Transcript Highlights:

• They are often paired up with battery storage facilities.
• They are often paired up with battery storage facilities.
• THEY ARE OFTEN PAIRED UP WITH BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY.

Summary: The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the prior day’s journal, and then recognized several guest groups, including the Shenendehowa High School girls varsity cross country team and tennis champion Jolie Chichak, as well as the Downsville Central School Student Council. Senator Tedisco introduced the Shenendehowa athletes, highlighting their state and federation championships and strong academic records, and Senator Oberacker introduced the Downsville students. The chamber extended courtesies to the guests. The Senate then moved through the calendar, passing a series of bills and resolutions. Among the measures approved were a bill designating Overdose Awareness Day, a real property tax bill, a public authorities bill, several education-related bills, a private housing finance bill, a workers’ compensation bill, and a labor law bill. Some items were laid aside before later being taken up, including the cannabis bill and the environmental conservation bill. Votes were largely unanimous or near-unanimous, with a few recorded negatives on certain bills. The most extensive debate centered on Calendar 261, Senator May’s environmental conservation bill concerning renewable energy installations and transmission on state reforestation lands. Senator Walczyk and others questioned whether the bill would allow solar, wind, battery storage, tree cutting, herbicide use, and reduced environmental review, while supporters argued the bill was mainly about transmission corridors, climate goals, and preserving flexibility for DEC oversight and mitigation. After debate, the bill was restored to the non-controversial calendar and passed 42-13. The Senate also passed Calendar 353, Senator Ramos’s labor law bill addressing class action wage recovery and statutory damages. Supporters said it would clarify the law so workers can recover full wages in class actions, while opponents warned it could encourage litigation against small businesses over technical payroll errors. The bill passed 47-8. The Senate then completed the calendar and adjourned until March 4, 2026, with intervening days as legislative days.

Transcript Highlights:

• passed some form of financial education requirement, as SB 5849 positions Washington to go further by pairing
• passed some form of financial education requirement as B-5849 positions Washington to go further by pairing
• clear existing standards with graduation requirement, further by pairing clear existing standards with

Bills: SB5849 , SB6278 , SB6130 , SB6222 , SB6206 , SB6260 , SB5346 , SB6263 , SB6268 , SB6247

Committee: Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

Keywords: financial education, graduation requirement, student curriculum, financial literacy, education reform, teacher preparation, principal preparation, educator preparation, alternative route certification, teacher certification, principal certification, Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, PESB, field placement, student teacher, residency, mentoring, school district partnerships, K-12 education, preK-12

Transcript Highlights:

• We've been asked pretty opportunistically to speak and integrate on the pair and government side state
• systems as as of our utmost importance, obviously, because we're, you know, combining data across pairs
• Kind of talked about like Marjorie talking about and ministry of talks on the pair insurance can take

Transcript Highlights:

• Any conversation, any discussion of the UI Fund needs to be paired with a serious proposal for reform
• Any conversation, any discussion of the UI Fund needs to be paired with a serious proposal for reform
• And so before we put more money toward the debt, we have to pair it with serious reform.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight held a hearing on proposals to reform California’s Budget Stabilization Account, or rainy day fund, ahead of the May Revision. Members and witnesses reviewed how Proposition 2 (2014) changed reserve rules, including mandatory deposits, a 10% cap on the fund, and limits tied to the Governor’s declaration of a budget emergency. LAO staff explained that California’s revenues are highly volatile, that current reserve rules are complicated by interactions with Proposition 98 and the Gann limit, and that under current law reserves would cover only about one-third of funding shortfalls in a benchmark scenario over 50 years. The LAO presented its report recommending a larger reserve target, including raising the cap to 50% by 2055 and pairing that with either broader, more flexible deposit rules or a simpler approach that deposits all excess capital gains. The Department of Finance described the Governor’s proposal to raise the cap from 10% to 20% and exempt BSA deposits from the state appropriations limit, while Assembly Member Valencia presented ACA 1, which would make similar changes and was described as an evolving proposal. Testimony generally supported saving more during boom years, but differed on how much to hardwire into the Constitution versus leave flexible, and on whether to broaden the deposit formulas beyond capital gains. Public witnesses and committee members raised additional issues, including whether reserve reforms should also address debt repayment, the treatment of unemployment insurance fund debt, and whether the Gann limit should be adjusted to better allow reserve growth. Supporters argued that stronger reserves would protect Californians from cuts during downturns and help the state weather volatility and federal funding threats. Some advocates warned that reforms should not come at the expense of current public needs, while taxpayer representatives cautioned against turning the BSA into a pass-through account that weakens constitutional spending limits. The hearing ended without a vote, with the committee chair noting the complexity of the issue and adjourning after public comment.

Transcript Highlights:

• We then pair them with a trained volunteer for a weekly one-to-one mentoring relationship.
• middle schoolers with mentoring pairing middle schoolers with volunteer<01:46:32.080><c> uh</c><01:46
• 47:57.400><c> professionals</c><01:47:58.320><c> we</c><01:47:58.520><c> then</c><01:47:58.719><c> pair
• </c><01:47:59.080><c> them</c> other professionals we then pair them other professionals we then pair
• </c> job search and I achieve I was paired job search and I achieve I was paired with<01:51:03.520><c

Committee: Senate Jobs and Economic Development

Transcript Highlights:

• Through their mentorship program, Marcus could be paired with a mentor that can help him explore career
• Working together, we're able to braid resources, pairing public and private sector funding to multiply
• Working together, we're able to braid resources, pairing public and private sector funding to multiply
• </c><01:38:12.760><c> the</c><01:38:13.040><c> the</c> look at uh and really pair the the look at uh
• and really pair the the resources<01:38:14.040><c> from</c><01:38:14.440><c> industry</c><01:38:15.280

Bills: HF1936 , HF849 , HF989 , HF1130 , HF1223 , HF1907 , HF1847 , HF1957

Committee: House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:54:53.440><c> You</c><00:54:53.599><c> know,</c><00:54:53.680><c> it</c><00:54:53.920><c> pairs
• You know, it pairs safety, talked about.
• And that's just pairing the need with the problem, uh, with the solution for statewide resources. >>
• And that's just pairing<01:24:36.880><c> the</c><01:24:37.199><c> the</c><01:24:37.600><c> need</c><01
• the the need uh with the problem pairing the the need uh with the problem with<01:24:39.360><c> the<

Bills: HF3425 , HF3424 , HF1385

Committee: House Housing Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• We also have a great, talented pair of professionals.
• We also have a great, talented pair of professionals.
• We also have a great, talented pair of professionals.
• Some districts have bonuses, or you can get paid extra during the day if you pick up a pair or a prep
• professionals and people with AA pair professionals and people with AA degrees<00:41:52.000><c> in</

Committee: House Education Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, lack of an available in-loading spare boat and a single terminal pair, as well as staffing challenges
• earlier that one of the issues with reliability that we've experienced over time is that a single pair

Summary: The Louisiana Transportation Authority met on March 26 with a quorum present and approved the September 10, 2025 minutes. The main item was the Cameron Ferry privatization proposal from Labmar Ferry Services. Staff explained the ferry’s current operational problems, including reliability issues with the aging Cameron No. 2 vessel, limited backup capacity, and staffing challenges. They also reviewed the competitive solicitation process that followed Labmar’s unsolicited proposal, noting that Labmar was the only proposer and that local entities, including the Cameron Parish Police Jury and Cameron Port Harbor and Terminal District, had no objection to the concept. Staff and counsel outlined the statutory public-purpose factors the board had to consider and described the scope of a potential agreement, which would cover vessel operations, maintenance, facilities, communications, dry docking, and emergency response. Board members praised DOTD staff and the Cameron ferry workers for their long service and emphasized the need for more reliable service and better contingency planning. Senator Abraham asked procedural questions about the unsolicited proposal and the solicitation process. The board first voted that the privatization proposal would serve a public purpose, then voted to approve the proposal contingent on execution of a comprehensive agreement; both motions passed without objection. The meeting also covered next steps. DOTD said negotiations would continue through spring and early summer, with a possible transition to Labmar in late summer 2026 if an agreement and funding are secured. Staff reported that two new hybrid ferries, the Holly Beach and the Cameron, are expected in May and August 2026, and that temporary docking and site improvements are underway. A feasibility study for terminal expansion estimated costs between $30 million and $50 million, with permitting and design likely taking at least a year and a half to two years. Members discussed the need for a multi-year funding plan, and the meeting ended with a motion to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• This is the third pair that's shown up in my proximity today.
• Kenny will let me, I'll put them in there and I'll keep this pair up here.
• This is the third pair that's shown up in my proximity today.
• I'll put them in there and I'll keep this pair up here.
• If you ever, you this pair up here.

Transcript Highlights:

• used to be marshy sloughs in western Stutsman County when I was a young kid hunting mallards, wear a pair
• of waders and it was two, three feet deep, a lot of... ...hunting mallards, wear a pair of waders, and
• So that, you know, moves from that low-level investment R&D paired up with the producers to generate
• So that, you know, moves from that a, you know, low-level investment R-D paired up with the producers
• They need to be paired up to the producer problem in real need.

Summary: The meeting began with approval of the prior minutes and opening remarks from NDSU President David Stewart, who emphasized NDSU’s land-grant mission of statewide service through teaching, research, and extension. He highlighted the university’s role in agriculture, water, soil health, and community outreach, and pointed to examples of research commercialization such as Lilac Agriculture’s work on nitrogen-fixing microbes for crops. He also said he is still early in his tenure and intends to spend time listening and learning across the state. The committee then received a detailed presentation on a state irrigation and drainage study from Tom Bodine on behalf of Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. The study estimated that North Dakota could develop about 1.3 million additional irrigated acres, with major potential in counties such as McLean, Williams, Sargent, Burleigh, Mountrail, McKenzie, McIntosh, Dunn, and Bottineau. Testimony stressed the economic benefits of irrigation for crop yields, value-added processing, dairy, and potato production, while members also discussed water availability, aquifers, downstream water use, and the need for more flexible permitting. The drainage portion of the study found significant economic benefits from legal drains, and staff explained that the impacts were calculated through increased productivity and related input purchases. Greg Lardy then gave NDSU’s required agriculture update, saying agriculture accounts for more than $41 billion in annual economic activity, one in five jobs, and about 25 percent of state GDP. He reviewed the role of SBAR, the statewide research-extension network, new crop varieties, virtual fencing, AI and weather-network tools, and Extension’s county partnerships and youth programs. He also outlined NDSU’s priorities for the next session: restoring proposed budget cuts, increasing operating support, and addressing deferred maintenance. Members asked about storage shed construction, NDSU’s relationship with Grand Farm, and whether NDSU could help with water-related research tied to drainage and aquifers. The committee also heard from the North Dakota Water Resources Research Institute and a professor on water and data centers, who described graduate fellowships, a water workforce certificate program, and research on data center cooling, water use, and “Legendary Harvest” concepts that would reuse waste heat for greenhouse or aquaculture production. Questions focused on whether the cooling systems were closed-loop, who would own any related production facilities, and whether the project was still only a feasibility study. Finally, North Dakota AgTech described its NSF-funded “engine” project, saying it has brought millions in federal investment to the state, supported startups and on-farm trials, and is focused on commercialization, workforce development, and helping producers lower input costs and improve profitability.

Transcript Highlights:

• So we're able to pair those together to get to final funding in a one-stop process.
• And then the other half would go through HDFC to pair with its subsidy.
• So we'll have more visibility into that need for pairing and then we'll be able to return it much sooner
• program was undersubscribed because there was far less local resources and state resources to be able to pair
• But it's critical that state tax credits and 9% credits can be paired with HDFC projects.

Summary: The subcommittee heard an extensive presentation on the administration’s housing reorganization proposal, which would centralize multifamily affordable housing finance under the new Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) and align it with the Governor’s trailer bill language. Administration officials said the plan is intended to create a one-stop application and award process, reduce duplicative timelines and costs, and pair state subsidy with private activity bonds and federal tax credits more efficiently. They also described proposed changes to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, including shifting a larger share of funding toward housing-related awards while preserving a portion for sustainable communities investments. The Legislative Analyst’s Office generally supported the streamlining concept but recommended changes to the proposed bond set-aside timing and urged flexibility for integrated applications and future reporting on demand. Senators, especially Senator Cabaldon, raised concerns that the proposal could weaken the original climate-and-transportation purpose of the sustainable communities program and that the reorganization would be undercut by the lack of new housing production funding in the budget. The item was held open without a vote. The committee then received a report from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee and the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee on federal and state housing tax credits. Staff explained that the federal H.R. 1 change lowering the bond-financing threshold from 50% to 25% greatly expanded the number of projects able to use the 4% federal tax credit, allowing California to fund many more projects and units. They also described the state low-income housing tax credit as an important gap-filling tool for projects that still need additional subsidy, and noted existing set-asides for rural, homeless, at-risk, and extremely low-income projects. Members discussed rehabilitation as well as new construction, and the item was informational only. Finally, the Civil Rights Department reported on the effects of federal civil rights policy changes and on three programs facing expiration: California vs. Hate, the Community Conflict Resolution Unit, and Investigations and Conciliation Enhancement. Director Kevin Kish said federal cuts and policy shifts have reduced support for fair housing and other civil rights functions, while CRD’s caseload has grown from about 8,700 open matters a year ago to more than 12,000, with a six-month wait for interviews despite overtime triage efforts. Senators expressed strong support for continuing the programs and concern about the broader federal rollback of civil rights enforcement. The department said it is using overtime, intake triage, and outreach partnerships to manage the workload and direct Californians to appropriate state, local, and nonprofit resources.

Transcript Highlights:

• We support the Senate language to make it easier for developers to pair the state housing tax credit
• First, Minnesota Housing has been a key financing partner, offering first mortgage loans we paired with
• Offering First mortgage<00:43:05.119><c> loans</c><00:43:05.359><c> we</c><00:43:05.599><c> paired</c
• ><00:43:05.839><c> with</c><00:43:05.920><c> our</c> mortgage loans we paired with our mortgage loans
• we paired with our subsidized<00:43:06.640><c> debt.

Transcript Highlights:

• You're not so sure about you can think of it as by the base pair.
• So if you want an A and a G and a T and a C, we charge you for each of those base pairs.
• So the error rates are very low in terms of, you know, if you order a 500 base pair piece of DNA, we're
• going to deliver to you the 500 base pairs you asked for.
• Yes, to my colleague's point, we do have customers who request that we use non-natural base pairs or

Summary: The hearing focused on how artificial intelligence is being used across California’s life sciences sector, from research and drug discovery to digital health, medical devices, and patient care. Chair Ward and Chair Bauer-Kahan opened by emphasizing California’s leadership in biotech, the need to preserve that ecosystem, and the importance of balancing innovation with privacy, consumer protection, and equitable access. They also highlighted the potential role of public compute and public-private partnerships, including CalCompute, in keeping California competitive. The first panel featured representatives from UCSF, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Dr. Ida Sim described AI-enabled digital health tools, including sensor-based blood pressure monitoring and efforts to connect wearable data with electronic health records through open infrastructure. Dr. Karen Knudson focused on cancer, saying AI can accelerate drug discovery, improve learning from every patient, and expand clinical trial access. Dr. Shankar Sundaram discussed AI for public health and biosecurity, including outbreak prediction, antibody redesign, and the need to unlock data, expand compute access, and support public health agencies. Panelists also discussed privacy, HIPAA/CMIA protections, open-source versus closed models, validation, and the need for faster, more modern FDA pathways. The second panel included speakers from Pangea Data, Dexcom, Eli Lilly Ventures, and Twist Bioscience. Dr. Vibhur Gupta described AI systems that identify care gaps in electronic health records and argued for reimbursement frameworks that would let such tools scale beyond large health systems into rural care. Dexcom’s Ginny Hu explained how the company uses AI in its continuous glucose monitoring products, with strong FDA-aligned verification, validation, cybersecurity, human oversight, and post-market monitoring. Eli Lilly’s Danjima Corliss emphasized AI as a scientific collaborator in drug discovery and highlighted Lilly’s high-performance computing investments in California. The discussion continued to return to data access, model transparency, regulatory modernization, and how California can support innovation while protecting patients.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can think of it as by the base pair.
• So, if you want an A and a G and a T and a C, we charge you for each of those base pairs.
• So the error rates are very low in terms of, you know, if you order a 500 base pair piece of DNA, we're
• going to deliver to you the 500 base pairs you asked for.
• Yes, to my colleague's point, we do have customers who request that we use non-natural base pairs or

Transcript Highlights:

• The first one is to really pair ridership and frequency because we know when frequency increases, it
• And the reason for pairing both the metrics as well as the transit investment framework in this bill
• And the the reason<00:14:39.680><c> for</c><00:14:39.920><c> pairing</c><00:14:40.440><c> both</c><00
• :14:40.839><c> the</c><00:14:40.959><c> metrics</c><00:14:41.640><c> as</c> reason for pairing both the
• metrics as reason for pairing both the metrics as well<00:14:42.280><c> as</c><00:14:42.560><c> the<

Transcript Highlights:

• The thing that I'm really excited about is that we've been able to pair this with the Specialty Crop
• The thing that I'm really excited about is that we've been able to pair this with the specialty crop
• Since 2023, we've been paired with the second-largest food bank in the nation, and with that scale of
• Since 2023, we've been paired with the second largest food bank in the nation, and with that scale of
• demand, we've In 2020, we've been paired with the second-largest food bank in the nation, and with that

Transcript Highlights:

• It was also paired with a staff increase for claims examiners for Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust
• And it was also paired with a staff increase for claims examiners for subsequent injury benefit trust
• We have no issues with the proposed staffing increase, but would stress that it be best paired with reforms
• So this being paired together. Let's go ahead and any other comments here? Any questions?
• So this being paired together. Let's go ahead and any other comments here? Any questions?

Transcript Highlights:

• And it was also paired with a staff increase for claims examiners for Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust
• And it was also paired with a staff increase for claims examiners for subsequent injury benefit trust
• administrative burden, which is directly related to the budget and implementing the BCP, but as a pair
• We have no issues with the proposed staffing increase, but would stress that it be best paired with reforms
• So this being paired together. Let's go ahead and any other comments here? Any questions?

Summary: The Budget Subcommittee on State Administration heard presentations on the Department of Industrial Relations’ labor-related budget items, with the main focus on proposed trailer bill language to reform the Subsequent Injury Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF) and a related budget change proposal for staffing. DIR said SIBTF has grown far beyond its original purpose, citing the 2020 Todd decision, expanded eligibility based on chronic or asymptomatic conditions, and a backlog that has grown to more than 30,000 pending cases. The administration argued the reforms would restore guardrails, reduce liabilities and employer assessments, and speed processing for severely injured workers; the LAO said the proposal was largely consistent with its prior recommendations. Members raised concerns about using trailer bill language for major policy changes, the retroactive application to open cases, and the impact on workers already in the queue, while supporters from employer groups and public agencies backed the proposal as necessary to control costs and restore sustainability. Public comment was split, with injured-worker advocates opposing the retroactive changes and business/public employer representatives supporting the reforms. The committee then heard the SIBTF workload request, which would phase in 177 positions over five years at a cost of $36.5 million, including staff for the Division of Workers’ Compensation, the Office of the Director Legal Unit, and administrative support. DIR said the additional staffing is intended to address very high caseloads and reduce processing times, but emphasized that the request assumes the reform package is adopted; LAO agreed the staffing increase made sense if paired with reforms. Members asked about vacancy rates, current staffing, and whether the workload request would become the new normal, and DIR said it would monitor caseload trends and adjust future requests as needed. Finally, the committee received an update on the California Workplace Outreach Program (CWOP), which DIR described as a partnership with community-based organizations to educate workers and help employers comply with labor laws. DIR reported that CWOP has reached 1.75 million workers and employers and made 8 million touchpoints since 2020, with the current round awarding $50.7 million to 87 partners for a two-year period through June 2027. Members and public commenters highlighted the program’s role in reaching immigrant, farmworker, janitorial, nail salon, and other vulnerable communities, and several speakers urged continued funding at $30 million per year for five years. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• So the 30 was the selected day because exploring the various options, what you see is if you pair your
• So the 30 was the selected day because exploring the various options, what you see is if you pair your
• So the 30 was the selected day because exploring the various options, what you see is if you pair your
• So the 30 was the selected day because exploring the various options, what you see is if you pair your
• So the 30 was the selected day because exploring the various options, what you see is if you pair your

Bills: HF1169 , HF1916

Committee: House Children and Families Finance and Policy