders held a post-cutoff media availability to review the first half of session and outline priorities for the remainder. They said both chambers made substantial progress on protecting Washington from federal overreach and on affordability, citing measures on ICE access and notice, private spaces, housing expansion, medical debt interest caps, senior property tax relief, working families and small business tax credits, and proposals to phase out sales tax on services. They also highlighted that the House moved nearly 200 bills, about 80% with bipartisan support, and said the chambers are now processing each other’s bills and preparing for a fast-paced final stretch. A major focus was the “millionaire’s tax” and related tax relief proposals. Leaders said the governor’s suggestions, including a sales tax holiday and diaper relief, were welcome and that the updated revenue forecast gives the budget more breathing room and reserves, though much of the new revenue is offset by caseload growth and federal cuts. They said the tax package is intended to support long-term fiscal sustainability and affordability, and that House members will continue shaping the bill in committee. They also discussed a separate proposal to tax large employers whose workers rely on Medicaid, saying it is being considered in light of new federal requirements to track Medicaid employment data, while noting concerns from employers and nonprofits. The conversation also covered several bills that stalled or were delayed. Leaders said the JR bill did not advance because it lacked votes, though support and stakeholder engagement increased this year. They said child welfare bills and Senator Wilson’s proposals were paused after stakeholder concerns, while Representative Fitzgibbon defended the House’s approach to child safety and said lawmakers are still working on the issue. Other topics included the transmission and cultural resources bills, where a late procedural request to read a bill in full disrupted plans to move multiple measures together, and a tort-liability bill that passed the Senate and is expected to continue in the House with amendments. They also addressed the 0.05 impaired-driving bill, the Left Plan 1 pension proposal, the farmworker unionization bill, and the initiative-related bill, with several of these measures described as still under discussion or lacking enough support to move this year.

Transcript Highlights:

• That's not the priorities of Minnesota.
• And so we got priorities of Minnesota.
• Another priority that secondary deal.
• We have to make decisions and priorities, and that's what this is about.
• We have to make decisions and priorities, and that's what this is about.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think that we could definitely give priority to those types of projects. Greater priority?
• I think that we could definitely give priority to those types of projects. Greater priority?
• I think that we could definitely give priority to those types of projects. Greater priority?
• I think that we could definitely give priority to those types of projects. Greater priority?
• > perpetual</c> greater priority for perpetual greater priority for perpetual affordability?

Summary: The Committee on Housing heard and acted on three measures related to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) and affordable housing policy. First, it considered GM 681, the nomination of Garth Yamanaka to the HHFDC Board of Directors. Yamanaka testified that he supports using all available tools to increase housing production, including open space and park dedication where feasible, more revenue-neutral and workforce housing, and a broad mix of housing types. Senators questioned him on priorities such as perpetual affordability, state- and county-owned projects, and whether HHFDC should focus more on revenue-neutral housing; he generally supported greater flexibility and more options, while emphasizing the need to consider feasibility and local market needs. The committee recommended GM 681 for advise and consent and adopted that recommendation unanimously, with Senator Fevella excused. The committee then heard GM 764, the nomination of Susan Coons to the HHFDC Board. Coons said she supports prioritizing state and government lands for affordable housing but stressed that the government cannot solve the housing shortage alone and should continue to engage private and nonprofit partners. In response to questions, she said HHFDC should give greater priority to perpetual affordability and could potentially devote more resources to revenue-neutral, income-blind housing, but she cautioned against blanket policies and said decisions should be guided by data, community needs, and project readiness. She also supported the idea of a 100,000-unit housing plan and said HHFDC should focus on more specific policies and projects. The committee recommended GM 764 for advise and consent and adopted the recommendation. Finally, the committee considered HCR 83, which supports using the dwelling unit revolving fund for pre-development costs through interim loans for government affordable housing projects. HHFDC testified in support and explained that it already has authority to make pre-development loans, but the resolution would provide policy support and comfort to the board. Members asked about loan security and default; HHFDC said such loans would typically be secured by land collateral and that it would not expect to forgive the loans. The committee agreed to pass the resolution with amendments, including adding committee report language about default and collateral and noting HHFDC’s existing authority. In a joint portion with the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, the committees also took up HCR 98 HD1 and recommended it pass with amendments to clarify that the countywide housing pattern book applies only to the City and County of Honolulu and involves collaboration between Honolulu housing and planning agencies. All recommendations were adopted, and the hearing adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• priorities.
• So women's facilities are definitely still a priority.
• So still priority for the women's definitely.
• This has remained a priority of this committee.
• And again, that has been a priority of this body here.

Transcript Highlights:

• is in that priority order?
• So first up is priority 23.
• So first up is priority 23.
• So first up is priority 23.
• So first up is priority 23.

Summary: The Committee on Finance received an informational briefing from the Department of Law Enforcement on its priorities following the January 1 transfer of law enforcement assets into the department, including the sheriff’s division, narcotics enforcement, criminal investigations, homeland security, and the inspector general’s office. DLE said its goals are to improve public safety, accountability, communications, training, and standards. The department outlined planned initiatives such as stronger federal partnerships, narcotics and gun-violence enforcement, an agricultural crime unit, traffic and commercial vehicle enforcement, an explosive/fireworks enforcement section, gun buybacks, new police facilities in the airport area, Aahu, and the leeward side, a state training center, upgraded law-enforcement IT, and efforts to narrow salary gaps with county departments to improve recruitment. A major portion of the discussion focused on illegal fireworks enforcement after the recent explosion tragedy. DLE said its current task force is small and relies on ad hoc support from HPD, the Attorney General’s office, criminal investigations, and sheriffs, which is not sustainable. The department requested eight FTEs for the effort—one administrator, two clerical staff, and six investigators—plus funding for a laboratory, equipment, storage, disposal, vehicles, safety gear, and a criminalist. DLE said the explosive enforcement section would use an existing facility and that the initial lab startup cost is about $2 million. Members asked for follow-up materials, and DLE said it would send the explosive enforcement forms and additional details to the Finance and Judiciary chairs. Members also questioned staffing vacancies, interagency coordination, and whether new specialized units could be filled. DLE said it has about 119 vacancies and that recruitment is hindered by a roughly $28,000 starting pay gap with county police departments; academy classes are down to about 12 to 14 recruits. The department said it is streamlining hiring, using QR-code recruitment, and hopes specialized units will attract applicants. On coordination, DLE said it works closely with HPD and other agencies on operations such as fireworks enforcement and public events, and that DOCARE remains a case-by-case partner but is not currently moving into DLE. The committee also received updates on the Silver Alert program, which is nearing rollout with county MOUs and a coordinator expected later in the month, the special duty officer program, which is being moved to a web-based vendor-managed system at no cost to the department, and the SaferWatch school safety system, which is being deployed statewide with annual software costs of $3,500 per school in the first year and $2,500 thereafter. No votes or formal actions were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• My priorities going into the next improving operations.
• You have a lot of priorities, and I've done On yesterday.
• You have a lot of priorities, and I love all of them.
• I do have a lot of priorities.
• And so he said, yeah, that would be my next priority.

Committee: Senate Health and Welfare

Transcript Highlights:

• What's your top priority, second priority, third priority?
• What's your top priority, second priority, third priority?
• What's your top priority, second priority, third priority?
• What's your top priority, second priority, third priority?
• priority, second priority, third priority?

Committee: Senate Economic Development and Tourism

Summary: The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism heard confirmations for two Hawaii Technology Development Corporation board nominees, Jaclyn Ka and Gregory Oara. Testimony for both was overwhelmingly in support. Supporters for Ka emphasized her Kauaʻi roots, work in workforce development and digital equity, and ability to connect schools, industry, and community needs. In her own remarks, Ka said she wants to bring resources to Kauaʻi and the neighbor islands, strengthen local workforce pathways, and use the HTDC board to help local residents access technology jobs and training. Members questioned Ka about how to reduce reliance on mainland hires for jobs at PMRF and other technology employers, how to better align training with local needs, and how to connect Kauaʻi schools, community college programs, and creative media/digital technology efforts. Ka described KDB’s role in building islandwide digital media and drone clubs, professional development for teachers, and partnerships intended to create a pipeline from school to workforce. She also said the legislature can help mainly by listening and staying informed about local needs. For Oara, supporters highlighted his engineering and semiconductor background, his experience in academia, industry, and startups, and his potential to help HTDC with technology commercialization, IP, and exportable services. Oara said he wants HTDC to better support early-stage companies, improve coordination among universities, government, and the private sector, and create a directory of technical skill sets to connect startups with needed expertise. He also discussed AI, saying Hawaii can contribute by developing smaller, locally relevant models rather than only relying on large-scale data-center infrastructure. The hearing focused on these nominations and testimony; no vote or final committee action was stated in the transcript.

Transcript Highlights:

• > there's</c> priorities that priorities piece there's priorities that priorities piece there's a<00:
• Direct care and treatment, if it is in priority, should be the ultimate priority.
• Direct care and treatment, if it is in priority, should be the ultimate priority.
• Direct care and treatment, if it is in priority, should be the ultimate priority.
• Direct care and treatment, if it is in priority, should be the ultimate priority.

Committee: Senate Human Services

Transcript Highlights:

• We have six priority water uses, and the number one is domestic use.
• water uses the about the priority water uses the priority<00:48:16.559><c> water</c><00:48:16.760><c
• </c> priority water uses we have six priority priority water uses we have six priority water<00:48:18.480
• </c> only VI aquer you have the one priority only VI aquer you have the one priority use<00:48:59.280
• </c> I have is I'm seeing as first priority I have is I'm seeing as first priority use<00:54:41.559><

Bills: HF647 , HF2824 , HF1249 , HF623 , HF820

Committee: House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the USDA priorities, which include soil health, so
• I'm sure there's something in there, but let me get the details. priority research is.
• , and the main priority was getting CAFE complete.
• The idea behind that act of Congress was that you need local knowledge to know what local priorities
• And so one of our big priorities at IWRI is to centralize that data and make it more accessible.

Committee: House Agricultural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:

• But these are the priority projects that were selected last year.
• And so these are aligned with the USGS national water priorities.
• But these are the priority projects that were selected last year.
• And so these are aligned with the USGS national water priorities.
• a priority.

Committee: House Resources and Conservation

Transcript Highlights:

• We go forward and be able to pivot as we work with the regions on what their priorities are.
• Based on the priority of our partners and Health Care Authority and with the courts.
• Here's their priorities. Now, how do we get their priorities and their first needs?
• And housing to me may be... ...get their priorities and their first needs.
• And housing to me may be part of the need, but I don't think that's a priority.

Bills: HB1

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: feed bill, legislative appropriations, legislative branch, New Mexico Legislature, general fund, legislative council service, legislative finance committee, legislative education study committee, house chief clerk, senate chief clerk, per diem, mileage, session expenses, interim committees, district staff, capitol complex, capital outlay data system, legislative processing system, redistricting, census redistricting

Transcript Highlights:

• As confirmed, streamlining and expediting the acquisition process must be one of your highest priorities
• The mental health access for our service members and our total force has to be our priority.
• The health and well-being of all of our military members is a priority.
• So knitter modernization has been among the Air Force's top priorities. priorities to ensure that our
• Recruiting and retaining highly qualified staff has to be a priority.

Committee: Senate Subcommittee on Personnel

Keywords: Air Force modernization, fighter aircraft, autonomous systems, air superiority, national security, recapitalization

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on military procurement and modernization, with significant discussions surrounding the Air Force's capabilities and strategic needs. Key topics included the urgent need for recapitalization of the Air Force's fighter squadrons, as well as the importance of integrating new technologies like autonomous systems to bolster military effectiveness. Several senators raised concerns about the current resources available to the Air National Guard and the potential loss of skilled service members if recapitalization plans are not swiftly developed. There were also discussions on the importance of maintaining air superiority in light of evolving threats, particularly from adversaries like China.

Transcript Highlights:

• On slides five and six, is the state giving you priorities?
• But is the state giving you priorities? On slide six, Madam Chair.
• And I think here is where the universities all have different priorities.
• our research priorities.
• That is now no longer a federal funding priority. So we need to pivot.

Committee: House Science, Technology & Telecommunications Committee